Download or read book Divine Descent and the Four World Ages in the Mah bh rata or Why Does the K a Avat ra Inaugurate the Worst Yuga written by Simon Brodbeck and published by Cardiff University Press. This book was released on 2022-10-12 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This monograph approaches the Mahābhārata as a single work of literature, and the method is that of close textual study. Key verses are quoted in the original Sanskrit and in English translation. The title problem has been recognised before, but no detailed solution has been forthcoming. The monograph’s objective is to try to articulate a Mahābhārata theology of time. In Chapter 1, the monograph’s argument and synchronic methodology are summarised. In Chapter 2, the cycle of four yugas (world-ages) is outlined and discussed on the basis of the textual evidence. Each yuga is shorter and less moral than the last, and between them they constitute a repeating 12,000-year cycle. In Chapter 3, the Mahābhārata war is shown to be located at the junction between the third and fourth yugas. The idea of God Viṣṇu-Nārāyaṇa descending to improve the world is introduced, and the title question is properly posed: Why does God’s descent as Kṛṣṇa (to make the Mahābhārata war happen) inaugurate the worst yuga? In Chapter 4, the various descents (avatāras, ‘crossings-down’) of God Viṣṇu-Nārāyaṇa are discussed. Also discussed is a theory suggesting that the passage between yugas always requires a divine descent to effect it. The limitations of this theory are described and an alternative sketched. In Chapter 5, two general functions of divine descent are identified: to improve the world morally by killing demons, and to help the personified Earth by reducing the human weight upon her. These two functions are correlated with the two extremities of the four-yuga cycle, between which time oscillates. But the Mahābhārata war is not located at either extremity. Central to the monograph is a survey and discussion of the reasons given for this particular descent. These passages combine the two functions of divine descent, neither of which is entirely appropriate to this moment. It is argued that the descent here represents what happens over the course of the whole cycle. The discussion draws on Vedic literature, touches on gender issues, and shows how the two functions play out in the story of the war. In Chapter 6, the progress of the fourth yuga is tracked through the Mahābhārata’s various characters and then the ancient audience, who would anticipate the start of the next cycle. It is hypothesised that this was to occur through the long-term action of the Mahābhārata, as more and more people would put into practice the teachings presented by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavadgītā. The Kṛṣṇa avatāra would thus inaugurate the worst yuga because the seed planted there takes time to ripen. Chapter 7 reflects summarily upon the monograph’s explorations, the theory of divine descent, and the text’s theology of time. By employing a resolutely synchronic methodology the monograph makes a significant contribution on an important and latterly overlooked issue.

Download or read book The Descent of God written by Joseph M. Hallman and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2004-01-20 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a fascinating study which confirms that there is as much support in the Fathers as in heterodox sources - though different - for the idea of a suffering God. Louis Dupre, Yale University Joseph Hallman here makes a significant contribution to the perennial theological dilemma: how can an unchanging God relate to a changing world? The author displays a mastery of the patristic sources as well as familiarity with contemporary philosophical approaches to the issue. The Greek philosophical assumption of the immutability of God has retained a profound influence on Christian thought until modern times despite the attempts of patristic writers to harmonize the Incarnation with God's immutability. Hallman suggests that the most promising resolution to this dilemma comes to us in the work of Whitehead. Carl A. Volz, Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary Hallman's book is unusual and timely. Hallman is a systematic thinker, not a historian, yet he has taken the time to read the early Christian sources attentively, and his conclusions are surprising and provocative. In a sense, this book is a theological version of candid camera: it sets forth those things that early Christian thinkers are not supposed to have said.... In an age in which historians of Christian thought ignore contemporary thinkers, and systematic theologians act as though Christian thought began with the Enlightenment, 'The Descent of God' is a challenge to both brands of obscurantism. Robert L. Wilken, University of Virginia

Download or read book The Mystery of the Avatar written by H. P. Blavatsky and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book In the Image of the Ancestors written by Neil Bernstein and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2008-08-09 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Only four Roman epic poems survive from the Flavian period (69-96 AD): Valerius Flaccus's Argonautica, Statius's Thebaid and Achilleid, and Silius Italicus's Punica. Neil W. Bernstein argues that these poems contain depictions of kinship that are significantly different from earlier epic and examines these representations in the context of the social, political, and aesthetic changes of the early Imperial period. The author analyses various kinds of kinship, including biological relationships, elective relationships such as marriage and adoption, and the symbolic bonds of social and political allegiances, to illuminate the complex ways in which the Roman upper class asserted their status with or without noble lineage. A fresh and fascinating look at not only Roman poetry, but the epic tradition itself, In the Image of the Ancestors is essential reading for classicists and literary historians.

Download or read book Divination and Theurgy in Neoplatonism written by Crystal Addey and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-05-13 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why did ancient philosophers consult oracles, write about them, and consider them to be an important part of philosophical thought and practice? This book explores the extensive links between oracles and philosophy in Late Antiquity, particularly focusing on the roles of oracles and other forms of divination in third and fourth century CE Neoplatonism. Examining some of the most significant debates between pagan philosophers and Christian intellectuals on the nature of oracles as a central yet contested element of religious tradition, Addey focuses particularly on Porphyry's Philosophy from Oracles and Iamblichus' De Mysteriis - two works which deal extensively with oracles and other forms of divination. This book argues for the significance of divination within Neoplatonism and offers a substantial reassessment of oracles and philosophical works and their relationship to one another. With a broad interdisciplinary approach, encompassing Classics, Ancient Philosophy, Theology, Religious Studies and Ancient History, Addey draws on recent anthropological and religious studies research which has challenged and re-evaluated the relationship between rationality and ritual.

Download or read book Spirit Possession and Trance written by Bettina E. Schmidt and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2011-11-03 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spirit possession is a phenomenon that often elicits a response of fear, particular in those who are ignorant of its meaning and role within its particular religious and cultural traditions. Possession by divine beings (such as spirits or gods) is, however, a key practice in religions worldwide. It is therefore important to gain an understanding of this practice in its cultural context before trying to develop a wider theory about it. This fascinating book contains several case studies that present new interpretations of spirit possession worldwide. The authors show the diversity of possible interpretations and methodological approaches that provide a new insight into the understanding of possession and trance.

Download or read book Sufism The Soul of Islam written by Sultan ul Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib ur Rehman and published by Sultan ul Faqr Publications. This book was released on 2020-10-30 with total page 1026 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sufism is a journey. A miraculous one. Filled with hurdles yet easy for those who are born pure and those who choose. It is the choices and not always the actions as they could be deceptive. Sufism is the spiritual and mystical aspect of Islam. The esoteric cosmos has every spiritual blessing, notion and trial. In the universe of Sufism, the destination is being One with the Divine Essence (tawhid) and the dear friend and leader on this path is the spiritual guide. Motivation and power to accomplish comes from loving Allah only, as Sultan Bahoo has famously said, “Only Allah! Everything other than Allah is lust.” The names Allah and Mohammad (Ism-e-Allah Zaat and Ism-e-Mohammad) are sustenance which strengthen the very soul of man. After all it is the journey of soul. Deep respect embedded in the heart for the family of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) is like Noah’s Arc and the sacred Companions are guiding stars. The Mohammadan Assembly is the determining factor declaring one worthy to embark on the quest of Sufism or to demote or worse to forever halt. Wolves, brigands and the negative powers that drive one away are Satan, innerself (an-nafs) and the mortal world. Sharia is the door into this esoteric world. This journey of gnosis has its own set of guidelines. These can come in the form of inspiration, unveiling, waham (inward conversation with Hoo ھُو) and ilm-e-dawat (communication with sacred souls of shrines). This book is all and MORE! A must read for every spiritual traveller. For online reading please visit https://sultan-ul-faqr-publications.com/ Contact # +923224722766 #sultanbahoo #sultanularifeen #sultanulashiqeen #imamhusainandyazid #sufismthesoulofislam #propheticwayofpurgationofinnerself #themohammadanreality #thespiritualrealityofsalat #thespiritualrealityoffast #thespiritualrealityofzakat #thespiritualrealityofhajj #thespiritualguidesofsarwariqadriorder #sultanulfaqr #fakir #faqr #theperfectspiritualguide #thedivinerealityofismeallahzaat #purificationofinnerselfinsufism #sultanulashiqeenbooks #sultanmohammadnajiburrehman #shamsulfuqara #shamsularifeen #risalaroohisharif #qurbedeedar #nurulhuda #kaleedultauheed #ameerulkaunain #sufism #haqbahoosultan #bahoosultan #haqbahusultan #sultanbahu #bahusultan #hazratsultanbahoo #hazratsultanbahu #sakhisultanbahoo #sakhisultanbahu

Download or read book Heavenly Torah written by Abraham Joshua Heschel and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 876 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: his most ambitious scholarly achievement, his three-volume study of Rabbinic Judaism, is only now appearing in English.

Download or read book John and Postcolonialism written by Musa W. Dube Shomanah and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2002-09-19 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exciting collection of essays connecting postcolonialism and the Gospel of John, written by a group of international scholars, both established and new, from Hispanic, African, Jewish, Chinese, Korean and African-American backgrounds. It explores important topics such as the appropriation of John in settler communities of the United States and Canada, and the use of John in the colonisation of Africa, Asia, Latin America and New Zealand.The interpreters represent communities of borderland dwellers, women in colonised settings, minority ethnic groups within colonised centres and others. In an era of rapid globalisation, increased travel, rising diasporic communities and neo-colonialism, it is crucial that biblical scholars find ways to address this world with critical skill and sensitivity. This book fills this need.

Download or read book The Japanese Experience written by W. G. Beasley and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2000-08-31 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An authoritative history of Japan from the sixth century to the present day and of a society and culture with a distinct sense of itself, one of the few nations never conquered by a foreign power in historic times until the 12th century. 35 illustrations.

Download or read book Majesty and Meekness written by John Braisted Carman and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 1994 with total page 470 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Rhythm of Being written by Raimon Panikkar and published by Orbis Books. This book was released on 2013-04-01 with total page 848 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Copyright date 2010, with "the Gifford lectures" as subtitle.

Download or read book Easy Death written by Adi Da Samraj and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2005 with total page 546 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "New talks and essays from the Avatar Adi Da on death and ultimate transcendence; accounts of profound events of yogic death in Avatar Adi Da's own life; stories of his blessing in the death transitions of his devotees" -- Cover.

Download or read book The Cult of Kingship in Anglo Saxon England written by William A. Chaney and published by Manchester University Press. This book was released on 1970 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Psychology of Nations written by George Everett Partridge and published by . This book was released on 1919 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Hindu God Christian God written by Francis Xavier Clooney and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume offers an in-depth study of key themes common to the Hindu and Christian religious traditions. It redefines how we think about Hinduism, comparative study, and Christian theology. This book offers a bold new look at how traditions encounter one another, and how good comparisons are to be made. Redefining theology as an interreligious, comparative, dialogical, and confessional practice open to all people, it invites not only Hindus and Christians, but also theologians from all religious traditions, to enter into conversation with one another.

Download or read book Dining with John written by Esther Kobel and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2011-11-11 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the accounts of communal meals and the metaphorical use of food and drink language in the narrative world of the Gospel of John. It argues that the Johannine community regularly gathered for communal meals in which the food and drink on the menu would have taken on a spiritual significance far exceeding the physical sustenance. The study employs a socio-rhetorical methodology and consequently moves from text to context. It tentatively describes the texts’ influence on the formation of early Christian identity and suggests that the Johannine meal accounts provide a way to imagine the demographic composition of the community and its historical context.