Water and religious life in the Roman Near East : gods, spaces and patterns of worship
This thesis examines the relationship between water and religious life in the Roman Near East. It analyses the ways in which religious communities engaged with water in the characterisation of gods, the organisation of sacred spaces and the development of patterns of worship. These three themes - gods, spaces and patterns of worship - constitute the core chapters of this thesis. This study demonstrates that the religious communities of the Roman Near East engaged critically with water in the development of their traditions and practices, and that the nature of this engagement was directly influenced by local environmental conditions. Previous scholarship has consistently marginalised the importance of water in religious life across the Roman Near East. This disregard began with the classification of water as a primitive layer of religion and continued with either indifference to the nuances of the local environment or unquestioning acceptance of water's presence in the religious sphere. As a result, by neglecting to explore the nuances with which the relationship between water and religious life manifested, we have overlooked the many ways in which the religious communities of the Roman Near East interacted
Williams-Reed, Eris Kathlyn Laura
Water and religious life in the Roman Near East : gods, spaces and patterns of worship. This thesis examines the relationship between water and religious life in the Roman Near East. It analyses the ways in which religious communities engaged with water in the characterisation of gods, the organisation of sacred spaces and the development of patterns of worship. These three themes - gods, spaces and patterns of worship - constitute the core chapters of this thesis. This study demonstrates that the religious communities of the Roman Near East engaged critically with water in the development of their traditions and practices, and that the nature of this engagement was directly influenced by local environmental conditions. Previous scholarship has consistently marginalised the importance of water in religious life across the Roman Near East. This disregard began with the classification of water as a primitive layer of religion and continued with either indifference to the nuances of the local environment or unquestioning acceptance of water's presence in the religious sphere. As a result, by neglecting to explore the nuances with which the relationship between water and religious life manifested, we have overlooked the many ways in which the religious communities of the Roman Near East interacted
water religious_life roman_near_east god space pattern worship examines_relationship water religious_life roman_near_east analyse way religious_community engage water characterisation god organisation sacred_space development pattern worship theme god space pattern worship constitute core_thesis study_demonstrate religious_community roman_near_east engage critically water development tradition practice nature engagement directly influence_local environmental_condition previous_scholarship consistently marginalise importance water religious_life across roman_near_east disregard begin classification water primitive layer religion continue either indifference nuance local_environment acceptance water presence religious_sphere neglect explore nuance relationship water religious_life manifest overlook many_way religious_community roman_near_east interact