Experientia Volume 1

This collection investigates the phenomenon of religious experience in early Judaism and early Christianity. The essays consider such diverse phenomena as scribal inspiration possession illness ascent theurgy and spiritual transformation wrought by reading and recognize that the texts are reflective of the lived experiences of ancient religious peoples which they understood to be encounters with the divine. Contributors use a variety of methodologies including medical anthropology neurobiology and ritual and performance studies to move the investigation beyond traditional historical and literary methodologies and conclusions to illuminate the importance of experience in constructions of ancient religion. The contributors are Celia Deutsch Troels Engberg-Pedersen Frances Flannery Crispin Fletcher-Louis Robin Griffith-Jones Richard A. Horsley John B. F. Miller Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte Rollin A. Ramsaran Nicolae Roddy Alan F. Segal Colleen Shantz Steven M. Wasserstrom and Rodney A. Werline.