Dale B. Martin is Professor of Religious Studies, Yale University.
A lucid introduction to a fascinating topic.--Pauline Ripat"Bryn
Mawr Classical Review" (04/01/2005)
Many ancients and moderns have seen religion as superstition, yet
the world overflows with people who reject superstition generally
yet accept it in the context of religion. Yale professor Martin
explores the origins of that contradiction in perhaps the finest
historical study ever of superstition and its delineation from
religion.--Carlin Romano"Philadelphia Inquirer" (12/26/2004)
Martin calls upon the teachings of thinkers like Plato, Aristotle,
Galen, Hippocrates, Plotinus, and Porphyry as he defines nature and
the divine, monotheism and polytheism, and earlier definitions of
superstition. The book's peak is a wonderful discussion of Celsus's
attacks on Christianity as impious and Origen's successful
Christian response in "Contra Celsum". The perfect mind opener for
readers desiring a better understanding of the religious climate of
antiquity.--Gary P. Gillum"Library Journal" (09/01/2004)
Martin wrote this work partially to support his contention that,
contrary to modern readings, "superstition" in Graeco-Roman texts
could not refer to belief in the supernatural, which was not a
concept at the time. He maintains that reading discussions of
superstition prior to the eighteenth century as references to the
supernatural seriously misrepresents the thoughts of people using
the term. His history and arguments in pursuit of this endeavor
provide a wealth of data that can be mined and interpreted by
scholars in classics as well as many other fields, including
religious studies and folkloristics...Martin does an excellent job
of highlighting the social tensions at play in discussions of
superstition in antiquity. Particularly intriguing is Martin's
discussion of how charges of superstition were traded between early
Christians and their pagan opponents...Martin's work is one that
anyone interested in worldview, vernacular religion, or the history
of intellectual activities will
This substantial contribution to the history of Mediterranean
religions will interest classics and religion scholars.--J. C.
Hanges"Choice" (06/01/2005)
better understanding of the religious climate of antiquity.
origins of that contradiction in perhaps the finest historical
study ever of superstition and its delineation from religion.
A lucid introduction to a fascinating topic.
A lucid introduction to a fascinating topic. -- Pauline Ripat "Bryn
Mawr Classical Review" (04/01/2005)
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