Atheism At The Agora

Author : James Christopher Ford
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2023
Category : HISTORY
ISBN : 100339308X

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Atheism at the Agora by James Christopher Ford Pdf

"This fresh, comprehensive study of ancient Greek atheism aims to dismantle the current consensus that atheism was 'unthinkable' in ancient Greece, demonstrating instead that atheism was not only thinkable but inextricably embedded in the Greek religious environment. Through careful analysis of a wide range of source material provided in modern English translation, and drawing on philosophy, theology, sociology, and other disciplines, Ford unpicks a two and a half thousand-year history of marginalisation, clearing the way for a new analysis. He lays out in clear terms the nature and form of ancient Greek atheism as the ancient Greeks conceived of it, through a series of themes and lenses. Topics such as religious socialisation, the interaction of atheist philosophy and theology, identity formation through alterity, and the use of atheism in scapegoating are considered not only in broad terms, using a synthesis of modern scholarship to mark out an overview in line with modern consensus, but also by drawing on the unique perspective of ancient atheism Ford is able to provide innovative theories about a range of subjects. Atheism at the Agora is of interest to students and scholars in Classics, particularly Greek religion and culture, as well as those studying atheism in other historical and contemporary areas, religious studies, philosophy, and theology"--

Author : James C Ford
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 168 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2023-08-11
Category : History
ISBN : 9781000925494

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Atheism at the Agora by James C Ford Pdf

This fresh, comprehensive study of ancient Greek atheism aims to dismantle the current consensus that atheism was ‘unthinkable’ in ancient Greece, demonstrating instead that atheism was not only thinkable but inextricably embedded in the Greek religious environment. Through careful analysis of a wide range of source material provided in modern English translation, and drawing on philosophy, theology, sociology, and other disciplines, Ford unpicks a two and a half thousand-year history of marginalisation, clearing the way for a new analysis. He lays out in clear terms the nature and form of ancient Greek atheism as the ancient Greeks conceived of it, through a series of themes and lenses. Topics such as religious socialisation, the interaction of atheist philosophy and theology, identity formation through alterity, and the use of atheism in scapegoating are considered not only in broad terms, using a synthesis of modern scholarship to mark out an overview in line with modern consensus, but also by drawing on the unique perspective of ancient atheism Ford is able to provide innovative theories about a range of subjects. Atheism at the Agora is of interest to students and scholars in Classics, particularly Greek religion and culture, as well as those studying atheism in other historical and contemporary areas, religious studies, philosophy, and theology.

Author : Tim Whitmarsh
Publisher : Vintage
Page : 304 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2015-11-10
Category : History
ISBN : 9780307958334

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Battling the Gods by Tim Whitmarsh Pdf

How new is atheism? Although adherents and opponents alike today present it as an invention of the European Enlightenment, when the forces of science and secularism broadly challenged those of faith, disbelief in the gods, in fact, originated in a far more remote past. In Battling the Gods, Tim Whitmarsh journeys into the ancient Mediterranean, a world almost unimaginably different from our own, to recover the stories and voices of those who first refused the divinities. Homer’s epic poems of human striving, journeying, and passion were ancient Greece’s only “sacred texts,” but no ancient Greek thought twice about questioning or mocking his stories of the gods. Priests were functionaries rather than sources of moral or cosmological wisdom. The absence of centralized religious authority made for an extraordinary variety of perspectives on sacred matters, from the devotional to the atheos, or “godless.” Whitmarsh explores this kaleidoscopic range of ideas about the gods, focusing on the colorful individuals who challenged their existence. Among these were some of the greatest ancient poets and philosophers and writers, as well as the less well known: Diagoras of Melos, perhaps the first self-professed atheist; Democritus, the first materialist; Socrates, executed for rejecting the gods of the Athenian state; Epicurus and his followers, who thought gods could not intervene in human affairs; the brilliantly mischievous satirist Lucian of Samosata. Before the revolutions of late antiquity, which saw the scriptural religions of Christianity and Islam enforced by imperial might, there were few constraints on belief. Everything changed, however, in the millennium between the appearance of the Homeric poems and Christianity’s establishment as Rome’s state religion in the fourth century AD. As successive Greco-Roman empires grew in size and complexity, and power was increasingly concentrated in central capitals, states sought to impose collective religious adherence, first to cults devoted to individual rulers, and ultimately to monotheism. In this new world, there was no room for outright disbelief: the label “atheist” was used now to demonize anyone who merely disagreed with the orthodoxy—and so it would remain for centuries. As the twenty-first century shapes up into a time of mass information, but also, paradoxically, of collective amnesia concerning the tangled histories of religions, Whitmarsh provides a bracing antidote to our assumptions about the roots of freethinking. By shining a light on atheism’s first thousand years, Battling the Gods offers a timely reminder that nonbelief has a wealth of tradition of its own, and, indeed, its own heroes.

Author : Elaine Howard Ecklund,David R. Johnson
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 225 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2021-07-13
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780197539187

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Varieties of Atheism in Science by Elaine Howard Ecklund,David R. Johnson Pdf

A significant number of Americans view atheists as immoral elitists, aloof and unconcerned with the common good, and they view science and scientists as responsible. Thanks in large part to the prominence and influence of New Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens, New Atheism has claimed the pulpit of secularity in Western society. New Atheists have given voice to marginalized nonreligious individuals and underscored the importance of science in society. They have also advanced a derisive view of religion and forcefully argued that science and religion are intrinsically in conflict. Many in the public around the globe think that all scientists are atheists and that all atheist scientists are New Atheists, militantly against religion and religious people. But what do everyday atheist scientists actually think about religion? Drawing on a survey of 1,293 atheist scientists in the U.S. and U.K., and 81 in-depth interviews, this book explains the pathways that led to atheism among scientists, the diverse views of religion they hold, their perspectives on the limits to what science can explain, and their views of meaning and morality. The findings reveal a vast gulf between the rhetoric of New Atheism in the public sphere and the reality of atheism in science. The story of the varieties of atheism in science is consequential for both scientific and religious communities and points to tools for dialogue between these seemingly disparate groups.

Author : A.B Drachmann
Publisher : BoD – Books on Demand
Page : 94 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2020-07-30
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9783752375145

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Atheism in Pagan Antiquity by A.B Drachmann Pdf

Reproduction of the original: Atheism in Pagan Antiquity by A.B Drachmann

Author : Peter A. Huff
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Page : 282 pages
File Size : 40,6 Mb
Release : 2021-09-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781440870835

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Atheism and Agnosticism by Peter A. Huff Pdf

An overview essay and approximately 50 alphabetically arranged reference entries explore the background and significance of atheism and agnosticism in modern society. This is the age of atheism and agnosticism. The number of people living without religious belief and practice is quickly and dramatically rising. Some experts call nonreligion, after Christianity and Islam, the third largest "religion" in the world today. Understanding the origins, history, variations, and impact of atheism and agnosticism is crucial to getting a grasp of the meaning of the present and gaining a glimpse of the future. Exploring some of the most extraordinary people, events, and ideas of all time, this book provides a fair, comprehensive, and engaging survey of all aspects of contemporary atheism and agnosticism. An overview essay discusses the background and social and political contexts of unbelief, while a timeline highlights key events. Some 50 alphabetically arranged reference entries follow, with each providing fundamental, objective information about particular topics along with cross-references and suggestions for further reading. The volume closes with an annotated bibliography of the most important resources on atheism and agnosticism.

Author : Dylan Evans
Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton
Page : 160 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2014-11-28
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781473601420

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Atheism: All That Matters by Dylan Evans Pdf

Atheism is becoming increasingly popular and it sometimes feels that much of the western world is now post-religious. But now the initial charge of Richard Dawkins and the new atheists has past, what does atheism really mean? This is the question that Dylan Evans addresses in Atheism: All That Matters, providing a thoughtful and engaging atheist manifesto. What values can atheists share with believers?How can a belief that something doesn't exist still be a belief?Is modern atheism new or just a new form of an old system of values? Building on the work of atheist philosophers and psychologists, he shows how the history of atheist thought has developed and offers fresh ideas for how life has meaning from an atheist perspective. All That Matters about atheism. All That Matters books are a fast way to get right to the heart of key issues.

Author : Kenneth Sheppard
Publisher : BRILL
Page : 347 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2015-06-02
Category : History
ISBN : 9789004288164

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Anti-Atheism in Early Modern England 1580-1720 by Kenneth Sheppard Pdf

Anti-Atheism in Early Modern England traces the emergence and transformation of a distinct apologetic discourse called the confutation of atheism.

Author : Ethan G. Quillen
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 284 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2018-05-20
Category : Law
ISBN : 9781315278353

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Atheist Exceptionalism by Ethan G. Quillen Pdf

Due to its Constitution, and particularly to that Constitution’s First Amendment, the relationship between religion and politics in the United States is rather unusual. This is especially the case concerning the manner with which religious terminology is defined via the discourse adopted by the United States Supreme Court, and the larger American judicial system. Focusing on the religious term of Atheism, this book presents both the discourse itself, in the form of case decisions, as well as an analysis of that discourse. The work thus provides an essential introduction and discussion of both Atheism as a concept and the influence that judicial decisions have on the way we perceive the meaning of religious terminology in a national context. As a singular source on the Supreme, Circuit, and District Court cases concerning Atheism and its judicial definition, the book offers convenient access to this discourse for researchers and students. The discursive analysis further provides an original theoretical insight into how the term ‘Atheism’ has been judicially defined. As such, it will be a valuable resource for scholars of religion and law, as well as those interested in the definition and study of Atheism.

Author : Phil Zuckerman,Luke W. Galen,Frank L. Pasquale
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 337 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2016
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780199924943

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The Nonreligious by Phil Zuckerman,Luke W. Galen,Frank L. Pasquale Pdf

'The Nonreligious' provides a comprehensive and empirically-grounded account of what we know about the growing numbers of people who are non-religious.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 3126 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 1975
Category : American literature
ISBN : STANFORD:36105022597087

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Subject Guide to Books in Print by Anonim Pdf

Author : John Dickson
Publisher : Zondervan
Page : 353 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2021-05-11
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780310118374

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Bullies and Saints by John Dickson Pdf

Is the world better off without Christianity? Combining narrative with keen critique of contemporary debates, author and historian John Dickson gives an honest account of 2,000 years of Christian history that helps us understand what Christianity is and what it's meant to be. To say that the Christian Church has an "image problem" doesn't quite capture it. From the Crusades and the Inquisition to the racism and abuse present in today's Church--both in Catholic and Protestant traditions--the institution that Christ established on earth has a lot to answer for. But the Church has also had moments throughout history when it has been in tune with Jesus' teachings--from the rise of charity to the invention of hospitals. For defenders of the faith, it's important to be able to recognize the good and bad in the church's history and be inspired to live aligned with Christ. For skeptics, this book is a thought-provoking introduction to the idea that Christianity is, despite all, an essential foundation of our civilization. Bullies and Saints will take you on a big-picture journey from the Sermon on the Mount to the modern church: Giving contextual accounts of infamous chapters of Christian history, such as the Crusades, and acknowledging their darkness. Outlining the great movements of the faith and defending its heroes and saints, some of whom are not commonly recognized. Examining the Church beside the teachings and life of Jesus and how it has succeeded in its mission to imitate Christ.

Author : Helmut Koester
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Page : 400 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2019-09-23
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9783110857566

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History and Literature of Early Christianity by Helmut Koester Pdf

No detailed description available for "History and Literature of Early Christianity".

Author : Helmut Koester
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter
Page : 422 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 1995
Category : Bibles
ISBN : 3110149702

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Introduction to the New Testament by Helmut Koester Pdf

This work has established itself as a classical text in the field of New Testament studies. Written in a readable, non-technical style, it has become an indispensable textbook and reference for teachers, students, clergy, and the educated layperson interested in a scholarly treatment of the New Testament and its background in the Judaic and Greco-Roman world.

Author : Steve Luck
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 914 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 1998-10-22
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 9780195214659

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The American Desk Encyclopedia by Steve Luck Pdf

Here is one of the most up-to-date, affordable, and convenient encyclopedias on the market, offering more than 15,000 alphabetically arranged entries, placing a world of information within arm's reach. The ENCYCLOPEDIA also offers an attractive page layout, with 300 black-and-white illustrations, along with a 16-page color map section.