{"title":"Ancient religions and Mythologies Books","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"life-and-afterlife-in-ancient-china-9780241472705","title":"Life and Afterlife in Ancient China","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe story of China is written in the objects buried in its tombs over many millennia, but for most of us they are as hard to read as Chinese characters. Jessica Rawson is the master-interpreter. In a dozen tombs she tells the story of China across thousands of years, pointing out again and again the profound ways in which the Chinese are\u003ci\u003e not \u003c\/i\u003elike us. If you want to understand China today, start by visiting these twelve tombs in the enlightening company of Jessica Rawson. A dozen tombs - an underground journey to the heart of China. -- Neil MacGregor\u003cbr\u003eTime and time again, Jessica Rawson has demonstrated her extraordinary ability to explain the unfamiliar in terms that everyone can understand. \u003ci\u003eLife and Afterlife in Ancient China\u003c\/i\u003e is a perfect book for someone new to China. Unusually, it is also ideal for the more knowledgeable because it offers such an up-to-date portrayal of the complex relations between the ancient Chinese and their neighbors -- Valerie Hansen, author of The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World—and Globalization Began\u003cbr\u003eNo book better attests to the most basic point of history - and not just China's - that we are profoundly shaped by our cultural heritages. Rawson's lucid and intimate account of the extraordinary contents of twelve ancient tombs stretching four millennia into the past brings readers inside Chinese culture and mentality in ways that instruct, surprise, and delight. A masterwork -- Timothy Brook, author of Vermeer's Hat and Great State\u003cbr\u003eJessica Rawson understands the long history of China through a lifetime's engagement with its ancient sites and artefacts. Her book evokes both the internal dynamics and external influences of China's deep past with great clarity, allowing us to appreciate their continuing force and importance to the present -- Chris Gosden, Professor of European Archaeology, University of Oxford\u003cbr\u003eA distinguished art historian ... Rawson succeeds in distilling and animating a great deal of dry scholarship ... impressive and engaging. -- Robert Bickers * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003emajestic history -- Andrew Robinson * nature *\u003cbr\u003einsightful ... Jessica Rawson has the ability to bring an unfamiliar subject to life ... rich ... an invaluable book for anyone wishing to learn more about the future of China by exploring its diversity and glorious ancient past. -- James Lin * BBC *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47832790597975,"sku":"9780241472705","price":34.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780241472705.jpg?v=1710338259"},{"product_id":"sacred-springs-holy-wells-in-great-britain-9781904263456","title":"Sacred Springs - Holy Wells in Great Britain","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat is so special about spring water? How are wells holy? Why are so many known for 'the healing of eyes'? The ancient holy wells of the British Isles are amongst the most beautiful and magical places anyone can visit. Often untouched by all but the most delicate hands, and located in some of the most secret nooks and crannies of the country, their stories evoke a lost world of pagan gods, healing forces, second sight and holy visions. This beautiful book, beautifully illustrated throughout by the author, tells the story of the holy waters of the British Isles through hand-picked examples. A useful gazetteer at the back of the book catalogues further rewarding sites to visit.  WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. \"Fascinating\" FINANCIAL TIMES. \"Beautiful\" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. \"Rich and Artful\" THE LANCET. \"Genuinely mind-expanding\" FORTEAN TIMES. \"Excellent\" NEW SCIENTIST. \"Stunning\" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.","brand":"Wooden Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47850623107415,"sku":"9781904263456","price":8.18,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781904263456.jpg?v=1710616859"},{"product_id":"living-wisdom-of-trees-a-guide-to-the-natural-history-symbolism-and-healing-power-of-trees-9781786783332","title":"Living Wisdom of Trees: A Guide to the Natural","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThroughout time, trees have stood as sentinels, wise yet silent, patiently accumulating their rings while the storms of history have raged around them. Trees and humankind have always had a symbiotic relationship.  Throughout the centuries trees have offered us shelter from the cold and the heat.  They have provided us with a multitude of nutritious fruits, leaves, flowers and roots for food and medicine.  They have given us wood with which to make our tools, weapons and toys, not to mention timber for houses, fences, boats and bridges.  But perhaps most significant of all, trees have provided us with fuel for fire, which, once it was tamed hundreds of thousands of years ago became the engine of civilization.  Trees are our strongest allies.     The Living Wisdom of Trees is a richly illustrated guide to the cultural significance of 55 trees, from Acacia to Yew, looking in particular at their botanical characteristics; their place in world myth, magic and folklore; their healing properties; and their practical contribution to society. Featuring beautiful hand-drawn evocative illustrations, The Living Wisdom of Treesis for all who seek acquaintance with the fascinating lore and the profound spiritual wisdom of trees.","brand":"Watkins Media Limited","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851206902103,"sku":"9781786783332","price":15.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781786783332.jpg?v=1710630290"},{"product_id":"red-thread-on-mazes-and-labyrinths-9781784702649","title":"Red Thread: On Mazes and Labyrinths","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Charlotte Higgins's \u003ci\u003eRed Thread\u003c\/i\u003e is a masterwork' Ali Smith\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA thrillingly original, labyrinthine journey through myth, art, literature, history, archaeology and memoir.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The tale of how the hero Theseus killed the Minotaur, finding his way out of the labyrinth using Ariadne's ball of red thread, is one of the most intriguing, suggestive and persistent of all myths, and the labyrinth - the beautiful, confounding and terrifying building created for the half-man, half-bull monster - is one of the foundational symbols of human ingenuity and artistry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Charlotte Higgins, author of the Baillie Gifford-shortlisted \u003ci\u003eUnder Another Sky\u003c\/i\u003e, tracks the origins of the story of the labyrinth in the poems of Homer, Catullus, Virgil and Ovid, and with them builds an ingenious edifice of her own. 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I read it on the balcony of a hotel in Rome... and it was as if the city itself opened playfully and thoughtfully around the reading experience in its amalgam of pasts and presents, histories and mysteries.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAny bookshelf would be graced by the presence of \u003c\/b\u003e[\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eRed Thread\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e]… [it] ask[s] readers to \u003cb\u003esurrender to the unpredictable pleasures of getting lost\u003c\/b\u003e… playful and \u003cb\u003egorgeously written\u003c\/b\u003e. -- Robert Douglas-Fairhurst * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eA serious, substantial, scholarly and yet also highly personal book about mazes… \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRed Thread\u003c\/i\u003e is a book to admire as much as to enjoy.\u003c\/b\u003e -- Ian Sansom * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003e[\u003cb\u003eCharlotte Higgins\u003c\/b\u003e] \u003cb\u003eis\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eno ordinary author\u003c\/b\u003e. Her \u003cb\u003ethrillingly original\u003c\/b\u003e book – it really is like no other – is itself a sort of maze of facts and thoughts, ancient tales and modern phenomena… \u003cb\u003eon every page there is a sparkling idea\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eor a fascinating piece of information\u003c\/b\u003e. It is also \u003cb\u003ebeautifully written\u003c\/b\u003e… \u003cb\u003ea beautifully produced volume\u003c\/b\u003e, full of colour illustrations of sculptures and paintings and \u003cb\u003etantalising\u003c\/b\u003e maps of mazes. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eIn this \u003cb\u003ebeautifully produced and richly illustrated\u003c\/b\u003e book… Charlotte Higgins takes us on \u003cb\u003ea fascinating meander\u003c\/b\u003e through the art and literature of the last 2,500 years… \u003cb\u003eAfter reading this book you will see labyrinths everywhere.\u003c\/b\u003e -- Michael O’Loughlin * Irish Times *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851287904599,"sku":"9781784702649","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781784702649.jpg?v=1710632785"},{"product_id":"once-future-vol-1-the-king-is-undead-9781684154913","title":"Once \u0026 Future Vol. 1: The King is Undead","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen a group of Nationalists use an ancient artifact to bring a villain from Arthurian myth back from the dead, retired monster hunter Bridgette McGuire pulls her unsuspecting grandson Duncan, a museum curator, into a world of magic and mysticism to defeat a legendary threat. Now the two must navigate the complicated history of the McGuire family, all while combating the deadly secrets of England’s past that threaten its very future.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e New York Times bestselling writer Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine, Star Wars) and Russ Manning Award-winning artist Dan Mora (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Klaus) explore the mysteries of the past, the complicated truths of our history and the power of family to save the day…especially if that family has secret bunkers of ancient weapons and decades of experience hunting the greatest monsters in Britain’s history!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Collects Once \u0026amp; Future #1-6.\u003cbr\u003e  ","brand":"Boom! 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Hiding in the woods, meadows, lakes and caves of these green and pleasant lands are a multitude of little-studied folk who have evaded the course eyes and lenses of modern naturalists for years.  Join Paul Johnson and Dan Goodfellow as they at last unveil the fair folk of these ancient lands, their secret ways, names and abodes.  WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. \"Fascinating\" FINANCIAL TIMES. \"Beautiful\" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. \"Rich and Artful\" THE LANCET. \"Genuinely mind-expanding\" FORTEAN TIMES. \"Excellent\" NEW SCIENTIST. \"Stunning\" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.","brand":"Wooden Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48242750357847,"sku":"9781904263999","price":8.18,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781904263999.jpg?v=1716233334"},{"product_id":"pagans-and-christians-9780141022956","title":"Pagans and Christians","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom the second century AD to the conversion of the first Christian emperor, Constantine, Robin Lane Fox''s \u003ci\u003ePagans and Christians in the Mediterranean World \u003c\/i\u003egives a fascinating new perspective on an extraordinary era.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  The transition from pagan to Christian in the ancient Mediterranean world was a process whose effects we still live with today. How did this monumental conversion come about? How did Christianity compare and compete with the pagan gods in the Roman Empire? 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But Ea, the god of fresh underground water, didn''t agree. He advised one of his devotees, Utnapishtim, to build a quadrangular boat to house humans and animals, and saved these living creatures from the Flood.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRather than punish Utnapishtim for his disobedience, Enlil, King of the gods, granted the mortal eternal life and banished him to the island of Dilmun. Thousands of years later, when Sinbad the Sailor is shipwrecked and arrives on that very same island, the two begin a conversation about courage, loss, salvation and sacrifice.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA universe of blood, violence, and magic . . . A vigorous rendering of the remote past * Kirkus *\u003cbr\u003eStimulating . . . Calasso's style calls to mind [Italo] Calvino's dreamlike fabulism . . . and Parks's translation is beautifully rendered and gripping, maintaining Calasso's dreamlike tone . . . Calasso vividly creates a world of gods and humankind that is unfamiliar, poetic, and memorable. This slim volume packs a potent and thought-provoking punch * Publishers Weekly *\u003cbr\u003eThe 11th volume of the late Italian writer and polymath's investigation of ancient religion interprets Mesopotamian mythology to tell the story of Utnapishtim, an eternal figure who saved life on Earth from a catastrophic flood sent by vengeful and murderous gods * The New York Times *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732517106007,"sku":"9780141998459","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"the-oxford-history-of-the-roman-world-9780192802033","title":"The Oxford History of the Roman World","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn less than fifty-three years, Rome subjected most of the known world to its rule. Written by a team of specialist scholars, this book traces the rise of Rome from its origins as a cluster of villages to the foundation of the Empire and its consolidation in the first two centuries CE. It includes chapters on social and political history, the Emperors, art and architecture, and the works of the leading Roman poets, historians, and philosophers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview from previous edition From the reviews of The Oxford History of the Classical World:  'the book is truly excellent...the standard of the contributions is extraordinarily high' * Observer *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction ; 1. Early Rome and Italy ; 2. The Expansion of Rome ; 3. The First Roman Literature ; 4. Cicero and Rome ; 5. The Poets of the Late Republic ; 6. The Founding of the Empire ; 7. The Arts of Government ; 8. Augustan Poetry and Society ; 9. Virgil ; 10. Roman Historians ;   11. The Arts of Prose: The Early Empire ; 12. Silver Latin Poetry and the Latin Novel ; 13. Later Philosophy ; 14. The Arts of Living ; 15. Roman Life and Society ; 16. Roman Art and Architecture ; 17. Envoi: On Taking Leave of Antiquity ; Tables of Events ; Index","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732587950423,"sku":"9780192802033","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780192802033.jpg?v=1719997545"},{"product_id":"imperial-cults-religion-and-politics-in-the-early-han-and-roman-empires-9780197666043","title":"Imperial Cults Religion and Politics in the Early","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eImperial Cults looks at the role of religious institutions in shaping imperial authority in Ancient China and Rome. By examining the changes made by rulers of each state, Emperor Wu of Han and Octavian Augustus, in Rome, it demonstrates that both rulers reshaped their respective religious institutions in order to consolidate both religious and political authority.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a trailblazing comparative study that casts new light on the workings of the Han and Roman empires, Robinson compellingly analyzes how two of the most powerful rulers of the ancient world remade religious institutions to support their grand political ambitions.\" - Walter Scheidel, Dickason Professor in the Humanities and Professor of History, Stanford University\u003cbr\u003eImperial Cults is a brilliant work of comparative history that makes a significant contribution to our knowledge of the complex nexus of religion, politics, order, knowledge, authority, and power in these two ancient empires at crucial moments in their respective projects of imperial consolidation.\" - Carlos F. Noreña, Professor of History, University of California, Berkeley\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Introduction  2. Transitions to Empire in Early China and Rome  3. State Cult in Early China and Rome 4. Reshaping Religious Institutions 5. Expanding Influence  6. Communicating Imperial Authority  7. Redefining Ceremony  8. Conclusion Bibliography","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732671344983,"sku":"9780197666043","price":999.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"the-oxford-dictionary-of-nursery-rhymes-9780198600886","title":"The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom `A was an apple-pie' to `Yankee Doodle came to town', this classic dictionary brings together over 500 nursery rhymes, songs, nonsense jingles, lullabies, and rhyming alphabets traditionally handed on to young children. Each item comes with a unique set of notes recording its origins, publishing history, literary associations, variations, parodies, and parallels in other languages.  This second edition has been revised throughout to incorporate the results of recent bibliographical scholarship, and includes a new essay on the singing tradition of nursery rhymes by Cecily Raysor Hancock. 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The constellations we recognize today were first mapped by the ancient Greeks, who arranged the stars into patterns for that purpose. In the third century BC Eratosthenes compiled a handbook of astral mythology in which the constellations were associated with figures from legend, and myths were provided to explain how each person, creature, or object came to be placed in the sky. Thus we can see Heracles killing the Dragon, and Perseus slaying the sea-monster to save Andromeda; Orion chases the seven maidens transformed by Zeus into the Pleiades, and Aries, the golden ram, is identified flying up to the heavens. This translation brings together the later summaries from Eratosthenes'' lost handbook with a guide to astronomy compiled by Hyginus, librarian to Augustus. 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This is the first book in any language devoted to the werewolf tales that survive from antiquity, exploring their place alongside witches, ghosts, demons, and soul-flyers in a shared story-world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOgden sets out to prove that, in the ancient world, werewolves \"inhabited the same conceptual space...as sorcerers, witches, and ghosts,\" and succeeds admirably. * Debbie Felton, Religious Studies Review *\u003cbr\u003eOgden characteristically writes with verve, clarity, independent-mindedness and wit, and always displays an impressive breadth and depth of learning - grounded in a genuinely, not just superficially, multilingual study of previous scholarship-any reader who opens the present work can expect a treat. * Richard Buxton, GNOMON *\u003cbr\u003eSumming up, the importance of this work is undeniable: The Werewolf in the Ancient World is destined to become the reference treatise on lycanthropy in antiquity, and it certainly has what it takes to be so - not least, the author's familiarity with scholarly literature in languages other than English. * Tommaso Braccini, Universita di Siena, ARYS: Antiquity, Religions and Societies *\u003cbr\u003eThis book is packed full of source material for those who are keen to research more deeply into the phenomenon * J M Lashley, Cambridge Core *\u003cbr\u003eReaders will most certainly find lasting value in the many long translations of primary source materials marshalled in The Werewolf in the Ancient World, which will provide a useful refernce for all future discussions of the ancient and mysterious versipellis. * Scott Bruce, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *\u003cbr\u003eThe broad breadth of the book provides Ogden with a plethora of sources to consider, creating a thoroughly researched discussion and a meticulous sourcebook ... The Werewolf in the Ancient World is a rich scholarly resource ... Ogden's writing style is lively and engaging, creating an overall enjoyable and accessible read for scholars, students, and casual readers. * Julianne Rach, Ancient History Bulletin *\u003cbr\u003eDaniel Ogden's fascinating and wide-ranging study of the werewolf from ancient Greece to the Middle Ages also adopts the folklorist approach ... This fast-paced and well-researched book certainly has a broad appeal and will be both a classic study on the topic and a useful collection of ancient sources on werewolves. * Ivana Petrovic, Greece \u0026amp; Rome *\u003cbr\u003eThe Greeks had a word for writer-collectors of mirabilia, or wonderful, incredible things; they were known as \"paradoxographers.\" In The Werewolf in the Ancient World Ogden shows himself to be a keen contemporary paradoxographer. Combining detailed analysis of the sources with digressive reveries, he's aiming at \"a comprehensive sourcebook\" and has hunted across the centuries for buried items of lore, ranging from ancient Greek texts to Christian commentaries on pagan thinkers, then on to the medieval period, with busy digressions on Icelandic sagas, Grimm fairy tales, and Victorian ghost stories. In pursuit of his quarry, Ogden investigates sorcery, shapeshifting, initiation rites, mental derangement, spirit projection, and shamanic night flying, expounding with irrepressible enthusiasm on such things as werewolves' relations with ghosts, vampires, sorcerers, and witches. * Marina Warner, New York Review of Books *\u003cbr\u003eQuite probably the best book that will ever be written on the topic. * Gail Nina Anderson, The Fortean Times *\u003cbr\u003eThe Werewolf in the Ancient World represents an immense work of scholarship. It should be praised for not succumbing to the unusually common problem of hyper-fixation on a particular time period, so as to make it appear like the werewolf is not a myth that's existed since antiquity. Raher than focusing only on ancient Greece and Rome, Ogden works to point out how the tropes established by Petronius in the Satyricon repeatedly pop up in medieval and Renaissance era folklore, and even early 20th century works of fiction like Bram Stoker's \"Dracula's Guest\" (1914) and Guy Endore's \"Werewolf of Paris\" (1933). * Justin Mullis, AIPT *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction. Petronius, Werewolves, and Folklore 1: The Curse of the Werewolf: Witches and Sorcerers 2: Werewolves, Ghosts, and the Dead 3: The Werewolf Inside, and Out 4: Werewolves and Projected Souls 5: The Demon in a Wolfskin: A Werewolf at Temesa? 6: The Werewolves of Arcadia Conclusion: The World of Ancient Werewolves and their Stories Appendix A. Homer's Circe as a Witch Appendix B. Cynocephali Appendix C. False Werewolves: Dolon and the Luperci References Index","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732814901591,"sku":"9780198854319","price":27.54,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780198854319.jpg?v=1719998515"},{"product_id":"the-nature-of-the-gods-oxford-worlds-classics-9780199540068","title":"The Nature of the Gods Oxford Worlds Classics","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCicero's philosophical works are now exciting renewed interest, in part because he provides vital evidence of the views of the (largely lost) Greek philosophers of the Hellenistic age, and partly because of the light he casts on the intellectual life of first century Rome. This edition uses the 1997 Clarendon text by the acclaimed translator P.G. 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Informed by myth, this damning exploration of man's detachment from the animal world is ninth in a staggeringly learned series -- Stuart Jeffries * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Celestial Hunter\u003c\/i\u003e is an \"initiation through the book\", speculative but capable of changing how you see things -- Dominic Green * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eA spellbinding modern magus . . . he writes like a poet, not a professor, in glinting, enigmatic nuggets of narrative. At a moment when atavistic kinds of peril, awe and terror seem close at hand, it feels no great stretch to share Calasso's core belief that \"the gods always return\" -- Boyd Tonkin * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003eCalasso is especially good at describing the characters of myth and legend with a novelist's omniscient authority ... leaves you feeling not out of your depth, but smarter and better read -- A. E. Stallings * New York Times *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732989030743,"sku":"9780241296752","price":12.34,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780241296752.jpg?v=1719999177"},{"product_id":"the-mythology-book-9780241301913","title":"The Mythology Book","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLearn about compelling worlds and characters depicted in myths and legends in \u003ci\u003eThe Mythology Book.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePart of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. 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He is also Adjunct Professor of Religion at North Carolina State University. Professor Bowker's many books include the DK titles God: A Brief History and The Complete Bible Handbook. He lives in Cambridge.","brand":"Dorling Kindersley Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48733143302487,"sku":"9780241487389","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780241487389.jpg?v=1719999568"},{"product_id":"art-and-myth-of-the-ancient-maya-9780300263879","title":"Art and Myth of the Ancient Maya","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This is an important book which will have a lasting influence on Mesoamerican scholarship and serve as a model for generations to come. It is a compelling study that will open up new areas for investigation of Maya art and new methods for research.”—Claudia Brittenham, University of Chicago\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos has crafted a provocative book that addresses key aspects of Maya mythology, its narratives, variations, and relationships to other mythic traditions across Mesoamerica. It is an important book, both for its content and its methodological approach, which is novel and timely.”—Julia Guernsey, University of Texas at Austin","brand":"Yale University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48733518266711,"sku":"9780300263879","price":40.38,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780300263879.jpg?v=1720000400"},{"product_id":"pagan-paths-9780712611060","title":"Pagan Paths","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRevised 20th anniversary edition. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eEmbrace your magickal awakening with this essential guide to modern paganism. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom Wicca to Druidry, Shamanism to Heathenry, Paganism is bound together by a collection of spiritual paths that are rooted in the ancient religions of our world. In this enlightening guide, pioneer of the modern Pagan movement Pete Jennings introduces the core concepts of each unique strand of Paganism, explaining their foundations, beliefs and practices to help you in your own personal spiritual journey. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExploring magick, sacred sites, celebrations and organisations and the pivotal role of nature and the divine, this is your guide to finding the path that feels good and true to you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ean essential reference work...a simply written, highly accessible guide to the pagan way * Prediction *\u003cbr\u003ean excellent primer, taking in all the traditional earth-centred rituals as well as the more recent emergence of eco and cyber-paganism * The Times *","brand":"Ebury Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48736032686423,"sku":"9780712611060","price":14.24,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780712611060.jpg?v=1723810466"},{"product_id":"ancient-futures-9780712606561","title":"Ancient Futures","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHelena Norberg-Hodge is the founder and director of the International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC) and its predecessor, the Ladakh Project. 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Mikalson * The Classical Journal *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book derives from the Townsend Lectures given by Parker at Cornell in 2008, but its style is not noticeably different from that of Parker's two previous books.... Its scope is wider than those two works, both chronologically, dealing with material from the eighth to the second century BC, and geographically, covering the entire Greek world. Its ambition is also greater, in that its seven chapters and five appendices aim to provide an interpretation of Greek religion as a whole.... This is a very important book that everyone working in the field of Greek religion will have to read.\u003c\/p\u003e -- Hugh Bowden * The Journal of Hellenic Studies *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book is an important step in its author's scholarly journey in the field of ancient Greek religion.... This work is outstandingly well-informed, well-written, clever and also very cautious.\u003c\/p\u003e -- Vinciane Pirenne-Delforge * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis work, derived from a series of lectures given by the author at Cornell University in 2008, offers a discussion on a series of central questions in the domain of Greek religion. R. Parker achieves his goal with much \u003ci\u003emaestria\u003c\/i\u003e in this work, which is proof of an excellent knowledge of Greek religion, both ancient evidence and equal historiography, to which he returns frequently. To enrich his reflections, the author systematically echoes various interpretations of the issues he tackles, thus giving breadth to his analysis. 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The Early History of Hero Cult\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eBibliography\u003cbr\u003e Index\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cornell University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48737346814295,"sku":"9780801477355","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780801477355.jpg?v=1723811141"},{"product_id":"medusa-in-the-mirror-of-time-9781780230955","title":"Medusa: In the Mirror of Time","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMedusa, literally, petrifies: her face turned the ancients to stone. For Perseus and his patriarchal culture she was a dangerous female monster that had to be destroyed; for Dante she was the erotic power that could destroy men; Freud saw in her hair a nest of terrifying penises signaling castration. Yet in our time Medusa's reputation has improved: feminists see her as a noble victim of the patriarchy, and the designer Versace celebrates the lure of her mysterious face in a logo which stares at us from his ads for men's underwear, haute couture and exotic dinner-ware. In our modern culture she is once again a power-player demanding to be recognized; Medusa, it seems, still has the power to transfix us. Medusa: In the Mirror of Time explores how and why the mythical figure of the gorgon has become one of the most important and enduring ideas throughout human history. This book represents Medusa's biography, searching for the origins of the myth in cultures more ancient than Classical Greece. Ultimately it shows the Medusa myth to be a cultural dream, which continues to develop and change with our times. 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Bibliography Index","brand":"Reaktion Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48740989993303,"sku":"9781780230955","price":18.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781780230955.jpg?v=1720056234"},{"product_id":"sex-in-the-world-of-myth-9781780239774","title":"Sex in the World of Myth","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn Sex in the World of Myth, David Leeming argues that sex is as important in myths as it is in our lives. Myths are our cultural dreams, and sex is pervasive in all mythologies because it has obsessed and confused us like nothing else - what's more, sexual myths, like all myths, can serve many purposes. The reproductive acts of the ancient Greek goddess Gaia perhaps reflect a pre-Olympian matriarchal social system. The tales of the unbridled sexual deeds of the Polynesian Maui, and many others, speak to a natural fascination with the power and mystery of sexual drives.   Leeming demonstrates how even when such myths are meant to elicit laughter or titillation, the participation in them of sacred heroes and deities means they are in some sense religious - partial answers to the nature of existence in general, and human sexuality in particular.","brand":"Reaktion Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48740994351447,"sku":"9781780239774","price":21.25,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781780239774.jpg?v=1720056249"},{"product_id":"native-american-wisdom-sacred-texts-a-spiritual-tradition-at-one-with-nature-9781786781391","title":"Native American Wisdom - Sacred Texts: A Spiritual Tradition at One with Nature","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlthough there are major differences in the lifestyles of the numerous Native American nations, they share fundamental beliefs. 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From tales of creation and the first humans to apocalyptic battles at the end of time, explore the most thrilling tales in all mythology: thunder god Thor losing his hammer, Theseus callously abandoning Ariadne after defeating the Minotaur, Hindu god Shiva destroying his rival Kama with a blast of flame, Egyptian goddess Isis forcing the sun god to reveal his name … and much more.","brand":"Watkins Media Limited","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48741473059159,"sku":"9781786785732","price":18.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781786785732.jpg?v=1720057692"},{"product_id":"north-pole-nature-and-culture-9781789140088","title":"North Pole: Nature and Culture","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn North Pole, Michael Bravo explains how visions of the North Pole have been supremely important to the world's cultures and political leaders, from Alexander the Great to neo-Hindu nationalists. Tracing poles and polarity back to sacred ancient civilizations, this book explores how the idea of a North Pole has given rise to utopias, satires, fantasies, paradoxes and nationalist ideologies, from the Renaissance to the Third Reich.  The Victorian conceit of the polar regions as a vast empty wilderness, and the preserve of white males battling against the elements, was far from the only polar vision. Michael Bravo shows an alternative set of pictures, of a habitable Arctic criss-crossed by densely connected networks of Inuit routes, rich and dense in cultural meanings. In Western and Eastern cultures, theories of a sacred North Pole abound. Visions of paradise and a lost Eden have mingled freely with the imperial visions of Europe and the United States. Forebodings of failure and catastrophe have been companions to tales of conquest and redemption. Michael Bravo shows that visions of a sacred or living pole can help humanity understand its twenty-first-century predicament, but only by understanding the pole's deeper history.","brand":"Reaktion Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48741658034519,"sku":"9781789140088","price":999.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"moon-time-the-art-of-harmony-with-nature-and-lunar-cycles-9781844133000","title":"Moon Time: The Art of Harmony with Nature and","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eDirect perception and experience led our ancestors to the discovery that the success of many activities in daily life is subject to natural rhythms and the position and phases of the moon. \u003ci\u003eMoon Time\u003c\/i\u003e shows:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e* The way to a healthy life based on timeless knowledge that we have either forgotten or learned to   ignore\u003cbr\u003e* The influence of the moon and other natural rhythms on health and healing\u003cbr\u003e* Healthy nourishment and living in harmony within the cycles of the moon\u003cbr\u003e* The power of the mind\u003cbr\u003e* The influence of all these aspects on body, mind and spirit. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHere is knowledge that will stay with you for life. This is the medical science of the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEssential if you want to put your body back in tune with nature. * Daily Mail *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48742096109911,"sku":"9781844133000","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781844133000.jpg?v=1720060011"},{"product_id":"the-lunar-mansions-guide-rediscovering-the-western-lunar-zodiac-9781910531686","title":"The Lunar Mansions Guide: Rediscovering the","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book will provide you with the long-lost key to the traditional Western lunar mansions, also once known as the Manzils. In 'The Lunar Mansions Guide: Rediscovering the Western Lunar Zodiac', Oscar Hofman retrieves and regenerates this old and important technique which, in Western astrology at least, has become almost obsolete. His investigations were based on the critical evaluation of old texts, and on his extensive knowledge of the fixed stars, their natures and especially their mythological stories. The result of his hard work is demonstrated here in copious case studies, showing that the method is a wonderful tool suitable for use in natal, electional and predictive astrology. 'The Lunar Mansions Guide' makes the perfect companion to Oscar's previous book, 'Fixed Stars in the Chart', and will be welcomed by seasoned students as well as those who are new to the technique of lunar mansions.","brand":"Wessex Astrologer Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48742569738583,"sku":"9781910531686","price":16.65,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781910531686.jpg?v=1720061943"},{"product_id":"history-and-literature-of-early-christianity-9783110149708","title":"History and Literature of Early Christianity","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis work has established itself as a classical text in the field of New Testament studies. Written in a readable, non-technical style, it has become an indispensable textbook and reference for teachers, students, clergy, and the educated layperson interested in a scholarly treatment of the New Testament and its background in the Judaic and Greco-Roman world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"De Gruyter","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48743089570135,"sku":"9783110149708","price":49.05,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9783110149708.jpg?v=1720064063"},{"product_id":"mahagatha-puranon-se-100-kahaniyan-9789356995604","title":"Mahagatha: Puranon se 100 kahaniyan","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins India","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48743247970647,"sku":"9789356995604","price":17.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"fifth-sun-9780190673062","title":"Fifth Sun","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn November 1519, Hernando Cortés walked along a causeway leading to the capital of the Aztec kingdom and came face to face with Moctezuma. That story--and the story of what happened afterwards--has been told many times, but always following the narrative offered by the Spaniards. After all, we have been taught, it was the Europeans who held the pens. But the Native Americans were intrigued by the Roman alphabet and, unbeknownst to the newcomers, they used it to write detailed histories in their own language of Nahuatl. Until recently, these sources remained obscure, only partially translated, and rarely consulted by scholars. For the first time, in Fifth Sun, the history of the Aztecs is offered in all its complexity based solely on the texts written by the indigenous people themselves. Camilla Townsend presents an accessible and humanized depiction of these native Mexicans, rather than seeing them as the exotic, bloody figures of European stereotypes. The conquest, in this work, is neither an apocalyptic moment, nor an origin story launching Mexicans into existence. The Mexica people had a history of their own long before the Europeans arrived and did not simply capitulate to Spanish culture and colonization. Instead, they realigned their political allegiances, accommodated new obligations, adopted new technologies, and endured. This engaging revisionist history of the Aztecs, told through their own words, explores the experience of a once-powerful people facing the trauma of conquest and finding ways to survive, offering an empathetic interpretation for experts and non-specialists alike.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is admirable how Townsend exploits the details of microhistory based on Native accounts to answer bigger questions, reveal meanings behind particular events, and offer the reader macro-level conclusions ... through this book we actually experience the past rather than simply read about it. It is not only convincing; it is simply captivating. Townsend has the courage to resort to \"poetic license\", but even then we do not lose the sense of transparency as the endnotes provide a full disclosure, informing critical readers about exact sources, possible discrepancies, uncertainties about the facts, and the source of the historian's preferred interpretation. By combining deep reading of Native sources with reexperiencing the emotions of their actors and reliving their deeds and decisions, Townsend puts into practice an ideal of historical writing. * Justyna Olko *\u003cbr\u003eA revolutionary history. * Ben Ehrenreich, The Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eCamilla Townsend has made the extraordinary happen. She has written a chronological history of the Mexica (Aztecs) from their origins into the sixteenth century relying principally on documents that they themselves generated...Camilla Townsend has provided scholars and the reading public with a wonderful history of the Mexica. By relying closely on Native texts, she has avoided the tropes normally associated with books on the precontact populations of Mexico. The writing itself is lyrical...Everyone with any interest at all in Mexico should read this work. * John F. Schwaller, Hispanic American Historical Review *\u003cbr\u003eCamilla Townsend's incredibly compact and helpful Fifth Sun will serve equally well professional historians, upper-division undergraduate and graduate students, and the general public. * Andrae Marak, World History Connected *\u003cbr\u003eThis is the best book on the Aztecs yet written, full stop ... The value of Fifth Sun lies in how it rescues Aztecs and Nahuas from centuries of colonialist caricature and renders them human again - fully human, with flaws, people capable of brutal violence but also of deep love. * History Today *\u003cbr\u003eThis wonderfully fresh, readable new work invites you to reconsider everything you think you knew about them. * Jonathan Gordon, All About History *\u003cbr\u003eShows the Mexica empire in a fresh, thrilling new light. * Simon Sebag Montefiore,  Aspects of History  *\u003cbr\u003eSpanning the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries, this book recreates key moments in the Mexica past as the Mexica themselves experienced and remembered them. We meet real men and women whose actions changed the course of history. We see time as the Mexica did, a sequence of years extending unbroken from mythic origins to intrepid migration to imperial splendor to the challenges of living with the Spanish colonial presence. Never before has the Aztecs' own epic story been so vividly and engagingly recounted for readers of English. * Louise M. Burkhart, author of Aztecs on Stage: Religious Theater in Colonial Mexico *\u003cbr\u003eFrom the initial migration southward, to the second generation after the conquest, Fifth Sun is a masterful account of the history of the Aztecs in their own words. A whole world arises from the pages: vivid, complex, and much closer to us than expected. Townsend's understanding of the indigenous annals is unmatched, and her book reads like a novel. You simply cannot put it down. * Caterina Pizzigoni, author of The Life Within: Local Indigenous Society in Mexico's Toluca Valley, 1650-1800 *\u003cbr\u003eNever before has the political history of the Aztecs, who knew themselves as the Mexica, been told with such sweeping élan. Townsend brings keen insight into the motivations of the players, be they seasoned warriors, shackled slaves, or calculating concubines. Her gripping narrative, underscoring Aztec tenacity and endurance before and beyond the Spanish conquest, is sure to captivate readers. * Barbara Mundy, author of The Death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the Life of Mexico City *\u003cbr\u003eCamilla Townsend has an unusually profound understanding of Nahua culture, before and during the colonial period. She also has a rare set of research, linguistic, and writing skills. That combination of expertise and talent make her uniquely positioned to offer us a new book on the Aztecs, one that manages to be-despite the plethora of existing studies-both original and mandatory reading. This is a page-turner that is nonetheless packed with new insights and interpretations. * Matthew Restall, author of When Montezuma Met Cortés: The True Story of the Meeting That Changed History *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments Mexica Royal Family Tree Introduction           Chapter 1: Genghis Khan on Foot        Chapter 2: People of the Valley          Chapter 3: The City on the Lake        Chapter 4: Strangers to Us People Here        Chapter 5: A War to End All Wars        Chapter 6: Early Days          Chapter 7: Crisis: The Indians Talk Back        Chapter 8: The Grandchildren         Epilogue  Notes Annotated Bibliography    Index","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864201212247,"sku":"9780190673062","price":24.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"the-gnostic-new-age-9780231170772","title":"The Gnostic New Age","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRevealing the origins of today’s spirituality in the Gnostic tradition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA paradigm shift in our understanding of religion, breaking new ground in scholarship on Gnosticism. -- Birger A. Pearson, author of \u003ci\u003eAncient Gnosticism: Traditions and Literature\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnyone interested in New Age spirituality in all its diversity and fullness will savor the pages of DeConick's latest masterpiece. Her portraits of ancient 'Gnostic' movements are provocative and compelling; finding connections between these ancient worldviews and our own through popular culture and movies is a stroke of absolute genius. -- Nicola Denzey Lewis, author of \u003ci\u003eIntroduction to Gnosticism: Hidden Voices, Ancient Worlds\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDeConick has produced a fascinating, provocative, and readable interpretation of the Gnostic and Gnosticism. She emphasizes the transgressive nature of Gnostic spirituality, which confronted typical ancient spiritualities that made human beings subservient to the gods. Her book is a brave new salvo in the ongoing Gnostic Wars. -- Brent Landau, author of \u003ci\u003eRevelation of the Magi: The Lost Tale of the Wise Men's Journey to Bethlehem\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eScholarship on the histories of Gnosticism, esotericism, and mysticism has long glowed at the radioactive core of the comparative study of religion. April D. DeConick's work shines in this lineage. She demonstrates in rich detail how a new spiritual orientation that looks to a transcendent hidden God and engages in a radical criticism of ecclesial religion was first articulated in the ancient period and then resonated through the centuries to the present day, where it can best be seen in contemporary popular culture, film, and New Age thought, revelation, and experience. Enter the Gnostic New Age. -- Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Serpent's Gift: Gnostic Reflections on the Study of Religion\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDeConick offers a valuable corrective to the recent reluctance of many scholars to use the term Gnosticism. For her, Gnosticism is not so much an identifiable religion as it is a form of late-antique spirituality, an attempt to consciously realize that the essential human self is nothing less than the supreme divinity's very own life essence lying dormant and unrecognized within the core human self, waiting to be awakened and reunite with its divine source. DeConick illustrates this spirituality as analogous to various modern New Age movements reflected in contemporary literature and cinema. -- John D. Turner, coauthor of \u003ci\u003ePlato's Parmenides and Its Heritage, vol. 1: History and Interpretation from the Old Academy to Later Platonism and Gnosticism\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDeConick has forcefully and elegantly thrown herself into the current scholarly debate on the Gnostics. In a book that is both rich in historical detail and passionate for deeper understanding, she argues not only that Gnostic spirituality provided a transformative and liberating experience for ancient devotees but also, even more, that it can challenge and subvert the views of religious questers of the present, illuminating the modern search for spiritual truth. -- Bart Ehrman, author of \u003ci\u003eJesus Before the Gospels: How the Earliest Christians Remembered, Changed, and Invented Their Stories of the Savior\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA readable and engaging overview of ancient Gnostic beliefs and practices (in all their wild diversity) and a clear, meaningful guide for making sense of the often-chaotic source materials. . . . [\u003ci\u003eThe Gnostic New Age\u003c\/i\u003e] is sure to become a reference point for scholarly debate. * Choice *\u003cbr\u003eDeConick’s work is carefully researched, convincingly argued, and refreshingly accessible. * Reading Religion *\u003cbr\u003eThe indisputable merit of DeConick’s approach is that it allows us to grasp shifts that have been taking place in the articulations of gnosticism over long periods of time. -- Fryderyk Kwiatkowski * Gnosis: Journal of Gnostic Studies *\u003cbr\u003eIn this engaging and provacative book, April D. DeConick enters the continuing discussion of how to define and interpret Gnosticism. -- David Brakke * Journal of Religion *\u003cbr\u003eThe author has performed a great service by showing the historical and continuing role of transgressive spirituality based on personal experience and representing a massive Gnostic awakening in our time. * Paradigm Explorer *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction\u003cbr\u003e1. The Matrix of Ancient Spirituality\u003cbr\u003e2. The Gnostic True Man\u003cbr\u003e3. Superpowers and Monsters\u003cbr\u003e4. Paul and Gnostic Dogma\u003cbr\u003e5. John and the Dark Cosmos\u003cbr\u003e6. Gnostic Altered States\u003cbr\u003e7. Hell Walks and Star Treks\u003cbr\u003e8. Spiritual Avatars\u003cbr\u003e9. The Pi of Politics\u003cbr\u003e10. Pleasantville Religions\u003cbr\u003e11. Gnosticism Out on a Limb\u003cbr\u003eBibliography\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eEnglish Translation of Gnostic Sources\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFilmography\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eIndex","brand":"Columbia University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864255246679,"sku":"9780231170772","price":20.9,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780231170772.jpg?v=1722271093"},{"product_id":"queens-of-the-wild-9780300273342","title":"Queens of the Wild","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA concise history of the goddess-like figures who evade both Christian and pagan traditions, from the medieval period to the present day\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Europe’s pagan traditions never seem to have been stamped out. Instead, parts of them have been with us all along, as [Hutton] demonstrates in his sprightly—and spritely—account of four female figures: Mother Earth; the Fairy Queen; the Lady of the Night; and the Cailleach of the Gaelic tradition.”—Peter Stanford, \u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Hutton’s arguments are thoughtful and convincing. . . . [He] propose[s] these archetypes as ‘new superhuman figures which operated outside of Christian cosmology.’”—Elizabeth Dearnley, \u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This is Hutton at his most accessible. . . . It’s tempting but unsound to deduce that these commanding figures who stalk legend and poetry are the remnants of a pre-Christian religion, not least because Hutton unpicks the common assumption that an archaic, peaceful goddess- and Earth-worshipping culture predated a male-dominated sky religion.”—Suzi Feay, \u003ci\u003eSpectator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“What an extraordinary historian Ronald Hutton is. . . . Hutton’s account is an investigation not just into pagan goddess figures but into our abiding capacity to believe what we want to believe, and about how fashion governs thought. It’s salutary.”—Melanie McDonagh, \u003ci\u003eThe Tablet\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Rather than being a pedant seeking to disenchant the world, Hutton treats mistakes and inventions as parts of the biographies of his superhuman subjects. Throughout, he is authoritative yet open-minded, scholarly without being needlessly combative.”—George Morris, \u003ci\u003eLiterary Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“From the first chapter on I was hooked, delighted by the way of the author’s clear, objective, rigorous but kindly thoughtful voice reads out from the pages; a wise voice indeed but also a hugely entertaining one.”—Eva Humphrey-Lahti, \u003ci\u003eDruid Network\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“With his books on (to give only a selection) druids, witches and the ritual year, Ronald Hutton has established himself as a leading authority on paganism.”—Tom Shippey, \u003ci\u003eLondon Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The book is a delight, beautifully designed and readable.”—\u003ci\u003eGreenmantle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Complete with some wonderful, coloured illustrations, extensive notes and index, this is a must for anyone interested in the discussion concerning Pagan Survival.”—Morgana Over, \u003ci\u003eWiccan Rede\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A wonderful book, deeply thoughtful and engaging, packed with great research and thought-provoking ideas.”—Marion Gibson, author of \u003ci\u003eWitchcraft: The Basics\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This splendid book greatly expands our knowledge of how apparently pagan divine figures of European tradition evolved. By deftly showing what we know—and what we only \u003ci\u003ethink\u003c\/i\u003e we know—the author illuminates how these figures have mattered over the centuries, and continue to do so.”—Mark Williams, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Celtic Myths that Shape the Way We Think\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“England’s favourite historian has done it again! In this series of essays, he traces the histories of four popular feminine figures from folklore, showing us the vitality of human creativity and its shaping of tradition even under periods of religious domination.”—Sabina Magliocco, author of \u003ci\u003eWitching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Yale University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864353452375,"sku":"9780300273342","price":12.88,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780300273342.jpg?v=1722271555"},{"product_id":"mythology-9780316438520","title":"Mythology","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis deluxe edition of the world''s most beloved, bestselling classic on Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology is stunningly illustrated with specially commissioned full-color plates and a beautiful gold-bordered pages.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Since its original publication in 1942, Edith Hamilton''s \u003ci\u003eMythology\u003c\/i\u003e has sold millions of copies throughout the world and established itself as a perennial bestseller. For nearly 80 years, readers have chosen\u003ci\u003eMythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes\u003c\/i\u003e above all other books to discover the enchanting world of Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology -- from Odysseus''s adventure-filled journey to Odin''s effort to postpone the final day of doom. This deluxe, hardcover edition is illustrated throughout with specially commissioned, original artwork and beautifully illustrated lineages, making it a true collector''s item.","brand":"Black Dog \u0026 Leventhal Publishers Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864413188439,"sku":"9780316438520","price":22.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780316438520.jpg?v=1722271827"},{"product_id":"the-masque-of-africa-9780330472043","title":"The Masque of Africa","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eV. S. Naipaul was born in Trinidad in 1932. He came to England on a scholarship in 1950. He spent four years at University College, Oxford, and began to write, in London, in 1954. He pursued no other profession.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis novels include \u003ci\u003eA House for Mr Biswas\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Mimic Men\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGuerrillas\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eA Bend in the River\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Enigma of Arrival\u003c\/i\u003e. In 1971 he was awarded the Booker Prize for \u003ci\u003eIn a Free State\u003c\/i\u003e. His works of nonfiction, equally acclaimed, include \u003ci\u003eAmong the Believers\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBeyond Belief\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Masque of Africa\u003c\/i\u003e, and a trio of books about India: \u003ci\u003eAn Area of Darkness\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eIndia: A Wounded Civilization\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eIndia: A Million Mutinies Now\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1990, V. S. Naipaul received a knighthood for services to literature; in 1993, he was the first recipient of the David Cohen British Literature Prize. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. He lived with his wife Nadira and cat Augustus in Wiltshire, and died in 20\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCompelling, insightful, often somberly beautiful. * Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eNaipaul travels, he asks, he listens attentively and, above all else, he notices, often seeing what others do not or cannot. That acute gift has never left him . . . he is sustained by the old ideal of unadorned truth-telling. * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eThe quality of Naipaul’s writing – simple, concise, engaging – rarely varies . . . Above all, Naipaul’s latest African journey is eyewitness reporting at its best. * Time *\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pan Macmillan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864438223191,"sku":"9780330472043","price":12.34,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780330472043.jpg?v=1722271946"},{"product_id":"mythology-9780446574754","title":"Mythology","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe world-renowned classic that has enthralled and delighted millions of readers with its timeless tales of gods and heroes.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEdith Hamilton''s mythology succeeds like no other book in bringing to life for the modern reader the Greek, Roman and Norse myths that are the keystone of Western culture-the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe follow the drama of the Trojan War and the wanderings of Odysseus. We hear the tales of Jason and the Golden Fleece, Cupid and Psyche, and mighty King Midas. We discover the origins of the names of the constellations. And we recognize reference points for countless works for art, literature and culture inquiry--from Freud''s Oedipus complex to Wagner''s Ring Cycle of operas to Eugene O''Neill''s \u003ci\u003eMourning Becomes Electra.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBoth a reference text for scholars of all ages and a book to simply enjoy, \u003ci\u003eMythology \u003c\/i\u003eis a classic not to be missed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little, Brown \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864606454103,"sku":"9780446574754","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780446574754.jpg?v=1722272699"},{"product_id":"the-complete-world-of-greek-mythology-complete-series-9780500251218","title":"The Complete World of Greek Mythology Complete","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA retelling of Greek myths is combined here with a comprehensive account of the world in which the myths developed - their themes, their relevance to Greek religion and society, and their relationship to the landscape.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A superb introduction' - The Scotsman","brand":"Thames \u0026 Hudson Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864763609431,"sku":"9780500251218","price":23.8,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780500251218.jpg?v=1722273127"},{"product_id":"mystery-cults-in-the-ancient-world-9780500297278","title":"Mystery Cults in the Ancient World","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA landmark study of ancient Greek and Roman cults, from the nocturnal mysteries at Eleusis to the cults of Dionysus and Mithras.     Mystery cults are one of the most intriguing areas of Greek and Roman religion. In the nocturnal mysteries at Eleusis, participants dramatically re-enacted the story of Demeter's loss and recovery of her daughter Persephone; in Bacchic cult, bands of women ran wild in the Greek countryside to honour Dionysus; in the mysteries of Mithras, men came to understand the nature of the universe and their place within it through frightening initiation ceremonies and astrological teachings.     These cults were an important part of life in the ancient Mediterranean world, but their actual practices were shrouded in secrecy, and much of what they were about has remained unclear until now. This is the first book to describe and explain all the major mystery cults of the ancient world, cult by cult, reconstructing the rituals and exploring their origins. It makes plen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A wonderful revelation. Piece by archaeological and textual piece, Bowden jigsaw-puzzles together the heady, high-octane, highly-charged world of mystery ritual in Greece and Rome' - Bettany Hughes\u003cbr\u003e'Bowden debunks an impressive number of myths about ancient mystery religions' - Mary Beard, Times Literary Supplement\u003cbr\u003e'Will be of immense value not just to those studying Greek and Roman civilizations but to students of early Christianity ... a most valuable survey' - Contemporary Review\u003cbr\u003e'As clear and well-informed an account as one could imagine. In a highly accessible way Hugh Bowden puts together the literary and material evidence. Well-paced and an attractive read' - Robin Osborne, Professor of Ancient History, University of Cambridge\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction \u003cbr\u003e 1. The Eleusinian Mysteries \u003cbr\u003e 2. The Mysteries of the Kabeiroi and the Great Gods of Samothrace \u003cbr\u003e 3. Other Mystery Sanctuaries in the Greek World \u003cbr\u003e 4. The Mother of the Gods \u003cbr\u003e 5. Dionysus \u003cbr\u003e 6. Private Initiation \u003cbr\u003e 7. Words Written on Gold \u003cbr\u003e 8. Isis \u003cbr\u003e 9. Mithras \u003cbr\u003e 10. The End of the Mysteries \u003cbr\u003e 11. Encountering the Sacred \u003cbr\u003e Map of Mediterranean and Near East","brand":"Thames \u0026 Hudson Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864801456471,"sku":"9780500297278","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780500297278.jpg?v=1722273164"},{"product_id":"the-homeric-hymns-a-translation-with-introduction-and-notes-9780520282117","title":"The Homeric Hymns  A Translation with","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Homeric Hymns have survived for two and a half millennia because of their captivating stories, beautiful language, and religious significance. This book incorporates twenty-eight new lines in the first Hymn to Dionysos, along with expanded notes, a new preface, and an enhanced bibliography.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface Acknowledgements Map  Introduction 1. Dionysos 2. Demeter 3. Apollo 4. Hermes 5. Aphrodite 6. Aphrodite 7. Dionysos 8. Ares 9. Artemis 10. Aphrodite 11. Athena 12. Hera 13. Demeter 14. Mother of the Gods 15. Herakles 16. Asklepios 17. Dioskouroi 18. Hermes 19. Pan 20. Hephaistos 21. Apollo 22. Poseidon 23. Zeus 24. Hestia 25. The Muses, Apollo, and Zeus 26. Dionysos 27. Artemis 28. Athena 29. Hestia and Hermes 30. Gaia 31. Helios 32. Selene 33. Dioskouroi 34. Xenoi  Notes Select Bibliography Glossary","brand":"University of California Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864894583127,"sku":"9780520282117","price":18.9,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780520282117.jpg?v=1722273268"},{"product_id":"the-life-of-the-syrian-saint-barsauma-9780520304178","title":"The Life of the Syrian Saint Barsauma","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAndrew N. Palmer's vivid translation of the Syriac Life of Barsauma opens a fascinating window onto the ancient Middle East, seen through the life and actions of one of its most dramatic and ambiguous characters: the monk Barsauma, ascetic hero to some, religious terrorist to others. The Life takes us into the eye of the storm that raged around Christian attempts to define the nature of Christ in the great Council of Chalcedon, the effect of which was to split the growing Church irrevocably, with the Oriental Orthodox on one side and Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic on the other. Previously known only in extracts, this ancient text is now finally brought to readers in its entirety, casting dramatic new light on the relations among pagans, Jews, and Christians in the Holy Land and on the role of religious violence, real or imagined, in the mental world of a Middle East as shot through with conflict as it is today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction\u003cbr\u003e Overview of the \u003ci\u003eLife of Barsauma\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The \u003ci\u003eLife of Barsauma\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"University of California Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864912539991,"sku":"9780520304178","price":18.9,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780520304178.jpg?v=1722273286"},{"product_id":"the-wandering-holy-man-the-life-of-barsauma-christian-asceticism-and-religious-conflict-in-late-antique-palestine-60-transformation-of-the-classical-heritage-9780520304147","title":"The Wandering Holy Man The Life of Barsauma","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBarsauma was a fifth-century Syrian ascetic, archimandrite, and leader of monks, notorious for his extreme asceticism and violent anti-Jewish campaigns across the Holy Land. Although Barsauma was a powerful and revered figure in the Eastern church, modern scholarship has widely dismissed him as a thug of peripheral interest. Until now, only the most salacious bits of the Life of Barsaumaa fascinating collection of miracles that Barsauma undertook across the Near Easthad been translated. This pioneering study includes the first full translation of the Life and a series of studies by scholars employing a range of methods to illuminate the text from different angles and contexts. This is the authoritative source on this influential figure in the history of the church and his life, travels, and relations with other religious groups.    \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of Illlustrations \u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgments \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Introduction \u003cbr\u003e Volker Menze\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 1. Barsauma and the Emperors \u003cbr\u003e Simon Corcoran\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 2. Ascetic History and Rhetoric in the Life of Barsauma \u003cbr\u003e Cornelia B. Horn\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 3. Barsauma’s Travels to the Holy Land and Jewish History \u003cbr\u003e Günter Stemberger\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 4. Barsauma, Eudocia, Jerusalem, and the Temple Mount \u003cbr\u003e Jan Willem Drijvers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 5. Cleansing the Sacred Space: The Holy Land and Its Inhabitants in the Pilgrimage \u003cbr\u003e Narrative of Barsauma \u003cbr\u003e Reuven Kiperwasser and Serge Ruzer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 6. “It is not lawful for Samaritans to have dealings with Christians!”\u003cbr\u003e Samaritans in the Life of Barsauma\u003cbr\u003e Johannes Hahn\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 7. Wandering Monks Remembered: Hagiography in the Lives of Alexander the \u003cbr\u003e Sleepless and Barsauma the Mourner \u003cbr\u003e Daniel F. Caner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Conclusion: Barsauma between Hagiography and History \u003cbr\u003e Johannes Hahn\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Appendix: The Life of Barsauma \u003cbr\u003e Andrew Palmer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Bibliography \u003cbr\u003e List of Contributors\u003cbr\u003e Index","brand":"University of California Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864912703831,"sku":"9780520304147","price":64.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780520304147.jpg?v=1722273286"},{"product_id":"creating-the-quran-9780520389038","title":"Creating the Quran","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of California Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48864927416663,"sku":"9780520389038","price":27.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780520389038.jpg?v=1722273300"},{"product_id":"crow-from-the-life-and-songs-of-the-crow-faber-poetry-9780571099153","title":"Crow From the Life and Songs of the Crow Faber","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eCrow\u003c\/i\u003e was Ted Hughes''s fourth book of poems for adults and a pivotal moment in his writing career. In it, he found both a structure and a persona that gave his vision a new power and coherence. A deep engagement with history, mythology and the natural world combine to forge a work of impressive and unsettling force.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  ''English poetry has found a new hero and nobody will be able to read or write verse now without the black shape of Crow falling across the page.'' Peter Porter\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Faber \u0026 Faber","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48865089880407,"sku":"9780571099153","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780571099153.jpg?v=1722273520"},{"product_id":"our-divine-double-9780674287198","title":"Our Divine Double","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat if you were to discover that you were only one half of a whole—that you had a divine double? In the second and third centuries CE, Charles Stang shows, this idea gripped the religious imagination of the Eastern Mediterranean, offering a distinctive understanding of the self that has survived in various forms down to the present.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eOur Divine Double\u003c\/i\u003e is intellectually rich and historically detailed. \u003cb\u003eStang\u003c\/b\u003e asks readers to contemplate a theological and philosophical ‘road not taken,’ one that might challenge various Christian orthodoxies of the self and the divine. The book is a triumph; Stang has uncovered an unacknowledged but vital strain of thinking about God and the cosmos that generated centuries of productive thinking about the ‘I’ and the ‘Other.’ -- Andrew Jacobs, Scripps College\u003cbr\u003eIn this lively, insightful book, \u003cb\u003eStang\u003c\/b\u003e tackles a major problem in the history of ancient religion, and sheds much light on a forgotten chapter in the archaeology of the person. Major instances, such as Thomas, Jesus’s twin brother, and Mani’s heavenly twin, are studied in the context of a Platonic tradition going from Socrates’s daimon to Plotinus. -- Guy Stroumsa, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and University of Oxford\u003cbr\u003eStang breathes life into scholarship and provides a new understanding of traditions about which we thought there was nothing new to learn…There is something wild, infectious, even mad in this book. Stang embraces cognitive and existential impossibilities under the rubric of ‘our divine double,’ and yet, through his careful and cadenced presentation of these paradoxes, Stang tames the madness and leads his readers in; he offers us a taste of bi-unity; he allows us to feel the touch of Plato’s heaven-sent madness. -- Gregory Shaw * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *\u003cbr\u003eThis work is a top-class piece of scholarship and Stang is to be commended for his hands-on approach to primary materials—Coptic, Syriac, and Middle Persian are just a few of the languages he employed to bring this study to fruition…\u003ci\u003eOur Divine Double\u003c\/i\u003e can truly be called an original contribution to scholarship and it is a most captivating read. -- Daniel J. Tolan * Reading Religion *\u003cbr\u003eStang’s book is compelling in its devotion to an ancient search for a way to ‘our higher self’…Opening his own creative process in formulating \u003ci\u003eOur Divine Double\u003c\/i\u003e has proven a distinctive and valuable achievement, partly because it also lays open philological disintegrations, and significant reorientations in the house of intellect. -- Karl F. Morrison * Medieval Review *","brand":"Harvard University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48865486242135,"sku":"9780674287198","price":41.61,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780674287198.jpg?v=1722274199"},{"product_id":"orpheus-and-greek-religion-9780691024998","title":"Orpheus and Greek Religion","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe tales told of Orpheus are legion. He is said to have been an Argonaut - and to have saved Jason's life. Did Orpheus, in fact, exist? His influence on Greek thought is undeniable, but his disciples left little of substance behind them. This work attempts to uncover and define Orphism by following its circuitous path through ancient history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[T]he books ascribed to Hermes ... fall into two divisions, the technical and the philosophical, which Fowden treats separately... [His] scholarly survery makes an excellent foundation for further study of points of detail and of paganism in general. Shadow\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of illustrationsForeword to the Mythos editionPrefaceCh. IFamous OrpheusCh. IIWhat Is Meant by Orphism?Ch. IIIOrpheus and His StoryCh. IVThe Creation and the Gods as Presented by OrpheusCh. VThe Future Life as Seen by OrpheusCh. VILife and Practices of the Follower of OrpheusCh. VIIOrpheus and Other Greek Religious ThinkersCh. VIIIOrpheus in the Hellenistic and Graeco-Roman WorldBibliographyNotesGeneral IndexBibliographical Index","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48865515143511,"sku":"9780691024998","price":38.25,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780691024998.jpg?v=1722274339"},{"product_id":"the-origins-of-monsters-9780691159041","title":"The Origins of Monsters","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCan cognitive science explain the potency of such images? Does evolutionary psychology hold a key to understanding the transmission of symbols? How is our making and perception of images influenced by institutions and technologies? This title deals with these questions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Few archaeologists would venture into as many regions or across as many disciplinary boundaries as David Wengrow does in his eloquent and ambition analysis.\"--Christina Riggs, Times Literary Supplement \"The Origins of Monsters is a fascinating exposition of the archaeology of the ancient world as a topic that has current resonance. Well written and presented, wonderfully informed and confident, it is well placed to achieve Wengrow's worthy ambition to start a particular dialogue between disciplinary approaches to the topic of monsters.\"--Michael Punt, Leonardo Reviews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of Illustrations xi  Acknowledgments xv  Introduction 1  1 Image and Economy in the Ancient World: The Bronze Age of Mikhail Rostovtzeff 8  2 Materials for an Epidemiology of Culture 19  3 The Hidden Shaman: Fictive Anatomy in Paleolithic and Neolithic Art 33  4 Urban Creations: The Cultural Ecology of Composite Animals 50  5 Counterintuitive Images and the Mechanical Arts 74  6 Modes of Image Transfer: Transformative, Integrative, Protective 88  CONCLUSION Persistent, but Not Primordial: Emergent Properties of Cognition 108  Notes 113  References 133  Index 161","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48865529299287,"sku":"9780691159041","price":999.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"gods-and-robots-9780691183510","title":"Gods and Robots","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eTraces the story of how ancient cultures envisioned artificial life, automata, self-moving devices and human enhancements, sharing insights into how the mythologies of the past related to and shaped ancient machine innovations.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"One of BookAuthority’s Three Best New Robotics Audiobooks To Read in 2019\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Absorbing. . . . [Mayor is] an accessible and engaging writer.\"\u003cb\u003e---Peter Thonemann, \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"In her new book, \u003ci\u003eGods and Robots\u003c\/i\u003e, Adrienne Mayor draws comparisons between mythical androids and ancient robots and the AI of today. . . . Through detailed storytelling and careful analysis of popular myths, Mayor urges readers to consider lessons learned from these stories as we set about creating a new world with AI. . . . Wonderful storytelling, thorough research, and impressive expertise.\"\u003cb\u003e---Sarah Olson, \u003ci\u003eScience\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A fascinating unpacking of ancient myths that feature robots and other lifelike beings, some of which bear an eerie resemblance to modern technology. . . . In her insightful analyses of these tales, Mayor is approachable and engaging, and she infuses many familiar stories with new energy in the context of technology. She adroitly explores the ethical aspects of artificial life, addressing big questions about sentience and agency through the lens of ancient ideas. She also makes a convincing argument that these imagined machines anticipated advances that are considered cutting-edge today. Ultimately, she leaves readers in awe of these thinkers who dreamed of ‘androids’ long before it was conceivable to build them. A collection of wondrous tales that present ancient myths as the proto-science fiction stories they are.\" * Kirkus *\u003cbr\u003e\"The Greeks thought of everything, including sci-fi tropes such as androids and artificial intelligence, according to this lively study of mythology and technology. . . . Mayor’s exploration of the endless inventiveness of the Greek imagination makes for an engrossing read.\" * Publishers Weekly *\u003cbr\u003e\"It is a place where megalomaniac leaders with an insatiable appetite for knowledge develop artificial intelligence and robots that pose grave dangers to humanity. Silicon Valley? No, Greek mythology.\"\u003cb\u003e---Mark Bridge, \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Dr. Mayor urges top tech bosses to closely analyse the stories of the Greeks as we close in on a future dominated by automated technologies.\"\u003cb\u003e---Harry Pettit, \u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This is an excellent source book for confronting political and technological hubris then and now, the earliest arguable traces of modern fears.\"\u003cb\u003e---Peter Stothard, \u003ci\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The Greeks [Mayor argues] envisioned . . . advanced technological artifacts driven by internal machinery [and] establishes the engineered nature of androids like Talos and Pandora. [Her] close analysis finds echoes of real historical techniques [and] nicely refutes those critics who might claim that artificial life achieved through engineering was an idea beyond the conceptual horizon of the ancients.\"\u003cb\u003e---William A. Wilson, \u003ci\u003eWeekly Standard\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[An] astonishing chronicle.\"\u003cb\u003e---Barbara Kiser, \u003ci\u003eNature\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Adrienne Mayor entertainingly re-examines the various versions of these myths that survive in written and visual form and speculates about their origins.\" * The Economist *\u003cbr\u003e\"In \u003ci\u003eGods and Robots\u003c\/i\u003e, Adrienne Mayor describes how, more than 2,500 years before the modern computer, people told tales of autonomous machines that could labor, entertain, kill and seduce. . . . 'The age-old stories,' she writes, 'raise questions of free will, slavery, the origins of evil, man’s limits, and what it means to be human.'\"\u003cb\u003e---Matthew Hutson, \u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"In a breezy and thought-provoking account, Mayor describes how ancient Greek, Roman, Indian and Chinese myths expressed hopes and fears about human-made life long before conversational robots and computer chess champions flexed their algorithms.\"\u003cb\u003e---Bruce Bower, \u003ci\u003eScience News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] brilliant book.\" * Enlightened Economist *\u003cbr\u003e\"In her remarkable book \u003ci\u003eGods and Robots: Machines, Myths, and Ancient Dreams of Technology\u003c\/i\u003e, Stanford Professor Adrienne Mayor gives a literate and creative history of the notion of delegating power and giving orders to man-made entities.\"\u003cb\u003e---Michael Munger, \u003ci\u003eAmerican Institute of Economic Research\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Beautifully written.\"\u003cb\u003e---Candida Moss, \u003ci\u003eDaily Beast\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[A] masterful retelling of ancient tales.\"\u003cb\u003e---Clara Bosak-Schroeder, \u003ci\u003eBryn Mawr Classical Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"There is much to intrigue the general reader, with enough to challenge the more academic reader.\"\u003cb\u003e---Cath Milnes, \u003ci\u003eClassics for All Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Mayor’s account works so well . . . because she assembles . . . fragments of images to generate a rich visual tapestry . . . The greatest strength of \u003ci\u003eGods and Robots\u003c\/i\u003e is that it gives us a framework and a set of familiar stories with which we can negotiate our own times.\"\u003cb\u003e---Michael John Goodman, \u003ci\u003eBritish Society for Literature and Science\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eGods and Robots \u003c\/i\u003eturned out to be a fascinating book on an unusual subject.\" * The Inquisitive Biologist *\u003cbr\u003e\"Adrienne Mayor writes jargon-free prose laced with wit.\"\u003cb\u003e---Barry Baldwin, \u003ci\u003eFortean Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The questions [Mayor] raises are significant and timely.\"\u003cb\u003e---Ivana Petrovic, \u003ci\u003eGreece and Rome\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This is a wonderful ‘eureka’ book for anyone in search of the deep origin story of robotics and AI . . . and a possible epiphany for Marvel fans and science-fiction and fantasy readers looking for more back story on their favorite superheroes.\"\u003cb\u003e---Emily E. Auger, \u003ci\u003eMythlore Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eGods and Robots\u003c\/i\u003e is an excellent discussion of ancient ideas of technology and the potential such technology had to transform the ancient world and to inform the contemporary one. . . .[this book provides] a key introduction to the field of classical reception.\"\u003cb\u003e---Alan Chadwick, \u003ci\u003eJournal of Classics Teaching\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eGods and Robots\u003c\/i\u003e is an absorbing study of ancient mythological and historical automata that explores their origins and significance in the ancient and modern worlds. It will intrigue anyone interested in mythology, ancient and modern robotics, and the genesis of artificial intelligence.\"\u003cb\u003e---Georgina J. Henderson, \u003ci\u003eTechnology and Culture\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48865541980503,"sku":"9780691183510","price":22.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780691183510.jpg?v=1722274472"},{"product_id":"gods-and-robots-9780691202266","title":"Gods and Robots","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"One of BookAuthority’s Three Best New Robotics Audiobooks To Read in 2019\"","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48865545584983,"sku":"9780691202266","price":15.19,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780691202266.jpg?v=1722274491"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/collections\/ancient-religions-and-mythologies.oembed?page=5","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}