Initiation Into The Mysteries Of The Ancient World

Author : Jan N. Bremmer
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Page : 366 pages
File Size : 41,5 Mb
Release : 2014-07-28
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9783110376999

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Initiation into the Mysteries of the Ancient World by Jan N. Bremmer Pdf

The ancient Mysteries have long attracted the interest of scholars, an interest that goes back at least to the time of the Reformation. After a period of interest around the turn of the twentieth century, recent decades have seen an important study of Walter Burkert (1987). Yet his thematic approach makes it hard to see how the actual initiation into the Mysteries took place. To do precisely that is the aim of this book. It gives a ‘thick description’ of the major Mysteries, not only of the famous Eleusinian Mysteries, but also those located at the interface of Greece and Anatolia: the Mysteries of Samothrace, Imbros and Lemnos as well as those of the Corybants. It then proceeds to look at the Orphic-Bacchic Mysteries, which have become increasingly better understood due to the many discoveries of new texts in the recent times. Having looked at classical Greece we move on to the Roman Empire, where we study not only the lesser Mysteries, which we know especially from Pausanias, but also the new ones of Isis and Mithras. We conclude our book with a discussion of the possible influence of the Mysteries on emerging Christianity. Its detailed references and up-to-date bibliography will make this book indispensable for any scholar interested in the Mysteries and ancient religion, but also for those scholars who work on initiation or esoteric rituals, which were often inspired by the ancient Mysteries.

Author : Jan N. Bremmer
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 128 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2014
Category : Civilization, Ancient
ISBN : OCLC:1139253179

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Initiation Into the Mysteries of the Ancient World by Jan N. Bremmer Pdf

Author : Hugh Bowden
Publisher : Thames & Hudson
Page : 314 pages
File Size : 40,8 Mb
Release : 2023-09-07
Category : History
ISBN : 9780500778623

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Mystery Cults in the Ancient World by Hugh Bowden Pdf

Mystery cults are one of the most intriguing areas of Greek and Roman religion. In the nocturnal mysteries at Eleusis, participants dramatically re-enacted the story of Demeter's loss and recovery of her daughter Persephone; in Bacchic cult, bands of women ran wild in the Greek countryside to honour Dionysus; in the mysteries of Mithras, men came to understand the nature of the universe and their place within it through frightening initiation ceremonies and astrological teachings. These cults were an important part of life in the ancient Mediterranean world, but their actual practices were shrouded in secrecy, and much of what they were about has remained unclear until now. This is the first book to describe and explain all the major mystery cults of the ancient world, cult by cult, reconstructing the rituals and exploring their origins. It makes plentiful use of artistic and archaeological evidence, as well as ancient literature and epigraphy. Greek painted pottery, Roman frescoes, inscribed gold tablets from Greek and South Italian tombs and the excavated sites of ancient religious sanctuaries all contribute to our understanding of ancient mystery cults. Making use of the most recent work on these cults, the book is also informed by crucial current work on the anthropology and cognitive science of religion. Not only is this clearly written book a significant contribution to the study of these cults, but it is also accessible to a general readership. More than any other book on ancient religion, it allows the reader to understand what it was like to participate in these life-transforming religious events.

Author : Rudolf Steiner
Publisher : Rudolf Steiner Press
Page : 122 pages
File Size : 52,9 Mb
Release : 2021-10-14
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781855845916

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The Mysteries of Initiation by Rudolf Steiner Pdf

In a concise study, Rudolf Steiner presents an inspirational sketch of the evolution of the Mysteries – from ancient Persia through Egypt and Greece, to the Christian era and the present day. He traces the line of initiates from Egyptian divinities Isis and Osiris to Moses, King Arthur’s Round Table and the Holy Grail in the twelfth century. Steiner focuses on the process of initiation as a historical topic: how initiation worked in ancient Egypt and in the late Middle Ages. But his presentation is also inspirational, leading to the question: How can we advance to initiation now? He underscores the potential for achieving enlightenment today without a teacher in the flesh, and explains the four stages of the process towards initiation. He also highlights the need for strenuous efforts to overcome the subtle power of evil – in the form of Lucifer and Ahriman – through selfless work. The four lectures collected here form an important landmark in Rudolf Steiner’s biography: the first being delivered on 3 February 1913 – the very day that the Anthroposophical Society was founded. First published in English under the title The Mysteries of the East and of Christianity and unavailable for many years, this edition has been re-edited by Professor Frederick Amrine and features appendices, an index as well as an introduction by Robert McDermott.

Author : Hugh Bowden
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 266 pages
File Size : 50,9 Mb
Release : 2010
Category : History
ISBN : UOM:39076002864440

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Mystery Cults of the Ancient World by Hugh Bowden Pdf

A richly illustrated history of antiquity's secret religious rituals This is the first book to describe and explain all of the ancient world's major mystery cults--one of the most intriguing but least understood aspects of Greek and Roman religion. In the nocturnal Mysteries at Eleusis, participants dramatically re-enacted the story of Demeter's loss and recovery of her daughter Persephone; in the Bacchic cult, bands of women ran wild in the Greek countryside to honor Dionysus; and in the mysteries of Mithras, men came to understand the nature of the universe and their place within it through frightening initiation ceremonies and astrological teachings. These cults were an important part of life in the ancient Mediterranean world, but their actual practices were shrouded in secrecy, and many of their features have remained unclear until now. By richly illustrating the evidence from ancient art and archaeology, and drawing on enlightening new work in the anthropology and cognitive science of religion, Mystery Cults of the Ancient World allows readers to imagine as never before what it was like to take part in these ecstatic and life-changing religious rituals--and what they meant to those who participated in them. Stunning images of Greek painted pottery, Roman frescoes, inscribed gold tablets from Greek and South Italian tombs, and excavated remains of religious sanctuaries help show what participants in these initiatory cults actually did and experienced. A fresh and accessible introduction to a fascinating subject, this is a book that will interest general readers, as well as students and scholars of classics and religion.

Author : Marvin W. Meyer
Publisher : University of Pennsylvania Press
Page : 284 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 1999-05-07
Category : History
ISBN : 081221692X

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The Ancient Mysteries by Marvin W. Meyer Pdf

Zeus and the other gods of shining Olympus were in reality divine only by popular consent. Over the course of time Olympian luster diminished in favor of religious experiences more immediate to the concerns of people living in an increasingly cosmopolitan ancient world. These experiences were provided by the mysteries, religions that flourished particularly during the Hellenistic period and were secretly practiced by groups of adherents who decided, through personal choice, to be initiated into the profound realities of one deity or another. Unlike the official state religions, in which people were expected to make an outward show of allegiance to the local gods, the mysteries emphasized an inwardness and privacy of worship within a closed band of initiates. In this book, Marvin W. Meyer explores the sacrifices and prayers, the public celebrations and secret ceremonies, the theatrical performances and literary works, the gods and goddesses that were a part of the mystery religions of Greece in the seventh century B.C. to the Judaism and Christianity of the Roman world of the seventh century A.D.

Author : R. Gordon Wasson,Albert Hofmann,Carl A. P. Ruck
Publisher : North Atlantic Books
Page : 196 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2008-11-25
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 1556437528

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The Road to Eleusis by R. Gordon Wasson,Albert Hofmann,Carl A. P. Ruck Pdf

Unlock the secrets of the Eleusinian Mysteries: A deep exploration of secret rites, psychedelic sacraments, and spiritual revelations that captivated ancient Greek society for nearly two millennia. Uncover the evocative history of The Road to Eleusis. Once held in hushed whispers, the Eleusinian Mysteries were a series of secret rituals and initiations in honor of the goddesses Demeter and Persephone. They stood as an enigmatic cornerstone of ancient Greek spirituality, capturing imaginations and fevered intrigue for close to two millennia. But beneath the veils of tradition and ceremony lay a potent secret. First unveiled in this book's controversial 1978 release, a groundbreaking trio—a mycologist, chemist, and historian—proposed a radical theory: the sacred potion imbibed during these clandestine rites was infused with a potent, psychoactive entheogen. This was not just a challenge to conventional interpretations: it was a revolutionary reframe of the role that naturally occurring psychedelic drugs have played in spiritual rituals and rites since time immemorial. The Road to Eleusis goes beyond dissecting ancient rites: it charts how the authors reshaped our modern understanding of entheogens' role in spiritual ceremony, revealing facets of the Mysteries previously thought lost to history. The authors share intriguing new insights on experiential religious practices, perspectives on the healing potential of psychedelics, and how—and why—the secrets of the Mysteries were deliberately concealed. The book's revelations reach beyond the scholarly into legal, social, and spiritual realms—all while recasting everything we thought we knew about the rites and rituals of Hellenic cults and expanding our understanding of foundational tenets of Western philosophical and spiritual thought. This 30th-anniversary edition brings with it an enlightening preface by religious luminary Huston Smith and a renewed exploration of the chemical findings by Peter Webster. It powerfully argues for a reimagining of Western religious history and the transformative magic of entheogens.

Author : Payam Nabarz
Publisher : Inner Traditions / Bear & Co
Page : 244 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2005-06-09
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 1594770271

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The Mysteries of Mithras by Payam Nabarz Pdf

The Mysteries of Mithras presents a revival of this ancient Roman mystery religion, popular from the late second century B.C. Payam Nabarz reveals the history and tenets of Mithraism, its connections to Christianity, Islam, and Freemasonry, and the modern neo-pagan practice of Mithraism today. Included are seven of its initiatory rituals.

Author : Michael B. Cosmopoulos
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 247 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2015-06-30
Category : History
ISBN : 9781107010994

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Bronze Age Eleusis and the Origins of the Eleusinian Mysteries by Michael B. Cosmopoulos Pdf

This book provides a synthesis of the archaeology of Eleusis during the Bronze Age, reconstructing the origins and early development of the Eleusinian Mysteries.

Author : Michael B. Cosmopoulos
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2005-08-18
Category : History
ISBN : 9781134536160

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Greek Mysteries by Michael B. Cosmopoulos Pdf

Written by an international team of acknowledged experts, this excellent book studies a wide range of contributions and showcases new research on the archaeology, ritual and history of Greek mystery cults. With a lack of written evidence that exists for the mysteries, archaeology has proved central to explaining their significance and this volume is key to understanding a phenomenon central to Greek religion and society.

Author : Walter Burkert
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 196 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 1989-10-15
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780674253155

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Ancient Mystery Cults by Walter Burkert Pdf

The foremost historian of Greek religion provides the first comprehensive, comparative study of a little-known aspect of ancient religious beliefs and practices. Secret mystery cults flourished within the larger culture of the public religion of Greece and Rome for roughly a thousand years. This book is neither a history nor a survey but a comparative phenomenology, concentrating on five major cults. In defining the mysteries and describing their rituals, membership, organization, and dissemination, Walter Burkert displays the remarkable erudition we have come to expect of him; he also shows great sensitivity and sympathy in interpreting the experiences and motivations of the devotees.

Author : Diana Stein,Sarah Kielt Costello,Karen Polinger Foster
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 560 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 2021-12-31
Category : History
ISBN : 9781000464733

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The Routledge Companion to Ecstatic Experience in the Ancient World by Diana Stein,Sarah Kielt Costello,Karen Polinger Foster Pdf

For millennia, people have universally engaged in ecstatic experience as an essential element in ritual practice, spiritual belief and cultural identification. This volume offers the first systematic investigation of its myriad roles and manifestations in the ancient Mediterranean and Near East. The twenty-nine contributors represent a broad range of scholarly disciplines, seeking answers to fundamental questions regarding the patterns and commonalities of this vital aspect of the past. How was the experience construed and by what means was it achieved? Who was involved? Where and when were rites carried out? How was it reflected in pictorial arts and written records? What was its relation to other components of the sociocultural compact? In proposing responses, the authors draw upon a wealth of original research in many fields, generating new perspectives and thought-provoking, often surprising, conclusions. With their abundant cross-cultural and cross-temporal references, the chapters mutually enrich each other and collectively deepen our understanding of ecstatic phenomena thousands of years ago. Another noteworthy feature of the book is its illustrative content, including commissioned reconstructions of ecstatic scenarios and pairings of works of Bronze Age and modern psychedelic art. Scholars, students and other readers interested in antiquity, comparative religion and the social and cognitive sciences will find much to explore in the fascinating realm of ecstatic experience in the ancient world.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 184 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Civilization, Ancient
ISBN : 0760711348

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Mysteries of the Ancient World by Anonim Pdf

Explanation and exploration of so many of the mysteries of the ancient world.

Author : Dudley Wright
Publisher : DigiCat
Page : 71 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2022-05-28
Category : Fiction
ISBN : EAN:8596547024514

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The Eleusinian Mysteries and Rites by Dudley Wright Pdf

This brochure by Brother Wright, a Masonic scholar of Oxford, England, contains the ripest scholarship on Eleusis, its rites, symbols, and legends. This study of the Grecian mysteries shows the ties between the rituals celebrated in the 7th century BC and the 19th cent Freemasonry tradition. As the author noted, there is a striking resemblance in many points to the Operative and Speculative Freemasonry practices, which laid the basis of this work.

Author : Sanford L. Drob
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 232 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2023-03-28
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9781000787207

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Reading the Red Book by Sanford L. Drob Pdf

The long-awaited publication of C. G. Jung's Red Book in October 2009 was a signal event in the history of analytical psychology. Hailed as the most important work in Jung's entire corpus, it is as enigmatic as it is profound. Reading The Red Book by Sanford L. Drob provides a clear and comprehensive guide to The Red Book's narrative and thematic content, and details The Red Book's significance, not only for psychology but for the history of ideas.