Cult Classics

Thursday, January 15, 2009

In 726 the Byzantine emperor, Leo III, issued an edict that all religious images in the empire were to be destroyed, a directive that was later endorsed by a synod of the Church in 753 under his son, Constantine V. If the policy of Iconoclasm had succeeded, the entire history of Christian art--and of the Christian church, at least in the East--would have been altered. Iconoclasm was defeated--by Byzantine politics, by popular revolts, by monastic piety, and, most fundamentally of all, by theology, just as it had been theology that the opponents of images had used to justify their actions. Analyzing an intriguing chapter in the history of ideas, the renowned scholar Jaroslav Pelikan shows how a faith that began by attacking the worship of images ended first in permitting and then in commanding it. Pelikan charts the theological defense of icons during the Iconoclastic controversies of the eighth and ninth centuries, whose high point came in A.D. 787, when the Second Council of Nicaea restored the cult of images in the church. He demonstrates how the dogmas of the Trinity and the Incarnation eventually provided the basic rationale for images: because the invisible God had become human and therefore personally visible in Jesus Christ, it became permissible to make images of that Image. And because not only the human nature of Christ, but that of his Mother had been transformed by the Incarnation, she, too, could be "iconized," together with all the other saints and angels. The iconographic "text" of the book is provided by one of the very few surviving icons from the period before Iconoclasm, the Egyptian tapestry Icon of the Virgin now in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Other icons serve to illustrate the theological argument, just as the theological argument serves to explain the icons.
List Price: $60.00
Used Price: $55.00

The cult of antiquity and the French revolutionaries;: A study in the development of the revolutionary spirit,
Used Price: $65.00

South Park: The Cult of Cartman - Revelations

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 10/07/2008 Run time: 264 minutes Rating: Nr
List Price: $26.98
Amazon Price: $19.99
Used Price: $15.35
Customer Review: I'm sure it's great, but...
...Amazon sent me a box that only has Disc Two in it. I'll be sending it back, and get a proper one, but regarding the DVD, the DVD is awesome. 12 episodes, (I'm currently only seeing six, but Amazon's gonna be on that. Oh, yeah. THEY'RE GONNA BE ON IT) of the hatably-lovable fat, foul-mouthed little sociopath. Intros by the tubby little narcissist himself, and uncensored audio which is worth while, except for occuasional beeps that come up for some reason, but besides that uncensored. As far as I can see, there's one bleep in "Tonsil Trouble", one bleep in "Up the Down Steroid", as far as I can see. I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it immensely when i get it back the right way, so i'll further comment then.
Customer Review: Sweet...
Great DVD set. An avid South Park fan, I have yet to purchase any of the series on DVD. I will prob. break down some day and do it, but this is the best 'greatest hits' DVD set you could ask for. Great, great fun is to be had within this box. Eric Cartman is a truly amazing character. Content- 5 stars. Couldn't ask for more. Packaging- 5 stars (although case is larger than most DVD cases, this may irk some OCD collectors) Awesome show, great job!

Special study report on Bhuta cult in South Kanara district, series 14, Mysore

Shaun of the Dead Movie Figure by NECA

Cult Classics Shaun of the Dead Movie Action Figure by NECA

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The spell of the Caribbean islands, (The Spell series)

The spell of the Caribbean islands, (The Spell series)
Used Price: $95.04

Armies of Hanuman (Ramayana series)

For 13 years, Rama and his companions in exile have defended themselves against the brutal incursions of the rakshasas. Finally, in the bitter battle of Janasthana, he achieves the long-sought victory, retiring to the sunny glades of Panchvati to wait out the last months of exile. But unknown to Rama, the demoness Surpanakha has survived and escapedÂ—back to the hellish island kingdom of Lanka. There, she provides the key to resurrect her stricken cousin Ravana, lord of the rakshasas. And the resurrected Ravana seeks only one thing: vengeance against Rama...
List Price: $14.00
Amazon Price: $11.90
Used Price: $7.87
Customer Review: PLEASE READ THE INDIAN EDITIONS INSTEAD
If you are reading my Ramayana series, then I gently urge and request you to please not buy the UK or US editions, even if they're available at bargain prices. Which they probably are, since the publishers there have more or less put the books out of print, due to a lack of interest by non-Indian readers. The Indian editions are the definitive editions of my work, containing a lengthy Introduction by me titled 'Retelling the Ramayana', which provides an essential perspective on the work, the final versions of all the books--including some small but significant changes, particularly in some book endings--no glossary, thank God, and are generally the best-edited, designed and published versions, in my opinion at least. In short, they're the Author's Preferred Edition, particularly the new hardcover omnibus editions, which represent the story in the way I had originally intended and are truly sumptuous to hold (and behold). Also, significantly, they aren't packaged as 'Fantasy' or 'SF' like the firang ones, which is a ridiculously transparent attempt at cashing in on the commercial success of the fantasy genre a la LoTR and Harry Potter. Please, people, my Ramayana series is a retelling of an epic, and that's exactly what it should be called, 'Epic'. I'd venture to call it 'Itihasa', but even Mythology, which is the label Penguin uses for the books here in India, is acceptable. But certainly not Fantasy as in one of the ubiquitous Tolkien rip-offs that are churned out in droves by western publishers, or even SF, both genres that can sometimes be wonderful in their own right, but are totally inappropriate in the context of an epic that pre-dates Tolkien by some thousands of years, and the entire tradition of western literature as well! Frankly, I feel so strongly about this that I'd even go so far as to say, if you can't get the Indian editions, then don't read the books! That's why I'm currently in the process of re-acquiring the rights to the US and UK editions and they will soon be out of print everywhere but India. Which is how it ought to be: this is a quintessentially Indian story, written by a contemporary Indian for other contemporary Indians to read. And the Indian editions are really the only way to go. Ashok K. Banker www.ashokbanker.com
Customer Review: Not as good as its predecessors, but still amazing!
This book wasn't as good as I expected it to be, and by Banker's standards, it was definitely below his usual talent. I especially didn't like the description of Hanuman as a scrawny, small vanar without any confidence. I also expected a mace fight between the exiled vanar king Sugriva and the evil usurper Vali. But no, instead, Sugriva never encounters Vali in a one-on-one, and the usurper is killed in a different fashion (how I will not tell you). However, that is not to say that the book is bad. In fact, if you did not have as high of expectations as I did, you will really enjoy it. The book starts off with the riveting conclusion to the Battle of Janasthana (which goes on for seven, awesome chapters). The abduction of Sita is superbly written, and I could read that part over and over again and still get chills. All in all, this book is highly recommended, but keep in mind (for those Ramayana fans) that this book does have its flaws.

House of 1,000 Corpses Series 1: Dr. Satan

Customer Review: House of 1000 - Dr. Satan 7 inch figure
Very cool/twisted looking action figure. Not for young children. I bought it as a collectors item that will never be opened.
Customer Review: The Dr. is in
Great Detail. Not for small childern. If you like Horror toys this is a must have.

The social systems of American ethnic groups, (Yankee city series)

Cult Classics

Thursday, January 15, 2009

The Impact of Personality Cult in North Korea (Studies Series 04-03)

Imago Dei