Fear, Fear of God, God-Fearers

Zusatztext

The contributors to this volume examine fear and fear of God as decisive factors in the religious and cultural worlds of ancient Judaism and early Christianity. Drawing on philological, historical, and anthropological perspectives, they investigate how emotions, particularly fear, informed ritual practice, social order, and concepts of the self. Biblical texts, Rabbinic literature, and early Christian writings are read alongside Egyptian and Mesopotamian traditions, thereby situating Jewish and Christian sources in a broader intercultural framework. Epigraphic evidence, such as inscriptions from Aphrodisias, provides further depth and comparative perspective. Rather than treating fear merely as a sign of submission or religious coercion, the contributors highlight its complex role in shaping modes of communication, group identity, and cultural interaction. Their studies demonstrate how linguistic, literary, and ritual expressions of fear reflect wider processes of negotiation within communities and across traditions. This interdisciplinary approach thus exposes the conceptual networks in which fear was embedded, challenging reductionist models and opening new perspectives on ancient religious life. By bringing together leading experts from multiple disciplines, the volume advances scholarship on emotions, the sociology of religion, and the intercultural history of religions in antiquity, thereby offering essential insights for future research.

Autorenportrait

Benedikt Hensel (Herausgegeben von) Born 1979; 2011 PhD; 2016 Habilitation; 2019-2021 positions as Interim Professor of Hebrew Bible and Biblical Archaeology at the universities of Mainz and Zurich; Full Professor of Hebrew Bible and Biblical Archaeology at Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg; Director, DAO - Digital Ancient Studies Oldenburg; and Co-Director of the Hazor excavations/Israel. Phillip Michael Lasater (Herausgegeben von) Born 1984; 2011 M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary & PSCE; 2017 PhD from the University of Zürich; Fellow of Blackfriars Hall (Oxford University) and McDonald Agape Professor of Old Testament Theology at the Angelicum (Rome).

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