Minority Report? Religious Minorities and Majorities in Late Antique Argumentation

In this article, I discuss how the majority - minority positions were used in the argumentation in the religious disputes in the fourth and fifth centuries. Jerome of Stridon, for instance, rejoices over the expansion of Christianity in the City of Rome. Augustine of Hippo derides "pagans"...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Studi e materiali di storia delle religioni
Main Author: Kahlos, Maijastina 1967- (Author)
Format: Print Article
Language:Italian
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Published: Morcelliana [2017]
In: Studi e materiali di storia delle religioni
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Hieronymus, Sophronius Eusebius 345-420 / Augustinus, Aurelius, Saint 354-430 / Isidore of Pelusium -435 / Theodoretus, Cyrrhensis 393-466 / Late Antiquity / Religion / Religious minority / Discourse
RelBib Classification:BE Greco-Roman religions
KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity
Further subjects:B Augustine
B Christian triumphalism
B trionfalismo cristiano
B pagan-Christian relations
B Constantine
B Agostino
B Costantino
B Tardo Imperio Romano
B relazioni pagano-cristiano
B Late Roman Empire
Parallel Edition:Electronic
Description
Summary:In this article, I discuss how the majority - minority positions were used in the argumentation in the religious disputes in the fourth and fifth centuries. Jerome of Stridon, for instance, rejoices over the expansion of Christianity in the City of Rome. Augustine of Hippo derides "pagans" whom he depicts as a small minority living in fear and shame. Isidore of Pelusium and Theodoret of Cyrrhus declared that "paganism" no longer existed. Furthermore, the triumph of Christianity over paganism was exulted in the imperial legislation. I do not take any stand on which religious group or sect was in majority or minority in the Empire at a particular moment. Instead, I discuss for what purposes the majority or minority position was argued and what kind of rhetorical persuasion was used.
ISSN:0081-6175
Contains:In: Studi e materiali di storia delle religioni