The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1818 page)
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Pesikta
(Aram., ‘section’). Jewish
midrashic
homilies. The best-known pesikta are
Pesikta de-Rav Kahana
and
Pesikta Rabbati
.
midrashic
homilies. The best-known pesikta are
Pesikta de-Rav Kahana
and
Pesikta Rabbati
.
Peta
(form of the dead):
(form of the dead):
Petavatthu
(part of Buddhist P
li canon):
(part of Buddhist P
li canon):Peter, St
.
.
In Christianity, foremost of the
apostles
. His name was Simon but according to the gospels Jesus called him from his work as fisherman and gave him the name ‘Cephas’, the Aramaic equivalent of Greek ‘Peter’ (
petra
, ‘rock’). According to early tradition Peter visited Rome where he was martyred (1
Clement
5,
etc.
); but the claim that he was its
bishop
is an anachronism. According to the 2nd-cent.
Acts of Peter
, the apostle, while fleeing from Nero's persecution, met Jesus on the road. Peter asked, ‘Domine, quo vadis?’ (‘Lord, where are you going?’). When Jesus answered ‘I am coming to be crucified again’, Peter turned back to the city to face his
martyrdom
. His tomb in St Peter's basilica may be authentic. Feast day, 29 June.
The two Letters of Peter are found among the
Catholic
Epistles of the New Testament. 2 Peter is a warning against false and corrupt teachers; 2. 1–3. 3 seems to be borrowed from
Jude
; features such as the treatment of Paul in 4. 15–16 suggest a date well after Peter's death.
Other 2nd-cent. books attributed to Peter include the
Gospel of Peter
(a
docetic
retelling of Jesus' death and
resurrection
based on the four New Testament gospels) and
The Apocalypse of Peter
(a description of heaven and hell put into the mouth of Christ after his resurrection).
apostles
. His name was Simon but according to the gospels Jesus called him from his work as fisherman and gave him the name ‘Cephas’, the Aramaic equivalent of Greek ‘Peter’ (
petra
, ‘rock’). According to early tradition Peter visited Rome where he was martyred (1
Clement
5,
etc.
); but the claim that he was its
bishop
is an anachronism. According to the 2nd-cent.
Acts of Peter
, the apostle, while fleeing from Nero's persecution, met Jesus on the road. Peter asked, ‘Domine, quo vadis?’ (‘Lord, where are you going?’). When Jesus answered ‘I am coming to be crucified again’, Peter turned back to the city to face his
martyrdom
. His tomb in St Peter's basilica may be authentic. Feast day, 29 June.
The two Letters of Peter are found among the
Catholic
Epistles of the New Testament. 2 Peter is a warning against false and corrupt teachers; 2. 1–3. 3 seems to be borrowed from
Jude
; features such as the treatment of Paul in 4. 15–16 suggest a date well after Peter's death.
Other 2nd-cent. books attributed to Peter include the
Gospel of Peter
(a
docetic
retelling of Jesus' death and
resurrection
based on the four New Testament gospels) and
The Apocalypse of Peter
(a description of heaven and hell put into the mouth of Christ after his resurrection).
Peter Damian, St
(1007–72).
Monk
and
cardinal
. In 1035 he entered on an ascetic life in the
Benedictine
hermitage at Fonte Avella. About 1043 he became prior and was active in monastic reform and as a preacher against the worldliness of the
clergy
. Made cardinal bishop of Ostia (against his will) in 1057, he played a prominent part in the reform movement that heralded the Hildebrandine Reform. He was influential too as theologian and spiritual writer. In 1828, he was pronounced Doctor of the Church.
Monk
and
cardinal
. In 1035 he entered on an ascetic life in the
Benedictine
hermitage at Fonte Avella. About 1043 he became prior and was active in monastic reform and as a preacher against the worldliness of the
clergy
. Made cardinal bishop of Ostia (against his will) in 1057, he played a prominent part in the reform movement that heralded the Hildebrandine Reform. He was influential too as theologian and spiritual writer. In 1828, he was pronounced Doctor of the Church.
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