{"product_id":"the-seshat-history-of-moralizing-religion-volume-1-historical-and-comparative-perspectives-paperback","title":"The Seshat History of Moralizing Religion: Volume 1: Historical and Comparative Perspectives - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJenny Reddish\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003ePeter Turchin\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eJennifer Larson\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat do the gods want? Will we be judged after death? What is the aim of religious practice? In all the major religions recognized today, interpersonal morality is a primary concern, reinforced by supernatural systems of punishment and reward. In the Abrahamic faiths, an all-powerful god monitors and judges human conduct, and in Asian karmic religions, every action has consequences, in this life or the next. Yet this focus is recent compared to beliefs in supernatural agency and life after death, and ritual practices designed to ensure good relationships with gods, spirits and ancestors. How did moralizing supernatural punishment and reward (MSP) become so important, and what impact have these beliefs had on human societies?\u003cbr\u003eSince 2011, teams of scholars affiliated with the Seshat: Global History Databank have used quantitative methods to explore these questions. The \u003ci\u003eSeshat History of Moralizing Religion\u003c\/i\u003e is a qualitative companion to this work, providing a more detailed exploration of cultural context. It is the first book to offer a worldwide comparative perspective on moralizing religions.\u003cbr\u003eIn Volume 1, archaeologists, anthropologists and historians bring their insights to bear on questions of the origin and spread of moralizing religions. Specialists in the study of these traditions explore how MSP has been understood in a variety of cultural contexts, from the early Christian Mediterranean to Sasanian Iran and contemporary India. This volume also includes chapters taking a comparative approach to moralizing religion, identifying patterns in time and space and asking how such beliefs co-evolve with other aspects of social organization.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 286\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.6 x 10 x 7 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 30, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47649619214557,"sku":"9781967343003","price":64.8,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0811\/9867\/8237\/files\/RkQMC_1iUD9781967343003.webp?v=1773883143","url":"https:\/\/handfulofbooks.com\/products\/the-seshat-history-of-moralizing-religion-volume-1-historical-and-comparative-perspectives-paperback","provider":"Handful of Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}