Nothing reveals more about a civilization than the gods and goddesses it worshipped. For thousands of years humans have fashioned stories about divine beings to explain their most mysterious; terrifying; and exalted experiences. Today the names of many of these deities have fallen into obscurity. The Dictionary of Ancient Deities brings these gods and goddesses back to light. Here; in one superbly written volume; is every known divine being throughout recorded history; from Athena and Brahma to the evil demon king Ngworekara of the African Fan people and the Babylonian dream messenger Zaqar. With over 10;000 entries; The Dictionary of Ancient Deities is the most comprehensive reference of its kind; covering not only gods and goddesses; but also spirits; places; festivals; sacred texts and objects; heroes; monsters; demigods; and the plethora of fantastic mythical beasts that have populated the human imagination from time immemorial. The encyclopedia also includes many deities often missing from standard collections; notably from Inuit; Native American; and African cultures. Alphabetically arranged entries provide the name of each deity (with alternate spellings); followed by the tribe or culture that worshipped the deity. Most importantly; the entries--whether brief descriptions or longer essays--offer lucid and engaging explanations of the origins and functions of the god or goddess. With a comprehensive index and an extensive bibliography; The Dictionary of Ancient Deities is the best choice for anyone intrigued by the rich pantheon of divine beings that have mirrored the human psyche and shaped our earliest civilizations.
#5611481 in Books Mark Blum 2005-12-29Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.30 x 1.00 x 9.30l; 1.42 #File Name: 0195132750320 pagesRennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Crowley; Vivianne. “Review: 'Rennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism' edited by Mark L. Blum and Shin’ya Yasutomi."By Vivianne CrowleyCrowley; Vivianne. “Review: 'Rennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism' edited by Mark L. Blum and Shin’ya Yasutomi.†The Middle Way: Journal of the Buddhist Society 82; no. 3 (November 2007): 187-188.As part of the 500-year celebration of the death of Rennyo Shonin (1415-1499); the Japanese Association for the Study of Buddhism and Indian Religion held a special section in its annual meeting at Otani University. This resulted in a collection of papers by distinguished Japanese and American scholars; 16 of which are now published in this volume; on ‘Rennyo in the History of Religious Thought’ and ‘The Faith of Rennyo and the Modern World’. Renyo was the ‘second founder’ of Shin Buddhism a century and a half after the death of its founder Shinran. Rennyo’s leadership saw the Honganji branch grow in size and power to become a national body of great wealth and influence. Rennyo was a successful communicator of Buddhism to the laity; an astute politician and an able administrator. For some; he is nothing less than the ‘saviour’ of the Honganji branch; rescuing it from possible oblivion. For others; this husband of five wives and father of 27 children was a pursuer of worldly influence at the expense of spirituality. The papers in Rennyo and the Roots of Modern Japanese Buddhism explore through the disciplines of historical studies; Shinshu studies; and comparative religion the different facets of Rennyo’s contribution to Buddhist thought and Honganji religious organization. One aspect of Rennyo’s teaching; which is of great interest; is his attitude towards women; whom he taught could reach buddhahood at the moment of birth in the Pure Land through the intervention of the Amida Buddha. This is explored in Matsumura Naoko’s paper on ‘Rennyo and the Salvation of Women’; which describes Rennyo’s administrative solution to help women – the encouragement of the formation of women’s groups for religious discussion and devotion. This is an excellent addition to scholarship on Japanese Buddhism.
