Astrology and cosmology in the world's religions / Nicholas Campion.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Campion, Nicholas.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Astrology.

Cosmology.

Religions.

Religion.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 273 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : New York University Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

When you think of astrology, you may think of the horoscope section in your local paper, or of Nancy Reagan's consultations with an astrologer in the White House in the 1980's. Yet almost every religion uses some form of astrology: some way of thinking about the sun, moon, stars, and planets and how they hold significance for human lives on earth. Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions offers an accessible overview of the astrologies of the world's religions, placing them into context within theories of how the wider universe came into being and operates. Campion traces beliefs about the heavens among peoples ranging from ancient Egypt and China, to Australia and Polynesia, and India and the Islamic world. Addressing each religion in a separate chapter, Campion outlines how, by observing the celestial bodies, people have engaged with the divine, managed the future, and attempted to understand events here on earth. This fascinating text offers a unique way to delve into comparative religions and will also appeal to those intrigued by New Age topics.

Contents:

Cosmology and religion: measurement and meaning

Astrology: the celestial mirror

Australia: the dreaming

Oceania: navigating the sky

North Americas: the Great Spirit

South and Central America: salvation and sacrifice

Sub-Saharan Africa: heaven on earth

Egypt: the solar society

China: the celestial offices

India: ancient traditions and modern practice

Babylon: signs in the sky

The Jews: myth, magic, and transcendence

Classical Greece: ascent to the stars

Christianity: influence and transcendence

Islam: faith and reason

Theosophical, new age, and pagan cosmologies: nature and transformation.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9780814708422

0814708420

9780814744451

0814744451

OCLC:

793996677