‎Cristiana Facchini, Girolamo Imbruglia, Vincenzo Lavenia, Sabina Pavone (eds)‎
‎Sacrifice and Sacred Violence. History, Comparisons, and the Early Modern World‎

‎, Brepols, 2025 Hardback, Pages: 472, Size:178 x 254 mm, Illustrations:4 b/w, 42 col., Language: English. ISBN 9782503612751.‎

Reference : 70621

‎Summary Sacrifice has long been a central topic in scholarly debate. Since the publication of Marcel Mauss and Henri Hubert's groundbreaking work in 1898-99, the concept has gained prominence as a distinct theme in comparative religion, anthropology, and the history of religions. Throughout the twentieth century, many distinguished scholars and intellectuals examined the meaning and function of sacrifice to better understand various aspects of human cognition and social interactions. While some explored its connections to violence-particularly forms of self-inflicted violence, such as martyrdom-others sought to disentangle the concept from violent practices altogether. Building on this rich tradition, this collection of articles gathers contributions from leading scholars who explore the theme of sacrifice, examining its diverse meanings and roles across various religious traditions. While the book places particular emphasis on the history of Christianity and the early modern period, it also provides valuable insights into a broad spectrum of religious traditions, including Judaism, Islam, Greek and ancient religions, as well as Japanese religions. Its geographical scope spans regions such as India, China, Africa, and Brazil, offering a truly global perspective.By mapping the varied interpretations and transformations of sacrifice in the early modern period, this book seeks to illuminate its evolving significance. It also strives to offer a comparative framework that highlights the concept's complexity and adaptability across cultural and historical contexts. TABLE OF CONTENTS Cristiana Facchini, Girolamo Imbruglia, Vincenzo Lavenia, Sabina Pavone, Introduction Part 1. Comparative Perspectives Jan Bremmer, The Beginning and End of Greek Animal Sacrifice in the Ancient World: Some Observations Federico Dal Bo, Sacrifice, Blood, and Intention in Early Rabbinic Literature. A Critical Reading of Mira Balberg's Blood for Thought Roberta Denaro, The Sacrificial Dimension of Martyrdom in Sunni Islam: Some Observations on the Theme in Classical and Contemporary sources Caterina Bori, 'Every Little Boy is Taken as a Pledge against his Sacrifice at Birth'. ?Aq?qa and its Functioning in Late Medieval Handbook on Raising Good Muslim Children Chiara Ghidini, Not Only to Heaven and Earth: Logics of Sacrifice in Japan Part 2. Religion and Politics Cristiana Facchini, Atonement and Sacrifice: Early Debates and Classical Theories Daniel Barbu, Sacrifice and Idolatry Francesco Quatrini, Freya Sierhuis, Hugo Grotius's Christology: The Sacrifice of Christ across his Religious and Political Works Robert Yelle, Where Did Sacrifice Go?: The Case of Thomas Hobbes Part 3. Sacrifice, Martyrdom, and Holiness Emiliano R. Urciuoli, Unoffered Pain: The Troubled Origins of Sacrificial Martyrdom Pierre-Antoine Fabre, Sacrifice, Sanctity, and Martyrdom Franco Motta, Self-sacrifice in the Ordinary Duty. Early Modern Martyrial Culture and Hagiographical Rhetoric in Mathias Tanner's Societas Iesu apostolorum imitatrix (1694) Part 4. Christian Readings on Sacrifice in the Global Sphere Maria Berbara, Ritual Killings amongst the Tupinamb and the Christian Concept of Sacrifice in Early Modernity Paola von Wyss-Giacosa, Staging Sacrifice: De Bry's Pictorial Representation of Javanese Women Self-Immolation Ronnie Po-chia Hsia, Martyrdom and Sacred Violence in Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century China Sabina Pavone, Save the Body to Save the Soul: Interpreting Sati in Jesuit Missionary Sources Joan-Pau Rubi s, Discourses of Religion and Sacrifice in Sub-Saharan West Africa, c.1500-c.1700 Part 5. Sacrifice and Sacred Violence Irene Bueno, Reframing Holy War and Sacrifice at the close of the Middle Ages: Crusading Treatises in Comparison Olivier Christin, Why Committing Self-sacrifice? Martyrdom and Civic Heroism in Strasbourg (1529-30) Lucia Ceci, Nationalism, Sacrifice, and Violence in the Narrative of Italian Catholics on the Ulster Question‎