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kayeofswords's review
5.0
Essays on Hellenic Theology begins with Hestia and ends with Aphrodite. It includes a wide variety of essays about the gods, many of which were previously published in devotional anthologies for deities in the Hellenic pantheon. There is much food for thought in the volume, and it is an exciting read because of the author's position in the revival of polytheistic theology drawing on mythology, philosophy, and the exo- and esoteric interpretations of each.
While reading, I was often struck in a very positive way by the rich fruitfulness that exists in active engagement with myths, metaphor, and symbolism, something that is often missing in pop culture mythological interpretation or writing. I really enjoyed the essays on Hera and Aphrodite; the one about the Ashwins and the Dioskouroi is one that I wish I had had on hand while trying to explain (in another context) interpretatio, how it works, and what it means. My mom worships Hekate, so I referred her to the devotional anthology in which the Hekate essay appears; she may have read it while on a prog rock cruise, although I don't know.
I read this over the course of many months (rather, the first half months ago, the last half over the past few days), but it is a book I will likely return to now that I know the pattern of the essays and what is in them. The essays I'm most keen on revisiting are the ones on Hestia and the Platonic Zeus, but from this book, I think my next steps are diving back into Plato's dialogues and the Late Platonic commentaries on them, the Chaldean Oracles, and some other scholarly perspectives that can help round out my understanding.
While reading, I was often struck in a very positive way by the rich fruitfulness that exists in active engagement with myths, metaphor, and symbolism, something that is often missing in pop culture mythological interpretation or writing. I really enjoyed the essays on Hera and Aphrodite; the one about the Ashwins and the Dioskouroi is one that I wish I had had on hand while trying to explain (in another context) interpretatio, how it works, and what it means. My mom worships Hekate, so I referred her to the devotional anthology in which the Hekate essay appears; she may have read it while on a prog rock cruise, although I don't know.
I read this over the course of many months (rather, the first half months ago, the last half over the past few days), but it is a book I will likely return to now that I know the pattern of the essays and what is in them. The essays I'm most keen on revisiting are the ones on Hestia and the Platonic Zeus, but from this book, I think my next steps are diving back into Plato's dialogues and the Late Platonic commentaries on them, the Chaldean Oracles, and some other scholarly perspectives that can help round out my understanding.
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