The Fear of Freedom: A Study of Miracles in the Roman Imperial Church

by Rowan A. Greer

Book Overview

By "the fear of freedom" Greer means the unconscious flight from the heavy burden of individual choice an open society lays upon its members. The miraculous represents a heavenly power brought down to earth and tied to the life of the community. Understanding how miracles were perceived in the late antiquity requires us to put aside the notion of a miracle as the violation of the natural order. "Miracles" for the church fathers refers to anything...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0271027991
• ISBN13: 9780271027999
• Release Date: September 1989
• Publisher: Penn State University Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"