Automartyries metastrophēs
Book Description
This scholarly exploration delves into one of humanity's most profound spiritual phenomena: the transformative experience of conversion during the early Christian centuries. Anna Koltsiou-Nikēta examines firsthand accounts of spiritual awakening and consciousness transformation that shaped the foundations of Western spiritual literature.
The book investigates autobiographical testimonies from both philosophical and Christian traditions, analyzing how individuals documented their own radical spiritual transformations. These conversion narratives span from philosophical awakenings experienced by figures like Dio Chrysostom and Marcus Aurelius to Christian conversions including the Apostle Paul and Saint Augustine, among others.
Drawing from primary sources across the first centuries of Christianity, this work reveals how personal accounts of spiritual transformation became a defining literary genre. Each conversion represents a pinnacle moment of spiritual awakening and self-realization, marking a complete change of direction toward new philosophical or religious ideals.
The author traces the morphological patterns within these autobiographical texts, showing how individual experiences of profound spiritual change influenced subsequent literary production and left an indelible mark on spiritual culture. These testimonies emerge from a period of intense spiritual seeking, when the phenomenon of conversion became a central element in both philosophical and religious discourse.
This study offers valuable insights for anyone interested in understanding how transformative spiritual experiences have been articulated and preserved throughout history.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)
📄 Length: 301 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore History and criticism
- ✓ Explore Middle Ages
- ✓ Explore Primitive and early church
- ✓ Explore Church history
- ✓ Explore Christianity
- ✓ Explore Early Christian literature
- ✓ Explore Conversion
- ✓ Explore Byzantine literature