Violence and the Sacred in the Ancient Near East
Author: Ian Hodder
Publisher:
Published: 2019
Total Pages:
ISBN-13: 9781108469401
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Violence and the Sacred in the Ancient Near East
Author: Ian Hodder
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2019-03-14
Total Pages: 275
ISBN-13: 1108476023
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis book is primarily for researchers and students in the archaeology of the Ancient Near East. The volume results from intense interaction between archaeologists at these sites and a group of theorists studying the scholarship of René Girard.
Sacred Killing
Author: Anne Porter
Publisher: Penn State Press
Published: 2012-09-17
Total Pages: 337
ISBN-13: 1575066769
DOWNLOAD EBOOKWhat is sacrifice? How can we identify it in the archaeological record? And what does it tell us about the societies that practice it? Sacred Killing: The Archaeology of Sacrifice in the Ancient Near East investigates these and other questions through the evidence for human and animal sacrifice in the Near East from the Neolithic to the Hellenistic periods. Drawing on sociocultural anthropology and history in addition to archaeology, the book also includes evidence from ancient China and a riveting eyewitness account and analysis of sacrifice in contemporary India, which engage some of the key issues at stake. Sacred Killing vividly presents a variety of methods and theories in the study of one of the most profound and disturbing ritual activities humans have ever practiced.
Sacred Violence
Author: Jill N. Claster
Publisher: University of Toronto Press
Published: 2009-01-01
Total Pages: 378
ISBN-13: 1442600608
DOWNLOAD EBOOKIn Sacred Violence, Jill N. Claster brings new insight and focus to the history of the crusades. The book includes an 8-page color insert of illustrations, 12 maps, over 25 black-and-white illustrations, a chronology of the crusades, and a list of rulers.
Human Sacrifice
Author: Laerke Recht
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2018-12-20
Total Pages: 198
ISBN-13: 1108687776
DOWNLOAD EBOOKSacrifice is not simply an expression of religious beliefs. Its highly symbolic nature lends itself to various kinds of manipulation by those carrying it out, who may use the ritual in maintaining and negotiating power and identity in carefully staged 'performances'. This Element will examine some of the many different types of sacrifice and ritual killing of human beings through history, from Bronze Age China and the Near East to Mesoamerica to Northern Europe. The focus is on the archaeology of human sacrifice, but where available, textual and iconographic sources provide valuable complements to the interpretation of the material.
Fighting Words
Author: John Renard
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Published: 2012-12-31
Total Pages: 262
ISBN-13: 0520274199
DOWNLOAD EBOOKOne of the critical issues in interreligious relations today is the connection, both actual and perceived, between sacred sources and the justification of violent acts as divinely mandated. Fighting Words makes solid text-based scholarship accessible to the general public, beginning with the premise that a balanced approach to religious pluralism in our world must build on a measured, well-informed response to the increasingly publicized and sensationalized association of terrorism and large-scale violence with religion. In his introduction, Renard provides background on the major scriptures of seven religious traditions—Jewish, Christian (including both the Old and New Testaments), Islamic, Baha’i, Zoroastrian, Hindu, and Sikh. Eight chapters then explore the interpretation of select facets of these scriptures, focusing on those texts so often claimed, both historically and more recently, as inspiration and justification for every kind of violence, from individual assassination to mass murder. With its nuanced consideration of a complex topic, this book is not merely about the religious sanctioning of violence but also about diverse ways of reading sacred textual sources.
Sanctified Violence
Author: Alfred J. Andrea
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
Published: 2021-03-24
Total Pages: 203
ISBN-13: 162466962X
DOWNLOAD EBOOK"This rich and engaging book looks at instances of sanctified violence, the holy wars related to religion. It covers it all, from ancient to present day, including examples of warfare among Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists, as well as Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is a comprehensive and readable overview that provides a lively introduction to the subject of holy war in its broadest sense—as ‘sanctified violence’ in the service of a god or ideology. It is certain to be a useful companion in the classroom, and a boon to anyone fascinated by the dark attraction of religion and violence." —Mark Juergensmeyer, University of California, Santa Barbara Contents: Introduction: What Is Holy War? Chapter 1: Holy Wars in Mythic Time, Holy Wars as Metaphor, Holy Wars as RitualChapter 2: Holy Wars of Conquest in the Name of a DeityChapter 3: Holy Wars in Defense of the SacredChapter 4: Holy Wars in Anticipation of the Millennium Epilogue: Holy Wars Today and Tomorrow Also included are a description of the Critical Themes in World History series, Preface, index, and suggestions for further reading.
The (De)Legitimization of Violence in Sacred and Human Contexts
Author: Muhammad Shafiq
Publisher: Springer Nature
Published: 2021-01-21
Total Pages: 360
ISBN-13: 3030511251
DOWNLOAD EBOOKThis book provides a multidisciplinary commentary on a wide range of religious traditions and their relationship to acts of violence. Hate and violence occur at every level of human interaction, as do peace and compassion. Scholars of religion have a particular obligation to make sense out of this situation, tracing its history and variables, and drawing lessons for the future. From the formative periods of the religious traditions to their application in the contemporary world, the essays in this volume interrogate the views on violence found within the traditions and provide examples of religious practices that exacerbate or ameliorate situations of conflict.
Beyond Sacred Violence
Author: Kathryn McClymond
Publisher: JHU Press
Published: 2008-07-02
Total Pages: 229
ISBN-13: 0801887763
DOWNLOAD EBOOKArgues that the modern Western world's reductive understanding of sacrifice simplifies an enormously broad and dynamic cluster of religious activities, drawing on a comparative study of Vedic and Jewish sacrificial practices to demonstrate not only that sacrifice has no single, essential, identifying characteristic, but also that the elements most frequently attributed to such acts--death and violence--are not universal.
The Routledge Companion to Ecstatic Experience in the Ancient World
Author: Diana Stein
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2021-12-31
Total Pages: 560
ISBN-13: 1000464733
DOWNLOAD EBOOKFor millennia, people have universally engaged in ecstatic experience as an essential element in ritual practice, spiritual belief and cultural identification. This volume offers the first systematic investigation of its myriad roles and manifestations in the ancient Mediterranean and Near East. The twenty-nine contributors represent a broad range of scholarly disciplines, seeking answers to fundamental questions regarding the patterns and commonalities of this vital aspect of the past. How was the experience construed and by what means was it achieved? Who was involved? Where and when were rites carried out? How was it reflected in pictorial arts and written records? What was its relation to other components of the sociocultural compact? In proposing responses, the authors draw upon a wealth of original research in many fields, generating new perspectives and thought-provoking, often surprising, conclusions. With their abundant cross-cultural and cross-temporal references, the chapters mutually enrich each other and collectively deepen our understanding of ecstatic phenomena thousands of years ago. Another noteworthy feature of the book is its illustrative content, including commissioned reconstructions of ecstatic scenarios and pairings of works of Bronze Age and modern psychedelic art. Scholars, students and other readers interested in antiquity, comparative religion and the social and cognitive sciences will find much to explore in the fascinating realm of ecstatic experience in the ancient world.
