The Impact of the Rediscovery of Manuscripts on Theology and Religious Culture after the Second World War

Preview this chapter:

The Impact of the Rediscovery of Manuscripts on Theology and Religious Culture after the Second World War, Page 1 of 1

< Previous page | Next page > /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1484/M.STR-EB.5.121558/M.STR-EB.5.122763-1.gif

The paper focuses on some important discoveries of patristic papyri and manuscripts during the twentieth century and shows their impact not only on scholarship, but also on the theological reflection and self-understanding of the different Christian churches (e.g. in their relations with Judaism) on the one hand, and more generally on the ordinary people culture mostly through the mediation of the mass media, on the other hand. In this way, since the second half of the twentieth century, many established historical categories have been redefined and this has contributed to the secularization of the studies on ancient Christianity and more generally of Western culture. Thus, paradoxically, patristic texts are no longer a property only of the Christian churches, but they have become a common, universal heritage.