Alternative belief systems and spiritual worldviews Books
Oxford University Press Inc Making Broadway Dance
Book SynopsisThrough in-depth analysis of musical theatre choreography and choreographers, Making Broadway Dance challenges long-held perceptions of Broadway dance as kitsch, disposable, a dance form created without artistic process. Setting out to demonstrate that musical theatre dance is not a monolith but rather multi-varied in terms of dance styles, aesthetics and methodologies, author Liza Gennaro provides insights into how Broadway dance is made. By examining choreography for musical theatre through the lens of dance studies, script analysis, movement research and dramaturgical inquiry, she treads in uncharted territory by offering a close examination of a dance form that has heretofore received only the most superficial interrogation. She also explores how musical theatre choreographers create within the parameters of librettos, enhance character development and build dance languages that inform and propel narrative. By considering influences from ballet, modern, postmodern, Jazz, social andTrade ReviewGennaro successfully probes musical theater choreography through the lens of dance studies, script analysis, movement research, and dramaturgical inquiry, offering a closer examination of a dance form that has often been sidelined. * G. King, CHOICE *For anyone who wants to know what it takes to make Broadway dances, read Making Broadway Dance. * Rosemary Novellino-Mearns, Wendy Perron *Gennaro's close analyses of Broadway dance numbers, combined with her fantastic selection of photographs, effectively demonstrate how musical theatre dance can augment storytelling onstage. Making Broadway Dance introduces an oft overlooked subject and whets the readers' appetites for further exploration. * Meredith Joelle Charlson, SDC Journal *A dance history told with precision and authority. * Kevin Winkler, Studies in Musical Theatre *A meticulous in-depth analysis of musical theater choreography and choreographers, while demonstrating the multifaceted styles, aesthetics, and methodologies of Broadway dance through the lens of dance studies, script analysis, movement research, and dramaturgical inquiry. * Deb Miller, DC Metro Theater Arts *Gennaro's book contains some of the best academic writing about musical theatre dance I have ever read. * Lisa Jo Sagolla, American Theatre Magazine *I have always believed that it is up to each one of us to carry the torch and pass on our stories, experiences and knowledge to the next generation to ensure that Musical Theatre History pervades. Liza Gennaro has beautifully crafted a book that not only inspired me but taught me so much about our History, She is a passionate and gifted storyteller, who has always been enamored by Musical Theatre and the gatekeeper of all truths. Thank-you for giving all of us and future generations this enlightening book."-Sergio TrujilloPrecise and lively, admiring and analytical, critical and joyful, and deeply informed by Gennaro's years in the archives, the rehearsal hall, and the theatre, this book brings Broadway musical theatre dance to life and more than that: it makes readers into dancers. Through meticulous and evocative dance reconstructions and brilliant and perceptive dramaturgy, Gennaro recovers, recuperates, and reinterprets choreographers' influences and legacies. Making Broadway Dance is a masterful and groundbreaking demonstration of the importance of Broadway musical theatre dance."-Stacy Wolf, author of Beyond Broadway: The Pleasure and Promise of Musical Theatre Across America and Changed for Good: A Feminist History of the Broadway MusicalOne of my favorite aspects of Making Broadway Dance illustrates the simultaneous development of Theatre Dance and Jazz Dance. Author Liza Gennaro does this via both robust research and oral history. This book informs you on the how, when, and why many of our iconic dance scenes were staged, often, by way of intimate details from those of direct lineage to the Broadway Titans that populate the book. I especially appreciate, being a lover of early jazz dance, that Liza chose to interweave and not marginalize the stories of the important roles that early Black pioneering choreographers played in the making of Broadway dance."-Kenneth L. Roberson; Broadway dancer and choreographer, and former Professor of Practice at Indiana University's department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary DanceTable of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Musical Theatre Dance Training and Choreography in the 1920-30s Chapter 2: The Road to Oklahoma!: Americana and Dance Modernism Chapter 3: Agnes de Mille's Broadway: 1943-45 Chapter 4: Jerome Robbins: "Run of de Mille" The Evening Bulletin, September 16,1947 Chapter 5: Taking the Reigns: Emergence of the Director-Choreographer Chapter 6: Post de Mille/Robbins Chapter 7: Broadway Dance: Plague and The New Millennium Conclusion Index
£43.70
Oxford University Press The Invention of Satanism
Book SynopsisWritten by three experts in the field, The Invention of Satanism examines contemporary religious Satanism as the product of historical, ideological, and social processes.Trade ReviewThe Invention of Satanism is a useful text for those wanting a detailed, if brief, history of the Church of Satan, its development, and the demographic of its believers. The text is straightforward and information rich, a credit to the detailed knowledge of the compilers. * Tara Blue Moon Smith, University of Sydney, The Journal of Religious History *Well worth a read, representing perhaps the best place for students to begin their exploration of this subject. * Ethan Doyle White, Correspondences *The Invention of Satanism provides an accessible and highly informative introduction to contemporary Satanism as a religious movement. Succinctly covering a number of important themes in the history of Satanism, it will be especially useful to students and scholars interested in contemporary Western esotericism, Paganism, and New Religious Movements (NRMs). It also suggests many fruitful venues for future research. * Manon Hedenborg-White, Journal for the Study of Western Esotericism *An important contribution to the field of Satanism studies... This volume functions as an excellent introduction to the subject in addition to establishing central research avenues in the field, supplemented by illuminating discussions of work that remains to be done. The Invention of Satanism will be a good first reference for both specialists and lay readers interested in Satanism, along with those investigating the various and overlapping fields of new religious movements, Paganism, occultism, the subjects of religious rhetoric, and other alternative religious currents and antinomian discourses. * Nova Religio *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; Preface: Introducing Satanism ; Chapter 1 - Anthropology of Evil: The Folklore of Satanism ; Chapter 2 - Satanic Precursors ; Chapter 3 - The Age of Satanism: Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan ; Chapter 4 - The Satanic Bible ; Chapter 5 - Reading Satanism through Demonology: The Satanism Scare ; Chapter 6 - Adopting Satanic Identities ; Chapter 7 - Little Nicky Grows Up? ; Chapter 8 - Satanic Attitudes ; Chapter 9 - Children of the Black Goat ; Epilogue: Satanism in Play ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index
£40.49
OUP USA Oxford Companion to World Mythology
Book SynopsisCave paintings at Lascaux, France and Altamira, Spain, fraught with expression thousands of years later; point to an early human desire to form a cultural identity. In The Oxford Companion to World Mythology, David Leeming explores the role of mythology, or myth-logic, in history and determines that the dreams of specific cultures add up to a larger collective story of humanity. Stopping short of attempting to be all-inclusive, this fascinating volume will nonetheless be comprehensive, opening with an introduction exploring the nature and dimensions of myth and proposing a definition as a universal language. Briefly dipping into the ways our understanding of myth has changed from Aristotle and Plato to modern scholars such as Joseph Campbell, the introduction loosely places the concept in its present context and precedes articles on influential mythologists and mythological approaches that appear later in the Companion.The main body of Leeming''s work consists of A-Z entries covering all aspects of mythology, including substantial essays on the world''s major mythological traditions (Greek, Native American, Indian, Japanese, Sumerian, Egyptian), mythological types and motifs (Descent to the Underworld, the Hero, the Trickster, Creation, the Quest), mythological figures (Odysseus, Zeus, Osiris, Spider Woman, and Inanna) as well as numerous interrelated subjects such as fairy tales and legends. The Companion also locates myth in our lives today, relating it to language patterns, psychology, religion, politics, art, and gender attitudes. Many of the better-known and more significant myths are vividly retold in this volume that will be illustrated with maps, more than 70 black and white images, and eight pages of color highlighting the central role art has often played in the transmission and perpetuation of myth. Following the entries, a rich section of appendices will include family trees of the major pantheons, equivalency charts for the gods of Greece and Rome, Babylon and Sumer, as well as other traditions, an extensive bibliography, and an index.Trade ReviewThe scope of this companion to world mythology belies its compact, easy-to-hold format...Leeming's Companion has a place in any library * Voice of Youth Advocates *Dependable information, clear and concise writing, and well-chosen illustrations make this a useful resource. The volume offers easy access to a broad range of topics... This is a grand book * School Library Journal *
£19.94
Oxford University Press Inc Situating Spirituality Context Practice and Power
Book SynopsisSpirituality is in the spotlight. While levels of religious belief and observance are declining in much of the Western world, the number of people who identify as spiritual but not religious is on the rise. Practices such as yoga, meditation, and pilgrimage are surging in popularity. Wellness regimes offer practitioners a lexicon of spirituality and an array of spiritual experiences. Commentators talk of a new spiritual awakening after religion. And global mobility is generating hybrid practices that blur the lines between religion and spirituality. The essays collected in Situating Spirituality: Context, Practice, and Power examine not only individual engagements with spirituality, but they show how seemingly personal facets of spirituality, as well as definitions of spirituality itself, are deeply shaped by religious, cultural, and political contexts. The volume is explicitly cross-national and comparative. The contributors are leading scholars of major global regions: North America,Trade ReviewSituating Spirituality successfully, and imaginatively, captures the full breadth of scholarship on spirituality, in all its manifest diversity, making it a critical contribution to this burgeoning, if messy, field. * Galen Watts, Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Journal of the American Academy of Religion *The volume will be important for scholars interested in the idea that everything can be spiritual. * R. T. Cragun, The University of Tampa, CHOICE *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Contributors Introduction Eminently Social Spirituality: Context, Practice, and Power Brian Steensland, Jaime Kucinskas, Anna Sun Part One: Context 1. Social Practices and Cultural Contexts: Framework for the Study of Spirituality Nancy Ammerman 2. The Gods of Modern Spirituality Linda Woodhead 3. Fearful Asymmetry: Rethinking the Boundaries between Religion and Spirituality Anna Sun 4. Trumping the Devil! Engendering the Spirituality of the Marketplace within Africa and the African Diaspora Afe Adogame 5. Methodological Innovations for the Study of Spirituality Bradley Wright 6. Shifts in Spiritual and Religious Self-Perceptions in the First Year of College Alyssa N. Rochenbach 7. Spirituality among African Americans: Inter-Racial and Intra-Racial Differences across Followers of Various Religious Traditions Jason Shelton Part Two: Practice 8. The Micro-interactive Order of Spirituality Michael Pagis 9. Ecstasies: Or, the Limitations of Vanilla Spirituality Studies Melissa Wilcox 10. Textures of Spirituality in Rural Malawi Ann Swidler 11. Gifts, Weapons, and Values: The Language of Spirituality in 21st Century Central America Robert Brenneman Part Three: Power 12. Everything is Connected: Relocating Spiritual Power from Nature to Society Stef Aupers 13. Yoga Spirituality in the Context of U.S. Institutions Candy Gunther Brown 14. Training Spiritual Caregivers: Spirituality in Chaplaincy Programs in Theological Education Wendy Cage, Beth Stroud, Patrick K. Palmer, George Fitchett, Trace Haythorne, Casey Clevenger 15. Spirituality and Islam: Sufism in Indonesia Rachel Rinaldo 16. The Transmission of Spirituality in Broader Landscapes of Power Jaime Kucinskas Conclusion 17. Three Questions About Spirituality: Its Meaning, Influence, and Future Brian Steensland Index
£94.00
Oxford University Press Inc The Magical Diaries of Leah Hirsig 19231925
£112.68
Oxford University Press Inc Vestiges of a Philosophy Matter the MetaSpiritual
Book SynopsisIn Vestiges of a Philosophy: Matter, the Meta-Spiritual, and the Forgotten Bergson, John Ó Maoilearca examines the seemingly very different but nonetheless complementary ideas of philosopher Henri Bergson and his occultist sister, Mina Bergson (aka Moina Mathers), to tackle contemporary themes in current materialist philosophy, memory studies, and the relationship between mysticism and philosophy.Trade ReviewIn this revelatory study of the intersecting interests of mystic Mina Bergson and her brother, philosopher Henri Bergson, Ó Maoilearca meticulously and cautiously tracks philosophical developments from nineteenth-century spiritualism to recent new materialism. In the process, he does no less than uncover occulture's and analytical philosophy's correlated investments in both spiritualism and materialism during the modernist period. This book will prove foundational to the study of modern mysticism as philosophical engagement and materialist analysis. * Dennis Denisoff, author of Decadent Ecology in British Literature and Art, 1860-1910: Decay, Desire, and the Pagan Revival *Henri and Mina Bergson form one of the most enigmatic sibling duos of the fin-de-siècle. The unfamiliar reader might assume little common ground between the two—the former a highly respected philosopher, the latter a feminist occult leader largely unknown outside of specialist circles today. Exploring both siblings' thought in relation to the other and demonstrating their converging areas of interest, Ó Maoilearca offers a sophisticated, provocative, and beautifully crafted reconsideration of the relationship between Western esotericism and philosophy. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the ambiguous position of mysticism and magic in the Western intellectual tradition. * Manon Hedenborg White, author of The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon and the Construction of Femininities in Western Esotericism *Vestiges of a Philosophy performs its ideas with visionary urgency, as Ó Maoilearca sustains a diffractive reading of a vast array of sources—canonical works alongside obscure archival texts exhumed through meticulous archeology—that proposes conspicuous concordances between the thought of siblings Mina and Henri Bergson. The complex and exhilarating investigation significantly reconfigures the parallel Bergsonisms, contending with their strangeness and poetics, while aligning them with ideas of contemporary philosophy from Karen Barad and François Laruelle among others, in this volume's immaculate consideration of matter, memory, movement, and spirit. * Matthew Goulish, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago *This interesting, unusual book straddles two worlds...This is a scholarly achievement,...Recommended. Graduate students through researchers and faculty. * Choice *In this revelatory study of the intersecting interests of mystic Mina Bergson and her brother, philosopher Henri Bergson, Ó Maoilearca meticulously and cautiously tracks philosophical developments from nineteenth-century spiritualism to recent new materialism. In the process, he does no less than uncover occulture's and analytical philosophy's correlated investments in both spiritualism and materialism during the modernist period. This book will prove foundational to the study of modern mysticism as philosophical engagement and materialist analysis. * Dennis Denisoff, Author of Decadent Ecology in British Literature and Art, 1860-1910: Decay, Desire, and the Pagan Revival *Henri and Mina Bergson form one of the most enigmatic sibling duos of the fin-de-siècle. The unfamiliar reader might assume little common ground between the two-the former a highly respected philosopher, the latter a feminist occult leader largely unknown outside of specialist circles today. Exploring both siblings' thought in relation to the other and demonstrating their converging areas of interest, Ó Maoilearca offers a sophisticated, provocative, and beautifully crafted reconsideration of the relationship between Western esotericism and philosophy. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the ambiguous position of mysticism and magic in the Western intellectual tradition. * Manon Hedenborg White, Author of The Eloquent Blood: The Goddess Babalon and the Construction of Femininities in Western Esotericism *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Prologue: A Reciprocity of Acceleration Strange Memory: An Introduction in Five Parts 1° = 10° Zelator Covariant One: Ordinary Mysticism, the Hyperbolic, and the Supernormal Two: Meet the Bergsons 10° = 1° Ipsissimus Covariant (Neophyte) Three: Hyper-Ritual Four: "O My Bergson, You Are a Magician" Five: On Watery Logic, or Magical Thinking 2° = 9° Theoricus Covariant Six: Of the Survival of Images Seven: On the Meta-Spiritual 4° = 7° Philosophus Covariant Eight: Vestigia Nulla Retrorsum: "Leave No Trace" 3° = 8° Practicus Covariant Nine: Spirit in the Materialist World Ten: Veridical Hallucinations and Circumstantial Evidence Epilogue: The Whole of the Moon Bibliography Notes
£83.93
Oxford University Press Inc Prophecy Madness and Holy War in Early Modern
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsFigures Acknowledgements A Note on Conventions Prologue 1. The Sins of the Fathers 2. Crisis and Rebirth 3. The Sword of God's Vengeance 5. The End of Days 6. Spiritual Sons Epilogue Bibliography Index
£71.00
Oxford University Press Inc Hélène Smith
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis book is a rich, sensitive, and thought-provoking work that sheds new light on the role of female mediums and patients in the construction of psychological discourses. As Massicotte points out, Hélène Smith was not only a gifted medium, but also an active and creative contributor to contemporary scientific theories on the unconscious. This is an accurate and engaging account of the story of this extraordinary woman, her influence on scientists and artists, and her indispensable role in the history of psychology. * Júlia Gyimesi, Head of Department, Department of Personality and Clinical Psychology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University *During her career as a medium in the late nineteenth century, Hélène Smith wrote poems, invented languages, developed herself as all-round artist, and even travelled—in her astral body—to other planets. Now, this example of female creativity, who lived at a time when only men were considered geniuses, is finally getting the spotlight she deserves. Massicotte's thoughtful study of this surrealist role model contributes significantly to the histories of psychoanalysis and of modern occultism. Telling Smith's story, it also sheds light on the gender dynamics at play in the modern discovery of the unconscious and the complexity of authorship both overcome and deepened, paradoxically, by creative women mediums. * Tessel M. Bauduin, author of Surrealism and the Occult: Occultism and Western Esotericism in the Work and Movement of André Breton *Table of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgments Introduction: Hélène, or the Ghosts of Depth Psychology Chapter 1. Bodies Ventriloquizing Agency: Magic Dolls and Spiritualist Authorship Chapter 2. Desire Bearing, Authoring, and the Symbolizations of Excess in Psychoanalysis Chapter 3. Languages Extra-Planetary Signs and the Haunted Origins of Modern Linguistics Chapter 4. Creativity The Muse of Surrealism: Automatism and the Creative Unconscious Conclusion: The Enchanted Unconscious Bibliography Index
£38.58
Oxford University Press Phantasmagoria
Book SynopsisMarina Warner's study of the products of fantasy deepens our understanding of the supernatural in relation to self and society. This surprising story explores the metaphors and media that have been the stock in trade of poets, scientists, magicians, and visionaries, including wax and cloud, smoke and mirrors, ether, ectoplasm, and celluloid.Trade ReviewRigorous research, dazzling cross-disciplinary leaps ... her passion seeps right through to the last page. * Observer Review. *The sprawl of Warner's thesis is slightly overwhelming but her passion seeps right through to the last page. * Observer. *Review from previous edition ...often manages splendidly vivid pictorial evocations ... a bold, imaginative and provocative study, with a range few other writers would dare. * Carolyne Larrington, Times Literary Supplement *The general effect is rather like that of reading through a first-class encyclopedia. * Nigel Barley, Times Higher Education Supplement *Frighteningly literate and well-informed * Roz Kaveney, Time Out *Marina Warner is particularly well-equipped to conduct this investigation * Steven Connor, The Independent *She is exquisitely alive not just to ideas and arguments, but also to the jag and whiff and tang of things * Steven Connor, The Independent *Phantasmagoria is a cabinet of familiar wonders: a jetting, generous, humane spree of thought, richly quickened by the life it finds within us and adroad, in our media and machineries of mind. * Steven Connor, The Independent *As always Warner's scholarship, eclecticism and inventiveness dazzle. * Bel Mooney, The Times *It is a book of wonders. * Hilary Mantel,The Guardian *Phantasmagoria is a fascinating history of spirited bodies and haunted machines, but a reminder too of why the metaphors still get under our skin * Brian Dillon, Daily Telegraph *This book's enquiries are wide-ranging, pertinent and up-to- date. All Marina Warner's material is freshly and enticingly presented. * The Guardian, Hilary Mantel *This book is a powerful statement. * Hilary Mantel,The Guardian *Marina Warner is particularly well-equipped to conduct this investigation. * Stephen Connor, The Independent *A densely layered book * Mike Dash, Sunday Telegraph *She is exquisitely alive not just to ideas and arguments, but also to the jag and whiff and tang of things. * Stephen Connor, The Independent *Phantasmagoria is a cabinet of familiar wonders: a jetting, generous, humane spree of thought, richly quickened by the life it finds within us and abroad, in our media and machineries of mind. * Stephen Connor, The Independent *Table of ContentsI. WAX; II. AIR; III. CLOUDS; IV. LIGHT; V. SHADOW; VI. MIRROR; VII. GHOST; VIII. ETHER; IX. ECTOPLASM; X. FILM
£17.99
Oxford University Press Controversial New Religions
Book SynopsisIn terms of public opinion, new religious movements are considered controversial for a variety of reasons. Their social organization often runs counter to popular expectations by experimenting with communal living, alternative leadership roles, unusual economic dispositions, and new political and ethical values. As a result the general public views new religions with a mixture of curiosity, amusement, and anxiety, sustained by lavish media emphasis on oddness and tragedy rather than familiarity and lived experience. This updated and revised second edition of Controversial New Religions offers a scholarly, dispassionate look at those groups that have generated the most attention, including some very well-known classical groups like The Family, Unification Church, Scientology, and Jim Jones''s People''s Temple; some relative newcomers such as the Kabbalah Centre, the Order of the Solar Temple, Branch Davidians, Heaven''s Gate, and the Falun Gong; and some interesting cases like contemporTrade Reviewbalanced and intriguing * Jonathan Benthall, The Times Literary Supplement *Very often sequels are disappointing, but the second edition of Controversial New Religions offers another round of solid and fascinating scholarship on religions on the brink of-and sometimes beyond-the mainstream. Introducing a number of younger scholars, this volume, furthermore, shows how research into new and emergent religions has become a well-established and increasingly important field in the academic study of religion. Editors Lewis and Petersen should be commended for their ongoing contributions to this development. * Mikael Rothstein, Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer of Comparative Religion, University of Southern Denmark; Visiting Professor, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania *Table of ContentsContributors ; Introduction ; Part I: Western Religious Traditions ; 1. A Family for the 21st Century ; James Chancellor ; 2. The Unification Church ; Sarah Lewis ; 3. The Controversies About Peoples Temple and Jonestown ; Rebecca Moore ; 4. The Branch Davidians ; Gene Gallagher ; 5. Charismatic Controversies in the Jesus People, Calvary Chapel, and Vineyard Movements ; Jane Skjoldli ; 6. Kabbalah Centre: Marketing and Meaning ; Jody Myers ; 7. Controversial Afro-American Muslim Organizations ; Goran Larsson ; Part II: Asian and Asian-Inspired Traditions ; 8. The Earth School: The Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness ; James R. Lewis ; 9. Contested Genealogies and Cross-cultural Dynamics in the Hare Krishna Movement ; Malcolm Haddon ; 10. Transcendental Meditation, the Art of Living Foundation and Public Relations: ; From Psychedelic Romanticism to Science and Schism ; Inga Tollefsen ; 11. Controversy, Cultural Influence, and the Osho/Rajneesh Movement ; Marion S. Goldman ; 12. Aum Shinrikyo and the Aum Incident: A Critical Introduction ; Martin Repp ; 13. Falun Gong: A Narrative of Pending Apocalypse, Shape-shifting Aliens and Relentless Persecution ; Helen Farley ; Part III: Western Esoteric and New Age Groups ; 14. Scientology: The Making of a Religion ; Kjersti Hellesoy ; 15. The Church Universal and Triumphant: Controversy, Change, and Continuance ; Jocelyn DeHass ; 16. The Order of the Solar Temple ; Henrik Bogdan ; 17. New Age Spiritualities ; Siv Ellen Kraft ; 18. Contemporary Paganism ; Manon Hedenborg White ; 19. Popularity of-and Controversy in-Contemporary Shamanism ; Anne Kalvig ; Part IV: Other Groups and Movements ; 20. "Come on up, and I will show thee": Heaven's Gate as a Post-modern Group ; George D. Chryssides ; 21. "Those Who Came from the Sky": Ancient Astronauts and Creationism in the Raelian Religion ; Erik Ostling ; 22. Wolf Age Pagans ; Mattias Gardell ; 23. Carnal, Chthonian, Complicated: The Matter of Modern Satanism ; Jesper Aagaard Petersen ; Index
£40.79
Oxford University Press Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond
Book SynopsisBeatriz Caiuby Labate and Clancy Cavnar offer an in-depth exploration of how Amerindian epistemology and ontology concerning indigenous shamanic rituals of the Amazon have spread to Western societies, and of how indigenous, mestizo, and cosmopolitan cultures have engaged with and transformed these forest traditions. The volume focuses on the use of ayahuasca, a psychoactive drink essential in many indigenous shamanic rituals of the Amazon. Ayahuasca use has spread far beyond its Amazonian origin, spurring a variety of legal and cultural responses in the countries to which it has spread. The essays in this volume look at how these responses have influenced ritual design and performance in traditional and non-traditional contexts, how displaced indigenous people and rubber tappers are engaged in the creative reinvention of rituals, and how these rituals help build ethnic alliances and cultural and political strategies for their marginalized position. Some essays explore important classicTrade ReviewThis book is a welcome addition for those interested in the use of ayahuasca in the Amazon and beyond, for both anthropologists and those with an interest in ayahuasca in general. Highly recommended. * Pieter Stokkink, OPEN Foundation *The essays open up some new paths for researching the interplay between tradition, culture, identity and ayahuasca. This book is a welcome addition for those interested in the use of ayahuasca in the Amazon and beyond, for both anthropologists and those with an interest in ayahuasca in general. Highly recommended * OPEN Foundation *This book presents the encounter between Amazonian and modern worlds through the account of the recent phenomenon of expansion of shamanistic rituals based on the consumption of ayahuasca. Reinvention and transformation of religious traditions, ethnic and ecological tourism, debates on intellectual property and on legalization of psychoactive substances feature among the topics which make up this brilliant collection. * Renato Sztutman, University of Sao Paulo *Much has been written about ayahuasca and shamanism, but this book will certainly stand out because it is problem-oriented and includes a fascinating array of chapters by leading experts of different backgrounds. It therefore promises to be an important contribution to religious anthropology rather than yet another instance of mystical mumbo-jumbo. * Philipe Erikson, Universite Paris Ouest Nanterre *This volume unravels the complex meanders of intellectual and practical exchanges in a time when Amazonia goes global and the world goes Amazonian. * Aristoteles Barcelos Neto, University of East Anglia *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Contributors ; List of Illustrations ; Foreword: Authentic Ayahuasca by Oscar Calavia Saez ; Introduction: Notes on the Expansion and Reinvention of Ayahuasca Shamanism - Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Clancy Cavnar, and Francoise Barbira Freeman ; 1. Will the Real Shaman Please Stand Up? The Recent Adoption of Ayahuasca among Indigenous Groups of the Peruvian Amazon - Glenn H. Shepard Jr. ; 2. Kuntanawa: Ayahuasca, Ethnicity, and Culture - Mariana Ciavatta Pantoja ; 3. Materializing Alliances: Ayahuasca Shamanism In and Beyond Western Amazonian Indigenous Communities - Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen ; 4. Medicine Alliance: Contemporary Shamanic Networks in Brazil - Esther Jean Langdon and Isabel Santana de Rose ; 5. Ritualized Misunderstanding between Uncertainty, Agreement and Rupture: Communication Patterns in Euro-American Ayahuasca Ritual Interactions - Anne-Marie Losonczy and Silvia Mesturini Cappo ; 6. Shamans' Networks in Western Amazonia: The Iquitos-Nauta Road - Francoise Barbira Freedman ; 7. On the Uneasiness of Tourism: Considerations on Shamanic Tourism in Western Amazonia - Evgenia Fotiou ; 8. The Internationalization of Peruvian Vegetalismo - Beatriz Caiuby Labate ; 9. From the Native's Point of View: How Shipibo-Konibo Experience and Interpret Ayahuasca-Drinking with "Gringos" - Bernd Brabec de Mori ; 10. Ayahuasca's Attractions and Distractions: Examining Sexual Seduction in Shaman-Participant Interactions - Daniela Peluso ; 11. Yage Related Neo-Shamanism in Colombian Urban Contexts - Alhena Caicedo Fernandez ; Index
£37.12
The University of Chicago Press Nature Religion in America From the Algonkian
Book SynopsisThis study reveals an unorganized and previously unacknowledged religion at the heart of American culture. Nature, Albanese argues, has provided a compelling religious center throughout American history.
£26.60
The University of Chicago Press The Babylonian Genesis The Story of the Creation
Book Synopsis
£19.00
The University of Chicago Press The Jealous Potter
Book SynopsisIn this volume Levi-Strauss explores the mythologies of the Americas, with occasional incursions into European and Japanese folklore, tales of sloths and squirrels are interwoven with discussions of Freud, Saussure, "signification," and plays by Sophocles and Labiche.
£22.80
The University of Chicago Press Ripples of the Universe Spirituality in Sedona
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This elegantly written report from an ethnographic field study is a rich witness to a US landscape and the spiritual seekers who developed a visceral connection to the region’s 'energies'. . . . At once strikingly empathic and analytic, Crockford employs theories from religious studies, critical theory, and political science to explain behaviors of those who have little control over corporate or governmental policies that determine their existence." * Choice *"Crockford’s Ripples of the Universe is an excellent introduction to New Age ‘spirituality’ as it is practiced ‘on the ground’ in 21st-century America. I predict the book will be widely read, especially by students of new religious movements, sociology of religion in the United States, and critical cultural studies. Engagingly written, methodologically clear, and well-illustrated, Ripples of the Universe will also be an ideal text for graduate seminars on these topics." * Religion *"A valuable work . . . sensitive and multi-dimensional. The book illuminates how many people have given up the normal life of jobs and family to become, in effect, renunciates and even mendicants, struggling to survive in a society that grants them no recognition." * Reading Religion *"Ripples of the Universe makes a solid contribution to the study of contemporary spiritualities and is highly recommended for scholars of religion, sociology, anthropology and American culture." * Journal for the Academic Study of Religion *"This thought-provoking and profound study paints a fascinating picture of spirituality in Sedona. It explores a microcosm of larger US society, replicating the same issues, conflicts, and insecurities, and making spiritually framed attempts to address them. This book is extremely valuable for scholars interested in (alternative) spirituality and religion in the contemporary US." * Religious Studies Review *“This emotionally sensitive, beautifully written book shows how ethnography can reshape our understanding of ourselves. Crockford describes how spirituality offers hope of new resources and a new way of life in the context of contemporary economic arrangements, and how precarious such hopes can be. She casts an original, clear light on the everyday experience of a remarkable cast of people, displaying both compassion and objectivity; this is a small masterpiece.” -- Timothy Jenkins, University of Cambridge“In this lucid, engaging, and comprehensive analysis of Sedona’s metaphysical spiritualists, Crockford thoroughly unpacks the cosmology, millenarian beliefs, and cultural resonances of this key center of what used to be called ‘New Age spirituality.’ Crockford shows how Sedona’s metaphysicians rework race, class, kinship, health, neoliberal economics, and notions of purity, indigeneity, government corruption, and utopian aspiration in their efforts to create a value-driven spirituality that is as individual as it is emblematic of the ‘postsecular’ condition. A wonderful book!” -- Adrian J. Ivakhiv, University of Vermont“Not only is this book a deep ethnographic dive into the metaphysical/theosophical/new thought/new age/extraterrestrial spirituality and conspiracy theory milieu of Sedona, it is also an astute critical description of major thought currents in America today and their histories. This book will be of interest to anyone seeking to learn more about American culture, spirituality, and even politics.” -- Catherine Wessinger, Loyola University New Orleans"This is a fascinating interpretation of seekers and seekership at an iconic American site for post-New Age spirituality, focusing on key themes of nature, diet, identity, conspiracy and revelation. The author combines empathetic ethnography with shrewd analysis of the erosion of the middle ground between the local and the cosmic - society, in other words - that's inadvertently fostered in pursuit of the 'spiritual path'. This is an innovative and timely study which raises resonant questions about the impact of a hitherto minority worldview on mainstream American culture - and beyond." -- Steven J. Sutcliffe, University of Edinburgh"Crockford is able to convince the reader that her participant–observer strategy works. There is an intimacy to her research that, not surprisingly, provides an added interpretive dimension not typically found in the social science literature on contemporary New Age and alternative spiritual movements." * Nova Religio *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Everything Is Energy 1 The Rocks Were Screaming at Me: Agency, Nature, and Space 2 21st December 2012: “This Is My Story, Not Yours” 3 Awakened Aliens: Crafting the Self on the Spiritual Path 4 To Your Highest Vibration: Hierarchies of Food, Boundaries of the Self 5 What Is Wrong with America? Conspiracy Theories as Counter-Narrative Conclusion: All Energy Vibrates at a Certain Frequency Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index
£62.25
The University of Chicago Press Ripples of the Universe Spirituality in Sedona
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This elegantly written report from an ethnographic field study is a rich witness to a US landscape and the spiritual seekers who developed a visceral connection to the region’s 'energies'. . . . At once strikingly empathic and analytic, Crockford employs theories from religious studies, critical theory, and political science to explain behaviors of those who have little control over corporate or governmental policies that determine their existence." * Choice *"Crockford’s Ripples of the Universe is an excellent introduction to New Age ‘spirituality’ as it is practiced ‘on the ground’ in 21st-century America. I predict the book will be widely read, especially by students of new religious movements, sociology of religion in the United States, and critical cultural studies. Engagingly written, methodologically clear, and well-illustrated, Ripples of the Universe will also be an ideal text for graduate seminars on these topics." * Religion *"A valuable work . . . sensitive and multi-dimensional. The book illuminates how many people have given up the normal life of jobs and family to become, in effect, renunciates and even mendicants, struggling to survive in a society that grants them no recognition." * Reading Religion *"Ripples of the Universe makes a solid contribution to the study of contemporary spiritualities and is highly recommended for scholars of religion, sociology, anthropology and American culture." * Journal for the Academic Study of Religion *"This thought-provoking and profound study paints a fascinating picture of spirituality in Sedona. It explores a microcosm of larger US society, replicating the same issues, conflicts, and insecurities, and making spiritually framed attempts to address them. This book is extremely valuable for scholars interested in (alternative) spirituality and religion in the contemporary US." * Religious Studies Review *“This emotionally sensitive, beautifully written book shows how ethnography can reshape our understanding of ourselves. Crockford describes how spirituality offers hope of new resources and a new way of life in the context of contemporary economic arrangements, and how precarious such hopes can be. She casts an original, clear light on the everyday experience of a remarkable cast of people, displaying both compassion and objectivity; this is a small masterpiece.” -- Timothy Jenkins, University of Cambridge“In this lucid, engaging, and comprehensive analysis of Sedona’s metaphysical spiritualists, Crockford thoroughly unpacks the cosmology, millenarian beliefs, and cultural resonances of this key center of what used to be called ‘New Age spirituality.’ Crockford shows how Sedona’s metaphysicians rework race, class, kinship, health, neoliberal economics, and notions of purity, indigeneity, government corruption, and utopian aspiration in their efforts to create a value-driven spirituality that is as individual as it is emblematic of the ‘postsecular’ condition. A wonderful book!” -- Adrian J. Ivakhiv, University of Vermont“Not only is this book a deep ethnographic dive into the metaphysical/theosophical/new thought/new age/extraterrestrial spirituality and conspiracy theory milieu of Sedona, it is also an astute critical description of major thought currents in America today and their histories. This book will be of interest to anyone seeking to learn more about American culture, spirituality, and even politics.” -- Catherine Wessinger, Loyola University New Orleans"This is a fascinating interpretation of seekers and seekership at an iconic American site for post-New Age spirituality, focusing on key themes of nature, diet, identity, conspiracy and revelation. The author combines empathetic ethnography with shrewd analysis of the erosion of the middle ground between the local and the cosmic - society, in other words - that's inadvertently fostered in pursuit of the 'spiritual path'. This is an innovative and timely study which raises resonant questions about the impact of a hitherto minority worldview on mainstream American culture - and beyond." -- Steven J. Sutcliffe, University of Edinburgh"Crockford is able to convince the reader that her participant–observer strategy works. There is an intimacy to her research that, not surprisingly, provides an added interpretive dimension not typically found in the social science literature on contemporary New Age and alternative spiritual movements." * Nova Religio *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Everything Is Energy 1 The Rocks Were Screaming at Me: Agency, Nature, and Space 2 21st December 2012: “This Is My Story, Not Yours” 3 Awakened Aliens: Crafting the Self on the Spiritual Path 4 To Your Highest Vibration: Hierarchies of Food, Boundaries of the Self 5 What Is Wrong with America? Conspiracy Theories as Counter-Narrative Conclusion: All Energy Vibrates at a Certain Frequency Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index
£25.65
The University of Chicago Press Red Mans Religion Beliefs and Practices of the
Book Synopsis
£25.65
The University of Chicago Press From the Enemys Point of View
Book Synopsis
£34.20
Columbia University Press Pantheologies
Book SynopsisMary-Jane Rubenstein provides a conceptual genealogy of pantheisms. What makes pantheism “monstrous”—at once repellent and seductive—is that it scrambles the raced and gendered distinctions that Western philosophy and theology insist on drawing between activity and passivity, spirit and matter, animacy and inanimacy, and creator and created.Trade Review. . . Rubenstein’s writing is delightfully witty and often poetic in a way which can uniquely maintain its many strands. -- Alison Renna Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA * Worldviews *Rubenstein’s critical readings are cogent and deft. The book is both erudite and adventurous. -- Beatrice Marovich * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Rubenstein's examination of pantheism renders a comprehensive and pluralistic view of the cosmos that will interest readers curious about the intersection of religion and philosophy. * Library Journal *Given the rise of scholarship in 'new materialism' and renewed focus on immanence, this book is an important addition to the literature. . . Recommended. * Choice *Mary-Jane Rubenstein’s book, Pantheologies, is an essential addition to any science and religion class or graduate studies class in philosophy of religion or theology. It gives a solid overview of Baruch Spinoza, Giordano Bruno, and Albert Einstein, introduces many new animist viewpoints, and examines the metaphysics of numerous indigenous religions. -- Darren Iammarino * Nova Religio *Pantheologies is an elegant and lively tour of pantheism and of the racialized gender panics it has prompted in Euro-American thought. I leave the book with the sense that the goat-god Pan is still roaming around, disrupting the either/ors of Western metaphysics and presenting a cosmos both more amazing and more discomfiting. Rubenstein has written an excellent book. -- Jane Bennett, author of Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of ThingsIn Pantheologies, Mary-Jane Rubenstein answers the old problem of the One and the Many by offering a resolute triumph of the Many over the One. Give Rubenstein a One—any one—and she will make a Many out of it. I applaud this temperament, as William James called it, and the intuition that it generates and reflects. Multiplicity, thy name is woman. Rubenstein will save us every time from the totalitarian tendencies of certain regions of process philosophy, from the Teutonic idealisms of post-Hegelian theologies, even from the totalizing forms of monistic pantheisms. -- Nancy Frankenberry, editor of The Faith of Scientists: In Their Own WordsIt is not out of charity or historicism that Mary-Jane Rubenstein channels this maligned, misunderstood, and mangled legacy. No, there is something in the pan of theism that our Anthropocene mess of a species (its atheists and its theologians included) needs. Now. Mesmerized by the brilliant weave of Pantheologies’ irresistible irony, gorgeous prose, and holographic erudition, readers will be hooked by a mystery too suspenseful in its plotline and too urgent in its intersections to set aside. -- Catherine Keller, author of Political Theology of the Earth: Our Planetary Emergency and the Struggle for a New PublicPantheologies should be of interest to religious studies scholars, philosophers, scientists, and theologically curious political activists alike, by virtue of its broad intellectual scope, engaging rhetoric, and urgent ethical reflection. * Reading Religion *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrefaceIntroduction: The Matter with PantheismPanic1. PanPanterruption2. HylePanfusion3. CosmosPancarnation4. TheosPandemoniumNotesBibliographyIndex
£19.80
Yale University Press Confessions of a BornAgain Pagan
Book SynopsisTrade Review"An astonishing, . . . epically ambitious book. . . . An intellectual adventure story based on the notion that ideas drive history, and that to dedicate yourself to them is to live a bigger, more intense life."—David Brooks, New York Times“[This] beautifully written book is illuminating and inspiring. It shows that all of us can try, in our own ways, to solve the riddle of existence.”—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker (from ‘Books We Loved in 2017’) "The book diligently provides . . . an intellectual history of neo-paganism and a commendable attempt at navigating the practical ethics of what a post-Christian society would look like."—Publishers Weekly"Classical theists, atheists, and agnostics alike would be foolish not to take seriously the complex argument of this immensely erudite, rigorous, and readable essay in 'pagan theology.'"—Miroslav Volf, author of Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World"Confessions of a Born-Again Pagan is a monumental and profound achievement in re-enchanting the world by embracing the religious sensibility of such ‘heretics’ as Spinoza and Nietzsche. But the book is also a re-enchantment of philosophy. With immense erudition Kronman has restored philosophy to its classical role of addressing the innermost concerns of human existence and humanity’s ongoing struggle to reconcile itself with the world."—Moshe Halbertal, author of Maimonides: Life and Thought"An extraordinary work of scholarship. There is no comparable work of such universal ambition and theological depth."—José Casanova, Georgetown University"Anthony Kronman’s Confessions of a Born-Again Pagan is a big book about the largest of themes—theology and philosophy, science and psychology, ethics and politics, friendship and art. It is above all an attempt to work out a coherent and attractive theology suited to the modern world. It takes up questions of the deepest human importance and is beautifully written. A rich and ambitious work.”—Michael J. Sandel, author of What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets
£26.12
The Crown Publishing Group River of Fire River of Water
Book SynopsisWith great spiritual insight and unparalleled scholarship, Dr. Taitetsu Unno—the foremost authority in the United States on Shin or Pure Land Buddhism—introduces us to the most popular form of Buddhism in Japan. Unique among the various practices of Buddhism, this new form of spiritual practice is certain to enrich the growing practice of Buddhism in the United States, which is already quite familiar with Zen and Tibetan traditions. River of Fire, River of Water is an introduction to the practice of Pure Land Buddhism for readers with or without prior experience with it. The Pure Land tradition dates back to the sixth century c.e., when Buddhism was first introduced in Japan. Unlike Zen, its counterpart which flourished in remote monasteries, the Pure Land tradition was the form of Buddhism practiced by common people. Consequently, its practice is harmonious with the workings of daily life, making it easily adaptable for seekers today. Despite the diff
£15.26
University of California Press Standing Ground
Book SynopsisAn account of spiritual training and practice within an American Indian social network that emphasizes narrative over analysis.Trade Review"The most in-depth, complex, and analytically sophisticated portrayal of Yurok spirituality ever written by an anthropologist [and] the most important ethnographic work about the Yurok in general since Kroeber's work in the early twentieth century."-Les W. Field, author of The Grimace of Macho Raton "Its description of Yurok religious practice in recent times is both sympathetic and insightful, providing an interweaving series of narratives and interpretations.... The author makes an eloquent case for cultural continuity."-Michael Harkin, author of The HeiltsuksTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction PART ONE: CONTEXTS 1. The Yurok Reservation 2. Double Helix 3. Native Authors PART TWO: TESTIMONY 4. Seeing with Their Own Eyes 5. Doctors 6. The GO-Road PART THREE: UNDERSTANDINGS 7. The One Who Flies All around the World 8. The World 9. Melancholy 10. The Shaker Church 11. Jump Dance Notes References Acknowledgments of Permissions Index
£22.50
University of California Press Dark Green Religion
Book SynopsisExamines the evolution of 'green religions' in North America and beyond: spiritual practices that hold nature as sacred and have in many cases replaced traditional religions. This book provides a global tour of the green religious phenomenon, enabling readers to evaluate its worldwide emergence and to assess its role in a religious revolution.Trade Review"This ambitious work seeks to set forth a new religious tradition characterized by its central concern for the fate of the planet." Nova Religio: The Journal Of Alternative & Emergent Religions "Dark Green Religion is intelligent, well-written, and very much worth reading." Worldviews "Taylor aims to illustrate the existence of an ideological current in contemporary North American society that has nature as its focus, and to argue that this is socially and politically significant." -- Emma Tomalin Environment & History "Names levels of spirituality that are often unacknowledged, unattended to, or rejected, and demonstrates how a new global spirituality (DGR) is becoming a force for positive change on our planet." Isle: Interdis Stds In Lit & Environ "Recommended." ChoiceTable of ContentsPreface Readers' Guide 1. Introducing Religion and Dark Green Religion 2. Dark Green Religion 3. Dark Green Religion in North America 4. Radical Environmentalism 5. Surfing Spirituality 6. Globalization with Predators and Moving Pictures 7. Globalization in Arts, Sciences, and Letters 8. Terrapolitan Earth Religion 9 .Conclusion: Dark Green Religion and the Planetary Future Afterword on Terminology Acknowledgments Appendix: Excerpts with Commentary on the Writings of Henry David Thoreau Notes Bibliography Index
£25.50
Penguin Putnam Inc The Magick of Birthdays
Book SynopsisCelebrate your special day—and yourself—with simple rituals in this modern guide to ancient spiritual traditions.Your birthday is the ultimate moment to celebrate, honor, and reflect on who you truly are. This practical companion is a modern-day grimoire filled with rituals, spells, and other simple practices for making the most of your solar return. Practices include simple spell craft, candle magick, solar work, astrology and numerology, kitchen witchcraft, recipes for specific intentions, and more. Reflect on the past year, let go of what you don’t need, and move into your new year with clarity, purpose, and a touch of self-care magick. Blow out the candles in a whole new way this birthday and beyond.
£14.45
Zeitgeist The Goddess Path
Book Synopsis
£15.19
John Wiley and Sons Ltd The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles
Book SynopsisThis is the first survey of religious beliefs in the British Isles from the Old Stone Age to the coming of Christianity, one of the least familiar periods in Britaina s history. Ronald Hutton draws upon a wealth of new data, much of it archaeological, that has transformed interpretation over the past decade.Trade Review"An excellent, up-to-date compendium of British pagan religions based primarily upon recent archaeological findings. Hutton has contributed a well documented resource which has popular interest." Library Journal "Brilliant ... Hutton's book gives us by far the best, most level-headed overview of this fascinating but contentious subject." Times Literary SupplementTable of ContentsPreface. Preface to the Paperback Edition. 1. The Mysteries Begin (c.30,000 - c.5000 BC). 2. The Age of The Tombs (c.5000 - c.3200 BC). 3. The Coming of the Circles (c.3200 - c.2200 BC). 4. Into the Darkness (c.2200 - c.1000 BC). 5. The People of the Mist (c.1000 BC - c. AD 500). 6. The Imperial Synthesis (AD 43 - 410). 7. The Clash of Faiths (AD c.300 - c. 1000). 8. Legacy of Shadows. Notes. Additional Source Material. Index.
£31.46
Harvard University Press Materials for the Study of Gurung Pe Volume I
Book SynopsisThe Nepalese Gurung recitations known as pe form a diverse group of oral narratives performed by a medicine man or shaman to promote health and prosperity. This two-volume set includes an analytical introduction, 13,000 lines of annotated transcriptions for 92 pe, color plate illustrations, and field recordings on an accompanying DVD.
£43.31
Llewellyn Publications,U.S. Modern Tantra
Book SynopsisTantra is not just about sex but is actually a complete spiritual system - this book shows how you can use it for spiritual evolution, healing, divination, magick, and more
£28.00
Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. A Feral Church
Book SynopsisJourney into the Wilderness Within and Around You Through a series of guided meditations that lead you from one solstice to another and back again, H. Byron Ballard empowers you to journey into the uncharted and feral lands of your imagination, where you will connect to the primal mother?the Goddess. Ballard shows you how to leave your domesticated world and enter a place of wild worship and joy, a feral church unbound by dogma or liturgy. Your spiritual pilgrimage will take you to places familiar and unknown, both internal and external. Framed as one big pathworking, this book guides your journey with a new meditation, plus a section to reflect on what you discovered, in every chapter. As you find your way to the Goddess, you will step into the darkness, reconnect with ancestors and various spirits, and emerge ready to live your fullest life.
£14.24
Rlpg/Galleys Magic and Mysticism
Book SynopsisMagic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Western Esoteric Traditions is a concise overview, from antiquity to the present, of all the major Western religious esoteric movements. Topics covered include alchemy, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy and many more.Trade ReviewArthur Versluis’ prolific writings on Western esoteric thought continue to shape and define the field. His current work, Magic and Mysticism, provides lucid insight into a scarcely known tradition that continues to exert a tremendous influence on the way we see our lives, and beyond. The breadth of his coverage alone is a reason to read the book. -- David Appelbaum, SUNY New PaltzMagic and Mysticism: An Introduction to Western Esoteric Traditions is an ambitious recasting of the gnostic insight that has inspired and influenced countless writers through the ages. Arthur Versluis, one of the generation's more prolific scholars of esotericism, has produced a volume that is both comprehensive in scope and exacting in detail. Moving beyond previous studies that separate mysticism and magic, Versluis argues that these two products of human imagination, which are not entirely reducible to rational analysis, need to be juxtaposed, as they help us define the larger spectrum of the esoteric. I have little doubt that this work will be of great interest to specialist and non-specialist alike, to historians of mysticism and esotericism in particular, and to students of comparative religion more generally. -- Elliot R. Wolfson, New York UniversityPersecuted throughout the ages by orthodox Christians and marginalized by scholars until recently, esotericism and esotericists have finally come into their own. In this succinct, deftly organized, and lucidly written account, Arthur Versluis presents a history of western esotericism from antiquity to the present. His book will appeal to anyone interested in the 'third' or 'gnostic' component of western thought, which provided and still provides a middle path between faith and reason for those striving for spiritual enlightenment. -- Alison Coudert, University of California, DavisA remarkably clear, erudite, and concise guide to a field that has been far too long neglected. Versluis manages to compress an enormous amount of research and insight into a short space. This will be an extremely useful tool for scholars and seekers alike. -- Richard Smoley, coauthor of Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner TraditionsVersluis brings a delightful balance between scholarly attention to detail and a warm understanding of the subject and the characters involved. Magic and Mysticism is joy to read and ideal for anyone who wants to understand the importance of esotericism on Western culture and why it is still important to us today. -- Mark Stavish, Institute for Hermetic Studies, author of The Path of AlchemyArthur Versluis has written a wonderfully concise overview and analysis of Western esotericism. The scholarship is wide-ranging and up to date, yet the tone is quite readable and not overly academic. -- Jay Kinney, former editor and publisher of GnosisThis newest work by an outstanding American scholar of Western Esotericism offers an integrative interpretation of three critical themes: gnosis, magic, and mysticism. Surveying the intertwined histories of these themes, the author provides a multitude of insights on the creative interactions between various historical schools, individuals, and historic periods, all set against the social dynamics of anti-esoteric and heresiophobic rhetoric. This is a crucial, transdiciplinary review that brings new definition and nuance to the study of Western Esotericism. In addition, the section on Theosophy give new scope and depths to that topic and shows its formative influence on contemporary esoteric thought and practice. Highly recommended. -- Lee Irwin, College of CharlestonTable of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Antiquity Chapter 3 Late Antiquity: Hermetism, Gnosticism, Jewish Mysticism, Christian Gnosis Chapter 4 The Medieval Era Chapter 5 The Renaissance Chapter 6 Early Modern Esoteric Currents Chapter 7 Modern Christian Theosophy Chapter 8 Western Esotericism Today Chapter 9 Conclusion
£79.20
Edinburgh University Press Determined Spirits
Book SynopsisExamines the Spiritualist movement''s role in disseminating eugenic and hard hereditarian thoughtStudying transatlantic spiritualist literature from the mid-19th to the early 20th century, Christine Ferguson focuses on its incorporation and dissemination of bio-determinist and eugenic thought. She asks why ideas about rational reproduction, hereditary determinism and race improvement became so important to spiritualist novelists, journalists and biographers in this period. She also examines how these concerns drove emerging Spiritualist understandings of disability, intelligence, crime, conception, the afterlife and aesthetic production. The book draws on rare material, including articles and serialized fiction from Spiritualist periodicals such as Light, The Two Worlds and The Medium and Daybreak as well as on Spiritualist healing, parentage and sex manuals.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; List of Figures; Series Editor's Preface; Introduction; Radical Determinism and the Natural History of the Medium; Spirits in Mind: Madness, Idiocy, and the Cultural Capital of Ignorance; Eugenic Summer Lands: Sexual Reproduction and Family Engineering in the Spheres; Blended Souls: Paschal Beverly Randolph and Occult Miscegenation; Criminal Man and Recidivist Spirit: Spiritualism, Criminal Anthropology, and Thanato-Rehabilitationism; Dead Letters: Bio-Aesthetics and the New Realism in Fin-de-Siecle Spiritualism; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.
£85.50
Schiffer Publishing Ltd The Flowerwise Oracle
Book SynopsisWisdom has been embedded in the timeless roots of ancient Earth and through the flowers is it conveyed. The 44 cards of The Flowerwise Oracle give messages of comfort and positive counsel in a hectic and fractured world. Each card, a portrait of a flower in the human form, gently inspires and informs. The diversity of botanical life mirrors the vast diversity of race and culture throughout the world. The illustrations on the cards represent diversity through beautiful feminine personas.The flowers speak in first person, offering strength and compassionate guidance The detailed and botanically illustrated accompanying guidebook provides fascinating facts, folklore, and histories of each of the 44 flower oracles.The deck and book are timely and remind us of the importance of preserving the beauty and healing power that can be found in our natural world Within Gaia can be found all the nourishment one n
£23.79
John Wiley & Sons The Return of Ancestral Gods Modern Ukrainian
Book SynopsisHow socio-political turmoil has inspired a new religious movement based on the imagined past.Trade Review"The Return of the Ancestral Gods fills a gap in our knowledge of modern Paganism and will be of great interest to scholars of new religious movements. Lesiv is clearly in control of the relevant background and has a very interesting story to tell." Douglas Cowan, Department of Religious Studies, University of Waterloo "The Return of the Ancestral Gods is an extremely well-researched, highly readable account of its subject. Lesiv takes great pains to let the Pagans speak for themselves and to respectfully present them in their social and historical contexts, while at th
£55.80
University of British Columbia Press Faith or Fraud
Book SynopsisThe growing presence in Western society of non-mainstream faiths and spiritual practices poses a dilemma for the law. For example, if a fortune teller promises to tell the future in exchange for cash, and both parties believe in the process, has a fraud been committed? Building on a thorough history of the legal regulation of fortune-telling laws in four countries, Faith or Fraud examines the impact of people who identify as spiritual but not religious on the future legal understanding of religious freedom. Traditional legal notions of religious freedom were conceived in the context of organized religion. Jeremy Patrick examines how the law needs to adapt to a contemporary spirituality in which individuals can select concepts drawn from multiple religions, philosophies, and folklore to develop their own idiosyncratic belief systems. Faith or Fraud exposes the law's failure to recognize individual spirituality as part of modern religious practice, concluding that legalTrade ReviewAs a detailed history of the debates over fortune-telling in four different countries, and as an argument for the expansion of religious freedom law to include this kind of practice, Faith or Fraud makes a valuable contribution to the field -- Tisa Wenger, Yale Divinity School * Nova Religio *Faith or Fraud is a thought-provoking read which could provide the catalyst for much further work. It provides a wonderful opportunity to confront our attitudes towards 'new Age' faith and to modern manifestations of faith...All this is done in the context of tantalising glimpses of other topical issues around the transmission of legal ideas within the common law world. -- Charlotte Smith, University of Reading * Ecclesiastical Law Journal *Faith or Fraud is a valuable contribution to the study of legal responses to fortune-telling...A comprehensive survey of this nature has never been conducted, and this is both an insightful and full addition to current scholarship. -- Taryn McLachlan, University of Saskatchewan Law School * Saskatchewan Law Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 Fortune-Telling2 English Law3 Canadian Law4 Australian Law5 American Law6 Analysis of Arguments for and Against7 Spiritual Counselling and Freedom of ReligionConclusionAppendix 1: Chronology of English Statutes and Cases on Fortune-TellingAppendix 2: Further ReadingNotes; Index
£25.19
University of Ottawa Press Myth Symbol and Colonial Encounter
Book SynopsisFrom the time of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, people of British origin have shared the area of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, traditionally called Acadia, with Eastern Canada's Algonkian-speaking people, the Mi'kmaq. This title presents an analysis of colonial Acadia from the perspective of symbolic and mythic existence.
£15.14
John Wiley & Sons The Dream Seekers Native American Visionary
Book SynopsisThis work demonstrates the central importance of visionary dreams as sources of empowerment and innovation in Plains Indian religion. It examines 350 dreams from 150 years of published and unpublished sources to describe the shared features of cosmology for 23 groups of Plains Indians.
£17.06
Rutgers University Press Aliens Adored Raels UFO Religion Rals UFO Religion
Book SynopsisAn in-depth look at the Raelian movement, founded in the 1970s by Rael, born in France as Claude Vorilhon. It traces Rael's philosophy and the formation of the Raelian subculture - radical sexual ethics, gnostic anthropocentricism, and ecotheology, showing how our worldviews have been shaped by globalization, postmodernism, and secular humanism.Trade ReviewSkillfully weaving together engaging narrative and careful sociological analysis, Susan Palmer has written a ground-breaking study that will be the benchmark for all future studies of alternative religions. -- James R. Lewis * general editor of The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements and author of L *Susan Palmer has an extraordinary ability to probe beyond stereotypes and understand unconventional religious and social movements. Her latest book admirably combines rigorous scholarship and honest empathy in depicting one of the most poorly understood movements of our time. -- Timothy Miller * University of Kansas *Drawing on interviews, participant-observer accounts of Raelian meetings and analyses of the movement's increasingly sophisticated public relations outreach, Palmer profiles a fascinating new religion still struggling to define itself. Her tone is sometimes admiring, sometimes critical, and always intrigued. * Publishers Weekly *Table of ContentsIntroduction: How I researched the Raelians Contactee prophets in the history of UFOlogy The last and fastest prophet On how to construct a new religion Mutating the millennium A visit to the court of Raël Sexy angels for amorous aliens "Enemies within!" Cloning around-hoax or heresy? "Science is our religion."
£27.90
Native American Faith in America
Book SynopsisThe variety of people who lived in America prior to Western migration possessed an equal variety of faith practices and beliefs. This work is about how those beliefs began, how they changed due to the influence of outside forces, and how Native Americans today are working to preserve their faiths.
£25.46
University of Hawai'i Press Cargo Cult and Culture Critique
Book SynopsisThis collection of original essays is based on fieldwork in Melanesia, Fiji, Australia, and Indonesia by scholars who are influential in the contemporary debate on cargo cults.Trade ReviewAnyone involved in the Pacific region will be interested in this volume, and scholars who follow 'new religious movements' should find it exceptionally provocative. - Nancy McDowell, Beloit College; ""Plays out a very lively debate in contemporary Melanesian anthropology."" - Dan Jorgensen, University of Western Ontario
£21.56
Oldcastle Books Ltd The History Of Witchcraft
Book SynopsisExplores the historical background to the modern European witchcraft phenomenon, examining the growth of the ideological, cultural and legal concepts that eventually led to the carnage of the Witch Craze in the 16th and 17th centuries - estimated to have claimed the lives of over 40,000 people.Trade Reviewa fascinating book, clearly written and and well-argued -- Lucya Szachnowski * www.badwitch.co.uk *
£11.69
University Press of Colorado The World Below
Book SynopsisJacques Galinier surveys both traditional Otomi cosmology and colonial and contemporary Catholic rituals to illustrate the complexity of continuity and change in Mesoamerican religious ideology and practice. Galinier explores the problems of historical and family memory, models of space and time, the role of the human habitation in cosmology, shamanism and healing, and much more. He elucidates the way these realities are represented in a series of arresting oppositions -- both Otomi oppositions and the duality of indigenous and Catholic ritual life -- between the upper and lower human body. As Galinier details, in Otomi cosmology, psychological forces are stored at the very bottom of the body -- 'the World Below' -- in what translates roughly as an 'Old Bag'. This spiritual sack is saturated with 'rottenness and sex' and invades the collective unconscious of the Otomi cosmos. Drawing upon both Freud and theories of the carnivalesque, Galinier argues that this world below provides the
£42.03
City Lights Books Nan Domi
Book SynopsisThis new and valuable book delves into the ''interior'' experience of voodoo, as opposed to the usual outsider focus on ritual and cosmology. In telling the story of her own initiation and painstaking education in voodoo, Beaubrun takes us into the mystical dimensions of this ancient religion.—The Guardian UKLike all the great religions, Vodou has an external, public practice of rituals and ceremonies—and also an internal, mystical dimension. Before Nan Dòmi, works about Vodou have concentrated on the spectacular outward manifestations of Vodou observance—hypnotic drumming and chanting, frenetic dancing, fits of spirit possession. But practically all reports on Vodou are outsider accounts, which means that they are stopped at the threshold.Mimerose Beaubrun, educated as an anthropologist, set out to write another such work, but in the process she met the woman who would become her ultimate teacher and guide to the religion''s internal mysteries: Tante Tansia, whose knowledge, wisdom and spiritual power govern the text of Nan Dòmi.Nan Dòmi is the only account of Vodou''s private, mystical, interior practice that has been offered to the public so far. Its content stands in the same relation to ceremonial Vodou as Zen to conventional Buddhism, Sufism to conventional Islam, the practice of the desert saints to conventional Christianity. Mimerose Beaubrun has been a student of Vodou for half of her life, but she is also adept, and in this uniquely valuable work, she divests herself of all scholarly apparatus to speak from Vodou''s purest heart.This English edition includes a fascinating introduction by Madison Smartt Bell, placing the religion and Beaubrun''s memoir in historical context.Praise for Nan Dòmi:Mimerose Beaubrun''s book Nan Dòmi: An Initiate''s Journey into Haitian Vodou—the first part of the title refers to a spiritual state—is a welcome addition to the canon of vodou scholarship, a deeply felt inside account of a faith of often daunting complexity.—The Miami HeraldNan Dòmi is a fascinating look inside the Haitian Vodou religion. Mimerose Beaubrun provides a valuable contribution taking us along into the world of Nan Dòmi, a dream state and stage in the initiate''s journey to mastery . . . In the process the reader is introduced into a world that is far more than a religious tradition. Haitian Vodou is also a way of speaking about Haiti, as Beaubrun explains, ''its language, culture, even its way of walking, of preparing food, of dressing, of making love, of communicating with unknown worlds.'' The book casts its spell on the reader who persists in the journey under the tutelage of Beaubrun and her teachers. Madison Smartt Bell''s excellent introduction places the religion and Beaubrun''s memoir in historical context.—Julia AlvarezVodou is one of the most valuable—and misunderstood—of all New World cultural creations. Mimerose Beaubrun''s remarkable work opens up for the first time the internal world of Vodou, and what emerges is a singular engagement with a system of belief that cannot fail to impress any reader with its sheer sophistication and complexity. Gradually, the author recounts the ways in which she came to know the timeless wisdom of Vodou. Absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in Haiti, or in religion and society more broadly.—Martin Munro, author and editor of Haiti Rising: Haitian History, Culture and the Earthquake of 2010Trade Review"So Haiti, known for its natural and sociopolitical calamities, offers us a book about the immaterial, trans-rational spirituality of its Vodou, about the world beyond time and space. Most works about Vodou until now were, according to Madison Smartt Bell's superlative preface, about its "external" elements. Thus, Beaubrun's personalized account of her spiritual itinerary is even more valuable ... Such observations illustrate the fascination of this book, which enlightens us about Haitian spirituality and provides invaluable insights into Haitian culture."--Robert H. McCormick Jr., World Literature Today "For those looking for a first-person guide&mash;and importantly, a Haitian guide--into the ways of Vodou, Mimerose Beaubrun's Nan Domi is a unique, indispensable, and mysterious primer."--Amy Wilentz, author of The Rainy Season: Haiti Since Duvalier and Farewell, Fred Voodoo: A Letter From Haiti "Nan Domi stays localized in Haiti, yet its universality, like that of Buddhism or Hinduism or any of the enduring religious worldviews, becomes apparent from Beaubrun's instructive guidance into this transferable territory. She directly confronts the same questions that arise in every worldview, every philosophy, every religion, and every science ... Beaubrun takes us along the Vodou path to comprehending the nature of the universe, the nature of the ordinary and the divine, and also into the mired terrain of darkness and light, evil and suffering, and human frailty and strength, the twin threats of being and nothingness ... Her story courageously unfolds her personal extension and deepening of awareness, not as a substitute for ordinary Western ways but as expansion of comprehension and competency ... These are the lessons of this important book."--LeGrace Benson, Associate Editor, Journal of Haitian Studies "Reading Mimerose Beaubrun's Nan Domi: An Initiate's Journey into Haitian Vodou is like crossing the threshold into a dream-state of boundless mysteries. Beaubrun's training as an anthropologist is evident in this captivating book. Each page is replete with the intricate details which only a seasoned researcher can provide. What begins as an expedition to uncover the inner workings of a Lakou/community leads to acquiring the esoteric knowledge which only an initiate may gain."--Katia D. Ulysse, author of Drifting "What makes Nan Domi a standout from other texts on Haitian Vodou is Beaubrun's willingness to share her personal accounts of Vodou, and to resist the urge to justify Vodou's mysticism to a Western audience ... Nan Domi is not a Vodou apologist text. It neither deliberately recoups Vodou from an avalanche of negative portrayals and stereotypes, nor does it provide a base understanding of Vodou philosophy through a systematic and linear articulation of major themes and concepts in Haitian Vodou in a way that might be more digestible for Western readers. Instead, Nan Domi, posits Vodou's universality ... perhaps those with the most to gain from reading Nan Domi, are fellow scholars and academics of Haiti/Haitian Vodou who, similarly to Beaubrun believe they have a sufficient understanding of the theoretical concepts and workings of Vodou."--Haiti: Then and Now "Mimerose Beaubrun's Nan Domi opens the barriers between this world and Ginen anba dlo ("Africa beneath the waters"). What distinguishes Beaubrun's text from the many anthropological studies of Vodou previously published is that it eschews the public ritual aspects of the religion, to focus entirely on its private, inner, mystical elements as experienced by an initiated vodouist. Beaubrun allows her readers to accompany her on her path, with all its trials, terrors, dead-ends, frustrations, and revelations from the kalfou (crossroads) of this world, to the realm of Nan Domi (a state of lucid dreaming) and the mystic heart of Vodou, where in the state of possession ego is abandoned and the initiate incarnates as a divine spirit."--Simon Lee, The Caribbean Review of BooksTable of ContentsContentsAcknowledgementsPreface, by Madison Smartt BellPrologueChapter 1: Teaching of Perception with Aunt Tansia?Chapter 2: Placement of the HeadChapter 3: Loa or a State of Lucid Dreaming’Chapter 4 The Double and the Dream BodyChapter 5: The PurificationChapter 6: Manipulating the DoubleChapter 7: Strolling in the Swarm of StarsChapter 8: Knowledgeable in Mystical ConsciousnessChapter 9: The Eye of the Water Witness 1 Witness 2Chapter 10: Establishing a Link for CommunicationChapter 11: Handling One’s Gift Dream, tale, history, myth, legend?Chapter 12: The Importance of JeChapter 13: I RememberChapter 14: You Must Be Perspicacious In Order to See or There are Conditions for Seeing Chapter 15: Cold Eyes or the Fear of the UnknownChapter 16: Eyes Show Fear Relative to the Task or IndecisionChapter 17: Watch your Feet or Constant AttentionChapterr 18: Witness of the nannan-rèv—Witness of the Dream Body?Chapter 19: The Farewell CeremonyEpilogueLexicon
£15.19
Shambhala Cultivating Stillness Taoist Manual for
Book SynopsisA principal part of the Taoist canon for many centuries, this Lao-Tzu classic is an essential overview of the Taoist practice of internal alchemy, or qigongEquanimity, good health, peace of mind, and long life are the goals of the ancient Taoist tradition known as “internal alchemy,” of which Cultivating Stillness is a key text. Written between the second and fifth centuries, the book is attributed to T’ai Shang Lao-chun—the legendary figure more widely known as Lao-Tzu, author of the Tao-te Ching. The accompanying commentary, written in the nineteenth century by Shui-ch’ing Tzu, explains the alchemical symbolism of the text and the methods for cultivating internal stillness of body and mind.A key text in the Taoist canon, Cultivating Stillness is still the first book studied by Taoist initiates today.
£16.99
Society of Biblical Literature Biblical Interpretation in the Gnostic Gospel of Truth from Nag Hammadi DISSERTATION SERIES SOCIETY OF BIBLICAL LITERATURE
£19.00
Inner Traditions Bear and Company The Yoni
Book Synopsis
£18.99
Inner Traditions Bear and Company Cuban Santeria
Book Synopsis
£14.24
Sophia Perennis et Universalis Traditional Forms and Cosmic Cycles Collected Works of Rene Guenon
£13.95
Sophia Perennis et Universalis Miscellanea Classics in Applied Mathematics
£14.95
