Religion of the gods : ritual, paradox, and reflexivity / Kimberley Christine Patton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Patton, Kimberley C. (Kimberley Christine), 1958-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Religion.

Religions.

Ritual.

Physical Description:

xxi, 490 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2009.

Summary:

This book seeks to explain an enigmatic and paradoxical image common to many of the world religions, both polytheistic and monotheistic--that of the god who worships. Drawing on a broad array of comparative evidence, including examples from Indian, Iranian, Germanic, Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religions, Patton fashions a new theory of "divine reflexivity," according to which the gods create, model, and comment upon those practices with which they are related, not just as recipients but as prototypes. This theory offers a satisfying basis of interpretation for such disparate cases as the bull- slaying god of Mithraism, and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross as repeated in the Christian mass. With its new explanation of a fascinating religious phenomenon, this book will be of great to both comparativists and to scholars of the individual religions discussed.

Contents:

Introduction: the problem of sacrificing gods

Ancient Greek gods in ritual performance

The wider Indo-European world : polytheism

The peoples of the book : monotheism and divine ritual

Conclusion: "religion of the gods".

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [457]-482) and index.

ISBN:

9780195091069

019509106X

OCLC:

60839322

Online:

Publisher description

Contributor biographical information