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text-only version
RELIGIONS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Comparison of General Features
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GREEK
POLIS
CULTS |
ROMAN
STATE
CULTS |
MAGIC |
PHILOSOPHY |
ISIS
CULT |
MITHRAS
CULT |
JUDAISM |
CHRISTI-
ANITY |
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AUTHORITY:
Roman State? |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
to 70 A.D. |
not until 313 |
Municipal
authorities? |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
Public/
Private? |
PUB |
PUB |
PRIV |
PRIV |
PRIV |
PRIV |
PUB (in
Judaea) |
PRIV (to
313 |
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CLERGY:
Professionals? |
NO |
NO |
? |
? |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
Mode
appointed: |
elect
purchase
inherit |
elect
appoint |
appren-
tice |
none |
coopt |
coopt |
inherit |
elect
appoint |
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Initiation? |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Special
powers? |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
Moral/
ethical
advisors? |
NO |
NO |
NO |
(YES) |
(YES) |
NO |
NO |
YES |
Organization/
hierarchy? |
NO |
(NO) |
NO |
(NO) |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
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MEMBERS:
gender
qualification? |
(YES) |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
MALES |
(MALES) |
NO |
Legal status:
a citizen? |
YES |
YES |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
ethnic |
NO |
common
worship
(congregation) |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
Need for
personal
committment? |
NO |
NO |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
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Initiation? |
NO |
OATHS |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
circum-
cision |
baptism |
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GUIDANCE:
a holy
book/code? |
NO |
NO |
Various |
NO |
several |
NO |
Hebrew
scriptures |
Old & New
Testaments |
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December 19, 2006 5:34 PM
John Paul Adams, CSUN
john.p.adams@csun.edu
