Classical elements in early Christian depictions of the afterlife

Graham, Sarah Jane (2018) Classical elements in early Christian depictions of the afterlife. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis is entitled ‘Classical Elements in Early Christian Depictions of the Afterlife’. Taking an approach influenced by Reception studies, it explores some key moments where Christians engage in a dialogue with their pagan predecessors. The focus is primarily on Latin literature, although a limited selection of art and Greek literature has been included where particularly revealing. The aim of this work is to use a series of case studies in order to demonstrate the cross-pollination of ideas and to show that in late antiquity, Christian authors in the Latin West were reacting to their pagan antecedents in a variety of different ways. Through close readings of several key texts this thesis will examine moments of cultural interchange and allow us to think about some specific and illuminating examples of a complex and nuanced relationship. In the first few centuries AD Christian ideas about what happens when we die were still fluid, so the afterlife provides a particularly fruitful basis for exploring wider questions about the relationship between paganism and Christianity.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Additional Information: Due to copyright restrictions the full text of this thesis cannot be made available online. Access to the printed version is available.
• Keywords: Afterlife, paganism, Christianity.
• Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity; P Language and Literature > PA Classical philology
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Classics
• Supervisor's Name: Fox, Professor Matthew
• Date of Award: 2018
• Depositing User: Ms Sarah Graham
• Unique ID: glathesis:2018-30739
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 24 Aug 2018 13:44
• Last Modified: 28 Sep 2018 15:55
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/30739