Overview

Covering secret societies, mysterious ancient traditions, and the often-mistaken history of the world's religious symbols, this book takes readers on a tour through the fascinating world of religious symbolism and reveals the most mysterious and misunderstood facets of religion. Hidden Religion: The Greatest Mysteries and Symbols of the World's Religious Beliefs not only explores the history and origins of widely recognizable symbols, like the Christian cross and the Star of David, but also introduces readers to more obscure symbols from religious traditions around the world—even defunct ones like those of the ancient Aztec and Mayan societies. In addition, the book discusses the ""religious secrets"" found in the major religions, including secret societies of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. Containing more than 170 entries, the encyclopedia is organized by religious category, such as Abrahamic, East Asian, and African Diasporic religions, then alphabetically within each category. Each entry is prefaced with a short introduction that explains where and when the religious tradition originated and describes the religion today. This information is followed by an analysis of the historical development and use of symbols along with an explanation of connections between symbols used by different religions, such as shared astrological symbolism in the form of moon, sun, or star motifs.

Full Product Details

Author:   Micah Issitt ,  Carlyn Main
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint:   ABC-CLIO
Dimensions:   Width: 17.80cm , Height: 3.80cm , Length: 25.40cm
Weight:   1.361kg
ISBN:  

9781610694773

ISBN 10:   1610694775
Pages:   560
Publication Date:   16 September 2014
Recommended Age:   From 7 to 17 years
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Preface Introduction: History and Mystery ABRAHAMIC AND IRANIAN RELIGIONS Judaism Chai Symbol Gematria Kabbalah Kiddush Cup Menorah Mezuzah Sephirot Star of David Zionist Conspiracy Theories Christianity and Catholicism Christ-myth Theory College of Cardinals Cross Dove Eye of God Fish Freemasonry The Knights Templar Latter-day Saints Olive Branch Opus Dei Secrets of Fatima Vatican Secret Archives Gnosticism Eight-armed Cross Ouroboros Secrets of the Naassenes Islam Ismaili Assassins Rub-el-hizb Shahadatain Star and Crescent Sufism Women in Islam Baha'i Baha'i Calendar Nine-pointed Star Ringstone Symbol Rastafarianism Haile Selassie Lion of Judah Marijuana Rastafarian Flag Zoroastrianism Faravahar Firepot The Life of Zoroaster DHARMIC RELIGIONS Hinduism Hanuman Kali Cults The Kama Sutra Om Symbol Swastika Tantrism Trishula Yantras Buddhism Ashoka and the Nine Unknown Men Buddhist Demons and Monsters Conch Shell Dharmachakra Eyes of Buddha The Life of Buddha Lotus White Lotus Society Zen and Chan Buddhism Jainism Jain Emblem Jainism and Science Time in Jain Cosmology Sikhism Ek Onkar Khalsa Knighthood Khanda The Rehat Maryada EAST ASIAN RELIGIONS Taoism Alchemy The Celestial Bureaucracy Eight Trigrams Feng Shui Traditional Chinese Medicine Yin-yang Symbol Shinto Kagura Kami Tomoe Torii Gate Confucianism Canonical Confucianism Double Happiness Symbol The Life of Confucius Shui Xiao Falun Gong Falun Gong Emblem Qigong AFRICAN RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS Native Religions of Africa Adinkra Symbols Cattle in Maasai Spirituality Kuba Masks Zulu Divination Ancient Egyptian Religion Animals in Egyptian Religion Ankh Isis Worship Loa and Orisha Worship African Mermaid Myths Animal Sacrifice The Bizango and Zombification The Haitian Loa INDIGENOUS AMERICAN RELIGIONS Mayan Religion Jaguar The Mayan Calendar Aztec Religion Human Sacrifice Quetzalcoatl Tenochtitlan Incan Religion Andean Mummification Rituals Chakana Water Spirits Native American Religion Coyote The Ghost Dance Movement Great Spirit Symbolism Kokopelli Medicine Wheel Peyote Rituals Rain Dance Symbols of the Sun Totem Pole OCEANIC RELIGIONS Australian Aboriginal Religion Dreamtime Kangaroo The Rainbow Serpent Uluru and Kata Tjuta Polynesian Religion The Moai Ritual Tattooing Tapu and Mana Tiki WESTERN PAGANISM Ancient Greek and Roman Religion Dionysus Hellenism Symbol Mithraic Mysteries New Age and Neo-pagan Spirituality Horned God Symbol Mjolnir Nature Worship Pentagrams and Pentacles Satanism Stonehenge The Triple Goddess and Triple Spiral Wicca and the Goddess Movement Glossary of Terminology Selected Bibliography Index

Reviews

Recommended for academic and large public libraries. - Booklist

Recommended for academic and large public libraries. * Booklist * Highly browsable, especially for students looking for potential research topics. . . . Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates and general readers. * Choice *

Author Information

Micah Issitt is a freelance writer and researcher. Carlyn Main is a freelance author and editor.

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