Book Description

Book Description
This multidisciplinary study is the first book devoted entirely to the critical interpretation of the writings of Mircea Eliade on myth. One of the most popular and influential historians and theorists of myth, Eliade argued that all myth is religious. Douglas Allen critically interprets Eliade's theories of religion, myth, and symbolism and analyzes many of the controversial issues in Eliade's treatment of myth, including whether Eliade's approach deals adequately with the relationship between myth and history and how Eliade's anti-modern perspective makes sense of myth in modern culture. A valuable resource for scholars in religious studies, philosophy, anthropology, and history, this book enables readers not only to understand "archaic" and "traditional" religious phenomena, but also to make sense of repressed and sublimated myth dimensions in modern secular life. ... Read more

Book Description
Organizing data from cultures the world over, Eliade lays out the basic patterns of initiation: group puberty rituals, entrance into secret cults, shamanic instruction, individual visions, and heroic rites of passage. The vast information, assembled so beautifully, transcends usual scholarship. Eliade affirms the greater experience in all initiations--the indissoluable ties between humans and the cosmos of gods, spirits, animals, ancestors, and nature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Ian Myles Slater on: Transitions and Rituals
This little book is a translation of a series of half a dozen lectures, with endnotes providing documentation. The history and bibliography are a little tricky. "Patterns of Initiation: The Haskell Lectures of 1956" were delivered at the University of Chicago by Mircea Eliade, a Romanian exile who had been recruited from the Sorbonne to help build up the University's Comparative Religion department. The lectures were composed in French, Eliade's main second language, and the English translation by Willard Trask was published in 1958, by Harvill Press, London, and Harper & Brothers, New York, as "Birth and Rebirth." (I have reviewed the Harper edition, used copies of which are sometimes available through Amazon: the full title, as given there, is "Birth and Rebirth: The Religious Meanings of Initiation in Human Culture," in The Library of Religion and Culture series.)

The present title, "Rites and Symbols of Initiation: The Mysteries of Birth and Rebirth," was introduced with the Harper Torchbook paperback edition of 1965. (The publisher had meanwhile become Harper & Row; and today is included in HarperCollins.) There was a Harper College Division reprinting in 1980. The current edition, from Spring Publications, has a new Foreword (by Michael Meade), but seems to be otherwise identical.

Meanwhile, a rather different French edition ("a rehandling of the material") had been published as "Naissances mystiques. Essai sur quelques types d'initiation" (Paris, 1959). (That makes three versions and four titles, if you've lost count. And a variety of textually identical editions of the English-language version.)

Eliade (1907-1986) remained connected to the University of Chicago for pretty much the rest of his life. Although from an institutional point of view he wasn't quite the well-organized driving force that had been desired, he continued to produce interesting and exciting work, not all of which has aged equally well. (For a short account of Eliade's life, work, and an evaluation of his place in the twentieth century, see "The Politics of Myth: A Study of C.G. Jung, Mircea Eliade, and Joseph Campbell," by Robert S. Ellwood.)

"Rites and Symbols" is one of a large number of small works by Eliade which stand alongside such monuments of scholarship as "Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy," and "Yoga: Immortality and Freedom," and the attempted summation of his views in the three completed volumes of his "History of Religious Ideas."

The material it contains makes it something of a companion to "Shamanism" in particular, giving a more universal context to the initiatory experiences and rituals described there. It deals with ritual responses to "changes of status" in traditional societies, from the commonly recognized "Rites of Passage" (as delineated in Arnold van Gennep's classic book of that name), such as Birth, Adult-hood, and Death, to cultural constructs, such as entry into secret societies, or the company of Gods and Ancestors.

The original lecture-series title, "Patterns of Initiation," is in some ways the best, suggesting at once that Eliade is focusing on recurring themes, rather than unique instances. The more poetic titles, at least of the English-language version, may have been used because a translation of an earlier work had been published already as "Patterns in Comparative Religion."

I think that it remains useful, although according to the classicist Fritz Graf it "remains as superficial as it is dogmatic" ("Magic in the Ancient World," page 264, note 15). I would call it, rather, schematic, concise, and sometimes poorly argued. The documentation, although now obviously rather dated, often is more impressive than the slender body of quotations Eliade provides in his survey of a vast number of times and places. There are also some minor problems with the translation; probably inevitably, with the number of languages involved, in Eliade's own mind as well as the source materials he was using.

I'm not about to give up my aging copy of the Harper Torchbook edition; but Spring Publications deserves gratitude for bringing the book back into print.

A classic on the subject of initiation
Anyone planning a initiation into manhood (or woman hood) or rite of passage should know about this book.It is number one most referenced source of information on initiation in traditional cultures.No one cansay they understand the legacy of initiation in primative or traditionalcultures without reading this book.

Although it is a academic qualitywork it is very readable. The layman should have no problem understandingit. My only complaint about this book is that I wish it were longer. ... Read more

Book Description
The Politics of Myth examines the political views implicit in the mythological theories of three of the most widely read popularizers of myth in the twentieth century, C. G. Jung, Mircea Eliade, and Joseph Campbell. All three had intellectual roots in the anti-modern pessimism and romanticism that also helped give rise to European fascism, and all three have been accused of fascist and anti-Semitic sentiments. At the same time, they themselves tended toward individualistic views of the power of myth, believing that the world of ancient myth contained resources that could be of immense help to people baffled by the ambiguities and superficiality of modern life.

Robert Ellwood details the life and thought of each mythologist and the intellectual and spiritual world within which they worked. He reviews the damaging charges that have been made about their politics, taking them seriously while endeavoring to put them in the context of the individual's entire career and lifetime contribution. Above all, he seeks to extract from their published work the view of the political world that seems most congruent with it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Any Mythologist knows the risks
As am academic who has indulged himself in the mystical insights that are commented upon in this text, I can only say that the academic who has taken his time to write about his interpretations is welcome...much as the other academics who have wrestled intellectually with these icons of the mystical nature of psychology, sociology, and religion.


I do not expect any academic to capture the full range of the ideas that these authors have authored.But, I do respect the academic who finds the time, energy, and passion to try...to engage the range of thought, experience, and emotions that these authors have offered for consideration.

Have you ever tried to factor analyze the soul? Such an endeavor is to be encouraged, regardless of the inevitable inability to do so.There is a certain joy in engaging these authors who worked so hard to engage the conundrum that modernity presents to a 500 year or so old ego.

Did they get it "right"? No way. Of course they did. They engaged.And the author of this text...for all the criticality presented...does no more than those whom he engaged.

Joyfully, I suppose.

Steady at the helm
Frequently a scholar's review of other scholars work carries a personal bias, usually unintended, but present nonetheless.Professor Ellwood's progressive exploration of Jung, Eliade and Campbell lives and works as influenced by the political climate of their days is as evenhanded an effort as it has been my pleasure to experience.

For example, he (rightly) examined the varied interpretations of Campbell's mantra, "follow your bliss", without citing the 'correct' one which Campbell himself seemed to leave vague intentionally in accord with the best of human imperatives; e.g., "do unto other..." or "do not do unto others...".

As a bonus, the references are wide ranging and appropriate to the task.What a pity I was never his student, but I can read his work.That the used copies of this work sell for the "new" price may be the best review availble.

Ian Myles Slater on: Three World-Views
Professor Ellwood very properly informs the reader that he was himself a student of Mircea Eliade at the University of Chicago, so I suppose that I should mention that I am an acquaintance of Professor Ellwood (although not a student, but a fellow Tolkien-fan).However, I am taking the time to review the book mainly because I enjoyed it tremendously, and learned a great deal from it. I would suggest it to anyone who has read a little of any, or all three, of the writers it presents, and is considering reading more. Doing so should reduce arguments about these sometimes-controversial figures, or at least put them on a better intellectual foundation.

"The Politics of Myth" analyzes the political and social thought -- or lack of thought -- of three influential writers of the middle and late twentieth century. It provides enough biographical detail to keep the reader grounded in reality, and just enough information on their theories of mythology to show how much, or how little, they are related to the cultural and political environments in which the three men worked. The story of their influence also receives some coverage, particularly in connection with the Bollingen Foundation's publications of Jung and Eliade, and Campbell's role as editor for the Bollingen Series.

Eliade and Jung both have had large readerships for relatively difficult writers on often esoteric subjects, and simplified versions of their views are widely distributed, not always accurately, or with attribution. The large number of people who became familiar with Joseph Campbell through Public Television will here discover something of his place in the intellectual world.

The book is neither an indictment nor a defense of these writers on mythology (among other subjects). I finished my first reading with some definite impressions. Eliade, sometimes dismissed as a Romanian Fascist, comes off as a disturbingly unpolitical man in an age of totalitarianisms, never quite grasping that his early literary celebrity in his native country made him a valuable asset to any movement which, even falsely, claimed him as a supporter. Jung appears as a hearty Swiss peasant, deeply provincial despite his vast learning and (flashes of) genius, unable or unwilling to see beyond the symbolic exterior of the Nazi movement for a very long time. Campbell, fortunate to live in a more benign political environment, is seen rejoicing that he has freed himself of his Irish Catholic background, not noticing that his disdain for Judaism, distrust of England, and sympathy for Germany, might have something to do with his upbringing. A second reading reminded me that this short book is packed with telling details, and will probably suggest other interpretations to other readers

Rot
This is an excellent example of a critic making a name for himself by "reading into" & interpreting (misinterpreting) other hugely respected authors according to one's own projected ideology. Since not one of the three famous & brilliant mythologists studied would agree with Ellwood's assessment of him, why should we assume his oh-so-sensitive political perspective & believe he & his particular judgmental frameworks have more insight into the workings of their minds than they do themselves? We shouldn't. Each of them would be aghast at this so much smaller intellect misreading him for its own ends. I implore you: If you wish to understand Jung, Eliade, or Campbell, read Jung, Eliade, or Campbell themselves. The three together complement each other nicely. If you must read Ellwood, be fair & read some of the great ones he "demythifies" for us *before* you venture into his abuse of them.

Wonderful debunker of running myths.
A refreshing read that gives the details about the lives and times of these three brillian men.It helps to debunk all the soot that has accumulated upon their work from the burning fires of conservatives and thereligious right.The attempts to tarnish their names with accusations ofanti-semitism and other prejudices fall flat in front of the facts.Thisbook shows that people must deal with the political waves of their owntimes, but it does not necessarily make them of the same dogmatic ilk. ... Read more

Book Description
Assesses Mircea Eliade's contribution to the contemporary understanding of religion and the academic study of religion.

Changing Religious Worlds measures the nature and significance of Mircea Eliade's contribution to the understanding and academic study of religion in North America today. It includes the perspectives of the continent's leading experts on Eliade and his thought, both critical and supportive. It also includes previously unpublished fiction and journal entries from Eliade himself. The book ponders whether it is time to leave Eliade behind or whether we can yet learn from either his insights or his errors, and whether the changing world has left Eliade behind or whether it is finally catching up with him. Particular consideration is given to whether Eliade makes any lasting contribution to our ability to deal with the changing face of religion and the ability to "change over" into the religious world of the other and to see through the eyes of the other. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

You may have other reasons for losing your time...
You may have other reasons for losing your time than reading or even perusing this failed attempt to run into Mircea Eliade's legacy. For all the pain it took, I had to read it. What strikes this reader, besides the Stalinist endeavor to destroy Mircea Eliade's reputation, is sheer stupidity at work in the efforts of its many authors. This monumentally inept text is not excused by Herostratic complexes or even more inept professed " views " on " what is religious about religion ". Stupidity, even conceptualized, is of course only an excuse for many authors. The even more numerous " analyses " here are sheer failures - even as pamphlets - as rotten bread tastes, if taken with many, far too many, grains of salt. What matters here is only the attack on Mircea Eliade. Even the few intelligent and " positive " studies are inserted, I'm sure, only to make the attack more credible as an " academic " work.

If authentic, the only prowess of this tasteless conconction is making us, readers, lose time. Within the inner workings of the mind of such authors - if we adventure that far - we still crave to find a hint of logic. For it's really all self-inflated nonsense, aggravated by loud borborygms. Their larger subtext, I'm afraid, is only destruction of value per se. If one " author " needs such captatio benevolentiae as "dear reader" ( p. 4 ) I'm already beyond yawning. If the same author tries to lecture us on the Michelson-Morley experiment, ruining paper by cut-and-paste processes and meaningless quotes ( from the relevant Britannica online passages, of course ), I need not follow such " logic " as an argument against our great and for ever unsurpassed Eliade. Last, but not least, if it's rational at all, the book's argumentarium is a shame. With such sort of snoring discourses - more fit for the understanding of religion in the intellectual realm of the dear leader of northern Korea - there is no wonder that wikipedization of the Western culture is now rampant ! ( Wiki, wiki means " quickie ", in case you are, like myself, ignorant of recent progress in " knowledge technology " ). Using such credentials as machine-readable Google rankings, the intellectual level of the " deconstruction " operated by this chef d'oeuvre is only matched by the power of fans and other vacuum machines at work under their word processors. Paraphrasing Mr Rennie's billious quote on " Augustine ", and Mr Rennie's own profuse knowledge which allows him to " correct " Eliade's thinking, " we all know what religion is, until we think about it ". But Mr Rennie also knows what religion is even when he thinks he thinks about it. I also happen to contemplate the future of Eliade's legacy and I can only end, having studied his opera omnia : Once there were rats attempting to outrun elephants, in en effort to cross the memory bridge together with those elephants. I'm sure that while they made all the noise they could, such rodents thought of themselves in terms of " we all cross bridges ". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent, though somewhat academic, intro to Patanjali
I read this book on a beach in southern France in the summer of 1984.It sparked many years of subsequent reading ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Magical Romania
This novel is long and is hard work, but is worth it. Mircea Eliade brought his huge knowledge of comparative religion and folklore, combining it with recent Romanian history -- the "Ruritanian" interwar period, and the darker and grim rise of the Iron Guard, the Royal Dictatorship of King Carol II, and the forced return of parts of the country to Hungary and the USSR.

Despite this background, the magic of the woods outside Bucharest, the traditions surrounding Midsummer Eve, and the hedonistic lifestyle of the main character provide a heady mix.

This is an enchanting and intoxicating novel, a mixture of the ancient and modern, the timeless and the mundane. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A good Place to start but do not stop here.
Now over ten years in print this major account of the world's religions is the best resource for authoritative information on the world's major religious traditions. Still the work remains especially uneven in the quality of articles. Eliade died soon after the work was in production and there was not as strong or even editorial control over the quality and depth of information presented. Some scholars did excellent contributions, others are rather slap-dash and the selection of article length and topics selected seem somewhat bewildering and idiosyncratic. The work did show something of the creative ferment in religious studies but it tended to avoid controversy or provide a systematic view of history or of religions. But even with these qualifications it is the only current Encyclopedia of religion though it is hoped that some of the Internet projects now in creation will eventually make up for its generally uneven executions. Good reading.

Quite informative
Very informative, in fact ... Read more