Disenchantment is a key term in the self-understanding of modernity. But what exactly does this concept mean? What was its original meaning when Max Weber introduced it? And can the conventional meaning or Max Weber's view really be defended, given the present state of knowledge about the history of religion? In The Power of the Sacred, Hans Joas develops the fundamentals of a new sociological theory of religion by first reconstructing existing theories, from the eighteenth century to the present. Through a critical reading and reassessment of key texts in the three empirical disciplines of history, psychology, and sociology of religion, including the works of David Hume, J.G. Herder, Friedrich Schleiermacher, William James, Emile Durkheim, and Ernst Troeltsch, Joas presents an understanding of religion that lays the groundwork for a thorough study of Max Weber's views on disenchantment. After deconstructing Weber's highly ambiguous use of the concept, Joas proposes an alternative to the narratives of disenchantment and secularization which have dominated debates on the topic. He constructs a novel interpretation that takes into account the dynamics of ever new sacralizations, their normative evaluation in the light of a universalist morality as it first emerged in the "Axial Age," and the dangers of the misuse of religion in connection with the formation of power. Built upon the human experience of self-transcendence, rather than human cognition or cultural discourses, The Power of the Sacred challenges both believers and non-believers alike to rethink the defining characteristics of Western modernity.
Combining more than 30 years’ experience in health care with in-depth research into the history and mythology of the divine feminine, Christine R. Page, M.D., reveals that women are the foundation of the birth of new levels of ...
Jeanne Halgren Kilde's survey of church architecture is unlike any other.
From the author of All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life, Recovering the Sacred features a wealth of native research and hundreds of interviews with indigenous scholars and activists. “Documents the remarkable stories of ...
This is The Power of O. Throughout history people have sensed a special energy at sacred places and tried to draw on this natural power.
Praise: "Ted explores the names themselves, and he goes into every nuance of naming. This is a very in-depth study of the sacred power of names."—Phoenix McFarland, author of The New Book of Magical Names
This book is an anthology of real people who follow that barely charted road in a variety of different faiths and spiritualities.
Geophilia is an institute dedicated to understanding the science of space harmonics.
Based on scriptural and authoritative works from the East and West, this volume includes the author's own experiences with kundalini (the creative power of the universe) as well as those of other contemporary seekers.
"An overview of efforts by Native Americans to regain cultural and genetic patrimony and the conditions needed for traditional spiritual practices, including tribal histories, analysis of changes to nutrition, economy, and physical ...
Based upon Marsh Engle’s acclaimed programs moving thousands to liberate their purpose, passion and power to lead. • Find the balance between effort and allowing – eliminating burnout, stress and exhaustion. • Learn simple steps to ...