Akhenaten And The Origins Of Monotheism

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Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism

Author : James Karl Hoffmeier
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0199792089
Total Pages : 310 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (997 download)

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Book Synopsis Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism by : James Karl Hoffmeier

Download or read book Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism written by James Karl Hoffmeier and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2015 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pharaoh Akhenaten, who reigned for seventeen years in the fourteenth century B.C.E, is one of the most intriguing rulers of ancient Egypt. His odd appearance and his preoccupation with worshiping the sun disc Aten have stimulated academic discussion and controversy for more than a century. Despite the numerous books and articles about this enigmatic figure, many questions about Akhenaten and the Atenism religion remain unanswered. In Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism, James K. Hoffmeier argues that Akhenaten was not, as is often said, a radical advocating a new religion, but rather a primitivist: that is, one who reaches back to a golden age and emulates it. Akhenaten's inspiration was the Old Kingdom (2650-2400 B.C.E.), when the sun-god Re/Atum ruled as the unrivaled head of the Egyptian pantheon. Hoffmeier finds that Akhenaten was a genuine convert to the worship of Aten, the sole creator God, based on the Pharoah's own testimony of a theophany, a divine encounter that launched his monotheistic religious odyssey. The book also explores the Atenist religion's possible relationship to Israel's religion, offering a close comparison of the hymn to the Aten to Psalm 104, which has been identified by scholars as influenced by the Egyptian hymn. Through a careful reading of key texts, artworks, and archaeological studies, Hoffmeier provides compelling new insights into a religion that predated Moses and Hebrew monotheism, the impact of Atenism on Egyptian religion and politics, and the aftermath of Akhenaten's reign.

Moses and Monotheism

Author : Sigmund Freud
Publisher : Leonardo Paolo Lovari
ISBN 13 : 8898301790
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (983 download)

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Book Synopsis Moses and Monotheism by : Sigmund Freud

Download or read book Moses and Monotheism written by Sigmund Freud and published by Leonardo Paolo Lovari. This book was released on 2016-11-24 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book consists of three essays and is an extension of Freud’s work on psychoanalytic theory as a means of generating hypotheses about historical events. Freud hypothesizes that Moses was not Hebrew, but actually born into Ancient Egyptian nobility and was probably a follower of Akhenaten, an ancient Egyptian monotheist. Freud contradicts the biblical story of Moses with his own retelling of events, claiming that Moses only led his close followers into freedom during an unstable period in Egyptian history after Akhenaten (ca. 1350 BCE) and that they subsequently killed Moses in rebellion and later combined with another monotheistic tribe in Midian based on a volcanic God, Jahweh. Freud explains that years after the murder of Moses, the rebels regretted their action, thus forming the concept of the Messiah as a hope for the return of Moses as the Saviour of the Israelites. Freud said that the guilt from the murder of Moses is inherited through the generations; this guilt then drives the Jews to religion to make them feel better.

From Akhenaten to Moses

Author : Jan Assmann
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 9774166310
Total Pages : 167 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (741 download)

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Book Synopsis From Akhenaten to Moses by : Jan Assmann

Download or read book From Akhenaten to Moses written by Jan Assmann and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The shift from polytheism to monotheism changed the world radically. Akhenaten and Moses-a figure of history and a figure of tradition-symbolize this shift in its incipient, revolutionary stages and represent two civilizations that were brought into the closest connection as early as the Book of Exodus, where Egypt stands for the old world to be rejected and abandoned in order to enter the new one. The seven chapters of this seminal study shed light on the great transformation from different angles. Between Egypt in the first chapter and monotheism in the last, five chapters deal in various ways with the transition from one to the other, analyzing the Exodus myth, understanding the shift in terms of evolution and revolution, confronting Akhenaten and Moses in a new way, discussing Karl Jaspers' theory of the Axial Age, and dealing with the eighteenth-century view of the Egyptian mysteries as a cultural model.

Akhenaten and the Religion of Light

Author : Erik Hornung
Publisher : Cornell University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780801487255
Total Pages : 164 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (872 download)

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Book Synopsis Akhenaten and the Religion of Light by : Erik Hornung

Download or read book Akhenaten and the Religion of Light written by Erik Hornung and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Akhenaten, also known as Amenhotep IV, was king of Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty and reigned from 1375 to 1358 B.C. E. Called the "religious revolutionary," he is the earliest known creator of a new religion. The cult he founded broke with Egypt's traditional polytheism and focused its worship on a single deity, the sun god Aten. Erik Hornung, one of the world's preeminent Egyptologists, here offers a concise and accessible account of Akhenaten and his religion of light.Hornung begins with a discussion of the nineteenth-century scholars who laid the foundation for our knowledge of Akhenaten's period and extends to the most recent archaeological finds. He emphasizes that Akhenaten's monotheistic theology represented the first attempt in history to explain the entire natural and human world on the basis of a single principle. "Akhenaten made light the absolute reference point," Hornung writes, "and it is astonishing how clearly and consistently he pursued this concept." Hornung also addresses such topics as the origins of the new religion; pro-found changes in beliefs regarding the afterlife; and the new Egyptian capital at Akhetaten which was devoted to the service of Aten, his prophet Akhenaten, and the latter's family.

Akhenaten

Author : Dominic Montserrat
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134690347
Total Pages : 234 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (346 download)

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Book Synopsis Akhenaten by : Dominic Montserrat

Download or read book Akhenaten written by Dominic Montserrat and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-05-01 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The pharaoh Akhenaten, who ruled Egypt in the mid-fourteenth century BCE, has been the subject of more speculation than any other character in Egyptian history. This provocative new biography examines both the real Akhenaten and the myths that have been created around him. It scrutinises the history of the pharaoh and his reign, which has been continually written in Eurocentric terms inapplicable to ancient Egypt, and the archaeology of Akhenaten's capital city, Amarna. It goes on to explore the pharaoh's extraordinary cultural afterlife, and the way he has been invoked to validate everything from psychoanalysis to racial equality to Fascism.

Moses and Akhenaten

Author : Ahmed Osman
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1591438845
Total Pages : 280 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (914 download)

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Book Synopsis Moses and Akhenaten by : Ahmed Osman

Download or read book Moses and Akhenaten written by Ahmed Osman and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2002-10-01 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A reinterpretation of biblical and Egyptian history that shows Moses and the Pharaoh Akhenaten to be one and the same. • Provides dramatic evidence from both archaeological and documentary sources. • A radical challenge to long-established beliefs on the origin of Semitic religion. During his reign, the Pharaoh Akhenaten was able to abolish the complex pantheon of the ancient Egyptian religion and replace it with a single god, the Aten, who had no image or form. Seizing on the striking similarities between the religious vision of this “heretic” pharaoh and the teachings of Moses, Sigmund Freud was the first to argue that Moses was in fact an Egyptian. Now Ahmed Osman, using recent archaeological discoveries and historical documents, contends that Akhenaten and Moses were one and the same man. In a stunning retelling of the Exodus story, Osman details the events of Moses/Akhenaten's life: how he was brought up by Israelite relatives, ruled Egypt for seventeen years, angered many of his subjects by replacing the traditional Egyptian pantheon with worship of the Aten, and was forced to abdicate the throne. Retreating to the Sinai with his Egyptian and Israelite supporters, he died out of the sight of his followers, presumably at the hands of Seti I, after an unsuccessful attempt to regain his throne. Osman reveals the Egyptian components in the monotheism preached by Moses as well as his use of Egyptian royal ritual and Egyptian religious expression. He shows that even the Ten Commandments betray the direct influence of Spell 125 in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Moses and Akhenaten provides a radical challenge to long-standing beliefs concerning the origin of Semitic religion and the puzzle of Akhenaten's deviation from ancient Egyptian tradition. In fact, if Osman's contentions are correct, many major Old Testament figures would be of Egyptian origin.

Akhenaten

Author : Ronald T. Ridley
Publisher : American University in Cairo Press
ISBN 13 : 1617979449
Total Pages : 483 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (179 download)

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Book Synopsis Akhenaten by : Ronald T. Ridley

Download or read book Akhenaten written by Ronald T. Ridley and published by American University in Cairo Press. This book was released on 2019-03-12 with total page 483 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A groundbreaking historiography of the reign of Akhenaten More ink has probably been spilled on Akhenaten and his times (‘the Amarna Period’) than any other figure from ancient Egypt, with a vast range of interpretations and theories that can leave the uninitiated utterly bewildered. Against this background, Akhenaten: A Historian’s View examines what scholars have said over the years regarding key aspects of the period, to produce a ‘history of histories,’ exploring exactly how various chains of arguments were arrived at—and how houses of cards thus erected have subsequently come tumbling down. In particular, it teases out ideas based on solid documentation from those based on theory and fancy, and tracks ways in which new evidence became available, how it was interpreted, and how it fed—or didn't—into the big picture. This book thus fills a major gap in the literature of the Amarna Period and also contributes to the wider, and much neglected, field of the historiography of ancient Egypt.

Freud and Monotheism

Author : Gilad Sharvit
Publisher : Fordham Univ Press
ISBN 13 : 0823280047
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (232 download)

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Book Synopsis Freud and Monotheism by : Gilad Sharvit

Download or read book Freud and Monotheism written by Gilad Sharvit and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2018-06-05 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the last few decades, vibrant debates regarding post-secularism have found inspiration and provocation in the works of Sigmund Freud. A new interest in the interconnection of psychoanalysis, religion and political theory has emerged, allowing Freud’s illuminating examination of the religious and mystical practices in “Obsessive Neurosis and Religious Practices,” and the exegesis of the origins of ethics in religion in Totem and Taboo, to gain currency in recent debates on modernity. In that context, the pivotal role of Freud’s masterpiece, Moses and Monotheism, is widely recognized. Freud and Monotheism brings together fundamental new contributions to discourses on Freud and Moses, as well as new research at the intersections of theology, political theory, and history in Freud’s psychoanalytic work. Highlighting the broad impact of Moses and Monotheism across the humanities, the contributors hail from such diverse disciplines as philosophy, comparative literature, cultural studies, German studies, Jewish studies and psychoanalysis. Jan Assmann and Richard Bernstein, whose books pioneered the earlier debate that initiated the Freud and Moses discourse, seize the opportunity to revisit and revise their groundbreaking work. Gabriele Schwab, Gilad Sharvit, Karen Feldman, and Yael Segalovitz engage with the idiosyncratic, eccentric and fertile nature of the book as a Spӓtstil, and explore radical interpretations of Freud’s literary practice, theory of religion and therapeutic practice. Ronald Hendel offers an alternative history for the Mosaic discourse within the biblical text, Catherine Malabou reconnects Freud’s theory of psychic phylogenesis in Moses and Monotheism to new findings in modern biology and Willi Goetschel relocates Freud in the tradition of works on history that begins with Heine, while Joel Whitebook offers important criticisms of Freud’s main argument about the advance in intellectuality that Freud attributes to Judaism.

Akhenaten: Egypt's False Prophet

Author : Nicholas Reeves
Publisher : Thames & Hudson
ISBN 13 : 0500774595
Total Pages : 369 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis Akhenaten: Egypt's False Prophet by : Nicholas Reeves

Download or read book Akhenaten: Egypt's False Prophet written by Nicholas Reeves and published by Thames & Hudson. This book was released on 2019-08-20 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nicholas Reeves’s radical interpretation of a revolutionary king—now available in paperback. One of the most compelling and controversial figures in ancient Egyptian history, Akhenaten has captured the imagination like no other Egyptian pharaoh. Much has been written about this strange, persecuted figure, whose depiction in effigies is totally at odds with the traditional depiction of the Egyptian ruler-hero. Akhenaten sought to impose upon Egypt and its people the worship of a single god—the sun god—and in so doing changed the country in every way. In Akhenaten, Nicholas Reeves presents an entirely new perspective on the turbulent events of Akhenaten’s seventeen-year reign. Reeves argues that, far from being the idealistic founder of a new faith, the Egyptian ruler cynically used religion for political gain in a calculated attempt to reassert the authority of the king and concentrate all power in his hands. Backed by abundant archaeological and documentary evidence, Reeves’s narrative also provides many new insights into questions that have baffled scholars for generations—the puzzle of the body in Tomb 55 in the Valley of the Kings; the fate of Nefertiti, Akhenaten’s beautiful wife; the identity of his mysterious successor, Smenkhkare; and the theory that Tutankhamun, Akhenaten’s son and heir to the throne, was murdered.

Moses the Egyptian

Author : Jan Assmann
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674020308
Total Pages : 289 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis Moses the Egyptian by : Jan Assmann

Download or read book Moses the Egyptian written by Jan Assmann and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-06-30 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moses is at the foundation of monotheism, and so of Western culture. Here the factual and fictional events and characters in religious beliefs are studied. It traces monotheism back to the Egyptian king Akhenaten and shows how Moses's followers established truth by denouncing all others as false.

Light of Aten: Echnaton's Revolution

Author : Benjamin C. Roberts
Publisher : epubli
ISBN 13 : 3758485975
Total Pages : 100 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (584 download)

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Book Synopsis Light of Aten: Echnaton's Revolution by : Benjamin C. Roberts

Download or read book Light of Aten: Echnaton's Revolution written by Benjamin C. Roberts and published by epubli. This book was released on 2024-03-10 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In "Light of Aten: Echnaton's Revolution - The Emergence of Monotheism" by Benjamin C. Roberts, readers are invited on a compelling journey back to the heart of ancient Egypt, to the reign of one of history's most revolutionary figures, Pharaoh Echnaton. Defying centuries of traditional Egyptian polytheism, Echnaton embarked on an audacious quest to redefine the spiritual landscape of his time, establishing the worship of a single deity, the Aten. Roberts meticulously unravels the story of Echnaton's radical reforms, exploring how this enigmatic leader attempted to concentrate divine, political, and artistic expression around the worship of the sun disk. Through a blend of historical facts, archaeological evidence, and engaging narrative, this book paints a vivid picture of a tumultuous period marked by intrigue, power struggles, and a profound ideological shift that would echo through the ages. From the construction of the new capital, Akhetaten, to the suppression of the traditional pantheon, "Light of Aten" delves into the motivations behind Echnaton's bold moves, the societal upheavals they caused, and the legacy of his religious revolution. Roberts critically examines how Echnaton's monotheism influenced future generations and the development of monotheistic religions, making this book essential reading for anyone fascinated by the origins of monotheism, ancient Egyptian history, and the enduring power of faith to transform societies.

Of God and Gods

Author : Jan Assmann
Publisher : Univ of Wisconsin Press
ISBN 13 : 0299225534
Total Pages : 210 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (992 download)

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Book Synopsis Of God and Gods by : Jan Assmann

Download or read book Of God and Gods written by Jan Assmann and published by Univ of Wisconsin Press. This book was released on 2008-06-17 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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

A Companion to the Ancient Near East

Author : Daniel C. Snell
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119362466
Total Pages : 528 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (193 download)

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Book Synopsis A Companion to the Ancient Near East by : Daniel C. Snell

Download or read book A Companion to the Ancient Near East written by Daniel C. Snell and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-02-19 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The new edition of the popular survey of Near Eastern civilization from the Bronze Age to the era of Alexander the Great A Companion to the Ancient Near East explores the history of the region from 4400 BCE to the Macedonian conquest of the Persian Empire in 330 BCE. Original and revised essays from a team of distinguished scholars from across disciplines address subjects including the politics, economics, architecture, and heritage of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Part of the Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World series, this acclaimed single-volume reference combines lively writing with engaging and relatable topics to immerse readers in this fascinating period of Near East history. The new second edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to include new developments in relevant fields, particularly archaeology, and expand on themes of interest to contemporary students. Clear, accessible chapters offer fresh discussions on the history of the family and gender roles, the literature, languages, and religions of the region, pastoralism, medicine and philosophy, and borders, states, and warfare. New essays highlight recent discoveries in cuneiform texts, investigate how modern Egyptians came to understand their ancient history, and examine the place of archaeology among the historical disciplines. This volume: Provides substantial new and revised content covering topics such as social conflict, kingship, cosmology, work, trade, and law Covers the civilizations of the Sumerians, Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Egyptians, Israelites, and Persians, emphasizing social and cultural history Examines the legacy of the Ancient Near East in the medieval and modern worlds Offers a uniquely broad geographical, chronological, and topical range Includes a comprehensive bibliographical guide to Ancient Near East studies as well as new and updated references and reading suggestions Suitable for use as both a primary reference or as a supplement to a chronologically arranged textbook, A Companion to the Ancient Near East, 2nd Edition is a valuable resource for advanced undergraduates, beginning graduate students, instructors in the field, and scholars from other disciplines.

Aspects of Monotheism

Author : Donald B. Redford
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 140 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Aspects of Monotheism by : Donald B. Redford

Download or read book Aspects of Monotheism written by Donald B. Redford and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism

Author : James K. Hoffmeier
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199792143
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (997 download)

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Book Synopsis Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism by : James K. Hoffmeier

Download or read book Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism written by James K. Hoffmeier and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2015-01-15 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pharaoh Akhenaten, who reigned for seventeen years in the fourteenth century B.C.E, is one of the most intriguing rulers of ancient Egypt. His odd appearance and his preoccupation with worshiping the sun disc Aten have stimulated academic discussion and controversy for more than a century. Despite the numerous books and articles about this enigmatic figure, many questions about Akhenaten and the Atenism religion remain unanswered. In Akhenaten and the Origins of Monotheism, James K. Hoffmeier argues that Akhenaten was not, as is often said, a radical advocating a new religion, but rather a primitivist: that is, one who reaches back to a golden age and emulates it. Akhenaten's inspiration was the Old Kingdom (2650-2400 B.C.E.), when the sun-god Re/Atum ruled as the unrivaled head of the Egyptian pantheon. Hoffmeier finds that Akhenaten was a genuine convert to the worship of Aten, the sole creator God, based on the Pharoah's own testimony of a theophany, a divine encounter that launched his monotheistic religious odyssey. The book also explores the Atenist religion's possible relationship to Israel's religion, offering a close comparison of the hymn to the Aten to Psalm 104, which has been identified by scholars as influenced by the Egyptian hymn. Through a careful reading of key texts, artworks, and archaeological studies, Hoffmeier provides compelling new insights into a religion that predated Moses and Hebrew monotheism, the impact of Atenism on Egyptian religion and politics, and the aftermath of Akhenaten's reign.

Abrahamic Religions

Author : Aaron W. Hughes
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199934657
Total Pages : 240 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (999 download)

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Book Synopsis Abrahamic Religions by : Aaron W. Hughes

Download or read book Abrahamic Religions written by Aaron W. Hughes and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-10-18 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recently, the term "Abrahamic religions" has been used with exceeding frequency in the academy. We now regularly encounter academic books, conferences, and even positions (including endowed chairs) devoted to the so-called "Abrahamic religions." But what exactly are "Abrahamic religions"? Although many perceive him as the common denominator of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Abraham remains deceptively out of reach. An ahistorical figure, some contend he holds the seeds for historical reconciliation. Touted as symbol of ecumenicism, Abraham can just as easily function as one of division and exclusivity. Like our understanding of Abraham, the category "Abrahamic religions" is vague and nebulous. In Abrahamic Religions, Aaron Hughes examines the creation and dissemination of this term. Usually lost in contemporary discussions is a set of crucial questions: Where does the term "Abrahamic religions" derive? Who created it and for what purposes? What sort of intellectual work is it perceived to perform? Part genealogical and part analytical, this book seeks to raise and answer questions about the appropriateness and usefulness of employing "Abrahamic religions" as a vehicle for understanding and classifying data. In so doing, Abrahamic Religions can be taken as a case study that examines the construction of categories within the academic study of religion, showing how the categories we employ can become more an impediment than an expedient to understanding.

The Invention of Religion

Author : Jan Assmann
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 0691203199
Total Pages : 412 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (912 download)

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Book Synopsis The Invention of Religion by : Jan Assmann

Download or read book The Invention of Religion written by Jan Assmann and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-03-24 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A groundbreaking account of how the Book of Exodus shaped fundamental aspects of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam The Book of Exodus may be the most consequential story ever told. But its spectacular moments of heaven-sent plagues and parting seas overshadow its true significance, says Jan Assmann, a leading historian of ancient religion. The story of Moses guiding the enslaved children of Israel out of captivity to become God's chosen people is the foundation of an entirely new idea of religion, one that lives on today in many of the world's faiths. First introduced in Exodus, new ideas of faith, revelation, and above all covenant transformed basic assumptions about humankind’s relationship to the divine and became the bedrock of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.