Culture, Society, and Embedded Religion in Antiquity

Abstract

After the concepts of “society,” “culture,” and the “embeddedness of religion” have been reviewed from the standpoint of the social sciences, religion's place in antiquity is considered in relationship to the Judean temple, ecclesia and synagogue, and the controverted terms “Jew” and “Christian.” The meaning of religion, and the role it plays in human affairs, is argued to be fundamentally dependent upon its location in society or culture