Payback
the logic of retribution in Melanesian religions
by G. W. Trompf
Near to the heart of the human predicament are impulses to avenge - what most of us will recognize to be negative, counterproductive reactions against others who pose a threat. By contrast, nothing re-establishes our faith in humanity more than extraordinary acts of concession, such as peace-making, generosity and sacrifice. This ambitious study is the first monograph on religion and 'the logic of retribution' ever written.
Garry Trompf shows how various aspects of 'payback', both negative and positive, provide the best indices to an understanding of Melanesian views of life, and that the explanatory modes of thought connected with these themes are carried through to the world of 'cargo cults' and modernization. Exploring the reasons why people 'pay back' opens up a whole new dimension in the cross-cultural study of human consciousness.
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Melanesia| Edition | Availability |
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1
Payback: The Logic of Retribution in Melanesian Religions
2011, Cambridge University Press
in English
0511833369 9780511833366
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2
Payback: The Logic of Retribution in Melanesian Religions
2009, Cambridge University Press
in English
0511470142 9780511470141
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3
Payback: The Logic of Retribution in Melanesian Religions
2008, Cambridge University Press
in English
0521062772 9780521062770
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4
Payback: The Logic of Retribution in Melanesian Religions
September 30, 1994, Cambridge University Press
Hardcover
in English
0521416914 9780521416917
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5
Payback: the logic of retribution in Melanesian religions
1994, Cambridge University Press
in English
0521416914 9780521416917
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Book Details
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Includes bibliographical references (p. 461-527) and indexes.
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| July 26, 2024 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
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