The New Polytheism

Here is a polytheistic theology that is psychological, iconoclastic, and gnostic and views the mythos of gods and goddesses imaginally, as a theologica imaginalis, a perspective for which Gaston Bachelard and Henry Corbin laid the philosophical foundation. This newly revised edition includes a Prefatory Letter by Henry Corbin and a Postscript by James Hillman.

Powerful New Perspectives on the Integration of Science and Spirit Examining the relationship between polytheism and quantum physics, biology, and ecology can open new vistas of sacred discovery. God Is Dead, Long Live the Gods develops a bold new vision for polytheism's evolving role in our society and in our individual and collective spiritual experiences. Join author Gus diZerega as he explores contemporary science to show why consciousness is a fundamental aspect of reality and why polytheistic experiences are as varied as the vast array of living organisms that enrich our world. This book shows why monotheism is actually a form of polytheism, and it explores fascinating spiritual concepts such as thought forms, mystical experiences, shamanism, spiritual healing, and universal love. Whether you're interested in the mind-bending implications of emergence theory or want to know if the universe is alive, you will discover transformative answers and a new integration of science and spirituality.

The philosophy of religion has been dominated by monotheists and atheists for centuries now. But, polytheism deserves to be restored to its respected position, and The Case for Polytheism sets out some reasons why. By developing a notion of godhood and employing a set of novel and neglected arguments, the author constructs a rigorous but accessible case for the existence of multiple gods.

First Published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Revised and expanded, this volume deals with the religious traditions of ancient Egypt, which have come down to us in a state which is both extremely fragmentary and complex. New material - especially hymns collected in Theban tombs - now allows a much more precise allocation of religious texts and ideas in terms of time, place and social context. Within the field of solar religion, no less than five different traditions have to be distinguished: 1) the liturgical traditions of the royal solar cult, which for their secrecy and exclusivity are labelled the "mysteries" of the sun cult; 2) the traditional mythology of the solar course expressed in hymns and pictorial representations; 3) the revolutionary process culminating in the Amarna period, which discards the mythic images and gives a monotheistic construction of the solar course, a process which starts before Akhenaten's revolution; 4) the theology of Amun-Re, the God of Thebes, before the Amarna Period, a theology of primacy where one god acts as chief of a pantheon; and 5) the quite different theology of this same Amun-Re after Amarna, a theology which answers the monotheistic experience by developing a kind of pantheism - the concept of the hidden god - who is both cosmic god and personal saviour.

As A Million and One Gods shows, polytheism is considered a scandalous presence in societies oriented to Jewish, Christian, and Muslim beliefs. Yet it persists, even in the West, perhaps because polytheism corresponds to unconscious needs and deeply held values of tolerance, diversity, and equality that are central to civilized societies.