An anthology of primary readings in ancient western religious thought from the beginnings of civilization in Mesopotamia and Egypt (c. 3000 B.C.E.) to the collapse of the Roman Empire (c. 450 C.E.). +

Offers an array of Western and non-Western, theistic and non-theistic, religious thought. Combining key readings by contemporary philosophers with pivotal historical texts, this anthology brings together some of the best work in both Western philosophy of religion and Eastern thought - including selections on Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.

Moses' Staff and Aeneas' Shield uses two emblems to symbolize the important differences between the tragic but triumphant heroism of Virgil's Aeneid and the kenotic heroism of Moses in the Exodus story of Aeneas' shield and Moses' staff. The shield of Aeneas represents Rome's imperial destiny to rule the earth's peoples by strength, and Aeneas' personal destiny to end in triumph as a warrior. In contrast, the staff of Moses represents the saving wonders the Lord works through him to save the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt and bind them to himself in covenant, and his mission to go beyond being simply a wonder worker to "a man of words" who preaches the Lord's Torah.

Humans have been chasing immortality since the beginning of history, seeking answers to sickness and aging, death and the afterlife, and questioning the human condition. Analyzing ideas from ancient Sumer, Egypt, Greece and India, as well as the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, this study explores how early religious models influenced later beliefs about immortality, the afterlife, the human soul, resurrection, and reward and punishment. The author highlights shared teachings among the most influential religions and philosophies, concluding that humankind has not substantially changed its conceptions of immortality in 6,000 years. This continuity of belief may be due to chromosomal memory and cultural inheritance, or may represent a fundamental way of conceptualizing the afterlife to cope with mortality. Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

The Oxford Handbook of the Study of Religion provides a comprehensive overview of the academic study of religion. Written by an international team of leading scholars, its fifty-one chapters are divided thematically into seven sections. The first section addresses five major conceptual aspects of research on religion. Part two surveys eleven main frameworks of analysis, interpretation, and explanation of religion. Reflecting recent turns in the humanities and social sciences, part three considers eight forms of the expression of religion. Part four provides a discussion of the ways societies and religions, or religious organizations, are shaped by different forms of allocation of resources. Other chapters in this section consider law, the media, nature, medicine, politics, science, sports, and tourism. Part five reviews important developments, distinctions, and arguments for each of the selected topics. The study of religion addresses religion as a historical phenomenon and part six looks at seven historical processes. Religion is studied in various ways by many disciplines, and this Handbook shows that the study of religion is an academic discipline in its own right. The disciplinary profile of this volume is reflected in part seven, which considers the history of the discipline and its relevance. Each chapter in the Handbook references at least two different religions to provide fresh and innovative perspectives on key issues in the field. This authoritative collection will advance the state of the discipline and is an invaluable reference for students and scholars.

The "Shadow Tree Series" comprises a unique collection of Western Esoteric studies and practices which Jacobus Swart, has actuated and taught over a period of forty years. Having commenced his Kabbalah studies in Safed in the early 1970's, he later broadened his "kabbalistic horizons" under the careful guidance of the famed English Kabbalist William G. Gray. "The Book of Sacred Names" is a practical guide into the meditational and magical applications of ancient Hebrew Divine Names. Perpetuating the tenets of traditional Kabbalists who recognised the fundamental bond between "Kabbalah" and "Magic," Jacobus Swart offers step by step instructions on the deliberate and conscious control of personal life circumstances, by means of the most cardinal components of Kabbalistic doctrines and techniques-Divine Names! The material addressed in this tome derives from the extensive primary literature of "Practical Kabbalah," much of which is appearing in print for the first time in English translation.

In Hebrews and the Temple Philip Church argues that the silence of Hebrews concerning the temple does not mean that the author is not interested in the temple. He writes to encourage his readers to abandon their preoccupation with it and to follow Jesus to their eschatological goal. Following extensive discussions of attitudes to the temple in the literature of Second Temple Judaism, Church turns to Hebrews and argues that the temple is presented there as a symbolic foreshadowing of the eschatological dwelling of God with his people. Now that the eschatological moment has arrived with the exaltation of Christ to the right hand of God, preoccupation with the temple and its rituals must cease.

Indigenous Symbols and Practices in the Catholic Church presents views, concepts and perspectives on the relationships among Indigenous Peoples and the Catholic Church, as well as stories, images and art as metaphors for survival in a contemporary world. Few studies present such interdisciplinary interpretations from contributors in multiple disciplines regarding appropriation, spiritual and religious tradition, educational issues in the teaching of art and art history, the effects of government sanctions on traditional practice, or the artistic interpretation of symbols from Indigenous perspectives. Through photographs and visual materials, interviews and data analysis, personal narratives and stories, these chapters explore the experiences of Indigenous Peoples whose lives have been impacted by multiple forces – Christian missionaries, governmental policies, immigration and colonization, education, assimilation and acculturation. Contributors investigate current contexts and complex areas of conflict regarding missionization, appropriation and colonizing practices through asking questions such as, 'What does the use of images mean for resistance, transformation and cultural destruction?' And, 'What new interpretations and perspectives are necessary for Indigenous traditions to survive and flourish in the future?'

Interred in shadows no more, the vampire mythos is illuminated in this captivating exploration of one of the world’s most sinister—and feared—creatures. Join Brian Righi as he unearths the truth behind myths and beliefs, both ancient and modern. He traces the evolution of the vampire—from Dracula’s mysteriously empty grave and the enduring legend it spawned to terrifying documented cases of the real-life blood drinkers of today. Sordid and sultry, the vampire’s long and gruesome history is revealed: —Various cultures’ beliefs and superstitions surrounding bloodthirsty immortals —Chilling true accounts of the unquenchable bloodlust of historical figures such as Vlad the Impaler and Countess Báthory —Stories and lore from villagers, as recalled from the author’s travels through Romania —Serial killers who suffered from delusions of vampirism —How the early Christian church inadvertently fed into the 18th-century Eastern European vampire scare