Making and Breaking the Gods: Christian Responses to Pagan Sculpture in Late Antiquity

by Troels Myrup Kristensen

Overview

The basic premise of the book at hand is that there is meaning to be 'excavated' (in both meanings of the word) from Christian responses to pagan sculpture in the period from the fourth to the sixth century. More than mindless acts of religious violence by fanatical mobs, these responses are revelatory of contemporary conceptions of images and the different ways in which the material manifestations of the pagan past could be negotiated in Late Antiquity. Statues were important to the social, political and religious life of cities across the Mediterranean, as well as part of a culture of representation that was intricately bound to bodily taxonomies and visual practices.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788771240894
Publisher:	Aarhus University Press
Publication date:	06/30/2013
Series:	Aarhus Studies in Mediterranean Antiquity , #12
Pages:	350
Sales rank:	729,781
Product dimensions:	6.80(w) x 9.50(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction: Driving Demons Away: The World of Demeas Chapter 1: Making and Breaking the Gods: From Roman Visual Practices to Christian Response Chapter 2: The Semantics of Response: Pagan Sculpture in the Sacred Spaces of Egypt Chapter 3: Re-Imagining Idols: Christian Responses to Pagan Sculpture in the Urban Spaces of the Near East Conclusion: Christian Response and the Viewing Culture of Late Antiquity

Editorial Reviews

"...this book is well balanced and draws upon comparanda from other than the principal regional areas of focus. It is well edited...with many good quality photos, a number of which are in color and were taken by the author himself." — John Pollini, Bryn Mawr Classical Review, 2014.08.61

From the Publisher