Books in the Blackwell Ancient Religions series

This book provides an engaging, systematic introduction to religion in the Roman empire. Covers both mainstream Graeco-Roman religion and regional religious traditions, from Egypt to Western Europe. Examines the shared assumptions and underlying dynamics that characterized religious life as a whole.

Original and comprehensive, Magic in the Ancient Greek World takes the reader inside both the social imagination and the ritual reality that made magic possible in ancient Greece. * Explores the widespread use of spells, drugs, curse tablets, and figurines, and the practitioners of magic in the ancient world * Uncovers how magic worked.

The first English-language survey of ancient Greek divinatory methods Offers in-depth discussions of oracles, wandering diviners, do-it-yourself methods of foretelling the future, magical divinatory techniques, and much more Illustrates how the study of divination illuminates the mentalities of ancient Greek religions and societies.

This book explores the development of tombs as a cultural phenomenon in ancient Egypt and examines what tombs reveal about ancient Egyptian culture and Egyptians belief in the afterlife.

Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt offers a stimulating overview of the study of ancient Egyptian religion by examining research drawn from beyond the customary boundaries of Egyptology and shedding new light on entrenched assumptions. .

In The Origins of Christianity and the New Testament, distinguished scholar Rebecca I. Denova explores how the first followers of Jesus arrived at their faith, the way their sacred texts developed into the New Testament, and how their movement eventually became the religion of Christianity. This accessible volume examines the concepts, beliefs, issues, and events that gave rise to institutional Christianity--providing readers with the historical context of the gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, the Acts of the Apostles, the Book of Revelation, the letters of Paul, and other foundational New Testament documents.Approaching the subject from the multidisciplinary perspective of Religious Studies, the author addresses topics including the ethnic and religious background of "Jesus the Jew," the New Testament's different portraits of Jesus, the genesis of Christian concepts such as the divine incarnation and "second coming" of Jesus, Paul the Apostle's contributions to Christian dogma, how ancient Judaism, Greco-Roman culture, and early philosophy was incorporated into the Christian tradition, and more.Containing maps, timelines, figures of archaeological sites, a brief history of ancient Judaism, and a wealth of pedagogical features, The Origins of Christianity and the New Testament is an excellent textbook for all undergraduate and graduate courses in the study of ancient Christianity, as well as lay readers with interest in tracing the roots of the Christian faith.

Ancient Greek Religion provides an introduction to the fundamental beliefs, practices, and major deities of Greek religion. While the focus is on Athens in the Classical Period, the book also includes discussion of major panhellenic cults at Delphi and Olympia.