In 1925 the influential Dutch anthropologist W. H. Rassers posed the question of the relationship of myth to ritual, taking as his case study the Javanese myth of the birth of the man-eating demon, Kala. The light shed by this myth, and its re-enactment, on the social morphology of Java was immediately the subject of debate among students of Javanese culture. Stephen C. Headley translates and studies ritual and myth in their variant forms. He expands illuminatingly upon Rasser's general proposition, that the movement from cosmogony to exorcism founds fundamental social forms within which values circulate in Javanese society. Richly detailed descriptions confirm the permanence of these networks of circulating values in modern-day Java, and their persistence in the face of contemporary individualism.
How can you take the concept of a professional learning community from theory to the school building? This how-to guide walks you through the process of establishing a PLC step by step over a flexible timeline of nine to twelve months.
Stephen Headley's new book explores contemporary religious change in the Surakarta region of Central Java. In his analysis of the Durga ritual complex, the author sheds light on one of the most unusual court traditions to have survived in an era of deepening Islamisation.
In its attempt to squash the influence of animism and pantheism or polytheism and to promote the idea of the One and Only Absolute God, Islam has come up against a tendency within itself to incorporate certain local religious traditions and practices. This book shares that combination of universality and local particularity, exploring this paradox and the contradictory tendencies contained in it.
Fourteen original stories inspired by the influential horror writer, including tales by Laird Barron, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Gemma Files, and Brian Evenson. Compiled by Hugo and Bram Stoker Award–winning editor Ellen Datlow, these original stories of the supernatural employ H. P. Lovecraft’s trademark terror of the cosmic unknown. A fresh generation of writers have been set free to play in his playground, exploring new themes and new horrors. In “Oblivion Mode” by Laird Barron, a revenge-fueled woman and her ragtag band confront a vampiric baron. Rumored to have belonged to a Donner Party survivor, a jade figurine winds its way through many different hands and centuries, spreading evil along the way in Caitlín R. Kiernan’s “Excerpts for An Eschatology Quadrille.” In Gemma Files’s “Little Ease,” a pest exterminator meets a woman researching Enochian—the language of angels—and makes a horrific discovery in the walls of a building. A woman’s new pair of bifocals comes with a warning she should take seriously in “Glasses” by Brian Evenson. Also included are tales by Siobhan Carroll, Orrin Grey, Richard Kadrey, A. C. Wise, Brian Hodge, Stephen Graham Jones, John Langan, Maria Dahvana Headley, David Nickle, and Livia Llewellyn. “The power of this anthology shows in that it’s not only a must for Lovecraft fans, but for any fan of solid, mature, and mind-boggling weird fiction, courtesy of one of the finest editors in the industry.” —New York Journal of Books “You don’t need to be a fan of H.P. Lovecraft to enjoy the quality storytelling in this book. If you are, though, you might enjoy it even more.” —Horrible Book Reviews
The fate of religion in the post-communist societies of eastern Europe remains one of the single most important issues in the comparative sociology of religion. No country is more important to that study than Russia. A gifted scholar of religion in both eastern Asia and Russia, Stephen Headley provides a sensitive portrait of Orthodoxy in Russia during the post-Soviet period. Headley tells the story of Russian Christianity from within - and with an eye for religious devotion as well as church reconstruction. The result is a beautiful, informative, and exquisitely rare book.
After the author explores the Hebrew psalter, the five daily Muslim prayers, and Indian devotional prayers, a brief chapter on Buddhism examines the relationship between Buddhist chant and prayer in Christianity. A final chapter offers conclusions concerning the advantages of studying non-Christian prayer by stepping off from Christian revelation.
Seeing Peace" follows the footsteps of Father William R. Headley, PhD, CSSp, an extraordinary peacebuilder who has served humanity in over 80 countries. Written for people with traditional and non-traditional religious and spiritual convictions, for young people trying to figure out their path, for people who are questioning their faith traditions, or those interested in peacebuilding, each chapter contains reflections on the lessons learned. Now afflicted with macular degeneration that limits his sight, Father Headley nonetheless hopes that this retrospective will help others see the possibility of peace in a new light.
This book gives the reader much food for thought, not only about Javanese mythology, the wayang, and cosmology, but also about what it is to be a Javanese person within a cosmos so construed.' -Moussons'Interesting reading... the author is well equipped to carry out this task, having an unusual and impressive command of the literature. His tour through the mythological background is intriguing and insightful... many suggestive leads and fascinating links between mythology, kinship, and ritual... From Cosmogony to Exorcism offers an analysis in the structuralist mode and it makes a brilliant contribution to this tradition.' -AnthroposStephen Headley translates and studies a Javanese ritual and myth, the birth of the man-eating demon, Kala. He shows that this genesis myth, with its movement from cosmogony to exorcism, constitutes the basis of networks of circulating values in contemporary Javanese society.
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