Project Details
Projekt
GRK 896: Images of Deities - Images of God - Images of the World. Polytheism and Monotheism in the Ancient World
Subject Area
Ancient Cultures
Social and Cultural Anthropology, Non-European Cultures, Jewish Studies and Religious Studies
Social and Cultural Anthropology, Non-European Cultures, Jewish Studies and Religious Studies
Term
from 2004 to 2012
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 273631
The Research Training Group is focusing the multiform relationship of polytheism and monotheism in the Near Eastern and Mediterranean World. Investigating the religious and cultural settings of the Near East and the Antiquity, the terms polytheism and monotheism, including henotheism and monolatry, prove to be unsatisfactory to render the various constellations of city and state panthea in an adequate manner. Panthea of cities may acquire a tendency towards monolatry and, finally, monotheism, while deliberately elaborated henotheistic and monotheistic religions may preserve fundamental polytheistic patterns. The various religious systems bear a major impact on the images of the world ("Weltbilder") which have been developed.
The Research Training Group aims at setting forth appropriate models, which elucidate the interrelation of deities within the religious systems, the interdependence of political power and religious constellations, and the influence exerted on one another by religious systems. This may be the case due to the attractiveness of certain religious concepts or to political power which foster new developments. Special attention will be paid to occurrences of religious fanaticism and tolerance investigating the constellations by which they are impeded and promoted.
The Research Training Group aims at setting forth appropriate models, which elucidate the interrelation of deities within the religious systems, the interdependence of political power and religious constellations, and the influence exerted on one another by religious systems. This may be the case due to the attractiveness of certain religious concepts or to political power which foster new developments. Special attention will be paid to occurrences of religious fanaticism and tolerance investigating the constellations by which they are impeded and promoted.
DFG Programme
Research Training Groups
Applicant Institution
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Spokesperson
Professor Dr. Hermann Spieckermann
Participating Researchers
Professorin Dr. Heike Behlmer; Professor Dr. Reinhard Feldmeier; Professor Dr. Peter Gemeinhardt; Professor Dr. Sebastian Günther; Professor Dr. Reinhard Gregor Kratz; Professor Dr. Philip Gerrit Kreyenbroek; Professor Dr. Peter Kuhlmann; Professor Dr. Heinz-Günther Nesselrath; Professor Dr. Jörg Rüpke; Professor Dr. Martin Tamcke; Professor Dr. Florian Wilk; Professorin Dr. Annette Zgoll
