Ancient Mystery Cults

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Ancient Mystery Cults

Author : Walter Burkert
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674253159
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (742 download)

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Book Synopsis Ancient Mystery Cults by : Walter Burkert

Download or read book Ancient Mystery Cults written by Walter Burkert and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 1989-10-15 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The foremost historian of Greek religion provides the first comprehensive, comparative study of a little-known aspect of ancient religious beliefs and practices. Secret mystery cults flourished within the larger culture of the public religion of Greece and Rome for roughly a thousand years. This book is neither a history nor a survey but a comparative phenomenology, concentrating on five major cults. In defining the mysteries and describing their rituals, membership, organization, and dissemination, Walter Burkert displays the remarkable erudition we have come to expect of him; he also shows great sensitivity and sympathy in interpreting the experiences and motivations of the devotees.

Mystery Cults in the Ancient World

Author : Hugh Bowden
Publisher : Thames & Hudson
ISBN 13 : 0500778620
Total Pages : 314 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis Mystery Cults in the Ancient World by : Hugh Bowden

Download or read book Mystery Cults in the Ancient World written by Hugh Bowden and published by Thames & Hudson. This book was released on 2023-09-07 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mystery cults are one of the most intriguing areas of Greek and Roman religion. In the nocturnal mysteries at Eleusis, participants dramatically re-enacted the story of Demeter's loss and recovery of her daughter Persephone; in Bacchic cult, bands of women ran wild in the Greek countryside to honour Dionysus; in the mysteries of Mithras, men came to understand the nature of the universe and their place within it through frightening initiation ceremonies and astrological teachings. These cults were an important part of life in the ancient Mediterranean world, but their actual practices were shrouded in secrecy, and much of what they were about has remained unclear until now. This is the first book to describe and explain all the major mystery cults of the ancient world, cult by cult, reconstructing the rituals and exploring their origins. It makes plentiful use of artistic and archaeological evidence, as well as ancient literature and epigraphy. Greek painted pottery, Roman frescoes, inscribed gold tablets from Greek and South Italian tombs and the excavated sites of ancient religious sanctuaries all contribute to our understanding of ancient mystery cults. Making use of the most recent work on these cults, the book is also informed by crucial current work on the anthropology and cognitive science of religion. Not only is this clearly written book a significant contribution to the study of these cults, but it is also accessible to a general readership. More than any other book on ancient religion, it allows the reader to understand what it was like to participate in these life-transforming religious events.

Greek Mysteries

Author : Michael B. Cosmopoulos
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 113453616X
Total Pages : 288 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (345 download)

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Book Synopsis Greek Mysteries by : Michael B. Cosmopoulos

Download or read book Greek Mysteries written by Michael B. Cosmopoulos and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005-08-18 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by an international team of acknowledged experts, this excellent book studies a wide range of contributions and showcases new research on the archaeology, ritual and history of Greek mystery cults. With a lack of written evidence that exists for the mysteries, archaeology has proved central to explaining their significance and this volume is key to understanding a phenomenon central to Greek religion and society.

Initiation into the Mysteries of the Ancient World

Author : Jan N. Bremmer
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN 13 : 3110376997
Total Pages : 366 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Initiation into the Mysteries of the Ancient World by : Jan N. Bremmer

Download or read book Initiation into the Mysteries of the Ancient World written by Jan N. Bremmer and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2014-07-28 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ancient Mysteries have long attracted the interest of scholars, an interest that goes back at least to the time of the Reformation. After a period of interest around the turn of the twentieth century, recent decades have seen an important study of Walter Burkert (1987). Yet his thematic approach makes it hard to see how the actual initiation into the Mysteries took place. To do precisely that is the aim of this book. It gives a ‘thick description’ of the major Mysteries, not only of the famous Eleusinian Mysteries, but also those located at the interface of Greece and Anatolia: the Mysteries of Samothrace, Imbros and Lemnos as well as those of the Corybants. It then proceeds to look at the Orphic-Bacchic Mysteries, which have become increasingly better understood due to the many discoveries of new texts in the recent times. Having looked at classical Greece we move on to the Roman Empire, where we study not only the lesser Mysteries, which we know especially from Pausanias, but also the new ones of Isis and Mithras. We conclude our book with a discussion of the possible influence of the Mysteries on emerging Christianity. Its detailed references and up-to-date bibliography will make this book indispensable for any scholar interested in the Mysteries and ancient religion, but also for those scholars who work on initiation or esoteric rituals, which were often inspired by the ancient Mysteries.

Mystery Cults in the Ancient World

Author : Hugh Bowden
Publisher : Thames & Hudson
ISBN 13 : 0500778639
Total Pages : 314 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis Mystery Cults in the Ancient World by : Hugh Bowden

Download or read book Mystery Cults in the Ancient World written by Hugh Bowden and published by Thames & Hudson. This book was released on 2023-09-19 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A landmark study of ancient Greek and Roman cults, from the nocturnal mysteries at Eleusis to the cults of Dionysus and Mithras. Mystery cults are one of the most intriguing areas of Greek and Roman religion. In the nocturnal mysteries at Eleusis, participants dramatically reenacted the story of Demeter’s loss and recovery of her daughter Persephone; in the Bacchic cult, bands of women ran wild in the Greek countryside to honor Dionysus; in the mysteries of Mithras, men came to understand the nature of the universe and their place within it through frightening initiation ceremonies and astrological teachings. These cults were an important part of life in the ancient Mediterranean world, but their actual practices were shrouded in secrecy. Mystery Cults in the Ancient World makes plentiful use of artistic and archaeological evidence, as well as ancient literature and epigraphy, to reconstruct the sacred rituals and explore their origins. Greek painted pottery, Roman frescoes, inscribed gold tablets from Greek and Southern Italian tombs, and the excavated sites of religious sanctuaries all contribute to our understanding of ancient mystery cults. Not only is this clearly written book a significant contribution to the study of these cults, it is also accessible to a general readership. More than any other book on ancient religion, it allows the reader to understand what it was like to participate in these life-altering religious events.

Greek Philosophy and Mystery Cults

Author : María José García Blanco
Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1443889598
Total Pages : 260 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (438 download)

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Book Synopsis Greek Philosophy and Mystery Cults by : María José García Blanco

Download or read book Greek Philosophy and Mystery Cults written by María José García Blanco and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2016-02-29 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The contributions to this book offer a broad vision of the relationships that were established between Greek Philosophy and the Mystery Cults. The authors centre their attention on such thinkers as Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoic and the Neoplatonist philosophers, who used – and in some cases criticised – doctrinal elements from Mystery Cults, adapting them to their own thinking. Thus, the volume provides a new approach to some of the most renowned Greek philosophers, highlighting the influence that Mystery Cults, such as Orphism, Dionysianism, or the Eleusinian rites, had on the formation of fundamental aspects of their thinking. Given its interdisciplinary character, this book will appeal to a broad academic readership interested in the origin of Hellenic thinking and culture. It will be especially useful for those eager for a deeper approach to two fundamental domains that attract the attention of many Antiquity scholars: Greek philosophy and religion.

Hellenistic Mystery-Religions

Author : Richard Reitzenstein
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN 13 : 0915138204
Total Pages : 584 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (151 download)

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Book Synopsis Hellenistic Mystery-Religions by : Richard Reitzenstein

Download or read book Hellenistic Mystery-Religions written by Richard Reitzenstein and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 1978-01-01 with total page 584 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Mystery Cults in Visual Representation in Graeco-Roman Antiquity

Author :
Publisher : BRILL
ISBN 13 : 9004440143
Total Pages : 251 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (44 download)

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Book Synopsis Mystery Cults in Visual Representation in Graeco-Roman Antiquity by :

Download or read book Mystery Cults in Visual Representation in Graeco-Roman Antiquity written by and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2020-10-26 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book fills a gap in the study of mystery cults in Graeco-Roman Antiquity. Focusing on the visual language surrounding these cults, it aims to understand how images depict mysteries in different cults: Dionysus, Mithras, Mother of the Gods, and Isiac cults.

Mystic Cults in Magna Graecia

Author : Giovanni Casadio
Publisher : University of Texas Press
ISBN 13 : 0292749945
Total Pages : 583 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (927 download)

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Book Synopsis Mystic Cults in Magna Graecia by : Giovanni Casadio

Download or read book Mystic Cults in Magna Graecia written by Giovanni Casadio and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2013-08-15 with total page 583 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Vergil's Aeneid, the poet implies that those who have been initiated into mystery cults enjoy a blessed situation both in life and after death. This collection of essays brings new insight to the study of mystic cults in the ancient world, particularly those that flourished in Magna Graecia (essentially the area of present-day Southern Italy and Sicily). Implementing a variety of methodologies, the contributors to Mystic Cults in Magna Graecia examine an array of features associated with such "mystery religions" that were concerned with individual salvation through initiation and hidden knowledge rather than civic cults directed toward Olympian deities usually associated with Greek religion. Contributors present contemporary theories of ancient religion, field reports from recent archaeological work, and other frameworks for exploring mystic cults in general and individual deities specifically, with observations about cultural interactions throughout. Topics include Dionysos and Orpheus, the Goddess Cults, Isis in Italy, and Roman Mithras, explored by an international array of scholars including Giulia Sfameni Gasparro ("Aspects of the Cult of Demeter in Magna Graecia") and Alberto Bernabé ("Imago Inferorum Orphica"). The resulting volume illuminates this often misunderstood range of religious phenomena.

Ablution, Initiation, and Baptism

Author : David Hellholm
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter
ISBN 13 : 3110247534
Total Pages : 2089 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (12 download)

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Book Synopsis Ablution, Initiation, and Baptism by : David Hellholm

Download or read book Ablution, Initiation, and Baptism written by David Hellholm and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2011-07-27 with total page 2089 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the web of cultural processes of late antiquity ablution rites and initiation rites were performed in different forms and in different contexts. Such rites existed in Early Judaism and Greco-Roman cults and were also applied in early Christianity under the label “baptism”, however, not as one fixed rite uniformly performed and interpreted. Baptismal rites developed diversely corresponding to the diversity among Christian groups of which some later came to be perceived as heretical. Remains of art, architecture and texts from these contexts were discussed in two conferences gathering scholars who are excellent within their respective fields: text studies, studies of rites, archaeology, architecture, history of art, and cultural anthropology. These different fields of research have in recent years generated new knowledge that is relevant for the discussion of ablution and initiation rites and their function in late antiquity. At the same time interests of research have altered in favour of a growing cooperation across discipline borders. The present volumes are the outcome of two conferences in Rome 2008 and at Metochi (Lesbos) 2009.

Ancient Greek Cults

Author : Jennifer Larson
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1134346182
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (343 download)

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Book Synopsis Ancient Greek Cults by : Jennifer Larson

Download or read book Ancient Greek Cults written by Jennifer Larson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2007-05-07 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using archaeological, epigraphic, and literary sources; and incorporating current scholarly theories, this volume will serve as an excellent companion to any introduction to Greek mythology, showing a side of the Greek gods to which most students are rarely exposed. Detailed enough to be used as a quick reference tool or text, and providing a readable account focusing on the oldest, most widespread, and most interesting religious practices of the ancient Greek world in the Archaic and Classical periods, Ancient Greek Cults surveys ancient Greek religion through the cults of its gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines. Jennifer Larson conveniently summarizes a vast amount of material in many languages, normally inaccessible to undergrad students, and explores, in detail, the variety of cults celebrated by the Greeks, how these cults differed geographically, and how each deity was conceptualized in local cult titles and rituals. Including an introductory chapter on sources and methods, and suggestions for further reading this book will allow readers to gain a fresh perspective on Greek religion.

Mystery Cults of the Ancient World

Author : Hugh Bowden
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 266 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (97 download)

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Book Synopsis Mystery Cults of the Ancient World by : Hugh Bowden

Download or read book Mystery Cults of the Ancient World written by Hugh Bowden and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A richly illustrated history of antiquity's secret religious rituals This is the first book to describe and explain all of the ancient world's major mystery cults--one of the most intriguing but least understood aspects of Greek and Roman religion. In the nocturnal Mysteries at Eleusis, participants dramatically re-enacted the story of Demeter's loss and recovery of her daughter Persephone; in the Bacchic cult, bands of women ran wild in the Greek countryside to honor Dionysus; and in the mysteries of Mithras, men came to understand the nature of the universe and their place within it through frightening initiation ceremonies and astrological teachings. These cults were an important part of life in the ancient Mediterranean world, but their actual practices were shrouded in secrecy, and many of their features have remained unclear until now. By richly illustrating the evidence from ancient art and archaeology, and drawing on enlightening new work in the anthropology and cognitive science of religion, Mystery Cults of the Ancient World allows readers to imagine as never before what it was like to take part in these ecstatic and life-changing religious rituals--and what they meant to those who participated in them. Stunning images of Greek painted pottery, Roman frescoes, inscribed gold tablets from Greek and South Italian tombs, and excavated remains of religious sanctuaries help show what participants in these initiatory cults actually did and experienced. A fresh and accessible introduction to a fascinating subject, this is a book that will interest general readers, as well as students and scholars of classics and religion.

The Ancient Mysteries

Author : Marvin W. Meyer
Publisher : University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN 13 : 9780812216929
Total Pages : 284 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (169 download)

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Book Synopsis The Ancient Mysteries by : Marvin W. Meyer

Download or read book The Ancient Mysteries written by Marvin W. Meyer and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 1999-05-07 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Zeus and the other gods of shining Olympus were in reality divine only by popular consent. Over the course of time Olympian luster diminished in favor of religious experiences more immediate to the concerns of people living in an increasingly cosmopolitan ancient world. These experiences were provided by the mysteries, religions that flourished particularly during the Hellenistic period and were secretly practiced by groups of adherents who decided, through personal choice, to be initiated into the profound realities of one deity or another. Unlike the official state religions, in which people were expected to make an outward show of allegiance to the local gods, the mysteries emphasized an inwardness and privacy of worship within a closed band of initiates. In this book, Marvin W. Meyer explores the sacrifices and prayers, the public celebrations and secret ceremonies, the theatrical performances and literary works, the gods and goddesses that were a part of the mystery religions of Greece in the seventh century B.C. to the Judaism and Christianity of the Roman world of the seventh century A.D.

Jesus

Author : Tricia McCannon
Publisher : Hampton Roads Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1612831052
Total Pages : 699 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (128 download)

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Book Synopsis Jesus by : Tricia McCannon

Download or read book Jesus written by Tricia McCannon and published by Hampton Roads Publishing. This book was released on 2010-03-01 with total page 699 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “[A] tour de force through an incredible array of myth, history and philosophy . . . that have shaped the teachings of the world’s Great Masters.” —Jim Marrs, author of the New York Times bestseller, Rule by Secrecy A breathtaking work of staggering research and synthesis that provides startling new information and context to the first thirty years of Jesus’ life Where was Jesus for the first thirty years of his life? Where and what was he taught? Who were his teachers? Based on new information culled from hard to find Vatican texts, theosophical classics, ancient texts, legends, and systems of hermetic symbolism, Tricia McCannon constructs a radical new timeline of Jesus’ life. She assert Jesus spent at least seven years of study and training in Egypt, a number of years in England, and visited both India and Tibet before beginning his public ministry in Palestine. This is a wide-ranging examination of the direct links and similarities between Jesus’ teachings and those of various Mystery religions and sects that were popular during his lifetime, including the Essenes, Buddhist, Mithrans, Zoroastrians, and Druids. McCannon offers compelling evidence that places Jesus’s life and mission firmly in the context of the profound spiritual teachings that came before him. Drawing on records from the Vatican, Tibet, India, and Egypt, along with Greek, Aramaic, and Pali text, as well as oral traditions of Jesus’s teachings, McCannon uncovers the real reason that he has remained such a powerful and pivotal figure in world consciousness for over two millennia. “Thoroughly researched, interesting, and highly readable. . . . Tricia McCannon has done modern readers a great service by compiling this very readable book about Jesus’s life and teachings.” —Chet B. Snow, Ph.D., author of Mass Dreams of the Future

The Mystery-Religions

Author : S. Angus
Publisher : Courier Corporation
ISBN 13 : 0486143511
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (861 download)

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Book Synopsis The Mystery-Religions by : S. Angus

Download or read book The Mystery-Religions written by S. Angus and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2012-04-30 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Classic study explores the Eleusinian mysteries of ancient Greece; Asiatic cults of Cybele, the Magna Mater, and Attis; Dionysian groups; Orphics; Egyptian devotees of Isis and Osiris; Mithraism; and others.

Ancient Christian Worship

Author : Andrew B. McGowan
Publisher : Baker Academic
ISBN 13 : 1441246312
Total Pages : 312 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (412 download)

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Book Synopsis Ancient Christian Worship by : Andrew B. McGowan

Download or read book Ancient Christian Worship written by Andrew B. McGowan and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2014-09-30 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Important Study on the Worship of the Early Church This introduction to the origins of Christian worship illuminates the importance of ancient liturgical patterns for contemporary Christian practice. Andrew McGowan takes a fresh approach to understanding how Christians came to worship in the distinctive forms still familiar today. Deftly and expertly processing the bewildering complexity of the ancient sources into lucid, fluent exposition, he sets aside common misperceptions to explore the roots of Christian ritual practices--including the Eucharist, baptism, communal prayer, preaching, Scripture reading, and music--in their earliest recoverable settings. Now in paper.

The Atlas of Lost Cults and Mystery Religions

Author : David Douglas
Publisher : Godsfield
ISBN 13 : 9781841813349
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (133 download)

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Book Synopsis The Atlas of Lost Cults and Mystery Religions by : David Douglas

Download or read book The Atlas of Lost Cults and Mystery Religions written by David Douglas and published by Godsfield. This book was released on 2009-02-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Atlas of Lost Cults and Mystery Religions examines extraordinary cults and spiritual practices, some lost in the mists of time, others having transformed and evolved to form the basis of mystical practices still current today. A wide range of traditions are explored, from the mysterious snake worshipping goddesses of the ancient Minoans to the Cathars of medieval France, believed by some to be the protectors of the Holy Grail. The book will examine the practices ofo the Celtic Druids which have inspired present day Pagan and Wiccan traditions, and the wild Dionusian rites of ancient Greece. Lavish artwork reconstructions will show the temple precincts and mystical practices of selected cults and religions.