Heresy

'Die britische Historikerin und Journalistin Catherine Nixey durchstreift die bunte Welt der Schriften und Sekten des Frühchristentums in höchst unterhaltsamer Weise und zeigt, wie der patriarchale Machtapparat Kirche entstand.'Deutschlandfunk KulturIm Gegensatz zu den heutigen Lehren der Kirche herrschte in den ersten Jahrhunderten des Christentums kein Konsens darüber, wer Jesus war. Stattdessen existierten zahlreiche unterschiedliche Vorstellungen von ihm. Jesus hatte viele Brüder: Einer reiste nach Indien, ein anderer verkehrte mit Drachen, wieder ein anderer war ein Zwilling von Jesus. Ein besonders furchterregender Jesus verachtete seine Eltern und tötete alle, die sich ihm widersetzten. Darüber hinaus gab es viele weitere Erlöser, zahlreiche Söhne von Göttern, die Lahme kurierten und Kranke heilten. Doch mit der Ausbreitung des Christentums wurden sie als inakzeptabel, ja sogar als ketzerisch eingestuft und verschwanden allmählich aus dem Blickfeld.Das neue Buch der Bestsellerautorin Catherine Nixey beleuchtet eine vergessene Welt - und ist ein absolutes Lesevergnügen.- Ein außergewöhnlicher und faszinierender Blick auf das frühe Christentum und die vielen unterschiedlichen Geschichten von Gottessöhnen- 'Mit Stil, Witz und Gelehrsamkeit zeigt Nixey, dass alles ganz anders hätte sein können, ¿wenn die Geschichte ein wenig gekippt wäre¿. [Ketzer] beleuchtet eine vergessene Welt - und ist ein absolutes Lesevergnügen.' (The Sunday Telegraph)Ausstattung: mit zahlreichen farbigen Abbildungen

Packend erzählt von der preisgekrönten jungen Historikerin Catherine NixeyIm Römischen Reich war das religiöse Leben vielfältig - bis unter den ersten christlichen Kaisern alles anders wurde: Mit aller Macht versuchten die frühen Christen, Andersgläubige zu bekehren, und erwiesen sich dabei nicht nur als extrem intolerant, sondern auch als äußerst gewalttätig. Im ganzen Imperium zertrümmerten sie Tempel und Kultgegenstände, verbrannten Bücher, jagten Philosophen aus den Städten und verfolgten diejenigen, die weiter den alten Göttern opferten. In 'Heiliger Zorn' zeichnet die britische Altphilologin und Journalistin Catherine Nixey ein gänzlich neues und zutiefst erschütterndes Bild der frühen Christen als die wahren Barbaren. Packend enthüllt sie die Gräueltaten, die hinter dem Triumph des Christentums stecken und mit zum Untergang der Antike führten. Ausstattung: mit 2 Farbbildteilen

"A brilliant book...illuminates a forgotten world." —The Times, Best of the Year"Heretic tells a moreish intellectual story and shakes up your understanding of Western history. At the same time, somewhat improbably, it supplies at least one good joke per paragraph; you have to keep turning back to enjoy them again." ―The Economist, Best of the YearFrom a celebrated classicist and author of The Darkening Age (“[a] ballista-bolt of a book”—New York Times Book Review), a landmark work of religious history about the many, diverse variations of Jesus who thrived in early Christian traditions—and how they were lost until just one “true” Christ survived.Contrary to the teachings of the church today, in the first several centuries of Christianity’s existence, there was no consensus as to who Jesus was or why he had mattered. Instead, as a wealth of apocryphal gospels and forgotten texts reveal, there were many different Christs. One had a twin brother and traveled to India; another consorted with dragons. One particularly terrifying Christ scorned his parents and killed those who opposed him.Moreover, in the early years of the first millennium there were many other saviors, many sons of gods who healed the sick and cured the lame. But as Christianity spread, they were pronounced unacceptable – even heretical – and they faded from view.Heretic unearths the different versions of Christ who existed in the minds of early Christians, and the process of evolution—and elimination—by which Jesus became the singular figure we know today. “Heretic has the mother lode of tales too hot for Christendom. Nixey has carefully wrung out a number of apocryphal texts for scandal.” —Harper's Magazine Catherine Nixey’s electrifying account of early Christian history reveals the fascinating, shocking, and often hilarious stories that were deliberately buried:- Lost Gospels: Explore the texts that were left out of the Bible, from a gospel featuring a murderous child Jesus to another where he sells his own twin brother into slavery.- The Birth of Heresy: Discover how the concept of “heresy” was forged as a weapon to create a single orthodoxy, eliminating competing saviors, including one who consorted with dragons.- Gnosticism and Rival Faiths: Delve into the rich world of Gnosticism and other Roman Empire beliefs, where many gods, goddesses, and saviors competed for followers.- A New History of Early Christianity: A meticulously researched and shockingly entertaining account that overturns traditional narratives about the origins of the faith.

'Bold, dazzling and provocative' - Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads<BR><BR>'This book uncovers what was lost when Christianity won' - The Times<BR><BR>In The Darkening Age, historian Catherine Nixey tells the little-known - and deeply shocking - story of how a militant religion deliberately tried to extinguish the teachings of the Classical world, ushering in unquestioning adherence to the 'one true faith'.<BR><BR>The Roman Empire had been generous in embracing and absorbing new creeds. But with the coming of Christianity, everything changed. This new faith, despite preaching peace, was violent, ruthless and intolerant. And once it became the religion of empire, its zealous adherents set about the destruction of the old gods. Their altars were upturned, their temples demolished and their statues hacked to pieces. Books, including great works of philosophy and science, were consigned to the pyre. It was an annihilation.<BR><BR>'A searingly passionate book' - Bettany Hughes, author of The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World<BR><BR>A Book of the Year in the Daily Telegraph, the Spectator, the Observer, and BBC History Magazine<BR><BR>A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice<BR><BR>Winner of the Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award for Nonfiction

Die frühen Christen als die wahren Barbaren: Nixeys neuer Blick auf die Anfänge des ChristentumsIm Römischen Reich war das religiöse Leben vielfältig - bis unter den ersten christlichen Kaisern alles anders wurde: Mit aller Macht versuchten die frühen Christen, Andersgläubige zu bekehren, und erwiesen sich dabei nicht nur als extrem intolerant, sondern auch als äußerst gewalttätig. In ihrem hochgelobten und preisgekrönten Buch 'Heiliger Zorn' zeichnet die britische Altphilologin und Journalistin Catherine Nixey ein gänzlich neues und zutiefst erschütterndes Bild der frühen Christen als die wahren Barbaren. Packend enthüllt sie die Gräueltaten, die hinter dem Triumph des Christentums stecken und mit zum Untergang der Antike führten. Mit zahlreichen Farbabbildungen. Ausstattung: mit 2 Farbbildteilen

'Heresy is a brilliant book' - The Times<BR><BR>'Enthralling . . . an absolute pleasure to read' - The Sunday Telegraph<BR><BR>'In the beginning was the Word,' says the Gospel of John. This sentence - and the words of all four gospels - is central to the teachings of the Christian Church and has shaped Western art, literature and language, and the Western mind.<BR><BR>Yet in the years after the death of Christ there was not merely one word, nor any consensus as to who Jesus was or why he had mattered. There were many different Jesuses, among them the aggressive Jesus who scorned his parents and crippled those who opposed him, the Jesus who sold his twin into slavery and the Jesus who had someone crucified in his stead.<BR><BR>Moreover, in the early years of the first millennium there were many other saviours, many sons of gods who healed the sick and cured the lame. But as Christianity spread, they were pronounced unacceptable - even heretical - and they faded from view.<BR><BR>Now, in Heresy, Catherine Nixey tells their extraordinary story, one of contingency, chance and plurality. It is a story about what might have been.

'Heresy is a brilliant book' - The Times<BR>'Enthralling' - The Sunday Telegraph<BR><BR>'In the beginning was the Word,' says the Gospel of John. This sentence - and the words of all four gospels - is central to the teachings of the Christian church and has shaped Western art, literature and language, and the Western mind.<BR><BR>Yet in the years after the death of Christ there was not merely one word, nor any consensus as to who Jesus was or why he had mattered. There were many different Jesuses, among them the aggressive Jesus who scorned his parents and crippled those who opposed him, the Jesus who sold his twin into slavery and the Jesus who had someone crucified in his stead.<BR><BR>Moreover, in the early years of the first millennium there were many other saviours, many sons of gods who healed the sick and cured the lame. But as Christianity spread, they were pronounced unacceptable - even heretical - and they faded from view.<BR><BR>Now, in Heresy, Catherine Nixey tells their extraordinary story, one of contingency, chance and plurality. It is a story about what might have been.