In Praise of Polytheism

In Praise of Polytheism
Author: Maurizio Bettini
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 163
Release: 2023-01-31
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0520974581

What ancient polytheistic religions can teach us about building inclusive and equitable futures At the heart of this book is a simple comparison: monotheistic religions are exclusive, whereas ancient polytheistic religions are inclusive. In this thought-provoking book, Maurizio Bettini, one of today’s foremost classicists, uses the expansiveness of ancient polytheism to shine a bright light on a darker corner of our modern times. It can be easy to see ancient religions as inferior, less free, and remote from shared visions of an inclusive world. But, as Bettini deftly shows, many ancient practices tended to produce results aligned with contemporary progressive values, like pluralism and diversity. In Praise of Polytheism does not chastise the modern world or blame monotheism for our woes but rather shows in clear, sharp prose how much we can learn from ancient religions, underscoring the limitations of how we view the world and ourselves today.

God Against the Gods

God Against the Gods
Author: Jonathan Kirsch
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 356
Release: 2005-01-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780142196335

"Lively… points out that the conflict between the worship of many gods and the worship of one true god never disappeared." —Publishers Weekly "Jonathan Kirsch has written another blockbuster about the Bible and its world." —David Noel Freedman, Editor-in-Chief of the Anchor Bible Project "Kirsch tackles the central issue bedeviling the world today - religious intolerance… A timely book, well-written and researched." —Leonard Shlain, author of The Alphabet and the Goddess and Sex, Time and Power "An intriguing read." —The Jerusalem Report "A timely tale about the importance of religious tolerance in today’s world." —San Francisco Chronicle "Kirsch is a fine storyteller with a flair for rendering ancient tales relevant and appealing." —The Washington Post

Hellenic Polytheism : Household Worship

Hellenic Polytheism : Household Worship
Author: Christos Panopoulos
Publisher:
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2014-11-20
Genre:
ISBN: 9781503121881

Within this publication, the reader is presented with explanations for the central concepts and basic guidelines to the ceremonies that form a part of Hellenic Household Worship as has been established and is currently practiced by the LABRYS Polytheistic Community in Hellas (Greece).It serves as a useful introductory manual for the newcomer to contemporary Hellenic Polytheism as they take the first steps on their journey to worship the Hellenic Gods in a traditional manner.

Of God and Gods

Of God and Gods
Author: Jan Assmann
Publisher: Univ of Wisconsin Press
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2008-06-17
Genre: History
ISBN: 0299225534

For thousands of years, our world has been shaped by biblical monotheism. But its hallmark—a distinction between one true God and many false gods—was once a new and radical idea. Of God and Gods explores the revolutionary newness of biblical theology against a background of the polytheism that was once so commonplace. Jan Assmann, one of the most distinguished scholars of ancient Egypt working today, traces the concept of a true religion back to its earliest beginnings in Egypt and describes how this new idea took shape in the context of the older polytheistic world that it rejected. He offers readers a deepened understanding of Egyptian polytheism and elaborates on his concept of the “Mosaic distinction,” which conceives an exclusive and emphatic Truth that sets religion apart from beliefs shunned as superstition, paganism, or heresy. Without a theory of polytheism, Assmann contends, any adequate understanding of monotheism is impossible. Best Books for General Audiences, selected by the American Association of School Librarians, and Best Books for Special Interests, selected by the Public Library Association

The Case for Polytheism

The Case for Polytheism
Author: Steven Dillon
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Total Pages: 84
Release: 2015-02-27
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1782797343

The philosophy of religion has been dominated by monotheists and atheists for centuries now. But, polytheism deserves to be restored to its respected position, and The Case for Polytheism sets out some reasons why. By developing a notion of godhood and employing a set of novel and neglected arguments, the author constructs a rigorous but accessible case for the existence of multiple gods.

The New Yearbook for Phenomenology and Phenomenological Philosophy

The New Yearbook for Phenomenology and Phenomenological Philosophy
Author: Burt C. Hopkins
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2024-10-11
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1040114199

Volume XXII Special Issue 1: Celebrating Wilhelm Schapp, In Geschichten verstrickt Special Issue 2: Theodor Conrad and the early phenomenological tradition Aim and Scope: The New Yearbook for Phenomenology and Phenomenological Philosophy provides an annual international forum for phenomenological research in the spirit of Husserl’s groundbreaking work and the extension of this work by such figures as Reinach, Scheler, Stein, Hering, Heidegger, Sartre, Levinas, Merleau-Ponty, Gadamer, and others. Contributors: Theodor Conrad, Francesca D’Alessandris, Johannes Daubert, Alexis Delamare, Neal DeRoo, Daniele De Santis, Karen Joisten, Emanuele Mariani, Ronny Miron, Daniele Nuccilli, Gianfranco Pecchinenda, Margaret Stark, Hamit Taieb, and Andrij Wachtel Submissions: Manuscripts, prepared for blind review, should be submitted to the Editors ([email protected]) electronically via e-mail attachments.

Egyptian Solar Religion in the New Kingdom

Egyptian Solar Religion in the New Kingdom
Author: Jan Assmann
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 245
Release: 2012-11-12
Genre: History
ISBN: 1136159061

Revised and expanded, this volume deals with the religious traditions of ancient Egypt, which have come down to us in a state which is both extremely fragmentary and complex. New material - especially hymns collected in Theban tombs - now allows a much more precise allocation of religious texts and ideas in terms of time, place and social context. Within the field of solar religion, no less than five different traditions have to be distinguished: 1) the liturgical traditions of the royal solar cult, which for their secrecy and exclusivity are labelled the "mysteries" of the sun cult; 2) the traditional mythology of the solar course expressed in hymns and pictorial representations; 3) the revolutionary process culminating in the Amarna period, which discards the mythic images and gives a monotheistic construction of the solar course, a process which starts before Akhenaten's revolution; 4) the theology of Amun-Re, the God of Thebes, before the Amarna Period, a theology of primacy where one god acts as chief of a pantheon; and 5) the quite different theology of this same Amun-Re after Amarna, a theology which answers the monotheistic experience by developing a kind of pantheism - the concept of the hidden god - who is both cosmic god and personal saviour.

Sacred Disobedience

Sacred Disobedience
Author: Sharon L. Coggan
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2020-07-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1793606552

Sacred Disobedience: A Jungian Analysis of the Saga of Pan and the Devil traces the ancient Greek God Pan, who became distorted into the image of the Devil in early Christianity. When Pan was demonized, the powerful qualities he represented became repressed, as Pan’s visage twisted into the model of the Devil. This book follows a Jungian analysis of this development. In ancient Greek religion, Pan was worshipped as an honored deity, corresponding to an inner psycho-spiritual condition in which the primitive qualities he represented were fully integrated into consciousness, and these qualities were valued and affirmed as holy. But in the era of early Christianity Pan “dies,” and the Devil is born, a twisted inflation, possibly due to an underlying repression. In the Jungian system, repressed psychic contents do not disappear, as proponents of the new order tacitly assume, but distort and grow more powerful, or “inflate,” to cripple the psyche that refuses to incorporate these split-off elements. Repressed contents will expand to explosive force as the repressed elements eventually return regressively from below. It becomes important then, to understand what qualities the primitive Goat God carried, to appreciate what was repressed in the Western psycho-spiritual system, and what subsequently needs reintegration.

Hellenismos

Hellenismos
Author: Tony Mierzwicki
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2018
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 9780738725932

"The religion of the ancient Greeks has lain dormant for too long. In Hellenismos, Tony Mierzwicki shows how to bring it back in all of its primal glory. Learn how to forge personal relationships with the ancient Greek deities. Recreate the practices of the Greeks and enjoy the richness of their spiritual practice"--