humanontology.com tyson putthoff, phd
The Human Ontology Project seeks to understand ontological aspects of ancient near eastern conceptions of the self.
The first volume discusses the ontology of the self in early Judaism & will be published with Brill in January 2017.
It explores ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Canaanite, Anatolian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Jewish & Christian ideas on the nature of the self—its ontological state—in the present life.
The second volume discusses the ontology of the self in the Ancient Near East from as early as the third millennium BCE & will be completed by Summer 2017.
The project will comprise three volumes.
The third & final volume discusses the ontology of the self in Paul & early Christianity. This volume will be completed by Spring 2018.
The Ontology of the Self in the Ancient Near East
Gods, Kings & Other Divine Things
Tyson L. Putthoff
Project Impetus: This project stems from a decade-long fascination with ancient beliefs about what happens to the human creature when in contact with God or his realm. Early in my study, it became clear that I would need to engage many approaches, models, theories & tools – in combination with traditional historical-critical, exegetical study – to understand ontological aspects of ancient near eastern anthropology. To this point, my exploration in these matters has broadened my understanding of how the ancients thought about humanity's relationship to the divine & challenged many of the assumptions I have long held about such ideas. But the big question is not why I'm interested in this stuff. It's why you should be interested. Why should you want to join me on my journey to unpack & unravel the perennial mysteries surrounding humanity's ontological condition? I'm confident that you'll find my works both challenging & illuminating. While you may not agree with all of my conclusions, joining me on my journey, I promise, will change the way you think about this mysterious & vexing thing we call the self.
Conversing with ancient Persians, Greeks & Romans seeking to understand what humans are made of & how these peculiar creatures relate ontologically to the divine world will reshape what you currently know about ancient near eastern "philosophies" of the self. Engaging with early Jewish & Christian mystical & apocalyptic portraits of humans who enter God's space & face painful but glorious transformations will challenge your understanding of early Judaeo-Christian anthropology. Exegeting ancient near eastern & biblical texts, artifacts & inscriptions in the light of contemporary insights into selfhood will leave you with a profoundly transformed perspective on ancient conceptions of the relationship between the human condition & the divine state. Whether you're a senior scholar looking for new ways to understand age-old ideas or an undergraduate with a growing interest in ancient conceptions of the self, this project has something for you. It will appeal both to the general religionist & the specialist in biblical, New Testament, Pauline & Jewish studies. It will be of interest both to the philologists, linguists & archaeologists & to those who love using theories to understand our Jewish, Christian or ancient near eastern ancestors. Please feel free to contact me with thoughts or questions.
Book 1 is Available Now:
Visit Brill.com for ordering information Check out this book’s place in the larger project at
humanontology.com
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Seeing the way ancient Egyptians & Mesopotamians conceived of the divinity of pharaohs & kings will fundamentally alter the way you approach early near eastern – including Israelite – ideas about the human self.
