TY - BOOK ID - 86211253 TI - The 'Alawi religion : an anthology AU - Bar-Asher, Me'ir Mikha'el AU - Kofsky, Aryeh PY - 2021 VL - 190 SN - 2503597815 9782503597812 9782503597829 2503597823 PB - Turnhout: Brepols, DB - UniCat KW - Nosairians. KW - Nosairians KW - Doctrines. KW - Islamic sects KW - History. KW - Social life and customs. KW - 299 KW - go KW - Nosairians - Doctrines. UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:86211253 AB - The 'Alawi religion, known for most of its history by the name Nusayriyya, emerged in Iraq over a millennium ago. An esoteric, syncretistic religion with a close affinity to Shii Islam, its origins are shrouded in obscurity. Over time, beliefs and rituals deriving from paganism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity were grafted to the radical Shii substrate, giving the religion its distinctive character. Throughout their history the 'Alawites were a persecuted religious minority, but in the 1970s they came to power in Syria and retained absolute rule until recently. There is also a significant population in Hatai Province in southern Turkey.0Arising from the authors? long-standing interest in the 'Alawi religion, this anthology offers for the first time a selection from the distinctive literature of the mysterious religion. The book opens with a detailed introduction setting the background for the themes it will cover: the mystery of the divinity in the 'Alawi faith; rituals and ceremonies; calendar and festivals; the doctrine of reincarnation; initiation into the divine mysteries and the esoteric circle; and finally, the identity and self-definition of the religion's followers vis-à-vis Islam and other religions. ER -