Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General > General
|
Buy Now
Laughing Gods, Weeping Virgins - Laughter in the History of Religion (Hardcover, New)
Loot Price: R3,977
Discovery Miles 39 770
|
|
Laughing Gods, Weeping Virgins - Laughter in the History of Religion (Hardcover, New)
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
|
This work analyses how laughter has been used as a symbol in myths,
rituals and festivals of Western religions, and has thus been
inscribed in religious discourse. The author argues that laughter
is a central human phenomenon. Humans use laughter as a means to
experience the world, categorize its forms and judge its values.
But, laughter also transcends language, and is frequently used as a
characteristic of the divine. The Mesopotamian Anu, the Israelite
Jahweh, the Greek Dionysos, the Gnostic Christ and the late modern
Jesus were all laughing gods. Through their laughter, gods prove
both their superiority and their proximity to humans. In this
study, Professor Gilhus examines the relationship between corporeal
human laughter and spiritual divine laughter from Classical
antiquity, to the Christian West and the modern era. The book
combines the study of the history of religion with
social-scientific approaches, to provide an exploration of a
universal human phenomenon, and its significance for the
development of religions.
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.