Comparative religion Books
University of Notre Dame Press European Transformations
Book SynopsisMedievalists explore geographical regions and themes to expose the best current thinking about what was and what was not distinctive about the twelfth century.Trade Review"The long twelfth century whose many transformations are explored in this energetic volume is no longer exclusively that of the lettered and devotional elites that dominate and define most previous accounts of the period. Its subject is a geographically larger and vastly more diversified Europe, a Europe that developed a far greater number of distinctive institutional features and forms of communication than earlier surveys have usually allowed for. Learning, letters, and devotion are certainly here, but they are situated in a dense world of princely courts and cities, competing social orders and interests, men and (at last!) women, and a sharper and harsher recognition of the non-Christian, in which the past and custom confront a sharp and legal-minded present, not always in conflict. The twelfth century, both short and long, has merited and occasioned great scholarship. This audacious volume easily takes pride of place within it." —Edward Peters, University of Pennsylvania"In European Transformations: The Long Twelfth Century, Thomas F. X. Noble and John Van Engen have assembled an impressive array of distinguished medievalists to explore geographical regions and a variety of themes to expose the best current thinking about what was and what was not distinctive about the twelfth century. Their collective efforts will be much cited for the innovative and well-argued contributions in this volume." —Paul Hyams, Cornell University“For many years now, historians have regarded the twelfth century in Europe as a watershed period of great revolutions in philosophy, theology, law, and the political landscape. . . . The essayists, from a variety of disciplines and universities, are preeminent authorities of the topics and the times. They discuss historians, Christian relations with Muslims and Jews, the changing nature of serfdom, and other topics that span the intellectual and social history of the period, and they cover all of Europe, from Scandinavia through England to Spain and back into Eastern Europe.” —Catholic Library World“Noble and Van Engen have assembled a remarkably distinguished team of contributors and the quality of the eighteen chapters is uniformly high. Almost all should be at or pretty near the top of any introductory reading list on their topics, as well as providing succinct and stimulating updates for those already in the game, who will also find the exhaustive notes an invaluable bibliographical resource.” —The Medieval Review“This volume of essays contributes much to the discussion about the twelfth century, revealing the complexity and diversity of the period. . . . Graduate students and professors alike will learn much from the essays, and the volume should find its way onto many bookshelves.” —Comitatus“. . . a great majority of mediaevalists will undoubtedly profit much from these studies.” —Mediaevistik
£105.40
University of Notre Dame Press Hidden Holiness
Book SynopsisIn Hidden Holiness, Michael Plekon challenges us to examine the concept of holiness. He argues that both Orthodox and Catholic churches understand saints to be individuals whose lives and deeds are unusual, extraordinary, or miraculous. Such a requirement for sainthood undermines, in his view, one of the basic messages of Christianity: that all people are called to holiness. Instead of focusing on the ecclesiastical process of recognizing saints, Plekon explores a more ordinary and less noticeable hidden holiness, one founded on the calling of all to be prophets and priests and witnesses to the Gospel. As Rowan Williams has insisted, people of faith need to find God's work in their culture and daily lives. With that in mind, Plekon identifies a fascinatingly diverse group of faithful who exemplify an everyday sanctity, as well as the tools they have used to enact their faith. Plekon calls upon contemporary writersamong them, Rowan Williams, Kathleen Norris, SaraTrade Review“What is ‘holiness,’ really? Hidden Holiness is a scholarly examination of what is holy in modern society, and calls for people to make their own judgments on what really matters in today’s world. Could what is truly holy be hidden from the public eye, unbeknownst to many? Seeking to promote discussion of this topic, author Michael Plekon presents an intriguing examination of modern day holiness, making Hidden Holiness a highly valued read.” —Midwest Book Review“Hidden Holiness, drawing . . . on Orthodox spirituality, but with an ecumenical sweep, discusses the holiness that can be attained by doing ordinary things. In seven meaty chapters, including an ecumenical cast of characters, Plekon searches for the strategies and resources that bring people close to God, for, as he rightly understands, holiness is a fundamental characteristic of God, and everyone else is holy to the degree that he or she is drawn closer to God. . . . This book is especially recommended to those who are interested in solid work on spirituality but who have little knowledge of the Christian East in general or Russian thought in particular.” —Commonweal“At the core of this book is a strong argument that holiness can be revealed by the faithful living of ordinary people in the world. In so doing, it offers a powerful and practical model of Christian life, making this a thought-provoking work on hagiography, ethics, and spirituality.” —Religious Studies Review“. . . in the new book [Plekon] reaches out to saintly icons in his own and other churches. His theme is straightforward: that holiness can be sought, found and lived in the simplicity and complexity of everyday life among ‘ordinary people’ who seek the foundation of their existence in the search for God.” —The American Benedictine Review“Michael Plekon suggests in Hidden Holiness that our cult of celebrity has elevated some figures to sainthood, by process or public acclaim, while most holiness is lived out as ‘hidden holiness.’ . . . Recommended for personal or group study, Hidden Holiness would be particularly effective for a retreat setting and for anyone interested in contemplative reading.” —Congregational Libraries Today“Without doubt it is usual for preachers to recall that the Christian life is one of everyday engagement—holiness is not reserved to a happy few ‘extra-terrestrials’ but each of us is called to sanctity by baptism. This is why it is not at all bad to sometimes examine the lives of Christians who are not and never will be canonized as saints but who offer us a reflection of God’s image . . . simply because they were human beings . . . Contrary to what we might think, these also reveal to us a side of God’s infinite love that we could really put to use. This is what . . . Plekon has set out to uncover, following the path he took earlier in Living Icons . . . [the individuals he presents] are not perfect and their very public failings are likely obstacles to their official recognition by the church. Nevertheless they turned to God who gave them the strength to fully live their lives on earth, caring for their brothers and sisters, in imitation of Christ. It is precisely in this that their witness raises profound question for us all, especially for all Christians.” —Irènikon“This very readable book amounts to a verbal symphony on the theme of holiness: a holiness hidden and non-spectacular, contemporary and accessible, yet still beguiling and mysterious. . . . Hidden Holiness is an important contribution to the current literature on Christian holiness. In particular, it merits the attention of anyone interested in the growth of the calendar of saints in various branches of the church.” —The Living Church“Hidden Holiness is particularly strong in showing that saints wrestle with faith, struggle with personal demons, and go about the business of their daily lives much as everyone else does. This book is a real joy to read, a challenging feast of the soul that not only nourishes but also inspires.” —Cistercian Studies Quarterly“If asked to name a person who has exemplified holiness, do you think of one of the classical saints, or do you think of a friend or family member? Michael Plekon suggests in Hidden Holiness that our cult of celebrity has elevated some figures to sainthood, by process or public acclaim, while most holiness is lived out as ‘hidden holiness.’ His book will be best appreciated by those who have saints and icons as part of their faith heritage. But there is plenty here for any reader.” —Church & Synagogue Library Association“Appreciation of holiness embedded in ordinary life permeates this book. Encouraging a reassessment of saintliness and educating people toward reimagining holiness are concerns here. Michael Plekon . . . focuses on women and men—Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant—who model hidden holiness.” —Horizons
£70.55
Pennsylvania State University Press Holiness and Pentecostal Movements
Book SynopsisA collection of essays examining the Holiness, Radical Holiness, and Pentecostal movements, focusing on the circulation of ideas among these movements in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and Southeast and East Asia.Trade Review“This is a book that contains well presented, expertly researched pieces that together make a real and distinct contribution to our appreciation of these different intersections from historical and theological perspectives. Advanced students and scholars working in this field will make it an essential reference point.”—Mark J. Cartledge The Proceedings of the Wesley Historical Society“According to the editors, their objectives were to provide readers with a work that was interdisciplinary and global in scope, and that demonstrates the ways in which these two movements are intertwined. They have delivered on this promise and produced a work that is highly suitable for those undergoing study in Pentecostal or Holiness seminaries.”—Andrea Shan Johnson Reading Religion“This is a rich and fascinating collection of essays that offers a variety of historical and theological insights, the fruit of closer academic cooperation between two traditions with deep Wesleyan roots to the benefit of both.”—Tim Woolley Wesley and Methodist Studies“A landmark study in not only Holiness and Pentecostal historiography, but the historiography of global Christianity itself.”—William Kostlevy Wesleyan Theological Journal“All chapters demonstrate erudite cutting-edge research and conclusions, making this collection an imperative resource. . . .”—Monte Lee Rice Journal of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity“The book lays a promising foundation for further scholarship and is a valuable resource for those interested in Holiness and Pentecostal movements.”—Sarah Anne Snyder Methodist History“The essays in this significant, well-researched volume make a valuable contribution to our understanding of the complex relations between Radical Holiness and Pentecostalism from both historical and theological perspectives. They cover a well-selected range of individuals, institutions, and ideas; they address key themes, such as gender, ethnicity, technologies, and mobilities; and they are dependably attentive to social, cultural, and economic contexts. Those working in this field will be grateful for such an authoritative collection.”—John Maiden,The Open University“The essays within this collection are thematically connected, insightfully written, and contextually responsible. By utilizing various methodologies, new perspectives are brought forth on current and past social issues, and through reconfiguring the interlocutors, new light is shed on standing themes of interest. This interdisciplinary volume signals the importance of this new series, highly recommended for scholars and students.”—Kenneth J. Archer,author of The Gospel Revisited: Towards a Pentecostal Theology of Worship and Witness“[Holiness and Pentecostal Movements] asserts the primary importance of the Wesleyan tradition to the intertwining of Holiness networks and Pentecostalism.”—Doug Weaver Church HistoryTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsIntroduction: Intertwined History, Theology, and ScholarshipDavid Bundy, Geordan Hammond, and David Sang-Ehil HanAt the Beginning1. The Preachers and Their Students: God’s Bible School as a Seedbed of Radical Holiness and Pentecostal Leaders, 1982-1910David Bundy2. Pandita Ramabai, the Holiness Movement, and the Mukti Revival of 1905Robert A. Danielson3. Alexander A. Boddy, the Pentecostal League of Prayer, and the Wesleyan Roots of British PentecostalismKimberley Ervin Alexander4. A World Tour of Evangelism: Henry Clay Morrison’s Radical Holiness meets “Global Holiness,” 1909-10Luther OconerUnity and Diversity5. “Spiritual Railroading”: Trains as Metaphor and Reality in the Holiness and Pentecostal Movements, ca. 1880—ca. 1920Daniel Woods6. Black Radical Holy Women at the Intersection of Christian Unity and Social JusticeCheryl J. Sanders7. Pneumatology as a Basis for Ecumenical Dialogue Between the Korean Methodist, Holiness, and Pentecostal TraditionsInsik ChoiTheological Engagement8. Baptized in the Spirit and Fire: The Relevance of Spirit Baptism for a Holiness and Pentecostal View of the AtonementFrank D. Macchia9. The Presence of the Kingdom: Optimism of Grace in the Holiness and Pentecostal MovementsHenry H. Knight III10. Fulfilling the Full Gospel: The Promise of the Theology of the Cleveland SchoolChris E. W. GreenList of ContributorsIndex
£81.56
Yale University Press The Quran and the Bible
Book SynopsisTrade Review“Magisterial”—Eric Ormsby, Wall Street Journal“Enormously helpful as a way not just into an unknown text but into another religious tradition.”—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker“[A] clear analysis of the debates within the communities of religious scholars concerning the relationship of these scriptures, providing a new lens through which to view the powerful links that bond these three major religions.”—Salzburger Theologischen Zeitschrift journal“Gabriel Reynolds’ The Qur’an & the Bible fills a gaping hole to revelatory effect. . . It contributes hugely to the ongoing project of anchoring the qur’anic texts to the bedrock of late antiquity. The impossibility of understanding the Qur’an’s origins without reference to the context provided by Jewish and Christian scripture has never been more painstakingly demonstrated.”—Tom Holland, History Today (The Best History Books 2018)“Consistently with his well-known scholarly approach, Reynolds concentrates his research and his analysis on the Qur’ānic text seen as a Late Antiquity product [. . .] This book would have attained its goal even if it simply managed to encourage students to get deeply involved with both Qur’ānic and Biblical literature.” – Valentino Cottini, Islamochristiana“This book fills a gaping hole to revelatory effect. Essential reading for anyone interested in the relationship between the Qur’ān and the religious context of late antiquity.”—Tom Holland, author of In the Shadow of the Sword"Gabriel Reynolds’s concise commentary on the Qur’ān text offers an indispensable key to many parallel Biblical and para-Biblical traditions and clarifies the Qur’ān’s unique relationship to these earlier traditions and texts."—Fred M. Donner, University of Chicago“Gabriel Reynolds is one of the world’s leading Qur’ānic scholars, and this learned and readable commentary sheds great light on the religious impulses that shaped Islam at its beginnings and on the relationship between Muslims, Jews, and Christians in Muhammad's day.”—Gary A. Anderson, author of Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition“This important and unprecedented book demonstrates that the Qur’ān cannot be fully appreciated without an awareness of its Biblical backdrop.”—Suleyman Dost, Brandeis University“This major contribution to our understanding of the Qur’ān makes a powerful argument for the profound influence of Biblical traditions, and especially Christian traditions, on the Qur’ān.”—Devin Stewart, Emory University
£47.50
University of California Press City of 201 Gods IlIf in Time Space and the
Book SynopsisFocuses on one of the most important religious centers in Africa and in the world: the Yoruba city of Ile-Ife in southwest Nigeria. This title presents a study of the spiritual and cultural center of the Yoruba religion, tells how the city went from great prominence to near obliteration and then rose again as a contemporary city of gods.
£50.40
University of California Press City of 201 Gods
Book SynopsisFocuses on one of the most important religious centers in Africa and in the world: the Yoruba city of Ile-Ife in southwest Nigeria. This title presents a study of the spiritual and cultural center of the Yoruba religion, tells how the city went from great prominence to near obliteration and then rose again as a contemporary city of gods.
£27.00
University of California Press Islam and Christianity
Book SynopsisIn light of the widespread public perception of incompatibility between Islam and Christianity, this book provides a comparison of these two great faith traditions from a broad theological perspective.Trade Review"Perfectly functional, remarkably insightful, and a little bit controversial." American Theological Inquiry "Without glossing over fundamental differences between Christianity and Islam ... Renard shows how the reality has often been more nuanced." Times Literary Supplement (TLS) "Outstanding Academic Title for 2011... Highly recommended." -- P. S. Spalding Choice "One of the best books available for use in courses comparing Muslim and Christian thought." Journal Of Islamic Studies "Written with sensitivity and beauty." -- Matthew Friedman, Asbury Theological Seminary Religious Studies Review "Renard has a good grasp on what is important, foundational, and formative across a multitude of disciplines in both religious traditions." State Of Formation "John Renard offers, in this beautiful book, a new contribution in the field of comparative study of Christianity and Islam." -- John Loboka Morris IslamochristianaTable of ContentsPreface Prologue: Christian-Muslim Theological Dialogue in Retrospect Introduction: Theological Themes and Subdisciplines Part I. Historical Dimensions: Interpreting God's Communication and Divine Engagement in Time and Space 1. Sacred Sources and Community Origins 2. Development and Spread Part II. Creedal Dimensions: Faith and the Development of Theology as a Religious Discipline 3. From Story to Creed 4. The Emergence of Theological Disciplines Part III. Institutional Dimensions: The Structures of Theologically Grounded Community 5. Beneath the Brick and Mortar 6. Institutions in Action Part IV. Ethical and Spiritual Dimensions: Mapping Outward and Inward Journeys of Faith 7. Sources, Methods, and Social Values in Theological Ethics 8. Sources and Models in Traditions of Spirituality 9. Themes in Prayer and Mystical Theology Epilogue: Reflections on the Prospects for Christian-Muslim Theological Dialogue Notes Theological Glossary Selected Bibliography General Index Index of Biblical and Qur'anic Citations
£27.00
University of California Press From Jeremiad to Jihad
Book SynopsisCharting and interpreting the tendrils of religion and violence, this book reveals how formative moments of their intersection in American history have influenced the ideas, institutions, and identities associated with the United States. It shows how religion and violence provide crucial yet underutilized lenses for seeing America anew.Trade Review"An excellent study of the complex relationship between religion and violence... Highly recommended." -- J. R. Asher, Georgetown College ChoiceTable of ContentsForeword Martin E. Marty Preface Introduction. John Brown, Jeremiad, and Jihad: Reflections on Religion, Violence, and America John D. Carlson and Jonathan H. Ebel Part I. Religious Origins and Tropes of American Violence 1. From King Philip's War to September 11: Religion, Violence, and the American Way Andrew R. Murphy and Elizabeth Hanson 2. A Nation Birthed in Blood: Violent Cosmogonies and American Film S. Brent Rodriguez-Plate 3. From Covenant to Crusade and Back: American Christianity and the Late Great War Jonathan H. Ebel 4. From Jeremiad to Manifesto: The Rhetorical Evolution of John Foster Dulles's "Massive Retaliation" Ned O'Gorman 5. American Providence, American Violence Stephen H. Webb Part II. Religion and America's "Others" 6. New Israel, New Amalek: Biblical Exhortations to Religious Violence John Corrigan 7. Religion and Violence in Black and White Eddie S. Glaude Jr. 8. State Violence and the Un-American West: Mormons, American Indians, and Cults Todd M. Kerstetter 9. Alma White's Bloodless Warfare: Women and Violence in U.S. Religious History Lynn S. Neal 10. Of Tragedy and Its Aftermath: The Search for Religious Meaning in the Shootings at Virginia Tech Grace Y. Kao Part III. The Ethics of Violence and War 11. A Just or Holy War of Independence? The Revolution's Legacy for Religion, Violence, and American Exceptionalism John D. Carlson 12. Why War Is a Moral Necessity for America: Realism, Sacrifice, and the Civil War Stanley Hauerwas 13. Contemporary Warfare and American Efforts at Restraint James Turner Johnson 14. Enemies Near and Far: The United States and Its Muslim Allies in Radical Islamist Discourse Sohail H. Hashmi 15. Varieties of "Violence": Thinking Ethically about the Use of Force in the War on Terror Jean Bethke Elshtain Contributors Index
£27.00
University of California Press New Age Neopagan and New Religious Movements
Book SynopsisCovering a range of emerging religions from the mid-nineteenth century, this essential text engages students by addressing major theoretical and methodological issues in the study of new religions and is organized to guide students in their learning.Trade Review"Urban points to the need for respect as well as critical thinking in approaching these new religious movements, and he prods readers to be thoughtful in discussing and debating these issues... There is no better textbook available on this topic. Summing Up: Highly recommended." CHOICETable of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface and Acknowledgments 1. Introduction: The Rise of New Religions in Modern America 2. The Native American Church: Ancient Tradition in a Modern Legal Context 3. Mormonism and Plural Marriage: The LDS and the FLDS 4. Spiritualism: Women, Mediums, and Messages from Other Worlds 5. The Nation of Islam and the Five Percenters: Race, Religion, and Hip-Hop 6. Rastafari: Messianism, Music, and Ganja 7. The Church of Scientology: New Religions and Tax Exemption 8. Wicca and Neopaganism: Magic, Feminism, and Environmentalism 9. The Church of Satan and the Temple of Set: Religious Parody and Satanic Panic 10. ISKCON (Hare Krishna): Eastern Religions in America and the "Brainwashing" Debate 11. Channeling and the New Age: Alternative Spirituality in Popular Culture and Media 12. Peoples Temple: Mass Murder-Suicide, the Media, and the "Cult" Label 13. The Branch Davidians: Millenarian Movements, Religious Freedom, and Privacy 14. The Raelians: UFOs and Human Cloning Appendix: Method and Theory in the Study of New Religions Index
£50.40
University of California Press Christianity Islam and OrisaReligion
Book SynopsisExplores the intertwined character of the three religions and the dense imbrication of religion in all aspects of Yoruba history up to the present. This title offers an insight into important contemporary themes such as religious conversion, new religious movements, relations between world religions, the conditions of religious violence, and more.Trade Review"Clearly written, cogently argued, and offering deep insights into the interwoven trajectories of three different religious traditions in one society, this book undoubtedly constitutes required reading for scholars and students of religion, both in Africa and beyond." * Anthropos Reviews *"Stimulating . . . A welcome contribution to our knowledge of Yoruba Islam." * International Journal of African Historical Studies *
£28.90
University of California Press Crossing Confessional Boundaries Exemplary Lives
Book SynopsisArguably the single most important element in Abrahamic cross-confessional relations has been an ongoing mutual interest in perennial spiritual and ethical exemplars of one another's communities. Ranging from Late Antiquity through the Middle Ages, Crossing Confessional Boundaries explores the complex roles played by saints, sages, and Friends of God in the communal and intercommunal lives of Christians, Muslims, and Jews across the Mediterranean world, from Spain and North Africa to the Middle East to the Balkans. By examining these stories in their broad institutional, social, and cultural contexts, Crossing Confessional Boundaries reveals unique theological insights into the interlocking histories of the Abrahamic faiths. Trade Review"A smashing success; the literature Renard reviews is extensive and his ability to present the most salient points toward future scholarship is impressive. He elaborates a genealogy of the exemplary figure that will surely shape any future work in the field." * Reading Religion *"The book becomes both roadmap and toolkit, guiding readers though the use of hagiography and equipping them to apply it as a resource for fresh scholarship." * Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations *"John Renard is one of few scholars to possess the intellectual toolkit and dexterity necessary for the breadth of Crossing Confessional Boundaries and the ways in which it weaves multiple historiographical strands together. . . . [Renard] reminds us that Late Antiquity was not a period of crisis and decline. . . . [but] was one of deep cross-cultural contacts and complex interfaith encounters." * Mediterranean Seminar *"Crossing Confessional Boundaries remains an excellent hagiography manual." * Critical Bulletin of the Islamic Annals *"There is much to appreciate in what Renard has produced. . . . Renard’s book will provide a concise overview of a significant corpus of recent scholarship on late antiquity, and the significance therein of holy persons. His juxtaposition of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic literatures will provide readers with an awareness of these religious traditions’ interconnections that many may not have otherwise realized." * Journal of Early Christian History *"[Renard] shows amazing range while displaying the promise of comparative hagiography." * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction: Metaphor, Method, and the Three “Sources” of Hagiographic Narrative PART ONE: GEOGRAPHIES SHARED-HISTORICAL/ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES 1. Geographies Shared I—The Central Middle East 2. Geographies Shared II—Spain and North Africa 3. Geographies Shared III—From Anatolia to the Balkans PART TWO: HAGIOGRAPHIES COMPARED-LITERARY PERSPECTIVES: FORM, CONTENT, AND FUNCTION 4. Hagiography Constructed: An Owner’s Manual 5. Hagiography Deconstructed: A Reader’s Toolbox 6. Hagiography at Work: A Job Description PART THREE: DRAMATIS PERSONAE: HISTORY, AUTHORITY, AND COMMUNITY 7. Historical Themes and Institutional Authority 8. Constructions of Personal Authority—Epistemic and Charismatic 9. Exemplars and Their Communities Conclusion: Comparative Approaches to Religious Exemplarity and Hagiography Notes Selected Bibliography Index
£64.00
University of California Press Crossing Confessional Boundaries Exemplary Lives
Book SynopsisTrade Review"A smashing success; the literature Renard reviews is extensive and his ability to present the most salient points toward future scholarship is impressive. He elaborates a genealogy of the exemplary figure that will surely shape any future work in the field." * Reading Religion *"The book becomes both roadmap and toolkit, guiding readers though the use of hagiography and equipping them to apply it as a resource for fresh scholarship." * Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations *"John Renard is one of few scholars to possess the intellectual toolkit and dexterity necessary for the breadth of Crossing Confessional Boundaries and the ways in which it weaves multiple historiographical strands together. . . . [Renard] reminds us that Late Antiquity was not a period of crisis and decline. . . . [but] was one of deep cross-cultural contacts and complex interfaith encounters." * Mediterranean Seminar *"Crossing Confessional Boundaries remains an excellent hagiography manual." * Critical Bulletin of the Islamic Annals *"There is much to appreciate in what Renard has produced. . . . Renard’s book will provide a concise overview of a significant corpus of recent scholarship on late antiquity, and the significance therein of holy persons. His juxtaposition of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic literatures will provide readers with an awareness of these religious traditions’ interconnections that many may not have otherwise realized." * Journal of Early Christian History *"[Renard] shows amazing range while displaying the promise of comparative hagiography." * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction: Metaphor, Method, and the Three “Sources” of Hagiographic Narrative PART ONE: GEOGRAPHIES SHARED-HISTORICAL/ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES 1. Geographies Shared I—The Central Middle East 2. Geographies Shared II—Spain and North Africa 3. Geographies Shared III—From Anatolia to the Balkans PART TWO: HAGIOGRAPHIES COMPARED-LITERARY PERSPECTIVES: FORM, CONTENT, AND FUNCTION 4. Hagiography Constructed: An Owner’s Manual 5. Hagiography Deconstructed: A Reader’s Toolbox 6. Hagiography at Work: A Job Description PART THREE: DRAMATIS PERSONAE: HISTORY, AUTHORITY, AND COMMUNITY 7. Historical Themes and Institutional Authority 8. Constructions of Personal Authority—Epistemic and Charismatic 9. Exemplars and Their Communities Conclusion: Comparative Approaches to Religious Exemplarity and Hagiography Notes Selected Bibliography Index
£27.00
University of California Press Learning Love from a Tiger
Book SynopsisExplores the variety of humans' sacred encounters with the natural world, gathering a range of stories culled from Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Mayan, Himalayan, Buddhist, and Chinese shamanic traditions. This book includes tales of house cats who teach monks how to meditate, shamans who shape-shift into jaguars, and rivers that grant salvation.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction: Into Muir’s Forest 1. All the Christian Birds Chanted 2. The Donkey Who Communed with Allah 3. Hindu Trees Tremble with Ecstasy 4. Sharing Mayan Natural Souls 5. Friendly Yetis 6. Enlightened Buddhist Stones Epilogue: The Mountain Peaks Leaped and Danced Notes Bibliography Index
£22.50
University of California Press Magic Monsters and MakeBelieve Heroes
Book SynopsisMagic, Monsters, and Make-Believe Heroes looks at fantasy film, television, and participative culture as evidence of our ongoing need for a mythic visionfor stories larger than ourselves into which we write ourselves and through which we can become the heroes of our own story. Why do we tell and retell the same stories over and over when we know they can't possibly be true? Contrary to popular belief, it's not because pop culture has run out of good ideas. Rather, it is precisely because these stories are so fantastic, some resonating so deeply that we elevate them to the status of religion. Illuminating everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Dungeons and Dragons, and from Drunken Master to Mad Max, Douglas E. Cowan offers a modern manifesto for why and how mythology remains a vital force today. Trade Review"Magic, Monsters and Make-Believe Heroes is a joy to read because it gloriously and lovingly destabilises texts by reminding us that the reader/viewer/gamer is not a blank slate. In roaming across platforms, it also breaks down some of the artificial divides within the study of the fantastic." * Times Higher Education *"I would recommend this book for anyone interested in fantasy culture. It is entertaining, informative, and accessible. Using it in an undergraduate course setting would be ideal. It would also work well as a birthday gift for that D&D fanatic or Buffy fan in your own family tree." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"The book’s accessible writing style would make it ideal for an undergraduate course looking at religion and popular culture. But Magic, Monsters, and Make-Believe Heroes would also be well-suited for a course on creative writing, or even game design." * Nova Religio *"Magic, Monsters, and Make-Believe Heroes aims to discover the contours of fantasy culture and explain why these works hold such power over us. It is very successful in doing so." * Reading Religion *"The broad scope of Cowan’s analysis can be a delight to readers who enjoy a panoramic view of culture." * Fafnir: Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research *"A treat for the popular culture aficionados. It is a highly recommended read for scholars of religion and popular culture." * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsPreface 1. Here Be Dragons 2. Once Upon a Time . . . 3. Imagining Magic 4. Between Puer Aeternus and Vitam Aeternam 5. The Mythic Hero: East 6. The Mythic Hero: West 7. Imagining the Warrior-Heroine 8. The Stuff of Legends 9. . . . Happily Ever After? Mediography Bibliography Index
£64.00
University of California Press Magic Monsters and MakeBelieve Heroes
Book SynopsisMagic, Monsters, and Make-Believe Heroes looks at fantasy film, television, and participative culture as evidence of our ongoing need for a mythic visionfor stories larger than ourselves into which we write ourselves and through which we can become the heroes of our own story. Why do we tell and retell the same stories over and over when we know they can't possibly be true? Contrary to popular belief, it's not because pop culture has run out of good ideas. Rather, it is precisely because these stories are so fantastic, some resonating so deeply that we elevate them to the status of religion. Illuminating everything from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Dungeons and Dragons, and from Drunken Master to Mad Max, Douglas E. Cowan offers a modern manifesto for why and how mythology remains a vital force today. Trade Review"Magic, Monsters and Make-Believe Heroes is a joy to read because it gloriously and lovingly destabilises texts by reminding us that the reader/viewer/gamer is not a blank slate. In roaming across platforms, it also breaks down some of the artificial divides within the study of the fantastic." * Times Higher Education *"I would recommend this book for anyone interested in fantasy culture. It is entertaining, informative, and accessible. Using it in an undergraduate course setting would be ideal. It would also work well as a birthday gift for that D&D fanatic or Buffy fan in your own family tree." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *"The book’s accessible writing style would make it ideal for an undergraduate course looking at religion and popular culture. But Magic, Monsters, and Make-Believe Heroes would also be well-suited for a course on creative writing, or even game design." * Nova Religio *"Magic, Monsters, and Make-Believe Heroes aims to discover the contours of fantasy culture and explain why these works hold such power over us. It is very successful in doing so." * Reading Religion *"The broad scope of Cowan’s analysis can be a delight to readers who enjoy a panoramic view of culture." * Fafnir: Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research *"A treat for the popular culture aficionados. It is a highly recommended read for scholars of religion and popular culture." * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsPreface 1. Here Be Dragons 2. Once Upon a Time . . . 3. Imagining Magic 4. Between Puer Aeternus and Vitam Aeternam 5. The Mythic Hero: East 6. The Mythic Hero: West 7. Imagining the Warrior-Heroine 8. The Stuff of Legends 9. . . . Happily Ever After? Mediography Bibliography Index
£22.50
University of California Press Understanding Religion Theories and Methods for
Book SynopsisA cutting-edge introduction to contemporary religious studies theory, connecting theory to data. This innovative coursebook introduces students to interdisciplinary theoretical tools for understanding contemporary religiously diverse societiesboth Western and non-Western. Using a case-study model, the text considers: A wide and diverse array of contemporary issues, questions, andcriticalapproaches to the study of religionrelevant to students and scholarsA variety of theoretical approaches, including decolonial, feminist, hermeneutical, poststructuralist, and phenomenological analysesCurrent debates on whether the term religionis meaningfulMany key issues about the study of religion, including the insider-outsider debate, material religion, and lived religionPlural and religiously diverse societies, including the theological ideas of traditions and the political and social questions that arise for those living alongside adherents of other religionsUnderstanding Religion is designed to provide a strong foundation for instructors to explore the ideas presented in each chapter in multiple ways, engage students in meaningful activities in the classroom, and integrate additional material into their lectures. Students will gain the tools to apply specific methods from a variety of disciplines to analyze the social, political, spiritual, and cultural aspects of religions. Its unique pedagogical design means it can be used from undergraduate- to postgraduate-level courses.Trade Review"Understanding Religion is a lucid, creatively structured, and nearly jargon-free introduction to theories and methods for studying religious communities and traditions in diverse societies, bold in scope, and presented in a manner that is undergraduate-friendly, yet sophisticated enough for use in a graduate-level course." * Journal of Interreligious Studies *"Explores themes one might expect in a textbook as well as ones welcomely added, emphasizing a 'deeply political' approach that continually draws the reader’s attention back to whose voice gets expressed in scholarship, and whose does not." * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations List of Boxes Acknowledgments and Dedications Introduction PART I. WHAT IS RELIGION AND HOW TO APPROACH IT? 1. Religion: Language, Law, and Legacies Case Study 1A: Falun Gong: Religion or Self-Cultivation Practice? Case Study 1B: Christians and Ancestor Veneration: Religion or Culture? 2. Method: Insider-Outsider Debates, Phenomenology, and Reflexivity Case Study 2A: Living between Religious Worlds: Conversion and Reconversion Case Study 2B: Hindu and Christian? Multiple Religious Identities 3. Life: Lived Religion, Syncretism, and Hybridity Case Study 3A: Mexican American Catholicism and Our Lady of Guadalupe Case Study 3B: Thai Buddhism as Lived Religion and Syncretic Practice PART II. THEORIES, METHODOLOGIES, AND CRITICAL DEBATES 4. History: Historical Methodology and the Invention of Tradition Case Study 4A: The Historical Jesus and the Christ of Faith Case Study 4B: Laozi, the Daodejing, and the Origins of Daoism 5. Power: Social Constructionism, Habitus, and Authority Case Study 5A: Mosques, Minarets, and Power Case Study 5B: Individual (New Age/Alternative) Spirituality as Modernity's Ideology 6. Identity: Social Identity Theory, In-Groups, Out-Groups, and Conflict Case Study 6A: Shiv Sena, Hindu Nationalism, and Identity Politics Case Study 6B: Race, Religion, and the American White Evangelical 7. Colonialism: Postcolonialism, Orientalism, and Decolonization Case Study 7A: Beyond "Inventing" Hinduism Case Study 7B: Magic, Superstition, and Religion in Southeast Asia and Africa 8. Brains: The Cognitive Science of Religion and Beyond Case Study 8A: Religion, Non-Religion, and Atheism Case Study 8B: Ancestors, Jesus, and Prosocial Behavior in Fiji 9. Bodies: Material Religion, Embodiment, and Materiality Case Study 9A: Weeping Gods and Drinking Statues Case Study 9B: Embodied Practice at a Christian Shrine 10. Gender: Feminism, Sexuality, and Religion Case Study 10A: Priests, Paul, and Rewriting Texts Case Study 10B: Buddhist Feminisms and Nuns 11. Comparison: Comparative and Contrastive Methodologies Case Study 11A: Comparing Hinduism and Judaism Case Study 11B: A Comparison of Zen Buddhist and Protestant Christian Sitting Practices 12. Ritual: Ritualization, Myth, and Performance Case Study 12A: The Zen Tea Ceremony and Protestant Eucharist as Performance and Ritual Case Study 12B: Buddhist Ordination Rites PART III. RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY AND SOCIETY 13. Diversity: Religious Borders, Identities, and Discourses Case Study 13A: The Memory of Al-Andalusia Case Study 13B: Dominus Iesus and Catholic Christianity in Asia 14. Dialogue: Interreligious Discourse and Critique Case Study 14A: Christian and Muslim Women Reading Scriptures Case Study 14B: Buddhist-Christian Dialogue: History and Discourse 15. Violence: Fundamentalism, Extremism, and Radicalization Case Study 15A: The Invention of Islamic Terrorism Case Study 15B: Buddhism and Violence 16. Secularism: Secularization, Human Rights, and Religion Case Study 16A: Laïcité and the Burkini Ban Case Study 16B: Singapore's Common Space 17. Geography: Place, the Lived Environment, and Environmentalism Case Study 17A: Trees as Monks? Case Study 17B: Protestant Christian Understandings of the "Holy Land" 18. Politics: Governance, the Colonial Wound, and the Sacred Case Study 18A: Ethnicity and Religion: The Singaporean Malay-Muslim Identity Case Study 18B: Saluting the Flag: The Case of Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States Glossary Who's Who Notes Index
£68.00
University of California Press The Ancient Dialect
Book Synopsis
£64.00
University of California Press When God Stops Fighting How Religious Violence
Book SynopsisA gripping study of how religiously motivated violence and militant movements end, from the perspectives of those most deeply involved. Mark Juergensmeyer is arguably the globe's leading expert on religious violence, and for decades his books have helped us understand the worlds and worldviews of those who take up arms in the name of their faith. But even the most violent of movements, characterized by grand religious visions of holy warfare, eventually come to an end. Juergensmeyer takes readers into the minds of religiously motivated militants associated with the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq, the Sikh Khalistan movement in India's Punjab, and the Moro movement for a Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines to understand what leads to drastic changes in the attitudes of those once devoted to all-out ideological war. When God Stops Fighting reveals how the transformation of religious violence manifests for those who once promoted it as the only answer. Trade Review"When God Stops Fighting is an excellent introductory work. . . .[its] brevity, its smooth readability and its lively descriptions make it both a thought-provoking and an enjoyable read." * Medicine, Conflict, and Survival *"Anyone, be they theologians, religious studies majors, sociologists, psychologists, historians, politicians, lawyers, those entrusted with the arts of conflict resolution, or just a member of the public, should read this book. In doing so, they will come to understand more about the many subtle (and not so subtle) processes by which men (usually) can steer situations either towards tragic disasters or in the direction of those more promising situations When God Stops Fighting." * Reading Religion *"A valuable read for all those interested in militant violence." * Religion *Table of ContentsPreface 1. The Trajectory of Imagined Wars 2. The Apocalyptic War of the Islamic State 3. The Militant Struggle of Mindanao Muslims 4. The Fight for Khalistan in India's Punjab 5. How Imagined Wars End Notes Interviews Bibliography Index
£64.00
University of California Press When God Stops Fighting
Book SynopsisA gripping study of how religiously motivated violence and militant movements end, from the perspectives of those most deeply involved. Mark Juergensmeyer is arguably the globe's leading expert on religious violence, and for decades his books have helped us understand the worlds and worldviews of those who take up arms in the name of their faith. But even the most violent of movements, characterized by grand religious visions of holy warfare, eventually come to an end. Juergensmeyer takes readers into the minds of religiously motivated militants associated with the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq, the Sikh Khalistan movement in India's Punjab, and the Moro movement for a Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines to understand what leads to drastic changes in the attitudes of those once devoted to all-out ideological war. When God Stops Fighting reveals how the transformation of religious violence manifests for those who once promoted it as the only answer. Trade Review"When God Stops Fighting is an excellent introductory work. . . .[its] brevity, its smooth readability and its lively descriptions make it both a thought-provoking and an enjoyable read." * Medicine, Conflict, and Survival *"Anyone, be they theologians, religious studies majors, sociologists, psychologists, historians, politicians, lawyers, those entrusted with the arts of conflict resolution, or just a member of the public, should read this book. In doing so, they will come to understand more about the many subtle (and not so subtle) processes by which men (usually) can steer situations either towards tragic disasters or in the direction of those more promising situations When God Stops Fighting." * Reading Religion *"A valuable read for all those interested in militant violence." * Religion *Table of ContentsPreface 1. The Trajectory of Imagined Wars 2. The Apocalyptic War of the Islamic State 3. The Militant Struggle of Mindanao Muslims 4. The Fight for Khalistan in India's Punjab 5. How Imagined Wars End Notes Interviews Bibliography Index
£17.09
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Problems of Religious Diversity
Book SynopsisExploring Religious Diversity analyzes the philosophical questions raised by the fact that many religions in the world often appear to contradict each other in doctrine and practice. aeo Analyzes the philosophical questions raised by the fact that many religions in the world often appear to contradict each other in doctrine and practice.Trade Review"At a time when words like tolerance, diversity, pluralism, and truth are brandished as rhetorical weapons, Paul Griffiths provides a crisp and elegant analysis of the philosophical, moral, and political contexts in which these and other terms function. A bracing and helpful treatment of a perpetually vexed subject." Stanley Fish, University of Illinois at Chicago "Problems of Religious Diversity is a rare work – an introduction that not only accurately orients beginners, but draws them into the midst of current dialogue. Its bracing clarity has challenges for the expert as well as the novice. It should become a favored port of entry for those who want to think philosophically about the relations among religions." S. Mark Heim, Andover Newton Theological School "A profound, challenging, and edifying appraisal of what it means to keep faith with integrity in a religiously plural world, Problems of Religious Diversity is indispensable for those who seek philosophical grounding for the dialogue with world religions." Carol Zaleski, Smith College "A must read for both introductory students and seasoned scholars alike!" Amos Young, Religious Studies Review, Vol 27, October 2001 "Griffiths skilfully balances a general introductory perspective accessible to serious students with profound analysis that will appeal to professionals." Bernardo J. Cantens, Theological Studies, Vol. 63, June 2002 "Problems of Religious Diversity is a very helpful introduction to the cluster of questions arising from religious diversity in the West. Both those just becoming acquainted with the issues and those already quite familiar with the debates will benefit from careful study of Paul Griffith's clear and stimulating treatment of the subject." Journal of the Evangelical Philosophic Society, February 2003Table of ContentsSeries Editor's Preface ix Preface xi Acknowledgments xiii Key Terms xiv 1 Religious Diversity 1 1.1 Religion: Some Historical Remarks 1 1.2 Religion: A Definition 7 1.3 Diversity in Religion 12 1.4 Philosophical Questions about Religious Diversity 16 1.5 Standpoints and Answers 19 2 Religious Diversity and Truth 21 2.1 Religious Claims: Doctrines and Teachings 21 2.2 Assent and Acceptance 26 2.3 Truth, Falsehood, Incompatibility 31 2.4 Parity with Respect to Truth: A Kantian View 37 2.5 Parity with Respect to Truth: A Wittgensteinean View 45 2.6 Parity with Respect to Truth: Nonreligious Views 50 2.7 Difference with Respect to Religious Truth: Exclusivism 53 2.8 Difference with Respect to Religious Truth: Inclusivism 60 2.9 A Catholic Christian Argument for Open lnclusivism 60 3 Religious Diversity and Epistemic Confidence 66 3.1 Epistemic Confidence 66 3.2 Awareness of Diversity 70 3.3 Religious Responses to the Question of Epistemic Confidence 75 3.4 Privatization 81 3.5 The Epistemic Significance of Religious Diversity: A Christian View in Conversation with William Alston 89 4 The Religious Alien 99 4.1 Toleration: Enduring the Religious Alien 101 4.2 Separation: Isolating the Religious Alien 111 4.3 Conversion: Domesticating the Religious Alien 119 4.4 Christian Evangelism 132 5 The Question of Salvation 138 5.1 Pluralism 142 5.2 Exclusivism 150 5.3 Inclusivism 159 5.4 Restrictivism and Universalism 161 A Brief Guide to Further Reading 170 Index 172
£34.15
Harvard University Press The Deepest Dye
Book SynopsisAisha Khan examines two cultural phenomena of colonized laborers in the West Indies: the “African” supernatural practice of obeah and the “Indian” mourning festival of Hosay. The British criminalized both, establishing hierarchies through racial and religious identities still relevant to postcolonial power dynamics, as well as justice movements.Trade ReviewKhan captures the dynamism of West Indian popular religion in this indispensable book. Examining the hard realities of colonization, exploitation, and racism, The Deepest Dye offers an unparalleled insight into the intersection of religion and race. This is a brilliant history of how the religious imagination is colored in ways that come to seem natural and permanent, but are nevertheless subject to constant change. -- Vincent Brown, author of Tacky’s RevoltIlluminating…Khan’s sophisticated and complex analysis will challenge readers to reconsider concepts like ‘race’ and ‘religion,’ inviting them to revisit how the terms came to exist in the first place. Anthropologists, theologians, and scholarly readers alike can glean much from Khan’s sweeping exploration. * Publishers Weekly *The Deepest Dye offers a story of the making of the Anglophone Caribbean focused especially on the generative and paradoxical impact of slavery and indenture, and their enduring afterlives. In thinking through the mutually constitutive domains of racial and religious identity—obeah coded African and Hosay coded Indian—Aisha Khan provides a richly textured account of the historical and ideological powers that continue to structure the Caribbean region and its diasporas. -- David Scott, author of Conscripts of ModernityThrough a rich examination of the entwined destinies of obeah and Hosay over the longue dureé, Aisha Khan provides a compelling account of the staying power of racial and religious discourses. The Deepest Dye makes an important contribution to understanding the intersections of race and religion. -- Robert A. Orsi, author of History and Presence
£32.36
Princeton University Press The King and the Corpse
Book SynopsisDrawing on both Eastern and Western literature, this is an anthology of stories linked by the theme of conflict with the forces of evil. Beginning with a tale from the "Arabian Nights", this theme unfolds in stories from early Hinduism, Irish paganism, the Arthurian cycle and other legends.Trade Review"This handsome volume of essays ... is the yield of what can be called an Indologist's holiday... Expertly edited by Joseph Campbell, these essays rest upon Zimmer's belief--a belief which he shares with Jung and others--that the spiritual heritage of archaic man still survives in "the deeper unconscious layers of our soul.'"--Saturday Review of Literature
£35.70
Princeton University Press The Modern Spirit of Asia The Spiritual and the
Book SynopsisChallenges the notion that modernity in China and India are derivative imitations of the West, arguing that these societies have transformed their ancient traditions in distinctive ways.Trade ReviewFinalist for the 2014 Award for Excellence in Religion in Analytical-Descriptive Studies, American Academy of Religion One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2014 "A fascinating read."--Nick Leech, National "The authority of this study is based on a combination of field research in each of the two nations (China and India), along with an impressive command of the literature and tools of cultural anthropology, comparative sociology, and conceptual analysis. The author is a well-respected, contemporary European social scientist, and this study is likely to stimulate intense scholarly discussion for years ahead."--Choice "[A] particularly outstanding work."--Guo Ting, Oxford Comparative Critical Review "One of the many merits of Peter van der Veer's The Modern Spirit of Asia is that he acknowledges the unprecedented nature of 'the project of modernity with all its revolutionary ideas of nation, equality, citizenship, democracy, and rights,' yet shows how it has taken strikingly different shapes in the Chinese and Indian cultural spheres."--Benjamin Schewel, Hedgehog Review "This is an important book, which will be useful for helping scholars of Chinese religion think more deeply about the question of modernity."--Erik Hammerstrom, Review of Religion and Chinese Society "This book will be a fundamental point of reference for any ethnography of secularism and for anyone interested in the study of religion, secularism, modernity, and politics in Asia and in the global world."--Chiara Letizia, American AnthropologistTable of ContentsPreface ix Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Spirituality in Modern Society 35 Chapter 3 The Making of Oriental Religion 63 Chapter 4 Conversion to Indian and Chinese Modernities 90 Chapter 5 Secularism's Magic 115 Chapter 6 "Smash Temples, Build Schools": Comparing Secularism in India and China 140 Chapter 7 The Spiritual Body 168 Chapter 8 Muslims in India and China 193 Chapter 9 Conclusion 214 Notes 231 Bibliography 253 Index 271
£25.20
Princeton University Press America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity
Book SynopsisLooks at how we have adapted to diversity and the ways rank-and-file Americans, clergy, and other community leaders are responding. This book contends that responses to religious diversity are fundamentally deeper than polite discussions about civil liberties and tolerance would suggest.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2007 Mirra Komarovsky Best Book Award, Eastern Sociological Society Finalist for the 2006 Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion in Analytical-Descriptive Studies, American Academy of Religion Finalist for the 2006 Book Award in Christianity and Culture, Christianity Today "As Robert Wuthnow amply documents, the United States is (on the whole) an open and welcoming country, ready to extend the full benefits of citizenship to strangers who could expect second-class status in much of the rest of the world."--Gary Rosen, New York Times Book Review "With ... America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity, Wuthnow zeros in on one of the most significant issues facing the country today."--Heather Grennan Gary,Publishers Weekly "All of Robert Wuthnow's formidable skills as the nation's leading 'public sociologist' are prominently displayed in this disciplined, accessible study."--Mark A. Noll, Christianity Today "This is a supple, nuanced and thoughtful book, among Wuthnow's best."--John A. Coleman, America "The great virtue of America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity lies in its careful depiction of the state of American Christianity today. Wuthnow's narrative is endlessly subtle and informative."--Clifford Orwin, The American Interest "Wuthnow has conducted careful research, including thousands of interviews, to find out how ordinary American Christians deal in their day-to-day lives with this new religious diversity: how they think about non-Christians; what sort of encounters they have with them, from workplace chatter to interfaith services and even intermarriage; and how they and their pastors deal with such theologically troubling issues as whether non-Christians can be saved or whether Christians should make active efforts to convert them."--Charlotte Allen,Washington Post "Wuthnow is one of the best and most prolific sociologists of religion on the contemporary scene. His work often sets the agenda not only for other scholars, but also for religious leaders and practitioners concerned with making their faith relevant to social issues... In the end [of America and the Challenges of Religious Diversity], Wuthnow calls for a strategy of 'reflective pluralism.' Reflective pluralism will overcome the reluctance to acknowledge significant differences between religions."--Fred Kniss, Christian Century "Another commendable study from prolific sociologist Robert Wuthnow, this comprehensive assessment of US religious self-understanding demonstrates how religious diversity is challenging the privileged notion of the US as a 'Christian' nation... Since Americans believe in the right of groups to worship freely but are not motivated to learn about or interact with diverse believers, Wuthnow advocates a proactive 'reflective pluralism' for creating a more hospitable national ethos."--Choice "His book marks a major contribution to the study of American religion, both for its lucid arguments, its broad canvassing of the relevant literature, and its research methodology."--Patrick J. Hayes, Catholic Library World "A wide-ranging and insightful study into how Americans are responding to dramatic increases in religious and cultural diversity."--Mark E. Button, Perspectives on Politics "Wuthnow's book is a clear exposition of the state of belief and practice with regards to views on religious diversity in America, and an impassioned call for increasing religious tolerance."--Albert Wu, Religious Studies ReviewTable of ContentsList of Tables ix Preface xi Introduction Confronting Diversity 1 Chapter 1: A Special People in a Diverse World 8 First Encounters 10 Toward a New Nation 14 From Missions to Comparative Religion 19 The Tripartite Settlement 30 Beyond Christian America? 34 Chapter 2: The New Diversity 37 American Hindus 38 American Buddhists 47 American Muslims 56 Living among Christians 63 Pluralism or Coexistence? 73 Chapter 3: The Signi .cance of Religious Diversity 75 A Threat to Democracy? 78 Fairness and Decency 84 Challenges to American Values 88 Religion as Moral Order 95 Chapter 4: Embracing Diversity: Shopping in the Spiritual Marketplace 106 Trev Granger's Story 108 Becoming a Spiritual Shopper 110 The Shopping Mentality 119 Toward a New Consciousness? 126 Chapter 5: "Many Mansions": Accepting Diversity 130 Sandra Michaelson: Beauty in Every Religion 133 Coming to Terms with Diversity 135 How to Be an Inclusive Christian 143 Envisioning an Inclusive Society 153 Chapter 6: "One Way" : Resisting Diversity 159 Trisha Mobley: "It Is Written" 160 The Road to Resistance 163 Maintaining an Exclusivist Worldview 173 The Social Implications of Christian Exclusivism 183 Chapter 7: The Public's Beliefs and Practices 188 Beliefs about Religious Truth 190 Views of America 198 The Impact of Non-Western Religions 201 Social and Cultural Factors 208 Interreligious Contact and Attitudes 212 Interreligious Programs 220 Conclusions 228 Chapter 8: How Congregations Manage Diversity 230 What Churches Are Doing 233 The Role of Theology 237 Strategies of Avoidance 244 Strategies of Engagement 247 The Imprint of Pluralism 253 Beyond Insularity? 255 Chapter 9: Negotiating Religiously Mixed Marriages 259 Falling in Love 260 Negotiating with Religious Authorities 264 The Parsing of Practices 270 Disaggregating Religious Identities 276 The Normalization of Diversity 278 From Religion to Culture 281 Chapter 10: How Pluralistic Should We Be? 286 Reflective Pluralism 287 The Case for Cooperation 292 An Effort to Promote Understanding 295 Multiple Models 299 Why Interreligious Efforts Fail 301 How Interreligious Efforts Succeed 303 What Else Needs to Be Done 305 Extrapolating to Other Kinds of Diversity 306 The Challenges Ahead 308 Notes 315 Selected Bibliography 351 Index 371
£38.25
Princeton University Press The Children of Abraham
Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2005""As John L. Esposito makes clear in his helpful foreword, Professor F.E. Peters' revision of this important, accessible discussion of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition is a welcome contribution for a new generation of readers facing an international political environment where respectful engagement is imperative." * Jewish Book World *"The new edition of Francis E. Peters' The Children of Abraham: Judaism, Christianity, Islam . . . is written in a direct and accessible style with thorough and nuanced discussions of each of the three Abrahamic traditions. . . . We have to try our best to understand other religions and our own. Perhaps Peters' book can help us in this."---Horst Jesse, European Legacy
£15.29
Princeton University Press What Happens When We Practice Religion
Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A]n erudite and thought-provoking take on the turn to practice in the study of religion." * Sociology of Religion *"Wuthnow skillfully engages with practices from a theoretical point of view, which introduces the reader to numerous paradigms and ways of thinking that will undoubtedly lead to many discussions on how scholars approach religion."---Mie Astrup Jensen, Review of Religious Research
£89.25
Princeton University Press What Happens When We Practice Religion
Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A]n erudite and thought-provoking take on the turn to practice in the study of religion." * Sociology of Religion *
£25.20
Princeton University Press The Imam of the Christians
Book SynopsisTrade Review"The book greatly contributes to our understanding of Abbasid era politics and the situation of religious minorities."---Usman Butt, The New Arab"Wood’s careful, fine-grained analysis of Dionysius and his world provides a fascinating glimpse at one Christian community in the Abbasid caliphate."---John Tolan, The Journal of Religion
£31.50
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Gods Zeal
Book SynopsisThe conflicts between the three great monotheistic religions - Christianity, Judaism and Islam - are shaping our world more than ever before. This book examines the forms of conflict that arise between the three monotheisms by analyzing the basic possibilities stemming from anti-Paganism, anti-Judaism, anti-Islamism and anti-Christianism.Trade Review"Peter Sloterdijk has a strong claim to being Germany's foremost public philosopher."The Philosopher's MagazineTable of ContentsDedication page vii 1 The premises 1 2 The formations 19 3 The battle fronts 40 4 The campaigns 50 5 The matrix 82 6 The pharmaka 105 7 The parables of the ring 122 8 After-zeal 150 Index 161
£49.50
Johns Hopkins University Press World Religions and Democracy
Book SynopsisMasmoudi, Laith Kubba, Ladan Boroumand, Roya Boroumand.Trade ReviewA rich feast of the topic. -- Majid Tehranian Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies 2007Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroductionPart I: A Conceptual FrameworkChapter 1. Religion, Democracy, and the "Twin Tolerations"Part II: Eastern ReligionsChapter 2. The Ironies of ConfucianismChapter 3. Confucianism and DemocracyChapter 4. Hinduism and Self-RuleChapter 5. Buddhism, Asian Values, and DemocracyChapter 6. Burma's Quest for DemocracyPart III: Judaism and Christianity Chapter 7. Judaism and Political LifeChapter 8. The Catholic WaveChapter 9. The Pioneering ProtestantsChapter 10. The Ambivalent OrthodoxChapter 11. Christianity: The Global PicturePart IV: IslamChapter 12. Muslims and DemocracyChapter 13. A Historical OverviewChapter 14. Two Visions of ReformationChapter 15. The Challenge of SecularizationChapter 16. The Sources of Enlightened Muslim ThoughtChapter 17. The Elusive ReformationChapter 18. The Silent MajorityChapter 19. Faith and Modernity Chapter 20. Terror, Islam, and DemocracyEpilogue: Does Democracy Need ReligionIndex
£37.35
Johns Hopkins University Press World Religions and Democracy A Journal of
Book SynopsisMasmoudi, Laith Kubba, Ladan Boroumand, Roya Boroumand.Trade ReviewA rich feast of the topic. -- Majid Tehranian Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies 2007Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsIntroductionPart I: A Conceptual FrameworkChapter 1. Religion, Democracy, and the "Twin Tolerations"Part II: Eastern ReligionsChapter 2. The Ironies of ConfucianismChapter 3. Confucianism and DemocracyChapter 4. Hinduism and Self-RuleChapter 5. Buddhism, Asian Values, and DemocracyChapter 6. Burma's Quest for DemocracyPart III: Judaism and Christianity Chapter 7. Judaism and Political LifeChapter 8. The Catholic WaveChapter 9. The Pioneering ProtestantsChapter 10. The Ambivalent OrthodoxChapter 11. Christianity: The Global PicturePart IV: IslamChapter 12. Muslims and DemocracyChapter 13. A Historical OverviewChapter 14. Two Visions of ReformationChapter 15. The Challenge of SecularizationChapter 16. The Sources of Enlightened Muslim ThoughtChapter 17. The Elusive ReformationChapter 18. The Silent MajorityChapter 19. Faith and Modernity Chapter 20. Terror, Islam, and DemocracyEpilogue: Does Democracy Need ReligionIndex
£20.25
Stanford University Press Idol Anxiety
Book SynopsisThis interdisciplinary collection of essays on idolatry, including both historical and theoretical contributions, shows that the concept of idolatry is helpful for all who study the ways that people interact with and conceive of the things around them.Trade Review"Idol Anxiety opens a broad vista onto a critical but understudied topic of interdisciplinary interest beyond the fields of art history and religious studies. Religious, social, political, philosophical, and cultural methodologies create a unique matrix within the multiple scholarly approaches toward idolatry reflected herein. Editors Ellenbogen and Tugendhaft deserve praise for their development of this topic and for the academic breadth of their invited contributors."— D. Apostolos-Cappadona, Choice"Idol Anxiety is a fresh, eclectic combination of established and new voices on an old problem that is important to at least three different fields: religious studies, art history, and philosophy."—Seth Sanders, Trinity College"This collection is essential reading for anyone concerned with idols, made things, and our longstanding attraction to them."—Glenn Peers, University of Texas at Austin
£19.94
Stanford University Press Hasidism Incarnate
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Hasidism Incarnate offers a unique exploration of sensitive subjects, stressing the affinities between two religions widely perceived as staunch adversaries. Focusing on the Hasidic strand of Judaism, a strict orthodox sect, creates for Magid the space to make provocative arguments without giving the impression that he is a proponent of the problematic 'Judeo-Christian culture' school of thought." -- Adi Mahalel * H-Judaic *"For critical scholars of Hasidic thought, Magid's book has enormous potential to inspire fresh and more detailed studies of the genuinely radical ideas of both the Hasidic masters whose works he cites, as well as the treasury of literature produced by subsequent generations of Hasidic authors . . . Magid's book is overwhelmingly a work of scholarship, of original exegeses of arcane Hasidic texts." -- Allan Nadler * Marginalia *"But as Shaul Magid's fascinating new book Hasidism Incarnate shows, the deep religious structures of [Christianity and Judaism] may not always be as different as that first glance might suggest . . . Hasidism Incarnate offers a sophisticated approach to the thorny question of the differences between Jewish and Christian religious theology and practice . . . Hasidism Incarnate is a solid book about an important subject." -- Emily McAvan * Global Comment *"Hasidism Incarnate brings a fresh vision to one of the most fascinating modern religious movements and helps us to appreciates how revolutionary leaders such as R. Nahman of Bratslav truly were. Magid's subtle and sophisticated challenge to the habitual divide between Judaism and Christianity is pregnant with implications that transcend mere academic study and will help us to face some of the most interesting dilemmas of twenty-first century Western religion. His compelling book will be read and re-read by those drawn to Kabbalah and Hasidism and by anyone aspiring to comparative, imaginal, and embodied understandings of religion." -- Jonathan Garb * Hebrew University *
£52.70
University of Pennsylvania Press Nordic Religions in the Viking Age
Book SynopsisThomas DuBois unravels for the first time the history of the Nordic religions in the Viking Age. "A seminal study of Nordic religions that future scholars will not be able to avoid."-Church HistoryTrade Review"This is a sophisticated, well-written, and convincing reconception of the nature of religious change in the early medieval world." * Journal of Ecclesiastical History *"A seminal study of Nordic religions that future scholars will not be able to avoid." * Church History *
£21.59
MT - University of Pennsylvania Press Kingdom of Snow
Book SynopsisKingdom of Snow investigates the impact of Roman rule in Cappadocia and the fate of classical Greek culture in an increasingly Christian society.Trade Review"Essential reading for theology students and any inquiry into the world of late antiquity." * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction BADLANDS 1. "The Viper Died": Local Notables and Imperial Rule 2. "The Hook Hidden in the Bait": The Rewards of Giving 3. "The Singing of the Sirens": Service in the Imperial Administration 4. The Highlander EMPIRE AND PROVINCE 5. "Surpass Me with Your Generosity": Provincial Governors and Tax Assessors 6. "Men in an Oven": Emperors in Cappadocia 7. "Birds Cowering Before an Eagle": Basil and Valens' Court at Antioch 8. "Everything Yields to Theodosius": Gregory of Nazianzus at Constantinople CULTURE WARS 9. "A True Hellene Among the Cappadocians": Julian in Asia Minor 10. Basil's "Outline of Virtue" 11. Gregory of Nazianzus and the Philosopher Emperor Epilogue: Admonishment and Compassion Abbreviations Notes Editions and Translations 1. The Cappadocian Fathers 2. Ancient Authors and Texts Bibliography Index
£49.30
MP-CUA Catholic Uni of Amer Logos and Revelation Ibn Arabi Meister Eckhart
Book SynopsisWhat is 'mysticism' and, most importantly, how do the great mystical writers understand it? This book seeks to answer this question by looking closely at the writings of two of the most prominent medieval mystical writers: the Muslim, Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240) and the Christian, Meister Eckhart (1260-1328).
£30.56
New York University Press Powers of Pilgrimage Religion in a World of
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAn impressive overview of the state of the field of pilgrimage studies. Coleman does an excellent job of putting scholars in context and in dialogue with each other, from anthropologists Victor and Edith Turner to cultural studies scholar Stuart Hall. Coleman presents a complex view of pilgrimage that opens up new possibilities for study and analysis. . . . This book will be an invaluable resource for scholars of ritual, pilgrimage, religion, geography, politics, and beyond. -- Sarah Pike, California State University, ChicoA lucid, wide-reaching, and brilliant book that provides us with a valuable new theoretical lexicon and framework for exploring human pilgrimage. Coleman’s attention to mobilities, context at multiple scales, emergence, uncertainties, and ambiguities further illustrates the relevance of political economy and social justice for pilgrimage studies. This volume will have a major and lasting impact on Pilgrimage Studies and beyond. -- Sharon R. Roseman, co-editor of The Tourism Imaginary and Pilgrimages to the Edges of the WorldPowers of Pilgrimage is an important book for scholars of pilgrimage and religion, but also for scholars of culture, mobility, economy, and geography. The book provides an impressive overview and analysis of the field as well as an impassioned call to expand the field’s approaches and subjects. -- Melissa Coles * The Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism *Coleman’s book is an extremely worthwhile read, bound to leave its mark on the anthropology of religion and beyond.It successfully sets an agenda of interest to anyone, or any discipline engaged in the study of religion. -- Maja Balle and Bjorn Thomassen * Social Sciences and Missions *
£69.70
Fordham University Press No Religion is an Island The Nostra Aetate
Book SynopsisThese dialogues began in 1993 as an outgrowth of a 1990 conference on Catholic-Jewish relations that commemorated the 25th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Vatican II document encouraging dialogue between the Catholic church and non-Christian religions.Trade Review"These dialogues are models of how such exchanges should be done: respectful, scholarly, honest, and genuinely enlightening." -Commonweal
£27.90
ME - Fordham University Press The Symbolic Imagination Coleridge and the
Book Synopsis"An excellent consideration of the religious dimension of symbol in Coleridge's thought and its relation to English Romanticism."-Library JournalTrade Review"This study is an excellent consideration of the religious dimension of symbol in Coleridge's thought and its relation to English Romanticism." -Library Journal "Barth's book is an important one." -America
£66.60
Fordham University Press The Symbolic Imagination Coleridge and the
Book Synopsis"An excellent consideration of the religious dimension of symbol in Coleridge's thought and its relation to English Romanticism."-Library JournalTrade Review"This study is an excellent consideration of the religious dimension of symbol in Coleridge's thought and its relation to English Romanticism." -Library Journal "Barth's book is an important one." -America
£27.90
Fordham University Press Reinterpreting Rahner A Critical Study of His
Book SynopsisProbably no theologian has exercised so profound an influence on Catholic theology during the last half century as Karl Rahner. This book examines the structure of dialectical analogy as it appears in each of the major themes of Rahner's theology-as an indispensable key to the correct interpretation of his thought.Trade Review"The technical competance of Burke's scholarship is exemplary." -Scottish Journal of Theology "...each chapter of Burke's book is a tour de force..." -The Thomist "Turns a new page in Rahnerian studies, showing the middle way between adoring disciples and carping critics. ... With its complete mastery of the original sources and wide knowledge of secondary literature Burke's book deserves to be read by all who appreciate Rahner and even by those who criticize him." -- -John J. McDermott Pontifical College Josephinum
£27.90
Fordham University Press Beyond Violence
Book SynopsisIn an age when so much violence is committed in the name of religion, how can religion become a vehicle for peace? A historic conference focused on the transformative powers of Christianity, Islam and Judaism to provide new beginnings for people of faith committed to the restoration of peace.Trade Review"...calls for religious people to have the courage to choose peace." -American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences "...Contains the major papers given at an international conference held at the University of Southern California..." -Theology Digest
£23.39
Fordham University Press Political Theologies
Book SynopsisWhat has happened to religion in its present manifestations? Containing contributions from distinguished scholars from disciplines, such as: philosophy, political theory, anthropology, classics, and religious studies, this book seeks to address this question.Trade Review"If the idea of political theology seemed anachronistic to many liberal thinkers in the twentieth century, in the twenty-first century-and especially since September 11-it has become urgent and unavoidable, essential for making sense of our current global situation. Hent de Vries and Lawrence Sullivan's Political Theologies constitutes the single most important collection of essays to date on a topic that is at once classic and contemporary, foundational and aporetic. These essays approach the multiple intersections of the political and the theological in the ancient, modern, and 'post-secular' worlds as both positive, mutually reinforcing, and necessary relationships, and violent, contradictory, and even impossible encounters. De Vries's Introduction masterfully surveys the varieties of the political-theological conjunction and presents a powerful analysis of its immanent excesses and paradoxical reversals, its terrifying histories and its transformative, even redemptive potentiality." -- -Kenneth Reinhard University of California, Los Angeles "Political Theologies is an outstanding collection of creative essays on the cutting edge of political theology. The essays bring new and original perspectives that change the terrain and make this volume an indispensable benchmark for future discussions. It is a 'must read' and an invaluable resource for both religious and theological studies. Anyone interested in political theology will be rewarded by its rich diversity. I highly recommend it." -- -Francis Schussler Fiorenza Stillman Professor, Harvard Divinity School " ... Smart and eclectic ..." -Journal of Church and State "This splendid volume will be essential reading for anyone who wants to explore the whole terrain of contemporary 'political theologies' through which this question is addressed." -Faith and Theology "This volume makes a vital contribution to an academy increasingly focused on questions emerging from the interstices of political theory, philosophy, and the study of religion, and to a broader world struggling to understand and adapt to the changes that have come with globalization and revitalized religion. Each essay is grounded in first-rate scholarship, but none of them plays it safe. Whether offering incisive theoretical reflections on political theology or proposing startling analyses of the French veiling controversy, these essays will change the way we think about religion in a post-secular world." -- -Tyler Roberts Grinnell College "A major lankmark in interdisciplinary studies of religion's function in the public sphere, Political Theologies in now the standard reference in this field that dates back to the second century B.C. but has returned with special urgency in the past decade." -Christianity and Literature "There is no more important topic today than the role of religion in public life. It is vital in both peace and war, debate and consensus, democracy and repression, nationalism and transnational humanitarian action. For anyone wishing to survey the range of theoretical perspectives on this theme, this collection by Hent de Vries and Lawrence Sullivan is indispensable. It offers the single best assemblage of sources for understanding not only political theologies, but issues of pluralism, secularism, and contending ideas of the human that they raise." -- -Craig Calhoun Social Science Research Council "The wholly unanticipated reemergence of religion into the realm of politics and public policy, which is happening all over the world, is puzzling and worrisome to some people. Many explanations for this surprising development have been advanced, none fully satisfactory. Now this volume brings together some of the keenest and best-informed analysis yet available, from a variety of disciplines and perspectives. It sets a new gold standard for future attempts to understand the growing role of religion in the twenty-first century." -- -Harvey Cox Hollis Professor of Divinity, Harvard University "This book...will become increasingly important for the future of pentecostal studies." -- -Amos Yong Pneuma
£85.50
Fordham University Press Things
Book SynopsisAddressing the relation between religion and things, which has long been conceived in antagonistic terms, the guiding idea of this volume is that religion necessarily requires some kind of incarnation. Exploring the role and place of sacred artifacts, images, bodily fluids, sites and technologies in different locations and religious traditions, this volume re-materializes the study of religion.Trade Review"Things gathers up a series of lively and provocative essays. Challenging received understandings of religion as primarily about beliefs (in spiritual beings) as historically derived and impossible to sustain, it draws attention to the centrality of the material in religious practices and debates about the world. This volume deserves a place on the shelf of anyone interested in either religion or materiality-or both." -- -Margaret Weiner University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "Things is an essential archive for the study of religious materiality and the material study of religion." -- -David Chidester author of Wild Religion: Tracking the Sacred in South Africa "A highly spirited and robust materialization of a significant trend in the study of religion. The articles in this remarkably coherent collection speak back to iconoclasm and the ideal or ideology of immateriality as found explicitly in certain practitioners of religion and implicitly in its scholarship. They illustrate the various ways in which material objects function as signs, powers, and mediations, and examine as well the intellectual debates and theological disputations about their functions and effects to which things inevitably give rise." -- -Michael Lambek author of The Weight of the Past "... this volume is an invaluable contribution to religious and material culture studies, broadening the scope of both fields by introducing new questions in old contexts, and investing agency in people and spirit in things." -- -Gabrielle A. Berlinger -Museum Anthropology Review
£31.50
Fordham University Press Beyond the Mushroom Cloud Commemoration Religion
Book SynopsisExplores the ethics and religious sensibilities of a group of the hibakusha (survivors) of 1945's atomic bombings. This title offers resources to reconcile contested issues of public memories in our contemporary world, especially in the post 9-11 era.Trade Review"This imaginative and deeply thoughtful book explores a rarely asked question: How does being victimized challenge individuals ethically? Miyamoto explores the ethical and religious resources that Japanese atomic-bomb victims (hibakusha) have deployed to make sense of their experiences and guide their efforts to live good lives after surviving such a shattering event." -- -Laura Hein Northwestern University "Religious studies professor Miyamoto presents a thoughtful, scholarly examination of how the Japanese people remember and memorialize the terrible loss of human life in the atomic bombings of August 1945 and addresses the question of how the horror of the atom bomb should be remembered." -Choice "An extremely important exploration of modern Japan and the role of postwar Japanese thought and religiosity seen in a global setting." -- -Steven Heine Director of the Institute for Asian Studies, Florida International University "This book promises to generate substantive conversations about how to formulate genuinely self-critical ethical dispositions that remember Japan's horrific past as a means of moving beyond conflicts in the present, and its expansive reach across regional and disciplinary boundaries serves as a model for imaginative research." -- -Levi McLaughlin Journal of Japanese Studies "...a thoughtful and scholarly examination of how the Japanese populace remembers and memorializes the loss of so many of its citizens from the 1945 bombings at the close of World War II." -Midwest Book Review
£66.60
Fordham University Press Beyond the Mushroom Cloud Commemoration Religion
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This imaginative and deeply thoughtful book explores a rarely asked question: How does being victimized challenge individuals ethically? Miyamoto explores the ethical and religious resources that Japanese atomic-bomb victims (hibakusha) have deployed to make sense of their experiences and guide their efforts to live good lives after surviving such a shattering event." -- -Laura Hein Northwestern University "Religious studies professor Miyamoto presents a thoughtful, scholarly examination of how the Japanese people remember and memorialize the terrible loss of human life in the atomic bombings of August 1945 and addresses the question of how the horror of the atom bomb should be remembered." -Choice "An extremely important exploration of modern Japan and the role of postwar Japanese thought and religiosity seen in a global setting." -- -Steven Heine Director of the Institute for Asian Studies, Florida International University "This book promises to generate substantive conversations about how to formulate genuinely self-critical ethical dispositions that remember Japan's horrific past as a means of moving beyond conflicts in the present, and its expansive reach across regional and disciplinary boundaries serves as a model for imaginative research." -- -Levi McLaughlin Journal of Japanese Studies "...a thoughtful and scholarly examination of how the Japanese populace remembers and memorializes the loss of so many of its citizens from the 1945 bombings at the close of World War II." -Midwest Book Review
£27.90
Fordham University Press Common Goods
Book SynopsisIn the face of globalized ecological and economic crisis, what role does political theology play in formulating the shared good and the sharing of goods? This remarkable collection of essays by philosophers, theologians and religion scholars together rethinks the common, experimentally assembling a transdisciplinary political theology of the earth.Trade Review"This book marks a watershed moment that effectively redefines the parameters of political theology by expanding and pluralizing it, and it expresses the vibrancy of a pluralist spirituality by infusing it with a process and liberationist sensibility."-Jeffrey W. Robbins, Lebanon Valley College "Faced with the neoliberal enclosure and privatization of nearly everything, this collection convokes an array of theists, pantheists, nontheists, and post-theists to theorize the multiplicity of both 'the common' and 'the good.' ... Common Goods provides us with readable, teachable, timely, plugged-in, politically compelling, and intellectually generous theological and para-theological work."-Mary-Jane Rubenstein, Wesleyan UniversityTable of Contents1. Editors' Introduction Section One: Planetary Political Theology 2. William E. Connolly, "Process Philosophy and Planetary Politics" 3. John Thatamanil, "How Not to be a Religion: Genealogy, Identity, Wonder" 4. Clayton Crockett, "Non-Theology and Political Ecology: Post-Secularism, Repetition, and Insurrection" 5. Kathryn Tanner, "The Ambiguities of Transcendence" 6. Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre, "Dreaming the Common Good/s: The Kin-dom of God as a Space of Utopian Politics" 7. Dhawn Martin, "A Cosmopolitical Theology: Engaging 'The Political' as an Incarnational Field of Emergence" Section Two: Economies and Ecologies of (Un)Common Good/s 8. Jeorg Rieger, "Reconfiguring the Common Good and Religion in the Context of Capitalism: Abrahamic Alternatives" 9. Gary Dorrien, "Christian Socialism and the Future of Economic Democracy" 10. Charon Hribar, "The Myth of the Middle: Common Sense, Good Sense, and Rethinking the 'Common Good' in Contemporary U.S. Society" 11. Nimi Wariboko, "Elements of Tradition, Protest, and New Creation in Monetary Systems: A Political Theology of Market Miracles" 12. Elijah Prewitt-Davis, "The Corporation and the Common Good: The Politics of Recognition After the Death of God" 13. An Yountae, "Breaking from Within: The Dialectic of Labor and the Death of God" 14. Anatoli Ignatov, "Thoreau Goes to Ghana: On the Wild and the Tingane" 15. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, "Climate Debt, White Privilege, and Christian Ethics as Political Theology" Section Three: Common Flesh, Common Democracies 16. Paulina Ochoa Espejo, "Between a Rock and an Empty Place: Political Theology and Democratic Legitimacy" 17. Vincent Lloyd, "From the Theopaternal to the Theopolitical: On Barack Obama" 18. Elias Ortega-Aponte, "Democratic Futures In the Shadow of Mass-Incarceration: Towards A Political Theology of Prison Abolition" 19. Sharon Betcher, Rupturing the Concorporeal Commons: On the Psychocultural Symptom of 'Disability' as Life Resentment 20. Karen Bray, "The Common Good of the Flesh: An indecent invitation to William Connolly, Joerg Rieger, and Political Theology" 21. A. Paige Rawson, "A (Socioeconomic) Hermeneutics of Chayim: The Theo-Ethical Implications of Reading with Wisdom" Index of Key Thinkers and Terms
£92.70
Fordham University Press How to Do Comparative Theology
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Clooney and von Stosch have produced a truly excellent collection of papers in comparative theology. They and a few others with papers in this volume are seasoned, senior scholars. The volume is remarkable, however, for introducing the work of mid-career and very new scholars. Some of the papers do actual comparisons and some apply comparative theology to practices of religious life. Among the most interesting are those dealing with methodological differences regarding comparative theology. They all defend the view that comparative theology is "faith seeking understanding," and they explore some of the very different ways this approach can be interpreted. This volume is a vital and distinctive contribution to the larger field of comparative theology." -- -Robert Cummings Neville Boston UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction: Francis X. Clooney, SJ, and Klaus von Stosch I Doing Comparative Theology — As Theology 1.Catherine Cornille: The Problem of Choice in Comparative Theology 2.Klaus von Stosch: Reflecting on Approaches to Jesus in the Qur’an from the Perspective of Comparative Theology 3.Aaron Langenfeld: The Moment of Truth: Comparative and Dogmatic Theology 4.Hugh Nicholson: Rhetorics of Theological One-Upsmanship in Christianity and Buddhism: Athanasius’ Polemic against the Arians and Vasubandhu’s Refutation of Pudgalavāda Buddhism 5.Axel Marc Takács: “An Interpreter and Not a Judge:” Insights into a Christian-Islamic Comparative Theology 6.Glenn Willis: Necessary Imperfection: Notes for the Cultured Despisers of Comparison II Comparative Theology Is What Comparative Theology Does 7.Michelle Voss-Roberts: Embodiment, Anthropology, and Comparison: Thinking-Feeling with Non-Dual Saivism 8.Marianne Moyaert: Comparative Theology after the Shoah: Risks, pivots and opportunities of Comparing traditions 9.Muna Tatari: Justice and Mercy: Using Comparative Insights for Developing Kalam 10.Francis X. Clooney, SJ: Difficult Remainders: Seeking Comparative Theology’s Really Difficult Other 11.Shoshana Razel: Sagi Nahor—Enough Light: Dialectic Tension Between Luminescent Resonance and Blind Assumption in Comparative Theology III Recognizing Comparative Theology by Its Fruits 12.Emma O’Donnell: Methodological Considerations on the Role of Experience in Comparative Theology 13.Brad Bannon: Incarnational Speech: Comparative Theology as Learning to Hear and Preach 14.Michael Barnes, SJ: Living Interreligiously: On the ‘pastoral style’ of Comparative Theology 15.Stephanie Corigliano: Theologizing for the Yoga Community? Commitment and Hybridity in Comparative Theology
£31.50
