Misusing books: material texts and lived religion in the Roman Mediterran
Books are more than vehicles for textual content. They are objects of economic value and social significance, embedded in complex networks of production and use. Recent historical scholarship on lived religion in the Roman Mediterranean has expanded beyond traditional conversations about theological...
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Mohr Siebeck
2022
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| _version_ | 1797111619248979968 |
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| author | Coogan, J |
| author_facet | Coogan, J |
| author_sort | Coogan, J |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Books are more than vehicles for textual content. They are objects of economic value and social significance, embedded in complex networks of production and use. Recent historical scholarship on lived religion in the Roman Mediterranean has expanded beyond traditional conversations about theological concepts and scriptural interpretations, but this critical turn sometimes neglects material texts as sacred and powerful objects. Addressing this lacuna in light of Roman book culture, the present article re-reads several ancient reports about the misuse of textual objects. Accounts of the burned books of Numa Pompilius, of the powerful codex of Elchasai, and of the writings destroyed because of Diocletian's edicts each reflect Roman discourses about material texts and appropriate religious practice. People in the Roman Mediterranean used these stories to think about material texts as objects of divine power and sacred significance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:11:28Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:acd3bb4b-fb2e-4e8d-884a-207158b763d6 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T08:11:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Mohr Siebeck |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:acd3bb4b-fb2e-4e8d-884a-207158b763d62023-12-01T10:55:03ZMisusing books: material texts and lived religion in the Roman MediterranJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:acd3bb4b-fb2e-4e8d-884a-207158b763d6EnglishSymplectic ElementsMohr Siebeck2022Coogan, JBooks are more than vehicles for textual content. They are objects of economic value and social significance, embedded in complex networks of production and use. Recent historical scholarship on lived religion in the Roman Mediterranean has expanded beyond traditional conversations about theological concepts and scriptural interpretations, but this critical turn sometimes neglects material texts as sacred and powerful objects. Addressing this lacuna in light of Roman book culture, the present article re-reads several ancient reports about the misuse of textual objects. Accounts of the burned books of Numa Pompilius, of the powerful codex of Elchasai, and of the writings destroyed because of Diocletian's edicts each reflect Roman discourses about material texts and appropriate religious practice. People in the Roman Mediterranean used these stories to think about material texts as objects of divine power and sacred significance. |
| spellingShingle | Coogan, J Misusing books: material texts and lived religion in the Roman Mediterran |
| title | Misusing books: material texts and lived religion in the Roman Mediterran |
| title_full | Misusing books: material texts and lived religion in the Roman Mediterran |
| title_fullStr | Misusing books: material texts and lived religion in the Roman Mediterran |
| title_full_unstemmed | Misusing books: material texts and lived religion in the Roman Mediterran |
| title_short | Misusing books: material texts and lived religion in the Roman Mediterran |
| title_sort | misusing books material texts and lived religion in the roman mediterran |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cooganj misusingbooksmaterialtextsandlivedreligionintheromanmediterran |