Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political control & freedoms > Political control & influence > Political oppression & persecution
|
Buy Now
Religion, Empire, and Torture - The Case of Achaemenian Persia, with a Postscript on Abu Ghraib (Hardcover)
Loot Price: R2,556
Discovery Miles 25 560
|
|
Religion, Empire, and Torture - The Case of Achaemenian Persia, with a Postscript on Abu Ghraib (Hardcover)
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
|
How does religion stimulate and feed imperial ambitions and
violence? Recently this question has acquired new urgency, and in
"Religion, Empire, and Torture, "Bruce Lincoln approaches the
problem via a classic but little-studied case: Achaemenian Persia.
Lincoln identifies three core components of an imperial theology
that have transhistorical and contemporary relevance: dualistic
ethics, a theory of divine election, and a sense of salvific
mission. Beyond this, he asks, how did the Achaemenians understand
their place in the cosmos and their moral status in relation to
others? Why did they feel called to intervene in the struggle
between good and evil? What was their sense of historic purpose,
especially their desire to restore paradise lost? And how did this
lead them to deal with enemies and critics as imperial power ran
its course? Lincoln shows how these religious ideas shaped
Achaemenian practice and brought the Persians unprecedented wealth,
power, and territory, but also produced unmanageable
contradictions, as in a gruesome case of torture discussed in the
book's final chapter. Close study of that episode leads Lincoln
back to the present with a postscript that provides a searing and
utterly novel perspective on the photographs from Abu Ghraib.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
|
|
Email address subscribed successfully.
A activation email has been sent to you.
Please click the link in that email to activate your subscription.