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How to Think about God
An Ancient Guide for Believers and Nonbelievers
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How to Think about God
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
A vivid and accessible new translation of Cicero's influential writings on the Stoic idea of the divine
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
A vivid and accessible new translation of Cicero's influential writings on the Stoic idea of the divine
Most ancient Romans were deeply religious and their world was overflowing with gods - from Jupiter, Minerva, and Mars to countless local divinities, household gods, and ancestral spirits. One of the most influential Roman perspectives on religion came from a nonreligious belief system that is finding new adherents even today: Stoicism. How did the Stoics think about religion?
In How to Think about God, Philip Freeman presents vivid new translations of Cicero's On the Nature of the Gods and The Dream of Scipio. In these brief works, Cicero offers a Stoic view of belief, divinity, and human immortality, giving eloquent expression to the religious ideas of one of the most popular schools of Roman and Greek philosophy.
On the Nature of the Gods and The Dream of Scipio are Cicero's best-known and most important writings on religion, and they have profoundly shaped Christian and non-Christian thought for more than two thousand years, influencing such luminaries as Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Dante, and Thomas Jefferson. These works reveal many of the religious aspects of Stoicism, including an understanding of the universe as a materialistic yet continuous and living whole in which both the gods and a supreme God are essential elements.
Featuring an introduction, suggestions for further reading, and the original Latin on facing pages, How to Think about God is a compelling guide to the Stoic view of the divine.
'A good summary of the religious thoughts of the Stoics...Philip Freeman's introduction and translation are models of their kind.' - Harry Mount, Catholic Herald
Series: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
How to Think about God by Marcus Tullius Cicero receives high praise for its translation by Philip Freeman, which makes Cicero's complex Latin texts more accessible to modern readers. Reviewers commend the translation for its smooth and colloquial tone, as well as its ability to breathe new life into the philosophical discussions presented. Additionally, it is noted for providing a concise summary of Stoic religious thoughts, accompanied by an exemplary introduction and translation.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780691183657
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 05 November 2019
Country: United States
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Contributors:
- Translated by Philip Freeman
- Edited and translated by Philip Freeman
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 114.0mm
Height: 171.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 168
About the Author
Philip Freeman is the author of more than twenty books on the ancient world, including the Cicero translations How to Be a Friend, How to Grow Old, and How to Run a Country (all Princeton). He holds the Fletcher Jones Chair as a Professor of Humanities at Pepperdine University and lives in Malibu, California.
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