Comparative Studies in History of Religions: Their Aim, Scope, and ValidityErik Reenberg Sand, Jørgen Podemann Sørensen It was Max Müller who coined the famous motto of the comparative study of religion "He who knows one, knows none." Since its first beginning in the second half of the nineteenth century, the history of religions has always somehow invoked comparative insights as its very raison d'être. The nature of these insights has been under constant debate and at times, scepticism and devastating critique of the more pretentious comparative projects made regionally specialized studies seem the only legitimate enterprise within the discipline. The fact remains, however, that the major general issues addressed by historians of religions are rooted in considerations of a comparative nature. The dossier of papers from an international conference held at the University of Copenhagen discusses tradition as well as new approaches to the fundamental issues of the aim, scope and validity of comparative studies in history of religions. No longer bound to monolithic visions of history and human nature, these papers critically explore the limits and the roles of comparison in the study of religion. |
Contents
Introduction | 7 |
Bruce Lincoln | 41 |
BrittMari Näsström | 57 |
Tord Olsson | 75 |
William E Paden | 93 |
Erik Reenberg Sand | 109 |
Jens Peter Schjødt | 121 |
Jørgen Podemann Sørensen | 131 |
Williams | 143 |
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Æsir ancient anthropomorphic approach behavior belief Chaudhuri 1974 Comparative Religion comparative studies comparison concept context cosmology critical cultures dastur discourse divine Dumézil Durkheim elements Eliade Eliade's enkAi example expression Freyja Freyr Friedrich Max Müller genetic genre Gerðr gion gious give me trouble gods hieros gamos historians history of religions human ideas idem Inanna Indo-European Juno kings language Lectures Leeuw linguistic literary London Maasai maek ai enteentei meaning method motifs myth mythic mythology narrative Näsström nature Neufeldt notion Óðinn Odysseus origin Panbabylonism phenomenology of religion purity rajah relation reli religious phenomena representation Rigveda ritual sacrality sacred objects sceptre scholars science of religion seiðr semantic Sextus Empiricus similar Skírnir Snorri Snorri Sturlason social Sörla þáttr speak specific speech structure study of religion symbolic texts thematic theological theories Thersites things thought tion tradition trivalent goddess types typologies universal Vanir words Zoroastrian