Product Description

Greek religion is filled with strange sexual artifacts--stories of mortal women's couplings with gods, rituals like the basilinna's "marriage" to Dionysus, beliefs in the impregnating power of snakes and deities, and more. In this provocative study, Marguerite Rigoglioso suggests these are remnants of an early Greek cult of divine birth, not unlike that of Egypt. Scouring myth, legend, and history from a female-oriented perspective, she argues that many in the highest echelons of Greek civilization believed non-ordinary conception was the only means possible of bringing forth true leaders, and that special virgin priestesshoods were dedicated to this practice. Her book adds a unique perspective to our understanding of antiquity, and has significant implications for the study of Christianity and other religions in which divine birth claims are central.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1139140 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-15
• Released on: 2009-04-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 292 pages

Review
"With this pioneering work, Marguerite Rigoglioso has illuminated the coherence and the centrality of the seemingly disparate references to divine parthenogenetic birth in Greek religion. Her insightful study of the priestesshoods of divine birth brings the subject into focus and suggests new scholarly perspectives." --Charlene Spretnak, author of Lost Goddesses of Early Greece

"This book is bold, creative, and courageous, and makes a considerable contribution to feminist re-readings and reinterpretations of religious and mythological traditions from the Graeco-Roman world." --Marvin Meyer, Ph.D., Griset Professor of Bible and Christian Studies, Chapman University; Author of The Gospel of Judas, The Gospels of Mary, The Gnostic Bible, and Ancient Christian Magic

"Thought provoking and superbly written, this is the only book to examine thoroughly and seriously the question of divine birth in ancient Greece. Imperative for classical scholars, the book provides stunning insights that should be a fascinating read for anyone who has even the slightest interest in spirituality, religion, feminism, or ancient history." --Jorge N. Ferrer, Ph.D., Coeditor, The Participatory Turn: Spirituality, Mysticism, Religious Studies

"Marguerite Rigoglioso is a unique scholar who has skillfully woven an important study that shifts the dominant gaze on pre-Christian origins. Her work allows for a more holistic perspective regarding a major religious belief of the world--that of virgin birth. What a treasure--an original and scrupulous scholar who writes well and suffuses her study of myths with passion!" --Lucia Chiavola Birnbaum, author of Black Madonnas: Feminism, Religion, and Politics in Italy

Review
"With this pioneering work, Rigoglioso has illuminated the coherence and the centrality of the seemingly disparate references to divine birth in Greek religion. Her insightful study of the priestesshoods of divine birth brings the subject into focus and suggests new scholarly perspectives."

About the Author
Marguerite Rigoglioso, Ph.D., is a member of the faculties of Dominican University of California, the California Institute of Integral Studies, and the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, where she teaches courses on women and religion. Her pioneering research on female deities and women's religious leadership in the ancient Mediterranean world and beyond has appeared in various anthologies and journals, including Feminist Theology, The Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, Societies of Peace, She Is Everywhere, Trivia, and the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, where her paper on the cult of Demeter and Persephone in Sicily received an honorable mention for the New Scholar Award. She is also the editor of Where to Publish Articles on Women's Studies, Feminist Religious Studies, and Feminist/Womanist Topics.

Customer Reviews

A Must Read for Anyone Interested in Western Civilization
Dr. Rigoglioso resurrected a fascinating aspect of ancient life that classicists and historians alike entirely missed. Her synthesis of the evidence betrays a genuine depth of scholarship; her command of both literary and archaeological sources gives this work real scholarly backbone. The grace of her writing style matches her scholarship and is charmingly apparent throughout what proves to be a truly enlightening work. "The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece" is a landmark study in human religion and pre-Christian culture. It is a must read for anyone with even a passing interest in antiquity. An absolute must read.

Sex, drugs and star worship rolled into one startling new theory.
The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece by Marguerite Rigoglioso, April 27, 2009.
Sex, drugs and star worship rolled into one startling new theory.

Dr. Marguerite Rigoglioso has presented the reader with one heck of an original new theory regarding, primarily, the ancient Greek goddess fertility cults. This book leaves the reader asking "has parthenogenesis been made real?"

As this book proves, Christians were certainly not the first to come up with the idea of a divine son of god born of a virgin mother. In fact, it appears that most, or nearly all ancient cultures held similar beliefs.

Though admittedly speculative in some of her interpretations, by scouring ancient as well as modern sources, Rigoglioso weaves together a strong and starting theory of the ancient divine mother goddess cults and the origins of many of today's patriarchal religions via the ancient goddess cults - one that I think is well founded. Basically, from her theory, pure parthenogenesis was the original theory, and was slowly usurped by the later male dominated patriarchal shifts in the act of Hieros gamos.

Pulling together an interesting history of entheogens, sex and astrotheology, she shows how these cults likely functioned, as well as what many of their esoteric practices, politics and social roles may have been. This book makes for a fascinating read.

Having done my own in depth research into the primary themes of this book: entheogens, ancient fertility cults, and astrotheology, there were no points in this book that I would say were in error. All that I found were ideas that my own research can build upon and expand (or visa versa). One point being her analysis of the black dove of the oak tree, symbolic not only of virginity and divinity, but possibly also of the blackish Amanita pantherina for which the oak tree acts as mycelial host. (Don't go picking Amanitas without being an expert mycologist or you could poison yourself!)
This book scores major points in originality, critical thought, and depth of analysis. Don't allow the price tag to scare you away.

5 Stars!