Hellenistic globalisation and the metanarrative of the logos

Abstract

Abstract

Although characterized by the interaction between contemporary societies and cultures, globalization is a multivalenced phenomenon that can be identified at any point in history where these interactions result in a confluence of once disparate ideas, beliefs, and ways of life. This article will address that form of globalization that took place as a result of the conquests of Alexander the Great, termed ‘Hellenistic’ globalization herein. Rather than seeking out its exterior or material expressions, it will focus on the development of the metanarrative of the Logos within this Hellenistic framework, which, it will be argued, was conducive towards a unified perception of reality with existential significance. That this perception remains in stark contrast to contemporary globalization - which is void of strikingly existential interpretive methods such as the metanarrative - will be especially highlighted with reference to the appropriation of the concept of the Logos within the early Christian discourse.