The Ka'bah, Rhythms of Culture, Faith and Physiology [Paperback]

Beverly White Spicer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0761826467 | ISBN-13: 978-0761826460

The Ka'bah in Mecca, architectural and geographical centerpiece of Islam, is an ancient structure with a modern message. The Holy Temple emerged as one of the earliest expressions of shrine building in primitive times even before the advent of monotheism. After ages of change, this spiritual site to which the ancients made pilgrimage was finally adopted by Muhammad in the 7th century as the center of the Islamic world. Today, it continues as a constant focal point for the expression of ritual behavior that mirrors patterns of movement throughout nature and the cosmos. The Ka'bah, strongly connected to humans though worship, ritual and prayer, is important in multiple ways- architecturally, behaviorally, culturally, historically, philosophically, symbolically, and even physiologically. In The Ka'bah: Rhythms of Culture, Faith and Physiology, the author explores the diverse significance of the Ka'bah, from the architectural to the neuroscientific, in terms of Eliade's homology of Body:House:Cosmos.

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About the Author

Beverly White Spicer is an independent researcher, photojournalist, and cartoonist.

Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: University Press Of America (September 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761826467
• ISBN-13: 978-0761826460
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,726,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Editorial comments from the publisher, February 7, 2004

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This review is from: The Ka'bah, Rhythms of Culture, Faith and Physiology (Paperback)

This book is about the phenomenon of The Ka'bah in Mecca, architectural and geographical centerpiece of Islam - an ancient structure with a modern message. The Holy Temple emerged as one of the earliest expressions of shrine building in primitive times even before the advent of monotheism. After ages of change, this spiritual site to which the ancients made pilgrimage was finally adopted by Muhammad in the 7th century as the center of the Islamic world. Today, it continues as a constant focal point for the expression of ritual behavior that mirrors patterns of movement throughout nature and the cosmos. The Ka'bah, strongly connected to humans though worship, ritual and prayer, is important in multiple ways- architecturally, behaviorally, culturally, historically, philosophically, symbolically, and even physiologically. In The Ka'bah: Rhythms of Culture, Faith and Physiology, the author explores the diverse significance of the Ka'bah, from the architectural to the neuroscientific, in terms of Eliade's homology of Body:House:Cosmos.