Feeding the Dead
Feeding the Dead

Author: Matthew R. Sayers

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2013-09-12

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 0199896437

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The author calls attention to the importance of the Vedic domestic ritual codes in the creation of what has come to be known as "classical Hinduism."

Cult of the Dead
Cult of the Dead

Author: Kyle Smith

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2022-11-08

Total Pages: 383

ISBN-13: 0520975715

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A cultural history of how Christianity was born from its martyrs. Though it promises eternal life, Christianity was forged in death. Christianity is built upon the legacies of the apostles and martyrs who chose to die rather than renounce the name of their lord. In this innovative cultural history, Kyle Smith shows how a devotion to death has shaped Christianity for two thousand years. For centuries, Christians have cared for their saints, curating their deaths as examples of holiness. Martyrs’ stories, lurid legends of torture, have been told and retold, translated and rewritten. Martyrs’ bones are alive in the world, relics pulsing with wonder. Martyrs’ shrines are still visited by pilgrims, many in search of a miracle. Martyrs have even shaped the Christian conception of time, with each day of the year celebrating the death of a saint. From Roman antiquity to the present, by way of medieval England and the Protestant Reformation, Cult of the Dead tells the fascinating story of how the world’s most widespread religion is steeped in the memory of its martyrs.

Why Can the Dead Do Such Great Things?
Why Can the Dead Do Such Great Things?

Author: Robert Bartlett

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2013-11-10

Total Pages: 806

ISBN-13: 0691159130

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A sweeping, authoritative, and entertaining history of the Christian cult of the saints from its origin to the Reformation From its earliest centuries, one of the most notable features of Christianity has been the veneration of the saints—the holy dead. This ambitious history tells the fascinating story of the cult of the saints from its origins in the second-century days of the Christian martyrs to the Protestant Reformation. Robert Bartlett examines all of the most important aspects of the saints—including miracles, relics, pilgrimages, shrines, and the saints' role in the calendar, literature, and art. The book explores the central role played by the bodies and body parts of saints, and the special treatment these relics received. From the routes, dangers, and rewards of pilgrimage, to the saints' impact on everyday life, Bartlett's account is an unmatched examination of an important and intriguing part of the religious life of the past—as well as the present.

Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead
Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead

Author: Frazer

Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group

Published: 1913

Total Pages: 468

ISBN-13: 9780415415309

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This 1913 volume discusses several religions whereby believers worship the dead both in hopes that the dead will bless their futures and in hopes that the dead will rise up to bless the living. This concept of the undead or dead rising again is present in some capacity in many religions, even mainstream ones like Christianity (i.e. the resurrection). This volume highlights those beliefs among the Aborigines in Australia, New Guinea and Melanesia.

The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead
The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead

Author: James George Frazer

Publisher: Good Press

Published: 2023-12-15

Total Pages: 959

ISBN-13:

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In 'The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead' by James George Frazer, the renowned anthropologist explores the universal belief in an afterlife and the rituals associated with honoring deceased ancestors. Written in a scholarly and comprehensive style, Frazer delves into various cultures, traditions, and historical practices to examine the continuity and evolution of beliefs surrounding death. Drawing on a wide range of ethnographic data, this book provides a profound insight into the human psyche and the ways in which different societies navigate the concept of mortality. Frazer's meticulous research and comparative analysis offer valuable perspectives on the significance of ancestor worship in shaping cultural identities and religious practices. Through his interdisciplinary approach, Frazer sheds light on the complexities of human spirituality and the enduring relevance of ancestral veneration in contemporary societies. Readers interested in anthropology, religious studies, and the history of belief systems will find this book enlightening and thought-provoking.