In May 1991, having received threats that terrified him, rising academic star Ioan Culianu entrusted a colleague with a mysterious set of papers. A week later, Culianu was murdered. What was in those mysterious papers? And what connection might they have to Culianu's death? The papers eventually passed into the hands of Bruce Lincoln, and their story is at the heart of this book.
Analyzing the 1992 incident in which antinuclear activist Rick Springer disrupted a Las Vegas speech given by former president Ronald Reagan, Lincoln questions Arendt's claims. He does not find a diminution of authority or a fundamental change in the conditions that produce it. Rather, Lincoln finds modern authority splintered, expanded, and, in fact, multiplied as the mechanisms for its construction become more complex - and more expensive. A lively, wide-ranging exploration of the concept of authority, this book will interest anyone concerned with the production and contestation of authority in the modern world.
Lincoln mounts an argument for the value of comparison, which is often derided as limited and limiting; instead, he shows how carefully considered comparisons can illuminate both subjects.
Indo-European Themes of Creation and Destruction
Exploring the intricate relationships between mythology, the cosmos, and societal structures, this book delves into how ancient narratives shape cultural identities and influence human understanding of the universe. It examines various mythological traditions, highlighting their roles in shaping moral frameworks, social norms, and communal bonds across different civilizations. Through a multidisciplinary lens, it offers insights into the enduring power of myth in contemporary society.
Assembles a collection of essays that both illustrates and reveals the benefits of his methodology, making a case for a critical religious studies that starts with skepticism but is neither cynical nor crude. This book tackles many questions central to religious study.
Exploring the dual nature of Siberia as both a prison and a frontier, this narrative history delves into the experiences of Russians in the region. It captures the complexities of life in Siberia, highlighting the struggles, resilience, and diverse stories of those who inhabited this expansive and often harsh landscape. Through a rich tapestry of historical accounts, the book reveals how Siberia shaped the identity and fate of its people.
Examining the interplay between religion and imperialism, the book delves into Achaemenian Persia's imperial theology, highlighting dualistic ethics, divine election, and a salvific mission. It explores the Achaemenians' cosmic understanding and moral standing, their motivations for intervening in good versus evil, and their historic purpose of restoring paradise. Lincoln illustrates how these beliefs fueled both their wealth and power and led to contradictions, culminating in a disturbing case of torture that connects historical insights to contemporary issues, including reflections on Abu Ghraib.
The biography explores St. Petersburg as a symbol of Russian identity, embodying power and resilience despite its harsh environment. Founded by Tsar Peter the Great in an inhospitable marsh, the city transformed into a vibrant political and cultural hub, connecting Russia to Europe. The narrative intertwines the lives of revolutionaries, laborers, tsars, and poets, highlighting the diverse influences that shaped the city's complex history. Through its opulence and suffering, the book reveals the profound human and natural forces that have defined St. Petersburg and its nation.
One of the world's leading specialists in Indo-Europeanreligion and society, Bruce Lincoln expresses in these essayshis severe doubts about the existence of a much-hypothesizedprototypical Indo-European religion.Written over fifteen years, the essays—six of thempreviously unpublished—fall into three parts. Part I dealswith matters "Indo-European" in a relatively unproblematizedway, exploring a set of haunting images that recur indescriptions of the Otherworld from many cultures. WhileLincoln later rejects this methodology, these chapters remainthe best available source of data for the topics theyaddress.In Part II, Lincoln takes the data for each essay from asingle culture area and shifts from the topic of dying tothat of killing. Of particular interest are the chaptersconnecting sacrifice to physiology, a master discourse ofantiquity that brought the cosmos, the human body, and humansociety into an ideologically charged correlation.Part III presents Lincoln's most controversial caseagainst a hypothetical Indo-European protoculture.Reconsidering the work of the prominent Indo-EuropeanistGeorges Dumézil, Lincoln argues that Dumézil's writingswere informed and inflected by covert political concernscharacteristic of French fascism. This collection is aninvaluable resource for students of myth, ritual, ancientsocieties, anthropology, and the history of religions.Bruce Lincoln is professor of humanities and religiousstudies at the University of Minnesota.
The Indiana U. Press edition (1978) is cited in BCL3 . A scholarly biography that provides a view of Russian autocracy. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.