تاریخ اندیشه‌های دینی 2

Histoire des croyances et des idées religieuses #2

by Mircea Eliade, بهزاد سالکی (translator)

هیچ دانشمند یا الهیات‌دانی نمی‌داند که دین چگونه به وجود آمده است، اما محققان بسیاری بوده و هستند که تقریبا تمامی اساطیر اقوام و سرزمین‌ها را جمع آوری کرده اند، بی اینکه دلایل و انگیزه های وجودی‌شان را آشکار و کشف کنند. به عبارتی دیگر، دانش محققان در این مورد، مجموعه‌های کامل اما نسبتا بی ارتباط با هم و صرفا به صورت معرفی و توصیف کامل آنهاست؛ یا نهایتا بررسی تحولات این اساطیر در منطقه یا قومی خاص. این تکه پاره های اسطوره ای چه بوده اند که نمی‌توانیم امروزه از آنها استفاده کنیم، درحالی که رد خود را بر تمامی حیات فردی و اجتماعی انسان گذاشته اند؟ شیوه‌هایی که انسان در مواجهه با بی‌کرانگی، جهانش را تعریف، زمانمند و دارای حد و مرز کرده، امروزه در نوع رابطه ای که با جهان و خودش دارد، برجسته شده است.

اثر سه جلدی «تاریخ اندیشه های دینی» میرچا الیاده را باید از معدود آثاری به حساب آورد که افقی نو بر شناخت عقاید دینی می‌گشاید. درحقیقت الیاده در این کتاب که آخرین اثر او بوده، با هوشمندی تا آنجا که ممکن بوده، نقشه آفریدگار را از طرح دینی هستی انسان رمزگشایی کرده است؛ اینکه انسان در مواجهه با راز خلقت و آن واحد متعال، بواسطه تجلیات بسیار گونه‌گونش، تاملاتش را به نحوی روایت کرده که بتواند وجود خود را معنادار ببیند و همین معنایابی، عامل پدیدآورنده اساطیر و ادیان مختلف شده است.

این کتاب را میراث بزرگ میرچا الیاده – اسطوره شناس و دین‌پژوه رومانیایی – و منبعی ضروری برای نسل‌های آینده می‌دانند؛ میراث و منبعی برای تجدیدنظر مستمر در رابطه ما با امر مقدس. این اثر سه جلدی گویای عشق او به دانش و اشراف عمیق او به بعد دینی تاریخ انسان است.

الیاده در جلد دوم این مجموعه با عنوان «از گوتمه بودا تا پیروزی مسیحیت» به قواعد دینی، تحویل فزاینده الهیات و فلسفه آنها پرداخته است؛ و اینکه چگونه بعد از پیامبران و در جریان تحولات تاریخی، اصول دینی نیز دچار تغییرات – گاه بنیادی – شدند.

کتاب متشکل از 15 فصل به انضمام کتاب‌شناسی، واژه‌نامه و نمایه است.

بهزاد سالکی – مترجم کتاب – دارای دکترای ادیان و عرفان از دانشگاه تهران و عضو هیئت علمی موسسه پژوهشی حکمت و فلسفه است. او پیشتر نیز کتاب‌هایی را از میرچا الیاده و آثاری در زمینه عرفان مسیحی و بودایی، دین‌شناسی تطبیقی و فلسفه دین ترجمه کرده است.

Genres: Religion, History, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Theology, Mythology, Psychology

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Romanian-born historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, professor at the University of Chicago, and one of the pre-eminent interpreters of world religion in the last century. Eliade was an intensely prolific author of fiction and non-fiction alike, publishing over 1,300 pieces over 60 years. He earned international fame with LE MYTHE DE L'ÉTERNAL RETOUR (1949, The Myth of the Eternal Return), an interpretation of religious symbols and imagery. Eliade was much interested in the world of the unconscious. The central theme in his novels was erotic love.

Reviews

[Marko Bojkovský · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mirča Elijade nastavlja gde je stao sa prvom knjigom i u ovom obimnom tomu obrađuje period ljudskog, iako bivajući istoričar to sam baš i ne razume, postepenog otuđenja od metafizičke stvarnosti.

Na stotinama strana proćićemo kroz bogatu i dramatičnu istoriju religioznosti i baštine u Kini, nastavljajući se na prethodni tom kroz post-upanišadsku Indiju sa svim krizama i cepanjima koje su upravo ti tekstovi šumski mislioca izazvali - raslojavanje tradicije na vedantu, sankhju, jogu, a potom i na budizam, đainizam, sa svim krizama i tih, više ne samo sekti ili škola onoga što će postepeno postati hinduizam, već sasvim odvojenih religijskih sistema.

Put će nas dalje voditi i kroz Evropu klasičnog doba, helenističku epohu, orfičko-pitagorejsku tradiciju i Platona kod koga se ta tradicija već cepa i ne biva sasvim shvaćena... Rim, keltska, germanska, tračanska i dačanska plemena... Uspon hrišćanstva i vazda prisutnu, večnu borbu jevreja za svoju duhovnost i državnost.

Knjiga je zaista blago, možda ne kao vrhunski izvor znanja i razumevanja ovih tema - što sigurno da joj nije ni bio cilj - već kao tačka sa koje se dalje možemo uputiti u ispitivanje bilo koje konretnije teme, bez obzira na tačnu geografsku ili vremensku odrednicu, jer zajedno sa prvim i trećim, zaključnim tomom, Mirča zaista jeste, i to uglavnom na zadovoljavajući način, pokrio vascelu istoriju ljudskog pokušaja da razume ne razumljivo ili da spozna nespoznajno. Uz sam vrhunski tekst, dopremljena je kompletan, obiman popis literature koji je sam dovoljan za decenije istraživanja.

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب پرباری بود . خوشحالم از خوندنش

[Ihor Kolesnyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Настає такий момент, коли книги, які раніше видавалися геніальними і новаторськими, виявляються зрештою класикою і вже не дуже актуальною. Особливо, коли паралельно вивчаються актуальні теми і сучасні методології.
Мірча Еліаде - це один із найталановитіших релігієзнавців і творців наративного тексту, який надихає, зачіпає, підтримує, а потім ми із нього виростаємо далі.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what every non-fiction book strives to be, brilliant by Eliade once again. Detailed, birds eye view, seen through an analytical higher-order framework which allows for comparisons across traditions. Then, tightly woven into a coherent narrative, providing the reader with an understanding of the complex development of religious thought. If only religion was taught this way in school (Jens Bjørneboe would agree). Recommended!!!

[Ali Malekpoor · Rating 3 out of 5]

جدا از تمام نقدهایی که وارد است که درباره جلد اول نوشتم و بر جلد دوم نیز کاملا وارد است این است که نیمی از کتاب پانوشت است که الیاده میگوید برای فهمیدن یا اطلاعات بیشتر بنگرید به فلان کتاب! انگار از همان قدیم گشادی پژوهش گران در جمع آوری اطلاعات شایع بوده است.

[Manoj Saranathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

just read the chapters from pre-brahmanism to the buddha, what an amazing bird's eye yet a detailed, comparative view. the self vs. no-self problem in buddhism is touched upon and a lot of sayings from the buddha to vasubandhu point out that both are extreme positions which flies in the face of the commonly expounded anatta concept especially by the theravadin schools.

[Razique M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing opus on the continuation of the first one. M. Eliade opens up to his work from the Buddha in the East to the development of Christianity. As always, M. Eliade never cease to amaze me.

[Maud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al ser las fuentes más cercanas a nuestra época, no hay tanta especulación como en el primer volumen, lo que hace que este sea mucho más interesante.

[Krocht Ehlundovič · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, bright and intriguing book. What I have been discovering while reading the book, is so new and so lovely that I am looking forward to read it again and not only that, I want to read more about its subjects. The book let your brain to fly through history and people´s minds, ideals and beliefs. You are allowed to understand them... if you are willing to.

Religions and beliefs are so complex, interconnected and symbolic that to think about it in a simple way is a scientific heresy. It is gorgeous to find out how much we have got of our previous ideals incorporated in our current ones. How those ideas were feeding each other, how they reappeared and disappeared again (e.g. Slavs brought their dead family members into their houses - which is a very ancient ritual typical for civilizations/cultures in Africa. Slavic legends about creating world have so much common with nomadic tribes from Siberia and current Mongolia...).

It is difficult to write something about the book - all you need is in its title. However, sometimes I was sad that I could not know more about particular topics. Religion is a fascinating matter to study. (Just one warning: be ready for a very difficult vocabulary.)

[Jan van Leent · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second volume of “A History of Religious Idea – From Gautama Buddha to the Triumph of Christianity” by Mircea Eliade covers the vast religious area between the ancient religions in China (Taoism and Confucianism), Brahmanism and Hinduism, Buddhism, Roman religions, Celts and Germans, Judaism, The Hindu Synthesis: The Mahabharata including the Bhagavad Gita, Iranian Synthesis, Paganism, and the Birth of Christianity and Christianity as official Religion of the Roman Empire.

This vast area of religious ideas is described in a considerable depth, although experts will certainly notice significant omissions at once; e.g. the Upanishads and the Mahabharata deserve more attention.

This volume ends with "Sol Invictus"; a religious idea taken by the Roman Emperor Aurelius (270 – 275 AC) from Egypt as uniting monotheistic Sun-God principle in the Roman Empire, before his successor Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity a preferred religion within the Roman Empire. The name Sunday – the day of God – originates from "Sol Invictus" or Sun-God in the Roman Empire.

Highly recommended!

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

آنچه به نام "رساله در تاریخ ادیان" توسط جلال ستاری ترجمه شده و انتشارات سروش در 1372 منتشر کرده، تقریبن چیزی کمتر از نیمی از این کتاب دو جلدی قطور "میرچا الیاده" است که یا جلال ستاری به سلیقه ی خود بخش هایی را برای ترجمه انتخاب کرده، و یا ممیزی مانع انتشار بخش هایی از کتاب شده است! با این همه آنچه به فارسی در آمده، خواندنی ست، حتی اگر در همین سیزده فصل منتشر شده هم تغییراتی داده باشند!
Mircea Eliade is a famous specialist on mythology, religion, mysticism and ritual elements among human’s beliefs. His language is not heavy, such as most of philosophers, but almost kind of a literary narration, novel like which keeps me going on in reading. But I won’t recommend Eliade to those who are not very much interested in different cultures and different people.

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es un volumen maravilloso, pues nos informa sobre el budismo que fue la primera religión en establecer comunidades monásticas; en cuanto a la doctrina que compartían esas comunidades, son ideas fundamentales como la reencarnación, la retribución de las acciones, técnicas de meditación que llevarán al "nirvana" y a la condición de "Buda". En la religión romana nos esclarece los términos de penates, lares y manes. Habla de Zalmoxis y el nacimiento, en las religiones europeas, del concepto de inmortalidad. De la síntesis hinduista: "el Mhabharata" y "el Bhagavad Gita". De la Gnosis: de Simón el Mago a Valentino. Todo esto sirve para saber de dónde adquirió la religión católica algunos conceptos y ritos.

[Katelis Viglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the pages 368-395 from the Chapter 29, for Gnostics. Excellent analysis, but short. I think that Eliade contrasted with Dodds's remarks in his book Pagans and Christians on Gnostics' eclecticism. He points out that: "esotericism of the Gnostics became suspect in the eyes of the ecclesia. But it was not esotericism and gnosis as such that were found to be dangerous but the heresis that infiltrated themselves under the cloak of initiatory secrecy." Ecclesia from a point after its establishement had not to be affraid from esoteric gnosis as such. Because of its open character could easily absorb the secret sects, but it could not stand their heretical doctrines.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing work from Eliade.

[Jeffrey Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume of Mircea Eliade’s magnum opus takes us from the religions of ancient China to the twilight of the pagan gods, soon to be overtaken by the rising sun of Christianity. Along the way, Eliade attempts to summarise what we know about ancient Celtic and Germanic religion, and broaches the difficult topic of pagan survivals, noting that “the creativity of the Celtic religious genius will experience a new apogee in the literature created, beginning in the twelfth century, around the heroes engaged in the quest for the Grail”; while the legend of one of those heroes, Parsifal, will continue, “in enriched and revalorized form,” Germanic heroic mythology.
I generally find Eliade most interesting when he is discussing religious ideas outside of the mainstream, perhaps because, as he explained in an interview, it is in the esoteric and the mystical that we are presented with “the primal sources of religion and art and metaphysics”; and that it is through what is despised or neglected (the stone that the builders rejected) that we can contribute to the “regeneration” of the creativity of the human spirit. He consequently has some fascinating things to say about alchemy (which “was not an embryonic chemistry; it was a discipline bound up with a different system of significances and pursuing a different end”) and Hermeticism (noting its possible influence on the legend of Parsifal).
There are also some striking pages devoted to heresies such as Gnosticism and Manichaeanism, whose “grandiose mythology” is imbued with “tragic pessimism”, for they deny that “a cosmos dominated by evil” can be the work of a “good and transcendent” deity: “By the mere fact that he lives on this earth, that is, that he is endowed with an incarnate existence, man suffers, which is as much as to say that he is the prey of evil. Deliverance cannot be obtained except through gnosis, the only true science, the knowledge that saves … Ignorance is the result of the mingling of spirit and body…”
Mainstream Christianity also has its mythology, presenting Christ as a saviour god who descends to Earth to teach a redemptive message before returning to Heaven – a soteriological conception also found in Hinduism and Buddhism. But the mythic nature of Christ’s story does not undermine its veracity: “The myths that projected Jesus of Nazareth into a universe of archetypes and transcendent figures are as ‘true’ as his acts and words; indeed, these myths confirm the strength and creativity of his original message.” Moreover, the incarnation of the Absolute in a historical person “represents the last and most perfect hierophany” – or manifestation of the sacred – demonstrating “that the countless pre-Christian generations were not victims of an illusion when they proclaimed the presence of the sacred, i.e., of the divine, in the objects and rhythms of the cosmos.”
Eliade shows how the mainstream Church defined itself in opposition to the anti-cosmic dualism of the heretics: by glorifying the Creation, blessing life and accepting history, even – and this is one of Eliade’s perennial themes – “when history becomes nothing but terror.” Nevertheless, “a certain ‘Manichaean tendency’ is still an integral part of European spirituality”, feeding popular myths and legends, while an authentic Christian gnosis and esoteric teaching are stifled, diminished and camouflaged. This Eliade considers to be the highest price that the Church had to pay for unity.
The book has a charming epilogue in the form of an anecdote about an appearance of the goddess Demeter, disguised as an old woman, at a bus stop at Eleusis, once the home of the greatest of the mystery religions, in 1940. As long as myths can metamorphose, Eliade appears to be saying, they can never truly die.

There is more on Eliade and religious symbolism in my Goodreads blog: Myth Dancing (Incorporating the Twenty Third Letter). A series of posts on Eliade begins here: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Romanian writer and historian Mircea Eliade outlines a number of religious beliefs at different points in human civilization, starting with ancient China, and working his way through to the emergence of Christianity as a major player on the spiritual world map. The second volume of a three-volume set, the text examines Asia, especially Brahmanism, Hinduism and Buddhism; the Roman Empire across Europe and North Africa; the Celts and Germans in western Europe, including Druidism and the Nordic gods; the Greeks in the Hellenistic period; the Middle East, including the various Iranian religions, Judaism, and the development of Christian belief as it spread across an ever-widening geography.

Eliade relates the development of religions as they have been influenced by political changes, especially the expansion and collapse of empires. It’s fascinating to trace some of the widely held myths back to the ancients, suggesting a syncretism (merging of religions) not always recognised by some of the modern zealous believers. But unfortunately the author spends a little too much time detailing the intricate plots of sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita and not enough on the difficult task of justifying the logic behind why one belief is retained while another is abandoned in the quest for spiritual knowledge and wisdom.

Perhaps there is no underlying logic and such an attempt to explain changes is impossible. But the ubiquitous nature of religion, present in all human societies, ensures that the topic remains compelling and I plan to proceed to Volume 3 at some point. I recommend the whole series to anyone interested in religion, history or anthropology.

[Andy]

I happened to find volume 2 of this three volume work in a free book box. Organized chronologically, this middle volume focuses largely on the religious and philosophical ferment from roughly 500 bc to the early common era.

Largely dealing with interactions between theologies from the Mediterranean to India, it leaves the first chapter dealing with Taoism and Confucianism seeming isolated and unrelated to the rest of the text. But as the volumes are continuous, perhaps he takes it back up in the next one. An interesting trend across all chapters is the various religions syncretisms moving them from being vehicles to a societies percieved thriving as a whole, to becoming more focused on the individuals salvation.

Towards the end Eliade seems to favor Christianity as 'the best' or most effective syncretism. He then makes a strange value judgement of christian orthodoxy as the most unified and rational as opposed to early christianities various other early heterodoxies. These judgements mar what is otherwise and objective work that gives both a wide scope and fascinating depth and analysis to the major world religions.

[Deyana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another course text for my freshman religion class in college; despite this text being incredibly detailed which I often appreciate, I found it incredibly challenging to navigate along with its interesting choices to portray certain religions more/less/in different lights than others. My class and I mostly complained about its difficulty to digest, and my incredible professor also had some reservations of their own on a different matter.

(Perhaps it was the fact that I read the entirity of this book with the exception of a couple of chapters which did not allow me much time to think on what I had read, but it is still not easy to get through).

[Minäpäminä · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what all non-fiction books should aspire to be. Dense yet lucid. A feat of academic writing.

The material covered should be common knowledge, not because it's easy (it's not), but for its importance. The current debate on nationalism versus "universalism" was already had in Palestine of Hellenistic times. The more one reads history, the less inclined one is to believe in "anything new under the sun".

[Ovidiu Cladoveanu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un volum încărcat cu extrem de multe informații. Este o adevărată cronologie a ideilor religioase. De aici poți prelua un topic și să-l studiezi în amănunt.
Ce îmi place este că sunt create legături între diversele mișcări și gândiri spirituale. Astfel totul are un sens mai ușor de digerat pentru cititorul amator.

[Michael Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. It continues where he left off from Volume 1. The sections on Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christian Heresiology were the most interesting. I didn't really remember much about the Celts, Iran or China. Germanic religion was fascinating. There's a bit too much latin terminology and it can be quite academese, a lot of dates and name dropping of scholars and historical figures.

[Vera Novitsky]

Каша в голове еще больше, чем после первого тома. Много мутного и непонятного. Вместо расплывчатых положений веры хотелось бы чего-то более конкретного - описания обычаев, влиянияния религий на жизнь верующих. Самым сложным для меня оказался буддизм, самым простым - иудаизм, так как база уже была.

[Riley Purvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent history lesson. The author is a superb researcher. Conveys how religious history is fascinating, profound and absolutely necessary in understanding the development of civilisations and the human psyche.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent. The “big” picture....

[Haykel · Rating 1 out of 5]

الترجمة للعربية سيئة جدا

[Natalia Maria Nadzieja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Przestarzałe, kryptoteologiczne gówno.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the religious history analysis in this volume more than in the first volume. Likely because I'm more familiar with the topics covered in this volume.

[Armin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sehr gelungene Fortsetzung des ersten Teils. Wie der erste Teil, eignet sich das Buch sehr gut, um sich einen chronologischen Überblick von Religionen zu machen.

[Lr Moya · Rating 5 out of 5]

After 2000 pages the protagonist of the Western arc appears: Christ. Will these Christians be able to fight against Islam? I will find out in the next volume.

[Tiberiu Condulescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 months for the 4 volumes of the history of religions for me. Could have been profession changing, had I read them 15 years ago. I never realized how interesting this subject could really be. The next few words will be about the 4 volumes more or less in general, as my head is still reeling from the amount of information that was synthesized here.

Eliade died by the time of Vol 4, which can be clearly felt as that is more a compendium of different researchers and authors in this field and lacks the unity and cross-referencing that the previous volumes have. This doesn't mean that it lacks valuable ideas or insights, it's just different...

The most interesting one for me was Vol 1 dealing with archaic and ancient belief forms and religions, which was quite the eye-opener. That one kind of lays the foundation for the further volumes as the underlying theme, as I perceived it, is that certain experiences as well as certain influences among peoples in long forgotten times have lead to the development of various proto-religious beliefs, which then again developed due to various other influences leading to the appearance of religions in Antiquity.

I would even go as far as to say, that these are not only scholarly excellent works, though I don't know how much our understanding of religions changed in the past 40-50 years since Eliade, but these should be mandatory readings for teachers/preachers of the faith as well. I specifically think about Christians, but that's because of my own background. There's a lot to learn from these volumes, but it also takes quite some time to go deep into them.