An Introduction to Hathor
from George Hart’s Dictionary of Egyptian Gods & Goddesses, 2nd ed., 61-65 HATHOR: Universal cow-goddess, symbolic mother of the pharaoh. … Continue Reading An Introduction to Hathor
Thoughts for Shabbat: Rabbinic Judaism Emerges
A wonderful passage from Jacob Neusner, which shows again that religion is change: Surveying the landscape of ancient Judaism from … Continue Reading Thoughts for Shabbat: Rabbinic Judaism Emerges
Thoughts for Shabbat: Will the Real Psalm 23 Please Stand Up?
One of the most lucid examples of how religions both change and still remain meaningful comes from James Kugel’s two … Continue Reading Thoughts for Shabbat: Will the Real Psalm 23 Please Stand Up?
The Endless Variety of Hinduism
Gandhi himself said that, “If I know Hinduism at all, it is essentially inclusive and ever-growing, ever-responsive. It gives the … Continue Reading The Endless Variety of Hinduism
Will the Real Psalm 23 Please Stand Up?
Probably the most lucid example of how religions both change drastically, and yet remain meaningful, is right here in James … Continue Reading Will the Real Psalm 23 Please Stand Up?
Death in Ancient Egypt
Here, Erik Hornung refutes the old cliché that ancient Egyptian religion was “death obsessed,” or that constructions like the pyramids … Continue Reading Death in Ancient Egypt
Angela Merici & the Education of Women & Girls in the early 1500s
from Thomas Cahill: They were a group of well-born Lombardian ladies, led by Angela Merici, who came together to educate … Continue Reading Angela Merici & the Education of Women & Girls in the early 1500s
The Religion of Ancient Egypt
A handful of passages from one of the best books on religion I’ve ever read, Erik Hornung’s Conceptions of God … Continue Reading The Religion of Ancient Egypt
Jews & Muslims on Pilgrimage Together in the 1300s
From Mark Cohen’s Under Crescent & Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages: An aspect of Jewish-gentile sociability under Islam … Continue Reading Jews & Muslims on Pilgrimage Together in the 1300s
Martin Luther Reinvents the German Language
When, in 1522, Martin Luther agreed to a staged kidnapping that would keep him safe from Catholic and other authorities, … Continue Reading Martin Luther Reinvents the German Language
A Working Definition of Yawheh
After rattling off the usually long list of reasons why the God of the Hebrew Bible is everything from in … Continue Reading A Working Definition of Yawheh
Images: The Earliest Stone Buddhas
Among the earliest sculptures of the Buddha, from Heinrich Zimmer’s Art of Indian Asia. Click on each to enlarge:
Burned as a Witch in Ireland in 1895
From Frazer’s Golden Bough: In March 1895 a peasant named Michael Cleary, residing at Ballyvadlea, a remote and lonely district … Continue Reading Burned as a Witch in Ireland in 1895
Joseph Campbell’s Hero Sets Out
A piece of the beginning and end of The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Whether we listen with aloof amusement … Continue Reading Joseph Campbell’s Hero Sets Out
Understanding Religious Fundamentalism
I am always thrilled to reread these two passages by Erik Hornung, and to find in them just about the … Continue Reading Understanding Religious Fundamentalism
Humanity’s Earliest Rituals
Three passages on prehistoric religion from the book Becoming Human: One of the pervasive themes of [this book] is … Continue Reading Humanity’s Earliest Rituals
