Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different
CREATION OF THE SACRED Tracks of Biology in Early Religions
by Burkert, Walter
- Used
- Very Good
- Paperback
- Condition
- Very Good
- ISBN 10
- 0674175700
- ISBN 13
- 9780674175709
- Seller
-
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Harvard University Press. Very Good. 1998. Softcover. 0674175700 . Minor shelfwear. Spine sunned. ; 272 pages; Sacrifice--ranging from the sacrifice of virgins to circumcision to giving up what is most valued--is essential to all religions. Could there be a natural, even biological, reason for these practices? Something that might explain why religions of so many different cultures share so many rituals and concepts? In this extraordinary book, one of the world's leading authorities on ancient religions explores the possibility of natural religion--a religious sense and practice naturally proceeding from biological imperatives. Because they lack later refinements, the earliest religions from the Near East, Israel, Greece, and Rome may tell us a great deal about the basic properties and dynamics of religion, and it is to these cultures that Walter Burkert looks for answers. His book takes us on an intellectual adventure that begins some 5,000 years ago and plunges us into a fascinating world of divine signs and omens, offerings and sacrifices, rituals and beliefs unmitigated by modern science and sophistication. Tracing parallels between animal behavior and human religious activity, Burkert suggests natural foundations for sacrifices and rituals of escape, for the concept of guilt and punishment, for the practice of gift exchange and the notion of a cosmic hierarchy, and for the development of a system of signs for negotiating with an uncertain environment. Again and again, he returns to the present to remind us that, for all our worldliness, we are not so far removed from the first Homo religiosus. .
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Ancient World Books (CA)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 36969
- Title
- CREATION OF THE SACRED Tracks of Biology in Early Religions
- Author
- Burkert, Walter
- Format/Binding
- Softcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10
- 0674175700
- ISBN 13
- 9780674175709
- Publisher
- Harvard University Press
- Place of Publication
- Cambridge, Ma
- Date Published
- 1998
- Keywords
- 0674175700, Religion & Spirituality, Theologian & Theology, Paganism, Science & Religion, Sacred Texts, Anthropology
- Bookseller catalogs
- Paganism; Science & Medicine;
Terms of Sale
Ancient World Books
We accept Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Discover, as well as Paypal, Google Checkout and money orders and/or personal cheques. Books are returnable if there is an error in the description. Shipping and handling is non-refundable unless an incorrect order has been filled.
About the Seller
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Sunned
- Damage done to a book cover or dust jacket caused by exposure to direct sunlight. Very strong fluorescent light can cause slight...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Shelfwear
- Minor wear resulting from a book being place on, and taken from a bookshelf, especially along the bottom edge.