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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Quirke's book is one of the few that cover all the major areas of Egyptian religion in roughly equal measure. (The other major one is [b:Gods and Men in Egypt|1741398|Gods and Men in Egypt 3000 BCE to 395 CE|David Lorton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348878304l/1741398._SY75_.jpg|1739022] by Françoise Dunand and Christiane Zivie-Coche, which is more extensive but not as easy to read.) The first chapter is subtitled "The Sun-god", but it really describes a variety of themes in mythology and theology, often but not always closely related to the sun god. The second is about the myth of Osiris and his resurrection, with its profound influence on Egyptian ideology. The next discusses kingship and the official, organized religion that the king oversaw. The fourth chapter covers ordinary people's efforts to use divine power to ward off disaster, both through prayer and through a variety of rituals that we generally call "magic". The last one looks at afterlife beliefs, funerary texts, and funerary practices. The book doesn't delve much into deep theoretical issues, which makes it most valuable to the beginner needing an intelligible starting point.
Quirke doesn't much discuss how the religion evolved over time. Egyptian religion existed for nearly 3,500 years of recorded history, during which it changed a great deal. For that reason, Rosalie David's [b:Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt|804465|Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt|Rosalie David|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547196925l/804465._SY75_.jpg|790424], which is organized chronologically, might make a good companion to this book. If you've finished this book and want more details on the subjects it covers, I recommend [b:The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt|226526|The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt|Richard H. Wilkinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388377462l/226526._SX50_.jpg|219414] by Richard Wilkinson as an introduction to theology, Geraldine Pinch's [b:Egyptian Mythology|37541|Egyptian Mythology A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt|Geraldine Pinch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388194464l/37541._SX50_.jpg|37404] for myths, [b:Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt|11109677|Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt|Emily Teeter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348885642l/11109677._SX50_.jpg|16032070] by Emily Teeter for both temple rites and popular religion, and [b:Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt|740640|Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt|John H. Taylor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347592375l/740640._SX50_.jpg|726806] by John Taylor for funerary customs. For anyone who wants to get into deep theoretical territory, a later book by Quirke, [b:Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt|22340381|Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt (Blackwell Ancient Religions)|Stephen Quirke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415582711l/22340381._SY75_.jpg|40337925], analyzes the obstacles to understanding ancient Egyptian religion and looks at the ways various scholars have confronted those problems.
Quirke doesn't much discuss how the religion evolved over time. Egyptian religion existed for nearly 3,500 years of recorded history, during which it changed a great deal. For that reason, Rosalie David's [b:Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt|804465|Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt|Rosalie David|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547196925l/804465._SY75_.jpg|790424], which is organized chronologically, might make a good companion to this book. If you've finished this book and want more details on the subjects it covers, I recommend [b:The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt|226526|The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt|Richard H. Wilkinson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388377462l/226526._SX50_.jpg|219414] by Richard Wilkinson as an introduction to theology, Geraldine Pinch's [b:Egyptian Mythology|37541|Egyptian Mythology A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt|Geraldine Pinch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388194464l/37541._SX50_.jpg|37404] for myths, [b:Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt|11109677|Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt|Emily Teeter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348885642l/11109677._SX50_.jpg|16032070] by Emily Teeter for both temple rites and popular religion, and [b:Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt|740640|Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt|John H. Taylor|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347592375l/740640._SX50_.jpg|726806] by John Taylor for funerary customs. For anyone who wants to get into deep theoretical territory, a later book by Quirke, [b:Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt|22340381|Exploring Religion in Ancient Egypt (Blackwell Ancient Religions)|Stephen Quirke|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1415582711l/22340381._SY75_.jpg|40337925], analyzes the obstacles to understanding ancient Egyptian religion and looks at the ways various scholars have confronted those problems.