Idolatry: The Literal and the Figurative

• Applicant: Dr. Beniamino Fortis
• Subject Area: Theoretical Philosophy ; Religious Studies and Jewish Studies
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 554930303

Idolatry can take on a variety of forms. With substantial changes throughout time, the idea of idolatry has gained a very subtle range of connotations, thus becoming a sort of 'umbrella concept' that encompasses a number of distinct sorts and patterns. Without minimizing their differences, the various forms of idolatry can be divided into two broad categories: 1) idolatry 'stricto sensu' (also known as literal idolatry), which refers to the actual worship of alien deities and/or cult images, and 2) idolatry 'lato sensu' (also known as figurative idolatry), which refers to the metaphorical worship of 'idols of thought' such as dogmas, prejudices, or ideologies. Scholars in anthropology, theology, and Jewish studies tend to be more focused on the first, whereas philosophers of diverse orientations are more concerned with the second. However, little research has been conducted to date to investigate their link. In other words, the issue of how the two types of idolatry connect to each other is left unaddressed - perhaps even unasked. Without a thorough examination of this link, idolatry 'stricto sensu' is often dismissed as a historical curiosity, limited to the past and irrelevant to today's reality. On the other hand, the topicality of idolatry 'lato sensu' may be universally acknowledged, but ist nature risks being misunderstood, if not considered together with the original conceptions it is derived from. This research seeks to bridge the gap between these two one-sided perspectives by exploring the processes that control the transformation from idolatry 'stricto sensu' to idolatry 'lato sensu'. More specifically, relevant types of literal idolatry are extensively examined and connected to forms of metaphorical idolatry that are denounced by modern philosophers.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants