Religion, Empire, and Torture
Subtitle: The Case of Achaemenian Persia, with a Postscript on Abu Ghraib
Publisher: University Of Chicago Press
Published: July 1, 2007
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 192
ISBN-13: 9780226481968
Subjects: European history: BCE to c 500 CE; Political oppression & persecution; Pre-Christian European & Mediterranean religions; Religion; Religion - Socialissues; Europe; Persian Empire; Ancient - General; Middle East - General; Religion, Politics & State; Religion / Church & State; Case studies; Iran; Religion and politics
Description: How does religion stimulate and feed imperial ambitions and violence? This title identifies three core components of an imperial theology that have transhistorical and contemporary relevance: dualistic ethics, a theory of divine election, and a sense of salvific mission. It shows how the religious ideas shaped Achaemenian practice.