The Divine Verdict, A Study of the Divine Judgement in the Ancient Religions.
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The theme of divine judgement has often been treated, but usually with a concentration on one it its two main aspects: either that which is seen in the present life and in history or that which is believed to occur only after death. This new study seeks to combine the two aspects. It also tries to cover the whole spectrum of the ancient religions. Special attention is given to Israel, Greece, and Egypt. Israel's neighbours are also considered, and there are discussions of Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism. In several areas, notably in Egypt and Israel, it is shown that punishment in this life is sometimes presented as a fate that man brings upon himself rather than as one imposed by God, though always against a moral background derived from religion. The origins of judgement after death in the Judaeo-Christian tradition are examined in some detail and elements are traced to Egyptian, Zoroastrian, and Judaic sources.
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1 online resource. :
9789004378759
The Unity of Mystical Traditions, The Transformation of Consciousness in Tibetan and German Mysticism.
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This book argues that mystical doctrines and practices initiate parallel transformative processes in the consciousness of mystics. This thesis is supported through a comparative analysis of Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen (rdzogs-chen) and the medieval German mysticism of Eckhart, Suso, and Tauler. These traditions are interpreted using a system/cybernetic model of consciousness. This model provides a theoretical framework for assessing the cognitive effects of mystical doctrines and practices and showing how different doctrines and practices may nevertheless initiate common transformative processes. This systems approach contributes to current philosophical discourse on mysticism by (1) making possible a precise analysis of the cognitive effects of mystical doctrines and practices, and (2) reconciling mystical heterogeneity with the essential unity of mystical traditions.
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1 online resource. :
9789047407218
Isaiah among the ancient Near Eastern prophets : a comparative study of the earliest stages of the Isaiah tradition and the Neo-Assyrian prophecies /
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Focusing on the phenomenon of prophecy in the ancient Near East, this study offers a comparison between parts of First Isaiah and the Assyrian prophecies. In the first part, the material from First Isaiah and from seventh-century Assyria is investigated in its own right. The second part is a comparison of the Isaiah tradition in its earliest shape with the prophetic material from seventh-century Assyria. The topics dealt with in the comparison are the interrelation of prophetic oracles and historical events, the functions of the prophets, and the literary development of prophecy. The study shows that ancient Israelite prophecy, of which the historical Isaiah was an exponent, was much in conformity with ancient Near Eastern prophecy in general.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [467]-496) and indexes. :
9789047422617 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Religion and Time.
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The essays in this volume, all freshly written for this purpose, focus on the concept of time in the major religious traditions. Two essays prepare the methodological grounds - by elaborating the phenomenological and existential conceptions of time and their religious significance. The theme of time, so central to the religious point of view, offers a focal point for fruitful interreligious dialogue. The essays also demonstrate that the complexities of the understanding of time in any religious tradition no longer permit the use of familiar but outdated clichés.
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1 online resource. :
9789004378773
Wisdoms of humanity : Buddhism, paganism, and Christianity /
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Wisdoms have often been considered either as meek servants to religions, or as timorous and mediocre ways of living. Resting on a new and long awaited comparative study (of buddhism, yoga, christian spirituality and ancient philosophies), this book restores these wisdoms into their fascinating and vigorous personality. Because they reject the marvelous, display resolute ethics and highly efficient mental techniques, they deserve to be considered one of the major conquests of humanity. Thanks to them, and to the lucid look they incited men to cast upon themselves, the latter discovered the means to strenghten their personality and stand up to the ordeals of this life. It may lie within this brave acceptance of their condition the highest proof of humanity one might imagine.
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"First published as: Les sagesses de l'homme : bouddhisme, paganisme, spiritualite chretienne. Lille, Presses Universitaires du Septentrion, 2004"--T.p. verso. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004216297 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
The Resurgence of Religion : A Comparative Study of Selected Themes in Christian and Islamic Fundamentalist Discourses /
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This book is a comparative study of basic themes in Christian and Islamic fundamentalist discourses, analyzing and comparing texts from a wide variety of fundamentalist leaders and movements, looking for \'family resemblances\' and significant differences in order to better understand the contemporary phenomenon of religious resurgence. After placing fundamentalisms in a theoretical framework, the study looks at selected themes important to fundamentalists, noting resemblances and differences. These themes include their anti-secularist stance, their theocentric worldviews, their reliance on inerrant sacred scriptures, and their attitudes to politics, government, state and democracy. The study also looks at the fundamentalist view of the world as a perennial battlefield between the forces of good and those of evil, in the realm of ideologies as well as politics and the legitimation of violence.
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Based on the author's thesis (Ph. D). :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [321]-371) and index. :
9789047401827 :
0169-8834 ;
The Revelation of the Name YHWH to Moses : Perspectives from Judaism, the Pagan Graeco-Roman World, and Early Christianity /
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The revelation of YHWH's name to Moses is a momentous event according to the Old Testament. The name 'Yahweh' is of central importance in Judaism, and 'Yahwism' became tantamount to Jewish monotheism. As such, this designation of God also attracted the attention of pagan writers in the Graeco-Roman period. And early Christians had to deal with this divine name as well. These three perspectives on YHWH constitute the framework for this volume. It appears that the Name of God and its revelation to Moses constitute a major theme which runs from the book of Exodus through the Old Testament, early Judaism, and early Christianity. It also attracted pagan philosophical interest, both positive and negative. The Name of God was not only perceived from an insider's perspective, but also provoked a reaction from outsiders. The combined perspectives show the fundamental importance of the divine Name for the formation of Jewish and Christian identities.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789047411031
9789004153981
Knowledge of God in the Graeco-Roman world /
: Papers presented at an international symposium at the University of Utrecht, 1986 on the occasion of the University's 350th anniversary. : 1 online resource (vi, 290 pages) : Includes bibliographical references and indexes. : 9789004296671 : 0531-1950 ; : Available to subscribing member institutions only.