Almut Barbara Renger Book order

Pythagoreanism has been viewed as both a religious sect and a philosophical-scientific community, with numerous attempts to reconcile these perspectives. Recent scholarship has compartmentalized various aspects of Pythagorean knowledge, lacking context for their origins and interconnections. This collection seeks to address that gap by exploring the relationships between different fields of Pythagorean knowledge, including eschatology, metempsychosis, metaphysics, epistemology, arithmology, numerology, music, dietetics, medicine, and politics. It examines how the Pythagorean way of life connects with doctrinal knowledge, encompassing both religion and science. The volume investigates the interdependence of these knowledge types within the Pythagorean corpus and its later interpretations. Covering historical periods from the Archaic Period (6th century BC) to Neoplatonism, Early Christianity, and the Renaissance through to the Early Modern Period (17th century AD), the contributions provide a comprehensive analysis. Notable scholars contributing to this work include E. Afonasin, L. Arcari, D. Baltzly, and many others, each offering insights into the complex tapestry of Pythagorean thought and its enduring influence.

The generation and exchange of knowledge plays a prominent role in Mediterranean and European cultural and religious history. Relations between master and disciples and between teachers and students are especially significant in this context. This volume – with contributions from the disciplines of classical studies, Arabic studies, Jewish studies, theology, religious science, educational science, psychology, and literary and cultural studies – offers a selection of possible perspectives and approaches to this topic. It presents roles, models and concepts of master/follower relationships within different religions, religious or para-religious movements and communities and their milieus as well as intellectual forms of association from Ancient Greece to the present day. The contributions deal for example with terminologies and narratives, teaching and leadership concepts, forms of presentation of the self and others, strategies in the construction of authority and the different effects of charisma.