The Pagan World

Ancient Religions Before Christianity

By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Hans-Friedrich Mueller

In The Pagan World: Ancient Religions Before Christianity, you will meet the fascinating, ancient polytheistic peoples of the Mediterranean and beyond, their many gods and goddesses, and their public and private worship practices, as you come to appreciate the foundational role religion played in their lives. Professor Hans-Friedrich Mueller, of Union College in Schenectady, New York, makes this ancient world come alive in 24 lectures with captivating stories of intrigue, artifacts, illustrations, and detailed descriptions from primary sources of intriguing personalities.

In the ancient Mediterranean area, religion was not separate from daily life. To the contrary, religion was daily life. The many dozen gods of this ancient world were everywhere, with spirits inhabiting every crack and crevice of life. These polytheists believed they had a strict contract with their deities: If they took care of their gods, their gods would take care of them (or at least not harm them). Consequently, they built extraordinary temples to honor their deities, brought food and wine to them, sacrificed animals for them, and held sacred meals with their gods. In fact, they followed numerous rules and regulations that circumscribed almost all aspects of life both inside and outside the home - anything and everything to keep the gods happy. Consequently, the religious practices of the ancient Mediterranean make a wonderful lens through which to develop a deeper understanding of their world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

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Interesting and Engaging

The material was very interesting and engaging. Unfortunately, I found the occasional mispronunciations of proper names of people and places a distraction in the midst of masterfully-written scholarship.

A great listen!

This is truly a great journey through the old world of paganism. It was truly a very enlightening lecture.

Love it

Very deep and well put. Keep this type coming. I would if audible can send me more great books lije this

great historical tour, great voice

Skillful, digestible coverage of ancient Mediterranean religions. It starts in early Egyptian worship and ends with Christianity becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire. It's not too fine-detailed, and not too superficial. Mueller strikes just the right balance for an educated listener. The professor's voice is pleasantly Midwestern but not twangy, and the vocabulary is academic but not technical. Much attention is paid to the fascinating relationship between religion and statecraft. Listening to this 12.5 hour presentation feels like going on an exhilarating world tour through ancient Egypt, India, Parthya, Sumeria, Greece and the vast territories of Imperial Rome. Delightful, insightful, and recommended!

Well paced and well told.

I appreciated the depth and breath of this course. It stuck to the task with few tangents. It covered what seemed like the most important areas of pagan religion. I was more interested in the overall course than the deep dive into Roman life but I understand it’s importance. The story telling was excellent and I would love to have a glossary of the hundreds of words that form the roots of their English counterparts. Great lectures from a great lecturer. Thank you