Julian and Christianity : : Revisiting the Constantinian Revolution / / David Neal Greenwood.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Cornell University Press Complete eBook-Package 2021
• VerfasserIn: Greenwood, David Neal,
• Place / Publishing House: Ithaca, NY : : Cornell University Press, , [2021]; ©2021
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (192 p.) :; 1 chart

The Roman emperor Julian is a figure of ongoing interest and the subject of David Neal Greenwood's Julian and Christianity. This unique examination of Julian as the last pagan emperor and anti-Christian polemicist revolves around his drive and status as a ruler. Greenwood adeptly outlines the dramatic impact of Julian's short-lived regime on the course of history with a particular emphasis on his relationship with Christianity.Julian has experienced a wide-ranging reception throughout history, shaped by both adulation and vitriol, along with controversies and rumors that question his sanity and passive ruling. His connections to Christianity, however, are rooted in his regime's open hostility, which Greenwood shows is outlined explicitly in Oration 7 to the Cynic Heracleios. Greenwood's close reading of Oration 7 highlights not only Julian's extensive anti-Christian religious program and decided rejection of Christianity, but also his brilliant, calculated use of that same religion. As Greenwood emphasizes in Julian and Christianity, these attributes were inextricably tied to Julian's relationship with Christianity—and how he appropriated certain theological elements from the religion for his own religious framework, from texts to deities.Through his nuanced, detailed readings of Julian's writings, Greenwood brings together ancient history, Neoplatonist philosophy, and patristic theology to create an exceptional and thoughtful biography of the great Roman leader. As a result, Julian and Christianity is a deeply immersive look at Julian's life, one that considers his multi-faceted rule and the deliberate maneuvers he made on behalf of political ascendancy.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- A Note on Abbreviations -- Introduction: Opening of Hostilities -- Part I. Co-opting a Framework -- 1. The Problem of Constantius II -- 2. The Problem of Constantine -- Part II. Crafting a Religious Metanarrative -- 3. Mocking the False Savior -- 4. Crafting the Salvific Heracles -- 5. Crafting the Salvific Asclepius -- Part III. Constructing a Legacy to Reflect the Narrative -- 6. Constructing the Spatial Narrative in Constantinople -- 7. Creating a Robust Religious Structure -- 8. Constructing the Spatial Narrative in Antioch and Jerusalem -- Conclusion: Endgame -- Appendix: Movements and Key Actions in the Life of Julian -- Notes -- Works Cited -- Index