Imagining the Divine: Art in Religions of Late Antiquity across Eurasia

This groundbreaking volume explores how objects can inform our understanding of religions in late antiquity, across cultures and regions. It challenges Eurocentric and post-Reformation Christian frameworks that prioritize text and minimizes the capacity of images and objects to hold religious content. The volume seeks to explore the potential for interdisciplinary conversation to reinvigorate the field.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 200 pages
\n Publication date: 15 February 2021
\n Publisher: British Museum Press
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This groundbreaking volume brings together scholars of the art and archaeology of late antiquity (c. 200-1000), across cultures and regions ranging from India to Iberia, to discuss how objects can inform our understanding of religions. During this period, significant transformations are visible in the production of religious art and in the relationships between people and objects in religious contexts across the ancient world. These shifts in behavior and the formalization of iconographies are evident in art associated with numerous religious traditions, including but not limited to Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, religions of the Roman Empire, and paganism in northern Europe. Studies of these religions and their material culture, however, have been shaped by Eurocentric and post-Reformation Christian frameworks that prioritized Scripture and minimized the capacity of images and objects to hold religious content. Despite recent steps to incorporate objects, much academic discourse, especially in comparative religion, remains stubbornly textual. This volume, therefore, seeks to explore the ramifications of placing objects first and foremost in the comparative study of religions in late antiquity and to consider the potential for interdisciplinary conversation to reinvigorate the field.

Introduction:
The study of religions in late antiquity has long been dominated by textual approaches, with a focus on sacred texts, doctrines, and religious practices. While these approaches have provided valuable insights into the beliefs and practices of ancient religions, they have also limited our understanding of the role of objects in religious contexts. This volume seeks to address this gap by bringing together scholars from various disciplines, including art history, archaeology, religious studies, and cultural anthropology, to explore the multifaceted relationship between objects and religions in late antiquity.

Objectives:
The primary objectives of this volume are to:
1. Examine the production and consumption of religious objects in late antiquity, including their materiality, form, and function.
2. Explore the ways in which objects can inform our understanding of religious beliefs, practices, and rituals.
3. Consider the interdisciplinary nature of the study of religions and the potential for collaboration between scholars from different fields.
4. Discuss the challenges and limitations of using objects as sources of religious knowledge and the ethical considerations involved in their study.

Contributions:
The contributions to this volume come from scholars from a range of institutions and backgrounds, including leading experts in the field. The chapters in this volume cover a wide range of topics, including:
1. The use of objects in religious rituals and ceremonies in late antiquity, including the role of sacred vessels, icons, and sculptures.
2. The material culture of religions in late antiquity, including the production and distribution of religious objects, the use of sacred spaces, and the architecture of religious buildings.
3. The relationship between objects and religious identity in late antiquity, including the ways in which objects can shape and reinforce religious beliefs and practices.
4. The impact of objects on the interpretation of religious texts and doctrines in late antiquity, including the use of objects as evidence for religious beliefs and practices.
5. The role of objects in the transmission of religious knowledge and ideas in late antiquity, including the use of objects as teaching tools and the development of religious literature.
6. The study of objects as cultural heritage in late antiquity, including the preservation and interpretation of religious objects and the impact of cultural heritage on contemporary religious practices and beliefs.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, this volume provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary examination of the relationship between objects and religions in late antiquity. By placing objects at the center of our study, we can gain a deeper understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of religious practices and beliefs in this period. The contributions to this volume offer valuable insights into the ways in which objects can inform our understanding of religions and the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration in the study of the past.

\n Weight: 810g\n
Dimension: 295 x 210 x 18 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780861592340\n \n