Sacrificing the Self - Martyrdom and Religion

Zusatztext These essays together offer the reader a sense of the ways in which martyrdom distinguishes religions from one another. These essays reveal how martyrdom has served and continues to serve religions in a variety of ways. Klappentext Acts of martyrdom have been found in nearly all the worlds major religious traditions. Though considered by devotees to be perhaps the most potent expression of religious faith, dying for ones god is also one of the most difficult concepts for modern observers of religion to understand. Thisis especially true in the West, where martyrdom has all but disappeared and martyrs in other cultures are often viewed skeptically and dismissed as fanatics. This book seeks to foster a greater understanding of these acts of religious devotion by explaining how martyrdom has historically been viewedin the worlds major religions. It provides the first sustained, cross-cultural examination of this fascinating aspect of religious life. Margaret Cormack begins with an introduction that sets out a definition of martyrdom that serves as the point of departure for the rest of the volume. Then, scholars of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam examine martyrdom in specific religious cultures. Spanning 4000 years of history and ranging from Saul in the Hebrew Bible to Sati immolations in present-day India, this book provides a wealth of insight into an often noted but rarely understoodcultural phenomenon. Zusammenfassung Though considered by devotees to be perhaps the most potent expression of religious faith, dying for one's God is also one of the most difficult concepts for modern observers of religion to understand. This is especially true in the West, where martyrdom has all but disapeared and martyrs in other cultures are often viewed skeptically and dismissed as fanatics. This book seeks to foster a greater understanding of these acts of religious devotion by explaining how martyrdom has historically been viewed in the world's major religions. It provides the first sustained, cross-cultural examination of this fascinating aspect of religious life. Spanning 4000 years of history and ranging from Saul in the Hebrew Bible to Sati immolations in present-day India, this book provides a wealth of insight into an often noted but rarely understood cultural phenomenon....

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Margaret Cormack, Margaret (Assistant Professor of Religiou Cormack
• Con la collaborazione di: Margaret Cormack (Editore)
• Editore: Oxford University Press
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Tascabile
• Pubblicazione: 01.02.2002
• EAN: 9780195150001
• ISBN: 978-0-19-515000-1
• Pagine: 172
• Serie: An American Academy of Religion Book; An American Academy of Religion Book; American Academy of Religion B
• Categorie: Saggistica > Filosofia, religione > Religione: tematiche generali, opere di consultazione; Scienze umane, arte, musica > Religione / teologia > Altre religioni; RELIGION / Spirituality, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Death & Dying, RELIGION / History, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology of Religion, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural & Social, Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography, Spirituality & religious experience, History of Religion, Social and cultural anthropology, Spirituality and religious experience, Sociology: death and dying, Sociology: Death & Dying