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In praise of polytheism / Maurizio Bettini.

by Bettini, Maurizio, author.

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Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2022]

Religion -- Philosophy.

9780520342248 (hardback)

154 pages ; 22 cm

Introduction : the gods in exile -- Sacrificing the nativity scene and bombing the mosque -- Festivity figurines. Animals, shepherds, three kings -- Festivity figurines. Sigilla, Sigillaria, and Compitalia -- The life of a figurine. the Lararium -- Thou shalt have no other god -- Translating the gods, translating God -- Grammatical paradoxes : the name of God -- The interpretatio of the gods -- Polytheism, curiosity, and knowledge -- Tolerance vs. interpretation -- Polytheism as language -- Giving citizenship to the gods -- The long shadow of words -- The twilight of writing, the sunset of scripture -- Appendix 1 : religious tolerance and intolerance in the ancient world -- Appendix 2 : the ups and downs of paganus.

"At the heart of this book is a simple comparison: monotheistic religions are exclusive, whereas ancient polytheistic religions are inclusive. In this thought-provoking book, Maurizio Bettini, one of today's foremost classicists, uses the expansiveness of ancient polytheism to shine a bright light on a darker corner of our modern times. It can be easy to see ancient religions as inferior, less free, and remote from shared visions of a more inclusive world. But, as Bettini deftly shows, many ancient practices tended to produce results aligned with contemporary progressive values, like pluralism and diversity. In Praise of Polytheism does not chastise the modern world or blame monotheism for all our woes but rather shows in clear, sharp prose how much we can learn from ancient religions, underscoring the limitations of how we view the world and ourselves today"--

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