Comparative Religion

Scholars of all disciplines are invited to contribute papers that engage with – but are not limited to – the following topics:

An integration of philology, history, and the scientific approaches to religion (tribute to Walter Burkert):

• Contribution of philology to understanding of religious phenomena (classical philology, Biblical studies, Oriental Studies);
• Language as a source of data for the study of religion;
• "From biological programs to semantic chains": ways of explaining or understanding myths and rituals (historical, anthropological and cognitive perspectives);
• Anthropology of sacrifice (texts, images and theories);
• Anthropology of mysticism and mystery cults;
• Religion and power: rituals of submission, movements of disobedience;
• Relationship between religion and morality in cultural evolution from antiquity to the present day;
• Nomothetic/idiographic controversy and the academic study of religion;
• Quality and quantity in the methodology of scientific studies of religion.

The cognitive study of religion, evolutionary psychology, and sociobiology; new tracks in the landscape:

• Understanding in the cognitive study of religions: the researcher's mind vs religious representations;
• A body in the field: sensorimotor experience as a hermeneutical tool in anthropological research;
• Understanding and explaining the human propensity to sacrifice one's life for genetic strangers;
• Cognitive studies of religion and the problem of reductionism;
• Religion and the theory of the levels of integration (strata ontologies, religion as emergent quality);
• Cybernetics and system theory as integrative paradigm for the studies of religion.

What implications does the Srin-mo, a pre-Buddhist deity who traverses across almost all of the periods of time in Tibetan religious life, have on the social status of women? Embodying the places and spaces of Tibet, a malevolent demoness called the Srin-mo has been essential in laying the formation of Tibetan Buddhism. The concept of the Srin-mo can be traced back to the pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet: Bön. The story of the Srin-mo is not a creation myth in the sense of a worldly inception,  but the story of the demoness does represent the creation of a harmonious society, spurring from the preceding time of primordial chaos found amongst the Bön religion. Looking at the origins of the demoness’ story is necessary in order to understand how and why the Srin-mo holds efficacious power over the land and people of Tibet. Here, I will investigate the case of the Srin-mo, which is controversially one of the most important beings in Tibet, but unquestionably, an irrevocable component of understanding what implications geography holds on Tibet.

This paper examines the influence of Christianity in the formation of new Buddhism and the reformation agenda of traditional Buddhism during the first half of the twentieth century in
Korea. By new Buddhism, I am specifically referring to Wŏn Buddhism (圓佛敎), established by Sot’aesan Pak Chungbin 少太山朴重彬(1891–1943) in 1916. Since its foundation, Wŏn Buddhism has grown into one of the four major religious groups in South Korea, along with traditional Buddhism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The paper begins by reviewing some of major issues in the Buddhist reform movements and Wŏn Buddhism. It then goes on to detail the formalistic similarities between Wŏn Buddhism and Christianity. The next section examines the visible influences of traditional East Asian religions in Wŏn Buddhism. In its
final part, the paper considers Sot’aesan’s approaches to different religious traditions and the eclectic nature of Wŏn Buddhism as a possible model for an interreligious dialogue, to include Buddhist-Christian dialogue.
Keywords: Wŏn Buddhism, Christianity, new Buddhism, Buddhist reform movements, ecumenism

This paper provides an initial, multidimensional map of the complex relationships among consciousness, mind, brain and the external world in a way that follows both the contours of everyday experience and the findings of science. It then demonstrates how this reflexive monist map can be used to evaluate the utility and resolve some of the oppositions of the many other “isms” that currently populate consciousness studies. While no conventional, one-dimensional “ism” such as physicalism can do justice to this web of relationships, physicalism, functionalism, dualism, neutral monism, and dual-aspect monism can all be seen to provide useful ways of understanding different aspects of the relationships among consciousness, mind, brain and the external world when these are viewed in either a first- or a third-person way from within this web of relationships by sentient creatures such as ourselves. For example, physicalism and functionalism provide a useful understanding of consciousness, mind, brain and external world when viewed from a third-person perspective, while neutral monism provides a useful way of understanding first- versus third-person views of external phenomena. On the other hand, dual-aspect monism provides a useful way of understanding first- versus third-person views of mind, including Eastern versus Western views of mind.  Dual-aspect monism also provides a useful understanding of the “unconscious ground of being” that gives rise to, supports and embeds all these observable phenomena. For an integrated understanding one needs to understand how these phenomena and relationships combine into an integrated whole.

Did Jesus and his disciples use cannabis and other drugs in magical ceremonies? Author and cannabis historian Chris Bennett takes us through some of the startling ancient evidence of early Christianity’s drug-fuelled rituals.

An illustrated version of this article can be accessed here - https://www.cannabisculture.com/content/2016/12/20/early-christianitys-drug-fuelled-magic-rituals/

This study offers a brief analysis on some biographical works on Imām al-Ghazāli and his view on the issue of faith and good deeds through examination of various relevant literature. Imām al-Ghazāli has been regarded as one of the world's most influential thinkers as well as the greatest scholar Islam has ever produced. The life, teaching and thought of al-Ghazāli have attracted the attention of many scholars, both Western and non-Western. The influence of al-Ghazāli is not limited within his own tradition, but is felt both in the East and the West, reaching Jewish and Christian traditions. This study is theoretical in nature, and it involves bibliographic/library research. It surveys and offers a brief analysis of some literatures-mostly in English-that are relevant to al-Ghazāli's biography and his view on the issue of faith and good deeds. This study found that although there are some critical assessments and misunderstandings of al-Ghazāli's life and views, majority of literature consulted acknowledge his great scholarship and contributions in many aspects. Al-Ghazāli did not remain indifferent but indeed ardently refuted the various interpretations related to the issue of good deeds which he considered as heretical. The research also shows that not only al-Ghazāli always emphasised the observance of religious commandments, but he also breathed spirituality and gave deeper content and insight into the religious life.

Taft R. F. The Great Entrance. A History of the Transfer of Gifts and other Preanaphoral Rites of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. [A History of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, vol. II]. Roma, 1975. (Orientalia Christiana Analecta; 200).

The Etruscan Underworld god is represented in some painted tombs with a wolf skin on his head. Why was the wolf chosen to represent a god? This is the question I will try to answer, starting from a biological approach, by examining the wolf behaviour in nature.
I will consider myths and rites of the Mediterranean area and archaeological findings related to the wolf. The aim is to establish the process that led in the Etrusco-Italic world, to the development of an elusive underworld god, linked to the cities foundation rituals, iconographically represented with a bare wolf on his head.

Jesus pbuh is cherished by Christians and Muslims. Christians believe in the divinity of Jesus pbuh and the Muslims believe him to be one of the Mightiest Messenger of Allah. Jesus is mentioned over 25 times in the Quran by his name and his mother Mary is exalted as a chaste and honoured women among his times. The point of difference between Islam and Christianity with regards to Jesus pbuh is of great significance. This research paper focusses on the understanding of Jesus as a Prophet, a Messiah and the begotten Son of God in the Light of Christianity and Islam along with the historical and archaeological evidence to support the discussion. The paper is a literature review of the primary sources of the sacred manuscripts of the Christians and the Muslims. The research paper expoundsthe life narrative of Jesus according to the Bible and the Quran. There is a negligible historical record of existence of Jesus. The Jesus that we know is from the Biblical narrative of his life, death and resurrection. The Quran could be considered the second largest historical evidence of the existence of Jesus which includes details of the life along with his mother, his birth and his missionary activity. There are several written record of the lifeof Jesus written by his disciples and followers which made their way into the Bible, but the Quran and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad pbuh is the only non-Christian record from history. The research paper also analysis the method to reconcile the understanding of Jesus in both the faiths. The research concludes that the Jesus pbuh revered by the Christians bear a completely different attribute than theProphet Jesus pbuh believed by the Muslim. There are very few similarities in the life of Jesus pbuhof Christians and the Jesus pbuh of Islam. The research paper derives that the Jesus Christ of the Christians and Isa the son of Mary of the Quran can be deduced as distinct personalities.

The Jamaican government reconsidering the Obeah Act in the summer of 2019 highlighted the legacy of prejudice and criminalization of Africana religious systems and practices left by colonization across ethno-linguistic borders and the broader Black Atlantic. It also highlighted how some traditions such as Béninois Vodun, Candomblé, Santería, and oriṣa worship in parts of Nigeria have successfully managed to combat state policing and prejudice to gain official recognition and legal protection. However, this article analyzes the way even the legal and conceptual success of Africana religions in the modern world places them in a Catch-22. Drawing attention to the fundamental differences between modern conceptions and assumptions of what constitutes “religion,” the article traces the history of how modern political and legal structures either exclude and oppress Africana traditions or exert subtle pressure on them to conform to conceptions of “religion” that are more intelligible and ac...

This essay was published in The Bible and Early Trinitarian Theology, edited by Christopher A. Beeley and Mark E. Weedman, for the CUAP Studies in Early Christianity (Washington DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2018); this is the uncorrected proofs. Exploring the humanity and divinity of Jesus, the Son's relation to the Father, and the agency of the Holy Spirit, it is one of five essays suggesting Johannine contributions to trinitarian discussions in the early church.

In order to better cope with the pressures and stresses of the current day, modern psychology is anxiously seeking to find new therapies to address the increasing disorders within the human psyche. In the process new fields of research, such as humanistic and transpersonal psychology, curiously appear to borrow more and more from the wisdom of the ages. This volume, containing eighteen articles by noteworthy expositors of the perennial philosophy such as Huston Smith, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Frithjof Schuon, presents the spiritual psychology of the wisdom traditions as a much-needed antidote to the current impasse in modern psychology.

Some Endorsements for Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy:

“[Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy] is more than an anthology. It is a wisely crafted collection of classic and contemporary scholarship noting that what many are seeking is what has always been, a perennial philosophy, that remains foundational. As one of the authors, Tage Lindbom, properly notes, ‘Secularization is a fish in troubled waters.’ This book claims the waters and is essential reading for all those who may have forgotten or are simply ignorant of the rich foundation provided by the perennial philosophy.”
—Ralph W. Hood, Professor of Psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association, co-founder of The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion and co-author of The Psychology of Religion

“A necessary and bracing critique of the assumptions and limitations of contemporary Western psychology, this generous volume is also a passionate call and learned guide towards a truer perspective that embraces man's spiritual nature.”
—Gabor Maté, M.D., and author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

“Knowing the nature of the mind is perhaps the most difficult undertaking, especially in today’s world. To comprehend the nature of mind one needs to turn to the domain of religion and spirituality. Yet the truth of the mind and its complexity cannot explicitly be defined in words. Inner or transcendent wisdom sees the mind’s own nature without the duality of the seer. Suchness (tathatā) of mind is only experiential and not expressible. The words used to describe thought are themselves a product of thought, which is conditioned and limited. Thus, differences and contradictions are unavoidable. Therefore, a comparative study of different viewpoints and commentaries is immensely important to awaken the inner intelligence to see the mind as it is. Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy: Studies in Comparative Religion edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is an outstanding effort in this direction.”
—Samdhong Rinpoche, former Prime Minister (Kalon Tripa) of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, author of Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World: Tibetan Buddhism and Today’s World

“The rise of psychology has impacted the study and practice of spirituality, the experiences and attitudes relevant to ultimate human values that transcend ordinary behavior. Each chapter of this remarkable book demonstrates this interaction in a unique and provocative way. But rather than using psychology to reduce and ‘psychologize’ spiritual topics, its authors demonstrate how directives from the spiritual traditions can enhance and even illuminate the enduring importance of psychology in the 21st century.”
—Stanley Krippner, Saybrook University, co-author of Spiritual Dimensions of Healing

“The work at hand is a thinking and debating man’s delight. If you have any interest at all in attempting to include an educated and enlightened view of man’s higher functions in your purview of the world, you will learn from and enjoy this collection of essays. If you already have some knowledge in this area, brace yourself: you may see some of your favorites sharply criticized. A thought-provoking work.”
—Bruce W. Scotton, University of California, San Francisco, co-editor of Textbook of Transpersonal Psychiatry and Psychology

“This book, superbly edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos, is a masterful critique of the field of psychology and its loss of the sacred ground in which it once was rooted. It offers depth psychologists an opportunity to contemplate timeless truths echoed through the centuries by perennial philosophers who have always claimed psyche is subordinate to Spirit. Although ignored in depth psychology’s early years due to prejudice and lack of understanding, this is a message today’s psychotherapists must take seriously. Human beings need a deeper and wider transpersonal vision of who and what we are, which the saints and sages of the world’s spiritual traditions have always pointed to. In psychotherapy with a therapist committed to such a vision, patients penetrate into their unconscious depths and not infrequently awaken to the Ground of all Being. Their suffering itself occurred because they had turned away from Spirit. Above all, this volume passionately calls upon depth psychology to remember its origin in the perennial wisdom at the core of the great religions. There is something of a polemic in these pages. It deserves to be considered by depth psychologists of all persuasions.”
—Bryan Wittine, Transpersonal psychologist and Jungian psychoanalyst

“This anthology from Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is a must reference for anyone who is interested in psychology and its relationship to spirituality, and in developing an inclusive dialogue between disciplines that favor an integral outlook on the person and his or her potential. Selections in this anthology will inspire us to reexamine the metaphysical underpinnings of psychology, and remind us how important it is to rise above science’s attempt to reduce the human being to an epistemic object.”
—Sangeetha Menon, National Institute of Advanced Studies (Bangalore, India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Beyond Experience: Consciousness in Bhagavad Gita

“This anthology has some of the most discerning essays and reviews on spirituality and psychology, which provide much-needed care and caution to all those engaged in bringing them together or who wish to do so in future. Therefore, it is a must-read for all those who teach, research, consult, or study in such frontier areas as transpersonal psychology, states of consciousness, mind-body relation, holistic health, Indian psychology, and so on. It will be an invaluable textbook for courses in these and other related areas. I congratulate the editor of the book.”
—Kiran Kumar K. Salagame, University of Mysore (India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Psychology of Meditation: A Contextual Approach

“One of the finest collections of essays on the Perennial Philosophy—a must-read for all psychologists who are engaged with spirituality and transpersonal psychology. The essays which critique modern psychology (including transpersonal psychology, and the framework of Carl Jung), in the light of the Perennial Philosophy are a revelation and make compelling reading. The book serves as a corrective to the excesses of modern psychology, and to this end Sotillos has done a commendable job. I for one will include the book in some of the graduate courses that I teach.”
—Suneet Varma, University of Delhi, co-editor of Foundations of Indian Psychology

“To its credit modern science by-and-large is becoming more cognizant of the essential connection between spirituality and psychological health and well-being and most of all its positive implications within the field of psychology. While there is ample data to document this in a plethora of academic journals and books, this new book Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy adds a novel contribution to the dialogue between psychology and spirituality, which captures many nuances that for the most part go unnoticed within these discussions, and last but not least, it provides a keen eye of discernment to understand this intricate relationship on a deeper level that is crucially needed. This work will be a valuable asset to students and long term mental health practitioners and professors alike who seek to better understand the relationship between psychology and spirituality.”
—Harold G. Koenig, Duke University, Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, co-author of The Handbook of Religion and Health

This article is concerned with science, spirituality, and ecology. It analyses how certain scientific based metaphors, myths, and visions are being used as new cosmologies or ‘sacred stories’; new worldviews reassessing the relationship of humanity to the environment, expressing different (possibly more spiritual, possibly more environmentally friendly) ways of relating to it than the ‘modern’ ‘secular’ worldview that may be causing environmental degradation. The paper ethnographically and qualitatively analyses three such visions - ‘Deep Ecology’, ‘Gaia’, and the ‘Epic of Evolution’ - assessing their views and arguing for them as centres of ecological dialogue, challenging dominant modern views through stimulating a re-imagining and re-evaluating of the environment based on its interconnectedness, mutuality, and sacredness, thereby (possibly) encouraging (spiritual) re-connection to it and human responsibility towards it.

The scholarly study of African religious theology began nearly a century ago with the first extensive accounts by anthropologists and missionaries. Over the decades, it has passed through several phases, each involving different purposes and points of view. These developments may be reviewed briefly by examining the meaning and the implications of the words African, traditional, and religion that have shaped the study of the subject. In recent years, scholars have recognized the important ways in which “African” and “religion” and ‘’theology’’ are western constructs involving both misconceptions and changing perceptions, especially concerning religion.

The 2nd Global African Indigenous and Derived Religions Conference provided a platform for scholars of African Indigenous Religions and African-derived religions to critically appraise the status, nature and role of global African Indigenous and Derived Religions, bringing together academics, practitioners and 'activists' in civil society, from Africa and the Afro-American diaspora with special emphasis on Brazil, as one of the major countries of African culture. This aimed to provide a forum for trans-Atlantic exchange, also in the southern hemisphere, which is very neccesary. The conference encouraged research and explored avenues for the documentation and preservation of African indigenous and derived religions, both as a matter of intrinsic value as with regard to their lasting influence on Christianity, Islam and on Esotericism in the 'West'. The special importance of the study of Africa Indigenous Religion - in the forms it has developed in Africa and in the Americas - for the affirmation and further development of African and Afro-Descendant identities, in terms of politics of identity in many fields has been recognized.

Academic study of the tantric traditions has blossomed in recent decades, in no small measure thanks to the magisterial contributions of Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson, until 2015 Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford University. This collection of essays honours him and touches several fields of Indology that he has helped to shape (or, in the case of the Śaiva religions, revolutionised): the history, ritual, and philosophies of tantric Buddhism, Śaivism and Vaiṣṇavism; religious art and architecture; and Sanskrit belles lettres. Grateful former students, joined by other experts influenced by his scholarship, here offer papers that make significant contributions to our understanding of the cultural, religious, political, and intellectual histories of premodern South and Southeast Asia.

Contributors are: Peter Bisschop, Judit Törzsök, Alex Watson, Isabelle Ratié, Christopher Wallis, Péter-Dániel Szántó, Srilata Raman, Csaba Dezső, Gergely Hidas, Nina Mirnig, John Nemec, Bihani Sarkar, Jürgen Hanneder, Diwakar Acharya, James Mallinson, Csaba Kiss, Jason Birch, Elizabeth Mills, Ryugen Tanemura, Anthony Tribe, and Parul Dave-Mukherji.

The publication is fully open-access and can be downloaded (in whole or chapter-by-chapter) from Brill's website: https://brill.com/view/title/56613

by Aloysius Muzzanganda Lugira (z-lib.org) -- The World Religions series, of which
this book is a part, sets out to achieve this aim. It is written and designed to appeal to both students and general readers. The books offer clear, accessible overviews of the major religious traditions and institutions of our time. Each volume in the series describes where a particular religion is practiced, its origins and history, its central beliefs and important rituals, and its contributions to world civilization. Carefully chosen photographs complement the text, and sidebars, a map, fact file, glossary, bibliography, and index are included to help readers gain a more complete understanding of the subject at hand.

Buddhism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It began in the 6th century BCE in Nepal. Today, it has an international following of over 500 million people.
But Buddhism isn’t a single set of beliefs or practices. In fact, Buddhism is split into two major branches: Theravada and Mahayana.
What are the major differences between Theravada vs MahayanaBuddhism? And why did they split in the first place? These two branches of Buddhism each have their own unique identity. And you might be surprised by what each can offer the beginner practitioner learning how to practice Buddhism.

This book examines the origins of the evil creator idea chiefly in light of early Christian biblical interpretations. It is divided into two parts. In Part I, the focus is on the interpretations of Exodus and John. Firstly, ancient Egyptian assimilation of the Jewish god to the evil deity Seth-Typhon is studied to understand its reapplication by Phibionite and Sethian Christians to the Judeo-catholic creator. Secondly, the Christian reception of John 8:44 (understood to refer to the devil’s father) is shown to implicate the Judeo-catholic creator in murdering Christ. Part II focuses on Marcionite Christian biblical interpretations. It begins with Marcionite interpretations of the creator’s character in the Christian “Old Testament,” analyzes 2 Corinthians 4:4 (in which “the god of this world” blinds people from Christ’s glory), examines Christ’s so-called destruction of the Law (Eph 2:15) and the Lawgiver, and shows how Christ finally succumbs to the “curse of the Law” inflicted by the creator (Gal 3:13). A concluding chapter shows how and why still today readers of the Christian Bible have concluded that the creator manifests an evil character.

The Qur’an makes reference to Biblical prophecies that supposedly predict the coming of the Prophet Muḥammad. One such reference is found in Sūrah al-aʿrāf v.157, where the coming of an “ummiyy” prophet is said to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible. The Qur’an states that this prophet, who is Prophet Muhammad, is found “written with them” (ie. with the Jews) in the Torah. There is good cause to argue that the Qur'an is referencing Deutero-Isaiah here, and that this mention of an ummiyy Prophet is found in the first of the "servant songs" of the aforementioned biblical text.

Today, we have a 21st Century awareness of diversity in expression pertaining to a person’s gender, sexuality and place in the world. Yet we sometimes forget that these markers of human identity have always existed throughout our shared cultural past, and are articulated in various ways within ancient stories and mythologies.

In this thesis, I will consider the way that gender identity and sexuality are evoked in Norse mythology, focusing on the figure of Loki.

The sexuality and gender identity of Loki has not previously been surveyed. The starting point of this research comprises a close reading of Georges Dumézil’s system of understanding myth, followed by an analysis of Jerold C. Frakes’s attempt to explain the position of Loki in Norse mythology and religion. These scholars’ works are seminal to understanding the god Loki, and will guide my comparative study of the nature of Loki amongst the other gods and in other cultures. I will then draw on their theories to offer my own interpretation of Loki’s position in the pantheon. Following this, I will discuss the sexuality and gender-identity of Loki and how this reflects the social milieu of Viking-Age Norse society.

My central thesis statement is therefore twofold: first, to fully grasp the role of Loki in Norse mythology we have to look at them through the lens of the Norse worldview; second, an awareness of Loki’s place in the pantheon gives us insights into Norse understandings of gender identity and sexuality.

Nel 1519, la spedizione capitanata da Hernán Cortés ha fatto conoscere alla civiltà europea le complesse e raffinate culture del Messico antico. Il libro offre una sintesi dei sistemi religiosi di questi popoli, soffermandosi su una visione del mondo e dell’uomo radicalmente ’altra’. Il volume intende contribuire a una storia delle relazioni tra culture, offrendo una conoscenza del confronto e del ’dialogo intereligioso’ tra Europei e Nativi. Ne emerge l’incontro tra due tradizioni millenarie portatrici di valori differenti che ha prodotto una inedita religiosità meticcia. Un processo storico che si colloca alla radice del colonialismo europeo e tenta di individuare il contributo della cultura e della religiosità indigena alla costruzione della società latinoamericana.

indice completo
Introduzione 1. Breve storia del Messico antico/ Il Messico antico e la Mesoamerica/La fase formativa: il Periodo Preclassico (2500 a.C.- 200 d.C.)/Lo splendore del Periodo Classico (200 d.C.-650 d.C.)/La transizione del Periodo Epiclassico (650 d.C.-900 d.C.)/Dal Periodo Postclassico alla Conquista (900 d.C.-1521 d.C.) 2. Il problema delle fonti/I codici pittografici preispanici e coloniali/La ’grammatizzazione’ della religione: il Collegio di Tlatelolco 3. La cosmovisione/Il dualismo e il cosmo/ Il Templo Mayor come ’cosmogramma’/ La piramide come replica di una montagna/ Il paesaggio rituale 4. Tempo, calendari e divinazione/ La scrittura e il tempo/Il sistema calendariale/ Divinazione e destino/Tempo, corpo umano e ideologia 5. Il racconto del passato mexica/ La creazione del cosmo e la ’rottura’ originaria/ Il racconto dei Cinque Soli/La creazione dell’uomo e dei beni della sussistenza/Il ciclo di Tollan: Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl/ Il racconto della Migrazione: la costruzione dell’identità mexica/Dall’ascesa alla decadenza dei mexica 6. La dimensione rituale/Il rituale in ambito quotidiano/Le forme del cerimoniale pubblico/ Il ciclo festivo e la cerimonia del Fuoco Nuovo/ Il sacrificio umano e la Guerra Fiorita 7. Le entità extraumane/Il pensiero missionario di fronte agli dèi mesoamericani/Le caratteristiche delle entità extraumane / Conclusioni. La religione del Messico meticcio / Glossario delle principali entità extraumane / Bibliografia / Indice analitico.

This contribution to the Common Knowledge symposium “Fuzzy Studies” explores the boundaries between religions by exploring the ambiguous place of yoga in various religious traditions, both modern and premodern. Recently, certain Hindus and Christians have tried to argue that yoga is an essentially Hindu practice, making their case by appealing to the Yoga Sutras, a text by the Sanskrit author Patanjali. However, on closer examination, the Yoga Sutras seem to exist in a fuzzy, indeterminate space that is not quite “Hindu” in the way the word is understood today. For instance, other Sanskrit authors of the first millennium CE criticized Patanjali's yoga teachings for not being properly theistic and for having strong affinities to Buddhism and Jainism. Yoga was also integrated into at least one of the “religions of the book” in the medieval period: in India in the second millennium, yoga was practiced widely among Sufis, who adapted it in surprising and idiosyncratic ways to make it compatible with their own Islamic philosophies. Nicholson concludes with an appeal for a more nuanced understanding of religious contact that goes beyond the pejorative term syncretism to acknowledge that religious mixing has been a central force in the development not only of Hinduism and Islam, but also of Christianity.

Given the prominence of Muslim veils—in particular the hijab and full-face veil—in public discourse concerning the place of Muslims in Western society, we examined their impact on non-Muslims’ responses at both explicit and implicit levels. Results revealed that responses were more negative toward any veil compared with no veil, and more negative toward the full-face veil relative to the hijab: for emotions felt toward veiled women (Study 1), for non-affective attitudinal responses (Study 2), and for implicit negative attitudes revealed through response latency measures (Studies 3a and 3b). Finally, we manipulated the perceived reasons for wearing a veil, finding that exposure to positive reasons for wearing a veil led to better predicted and imagined contact (Study 4). Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

In his objective study of the texts, Maurice Bucaille clears' away many preconceived ideas about the Old Testament, the Gospels and the Quran. He tries, in this collection of Writings, to separate what belongs to Revelation from what is the product of error or human interpretation.

His study sheds new light on the Holy Scriptures. At the end of a gripping account, he places the Believer before a point of cardinal importance: the continuity of a Revelation emanating from the same God, with modes of expression that differ in the course of time. It leads us to meditate upon those factors which, in our day, should spiritually unite rather than divide-Jews, Christians and Muslims.

As a surgeon, Maurice Bucaille has often been in a situation where he was able to examine not only people's bodies, but their souls. This is how he was struck by the existence of Muslim piety and by aspects of Islam which remain unknown to the vast majority of non-Muslims. In his search for explanations which are otherwise difficult to obtain, he learnt Arabic and studied the Quran. In it, he was surprised to find statements on natural phenomena whose meaning can only be understood through modern scientific knowledge.

He then turned to the question of the authenticity of the writings that constitute the Holy Scriptures of the monotheistic religions. Finally, in the case of the Bible, he proceeded to a confrontation between these writings and scientific data.

The results of his research into the Judeo-Christian Revelation and the Quran are set out in this book.

Rita D. Sherma (Routledge London, Copyright): This volume marks the first wide-ranging and multi-vocal academic survey of the major types and categories of Hindu contemplative praxis from a breadth of scholarly viewpoints that reflect both (a) the variegation in types of contemplative practices within the Hindu traditions and (b) the use of Hindu internal hermeneutical perspectives for expanding the concept of contemplation beyond definitions that-though incrementally enriched by content from Buddhism-are still normatively constrained by Christian understandings of the concept. Part of the reason that the field remains fairly unrepresentative of the breadth of religious lives across cultures lies in the dearth of academic works, from scholars of diverse religions, on the subject of contemplative studies. Contemplative Studies, as a discipline, 1 can be approached via several avenues: (a) a rigorous focus on religious practices of contemplation, their history, and function within the context of one or more spiritual traditions; (b) the secular and interdisciplinary field of the study and pedagogical application of contem-plative practice and experience which may include methods extracted from religions or developed in engagement with other areas of inquiry; (c) neuroscientific approaches that analyze the effects of contemplation, and (d) its study and therapeutic applications in the health sciences. Finally, there are programs, which call for a transdisciplinary research methodology, 2

I testi raccolti in questo volume mirano a indagare, in una prospettiva storico-religiosa, il rapporto dialettico indissolubile tra Religione e Conquista che anima i processi del contatto tra il mondo europeo e le culture native del continente americano. Primariamente, il volume intende riconoscere una funzione dialogica e negoziale al concetto di Religione che, al principio dell'Età moderna, si impone come uno dei principali strumenti di "occidentalizzazione del mondo". In questa prospettiva, la Religione diviene dispositivo atto alla Conquista, da intendersi però non tanto ideologicamente come strumento pratico del dominio politico e militare, quanto, processualmente, come "arma simbolica", spazio, teorico e pratico, del confronto interculturale. Questa lettura vuole contribuire alla costruzione di una disciplina disposta a volgere il proprio sguardo ai processi di incontro tra mondi diversi, per elaborare una teoria storico-religiosa dei contatti culturali. In questa direzione, i processi legati alla Scoperta e alla Conquista del continente americano costituiscono un perfetto laboratorio di indagine, giacchè mostrano come le relazioni tra culture nella modernità abbiano avuto inizio grazie al codice della Religione.