‘The Seven Grades of Mithraism’, or How to Build a Religion

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Philippa Adrych

Published:

2020

This chapter explores a tendency frequently present in Mithraic scholarship, whether explicit or implicit, of looking for ‘norms’ in Mithraic worship and iconography. It takes the traditional seven grades of Mithraic membership as its case study, and analyses these against the material and literary evidence, and against the grain of scholarship. The conclusion argues for a more flexible approach to the worship of Mithras, in which we might expect to see a plurality of forms rather than a coherent cult system, and in which investigation starts from the rich archaeological evidence.

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