Contenu du sommaire

Eric Dodds between psychoanalysis and psychical research As a classical scholar, E. R. Dodds always displayed a special interest in the function of the irrational in cultural and religious experience of antiquity. The most remarkable issue of this interest is to be found in his well-known book "The Greeks and the Irrational". The focus of this article is to point out the extent to which both psychoanalytic categories and psychic researches had an influence on his work. This can allow us to better understand his general interpretation of the development of ancient civilization, as well as his studies on Euripides, Plotin and the supernormal phenomena in antiquity. This can also allow us to grasp his attitude towards the crisis of rational thinking in the contemporary age.

Eliade, shamanism and literature In the second edition of his essay on shamanism, Mircea Eliade added an epilogue where he touched on the relationship between the verbal creation of the shaman and poetic language. The anticipated dialogue between the history of religion and modern literature is based on the idea of the perpetuation of the shamanic transe in literary creation in preparing his transe, the shaman speaks in a « secret language », a real model for poetic language. Eliade was unable however to find proof of the eminent role played by this secret language which is merely an epiphenomen of the vocal and verbal creativity of the shaman. This creativity with dancing and music contribute towards making the shamanic seance into a total performance in which the audience participates.

Abū Qurra and the Plurality of Religions The Syriac Theodore Abū Qurra (c.750-c. 825), Melkite bishop of Harrân, has left many works. Among them, the Treatise (Mîmar) on the Existence of the Creator and the True Religion, in Arabic contains two outstanding chapters, translated and commented here. First, a carefully organized account of religious in his time : Pagans (who will be called « Sabaens » later), Mazdaeans (of Zurvanite conviction), Samaritans, Jews, Christians, Manichaeans (who were practising specific interpretation of the canonical Gospels), Marcionites, Bardesanites, Muslims. Second, a lenghty allegory which presents common points with the Hymn of the Pearl. Its expounding by the author aims at giving a definite clue to the discernment of the only true religion : God resembles man, and its up to human reason to judge in the matter.