Ritual, Spectacle, and Menace: An Ancient Oath-Sacrifice and an IS "Message" Video

On the surface, comparative projects may seem frivolous, particularly those whose comparata are separated by millennia; this is especially true if one is attaching meaning simply to common event-sequences across time. However, for exploring the perceptual dynamics behind ancient reports of ritualize...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kitts, Margo 1952- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Philosophy Documentation Center 2020
In: Journal of religion and violence
Year: 2020, Volume: 8, Issue: 2, Pages: 133-152
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Summary:On the surface, comparative projects may seem frivolous, particularly those whose comparata are separated by millennia; this is especially true if one is attaching meaning simply to common event-sequences across time. However, for exploring the perceptual dynamics behind ancient reports of ritualized violence whose contexts and intended effects are somewhat elusive, a contemporary comparison may prove insightful. This should be true for rituals whose intent is menace, such as oath-making rituals and curses. Although we undoubtedly are missing much in the way of context and intended effects for ancient oath-making rituals, a close examination of one Islamic State (IS) "message" video of 2014 may enable us to envision some common perceptual dynamics. This short essay proposes to evaluate the persuasive effects of an ancient ritual in the light of a contemporary, by pondering embodied and visual modes of perception.
ISSN:2159-6808
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and violence
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.5840/jrv202092877