Loving Stones: Making the Impossible Possible in the Worship of Mount Govardhan

Loving Stones is a study of devotees' conceptions of and worshipful interactions with Mount Govardhan, a sacred mountain located in the Braj region of north-central India that has for centuries been considered an embodied form of Krishna. It is often said that worship of Mount Govardhan "makes the impossible possible." In this book, David L. Haberman examines the perplexing paradox of an infinite god embodied in finite form, wherein each particular form is non-different from the unlimited. He takes on the task of interpreting the worship of a mountain and its stones for a culture in which this practice is quite alien. This challenge involves exploring the interpretive strategies that may explain what seems un-understandable, and calls for theoretical considerations of incongruity, inconceivability, and other realms of the impossible. This aspect of the book includes critical consideration of the place and history of the pejorative concept of idolatry (and its twin, anthropomorphism) in the comparative study of religions. Loving Stones uses the worship of Mount Govardhan as a site to explore ways in which scholars engaged in the difficult work of representing other cultures struggle to make "the impossible possible."

Politics & Social Sciences

Haberman, David L.

Anthropology

Oxford University Press

Over six previous editions, Twelve Theories of Human Nature has been a remarkably popular introduction to some of the most influential developments in Western and Eastern thought. Now titled Thirteen Theories of Human Nature, the seventh edition adds a chapter on feminist theory to those on Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, Islam, Kant, Marx, Freud, Sartre, and Darwinism. The authors juxtapose the ideas of these and other thinkers and traditions in a way that helps students understand how humanity has struggled to comprehend its nature. To encourage students to think critically for themselves and to underscore the similarities and differences between the many theories, the book examines each one on four points--the nature of the universe, the nature of humanity, the diagnosis of the ills of humanity, and the proposed cure for these problems. Ideal for introductory courses in human nature, introduction to philosophy, and intellectual history, this unique volume will engage and motivate students and other readers to consider how we can understand and improve both ourselves and human society.

Thirteen Theories of Human Nature

Stevenson, Leslie

Matthews Wright, Peter

Witt, Charlotte

Philosophy

Sixteenth-century Hindu theologian Rupa Gosvamin established a technique by which, in imitating one of the significant figures in Krishna's dramatic world, a devotee might actually become the character whose part he or she was playing. Haberman here demonstrates that the Hindu view of reality accepts such role playing, called raganuga bhakti sadhana, as the preeminent way to salvation. He argues that Hindu devotional religion is not entirely a religion of grace, as many scholars have held, but one which requires discipline and effort. Throughout the book, Haberman explores Indian dramatic theory, Rupa's unique application of that theory to devotionalism, developments in the practice of this technique, and its contemporary manifestations.

Acting as a Way of Salvation: A Study of Raganuga Bhakti Sadhana

The first thorough study of its kind, this is a lively account of the Ban Yatra, a circular pilgrimage that takes place in the northern Indian land of Braj. This anthropological chronicle offers an appealing mixture of personal anecdote, religious theory, Indian history, and tales of the gods. Basing his work on personal experience in the field, as well as a combination of primary sources in Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali-many untranslated and unstudied in Western languages-and a wide range of secondary literature, Haberman places the pilgimrage in its cultural and historical context, interweaving his account with retellings of the tales of Krishna around with the journey revolves.

Journey Through the Twelve Forests: An Encounter With Krishna

History

Asia

Oxford Univ. Pr.

A lively account of the Ban Yatra, a circular pilgrimage that takes place in the northern Indian land of Braj, this anthropological chronicle offers an appealing mixture of personal anecdote, religious theory, Indian history, and tales of the gods. Basing his work on personal experience in the field, as well as a combination of primary sources in Sanskrit, Hindi, and Bengali-many untranslated and unstudied in Western languages-and a wide range of secondaryliterature, Haberman places the pilgrimage in its cultural and historical context, interweaving his account with retellings of the tales of Krishna around which the journey revolves. The first thorough study of this kind of cyclical Hindu pilgrimage, Journey through the Twelve Forests will interest anystudent of Southeast Asian culture and pilgrimage.

Journey through the Twelve Forests: An Encounter with Krishna

Ten Theories of Human Nature

With over a quarter of a million copies sold since 1974, Seven Theories of Human Nature was a remarkably popular introduction to key points of Western thought. Now completely revised, taking into account the most recent scholarship, and expanded to include Eastern thinkers, Ten Theories of Human Nature is more appealing than ever, with added chapters on Hinduism and Confucianism as well as a new chapter on Kant. The virtues of the book remain the same, compressing into a small space the essence of such thinkers as Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Jean Paul Sartre, B.F. Skinner, and Konrad Lorenz. Moreover, the authors juxtapose the ideas of these and other thinkers in a way that helps us to understand how humanity has struggled to comprehend its nature. We see, for instance, how Skinner's theories, which assert the primacy of learned behavior, are undercut by Lorenz's studies of animals, which suggest that complex behavior can occur prior to learning. To bring these comparisons into sharp relief, the book examines each theorist on four points on the nature of the universe, on the nature of humanity, on the ills of the world, and on the proposed cure for these ills. And at the same time, we are treated to fascinating analyses of some of the most influential books ever written, from Sartre's Being and Nothingness and Konrad Lorenz's On Aggression, to Plato's Republic and The Bible. Ten Theories of Human Nature will engage anyone curious about who we are, what motivates us, and how we can understand and improve the world.

World

Over three previous editions, Ten Theories of Human Nature has been a remarkably popular introduction to some of the most influential developments in Western and Eastern thought. This thoroughly revised fourth edition features substantial new chapters on Aristotle and on evolutionary theories of human nature; the latter centers on Edward O. Wilson but also outlines the ideas of Emile Durkheim, B. F. Skinner, Nikolaas Tinbergen, Konrad Lorenz, Noam Chomsky, and recent evolutionary psychology. This edition also includes a rewritten introduction that invites readers (even if inclined toward fundamentalism, or to cultural relativism) to careful, critical thought about human nature; a useful new section that summarizes the history of ideas from the Stoics to the Enlightenment; and a new conclusion that suggests a way to synthesize the various theories. Lucid and accessible, Ten Theories of Human Nature, 4/e, compresses into a small space the essence of such ancient traditions as Confucianism, Hinduism, and the Old and New Testaments as well as the theories of Plato, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Jean-Paul Sartre. The authors juxtapose the ideas of these and other thinkers and traditions in a way that helps readers understand how humanity has struggled to comprehend its nature. To encourage readers to think critically for themselves and to underscore the similarities and differences between the many theories, the book examines each one on four points--the nature of the universe, the nature of humanity, the diagnosis of the ills of humanity, and the proposed cure for these problems. Ideal for introductory courses in human nature, philosophy, religious studies, and intellectual history, Ten Theories of Human Nature, 4/e, will engage and motivate students and other readers to consider how we can understand and improve both ourselves and human society.

Over four previous editions, Ten Theories of Human Nature has been a remarkably popular introduction to some of the most influential developments in Western and Eastern thought. This fifth edition features a new chapter on Buddhism and a completely revised and reorganized chapter on Darwinian theories. Lucid and accessible, Ten Theories of Human Nature, Fifth Edition, compresses into a small space the essence of such ancient traditions as Confucianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the Old and New Testaments as well as the theories of Plato, Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, and Jean-Paul Sartre. The authors juxtapose the ideas of these and other thinkers and traditions in a way that helps readers understand how humanity has struggled to comprehend its nature. To encourage readers to think critically for themselves and to underscore the similarities and differences between the many theories, the book examines each one on four points--the nature of the universe, the nature of humanity, the diagnosis of the ills of humanity, and the proposed cure for these problems. Ideal for introductory courses in human nature, philosophy, religious studies, and intellectual history, Ten Theories of Human Nature, Fifth Edition, will engage and motivate students and other readers to consider how we can understand and improve both ourselves and human society.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Haberman, David L.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Haberman, David L.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Haberman, David L.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Loving Stones: Making the Impossible Possible in the Worship of Mount Govardhan

Loving Stones: Making the Impossible Possible in the Worship of Mount Govardhan

Thirteen Theories of Human Nature

Acting as a Way of Salvation: A Study of Raganuga Bhakti Sadhana

Journey Through the Twelve Forests: An Encounter With Krishna

Journey through the Twelve Forests: An Encounter with Krishna

Ten Theories of Human Nature

Ten Theories of Human Nature

Ten Theories of Human Nature

Ten Theories of Human Nature