Popular Hatred Against Christians: the Case of North Africa in the Second and Third Centuries

Popular hatred against Christians is often presented as an important factor in the persecutions. This paper argues that where evidence is available, which is the case for North Africa in the second and third centuries, popular hatred does not seem to play a significant role in the processes that led...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Rebillard, Éric 1963- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: De Gruyter 2015
In: Archiv für Religionsgeschichte
Year: 2015, Volume: 16, Issue: 1, Pages: 283-310
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B North Africa / Feindlichkeit / Christian persecution / History 200-400
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Description
Summary:Popular hatred against Christians is often presented as an important factor in the persecutions. This paper argues that where evidence is available, which is the case for North Africa in the second and third centuries, popular hatred does not seem to play a significant role in the processes that led to the executions of Christians. It further suggests that popular hatred against Christians is in large part a construction of the ecclesiastical leadership. They create a context of communal hostility and violence for episodes that do not seem to amount to more than individual executions and thus try to foster a sense of community among Christians.
ISSN:1868-8888
Contains:In: Archiv für Religionsgeschichte
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1515/arege-2014-0016