Restoring the Ancient Religion

The Theurgic Orthopraxy of Iamblichus
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-3-032-09640-1
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 324 Seiten, Format (B × H): 153 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 551 g

Reihe: The New Antiquity

This book reconsiders Iamblichus’ , Late Antiquity’s seminal work on theurgy, which is often referred to as . Was this text intended to be more than just a defence of ritualism or a philosophical crossing of metaphysical wits between Porphyry and Iamblichus? This volume examines whether constituted a manifesto of restoration, a call to resignify and revive a religion that Iamblichus felt was spiralling into barren traditionalism.

Through a nuanced examination of Iamblichus’ theurgy, this book shows the emergence of a sophisticated philosophico-ritualistic system, one designed to reform religious practice through divine epiphanies and direct communication with the gods. Using a thorough textual analysis, this book uncovers crucial distinctions between theurgy and magic and explores the mechanics of divine illumination during theurgic rituals in the context of Iamblichus' intricate hierarchy of spiritual beings. In this system, this book demonstrates, material objects could become vessels of divine power and humans could become interlocutors with the divine itself.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Koutsoukos, Marios

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Europäische Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionsgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Geschichte der Westlichen Philosophie Antike Philosophie
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Alte Geschichte & Archäologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Klassische Literaturwissenschaft

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. The Orthopraxy of Iamblichus.- 2. Spiritual Authority in Late Antiquity: Magic, Theurgy and Miracles.- 3. Theurgic Dynamics.- 4. The Epiphanic Dimension of Theurgy.- 5. Jesus, the Theurgist.- 6. Theurgy Without Borders: Iamblichus as the Mystagogue of the Ecumene.- 7. Theurgic Ripples in the Empire - The Legacy of Iamblichus.

Über Autor(innen)

Marios Koutsoukos received his PhD in Classics from the University of Liverpool, UK. His current research focuses on Late Antique theurgy, hermeticism, Graeco-Egyptian magic, animated statues and the survival of mystery cults beyond the sixth century. He also works as a fiction author, translator and screenwriter.