Divine Fertility

Divine Fertility PDF Author: Sada Mire
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429769245
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 327

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Book Description
This book uniquely explores the impact of indigenous ideology and thought on everyday life in Northeast Africa. Furthermore, in highlighting the diversity in pre-Christian, pre-Islamic regional beliefs and practices that extend beyond the simplistic political arguments of the current dominant narratives, the study shows that for millennia complex indigenous institutions have bound people together beyond the labels of Christianity and Islam; they have sustained peace through cultural exchange and tolerance (if not always complete acceptance). Through recent archaeological and ethnographic research, the concepts, landscapes, materials and rituals believed to be associated with the indigenous and shared culture of the Sky-God belief are examined. The author makes sense, for the first time, of the relationship between the notion of sacred fertility and a number of regional archaeological features and on-going ancient practices including FGM, spirit possessions, and other physically invasive practices and the ritual hunt. The book explores one of the most important pilgrimage centres in Somaliland and Somalia, the sacred landscape of Saint Aw-Barkhadle, founded ca. 12th century AD. It is believed to be the burial place of the rulers of the first Muslim Ifat and Awdal dynasties in this region, and potentially the lost first capital of Awdal kingdom before Harar. This ritual centre is seen as a ‘microcosm’ of the ancient Horn of Africa with its exceptional multi-religious heritage, through which the author lays out a locally appropriate archaeological interpretational framework, the "Ritual Set," also applied here to the Ethiopian sites of Tiya, Sheikh Hussein Bale, Aksum and Lalibela, setting these places against a wider historical background of indigenous Sky-God belief. This archaeological study of sacred landscapes, stelae traditions, ancient Christian and medieval Muslim centres of Northeast Africa is the first to put forward a theoretical and analytical framework for the interpretation of the shared regional heritage and the indigenous archaeology of the region. It will be invaluable to archaeologists, anthropologists, historians and policymakers interested in Africa and beyond.

Divine Fertility

Divine Fertility PDF Author: Sada Mire
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429769245
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 327

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book uniquely explores the impact of indigenous ideology and thought on everyday life in Northeast Africa. Furthermore, in highlighting the diversity in pre-Christian, pre-Islamic regional beliefs and practices that extend beyond the simplistic political arguments of the current dominant narratives, the study shows that for millennia complex indigenous institutions have bound people together beyond the labels of Christianity and Islam; they have sustained peace through cultural exchange and tolerance (if not always complete acceptance). Through recent archaeological and ethnographic research, the concepts, landscapes, materials and rituals believed to be associated with the indigenous and shared culture of the Sky-God belief are examined. The author makes sense, for the first time, of the relationship between the notion of sacred fertility and a number of regional archaeological features and on-going ancient practices including FGM, spirit possessions, and other physically invasive practices and the ritual hunt. The book explores one of the most important pilgrimage centres in Somaliland and Somalia, the sacred landscape of Saint Aw-Barkhadle, founded ca. 12th century AD. It is believed to be the burial place of the rulers of the first Muslim Ifat and Awdal dynasties in this region, and potentially the lost first capital of Awdal kingdom before Harar. This ritual centre is seen as a ‘microcosm’ of the ancient Horn of Africa with its exceptional multi-religious heritage, through which the author lays out a locally appropriate archaeological interpretational framework, the "Ritual Set," also applied here to the Ethiopian sites of Tiya, Sheikh Hussein Bale, Aksum and Lalibela, setting these places against a wider historical background of indigenous Sky-God belief. This archaeological study of sacred landscapes, stelae traditions, ancient Christian and medieval Muslim centres of Northeast Africa is the first to put forward a theoretical and analytical framework for the interpretation of the shared regional heritage and the indigenous archaeology of the region. It will be invaluable to archaeologists, anthropologists, historians and policymakers interested in Africa and beyond.

How Great is Our God

How Great is Our God PDF Author: Worthy Books
Publisher: Worthy Books
ISBN: 1617950521
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 756

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Book Description
In a pluralistic culture with competing beliefs and values, there is a desire to get back to basics-the classic expressions of the Christian faith. This 365-day devotional introduces readers to the minds and hearts of many of the most influential thinkers in church history. Each reading, modernized for today's audience, takes readers through two millennium of riches-from the early church fathers through the Medieval thinkers and the great councils, and on into the Reformation, the Renaissance, and the birth of the modern mind. An elegant edition for the nightstand, the desktop, or the coffee table, How Great Is Our God is one part historical tour, one part devotional, one part guide for living, and one part gift book. It will appeal to every Christian who wants to hear the hearts and discover the classic voices of Christianity through the ages.

Anunnaki

Anunnaki PDF Author: Nina Vale
Publisher: Vellaz Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
Anunnaki Gods of the Earth and Heavens Hidden within the oldest accounts of humanity, the enigma of the Anunnaki reverberates through time, offering glimpses of a disquieting past: ancient beings who descended from the heavens and altered the course of life on Earth. In the plains of Sumer, where humanity took its first steps toward civilization and writing, it is said that the Anunnaki—immortal gods—found a primitive species and, through sophisticated genetic mutations, infused their own DNA, creating humankind. This book unveils a long-forgotten ancestral knowledge—a mystical fusion between the divine and the earthly that shaped human nature. As you delve into the power and mysteries of the Anunnaki, the stories of Enlil, the guardian of the heavens, and Enki, the master of creation and wisdom, emerge as hidden codes that may hold answers to our greatest existential questions. What do these ties to beings from other realms mean? And what destiny was reserved for us by those who shaped our DNA? In a narrative that intertwines archaeology and myth, readers are invited to uncover a truth that challenges modern understanding, drawing closer to the origins of our essence—a journey that promises to transform not only the past but the very idea of what it means to be human.

Discourses on the State and Grandeurs of Jesus

Discourses on the State and Grandeurs of Jesus PDF Author: Pierre de Bérulle
Publisher: CUA Press
ISBN: 0813237653
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 383

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Book Description
Pierre de Bérulle (1575?1629) is one of the foremost personalities of early modern Catholicism. As the founder of the "French school" of spirituality, he has exercised a profound influence on the Church from the seventeenth century to the present day. Until now, however, very little of Bérulle's writings have been available in English. This volume provides the first complete English translation of his best-known work, first printed in Paris in 1623 and titled Discourses on the State and Grandeurs of Jesus, by the Ineffable Union of the Deity with Humanity, and the Submission and Servitude that Is Due Him and His Most Holy Mother in Response to This Wondrous State. Composed in his maturity, this work expresses Bérulle's theology of the Man-God, whose self-emptying has enabled us to become "capable" of God. In contrast to other spiritual writers who taught that mystical union with God follows the extinction of all sensory and conceptual awareness and all activity of willing, Bérulle's focus is on the faithful soul's participation in what he calls Jesus' "states," or inner dispositions. The state that Bérulle describes and honors supremely in this text is Jesus' state of self-emptying in the mystery of the Incarnation. In the hypostatic union, our humanity in Christ is lifted up to heaven, and Christ is the first fruit of humanity-made-divine, the "firstborn among many brothers." Through him we become children of God by adoption, participants in God's divine being. This is an outstanding translation, conveying not only the meaning but also the beauty and rhetorical features of the original. The Discourses will repay reading as a poignant source of personal devotion, a primary text of the Catholic Reformation, and a classic of spiritual theology.

God of Mercy

God of Mercy PDF Author: Okezie Nwoka
Publisher: Astra Publishing House
ISBN: 1662600836
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Book Description
“Nwoka’s debut feels like a dream, or a fable, or something in between . . . Recommended for fans of Nnedi Okorafor’s Remote Control or Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune.” —Ashley Rayner, Booklist "[God of Mercy] owes a debt to Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, revising that novel's message for the recent past . . . A well-turned dramatization of spiritual and social culture clashes." —Kirkus Reviews Homegoing meets Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Okezie Nwọka’s debut novel is a powerful reimagining of a history erased. God of Mercy is set in Ichulu, an Igbo village where the people’s worship of their gods is absolute. Their adherence to tradition has allowed them to evade the influences of colonialism and globalization. But the village is reckoning with changes, including a war between gods signaled by Ijeoma, a girl who can fly. As tensions grow between Ichulu and its neighboring colonized villages, Ijeoma is forced into exile. Reckoning with her powers and exposed to the world beyond Ichulu, she is imprisoned by a Christian church under the accusation of being a witch. Suffering through isolation, she comes to understand the truth of merciful love. Reimagining the nature of tradition and cultural heritage and establishing a folklore of the uncolonized, God of Mercy is a novel about wrestling with gods, confronting demons, and understanding one's true purpose.

The Christian Meaning of Human Sexuality

The Christian Meaning of Human Sexuality PDF Author: Paul Quay, S.J ., Ph.D
Publisher: Ignatius Press
ISBN: 1621641236
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
An updated and expanded edition of a classic work on the Christian meaning of human sexuality by an acclaimed teacher and priest. The unique gift of human sexuality allows us to choose, or not to choose, to participate in one form of God's creation. This book presents the understanding of human sexuality that divine revelation offers us. It is intended primarily for Christian adults who wish to know what kinds of sexual behavior are right or wrong, and to gain true insight into why such behavior is right or wrong for those who seek to love and live in Christ. For sexual morality is part of the mystery of our life in Christ and makes full sense only when seen as such. Understanding of this Christian mystery, as far as we are given access to it, is offered us through the Scriptures and the living Tradition of the Church. This book uses Scripture and the teaching of the early Church Fathers to show what sexuality means in Christian terms, and is an indispensable guide to learning not just what the Church teaches, but why. Quay's insightful descriptions of the complementarity of male and female, a complementarity that is psychological, spiritual and bodily are exceptionally illuminating. It also explains the Bible's frequent use of the symbolism of marriage and sexuality in its accounts of the Covenant to understand better the relationship between God and his people, and the relationship of spouses to one another. It reflects on the natural symbolism of the human body and of spousal communion as a way to understand what is right and proper in sexual activity, and what is not. The new material in this expanded edition considers the theology of natural family planning (NFP). It explains the moral principles that govern the use of NFP and also provides a theological reflection on the meaning of this practice.

A Companion to Religion in Late Antiquity

A Companion to Religion in Late Antiquity PDF Author: Josef Lössl
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118968123
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 674

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Book Description
A comprehensive review of the development, geographic spread, and cultural influence of religion in Late Antiquity A Companion to Religion in Late Antiquity offers an authoritative and comprehensive survey of religion in Late Antiquity. This historical era spanned from the second century to the eighth century of the Common Era. With contributions from leading scholars in the field, the Companion explores the evolution and development of religion and the role various religions played in the cultural, political, and social transformations of the late antique period. The authors examine the theories and methods used in the study of religion during this period, consider the most notable historical developments, and reveal how religions spread geographically. The authors also review the major religious traditions that emerged in Late Antiquity and include reflections on the interaction of these religions within their particular societies and cultures. This important Companion: Brings together in one volume the work of a notable team of international scholars Explores the principal geographical divisions of the late antique world Offers a deep examination of the predominant religions of Late Antiquity Examines established views in the scholarly assessment of the religions of Late Antiquity Includes information on the current trends in late-antique scholarship on religion Written for scholars and students of religion, A Companion to Religion in Late Antiquity offers a comprehensive survey of religion and the influence religion played in the culture, politics, and social change during the late antique period.

The Logic of Incest

The Logic of Incest PDF Author: Seth Daniel Kunin
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 0567271722
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 305

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Book Description
The myths of Genesis are the foundation for hundreds of texts written at later diachronically distinct and datable periods. Seven texts-Genesis itself, Genesis Rabbah, Pirke deRabbi Eliezer and mediaeval compilations-are examined here, with five interrelated questions in focus: Can structuralist theory be applied usefully to societies conscious of history and change? What is the relationship between continuity and trasformation as a mythological tradition develops diachronically? What role does diachronic development within a myth play in relation to its underlying structure? What is the synchronic structure of Israelite (or rather, biblical) myth? Are there identifiable patterns of transformation and continuity between biblical myth and the three diachronically distinct levels of rabbinic myth?

Construction of Gender and Identity in Genesis

Construction of Gender and Identity in Genesis PDF Author: Karalina Matskevich
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567686183
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
Karalina Matskevich examines the structures that map out the construction of gendered and national identities in Genesis 2–3 and 12–36. Matskevich shows how the dominant 'Subject' – the androcentric ha'adam and the ethnocentric Israel – is perceived in relation to and over against the 'Other', represented respectively as female and foreign. Using the tools of narratology, semiotics and psychoanalysis, Matskevich highlights the contradiction inherent in the project of dominance, through which the Subject seeks to suppress the transforming power of difference it relies on for its signification. Thus, in Genesis 2-3 ha'adam can only emerge as a complex Subject in possession of knowledge with the help of woman, the transforming Other to whom the narrator (and Yahweh) attributes both the agency and the blame. Similarly, the narratives of Genesis 12–36 show a conflicted attitude to places of alterity: Egypt, the fertile and seductive space that threatens annihilation, and Haran, the 'mother's land', a complex metaphor for the feminine. The construction of identity in these narratives largely relies on the symbolic fecundity of the Other.

The Church in the Modern World

The Church in the Modern World PDF Author: Michael G. Lawler
Publisher: Liturgical Press
ISBN: 0814682952
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Book Description
Gaudium et Spes, Vatican II’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, marked fundamental shifts in ethical methodology, in how we do ethics in the Catholic tradition, and in how we think about ethical and ecclesial issues in the Catholic Church in the modern world. On the document’s fiftieth anniversary, this book explores the historical origins of Gaudium et Spes, its impact on the Church’s ecclesial self-understanding, and its implications for doing Catholic theological ethics for the specific ethical issues of marriage, social justice, politics, and peacebuilding.The book engages in the ongoing communal discernment of the aggiornamento sought by the council’s convener, Pope John XXIII, seeking to bring the Church up to date in the twenty-first century.