Cosmos and History: The Myth of the Eternal ReturnThis founding work of the history of religions, first published in English in 1954, secured the North American reputation of the Romanian émigré-scholar Mircea Eliade (1907-1986). Making reference to an astonishing number of cultures and drawing on scholarship published in no less than half a dozen European languages, Eliade's The Myth of the Eternal Return makes both intelligible and compelling the religious expressions and activities of a wide variety of archaic and "primitive" religious cultures. While acknowledging that a return to the "archaic" is no longer possible, Eliade passionately insists on the value of understanding this view in order to enrich our contemporary imagination of what it is to be human. Jonathan Z. Smith's new introduction provides the contextual background to the book and presents a critical outline of Eliade's argument in a way that encourages readers to engage in an informed conversation with this classic text. |
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Common terms and phrases
abolition age of gold akîtu ancient archaic archetypes archetypes and repetition Babylonian become beginning Brāhmaṇa catastrophes celestial century ceremonial chaos Christianity conception contemporary cosmic cycles cosmogonic act cosmos Creation cultures cyclical d'histoire des religions dead death divine doctrine duration E. H. CARR earth ekpyrosis eschatological eternal repetition eternal return example existence fact festival freedom Georges Dumézil gods heaven Hebrews Hegel hence hero hierogamy historical events human illo tempore Illus imitation Indian infinitum insofar Iranian Kali Yuga Karuk Mandaeans Marduk MARTIN BUBER meaning memory Messianic modern myth of eternal mythical Nawrôz ontology orgy Oriental origin Pāli Paris Patai periodic regeneration primitive primordial profane reactualization reality religious repeats revealed rites ritual Rome S. H. Hooke sacred societies SOREN KIERKEGAARD spiritual Studies suffering symbolism Tammuz temple terror of history theophany theory Tiamat tion tolerated traditional Traité d'histoire trans transcended universe Wensinck Yahweh yuga