Sacrifice Imagined: Violence, Atonement, and the Sacred
Sacrifice Imagined is an original exploration of the idea of sacrifice by one of the world's preeminent philosophers of religion.

Despisers of religion have poured scorn upon the idea of sacrifice as an index of the irrational and wicked in religious practice. Nor does its secularised form seem much more appealing. One need only think of the appalling cult of sacrifice in numerous totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century. Yet sacrifice remains a part of our cultural and intellectual 'imaginary'. Hedley proposes good reasons to think that issues of global conflict and the ecological crisis highlight the continuing relevance of the topic of sacrifice for contemporary culture.

The subject of sacrifice has been decisively influenced by two books: Girard's The Violence and the Sacred and Burkert's Homo Necans. Both of these are theories of sacrifice as violence. Hedley's book challenges both of these highly influential theories and presents a theory of sacrifice as renunciation of the will. His guiding influences in this are the much misunderstood Joseph de Maistre and the Cambridge Platonists.
1126359442
Sacrifice Imagined: Violence, Atonement, and the Sacred
Sacrifice Imagined is an original exploration of the idea of sacrifice by one of the world's preeminent philosophers of religion.

Despisers of religion have poured scorn upon the idea of sacrifice as an index of the irrational and wicked in religious practice. Nor does its secularised form seem much more appealing. One need only think of the appalling cult of sacrifice in numerous totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century. Yet sacrifice remains a part of our cultural and intellectual 'imaginary'. Hedley proposes good reasons to think that issues of global conflict and the ecological crisis highlight the continuing relevance of the topic of sacrifice for contemporary culture.

The subject of sacrifice has been decisively influenced by two books: Girard's The Violence and the Sacred and Burkert's Homo Necans. Both of these are theories of sacrifice as violence. Hedley's book challenges both of these highly influential theories and presents a theory of sacrifice as renunciation of the will. His guiding influences in this are the much misunderstood Joseph de Maistre and the Cambridge Platonists.
35.49 In Stock
Sacrifice Imagined: Violence, Atonement, and the Sacred

Sacrifice Imagined: Violence, Atonement, and the Sacred

by Douglas Hedley
Sacrifice Imagined: Violence, Atonement, and the Sacred

Sacrifice Imagined: Violence, Atonement, and the Sacred

by Douglas Hedley

eBook

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Overview

Sacrifice Imagined is an original exploration of the idea of sacrifice by one of the world's preeminent philosophers of religion.

Despisers of religion have poured scorn upon the idea of sacrifice as an index of the irrational and wicked in religious practice. Nor does its secularised form seem much more appealing. One need only think of the appalling cult of sacrifice in numerous totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century. Yet sacrifice remains a part of our cultural and intellectual 'imaginary'. Hedley proposes good reasons to think that issues of global conflict and the ecological crisis highlight the continuing relevance of the topic of sacrifice for contemporary culture.

The subject of sacrifice has been decisively influenced by two books: Girard's The Violence and the Sacred and Burkert's Homo Necans. Both of these are theories of sacrifice as violence. Hedley's book challenges both of these highly influential theories and presents a theory of sacrifice as renunciation of the will. His guiding influences in this are the much misunderstood Joseph de Maistre and the Cambridge Platonists.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781441104335
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date: 09/08/2011
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 256
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

Douglas Hedley is Reader in Hermeneutics and Metaphysics and Fellow of Clare College, University of Cambridge, UK. A past President of the European Society for the Philosophy of Religion, he has been visiting Professor at the Sorbonne and holder of the Alan Richardson lectureship at Durham University. He delivered the Teape Lectures in India in 2007. His former publications include Coleridge, Philosophy and Religion (Cambridge University Press).

Douglas Hedley is Professor of the Philosophy of Religion at the University of Cambridge, UK. A past President of the European Society for the Philosophy of Religion, he has been visiting Professor at the Sorbonne and holder of the Alan Richardson lectureship at Durham University. He delivered the Teape Lectures in India in 2007. His former publications include Coleridge, Philosophy and Religion (Cambridge University Press).

Table of Contents

Prologue
1. The Theophanic Imagination, 'Making Sacred' and the Sublime
2. Costly Signalling or Hallowed Violence: explaining sacrifice?
3. Failed Oblations and the Tragic Imagination
4. Thraldom, Liberty and Licence: freedom and renunciation
5. Immolation, Suffering and the Blood-stained Logos
6. Responsibility, Atonement and Sacrifice transformed
7. Metamorphosis and the pathetic Divine: Dionysus and the Crucified
8. The 'Quire-Musick' of the Temple and the Heavenly Banquet

Epilogue
Bibliography
Index of subjects
Index of names
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