In this Book

Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions

Book
Nicholas Campion
2012
Published by: NYU Press
summary

When you think of astrology, you may think of the horoscope section in your local paper, or of Nancy Reagan's consultations with an astrologer in the White House in the 1980s. Yet almost every religion uses some form of astrology: some way of thinking about the sun, moon, stars, and planets and how they hold significance for human lives on earth.









Astrology and Cosmology in the World’s Religions offers an accessible overview of the astrologies of the world's religions, placing them into context within theories of how the wider universe came into being and operates. Campion traces beliefs about the heavens among peoples ranging from ancient Egypt and China, to Australia and Polynesia, and India and the Islamic world.
Addressing each religion in a separate chapter, Campion outlines how, by observing the celestial bodies, people have engaged with the divine, managed the future, and attempted to understand events here on earth. This fascinating text offers a unique way to delve into comparative religions and will also appeal to those intrigued by New Age topics.

Table of Contents

Cover

Half-Title Page, Title Page, Copyright, Dedication

Contents

pp. vii-viii

Acknowledgments

pp. ix-x

1. Cosmology and Religion: Measurement and Meaning

pp. 1-10

2. Astrology: The Celestial Mirror

pp. 11-23

3. Australia: The Dreaming

pp. 24-32

4. Oceania: Navigating the Sky

pp. 33-40

5. North America: The Great Spirit

pp. 41-53

6. South and Central America: Salvation and Sacrifice

pp. 54-68

7. Sub-Saharan Africa: Heaven on Earth

pp. 69-81

8. Egypt: The Solar Society

pp. 82-93

9. China: The Celestial Offices

pp. 94-109

10. India: Ancient Traditions and Modern Practice

pp. 110-123

11. Babylon: Signs in the Sky

pp. 124-134

12. Judaism: Myth, Magic, and Transcendence

pp. 135-147

13. Classical Greece: Ascent to the Stars

pp. 148-160

14. Christianity: Influence and Transcendence

pp. 161-172

15. Islam: Faith and Reason

pp. 173-187

16. Theosophical, New Age, and Pagan Cosmologies: Nature and Transformation

pp. 188-200

Notes

pp. 201-234

Bibliography

pp. 235-260

Index

pp. 261-272

Back Cover

pp. 273
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