Open Access

Contributions by Jan N. Bremmer, Federico Dal Bo, Roberta Denaro, Caterina Bori, Chiara Ghidini, Cristiana Facchini, Daniel Barbu, Francesco Quatrini & Freya Sierhuis, Robert Yelle, Emiliano R. Urcioli, Pierre Antoine Fabre, Franco Motta, Maria Berbera, Paola von Wyss-Giacosa, Ronnie Po-chia Hsia, Sabina Pavone, Joan-Pau Rubiés, Irene Bueno, Olivier Christin, Lucia Ceci, Girolamo Imbruglia, Vincenzo Lavenia.

Abstract:

Sacrifice has long been a central topic in scholarly debate. Since the publication of Marcel Mauss and Henri Hubert's groundbreaking work in 1898-99, the concept has gained prominence as a distinct theme in comparative religion, anthropology, and the history of religions. Throughout the twentieth century, many distinguished scholars and intellectuals examined the meaning and function of sacrifice to better understand various aspects of human cognition and social interactions. While some explored its connections to violence—particularly forms of self-inflicted violence, such as martyrdom—others sought to disentangle the concept from violent practices altogether.

Building on this rich tradition, this collection of articles gathers contributions from leading scholars who explore the theme of sacrifice, examining its diverse meanings and roles across various religious traditions. While the book places particular emphasis on the history of Christianity and the early modern period, it also provides valuable insights into a broad spectrum of religious traditions, including Judaism, Islam, Greek and ancient religions, as well as Japanese religions. Its geographical scope spans regions such as India, China, Africa, and Brazil, offering a truly global perspective.By mapping the varied interpretations and transformations of sacrifice in the early modern period, this book seeks to illuminate its evolving significance. It also strives to offer a comparative framework that highlights the concept's complexity and adaptability across cultural and historical contexts.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction

Cristiana Facchini, Girolamo Imbruglia, Vincenzo Lavenia, Sabina Pavone · 17

Part 1

Comparative Perspectives

The Beginning and End of Animal Sacrifice in the Ancient World. Some Observations

Jan N. Bremmer · 47

Sacrifice, Blood, and Intention in Early Rabbinic Literature. A Critical Reading of Mira Balberg’s Blood for Thought

Federico Dal Bo · 59

The Sacrificial Dimension of Martyrdom in Sunni Islam. Some Observations on the Theme in Classical Sources

Roberta Denaro · 83

‘Every Little Boy is Taken as a Pledge against his Sacrifice at Birth.’ ʿAqīqa and its Functioning in a Late Medieval Handbook on Raising Good Muslim Children

Caterina Bori · 95

Not Only to Heaven and Earth. Logics of ‘Sacrifice’ in Japan

Chiara Ghidini · 111

Part 2

Religion and Politics

Atonement and Sacrifice. Early Debates and Classical Theories

Cristiana Facchini · 129

Sacrifice and Idolatry

Daniel Barbu · 159

Hugo Grotius’ Christology. The Sacrifice of Christ across His Religious and Political Works

Francesco Quatrini & Freya Sierhuis · 181

Where Did Sacrifice Go? The Case of Thomas Hobbes

Robert Yelle · 201

Part 3

Sacrifice, Martyrdom, and Holiness

Unoffered Pain. The Troubled Origins of Sacrificial Martyrdom

Emiliano R. Urciuoli · 221

Sacrifice, Sanctity, and Martyrdom

Pierre Antoine Fabre · 245

Self-sacrifice in the Ordinary Duty. Early Modern Martyrial Culture and Hagiographical Rhetoric in Mathias Tanner’s Societas Iesu apostolorum imitatrix (1694)

Franco Motta · 263

Part 4

Christian Readings on Sacrifice in the Global Sphere

Ritual Killings amongst the Tupinambá and the Christian Concept of Sacrifice in Early Modernity

Maria Berbara · 299

Staging Sacrifice. De Bry’s Pictorial Representation of Javanese Women Self-Immolation

Paola von Wyss-Giacosa · 313

Martyrdom and Sacred Violence in Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century China

Ronnie Po-chia Hsia · 339

Save the Body to Save the Soul. Interpreting Sati in Jesuit Missionary Sources

Sabina Pavone · 351

Discourses of Religion and Sacrifice in Sub-Saharan West Africa, c. 1500–c. 1700

Joan-Pau Rubiés · 371

Part 5

Sacrifice and Sacred Violence

Reframing Holy War and Sacrifice at the Close of the Middle Ages. Crusading Treatises in Comparison

Irene Bueno · 407

Why Commit Self-sacrifice? Martyrdom and Civic Heroism in Strasbourg (1529–30)

Olivier Christin · 421

Nationalism, Sacrifice, and Violence in the Narrative of Italian Catholics on the Ulster Question

Lucia Ceci · 439

Index · 455