
- 164 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
In Praise of Polytheism
About this book
What ancient polytheistic religions can teach us about building inclusive and equitable futures
At the heart of this book is a simple comparison: monotheistic religions are exclusive, whereas ancient polytheistic religions are inclusive. In this thought-provoking book, Maurizio Bettini, one of today’s foremost classicists, uses the expansiveness of ancient polytheism to shine a bright light on a darker corner of our modern times.
It can be easy to see ancient religions as inferior, less free, and remote from shared visions of an inclusive world. But, as Bettini deftly shows, many ancient practices tended to produce results aligned with contemporary progressive values, like pluralism and diversity. In Praise of Polytheism does not chastise the modern world or blame monotheism for our woes but rather shows in clear, sharp prose how much we can learn from ancient religions, underscoring the limitations of how we view the world and ourselves today.
At the heart of this book is a simple comparison: monotheistic religions are exclusive, whereas ancient polytheistic religions are inclusive. In this thought-provoking book, Maurizio Bettini, one of today’s foremost classicists, uses the expansiveness of ancient polytheism to shine a bright light on a darker corner of our modern times.
It can be easy to see ancient religions as inferior, less free, and remote from shared visions of an inclusive world. But, as Bettini deftly shows, many ancient practices tended to produce results aligned with contemporary progressive values, like pluralism and diversity. In Praise of Polytheism does not chastise the modern world or blame monotheism for our woes but rather shows in clear, sharp prose how much we can learn from ancient religions, underscoring the limitations of how we view the world and ourselves today.
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Yes, you can access In Praise of Polytheism by Maurizio Bettini in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Ancient Religion. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Imprint
- Subvention
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Introduction: The Gods in Exile
- 1. Sacrificing the Nativity Scene and Bombing the Mosque
- 2. Festivity Figurines: Animals, Shepherds, Three Kings
- 3. End of the Year Figurines: Sigilla, Sigillaria, and Compitalia
- 4. A Life Through Figurines: The Lararium
- 5. Thou Shalt Have No Other God Before Me
- 6. Translating the Gods, Translating God
- 7. Grammatical Paradoxes: The Name of God
- 8. The Interpretatio of the Gods
- 9. Polytheism, Curiosity, and Knowledge
- 10. What If Monotheisms Were Just Polytheisms in Disguise?
- 11. Tolerance vs. Interpretatio
- 12. Polytheism as Language
- 13. Giving Citizenship to the Gods
- 14. The Long Shadow of Words
- 15. The Twilight of Writing, the Sunset of Scripture
- Appendix A. Religious Tolerance and Intolerance in the Ancient World
- Appendix B. The Ups and Downs of Paganus
- Notes
- Bibliography