In this Book
- Beyond Sacred Violence: A Comparative Study of Sacrifice
- Book
- 2008
- Published by: Johns Hopkins University Press
summary
Winner, 2009 Georgia Author of the Year Award for Creative NonfictionFor many Westerners, the term sacrifice is associated with ancient, often primitive ritual practices. It suggests the death—frequently violent, often bloody—of an animal victim, usually with the aim of atoning for human guilt. Sacrifice is a serious ritual, culminating in a dramatic event. The reality of religious sacrificial acts across the globe and throughout history is, however, more expansive and inclusive.In Beyond Sacred Violence, Kathryn McClymond argues that the modern Western world's reductive understanding of sacrifice simplifies an enormously broad and dynamic cluster of religious activities. Drawing on a comparative study of Vedic and Jewish sacrificial practices, she demonstrates not only that sacrifice has no single, essential, identifying characteristic but also that the elements most frequently attributed to such acts—death and violence—are not universal. McClymond reveals that the world of religious sacrifice varies greatly, including grain-based offerings, precious liquids, and complex interdependent activities. Engagingly argued and written, Beyond Sacred Violence significantly extends our understanding of religious sacrifice and serves as a timely reminder that the field of religious studies is largely framed by Christianity.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- pp. vii-viii
- Abbreviations
- pp. ix-xii
- Introduction
- pp. 1-24
- 1 Re-imagining Sacrifice
- pp. 25-43
- 3 Vegetal Offerings as Sacrifice
- pp. 65-91
- 4 Liquid Sacrificial Offerings
- pp. 92-130
- 5 The Apportionment of Sacrificial Offerings
- pp. 131-151
- Conclusion
- pp. 152-166
- Bibliography
- pp. 187-206
Additional Information
ISBN
9780801896293
Related ISBN(s)
9780801887765
MARC Record
OCLC
542050673
Pages
232
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No