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"Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field." With those words in Genesis, God condemns the serpent for tempting Adam and Eve, and the serpent has shouldered the blame ever since. But how would the study of religion change if we looked at the Fall from the snake’s point of view? Would he appear as a bringer of wisdom, more generous than the God who wishes to keep his creation ignorant?Inspired by the early Gnostics who took that startling view, Jeffrey J. Kripal uses the serpent as a starting point for a groundbreaking reconsideration of religious studies and its methods. In a series of related essays, he moves beyond both rational and faith-based approaches to religion, exploring the erotics of the gospels and the sexualities of Jesus, John, and Mary Magdalene. He considers Feuerbach’s Gnosticism, the untapped mystical potential of comparative religion, and even the modern mythology of the X-Men.Ultimately, The Serpent’s Gift is a provocative call for a complete reorientation of religious studies, aimed at a larger understanding of the world, the self, and the divine.
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1
Serpent's Gift: Gnostic Reflections on the Study of Religion
2010, University of Chicago Press
in English
128195733X 9781281957337
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2
The Serpent's Gift
2008, University of Chicago Press
Electronic resource
in English
0226453820 9780226453828
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3
The serpent's gift: gnostic reflections on the study of religion
2007, University of Chicago Press
in English
0226453812 9780226453811
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4
The Serpent's Gift: Gnostic Reflections on the Study of Religion
December 15, 2006, University Of Chicago Press
Paperback
in English
- New Ed edition
0226453812 9780226453811
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5
The Serpent's Gift: Gnostic Reflections on the Study of Religion
December 15, 2006, University Of Chicago Press
Hardcover
in English
0226453804 9780226453804
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- Created April 30, 2008
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March 3, 2024 | Edited by mheiman | merge authors |
August 12, 2010 | Edited by IdentifierBot | added LibraryThing ID |
April 24, 2010 | Edited by Open Library Bot | Fixed duplicate goodreads IDs. |
April 16, 2010 | Edited by bgimpertBot | Added goodreads ID. |
April 30, 2008 | Created by an anonymous user | Imported from amazon.com record |