Der apokryphe Briefwechsel zwischen Seneca und Paulus

In the second half of the fourth century, an unknown author created a correspondence between Seneca and Paul. The most striking characteristic of these fourteen brief letters is their lack of nearly any content. Their sole intention is to make Seneca a friend of Paul's. In doing so, the author underlined the affinity between the pagan philosopher Seneca and the Latin Christian theologians of the fourth century, inventing an apostolic tradition. This book contains a new German translation of these letters based on the current critical edition along with an introduction, notes and testimonies. Furthermore, two documents which are less well known but sometimes discussed in connection with these letters are presented, translated into German for the first time and provided with commentaries: a fictitious letter from Mordechai to Alexander the Great from a version of the novelistic tradition of Alexander and a letter from Seneca about pride and idols which is, in fact, a Christian apology from the fifth century. In the essays, the authors deal with key issues involving Stoicism and Christianity, the conception of god and ethics. They also discuss the reception of Seneca in the Middle Ages and in early modern times.