Comparative religion Books

Book SynopsisThis book provides the first collection of Slavonic pseudepigrapha translated into a western European language. It includes the original texts, their translations, and commentaries focusing on the history of motifs and based on the study of parallel material in ancient and medieval Jewish and Christian literature.Trade ReviewAny scholarly work of high quality that makes primary sources available to a wider readership is welcome and praiseworthy. This fine publication brings attention to the once dynamic and widespread tradition of Slavonic pseudepigrapha and provides all the necessary tools for their further study. * Julia Verkholantsev, University of Pennsylvania, Speculum *[The authors] find parallels in the motives of the Slavic pseudepigrapha in unexpected places -- Old Irish, Scandanavian, medieval Latin, Arabic and Armenian mythology and texts as well as Zoroastrian sources -- indicating the extremely deep familiarity the authors have with their subject. At points, the authors also suggest an East Slavic origin for some of the pseudepigraphic texts. There is an impressive bibliography with books in more than ten languages and three indexes. * Illya Bey, Reading Religion *The material in these works can contribute significantly to a better understanding of the roots of postbiblical mysticism, rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity, ancient and medieval dualistic movements, as well as the beginnings of the Slavonic literary tradition. The volume provides a collection of the minor biblical pseudepigrapha preserved solely in Slavonic; at the same time, it is also the first collection of Slavonic pseudepigrapha translated into a western European language. It includes the original texts, their translations, and commentaries focusing on the history of motifs and based on the study of parallel material in ancient and medieval Jewish and Christian literature. * Studies in Religion *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Book SynopsisThis volume offers an in-depth study of key themes common to the Hindu and Christian religious traditions. It redefines how we think about Hinduism, comparative study, and Christian theology. This book offers a bold new look at how traditions encounter one another, and how good comparisons are to be made. Redefining theology as an interreligious, comparative, dialogical, and confessional practice open to all people, it invites not only Hindus and Christians, but also theologians from all religious traditions, to enter into conversation with one another.Trade ReviewIt is no longer acceptable for theologians to criticize other religions or to think their own religion superior unless and until they have engaged in true dialogue (which means learning the necessary languages and texts, etc.). Clooney's work thus argues for and exemplifies a new kind of multireligious theological conversation. * The Journal of Religion *Francis Clooney's Hindu God, Christian God * which embodies disciplined scholarship, a strong faith commitment that is tempered by deep devotion to reason, and radical openness to theological conversation across religious boundariesbrings a breath of theological fresh air.Journal of the American Academy of Religion *...a thought-provoking and deeply researched book that all Indologists, philosophers of religion, and Christian theologians will benefit from reading. * Philosophy East & West *This is a wonderfully conceived and well-written book. A model of an emerging theology which is interreligious, comparative, dialogical, and confessional at the same time. * Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection *Thinkers within one religious tradition hone their work through appreciation for and opposition to views of major predecessors in that tradition. Francis Clooney demonstrates that Christian faith genuinely seeking understanding can and must widen this circle of formative dialogue to include figures in other religions as models and critics. Even when they were not speaking to each other, the Hindu and Christian theologians Clooney matches have a great deal to say to each other, precisely because they share the medium of rational argument, argument for God and about God. They emerge as collaborators, yet undiminished in their distinct identities. No other book so powerfully presents comparative study as integral to the healthy internal life of a religious tradition. * S. Mark Heim, Andover Newton Theological Seminary *Distinguished by its admirably close attention to textual detail, Hindu God, Christian God is an exemplary contribution to comparative theology. It will be essential reading for courses in comparative theology. * Keith Ward, Oxford University "Francis X. Clooney's new book takes a major step forward in developing a lucid presentation and close analysis of reasoning about topics common to much theistic thought. Clooney exemplifies his own interpretation of theology as both the affirmation of a particular faith tradition, and the mutual understanding (and possible agreement) of theologians in very different traditions. The book's compelling climax urges both Christian and Hindu theologians to join him in conducting scholarly comparison as interreligious dialogue.John B. Carman, Harvard University, Emeritus *If there is to be inter-religious thological conversation at all reason must be its presupposition and mainstay. Francis Clooney has written the definitive work on this in the contect of the Hindu-Christian encounter. The book is therefore indispensable reading for any serious study on the topic. * Hindu-Christian Studies Bulletin *Francis Clooney's Hindu God, Christian God * which embodies disciplined scholarship, a strong faith commitment that is tempered by deep devotion to reason, and radical openness to theological conversation across religious boundariesbrings a breath of theological fresh air.... Clooney traverses the Hindu and Christian textual and theological terrains with equal ease, remarkable skill, keen sensitivity, and admirable sophistication. His command of the intricate nuances of both Hindu and Christian theologies impressively shines throughout the work.Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Francis Clooney's Hindu God, Christian God * which embodies disciplined scholarship, a strong faith commitment that is tempered by deep devotion to reason, and radical openness to theological conversation across religious boundariesbrings a breath of theological fresh air.... Clooney traverses the Hindu and Christian textual and theological terrains with equal ease, remarkable skill, keen sensitivity, and admirable sophistication. His command of the intricate nuances of both Hindu and Christian theologies impressively shines throughout the work.Journal of the American Academy of Religion *a thought-provoking and deeply researched book that all Indologists, philosophers of religion, and Christian theologians will benefit from reading. * Philosophy East & West *This is a wonderfully concieved and well-written book . A model of an emerging theology which is interreligious, comparative, dialogical, and confessional at the same time. * Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection *By virtue of its theological sophistication, it analytical strength, its breadth of vision for a broadened and renewed theology, and the sheer number of theologians studied, this landmark contribution is an indispensable resource for Hindu and Christian scholars and other theologians."-The Journal of the American Academy of ReligionDistinguished by its admirably close attention to textual detail, Hindu God, Christian God is an exemplary contribution to comparative theology. It will be essential reading for courses in comparative theology. * Keith Ward, Oxford University *Francis X. Clooney's new book takes a major step forward in developing a lucid presentation and close analysis of reasoning about topics common to much theistic thought. Clooney exemplifies his own interpretation of theology as both the affirmation of a particular faith tradition, and the mutual understanding (and possible agreement) of theologians in very different traditions. The book's compelling climax urges both Christian and Hindu theologians to join him in conducting scholarly comparison as interreligious dialogue. * John B. Carman, Harvard University, Emeritus *Thinkers within one religious tradition hone their work through appreciation for and opposition to views of major predecessors in that tradition. Francis Clooney demonstrates that Christian faith genuinely seeking understanding can and must widen this circle of formative dialogue to include figures in other religions as models and critics. Even when they were not speaking to each other, the Hindu and Christian theologians Clooney matches have a great deal to say to each other, precisely because they share the medium of rational argument, argument for God and about God. They emerge as collaborators, yet undiminished in their distinct identities. No other book so powerfully presents comparative study as integral to the healthy internal life of a religious tradition. * S. Mark Heim, Andover Newton Theological Seminary *It is no longer acceptable for theologians to criticize other religions or to think their own religion superior unless and until they have engaged in true dialogue (which means learning the necessary languages and texts, etc.). Clooney's work thus argues for and exemplifies a new kind of multireligious theological conversation. * The Journal of Religion *If there is to be inter-religious thological conversation at all reason must be its presupposition and mainstay. Francis Clooney has written the definitive work on this in the contect of the Hindu-Christian encounter. The book is therefore indispensable reading for any serious study on the topic. * Hindu-Christian Studies Bulletin *Table of Contents1. Widening the Theological Conversation in Today's Pluralistic Context 2. Arguing the Existence of God: From the World to Its Maker 3. Debating God's Identity 4. Making Sense of Divine Embodiment 5. How Revelation Matters in the Assessment of Religions 6. Faithful and Reasonable Theology in a Pluralistic World A Hindu Theologian's Response: A Prolegomenon to "Christian God, Hindu God" by Parimal G. Patil Appendix I: LIst of Theologians Appendix II: Note on the Translations and Pronunciations Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisJesus and Muhammad are two of the best known and revered figures in history, each with a billion or more global followers. Now, in this intriguing volume, F.E. Peters offers a clear and compelling analysis of the parallel lives of Jesus and Muhammad, the first such in-depth comparison in print. Like a detective, Peters compiles dossiers of what we do and do not know about the lives and portraits of these towering figures, drawing on the views of modern historians and the evidence of the Gospels and the Quran. With erudition and wit, the author nimbly leads the reader through drama and dogma to reveal surprising similarities between the two leaders and their messages. Each had a public career as a semi-successful preacher. Both encountered opposition that threatened their lives and those of their followers. Each left a body of teaching purported to be their very words, with an urgent imperative that all must become believers in the face of the approaching apocalypse. Both are symbols ofTrade Reviewanother remarkable book * Murad Wilfried Hofmann, Journal of Islamic Studies *Table of Contents1. Clearing the Ground 2. The Settings 3. Opening the Files 4. The Critic at Work 5. The Living Voice 6. The Message: Jesus in Galilee 7. The Message: Muhammad at Mecca 8. Tragedy and Triumph 9. A New Dawn: The Aftermath, The Legacy 10. Epilogue: Spreading the Word A Guide to Further Reading Notes Index

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Book SynopsisIn recent years scholars have begun to question the usefulness of the category of ''''religion'''' to describe a distinctive form of human experience and behavior. In his last book, The Ideology of Religious Studies (OUP 2000), Timothy Fitzgerald argued that ''''religion'''' was not a private area of human existence that could be separated from the public realm and that the study of religion as such was thus impossibility. In this new book he examines a wide range of English-language texts to show how religion became transformed from a very specific category indigenous to Christian culture into a universalist claim about human nature and society. These claims, he shows, are implied by and frequently explicit in theories and methods of comparative religion. But they are also tacitly reproduced throughout the humanities in the relatively indiscriminate use of ''''religion'''' as an a priori valid cross-cultural analytical concept, for example in historiography, sociology, and social anthTrade ReviewTimothy Fitzgerald is one of the most important scholars raising questions about the category of religion today, and in this essay he makes significant new contributions. He broadens the range of the discussion to include important but neglected categories that arose along with the category of religion, most notably the secular and the political, and he traces the emergence of this discourse in English-language texts dealing with travel and governance, showing that they emerge much later than is widely assumed. Anyone seriously interested in religion simply must take seriously Fitzgerald's central claim: it is wrong to think of religion as something that exists in and of itself, as an observable, objective domain essentially distinct from other domains such as politics and economics. * Gregory Alles, Professor of Religious Studies, McDaniel College and author of Religious Studies: A Global View *This important book continues Fitzgerald's investigations into the rhetorical uses and abuses of religion" and related terms. Here Fitzgerald leads us into close readings of primary texts from the early modern era, and shows that "religion" and "politics" and "economics" are not value-neutral descriptive categories, but modern inventions that serve the interests of a new kind of state and a new kind of market. With relentless logic, Fitzgerald cuts through the confusions, anachronisms, and nonsense that surround the modern use of these terms. In so doing, he helps us see that the way that Western social sciences have constructed the world is not inevitable, and that we need not see non-Western others through only one lens. This book will be of tremendous benefit not only to those in religious studies, but to political scientists, sociologists, and historians as well. * William T. Cavanaugh, Associate Professor of Theology, University of St. Thomas *In this perceptive study, Fitzgerald shows us just how the assumption that religion is essentially about personal belief becomes a crucial step in the construction of 'religion' as the name of a universal human experience. His emphasis is on changing configurations rather than binaries, which leads him to argue that in taking 'the religious' as the binary opposite of 'the secular' one is subscribing to an ideological enterprise. Discourse on Civility and Barbarity is an important contribution to the growing critical literature on the idea of Religion as an essentialized category. * Talal Asad, Author of Formations of the Secular *Table of ContentsNOTES; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

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Book SynopsisViolence has always played a part in the religious imagination, from symbols and myths to legendary battles, from colossal wars to the theater of terrorism. The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence surveys intersections between religion and violence throughout history and around the world. The forty original essays in this volume include overviews of major religious traditions, showing how violence is justified within the literary and theological foundations of the tradition, how it is used symbolically and in ritual practice, and how social acts of violence and warfare have been justified by religious ideas. The essays also examine patterns and themes relating to religious violence, such as sacrifice and martyrdom, which are explored in cross-disciplinary or regional analyses; and offer major analytic approaches, from literary to social scientific studies. The contributors to this volume---innovative thinkers who are forging new directions in theory and analysis related to religioTrade ReviewThe authors of the volume's forty essays, who represent many disciplines including religion, anthropology, sociology, and political science, among others, offer a variety of ways of construing and explaining that relationship in both tradition-specific and cross-cultural contexts. The volume is thus a good resource for teaching as well as for brief introductions to the history of religion and violence in multiple traditions and to theories of religion and violence from multiple disciplines. * Rosemary Kellison, Religious Studies Review *With The Oxford Handbook of Religion and Violence, editors Mark Juergensmeyer, Margo Kitts, and Michael Jerryson have released a timely collection that provides a welcome guide to the emerging field of studies in violence and religion. * Phil Rose, Journal of Contemporary Religion *Table of ContentsContributors ; Introduction: "The Enduring Relationship of Religion and Violence" - Mark Juergensmeyer, Margo Kitts, and Michael Jerryson ; Part I: Overview of Religious Traditions ; 1. Hindu: "Violence and Nonviolence at the Heart of Hindu Ethics" - Veena Das ; 2. Buddhist: "Buddhist Traditions and Violence" - Michael Jerryson ; 3. Sikh: "Sikh Traditions and Violence" - Cynthia Keppley Mahmood ; 4. Jewish: "Religion and Violence in the Jewish Traditions" - Ron Hassner and Gideon Aran ; 5. Christian:"Religion and Violence in Christian Traditions" - Lloyd Steffen ; 6. Islamic: "Muslim Engagement with Injustice and Violence"- Bruce Lawrence ; 7. African: "African Traditional Religion and Violence" - Nathalie Wlodarczyk ; 8. Pacific Island: "Religion and Violence in Pacific Island Societies" - Andrew Strathern and Pamela J. Stewart ; 9. Chinese: "Violence in Chinese Religious Traditions" - Meir Shahar ; Part II: Patterns and Themes ; 10. Evil: "The Religious Problem of Evil" - James Aho ; 11. Sacrifice: "Sacrifice/Human Sacrifice in Religious Traditions" - David Carrasco ; 12. Martyrdom: "Martyrdom in Islam" - David Cook ; 13. Self Mutilation: "Starvation and Self Mutilation in Religious Traditions" - Liz Wilson ; 14. Apocalypse: "Apocalyptic Religion and Violence" - Jamel Velji ; 15. Sacred War: "Cosmic War in Religious Traditions" - Reza Aslan ; 16. Genocide: "Genocide and the Religious Imaginary in Rwanda" - Christopher Taylor ; 17. Terrorism: "Terrorism as Performance Violence" - Mark Juergensmeyer ; 18. Torture: "Christianity and Torture" - Karen King ; 19. Just War: "Just War and Legal Restraints" - John Kelsay ; 20. Abortion: "Religiously Motivated Violence in the Abortion Debate" - Julie Ingersoll ; 21. Contested Sites: "Conflicts over Sacred Ground" - Ron E. Hassner ; 22. Political Violence: "Religion and Political Violence" - Monica Toft ; 23. Death Rituals: "Rituals of Death and Remembrance" - Susumu Shimazono and Margo Kitts ; 24. Violent Death: "Violent Death in Religious Imagination" - Margo Kitts ; Part III: Analytic Approaches ; 25. Sociology: "Religion and Violence from a Sociological Perspective" - John R. Hall ; 26. Anthropology: "Religion and Violence from an Anthropological Perspective" - Pamela J. Stewart and Andrew Strathern ; 27. Psychology: "Religion and Violence from a Psychological Perspective" - James W. Jones ; 28. Political Science: "Religion and Violence from a Political Science Perspective"- Daniel Philpott ; 29. Literary Theory: "Religion and Violence from Literary Perspectives" - Margo Kitts ; 30. Theology: "Religion and Violence from Christian Perspectives" - Charles Kimball ; Part IV: New Directions ; 31 Sacrifice: "Sacrificial Violence: A Problem in Ancient Religions" - Walter Burkert ; 32. Cities: "Cities as One Site for Religion and Violence" - Saskia Sassen ; 33. Armageddon: "Armageddonin Christian, Sunni and Shi'a Traditions" - Michael Sells ; 34. Phenomenal Violence: "Phenomenal Violence and the Philosophy of Religion" - Hent de Vries ; 35. Constructions of Evil : "The Construction of Evil and the Violence of Purification" - David Frankfurter ; 36. Mimetic Theory: "Mimetic Theories of Religion and Violence" - Wolfgang Palaver ; 37. Scarcity: "Religion and Scarcity: A New Theory for the Role of Religion in Violence" - Hector Avalos ; 38. Evolutionary Theory: "Ritual, Religion, and Violence: An Evolutionary Perspective" - Candance S. Alcorta and Richard Sosis ; 39. Rites of Terror: "Divergent Modes of Religiosity and Armed Struggle" - Harvey Whitehouse, with Brian McQuinn ; 40. Sociotheology: "A Sociotheological Approach to Understanding Religious Violence" - Mark Juergensmeyer and Mona Sheik ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe Vatican II Council of 1965 signaled a new era in the relationship of the Jewish and Christian faiths. Determined to free the Church of the anti-Jewish polemic which led to such widespread suffering of the innocent, Catholic authorities completely revised their conceptions of Jews and Judaism. Soon, many mainstream Protestant churches also issued a series of official statements that affirm the eternal nature of God''s ancient covenant with Israel. An entirely new category of theology emerged as part of the developing Jewish-Christian dialogue, and gradually Jewish theologians began to respond. Opening the Covenant represents a significant advance in Jewish thinking about Christianity. Michael Kogan delves deep into the theologies of the two faiths to locate precise points of difference and convergence. He sees Christianity as the breaking open of the original Covenant to include Gentile peoples. God has brought this about, says Kogan, through the work of Jesus and his interpreters.Trade ReviewIn Opening the Covenant, Michael Kogan faces the people, confronts them with a theological challenge in an honest and upright way, and does it with a purity of language, as the tradition demands. * Rabbi David Lincoln, Park Avenue Synagogue *Michael Kogan's book, Opening the Covenant: A Jewish Theology of Christianity, is a major contribution toward a thoughtful understanding of what Christianity might mean for us as Jews. The product of his extensive experience in talking with Christians about faith, his philosophical training, and his deep knowledge of Jewish thought, this book maps out some critically important features of Jewish belief that can help Jews be fully committed to Judaism and, as a result of those convictions (and definitely not in spite of them) come to understand Christians as people of a different but an intelligent and sincere faith. Indeed, only in comparison to such a conception of Christianity can Jews understand the values and concepts that their own tradition affirms. * Rabbi Elliot Dorff, American Jewish University *Michael Kogan does what Jews must do if they are to engage in a true dialogue with Christianity, namely, take Christianity seriously as an object of God's communication and affection. Dialogue is mutuality. Until now, one could claim that the Jewish-Christian conversation was only a prolegomenon to dialogue. Now it enters into an authentic dialogue. * Leonard Swidler, Professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue, Temple University *Are Jews anonymous Christians? Are Christians anonymous Jews, co-witnesses of the God of Israel among the Gentiles? With an intimate knowledge of both of these communities, Michael Kogan answers Yes and No to both ideas. He represents these two religions as standing on the edge of grasping the implications of encountering the absolute and incomprehensible Holy Mystery revealed to each. Each community has been addressed by, has responded to, and thus is constituted by the same faithful presence, or Word, or love of God. This book cuts through the phony complexity of theological mystification and opens up the exhilarating simplicity of the choice offered to each community: to recognize the other as kin, to appreciate the intimate partnership of responding to the transcendent God of power and love, and to witness together to the values of God's kingdom in this world. This is essential reading for all Jews and Christians. * Roger Haight, S. J., Union Theological Seminary *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Defining Our Terms ; 2. The Question of the Messiah ; 3. Three Jewish Theologians of Christianity ; 4. Affirming the Other's Theology: How Far Can Jews and Christians go? ; 5. The Forty Years' Peace: Christian Churches Reevaluate Judaism ; 6. Engaging Two Contemporary Theologians of the Dialogue ; 7. Into Another Intensity: Christian-Jewish Dialogue Moves Forward ; 8. Truth and Fact in Religious Narrative ; 9. Bringing the Dialogue Home ; 10. Does Politics Trump Theology? The Israeli-Palestinean Dispute Invades the Jewish-Christian Dialogue ; 11. Toward a Pluralist Theology of Judaism ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisCarrying only basic camping equipment and a collection of the world''s great spiritual writings, Belden C. Lane embarks on solitary spiritual treks through the Ozarks and across the American Southwest. For companions, he has only such teachers as Rumi, John of the Cross, Hildegard of Bingen, Dag Hammarskjöld, and Thomas Merton, and as he walks, he engages their writings with the natural wonders he encounters--Bell Mountain Wilderness with Søren Kierkegaard, Moonshine Hollow with Thich Nhat Hanh--demonstrating how being alone in the wild opens a rare view onto one''s interior landscape, and how the saints'' writings reveal the divine in nature. The discipline of backpacking, Lane shows, is a metaphor for a spiritual journey. Just as the trail offered revelations to the early Desert Christians, backpacking hones crucial spiritual skills: paying attention, traveling light, practicing silence, and exercising wonder. Lane engages the practice not only with a wide range of spiritual writings--Celtic, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, and Sufi Muslim--but with the fascination of other lovers of the backcountry, from John Muir and Ed Abbey to Bill Plotkin and Cheryl Strayed. In this intimate and down-to-earth narrative, backpacking is shown to be a spiritual practice that allows the discovery of God amidst the beauty and unexpected terrors of nature. Adoration, Lane suggests, is the most appropriate human response to what we cannot explain, but have nonetheless learned to love. Backpacking with the Saints is an enchanting exploration of how solitude, simplicity, and mindfulness are illuminated and encouraged by the discipline of backcountry wandering, and of how the wilderness itself becomes a way of knowing--an ecology of the soul.Trade ReviewIf you are feeling brave, if you are in need of something radically new, if your search for God sometimes feels halfhearted, you should read Belden Lane. If possible, try reading it outside Lane describes, better than anyone, how it is landscape (more than language) that really changes us. * Methodist Recorder, Tim Baker *This remarkable book is an invitation to take both an inner and an outer journey into intensity and immensity at the same time. * Network Review, David Lorimer *get out there and find a bit of wilderness for yourself * Northern Echo, Steve Craggs *Belden C. Lane has written a lovely book that seamlessly brings together two rich genres: travel narrative and spiritual memoir. The notion of a spiritual journey, of course, is central to almost every religious tradition, but the author enlivens that tradition as he shares personal and heartfelt stories about his own peregrinations and muses on topics as varied as solitude, ecology, backpacking, beauty, and prayer; and on people as varied as St. Therese of Lisieux, Dag Hammarskjold, John Muir, and Bruce Springsteen. A thoroughly delightful book. * James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage *If the earlier centuries of Christianity had been as honest, emotionally descriptive, and spiritually helpful as Belden Lane is here, we would have a very different notion of religion today. Such wisdom as this will literally 'save the soul' of many a spiritual seeker. * Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Founder, Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico *The only problem with this remarkable book is that it cannot be read rightly from a comfortable chair. As Lane and the rest of the saints in these pages insist, what the soul most needs is not found in safe places but in wild ones, where the dangers are as real as the courage they call forth. So find a high rock, a far hill, or a patch of desert that scares you a little and let this book persuade you that you are exactly where you need to be. * Barbara Brown Taylor, author of Learning to Walk in the Dark *The carefully balanced writing about landscape, physical demands, spiritual awakening and literary companionship allows the reader to see, feel, and join in the meditation. * Booklist *Lane's work blends genres, combining the literature of the outdoors with the formal literature of the spiritual as he reviews the work of the world's prominent religious and spiritual writers and ties their insights to the features and experiences of exploring the natural world. * Publishers Weekly *Table of ContentsTable of Contents ; Prologue ; Part I: The Power of Wilderness and the Reading of Dangerous Texts ; Chapter 1: The Allure of the Wild: Backpacking as Spiritual Practice ; Chapter 2: The Risk-Taking Character of Wilderness Reading ; Part II: The Pattern of Wilderness Spirituality ; First Leg: Departure (Leaving the Trailhead) ; Chapter 3: Venturing Out: The Irish Wilderness and Columba of Iona ; Chapter 4: Disillusionment: Laramie Peak and Therese of Lisieux ; Chapter 5: Desire: Rockpile Mountain Wilderness and Thomas Traherne ; Second Leg: Discipline (The Practice of the Wild) ; Chapter 6: Solitude: Bell Mountain Wilderness and Soren Kierkegaard ; Chapter 7: Traveling Light: Gunstock Hollow and Dag Hammarskjold ; Chapter 8: Mindfulness: Moonshine Hollow and Thich Nhat Hanh ; Third Leg: Descent (When the Trail Gets Rough) ; Chapter 9: Fear: The Maze in Canyonlands and John of the Cross ; Chapter 10: Failure: Mount Whitney and Martin Luther ; Chapter 11: Dying: Mudlick Mountain Trail and the Cloud Author ; Fourth Leg: Delight (Returning Home with Gifts) ; Chapter 12: Discernment: Taum Sauk Mountain and Jelaluddin Rumi ; Chapter 13: Community: Lower Rock Creek and Teilhard de Chardin ; Chapter 14: Justice: The Meramec River at Times Beach and Mohandas Gandhi ; Chapter 15: Holy Folly: Aravaipa Canyon and Thomas Merton ; Epilogue ; Appendix: The Meanings of Wilderness ; Notes ; Index

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Book SynopsisProvides a counterhistory of the academic study of religion, an alternative to standard accounts that have failed to link the field of comparative religion with either the power relations or the historical contingencies of the imperial project.Trade Review"Elegantly pairing key themes and authors in each section, Chidester's lucid and powerful book will be of central importance to specialists in African religions and history and the larger genealogy of religion as a modern category." (Hugh B. Urban, Ohio State University)"

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Book SynopsisHow is knowledge about religion and religions produced, and how is that knowledge authenticated and circulated? The author aims to answer these questions. He shows that race, rather than theology, was formative in the emerging study of religion in Europe and North America.Trade Review"Elegantly pairing key themes and authors in each section, Chidester's lucid and powerful book will be of central importance to specialists in African religions and history and the larger genealogy of religion as a modern category." (Hugh B. Urban, Ohio State University)"

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Book SynopsisAssembles a collection of essays that both illustrates and reveals the benefits of his methodology, making a case for a critical religious studies that starts with skepticism but is neither cynical nor crude. This book tackles many questions central to religious study.Trade Review"Bruce Lincoln is a rara avis. His combination of precise technical analysis of ancient religious texts, allied to a grand, comparative vision of religion in society, past and present, informs a reflection, at once anxious and radical, anchored in the predicament of our own times. This combination produces a humanistic approach, devoid of grandiloquence, and this strikingly original book will be of great importance to all students of ancient religions and to historians of religion in general." -Guy Stroumsa, University of Oxford"

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Book SynopsisAssembles a collection of essays that both illustrates and reveals the benefits of his methodology, making a case for a critical religious studies that starts with skepticism but is neither cynical nor crude. This book tackles many questions central to religious study.Trade Review"Bruce Lincoln is a rara avis. His combination of precise technical analysis of ancient religious texts, allied to a grand, comparative vision of religion in society, past and present, informs a reflection, at once anxious and radical, anchored in the predicament of our own times. This combination produces a humanistic approach, devoid of grandiloquence, and this strikingly original book will be of great importance to all students of ancient religions and to historians of religion in general." -Guy Stroumsa, University of Oxford"

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Book SynopsisThis third volume chronicling faith in 20th-century America, presents an account of American religious culture from the entry of the United States into World War II through the Eisenhower years. It addresses the role of religion in shaping the social and political life of mid-century America.

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Book SynopsisMasuzawa also explores the complex relation of world religions to Protestant theology, from the hierarchical ordering of religions typical of the Christian supremacists of the nineteenth century, to the aspirations of early twentieth-century theologian Ernst Troeltsch, who embraced the pluralist logic of world religions and.

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Book SynopsisNineteenth-century philologist and Biblical critic William Robertson Smith famously concluded that the sacred status of holy places derives not from their intrinsic nature, but from their social character. Building upon this insight, this work uses Islamic legal texts to analyze the rituals and objects associated with the sanctuary at Mecca.Trade Review"Mecca and Eden is absorbing from the first paragraph of the introduction to the final footnote in the concluding chapter. It is a completely original work of scholarship and an exceptionally good comparative study." - Richard D. Hecht, University of California, Santa Barbara"

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Book SynopsisNineteenth-century philologist and Biblical critic William Robertson Smith famously concluded that the sacred status of holy places derives not from their intrinsic nature, but from their social character. Building upon this insight, this work uses Islamic legal texts to analyze the rituals and objects associated with the sanctuary at Mecca.Trade Review"Mecca and Eden is absorbing from the first paragraph of the introduction to the final footnote in the concluding chapter. It is a completely original work of scholarship and an exceptionally good comparative study." - Richard D. Hecht, University of California, Santa Barbara"

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. The Hebrew Bible 2. Judaism 3. Christianity 4. Islam 5. Buddhism 6. Change and the Effective-Defensive Strategy 7. Seeing as a Whole: The Animal Perspective 8. The Problem of Oneness 9. Animal Rights: The Next Step in Human Moral Evolution Notes Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWallace is a master, guiding our inquiry into consciousness in exciting new directions. Shift Thought-provoking and at times insightful, this volume raises many interesting philosophical issues and presents many useful references. Choice Anyone interested in understanding more about the mind and consciousness would enjoy reading this book. -- Marcia Howton Inquiring MindTable of ContentsPreface Part I: Meditation: Where It Started and How It Got Here 1. Who Am I? 2. The Origins of Contemplation 3. The Scientific Externalization of Meditation 4. Scientific Studies of Meditation Part II: Meditation in Theory and Practice 5. Practice: Attending to the Breath of Life 6. Theory: Coming to Our Senses 7. Practice: The Union of Stillness and Motion 8. Theory: Knowing and Healing the Mind 9. Practice: Behold the Light of Consciousness 10. Theory: Exploring the Nature of Consciousness 11. Practice: Probing the Nature of the Observer 12. Theory: The Ground State of Consciousness 13. Practice: Oscillating Awareness 14. Theory: Consciousness Without Beginning or End 15. Practice: Resting in the Stillness of Awareness 16. Theory: Worlds of Skepticism 17. Practice: The Emptiness of Mind 18. Theory: The Participatory Worlds of Buddhism 19. Practice: The Emptiness of Matter 20. Theory: The Participatory Worlds of Philosophy and Science 21. Practice: Resting in Timeless Consciousness 22. Theory: The Luminous Space of Pristine Awareness 23. Practice: Meditation in Action 24. The Universe as a Whole 25. What Shall We Become? Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Part 1. The Enlightenment Revisited: Theoretical Questions 1. Religion, the Enlightenment. and the New Global Order, by John M. Owen IV and J. Judd Owen 2. Religious Violence or Religious Pluralism: The Essential Choice, by William A. Galston 3. Religion, Enlightenment, and a Common Good, by Jean Bethke Elshtain 4. How and Why the West Has Lost Confidence in Its Foundational Political Principles, by Thomas L. Pangle Part 2. The Enlightenment, Secularity, and the Religions 5. The Enlightenment Project, Spinoza, and the Jews, by David Novak 6. Puritan Sources of Enlightenment Liberty, by John Witte Jr. 7. India: The Politics of Religious Reform and Conflict, by Pratap Bhanu Mehta 8. Reason and Revelation in Islamic Political Ethics, by Abdulaziz Sachedina 9. Islam, Constitutionalism, and Liberal Democracy, by Sohail H. Hashmi 10. The Identity of the Christian Democratic Movement and Theory of Democracy, by Roberto Papini 11. Concluding Thoughts, by John M. Owen IV and J. Judd Owen Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAn entertaining and highly accessible look at how myths reveal what is common to all humanity. Parabola A racy, enjoyable book... Wendy Doniger brings to her study a wealth of story and folklore from many different traditions, exploring creatively the enduring role of myth through time and across cultures. Theological Book Review A timely meditation on what comparative studies might mean... a cross-cultural comparison of different stories from different areas of the world, different tribes, different languages. London Review of Books A book that is particularly worthy of the attention of readers in religious studies beyond the history of religions. Since it is Wendy Doniger's most methodological book, The Implied Spider is important, not for its analysis of myths, but for the arguments that it makes in support of the comparative study of myths. Religious Studies Review By analyzing the political, theological, and psychological structures of the sacred stories of various cultures through time, from the Hebrew Bible to Star Trek, Doniger shows how myths create a shared interdisciplinary narrative of all human creatures... Ranging widely, she offers a detailed, scholarly account. Library Journal Sparkling with erudite and often entertaining intertextual references, The Implied Spider is an impressive web delicately constructed of deft analysis together with a sustained argument about the myth's ability to convey and conjure the theological and the political. With its challenges to literary theorists, historians, and ethnographers, it takes various bulls by their respective horns. It will doubtless delight and surely provoke readers, whatever their ilk. Church HistoryTable of ContentsPreface to the Updated Edition: Context and History Acknowledgments Introduction: Myth and Metaphor 1. Microscopes and Telescopes 2. Dark Cats, Barking Dogs, Chariots, and Knives 3. Implied Spiders and the Politics of Individualism 4. Micromyths, Macromyths, and Multivocality 5. Mother Goose and the Voices of Women 6. Textual Pluralism and Academic Pluralism Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisDigital and electronic technologies that act as extensions of our bodies and minds are changing how we live, think, act, and write. Some welcome these developments as bringing humans closer to unified consciousness and eternal life. Others worry that invasive globalized technologies threaten to destroy the self and the world. Whether feared or desired, these innovations provoke emotions that have long fueled the religious imagination, suggesting the presence of a latent spirituality in an era mistakenly deemed secular and posthuman. William Gaddis, Richard Powers, Mark Danielewski, and Don DeLillo are American authors who explore this phenomenon thoroughly in their work. Engaging the works of each in conversation, Mark C. Taylor discusses their sophisticated representations of new media, communications, information, and virtual technologies and their transformative effects on the self and society. He focuses on Gaddis's The Recognitions, Powers's Plowing the Dark, Danielewski's House Trade ReviewThis book exemplifies what an entire area within religious studies-'religion and literature'-should be yet has never quite become: a genuinely interdisciplinary, existentially attuned, and constructively ambitious enterprise engaged with our most timely social and cultural questions. -- Thomas Carlson, University of California, Santa Barbara Provocative, engaging, significant... -- N. Katherine Hayles Los Angeles Review of Books Rewiring the Real is a collection of wide-ranging and incisive conversations about contemporary fiction and useful... primer to Taylor's thought... Taylor is a gifted explainer with a remarkably direct and personable style... College LiteratureTable of ContentsList of Illustrations neXus 1. Counterfeiting Counterfeit Religion: William Gaddis, The Recognitions 2. Mosaics: Richard Powers, Plowing the Dark 3. Figuring Nothing: Mark Danielewski, House of Leaves 4. "Holy Shit!": Don DeLillo, Underworld 5. Concluding Unscientific Postscript: Two Styles of the Philosophy of Religion Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisJews and the American Religious Landscape explores major complementary facets of American Judaism and Jewish life through a comprehensive analysis of contemporary demographic and sociological data. The volume adds empirical value to questions concerning the strengths of Jews as a religious and cultural group in America.Trade ReviewRebhun has produced a pioneering study that provides an in-depth comparative analysis of the sociopolitical and religious patterns of America's Jews and is a major contribution to our understanding of the place of Jews in America's religious landscape. -- Chaim I. Waxman, Rutgers University and the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, author of American Aliya: Portrait of an Innovative Migration Movement Jews and the American Religious Landscape is an ambitious study of American Judaism in relation to the other religious traditions currently developing within the United States. It identifies American Judaism in terms of social class composition, demographic dynamics, educational attainment, religious versus ethnic adherence, native-born versus immigrant composition, religious practices, and voter choice in U.S. presidential elections. Rebhun's effort is masterful, and readers will both enjoy the work and be enlightened by its unique ability to combine structural analysis with cultural analysis. This book will be regarded as a landmark study of religion and politics in the United States. -- Thomas A. Hirschl, Cornell University, coauthor or Chasing the American Dream: Understanding What Shapes Our Fortunes Uzi Rebhun's elegant comparative study of Jews and the American Religious Landscape deftly situates American Jews in multiple, overlapping contexts that yield fascinating results. Whether he is examining demography, religiosity, politics, or education, Rebhun's multivariate analysis disrupts accepted wisdom and points to the enormous value of comparison when trying to understand American Jews. -- Deborah Dash Moore, author of Urban Origins of American Jews Highly recommended. ChoiceTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: Religion in America 1. Population Size and Dynamics 2. Spatial and Socioeconomic Stratification 3. Interfaith Marriage 4. Religious Identification 5. Political Orientation Epilogue: Jews and the American Religious Landscape Appendix A1. Religious Identificational Variables Used in Analysis Appendix A2. Loading of Questions on Religious Identification Factors: Principle Component Varimax Rotation Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisMichael Dumper explores the causes and consequences of contemporary conflicts in holy cities. He offers five case studies of important disputes, beginning with Jerusalem, often seen as the paradigmatic example of a holy city in conflict, and discussing Córdoba, Banaras, Lhasa, and George Town in Malaysia.Trade ReviewHighly original and fascinating empirical research, combined with theoretical depth, positions this book on high ground. Dumper adroitly and expertly examines the nexus between religion and urbanity in five holy cities in Israel/Palestine, Spain, India, China, and Malaysia. The book foregrounds the intersection of structural determinants and street-level phenomena as key to understanding whether dominance or tolerance takes hold in urban space. -- Scott Bollens, University of California, IrvinePower, Piety and People brings together both political insights into the key dynamics that comprise religious conflicts in cities and detailed studies of relevant cases across two continents. Dumper examines the patterns of urban conflict that flow from the way key religious sites are used and how they are managed, financed, and protected. The result is a fascinating and informative analysis of the complexity and the intractability of religious conflicts which will inform those concerned with the growing challenges of an increasingly urbanized world. -- Lynn Meskell, author of A Future in Ruins: UNESCO, World Heritage, and the Dream of PeacePower, Piety, and People is a tour de force. Dumper explores the politics of contemporary “holy cities” through rich and thoughtful case studies of Jerusalem, the Mezquita of Cordoba, Banaras, Lhasa, and George Town. His analysis highlights the complex ways belief, institutions, politics, and economies can interact to support exclusionary claims of communal priority or encourage more pluralist and integrative urban societies. -- Rex Brynen, McGill UniversityTable of ContentsList of Figures, Maps, and TablesAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Jerusalem: Template of a Holy City in Conflict?2. The Politics of Regionalism: Cordoba’s Mezquita on the Frontline3. Hindu–Muslim Rivalries in Banaras: History and Myth as the Present4. A Very Secular Occupation: Buddhist Lhasa and Communism5. Branding Religious Coexistence: Malaysia’s George Town as a Model City of Harmony?6. Religious Conflicts in CitiesGlossaryNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisMichael Dumper explores the causes and consequences of contemporary conflicts in holy cities. He offers five case studies of important disputes, beginning with Jerusalem, often seen as the paradigmatic example of a holy city in conflict, and discussing Córdoba, Banaras, Lhasa, and George Town in Malaysia.Trade ReviewHighly original and fascinating empirical research, combined with theoretical depth, positions this book on high ground. Dumper adroitly and expertly examines the nexus between religion and urbanity in five holy cities in Israel/Palestine, Spain, India, China, and Malaysia. The book foregrounds the intersection of structural determinants and street-level phenomena as key to understanding whether dominance or tolerance takes hold in urban space. -- Scott Bollens, University of California, IrvinePower, Piety and People brings together both political insights into the key dynamics that comprise religious conflicts in cities and detailed studies of relevant cases across two continents. Dumper examines the patterns of urban conflict that flow from the way key religious sites are used and how they are managed, financed, and protected. The result is a fascinating and informative analysis of the complexity and the intractability of religious conflicts which will inform those concerned with the growing challenges of an increasingly urbanized world. -- Lynn Meskell, author of A Future in Ruins: UNESCO, World Heritage, and the Dream of PeacePower, Piety, and People is a tour de force. Dumper explores the politics of contemporary “holy cities” through rich and thoughtful case studies of Jerusalem, the Mezquita of Cordoba, Banaras, Lhasa, and George Town. His analysis highlights the complex ways belief, institutions, politics, and economies can interact to support exclusionary claims of communal priority or encourage more pluralist and integrative urban societies. -- Rex Brynen, McGill UniversityTable of ContentsList of Figures, Maps, and TablesAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Jerusalem: Template of a Holy City in Conflict?2. The Politics of Regionalism: Cordoba’s Mezquita on the Frontline3. Hindu–Muslim Rivalries in Banaras: History and Myth as the Present4. A Very Secular Occupation: Buddhist Lhasa and Communism5. Branding Religious Coexistence: Malaysia’s George Town as a Model City of Harmony?6. Religious Conflicts in CitiesGlossaryNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisA fascinating analysis of the evolution of religion from the internationally renowned evolutionary psychologistWhen did humans develop spiritual thought? What is religion''s evolutionary purpose? And in our increasingly secular world, why has it endured?Every society in the history of humanity has lived with religion. In How Religion Evolved, evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar tracks its origins back to what he terms the ''mystical stance'' - the aspect of human psychology that predisposes us to believe in a transcendent world, and which makes an encounter with the spiritual possible. As he explores world religions and their many derivatives, as well as religions of experience practised by hunter-gatherer societies since time immemorial, Dunbar argues that this instinct is not a peculiar human quirk, an aberration on our otherwise efficient evolutionary journey. Rather, religion confers an advantage: it can benefit our individual health anTrade ReviewStimulating and hugely ambitious... A compelling intellectual workout. Dunbar offers a powerful central argument, an excellent survey of alternative theories and a wide range of vivid and illuminating examples... The story he tells is important to us all -- Matthew Reisz * Observer *Dunbar's intellectual interests are far-ranging, and he is as sure-footed talking about human cognition as congregation sizes... How Religion Evolved is learned, readable and sweeping (in the best sense of that word)... Hard to argue with -- Nick Spencer * Financial Times *When one of the most creative, insightful, and versatile evolutionary thinkers of our time turns his scientific gaze toward religion, it is no surprise that he delivers a landmark book that completely reshapes our understanding of religious belief, experience, and practice. In How Religion Evolved, Dunbar not only raises fundamental questions that previous scholars of religion have ignored, he offers novel solutions in a comprehensive narrative that is as engaging as it is informative. A gifted scientist and writer has given anyone interested in religion a genuine gift -- Richard Sosis, James Barnett Professor of Humanistic Anthropology, University of ConnecticutA book with impressive intellectual sweep -- Clive Cookson * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisA provocative reexamination of the shared monotheistic views of Jews and Christians in New Testament timesTrade Review“Sheds new light on the date and reasons for the division between Jewish and Christian monotheism. . . . Recommended.”--Choice"An important corrective to the view that tends to interpret New Testament Christology in terms of Nicaea and later developments, thereby missing the Jewish intertextual and hermeneutical keys to interpreting many New Testament texts."--Review of Biblical Literature"Provocative and valuable."--Journal of Ecumenical Studies"A provocative challenge to the 'Early High Christology Club.'"--Journal for the Study of the New Testament"This work puts forward a compelling thesis, questioning the default assumption that what separated first-century Jews and Christians was the Christian elevation of Jesus of Nazareth to divine status as equal with YHWH. McGrath shows decisively that this was not so, arguing with clarity and force and engaging the relevant bodies of primary and secondary literature with precision. A significant and useful book."--Paul J. Griffiths, author of Lying: An Augustinian Theology of Duplicity"If anyone thinks that the concept and definition of 'monotheism' are clear-cut, they need to read this book. Similarly, if you think that the issue of 'early Christian monotheism' or the question of Jesus's status within or in relation to 'early Christian monotheism' (as maintained by the writers of the New Testament) can be neatly resolved in straightforward terms, then McGrath will enable you to make a more informed judgment, and hopefully to reach a more mature view."--James D. G. Dunn, author of Christology in the Making: A New Testament Inquiry Into the Origins of the Doctrine of the IncarnationTable of ContentsPreface vii 1. Monotheism and Method: An Introduction to the Study of Early Jewish and Christian Thought about God 1 2. Worship and the Question of Jewish Monotheism in the Greco-Roman Era 23 3. Monotheism and the Letters Attributed to Paul 38 4. Monotheism and the Gospel of John 55 5. Monotheism and Worship in the Book of Revelation 71 6. Two Powers Heresy: Rethinking (and Redating) the Parting of Ways between Jewish and Christian Monotheism 81 Conclusion 97 Notes 105 Bibliography 131 Index of Modern Authors 149 Index of Subjects 152 Index of Ancient Sources 154

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Ritual Soundings incorporates a remarkable range of diverse case studies that demonstrate Weiss's thorough scholarship and great knowledge surrounding women's performance practices within localized forms of major world religions." --Journal of Folklore Research Reviews"This study is a treasure trove of marriage-rituals that women perform within the context of the world religion they are affiliated to. It is a pleasure to savour the presentation of their variety." --Religion and Gender"As I read along, I found myself smiling and nodding at the text's cleverness and its validating evidence for women's agency in the performance of scandalous 'soundings' of protest and dissent. This is a fascinating, well-written, and extraordinarily well-research book."--Ellen Koskoff, author of A Feminist Ethnomusicology: Writings on Music and Gender"A fine book that synthesizes and analyzes a fascinating variety of case studies. She argues that comparative studies are ethically important because they enable us to see connections--how people in different contexts respond to situations in some interestingly similar ways--rather than focus on what divides us."--Lisa I. Knight, author of Contradictory Lives: Baul Women in India and Bangladesh

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“This is a landmark work that fills a desperate need for more serious attention to philosophy and theology in the Mormon tradition.”--Matthew Bowman, author of Christian: The Politics of a Word in AmericaTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction: Atonement in Latter-day Saint Scripture and Thought Part I. Scriptural and Historical Foundations Chapter 1. Atonement in the Old Testament: Implications for Latter-day Saints T. Benjamin Spackman Chapter 2. Latter-day Saints and the Atonement in the New Testament Eric D. Huntsman Chapter 3. “He Shall Find Satisfaction Through His Knowledge”: Atonement in Early Christianity and the Middle Ages Ariel Bybee Laughton Chapter 4. “Atonement” in the Book of Mormon Nicholas J. Frederick Chapter 5. Saving the House of Israel: Collective Atonement in the Book of Mormon Sharon J. Harris Chapter 6. “This Perfect Atonement”: Agency, Law, Theosis, and Atonement Theology J. B. Haws Chapter 7. “I have, to be sure, been called to drink deep of the bitter cup”: Nineteenth-Century Latter-day Saint Women and Atonement Jennifer Reeder Part II. Theological Explorations Chapter 8. “Notes on Life, Grace, and Atonement” Adam S. Miller Chapter 9. Atonement and Retributive Justice Fiona Givens Chapter 10. Relational Atonement: Groundwork Benjamin Keogh Chapter 11. One Prophet’s Vision of a Non-Violent Atonement: The Book of Mormon as Theological Resource Joseph M. Spencer Chapter 12. Enveloping Grace Deidre Nicole Green Bibliography Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisA provocative reexamination of the shared monotheistic views of Jews and Christians in New Testament timesTrade Review“Sheds new light on the date and reasons for the division between Jewish and Christian monotheism. . . . Recommended.”--Choice"An important corrective to the view that tends to interpret New Testament Christology in terms of Nicaea and later developments, thereby missing the Jewish intertextual and hermeneutical keys to interpreting many New Testament texts."--Review of Biblical Literature"Provocative and valuable."--Journal of Ecumenical Studies"A provocative challenge to the 'Early High Christology Club.'"--Journal for the Study of the New Testament"This work puts forward a compelling thesis, questioning the default assumption that what separated first-century Jews and Christians was the Christian elevation of Jesus of Nazareth to divine status as equal with YHWH. McGrath shows decisively that this was not so, arguing with clarity and force and engaging the relevant bodies of primary and secondary literature with precision. A significant and useful book."--Paul J. Griffiths, author of Lying: An Augustinian Theology of Duplicity"If anyone thinks that the concept and definition of 'monotheism' are clear-cut, they need to read this book. Similarly, if you think that the issue of 'early Christian monotheism' or the question of Jesus's status within or in relation to 'early Christian monotheism' (as maintained by the writers of the New Testament) can be neatly resolved in straightforward terms, then McGrath will enable you to make a more informed judgment, and hopefully to reach a more mature view."--James D. G. Dunn, author of Christology in the Making: A New Testament Inquiry Into the Origins of the Doctrine of the IncarnationTable of ContentsPreface vii 1. Monotheism and Method: An Introduction to the Study of Early Jewish and Christian Thought about God 1 2. Worship and the Question of Jewish Monotheism in the Greco-Roman Era 23 3. Monotheism and the Letters Attributed to Paul 38 4. Monotheism and the Gospel of John 55 5. Monotheism and Worship in the Book of Revelation 71 6. Two Powers Heresy: Rethinking (and Redating) the Parting of Ways between Jewish and Christian Monotheism 81 Conclusion 97 Notes 105 Bibliography 131 Index of Modern Authors 149 Index of Subjects 152 Index of Ancient Sources 154

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Book SynopsisReveals a spiritual middle way, an approach native to the long-standing traditions in which faith and doubt are interwoven in constructive and dynamic ways.Trade Review"A refreshing approach to the interplay between fundamentalism and atheism. . . . The author offers a convincing critique of the opposition of faith and doubt, but also provides a means by which they can engage one another in the hope of countering dogmatism. Recommended."--Choice"The detailed book demonstrates Yadlapati's scholarship in the field of religious studies and the philosophy of religion, but challenges the reader to follow a rigorous review of the aforementioned religious traditions, myths, and scholarship. . . . Exploring religious traditions in a post dogmatic form is successfully achieved in this masterful work."--Religious Studies Review"Accessibly written, with numerous, easily digested examples, this is the kind of book religious studies majors and seminarians long to bring home."--Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies"In a comparative theology across a number of religious traditions, Madhuri M. Yadlapati very lucidly sketches possible ways to think about faith and doubt. This book will appeal to general readers as well as students interested in religion and spirituality."--Susan Abraham, Harvard Divinity SchoolTable of ContentsIntroduction: Beyond Fundamentalism and Atheism 1 PART ONE. RE-EXAMINING FAITH IN ACTION One. Postures of Trust 15 Humility as the Door to Faith 17 Friedrich Schleiermacher: Religious Consciousness of Absolute Dependence 24 Hindu Puja: Belonging to a Protected World 29 Conclusion 33 Two. What Is Our Sacred Responsibility in the World? 35 Hindu Dharma 35 What Can Mere Humans Do in Narnia? 41 God's Caliph on Earth 46 Covenantal Responsibility, Partnership, and Struggle 51 Conclusion 63 PART TWO. THE CENTRALITY OF DOUBT Three. Christian Faith and the Protestant Principle 67 Soren Kierkagaard 68 Karl Barth 76 Paul Tillich 85 Conclusion 96 Four. Faith and Transcendence in Hindu Traditions 97 Mystical Experience and the Limits of Understanding in the Upanishads 100 Bhakti, Transcendence, and Freedom in the Bhagavad Gita 103 Maya: That Which Is Not 107 The Ambiguity of Hindu Theism: Shiva 112 Conclusion 118 PART THREE. RECONCILING WAYS OF FAITH AND DOUBT Five. Resisting the Reification of Religion 123 Humanist Criticisms of Religious Dogmatism 124 The Mystical Path of Unknowing or Unlearning 131 Buddhist Teachings on Emptiness 140 Conclusion 145 Six. Faith and Hope for the Twenty-First Century 147 Jurgen Moltmann on Eschatology 148 Raimon Panikkar's Pluralistic Theology 156 John Caputo's Postmodern Religion 162 Conclusion 170 Conclusion: Dwelling in Uncertainty 171 Notes 175 Index 197

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Book SynopsisNew approaches to a central area of Latter-day Saint belief The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christians have always shared a fundamental belief in the connection between personal salvation and the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While having faith in and experiencing the atonement of Christ remains a core tenet for Latter-day Saints, some thinkers have in recent decades reconsidered traditional understandings of atonement. Deidre Nicole Green and Eric D. Huntsman edit a collection that brings together multiple and diverse approaches to thinking about Latter-day Saint views on this foundational area of theology. The essayists draw on and go beyond a wide range of perspectives, classical atonement theories, and contemporary reformulations of atonement theory. The first section focuses on scriptural and historical foundations while the second concentrates on theological explorations. Together, the contributors evaluate what isTrade Review“This is a landmark work that fills a desperate need for more serious attention to philosophy and theology in the Mormon tradition.”--Matthew Bowman, author of Christian: The Politics of a Word in AmericaTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction: Atonement in Latter-day Saint Scripture and Thought Part I. Scriptural and Historical Foundations Chapter 1. Atonement in the Old Testament: Implications for Latter-day Saints T. Benjamin Spackman Chapter 2. Latter-day Saints and the Atonement in the New Testament Eric D. Huntsman Chapter 3. “He Shall Find Satisfaction Through His Knowledge”: Atonement in Early Christianity and the Middle Ages Ariel Bybee Laughton Chapter 4. “Atonement” in the Book of Mormon Nicholas J. Frederick Chapter 5. Saving the House of Israel: Collective Atonement in the Book of Mormon Sharon J. Harris Chapter 6. “This Perfect Atonement”: Agency, Law, Theosis, and Atonement Theology J. B. Haws Chapter 7. “I have, to be sure, been called to drink deep of the bitter cup”: Nineteenth-Century Latter-day Saint Women and Atonement Jennifer Reeder Part II. Theological Explorations Chapter 8. “Notes on Life, Grace, and Atonement” Adam S. Miller Chapter 9. Atonement and Retributive Justice Fiona Givens Chapter 10. Relational Atonement: Groundwork Benjamin Keogh Chapter 11. One Prophet’s Vision of a Non-Violent Atonement: The Book of Mormon as Theological Resource Joseph M. Spencer Chapter 12. Enveloping Grace Deidre Nicole Green Bibliography Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisThe state of Goa on India's southwest coast was once the capital of the Portuguese-Catholic empire in Asia. When Vasco Da Gama arrived in India in 1498, he mistook Hindus for Christians, but Jesuit missionaries soon declared war on the alleged idolatry of the Hindus. This study traces the history of Hindu-Catholic syncretism in Goa.Trade Review[A]n important, persuasive, and enduring work for its primary audience, as well as engaging reading for Christians and Hindus interested in learning from a painful moment of cultural encounter. * Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies *This is a passionate and honest book in its approach and contents. And it is worth reading for that very reason. Henn's account is at its best in the detailed anthropological and ethnographic descriptions of his chosen—and obviously much cherished—field: Goan village culture. * Journal of Jesuit Studies *[A] number of fine monographs have added further depth and nuance to questions of syncretism and hybridity . . . Alexander Henn's 'Hindu-Catholic Encounters in Goa' stands in this scholarly trajectory, and contributes significantly to it. March 2016 * Journal of Hindu Studies *Hindu-Catholic Encounters in Goa is a rich work in which the author shows the processes of religious interaction and development. The writing is clear and concise and would be great required reading for upper division undergraduate courses on religion that could easily range from courses on South Asia, Christianity, Hinduism, Religion and modernity, and a whole host of others. * newbooks.asia *[T]his is a refreshing and inspiring book, necessary to this ongoing debate on the Goan religious experience, and it should be read as a challenge and a complement to other recent literature that has the religious history of Goa as an object of analysis. * Studies in History *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Note on TransliterationIntroduction1. Vasco Da Gama's Error: Conquest and Plurality 2. Image Wars: Iconoclasm, Idolatry, and Survival3. Christian Puranas: Hermeneutic, Similarity, and Violence4. Ganv: Place, Genealogy, and Bodies 5. Demotic Ritual: Religion and Memory 6. Crossroads of Religions: Shrines and Urban Mobility Conclusion. Religion and religions: Syncretism ReconsideredNotesReferences Index

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Book SynopsisThe state of Goa on India's southwest coast was once the capital of the Portuguese-Catholic empire in Asia. When Vasco Da Gama arrived in India in 1498, he mistook Hindus for Christians, but Jesuit missionaries soon declared war on the alleged idolatry of the Hindus. This study traces the history of Hindu-Catholic syncretism in Goa.Trade Review[A]n important, persuasive, and enduring work for its primary audience, as well as engaging reading for Christians and Hindus interested in learning from a painful moment of cultural encounter. * Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies *This is a passionate and honest book in its approach and contents. And it is worth reading for that very reason. Henn's account is at its best in the detailed anthropological and ethnographic descriptions of his chosen—and obviously much cherished—field: Goan village culture. * Journal of Jesuit Studies *[A] number of fine monographs have added further depth and nuance to questions of syncretism and hybridity . . . Alexander Henn's 'Hindu-Catholic Encounters in Goa' stands in this scholarly trajectory, and contributes significantly to it. March 2016 * Journal of Hindu Studies *Hindu-Catholic Encounters in Goa is a rich work in which the author shows the processes of religious interaction and development. The writing is clear and concise and would be great required reading for upper division undergraduate courses on religion that could easily range from courses on South Asia, Christianity, Hinduism, Religion and modernity, and a whole host of others. * newbooks.asia *[T]his is a refreshing and inspiring book, necessary to this ongoing debate on the Goan religious experience, and it should be read as a challenge and a complement to other recent literature that has the religious history of Goa as an object of analysis. * Studies in History *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Note on TransliterationIntroduction1. Vasco Da Gama's Error: Conquest and Plurality 2. Image Wars: Iconoclasm, Idolatry, and Survival3. Christian Puranas: Hermeneutic, Similarity, and Violence4. Ganv: Place, Genealogy, and Bodies 5. Demotic Ritual: Religion and Memory 6. Crossroads of Religions: Shrines and Urban Mobility Conclusion. Religion and religions: Syncretism ReconsideredNotesReferences Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis monograph would be best for people grounded in anthropology, religion, and English history, but offers many insights to nonexperts. It would be a good addition to any university library. * Religion and Gender *Hausner's is an affectionate and sympathetic portrayal of the Crossbones ritualists, and it is excellent to see this tradition receiving scholarly attention * Reading Religion *Table of ContentsIntroduction Set And Setting1. The Myth of the Winchester Goose2. Medieval Bankside3. Shamanism and the Ritual Oscillation of Time4. The Virgin Queen and the English Nation5. Southwark, Then and NowConclusion Making the PresentEpilogue Crossbones Garden

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Book SynopsisA collection of essays exploring the many dimensions of the Yoruba deity Osun in Africa and the Americas. It presents an example of the resilience and renewed importance of traditional Yoruba images in negotiating spiritual experience, social identity, and political power in contemporary African and the African diaspora.Table of ContentsPreliminary Table of Contents:IllustrationsPrefaceOrthography1 Introduction:Joseph M. Murphy and Mei-Mei Sanford2 Hidden Power: Osun the Seventeenth OduRowland Abiodun3 A River of Many Turns: the Polysemy of Ochún in Afro-Cuban TraditionIsabel Castellanos4 Orisa Osun: Yoruba Sacred Kingship and Civil Religion in Osogbo, NigeriaJacob Olupona5 Nesta Cidade Todo Mundo E D'Oxum, In This City Everyone is Oxum'sIeda M. R. dos Santos6 Mãe MenininhaManuel Vega 7 Yéyé Cachita: Ochún in a Cuban MirrorJoseph M. Murphy8 Oshun Brass: An Insight into Yoruba Religious SymbologyC.O. Adepegba9 Overflowing with Beauty: Ochún Altars in Lucumi AestheticsYsamur Flores-Peña10 Authority and Discourse in the Orin Odún OsunDiedre Badejo11 The Bag of Wisdom: Osun and the Origins of Ifa Divination'Wande Abimbola12 Ochún in the Bronx George Brandon13 What Part of the River You're In: African American Women in Devotion to ÒsunRachel Elizabeth Harding14 Eerindinlogun: the Seeing Eyes of Sacred Shells and StonesDavid Ogungbile15 Mama Oxum: Reflections of Gender and Sexuality in Brazilian UmbandaLindsay Hale16 An Oxum Shelters Children in São PauloTânia Cypriano17 Living Water: Osun, Mami Wata, and Olokun in the Lives of Four Contemporary Nigerian Christian WomenMei-Mei Sanford18 Orchestration of the Waters and the Breeze: the Emblems of Oshun in Atlantic PerspectiveRobert Farris Thompson ContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisInvites reader to explore some beautiful and some horrible ideas related to religious and mystical thought. This book focuses on the doctrine of Hell and its justification, presenting arguments on both sides of the controversy.Table of ContentsPreliminary Table of Contents:PrefaceI Wherefore the Why'sII Through Dark CloudsIII Cosmic ConsciousnessIndex

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Book SynopsisSango - the Yoruba god of thunder and lightning - is a powerful, fearful deity who controls the forces of nature. This title explores Sango religious traditions in West Africa and beyond. It considers the spread of polytheistic religious traditions from West Africa, the mythic Sango, the historical Sango, and syncretic traditions of Sango worship.Trade Review[This] volume gives u a glimpse at how cultural identity is tied to religion in pervasive ways. Whether it be Nigeria, Cuba, Brazil, Trinidad, or the United States, belief in Orisha traditions deeply influences the contours of nationality, history, and place.43.1 2010 * Intnl Journal African Historical Studies *Because of the wide range of scholarship included in this volume it has great potential in many different venues, from undergraduate class- rooms and research projects to the work of graduate students to that of senior scholars. This book will be a welcome addition to both university libraries and the personal collection of anyone interested in either the Yoruba-based traditions highlighted or African-based traditions in general. * Nova Religio *For those who want to expand their knowledge of African religion, this is an important addition to a growing series of probing studies. Vol. 52, 2011 * The Journal of African History *The contributions demonstrate the breadth of variation and difference residing within this singular name, Sango, while elucidating the struggles and stakes faced by communities and individuals interacting and identifying with this deity.2010, Vol. 41 no. 1 * Research in African Literatures *Table of ContentsContentsAcknowledgments1. Introduction / Joel E. Tishken, Tóyìn Fálolá, and Akíntúndé AkínyemíPart 1. Defining Sàngó in West Africa 2. The Place of Sàngó in the Yorùbá Pantheon / Akíntúndé Akínyemí 3. The Practice and Worship of Sàngó in Contemporary Yorùbáland / Arìnpé Gbekelólú Adéjùmo 4. Sàngó's Eerìndínlógún Divinatory System / George Olúsolá Ajíbádé 5. Yorùbá Thunder Deities and Sovereignty: Ará versus Sàngó / Marc SchiltzPart 2. Representations of Sàngó in Oral and Written Popular Cultures 6. Sàngó and the Elements: Gender and Cultural Discourses / Diedre L. Bádéjo 7. Reconfiguration of Sàngó on the Screen / Dúrótoyè A. Adélékè 8. Art in the Service of Sàngó/ Stephen Folárànmí 9. The Ambivalent Representations of Sàngó in Yorùbá Literature / Akíntúndé AkínyemíPart 3. Sàngó in the African Diaspora 10. The Cultural Aesthetics of Sàngó Africanization / Kamari Maxine Clarke 11. Wither Sàngó? An Inquiry into Sàngó's "Authenticity" and Prominence in the Caribbean / Stephen D. Glazier 12. Xangô in Afro-Brazilian Religion: "Aristocracy" and "Syncretic" Interactions / Luis Nicolau Parés 13. The Literary Manifestation of Xangô in Brazil: Esmeralda Ribeiro's "A procura de uma borboleta preta" / Laura Edmunds 14. Drums of Sàngó: Bàtá Drum and the Symbolic Reestablishment of Oyo in Colonial Cuba, 1817-1867 / Henry B. LovejoyPart 4. The Voices of Sàngó Devotees 15. Sàngó beyond Male and Female / Olóyè Aìná Olomo 16. Searching for Thunder: A Conversation about Changó / Michael Atwood Mason and Ernesto PichardoList of ContributorsBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreliminary Table of Contents:Introduction: Defining the Terms of Analysis1. Knowledge and Power in Pre-Colonial Muslim Societies2. Médersas, French and Islamic3. Reform and Counter-Reform: The Politics of Muslim Schooling in the 1950s4. Discourses of Knowledge, Power, and Identity5. Power Relations in the Postcolony6. The Dynamics of Médersa Schooling7. Islam, the State, and the Ideology of Development: The Politics of Muslim Schooling in the 1980s8. Reprise: Reassessing the Terms of Analysis

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Book SynopsisFreedom and Creation in Three Traditions is a work of philosophical theology that brings together Jewish, Christian, and Muslim perspectives on the complex questions surrounding divine and human freedom.Trade Review"Philosophical theology is not an easy subject, but in this book Burrell manages to make it as accessible as it will ever be. He himself controls the literature and language of all three traditions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—and he appends an index of key Arabic terms used." —Journal of Ecumenical Studies"In his philosophically acute analyses, Burrell moves smoothly from tradition to tradition ... in order to show how in all three traditions one can discuss creation and freedom and why this discussion will be mutually enlightening and corrective." —The Journal of Religion"Among the most gratifying of Burrell's contributions here is his continuing insistence that we in our century take the relevant Jewish and Islamic sources and themes at least as seriously as Aquinas did in his." —Theological Studies

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Book SynopsisThis collection of essays, which originated in 1987 at a symposium titled ""God and Creation: An Ecumenical Symposium in Comparative Religious Thought,"" is devoted to the doctrine of creation in the three Western monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.Trade Review“A gem of a book that no student of Abrahamic faiths in general or of Islam in particular can afford to miss. God and Creation marks a major contribution to comparative religious thought as well as to the doctrine of divine creation in the monotheistic traditions. . . . One fervently hopes that this remarkable book soon becomes available as a paperback so that it can reach the hands of eager students instead of collecting dust on the bookshelves of wearied specialists.” —Muslim World Book Review"God and Creation is an important contribution to comparative religious thought in general and to serious theological reflection on the doctrine of divine creation in Judaism, Christianity and Islam in particular." —Temple University"The doctrine of creation is the issue under consideration in God and Creation, the collection of papers and responses originally delivered at a symposium held at the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame in 1987. The symposium aims at, and to a remarkable extent, succeeds in fostering conversation between the three great Western traditions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, on some ways in which the doctrine of creation has functioned in each." —AmericaTable of ContentsPhilosophical elaboration of the scriptural witness, Seymour Feldman et al; Judaism, David Blumenthal et al; Christianity, John Kenney et al; Islam, Azim Nanji et al.

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Book SynopsisOnce thought to be the task of metaphysics, the synthesis of knowledge has been discounted by many philosophers today. Benedict Ashley, a leading Thomistic scholar, argues that it remains a valid and intellectually fruitful pursuit by situating metaphysics as an endeavor that must cross disciplinary and cultural boundaries.Working from a realist Thomistic epistemology, Ashley asserts that we must begin our search for wisdom in the natural sciences; only then, he believes, can we ensure that our claims about immaterial and invisible things are rooted in reliable experience of the material. Any attempt to share wisdom, he insists, must derive from a context that is both interdisciplinary and intercultural. Ashley offers an ambitious analysis and synthesis of major historical contributions to the unification of knowledge, including non-Western traditions. Beginning with the question Metaphysics: Nonsense or Wisdom? Ashley moves from a critical examination of the foundatioTrade Review“Ashley’s book is a recapitulation of a lifelong effort to reach a comprehensive understanding of reality. It displays a high level of scholarship, offers a voyage through the philosophical disciplines and takes into account the metaphysical orientation of the great religious traditions of mankind.” —The Review of Metaphysics“This is an impressive, well-researched book, of great value. It offers the wider philosophical community a point of entrance, by a proponent of a certain type of Thomism, into a domain that all philosophers think they already understand. The result is the creation of a ‘big picture’ of human knowledge.” —Mark Johnson, Marquette University“In The Way toward Wisdom: An Interdisciplinary and Intercultural Introduction to Metaphysics . . . Father Ashley explains why only metaphysics has a legitimate claim to being the university’s unifying academic discipline. Without it, universities have no 'way toward wisdom’. . . . Father Ashley’s book is a gift, a patient exposition of human wisdom, proceeding from the best of the Catholic intellectual tradition.” —The British Columbia Catholic“In summarizing and synthesizing the best of Neothomism and the range of developments of modern scientific and cultural studies, Ashley’s work brings to a close the late modern involvement of Thomism as ‘Neothomism’ by opening the way to a postmodern era for philosophy and intellectual culture as a whole, an era within which we may expect to see yet another epoch of Thomistic development . . . ” —American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly

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Book SynopsisApophasis has become a major topic in the humanities, particularly in philosophy, religion, and literature. This monumental two-volume anthology gathers together most of the important historical works on apophaticism and illustrates the diverse trajectories of apophatic discourse in ancient, modern, and postmodern times. William Franke provides a major introductory essay on apophaticism at the beginning of each volume, and shorter introductions to each anthology selection. The second volume, Modern and Contemporary Transformations, contains texts by Hölderlin, Schelling, Kierkegaard, Dickinson, Rilke, Kafka, Rosenzweig, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Weil, Schoenberg, Adorno, Beckett, Celan, Levinas, Derrida, Marion, and more.Trade Review“One of the most important and original contributions to the discussion of apophasis in recent years. . . . Franke’s historical and disciplinary range, in light of his well-written and compelling essays, provides an illuminating insight into the pervasiveness of apophatic discourse. . . . Franke’s anthology is a resource which should not be ignored. Few others, maybe no others, provide the same clarity, coherence, and scope.” —Christianity and Literature“The genius of Franke’s two-volume critical anthology on apophatic discourses is the work’s breadth and depth of engagement with the concept in variously distinct and even conflicting contexts. . . . Franke manages his sweeping and inclusive exploration of apophatic discourses by identifying a thematic lens for selecting his sources as part of a larger, conceptually-rooted genre of discourse. . . . The greatest strength of Franke’s two-volume collection resides in the sheer fact that nothing like it exists.” —Essays in Philosophy“The second volume, stretching from Holderlin to Jean-Luc Marion, provides readings from sources as diverse as Schelling, Dickinson, Kafka, Wittgenstein, John Cage, and Maurice Blanchot. . . . Franke observes that these modern and contemporary apophatic currents, as ra dical as they truly are, are nevertheless thoroughly indebted to the 'ancient theological matrices' out of which they indirectly (or not so indirectly) spring. . . . I recommend these two volumes as essential reading for philosophers, theologians, literary scholars, intellectual historians, critical theorists—in short, anyone interested in an illuminating and vital perspective on just about any facet of Western arts and letters." —Religion and Literature

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