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Divination and Theurgy in Neoplatonism: Oracles of the Gods book cover

1st Edition

Divination and Theurgy in Neoplatonism Oracles of the Gods

By Crystal Addey Copyright 2014
352 Pages
by Routledge

352 Pages
by Routledge

352 Pages
by Routledge
Also available as eBook on:
Why did ancient philosophers consult oracles, write about them, and consider them to be an important part of philosophical thought and practice? This book explores the extensive links between oracles and philosophy in Late Antiquity, particularly focusing on the roles of oracles and other forms of divination in third and fourth century CE Neoplatonism. Examining some of the most significant... Read more
Contents: Oracles and philosophy; Oracles, allegory and mystery cults; Debating oracles: pagan and Christian perspectives; Debating oracles: Porphyry’s Letter to Anebo and Iamblichus’ De Mysteriis; Divination, rationality and ritual in Neoplatonism; Divine inspiration, possession and contact with the gods in Iamblichus’ De Mysteriis; Divination and theurgy in Iamblichus’ De Mysteriis; Manifesting the gods: oracles as symbola; Bibliography; Index.

Biography

Crystal Addey is Teaching Fellow in Classics at the University of St Andrews, UK. She obtained her doctorate in Classics from the University of Bristol (2009). She has published numerous book chapters and articles on oracles, divination and religion in Neoplatonism and Late Antiquity. She is a member of the International Society for Neoplatonic Studies and the Centre of Late Antique Religion and Culture, Cardiff University.

"[T]he book offers a good interpretation of Iamblichus’ De mysteriis and a wealth of important observations on various details of the material. The new approach it proposes to the study of Neoplatonic rituals promises insights in the field of Neoplatonic religiosity well beyond Porphyry and Iamblichus. This is an important contribution to research on theurgy." Bryn Mawr Classical Review

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