Excellent4.8 out of 5On Trustpilot
  1. Theology Books/
  2. World Religions

Lives of Indian Images

by Richard H. Davis

  • Paperback
  • 352 pages
  • Publisher: University Presses of California, Columbia and Princeton
  • 15.6 x 23.5 x 2.3 cm

£30.76

Save 38% | Free UK Delivery

Available - Usually dispatched within 4 days

Buying for a school or church? Upgrade to a FREE Eden Advance Account

Free delivery on orders over £10

For many centuries, Hindus have taken it for granted that the religious images they place in temples and home shrines for purposes of worship are alive. Hindu priests bring them to life through a complex ritual "establishment" that invokes the god or goddess into material support. Priests and devotees then maintain the enlivened image as a divine person through ongoing liturgical activity: they must awaken it in the morning, bathe it, dress it, feed it, entertain it, praise it, and eventually put it to bed at night.In this linked series of case studies of Hindu religious objects, Richard Davis argues that in some sense these believers are correct: through ongoing interactions with humans, religious objects are brought to life. Davis draws largely on reader-response literary theory and anthropological approaches to the study of objects in society in order to trace the biographies of Indian religious images over many centuries. He shows that Hindu priests and worshipers are not the only ones to enliven images.Bringing with them differing religious assumptions, political agendas, and economic motivations, others may animate the very same objects as icons of sovereignty, as polytheistic "idols," as "devils," as potentially lucrative commodities, as objects of sculptural art, or as symbols for a whole range of new meanings never foreseen by the images' makers or original worshipers.
Lives of Indian Images and Ritual in an Oscillating Universe
Ritual in an Oscillating UniverseLives of Indian Images

  • Author

    Richard H. Davis

  • Book Format

    Paperback

  • Publisher

    University Presses of California, Columbia and Princeton

  • Published

    May 1999

  • Edition

    New edition

  • Weight

    486g

  • Page Count

    352

  • Dimensions

    15.6 x 23.5 x 2.3 cm

  • ISBN

    9780691005201

  • ISBN-10

    0691005206

  • Eden Code

    1154442

Over 14,000 churches and schools have upgraded to an Advance Account and we‘d love to welcome you into this free program. We know that church volunteers and school teachers often use their own money, then have claim it back on on an expense form. We can take all of that hassle away by invoicing your church or school directly and delivering your order straight away.

Opening an account is quick and easy, with most accounts being approved and setup within a few hours of filling in the form below (on weekdays, not weekends). As soon as we‘ve approved the application we‘ll send you an email to let you know that its done.

Upgrade to a FREE Eden Advance Account
Write a review
      Ask a question
      Open Doors Ad