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Religion plays a central role in nearly every aspect in people's life of most pre-modern cultures. Especially the interconnection between religion and politics is a common fact but the details of this relation and interacting processes behind this are not substantially studied. Therefore, this volume does not aim to confirm the linkage of religion and politics in general but to investigate its functionalities in political processes. A focus is placed on the political role of religious personnel beyond their religious and cultic tasks and their influence in pre-modern societies from a cross-cultural perspective. Specialists from various disciplines present their research based on case studies. Thereby this interdisciplinary volume covers a wide geographical and chronological range from ancient Egypt in the Bronze Age until medieval England. These papers are organised according to core functions questioning the instrumentalisation of religious personnel.

HISTORY / Medieval. --- Brahmans. --- oracles. --- priests. --- ruler legitimacy.

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Inspired by a critical reconsideration of current monolithic approaches to the study of Greek religion, this book argues that ancient Greeks displayed a disquieting capacity to validate two (or more) dissonant, if not contradictory, representations of the divine world in a complementary rather than mutually exclusive manner. From this perspective the six chapters explore problems inherent in: order vs. variety/chaos in polytheism, arbitrariness vs. justice in theodicy, the peaceful co-existence of mono- and polytheistic theologies, human traits in divine imagery, divine omnipotence vs. limitation of power, and ruler cult. Based on an intimate knowledge of ancient realia and literary testimonia the book stands out for its extensive application of relevant perceptions drawn from cultural anthropology, theology, cognitive science, psychology, and linguistics.

Comparative religion --- Ancient history --- Greece --- Religion. --- Grèce --- Religion --- 292.08 --- Religion Classical Greek --- Greece. --- Religion, Primitive --- Atheism --- Irreligion --- Religions --- Theology --- al-Yūnān --- Ancient Greece --- Ellada --- Ellas --- Ellēnikē Dēmokratia --- Elliniki Dimokratia --- Grčija --- Grecia --- Gret͡sii͡ --- Griechenland --- Hellada --- Hellas --- Hellenic Republic --- Hellēnikē Dēmokratia --- Kingdom of Greece --- République hellénique --- Royaume de Grèce --- Vasileion tēs Hellados --- Xila --- Yaṿan --- Yūnān --- omnipotence --- veelgoderij --- theodicy --- cultus --- divine --- voorspellen --- leider --- ruler --- almacht --- religie --- cult --- theodicee --- religion --- polytheism --- Greeks --- Hermes --- Zeus --- Religions.