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Accidental Gods 2021
Accidental Gods: On Men Unwittingly Turned Divine is a 2021 non-fiction work by Anna Della Subin. The book explores periods in recent history when people have been elevated to divine status, or seen and treated as gods. Through analyzing the cultural settings of these cases, Subin aims to grasp why such occurrences happened and what advantages they offered to both the deified individuals and their followers. She also connects historical moments with today’s political and religious environment, particularly examining how race and power intersect.
The book was nominated for the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize. Critics gave it varied responses; a reviewer for The New York Times described it as "an irreverent bible in its own right, a sort of celestial thought experiment", whereas a The Guardian critic felt that its "overarching thesis doesn't quite impress".
Details
- Publisher
- Metropolitan Books
- ISBN
- 9781250296870
- Pages
- 480
- Format
- Print, e-book
