Religion In the Ancient Mediterranean World
This series of lectures examines the religions of the Mediterranean area from the prehistoric era through the conversion of Constantine and the effect on the Roman empire in the fourth century. For each of the religious cultures examined Professor Holland discusses the beliefs and practices as well as how these beliefs affected the lives of everyday people within that culture. The section on Egyptian religions examines creation stories and common religious myths. From there the lectures move to Mesopotamia and the Gods that apparently did whatever they chose at any particular moment in time. This dealing with people based on the whims of the Gods caused the believers to feel uneasy with what the Gods may or may not do next. Of course Professor Holland also examines creation stories, specific deities such as Ishtar, and the Gilgamesh story. The professor then moves the lectures to the Syria-Palestine area and how the empires of Assyria and Babylon affected the religion of Israel. The Minoan and Mycenaean religious cultures are also discussed in this section. Next the Greek religious culture came to prominence in the Mediterranean world and affected a lot of other cultures with the spread of Hellenism and the rise of mystery religions. Finally he ends with examining the Roman religious culture and how it evolved by introducing religious elements from foreign cultures. Of course, this part would be incomplete without discussing Jesus and his followers and how the Roman religious culture was affected by them as well as how they influenced the Roman culture. An interesting set of lectures, Religion In the Ancient Mediterranean World is highly recommended.
Professor: Glenn S. Holland
Publisher: The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100
Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
Copyright: 2005
Format: Audio CD, DVD, Audio Cassette
Lectures: 48