Abstract
Ancient mystery cults have produced great interest among people from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. Scholars of religion and history are interested in the mystery cults in order to help understand the social and cultural background of the ancient Mediterranean world. Others, seeing some similarity with Christianity, have claimed that in the mystery cults we have discovered the origins of Christianity. An Internet search of Dionysus, Attis or Mithras will bring up numerous references to Jesus. There is a need for a resource that takes scholarly research and makes it accessible to those not formally trained in the subject.
Hugh Bowden’s Mystery Cults of the Ancient World fills this role quite well. Hugh Bowden is senior lecturer at King’s College London. Bowden has written a book that informs readers about the basic issues surrounding ancient mystery cults. Well known cults such as the Eleusinian Mysteries, Magna Mater, Dionysus, Isis and Mithras are all covered with reasonable detail. In addition, Bowden introduces the reader to lesser known mysteries such as the Mysteries of the Kabeiroi and others. For each cult, Bowden gives the historical, cultural and religious background. The content of the myth is given with an appropriate level of detail without overwhelming the reader. When the evidence does not provide much of the story, Bowden does not attempt to stretch the available materials.
Those looking for an extensive treatment of the mystery cults with a comprehensive citation of the latest research, they will be disappointed with this book. However, Bowden’s purpose is not to deepen the scholarship of specialists in the field. Bowden gives a good, solid treatment of mystery cults that gives the reader a good knowledge of the religious and social context of this form of religious life. The book itself is very attractive, filled with pictures that bring to life the stories that are described. While pictures could be distracting, when it comes to mystery cults, some of our knowledge comes from artistic representations rather than texts. Bowden also illustrates the mystery cults by drawing lines of comparison to modern forms of religion.
Hugh Bowden’s Mystery Cults of the Ancient World is a great resource for those interested in ancient Mediterranean religion. While it is not focused on the specialist, even scholars of other areas of religion will find something of value in this volume.