Regimes of comparatism : frameworks of comparison in history, religion and anthropology /
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Historically, all societies have used comparison to analyze cultural difference through the interaction of religion, power, and translation. When comparison is a self-reflective practice, it can be seen as a form of comparatism. Many scholars are concerned in one way or another with the practice and methods of comparison, and the need for a cognitively robust relativism is an integral part of a mature historical self-placement. This volume looks at how different theories and practices of writing and interpretation have developed at different times in different cultures and reconsiders the specificities of modern comparative approaches within a variety of comparative moments. The idea is to reconsider the specificities, the obstacles, and the possibilities of modern comparative approaches in history and anthropology through a variety of earlier and parallel comparative horizons. Particular attention is given to the exceptional role of Athens and Jerusalem in shaping the Western understanding of cultural difference.
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1 online resource. :
9789004387638
The Character of David in Judaism, Christianity and Islam : Warrior, Poet, Prophet and King /
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King David if one of the most central figures in all of the major monotheistic traditions. He generally connotes the heroic past of the (more imagined than real) ancient Israelite empire and is associated with messianic hopes for the future. Nevertheless, his richly ambivalent and fascinating literary portrayal in the Hebrew Bible is one of the most complex of all biblical characters. This volume aims at taking a new, critical look at the process of biblical creation and subsequent exegetical transformation of the character of David and his attributed literary composition (the Psalms), with particular emphasis put on the multilateral fertilization and cross-cultural interchanges among Jews, Christians and Muslims.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004465978
9789004465961
The Modern Hercules : Images of the Hero from the Nineteenth to the Early Twenty-First Century /
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The Modern Hercules explores the reception of the ancient Greek hero Herakles - the Roman Hercules - in western culture from the nineteenth century to the present day. Each chapter considers a particular work or theme in detail, exploring this complex hero's transformations of identity and significance in a wide range of modern media, including literature, visual arts and film. The volume is one of four to be published in the Metaforms series examining the extraordinarily persistent figuring of Herakles-Hercules in western culture, drawing together scholars from a range of disciplines to offer a unique insight into the hero's perennial appeal.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004440067
9789004440005