Tales of Lights and Shadows: Mythology of the AfterlifeBloomsbury Publishing, 12/09/2010 - 176 páginas Tales of Lights and Shadows offers a fresh approach to the traditional mythology and literature of the afterlife, centering on tensions and polarities in the afterlife concepts: bright vs. dismal, heaven vs. reincarnation, theocentric vs. anthropocentric heaven, etc. Presenting examples from virtually all the world's religious cultures past and present, this fascinating book puts the concepts clearly in the context of the worldview and social issues of that society. Robert Ellwood depicts the many rich mythologies of the afterlife from the ancient Mesopotamians, Japanese, Greeks of the Homeric era, to Christian views of heaven or the Buddhist western paradise. He explores views of the concept of reincarnation as well as the arduous preparation for the afterlife that must be taken in some traditions. Ellwood concludes by looking at the way varying views of the afterlife influence religious and even secular culture, and how in turn culture can influence the popular heavens and hells of the time and place. |
Índice
1 | |
Gloomy vs Bright Views of the Afterlife | 21 |
Abodes of the Soul | 34 |
Reincarnation vs Eternal Life in Heaven or Hell | 46 |
5 God or Garden of Delights? Is Heaven Theocentric or Anthropocentric? | 62 |
The Dread of Ancestral Spirits vs Respect and Honor | 80 |
Community and Religious Solidarity vs Individual Reward and Punishment | 91 |
The Difcult vs the Easy Path | 101 |
Linear and Cyclical Time | 110 |
The Afterlife in Folk Religion and the Great Tradition | 130 |
Afterlife and Culture | 143 |
Further Reading | 145 |
Notes | 150 |
163 | |
Outras edições - Ver tudo
Tales of Lights and Shadows: Mythology of the Afterlife Robert Ellwood Visualização de excertos - 2010 |
Tales of Lights and Shadows: Mythology of the Afterlife Robert Ellwood Pré-visualização indisponível - 2010 |
Tales of Lights and Shadows: Mythology of the Afterlife Robert Ellwood Pré-visualização indisponível - 2010 |
Palavras e frases frequentes
Advaita Vedanta afterlife Ahura Mazda Amida ancestors ancient Annwfn apocalyptic Axial Age Axial Age religion beautiful belief birds birth blessed body Books Brahman Bridey Murphy Buddha Buddhist called century China Chinese Christ Christian consciousness cosmic culture dark dead death deceased divine doctrine earth earthly eschatology eternal evil faith feel finally funeral ghosts God’s gods Golden grace heaven and hell heavenly heroes Hindu human images immortality individual Islam Izanagi Japanese Jewish journey Judaism judgment karma Katha Upanishad Krishna light living Lord Maitreya medieval meditation moral mystical myth mythic Nirvana Obon one’s paradise perhaps person popular prayers present Pure Land Purgatory realm rebirth reincarnation religious resurrection rites ritual sacred saints salvation scripture sense shaman Shambhala Shankara society soul story Taoist traditional Trans ultimate underworld University Press Upanishads vision W. Y. Evans-Wentz warriors White Lotus worship yoga York Zoroastrianism