Antike Philosophie als Gegenstand religionswissenschaftlicher Analyse:Plädoyer für eine neue Historiographie

The article addresses a methodological question: how to read ancient philosophical texts in such a way that they remain visible both as relevant cultural background of Christianity’s formative phase and as a valuable voice in societal debates today? It argues that an approach inspired by the vocabulary of religious studies can help us to realise that double tenet. The article explores inter alia the analytical usefulness of Ninian Smartʼs differentiation of six dimensions of religions /worldviews and the application of the concept of lived religion to ancient philosophical currents and texts, with ancient Stoicism and the Epicurean thesis that one should not fear death serving as case studies