Housing the Chosen: The Architectural Context of Mystery Groups and Religious Associations in the Ancient World

• Autores: Philip A. Harland (res.)
• Localización: Journal of early Christian studies: Journal of the North American Patristic Society, ISSN 1067-6341, Nº. 1, 2017, págs. 155-156
• Idioma: inglés

• Es reseña de:

  • Housing the Chosen: The Architectural Context of Mystery Groups and Religious Associations in the Ancient World

    Inge Nielsen

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• Resumen

  • In particular, while it was formerly common to speak of "mystery religions" (comparable to Nielsen's "mystery groups") and to limit the attention to Demeter, Isis, Dionysos, Cybele, and Mithras, it is now usually recognized that one might encounter rituals labelled "mysteries" in many other contexts, including e.g. imperial cults. In Part Three, Nielsen concludes by proposing a typology of three kinds of rooms used by associations and groups engaged in mysteries: (1) the temple type meeting-place, with Nielsen appropriately emphasizing the multipurpose use of temples; (2) the grotto or cave type meeting-place, particularly in connection with Dionysos, Cybele, and Mithras; and, (3) the banqueting room type, often within the context of a house-like building. Furthermore, the author uses the terms "religion" and "religious" (in contradistinction to the "secular" at times) without adequately addressing any theoretical issues regarding the use of these etic concepts.