About
Mircea Eliade (1907-1986) was a Romanian historian of religion, philosopher, and writer. After studying philosophy in Bucharest, he went to India in 1928 to study Sanskrit and Indian philosophy. Returning to Romania, he earned his PhD in 1933 with a thesis on yoga. He taught at the University of Chicago from 1956, where he founded the journal History of Religions. His scholarly work explores myths, symbols, and religious experiences, while his novels, written in Romanian, reflect a parallel literary vocation.
* 1907-03-09 — † 1986-04-22
Major works
- Maitreyi (1933)novel
- Traité d'histoire des religions (1949)essay
- Le Mythe de l'éternel retour (1949)essay
- Le Chamanisme et les techniques archaïques de l'extase (1951)essay
- Histoire des croyances et des idées religieuses (1976-1983)essay
Key milestones
- 1928Travels to India to study Sanskrit and Indian philosophy.
- 1956Appointed professor at the University of Chicago.
- 1961Founds the journal History of Religions.
Themes
the sacredmythsymbolismreligious experienceeternal return
Sources: britannica.com · press.uchicago.edu