Italian Witchcraft and Shamanism : The Tradition of Segnature, Indigenous and Trans-cultural Shamanic Traditions in Italy /
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Shamanism is thriving as an exotic import and a hidden native tradition in Italy today. This ethnographical work uncovers two faces of Italian shamanism. The first is trans-cultural shamans who creatively adapt rituals and beliefs from indigenous cultures worldwide. Second, extensive fieldwork shows how regional folk magic practices of segnatori and segnatrici constitute a little-known but enduring form of native Italian shamanism. By documenting these parallel worlds, contemporary magic workers appear to be the heirs of ancient local healing traditions. Offering rare insights into vernacular religion, this book vividly portrays shamans' past and present on the Italian peninsula.
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1 online resource (220 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004694187
Theosophy and the Study of Religion /
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Since its emergence in the nineteenth century, the Theosophical Society has wielded enormous influence across diverse fields, none more so than the study of religion. This volume explores this legacy in North America, Europe, and India, demonstrating its impact on the conceptualization of "religion" and its influence on methods of comparison. Unveiling overlooked entanglements, the volume challenges standard narratives in the history of religious studies and interrogates the deliberate neglect of theosophy's influence in the "secular" academy. In doing so, the work confronts lingering ghosts, urging a reappraisal that enriches the study of religion and offers prescriptions for its future.
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1 online resource (326 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004694163
The Patristic Text in the Confessional Age (16th-17th centuries) : Erudition, Theology, Censorship /
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This volume follows the paradoxical trajectory of patristic studies in early modern Europe, from their full confessionalization in the mid-16th century to the emergence of 'fringe patristics' within minority groups in the early 18th century. The appeal to the Fathers, which was meant to buttress established orthodoxies, powerfully contributed to their dissolution in the internal strifes of 17th-century churches, especially on grace and predestination. An ample English introduction, with very rich notes, surveys the flourishing field of patristic reception and advocates for a historical, rather than theological or literary, approach.
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1 online resource (362 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004689077
Key Concepts in the Study of Religions in Contact /
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There is no religion lest there are two religions. Therefore, it is only possible to examine the history of religions by taking the crucial situations of contact into account. Contact needs concepts. Not only scholars but also participants in situations of contact are forced to conceptualize themselves and the other. Taking its point of departure from the contact-based approach to the study of religion, the present volume examines and reassesses a selection of concepts and models (attraction, dynamics and stability, tradition, transcendence/immanence, senses, secret, space) used to come to terms with the phenomenon of contact as the dynamizing element of the history of religions.
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1 online resource (544 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004714908
Dynamics of Tradition : Islamic Theology and Law in Relation /
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This book invites the reader to explore how Islamic theology and law have shaped, challenged, and inspired each other across centuries. What does it mean, for example, when a legal rule embodies theological debates on divine justice? We unpack questions like this by diving into the rich history and modern-day relevance of theology and legal theory in Islam, using rare manuscripts and new historical findings. The book's contributors offer fresh perspectives on how Islamic scholars tackled pressing social issues and adapted their thought to evolving contexts. This work stands out for its engaging examination of Islam's intellectual legacy and its potential pathways for today. Contributors are Mohammed Abdelrahem, Ahmad Atif Ahmad, Maha El-Kaisy, Mohammed Fadel, Ramon Harvey, Serdar Kurnaz, Abdul Rahman Mustafa, Najah Nadi and David Vishanoff.
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1 online resource (270 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004746886
Sprache und Außersprachlichkeit : Neue Perspektiven auf ein Paradigma der Hermeneutik /
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Kann nur Sprache verstanden werden? Sprachliche Äußerungen bilden seit jeher den Hauptgegenstand hermeneutischer Bemühungen. Das hat Denker wie Hans-Georg Gadamer zu der These geführt, dass Sprachverstehen nicht nur das Paradigma für Verstehen ist, sondern dass Sprachlichkeit den Charakter des hermeneutischen Gegenstandes überhaupt ausmacht: "Sein, das verstanden werden kann, ist Sprache". Wie aber verhält es sich mit Erfahrungen, die wir nicht primär als sprachliche begreifen - wie Kunst, Musik oder praktische Fertigkeiten? Sind sie sprachlich verfasst oder zeigen sich hier die Grenzen der Sprache - und damit die Grenzen unseres Verstehens? Der Band geht diesen Fragen nach und beleuchtet die Rolle von Sprache und Außersprachlichkeit für das Verstehen und die Hermeneutik.
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1 online resource (180 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9783657797936
Ismaili Sources, Studies, History and Traditions /
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Until recently, Ismailis were studied and evaluated almost exclusively on the basis of evidence often fabricated by adversaries. Thus, a variety of legends and misrepresentations circulated in Europe as well as among other Muslim communities regarding the teachings and practices of this Shiʿi Muslim community. With the access of modern scholars to numerous Ismaili manuscript sources, preserved in Yemen, Syria, Iran, Central Asia and India, a completely new image of the Ismailis has emerged. A leading authority in Ismaili studies, Farhad Daftary draws on the results of modern scholarship in the studies collected here on Ismaili history and aspects of Ismaili thought and traditions.
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1 online resource (315 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004743816
Plato and Jesus, Not Caesar : Metaphysics of Freedom and Tyranny in Younger Europe /
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This book discusses the influence of ancient and medieval Platonism and Christian Platonism on the modern political concepts and experiences of freedom and tyranny in Central-Eastern Europe. The main claim of the book is that because the nations of Younger Europe were oppressed by the imperialism of Russia, Germany, and Austria, they maintained a stronger connection to the premodern, Christian Platonic tradition. This tradition was experienced as a source of inspiration in the struggle for freedom and independence. The book focuses on the life and work of selected philosophers, poets, and artists, all of whom were both mystics and figures deeply engaged in their nations' fight for freedom.
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1 online resource (342 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004736634