The End of Ancient Christianity PDF
Preview The End of Ancient Christianity
Thisstudyisconcernedwithone,centralhistoricalproblem: thenature ofthe changes that transformed the intellectual and spiritual horizons of the Christian world from its establishment in the fourth century to theendofthesixth. Why, forexample,weretheassumptions,attitudes and traditions of Gregory the Great so markedly different from those ofAugustine? TheEndofAncientChristianityexamineshowChristians, who had formerlyconstituteda threatenedandbeleaguered minority, cametodefinetheiridentityinachangedcontextofreligious respectao bility in which their faith had become a source of privilege, prestige and power. Professor Markus reassesses the cult of the martyrs and the creation of schemes of sacred time and sacred space, and analyses the appeal of asceticism and its impact on the Church at large. These changes form partofa fundamentaltransition, perhapsbestdescribed as the shift from ‘Ancient’ towards ‘Medieval’ forms of Christianity, from an older and more diverse secular culture towards a religious culture with a firm biblical basis. THE END OF ANCIENT CHRISTIANITY THE END OF ANCIENT CHRISTIANITY R. A. Markus CAMBRIDGE Q3; UNIVERSITY PRESS Published by the Press Syndicate ofthe University ofCambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 [RP 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011—4211, USA 10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia © Cambridge University Press 1990 First published 1990 Reprinted 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997 British Librarycataloguing inpublication data Markus, R. A. The end ofancient Christianity. 1. Christianity, history. I. Title 209 Library ofCongress cataloguing inpublication data Markus, R. A. (Robert Austin), 1924— The end ofancient Christianity/R. A. Markus. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-521-32716-4 1. Church history — Primitive and early church, ca. 30—600. 2. Spiritual — History ofdoctrines — Early church, ca. 30—600. 3. Theology — Early church, ca. 30—600. 1. Title. BR219.M37 1990 270.2 —dc20 89-77196 CIP ISBN 0 521 32716 4 hardback ISBN 0 521 33949 9 paperback Transferredtodigitalprinting2004 AS To Peter Brown (3g BLBaOKaAQ
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