History of religion Books

Book SynopsisRachel J. D. Smith combines historical, literary, and theological approaches to offer a new interpretation of Thomas of Cantimpré’s hagiographies, showing how they employ vivid narrative portrayals of typically female bodies to perform theological work in a rhetorically specific way.Trade ReviewExcessive Saints is by far the best study yet written about the ceaselessly audacious holy women of the thirteenth-century Low Countries and their ceaselessly inventive interpreter, Thomas of Cantimpré. Indeed, it is one of the best studies in any field of medieval hagiography published in the last twenty-five years. Thoroughly immersed in Thomas’s writings and their mixed literary, theological, and cultural settings, Rachel J. D. Smith craftily but lovingly analyzes their urgencies, their unnerving tendency towards experimentalism, and the ways they use their saintly subjects to lay bare and in the process refresh the idea of the holy in all its weirdness. -- Nicholas Watson, Henry B. and Anne M. Cabot Professor of English Literature, Harvard UniversityIn this remarkable study, Smith argues that hagiographies written by a contemporary of Thomas Aquinas invented and unraveled theology, offering a semiotic theory of unrivaled complexity that directly confronted the improbable demands of faith. Gracefully written and fearlessly ambitious, Excessive Saints reveals the relevance of Judaism, gender, and devotion to a Christian theology of signification and should be read by anyone interested in the transformative power of textual relationships. -- Constance Furey, author of Poetic Relations: Intimacy and Faith in the English ReformationRachel J. D. Smith brilliantly moves between Thomas of Cantimpré's Dominican training, the bodies and behaviors of his saintly subjects, and the readers of his texts to uncover the 'imaginative theology' that Thomas expressed in his hagiographic narratives. Smith’s sophisticated analysis illuminates Thomas’s creative exploration of the limits of language, sign, and sensory apprehension for fostering religious devotion. Her book contributes to our understanding of thirteenth-century theologies that are often overshadowed by scholastic and syllogistic thought. -- Martha G. Newman, author of The Boundaries of Charity: Cistercian Culture and Ecclesiastical Reform, 1098-1180The results of Smith's approach are unfailingly compelling, advancing our knowledge of what Thomas of Cantimpré was hagiographically and theologically up to in his vitae while at the same time illuminating the spiritual and intellectual world that produced him. In the process we are asked to consider the role of body and gender, of belief and unbelief, of the medieval form of criticism that travelled under the banner of the via negativa as they operate in the thirteenth century and by extension our own. -- Robert Sweetman, H. Evan Runner Chair in the History of Philosophy, Institute for Christian StudiesAdvances scholarly conversation on several fronts and makes a major contribution to the gradual deconstruction of categories and binaries within the study of medieval theologies...Smith’s work is a genuine gift to the field and will likely to be used widely for many years to come. * Reading Religion *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsIntroduction. Hagiographical Theology—Making Holy Bodies from the Word1. Thomas of Cantimpré: His Life and Literary Activity2. “With Wondrous Horror She Fled”: Dissimilarity and Sanctity in The Life of Christina the Astonishing3. Gendering Particularity: A Comparison of The Life of Christina the Astonishing and The Life of Abbot John of Cantimpré4. A Question of Proof: Augustine and the Reading of Hagiography5. Language, Literacy, and the Saintly Body6. The Uses of Astonishment: Apophasis and the Writing of Mystical Hagiography7. Producing the Body of God: Exemplary Teaching, Jewish Carnality and Christian Doubt in the Bonum Universale de ApibusConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisErik J. Hammerstrom recasts the history of twentieth-century Chinese Buddhism by examining how Huayan Buddhism was imagined, taught, and practiced during a period of profound political and social change. He traces the influence of Huayan University, the first Buddhist monastic school founded after the fall of the imperial system in China.Trade Review[This book] is a rich and rewarding exploration of a crucially important aspect of modern East Asian Buddhism. -- Gregory Adam Scott * Journal of Buddhist Ethics *Meticulously researched and analytically sophisticated...the book will therefore be of great interest to scholars and students interested in East Asian Buddhism in general, as well as those interested in the history of monastic education. * H-Buddhism *This volume would prove invaluable to those with an interest in Republican- era as well as modern- day Buddhism in China. More broadly, those with an interest in monastic education as well as the general field of Buddhism and education have much to gain from this volume. -- Joseph Chadwin, University of Vienna * Religious Studies Review *Hammerstrom carves a new trail through twentieth-century Chinese Buddhist worlds and reveals a clear and fresh view of this complex terrain. His pioneering study draws from a broad range of primary sources to provide a richly detailed, multidimensional portrait of interconnected individuals, institutions and academies, texts, concepts, and meditative practices. A fundamentally important and much appreciated exploration. -- Raoul Birnbaum, University of California, Santa CruzHuayan Buddhism offers a unique view into the realm of mutually interrelated worldly and transcendental phenomena, which was realized by Buddha in his enlightenment according to one of the most voluminous Mahāyāna sūtra, the Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra, and was taught by the Huayan school in China during the Tang dynasty (618–907). Hammerstrom’s valuable book sheds light on the importance of Huayan tradition in modern Chinese Buddhism through the establishment of Huayan Universities to provide nonsectarian, traditional, and modern education for monastics. -- Imre Hamar, Eötvös Loránd University, BudapestHuayan Buddhism is one of the most distinctively East Asian forms of Buddhism, and recent Buddhist scholarship in English has not paid it deserved attention. Erik Hammerstrom’s book remedies the gap, offering a detailed discussion of its evolution in modern times in mainland China and Taiwan. Clearly written and well-researched, this book presents the reader with a pleasant and enlightening surprise regarding the liveliness of the tradition in our time. -- Jin Y. Park, author of Women and Buddhist Philosophy: Engaging Zen Master Kim IryopThe Huayan University Network is not just the history of a lineage; Erik Hammerstrom presents a remarkable, comprehensive narrative that analyzes people, places, reception history of doctrines and texts, education curricula for monks, financial sponsorship, and political background. This excellent monograph highlights how the Huayan school expanded from Republican China into East Asia, Taiwan, and the West and defines a model for future scholarship. -- Stefania Travagnin, editor of Religion and Media in China: Insights and Case Studies from the Mainland, Taiwan and Hong KongTable of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionPart I1. Huayan as a School of Chinese Buddhism2. The Huayan Universities3. Second- and Third-Generation Programs4. The Huayan University Network After 1949Part II5. Huayan Doctrine in Republican China6. A Common CurriculumConclusionList of Chinese CharactersNotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1829, six people were paraded through Osaka and crucified as devotees of the “pernicious creed” of Christianity. Christian Sorcerers on Trial offers annotated translations of a range of sources on this sensational event. It provides students and scholars alike with an extraordinarily rich picture of late Edo society.Trade ReviewDelightful and deeply engaging. . . . Essential reading for scholars of Japanese religions, especially those interested in early modern Japan or the history of Christianity in Japan. * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *This is a brilliant volume. Christian Sorcerers on Trial is not only a very useful resource, both for specialists of Japanese religions and for scholars of early modern Japanese history, but also a captivating read for a general audience. * Japanese Journal of Religious Studies *This important book performs a number of functions: it tells a fascinating story, it reveals much of the life of men and women in Kyōto and Ōsaka in the mid-nineteenth century, and it is a mine of information on juridical procedure. * Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies *For students and scholars of late Edo Japan, the material is truly fascinating as it vividly exposes society’s inner mechanisms and folk practices that other primary sources generally do not touch upon . . . highly recommended reading. * Japan Review *A fascinating study of many of the secrets of the Kirishitan sect, revealing surprising and little-known facts about their religious practices, as well as being an interesting exploration into the mindset and attitudes of the devotees themselves. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in Japanese religion, in Christianity, in Japanese history, law, or politics. * Contemporary Japan *Christian Sorcerers will be eagerly read by historians of Japan and scholars of comparative legal history, but should also have a much wider appeal. It is above all the moving story of a group of people by no means evil who became subject to a ruthless and, to modern sensibility, excessive punishment for relatively minor offenses. -- James McMullen * Monumenta Nipponica *Christian Sorcerers on Trial is a model of consummate scholarship and at the same time a gripping narrative which will be of great interest not just to students of Japanese religion and history, but to anyone curious about Japan in the decades immediately before its so-called “opening up” by the West . . . a fine example of what collaborative modern scholarship can do with complex and copious source material: highly recommended for specialists and non-specialists alike. * Asian Review of Books *Christian Sorcerers on Trial offers a deep insight into the lives of Osaka’s 19th century underclass. * All the Anime *Christian Sorcerers on Trial is a fascinating, startling, and revealing introduction to and translation of rich primary texts from a little-known but important episode in Japanese religious and cultural history. Scholars of Japanese religion, Japanese history, and Christian history will benefit from it. -- Elizabeth Morrison, Middlebury CollegeThis is a monumental study of Edo-period religious life, presenting the prosecution and crucifixion of the healer Toyoda Mitsugi who was charged with secretly practicing Christianity. Based on the most detailed testimonies ever compiled of the lives of popular religionists, their colorful clients, and the processes of their judicial interrogation, this work makes for truly fascinating reading. -- Helen Hardacre, author of Shinto: A HistoryChristian Sorcerers is a veritable gold mine for understanding the late Edo period. These translations reveal much about popular religion, the failure of the shogunate to eradicate the “pernicious” Kirishitan sect, the lingering influence of the Christian religion, and the legal procedures and punishments for dealing with religious deviancy. This volume is destined to become a standard resource in the field. -- Mark R. Mullins, University of AucklandMasterfully translated and deeply revealing, Christian Sorcerers on Trial is a powerful example of the way legal records can be used to illuminate the cultural and mental universe of an era. Certainly no one who reads it will ever think of Ōshio Heihachirō without recalling the story of Mitsugi, the extraordinary woman whose case he pursued so relentlessly. -- Daniel Botsman, author of Punishment and Power in the Making of Modern JapanTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsMapsIntroductionTranslation StrategiesMain ProtagonistsPart I: Testimonies1. Sano and Her Associates2. Kinu and Her Associates3. Mitsugi, Mizuno Gunki, and Wasa4. Gunki’s Male Disciples Umon and Heizō5. Gunki’s Associates and Son6. Kenzō and Others Implicated in the InvestigationPart II: The Judicial Review Process7. Submitting the Dossier for Review8. Deliberations in Edo9. The Senior Councillors’ Orders and Their Implementation10. AftermathPart III: Rumors and Retellings11. The State of the Floating World12. Night Tales from the Kasshi Day13. A Biography of Ōshio HeihachirōAppendix 1: Mitsugi’s 1822 ArrestAppendix 2: Disposition of the Proscribed BooksAppendix 3: Manuscript Versions of the Keihan Kirishitan Incident DossierGlossaryNotesReferencesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1829, six people were paraded through Osaka and crucified as devotees of the pernicious creed of Christianity. Christian Sorcerers on Trial offers annotated translations of a range of sources on this sensational event. It provides students and scholars alike with an extraordinarily rich picture of late Edo society.Trade ReviewDelightful and deeply engaging. . . . Essential reading for scholars of Japanese religions, especially those interested in early modern Japan or the history of Christianity in Japan. * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *This is a brilliant volume. Christian Sorcerers on Trial is not only a very useful resource, both for specialists of Japanese religions and for scholars of early modern Japanese history, but also a captivating read for a general audience. * Japanese Journal of Religious Studies *This important book performs a number of functions: it tells a fascinating story, it reveals much of the life of men and women in Kyōto and Ōsaka in the mid-nineteenth century, and it is a mine of information on juridical procedure. * Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies *For students and scholars of late Edo Japan, the material is truly fascinating as it vividly exposes society’s inner mechanisms and folk practices that other primary sources generally do not touch upon . . . highly recommended reading. * Japan Review *A fascinating study of many of the secrets of the Kirishitan sect, revealing surprising and little-known facts about their religious practices, as well as being an interesting exploration into the mindset and attitudes of the devotees themselves. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in Japanese religion, in Christianity, in Japanese history, law, or politics. * Contemporary Japan *Christian Sorcerers will be eagerly read by historians of Japan and scholars of comparative legal history, but should also have a much wider appeal. It is above all the moving story of a group of people by no means evil who became subject to a ruthless and, to modern sensibility, excessive punishment for relatively minor offenses. -- James McMullen * Monumenta Nipponica *Christian Sorcerers on Trial is a model of consummate scholarship and at the same time a gripping narrative which will be of great interest not just to students of Japanese religion and history, but to anyone curious about Japan in the decades immediately before its so-called “opening up” by the West . . . a fine example of what collaborative modern scholarship can do with complex and copious source material: highly recommended for specialists and non-specialists alike. * Asian Review of Books *Christian Sorcerers on Trial offers a deep insight into the lives of Osaka’s 19th century underclass. * All the Anime *Christian Sorcerers on Trial is a fascinating, startling, and revealing introduction to and translation of rich primary texts from a little-known but important episode in Japanese religious and cultural history. Scholars of Japanese religion, Japanese history, and Christian history will benefit from it. -- Elizabeth Morrison, Middlebury CollegeThis is a monumental study of Edo-period religious life, presenting the prosecution and crucifixion of the healer Toyoda Mitsugi who was charged with secretly practicing Christianity. Based on the most detailed testimonies ever compiled of the lives of popular religionists, their colorful clients, and the processes of their judicial interrogation, this work makes for truly fascinating reading. -- Helen Hardacre, author of Shinto: A HistoryChristian Sorcerers is a veritable gold mine for understanding the late Edo period. These translations reveal much about popular religion, the failure of the shogunate to eradicate the “pernicious” Kirishitan sect, the lingering influence of the Christian religion, and the legal procedures and punishments for dealing with religious deviancy. This volume is destined to become a standard resource in the field. -- Mark R. Mullins, University of AucklandMasterfully translated and deeply revealing, Christian Sorcerers on Trial is a powerful example of the way legal records can be used to illuminate the cultural and mental universe of an era. Certainly no one who reads it will ever think of Ōshio Heihachirō without recalling the story of Mitsugi, the extraordinary woman whose case he pursued so relentlessly. -- Daniel Botsman, author of Punishment and Power in the Making of Modern JapanTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsMapsIntroductionTranslation StrategiesMain ProtagonistsPart I: Testimonies1. Sano and Her Associates2. Kinu and Her Associates3. Mitsugi, Mizuno Gunki, and Wasa4. Gunki’s Male Disciples Umon and Heizō5. Gunki’s Associates and Son6. Kenzō and Others Implicated in the InvestigationPart II: The Judicial Review Process7. Submitting the Dossier for Review8. Deliberations in Edo9. The Senior Councillors’ Orders and Their Implementation10. AftermathPart III: Rumors and Retellings11. The State of the Floating World12. Night Tales from the Kasshi Day13. A Biography of Ōshio HeihachirōAppendix 1: Mitsugi’s 1822 ArrestAppendix 2: Disposition of the Proscribed BooksAppendix 3: Manuscript Versions of the Keihan Kirishitan Incident DossierGlossaryNotesReferencesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisYegor Grebnev examines crucial noncanonical texts preserved in the Yi Zhou shu (Neglected Zhou Scriptures) and the Grand Duke traditions. He develops an innovative framework for the study and interpretation of these texts, focusing on their role in the mediation of royal legitimacy and their formative impact on early Daoism.Trade ReviewGrebnev’s masterful study begins with a formalistic analysis of Yi Zhou shu and ends with a new history of religious Daoism and a new model for thinking about early Chinese philosophy. The very definition of groundbreaking, it is certain to reverberate in the work of early China scholars for decades. -- Stephen Durrant, professor emeritus, University of OregonHidden in plain sight in the Yi Zhou shu, Yegor Grebnev has discovered the missing link between “religious” and “philosophical” Taoism. His elegant and philologically rigorous demonstration that the two are fundamentally of one piece will necessitate the rewriting of current textbook accounts of Chinese intellectual history. -- Lothar von Falkenhausen, author of Chinese Society in the Age of Confucius (1000-250 BC): The Archaeological EvidenceMediation of Legitimacy in Early China brings together two too-often overlooked sources to make fresh observations concerning the structure of early Chinese texts and what this structure shows about the process of their composition. It has far-reaching implications for understanding all aspects of the early Chinese literary tradition. -- Edward L. Shaughnessy, author of Unearthing the Changes: Recently Discovered Manuscripts of the Yi Jing (I Ching) and Related Texts[This book] will provide to the field of early China studies a reliable and thoughtful introduction to the many historical and textual difficulties of an undeservedly underread text for many years to come....Grebnev’s book is written on a deep foundation of rigorous and thoughtful research ... While offering honest and refreshing appraisals of some of the text-historical issues posed by the work ... he also provides groundbreaking insights into the ways that the Yi Zhoushu seems to have been integral to major political, religious, and intellectual developments in early and medieval China. * Journal of Asian Studies *This volume is highly recommended to scholars of ancient Chinese texts, political authority, and the origin of Daoism. * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsList of TablesAcknowledgmentsChronologyIntroduction1. The Structure of the Yi Zhou shu and Its Formation History2. Understanding Early Chinese Scriptures3. Appropriated and Created Scriptures4. Royal Colloquies as the Main Text Type in the Yi Zhou shu5. Daoist Scriptures of the Grand Duke6. Heirloom Treasures, Scriptures, and LegitimacyConclusionAppendix 1. Scenic, Formalistic, and Alarming Contextual SettingsAppendix 2. Summary of the Zhou shu in the Shi lüeAppendix 3. “Sequential Outline of the Zhou Scriptures”Appendix 4. Permutations of the Chapter(s) “Shifa” (Order of Posthumous Names)NotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisHayrettin Yücesoy offers a groundbreaking new account of political discourse in Islamic history by examining Abbasid imperial practice, illuminating the emergence and influence of a vibrant secular tradition.Trade ReviewDisenchanting the Caliphate breaks ground for radically new conversations in world history, political theory, empire studies, and Middle Eastern and Global South Studies. At once erudite, astutely conceived, and sparkling with insight, this book is a must read for anyone seeking to de-eurocentrize public and scholarly assumptions about the world's interconnected past and present. -- Laura Doyle, author of Inter-imperiality: Vying Empires, Gendered Labor, and the Literary Arts of AllianceGibbon’s flourish about ‘Mahomet, sword in one hand, Koran in the other’ long served as metonym for the diachronic Caliphate. Yücesoy provocatively but convincingly disputes whether ‘Islamic political thought’ was inflexibly Islamic. Αlongside religious scholars he highlights Umayyad and Abbasid bureaucrat-literati, who propounded ethical and managerial principles of governance. -- Garth Fowden, author of Before and After Muḥammad: The First Millennium RefocusedA revision of revisionist scholarship, Yücesoy’s book is theoretically engaged and philologically endowed. It unravels the contentions between what he calls the “secular ethos of adab-siyasa” and “scholastic” political knowledge during the eighth century. This work is a contribution to understanding the early background within which the former was to be absorbed by the latter. -- Wael Hallaq, Columbia UniversityIn Disenchanting the Caliphate, Yücesoy pierces the wall of biased binaries erected by Western colonial scholarship. Behind the wall, we are treated to the creative, open-ended process—unfolding during the High Caliphate—that bundled relational practices of power-knowledge into a secular discipline of political civility. -- Armando Salvatore, author of The Sociology of Islam: Knowledge, Power and CivilityYucesoy has produced a valuable work which scholars of political thought in the Muslim world and on secularism will benefit greatly from. * Middle East Monitor *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of Early, Umayyad, and Abbasid Caliphs, 632–861Introduction: Critical Reflections on “Islamic Political Thought”1. Caliphal Practice2. The Language of Imamate3. Political Prose Revolution4. The Disruptive Language of Siyasa5. Deconfessionalizing the Caliph6. A Theory of Imperial Law7. Territorial Consciousness8. Reimagining the People of the EmpireConclusion: Releasing Siyasa from the ImamateConventions and SpellingNotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisHayrettin Yücesoy offers a groundbreaking new account of political discourse in Islamic history by examining Abbasid imperial practice, illuminating the emergence and influence of a vibrant secular tradition.Trade ReviewDisenchanting the Caliphate breaks ground for radically new conversations in world history, political theory, empire studies, and Middle Eastern and Global South Studies. At once erudite, astutely conceived, and sparkling with insight, this book is a must read for anyone seeking to de-eurocentrize public and scholarly assumptions about the world's interconnected past and present. -- Laura Doyle, author of Inter-imperiality: Vying Empires, Gendered Labor, and the Literary Arts of AllianceGibbon’s flourish about ‘Mahomet, sword in one hand, Koran in the other’ long served as metonym for the diachronic Caliphate. Yücesoy provocatively but convincingly disputes whether ‘Islamic political thought’ was inflexibly Islamic. Αlongside religious scholars he highlights Umayyad and Abbasid bureaucrat-literati, who propounded ethical and managerial principles of governance. -- Garth Fowden, author of Before and After Muḥammad: The First Millennium RefocusedA revision of revisionist scholarship, Yücesoy’s book is theoretically engaged and philologically endowed. It unravels the contentions between what he calls the “secular ethos of adab-siyasa” and “scholastic” political knowledge during the eighth century. This work is a contribution to understanding the early background within which the former was to be absorbed by the latter. -- Wael Hallaq, Columbia UniversityIn Disenchanting the Caliphate, Yücesoy pierces the wall of biased binaries erected by Western colonial scholarship. Behind the wall, we are treated to the creative, open-ended process—unfolding during the High Caliphate—that bundled relational practices of power-knowledge into a secular discipline of political civility. -- Armando Salvatore, author of The Sociology of Islam: Knowledge, Power and CivilityYucesoy has produced a valuable work which scholars of political thought in the Muslim world and on secularism will benefit greatly from. * Middle East Monitor *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of Early, Umayyad, and Abbasid Caliphs, 632–861Introduction: Critical Reflections on “Islamic Political Thought”1. Caliphal Practice2. The Language of Imamate3. Political Prose Revolution4. The Disruptive Language of Siyasa5. Deconfessionalizing the Caliph6. A Theory of Imperial Law7. Territorial Consciousness8. Reimagining the People of the EmpireConclusion: Releasing Siyasa from the ImamateConventions and SpellingNotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis transdisciplinary book brings together essays that explore the variety and diversity of Buddhist masculinities, from early India to the contemporary United States, and from bodhisattva-kings to martial monks.Trade ReviewIn a series of fascinating essays, . . . scholars contend with how Buddhists have negotiated with masculine ideals and the effect that this has had on Buddhist culture. * Buddhadharma: Lion's Roar *This is the first book to critically explore masculinity across such a broad swath of the Buddhist tradition in different periods and cultures. The authors—experts in fields as diverse as philology, ethnography, archeology, art history, the study of popular culture, and film studies—provide us with new and important insights into the diverse and sometimes competing notions of maleness in different parts of the Buddhist world and how these notions have often functioned to subordinate women. A theoretically sophisticated yet accessible book, Buddhist Masculinities is must read for anyone interested in Buddhism and the comparative study of gender. -- José Ignacio Cabezón, author of Sexuality in Classical South Asian BuddhismThis volume brings much needed attention to the diversities and continuities of Buddhist masculinity throughout Asia and beyond. Across four sections, Buddhist Masculinities shows how Buddhists generated masculine ideals, performed machismo, adapted to culturally specific definitions of masculinity, and responded to transgressive masculinities. This is a welcome and timely addition to the study of Buddhism and gender for a new generation of scholars. -- Bernard Faure, author of The Red Thread: Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality and The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and GenderBuddhist Masculinities sheds light on masculinity as an object of analysis, refusing to allow it to go unmarked as it so often does in Buddhist texts and scholarship. The book is bound to become an important reference for future work in this burgeoning field, as it maintains an expansive and critical definition of masculinity, engaging masculinity theorists to think about diverse Buddhist texts and contexts. -- Sarah Jacoby, author of Love and Liberation: Autobiographical Writings of the Tibetan Buddhist Visionary Sera KhandroTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsIntroduction: Masculinities Beyond the Buddha, by Megan BrysonPart 1: Masculine Models1. Middle Way Masculinity: The Bodhisattva Siddhārtha as a Renunciant in Early Buddhist Texts and Art, by Dessislava Vendova2. How Chan Masters Became “Great Men”: Masculinity in Chinese Chan Buddhism, by Kevin Buckelew3. Men of Virtue: Reexamining the Bodhisattva King in Sri Lanka, by Stephen C. BerkwitzPart 2: Mighty Masters4. The Siddha Who Tamed Tibet: Padmasambhava’s Tantric Masculinity, by Joshua Brallier Shelton5. Building a Nation on the Dharma Battlefield: Lay Zen Masculinities in Modern Japan, by Rebecca Mendelson6. Macho Buddhism (Redux): Gender and Sexualities in the Diamond Way, by Bee SchererPart 3: Making Men7. Being a Man vs. Being a Monk: Alternative Versions of Burmese Buddhist Masculinity, by Ward Keeler8. Hanuman, Heroes, and Buddhist Masculinity in Contemporary Thailand, by Natawan Wongchalard9. Buddhism and Afro-Asian Masculinities in The Man with the Iron Fists, by Marcus EvansPart 4: Breaking Boundaries10. The Afterlife of the Tang Monk: Buddhist Masculinity and the Image of Xuanzang in East Asia, by Geng Song11. Real Monks Don’t Have Gṛhastha Sex: Revisiting Male Celibacy in Classical South Asian Buddhism, by Amy Paris LangenbergAppendix: Character GlossaryContributorsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis transdisciplinary book brings together essays that explore the variety and diversity of Buddhist masculinities, from early India to the contemporary United States, and from bodhisattva-kings to martial monks.Trade ReviewIn a series of fascinating essays, . . . scholars contend with how Buddhists have negotiated with masculine ideals and the effect that this has had on Buddhist culture. * Buddhadharma: Lion's Roar *This is the first book to critically explore masculinity across such a broad swath of the Buddhist tradition in different periods and cultures. The authors—experts in fields as diverse as philology, ethnography, archeology, art history, the study of popular culture, and film studies—provide us with new and important insights into the diverse and sometimes competing notions of maleness in different parts of the Buddhist world and how these notions have often functioned to subordinate women. A theoretically sophisticated yet accessible book, Buddhist Masculinities is must read for anyone interested in Buddhism and the comparative study of gender. -- José Ignacio Cabezón, author of Sexuality in Classical South Asian BuddhismThis volume brings much needed attention to the diversities and continuities of Buddhist masculinity throughout Asia and beyond. Across four sections, Buddhist Masculinities shows how Buddhists generated masculine ideals, performed machismo, adapted to culturally specific definitions of masculinity, and responded to transgressive masculinities. This is a welcome and timely addition to the study of Buddhism and gender for a new generation of scholars. -- Bernard Faure, author of The Red Thread: Buddhist Approaches to Sexuality and The Power of Denial: Buddhism, Purity, and GenderBuddhist Masculinities sheds light on masculinity as an object of analysis, refusing to allow it to go unmarked as it so often does in Buddhist texts and scholarship. The book is bound to become an important reference for future work in this burgeoning field, as it maintains an expansive and critical definition of masculinity, engaging masculinity theorists to think about diverse Buddhist texts and contexts. -- Sarah Jacoby, author of Love and Liberation: Autobiographical Writings of the Tibetan Buddhist Visionary Sera KhandroTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsIntroduction: Masculinities Beyond the Buddha, by Megan BrysonPart 1: Masculine Models1. Middle Way Masculinity: The Bodhisattva Siddhārtha as a Renunciant in Early Buddhist Texts and Art, by Dessislava Vendova2. How Chan Masters Became “Great Men”: Masculinity in Chinese Chan Buddhism, by Kevin Buckelew3. Men of Virtue: Reexamining the Bodhisattva King in Sri Lanka, by Stephen C. BerkwitzPart 2: Mighty Masters4. The Siddha Who Tamed Tibet: Padmasambhava’s Tantric Masculinity, by Joshua Brallier Shelton5. Building a Nation on the Dharma Battlefield: Lay Zen Masculinities in Modern Japan, by Rebecca Mendelson6. Macho Buddhism (Redux): Gender and Sexualities in the Diamond Way, by Bee SchererPart 3: Making Men7. Being a Man vs. Being a Monk: Alternative Versions of Burmese Buddhist Masculinity, by Ward Keeler8. Hanuman, Heroes, and Buddhist Masculinity in Contemporary Thailand, by Natawan Wongchalard9. Buddhism and Afro-Asian Masculinities in The Man with the Iron Fists, by Marcus EvansPart 4: Breaking Boundaries10. The Afterlife of the Tang Monk: Buddhist Masculinity and the Image of Xuanzang in East Asia, by Geng Song11. Real Monks Don’t Have Gṛhastha Sex: Revisiting Male Celibacy in Classical South Asian Buddhism, by Amy Paris LangenbergAppendix: Character GlossaryContributorsIndex

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA concise retelling of the Sephardic Jews’ grim story Trade Review"This is an exemplary work of humane scholarship that informs its readers and illuminates its subject, and is deserving of the highest praise."--International History Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe only temple completed by Mormonism's founder, Joseph Smith Jr, the Kirtland Temple in Kirtland, Ohio, receives 30,000 Mormon pilgrims every year. This book sets the biography of Kirtland Temple against the backdrop of religious rivalry.Trade ReviewBest First Book Award, Mormon History Association, 2015. Smith-Pettit Best Book Award, John Whitmer Historical Association, 2015. "Kirtland Temple is a thought-provoking, informative, and path-breaking study that opens up a significant new topic in Mormon history. David Howlett is among the ablest and most accomplished younger scholars of Mormon history today. In Kirtland Temple, he has produced a thoroughly researched and thoughtfully nuanced--yet also highly readable--analytical narrative about a much-contested Mormon sacred site during more than a century and a half. This study has given me more insight into the complex and divergent development of the two main branches of the Mormon movement than any other book I have read." --Lawrence Foster, author of Religion and Sexuality: The Shakers, the Mormons, and the Oneida Community"Very well written and interesting. . . . it raises issues that will be as relevant 100 years from now as they are today—specifically, the relationship between sacred space, violence, and religious pluralism. . . . Ultimately, this may be the most important book about the Mormon experience as a whole that will be written in 2014."--The Association of Mormon Letters"Howlett's concept of parallel pilgrimage is the star of this book, a useful tool that will hopefully be applied to other pilgrimage sites. An excellent source for scholars of American religion, ritual studies, and inter-religious dialogue."--Novo Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions"Howlett's biography of the temple lays the essential by bringing forward all the critical data for review. He opens many new avenues of study and starts a significant and fruitful dialogue about the temple and contestation of sacred space. David Howlett's book makes a significant contribution to the cause of Mormon history and is essential reading for those interested in the history of Kirtland and its temple."--Journal of Mormon History"If visitors to the Kirtland Temple were to read Howlett's book, they would have a greater appreciation of the space they were encountering. . . . he has presented a framework within which a better understanding of the Kirtland Temple can occur from the perspectives of various Mormon belief systems."--BYU Studies Quarterly"If visitors to the Kirtland Temple were to read Howlett's book, they would have a greater appreciation of the space they were encountering. . . . he has presented a framework within which a better understanding of the Kirtland Temple can occur from the perspectives of various Mormon belief systems."--BYU Studies Quarterly"[Kirkland Temple] makes several important contributions to Mormon history."--Journal of American History"Howlett's biography of the temple lays the essential by bringing forward all the critical data for review. He opens many new avenues of study and starts a significant and fruitful dialogue about the temple and contestation of sacred space. David Howlett's book makes a significant contribution to the cause of Mormon history and is essential reading for those interested in the history of Kirtland and its temple."--Journal of Mormon History "Overall, this is a fascinating and informative study of the Kirtland Temple that unveils the complex histories of various factional descendants of Joseph Smith's nineteenth-century religious movement. . . . Howlett's work makes exceptional contributions in American religious history and specifically Mormon history."--Thomas Bremer, author of Blessed with Tourists: The Borderlands of Religion and Tourism in San Antonio

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Based on a broad array of sources, the author illuminates vital aspects of sensory culture—norms, ritual practices, beliefs, intellectual assumptions, and lived experiences. His conclusions offer a probing critique and correction of traditional theories about the nature and impact of the German Reformation."--Wietse de Boer, coeditor of Religion and the Senses in Early Modern Europe"This is a pioneering history of the senses in the age of Reformations. Focusing on German Protestantism, Baum shows that changes in sensuous regimes were shaped by political and economic frameworks as well as modes of communication. Change was incomplete but pronounced, yet the myth of Protestantism as anti-sensual faith is comprehensively debunked. Based on a wide range of manuscripts and printed works from different localities, this is a significant contribution to our understanding of Reformation history which is at the cutting edge of the field."--Ulinka Rublack, author of The Astronomer and the Witch: Johannes Kepler's Fight for his Mother

Read more less

Book SynopsisAfter the establishment of the Turkish Republic, Turkey's secularized society disdained the ney, the Sufi reed flute long associated with Islam. The instrument's remarkable revival in today's cities has inspired the creation of teaching and learning sites that range from private ney studios to cultural and religious associations and from university clubs to mosque organizations.Banu Şenay documents the years-long training required to become a neyzena player of the ney. The process holds a transformative power that invites students to create a new way of living that involves alternative relationships with the self and others, changing perceptions of the city, and a dedication to craftsmanship. Şenay visits reed harvesters and travels from studios to workshops to explore the practical processes of teaching and learning. She also becomes an apprentice ney-player herself, exploring the desire for spirituality that encourages apprentices and masters alike to pursue ney music aTrade Review”Musical Ethics and Islam is easy on the mind's eye and the ear, full of insight, and a genuine pleasure to read. ªenay well understands her instrument, the crafting of its sounds and the complex demands of her teacher's 'jealous gift'. It charts a new and distinct route through the cultural complexities of Islamic revival in Turkey and beyond; her conclusions will be of real interest to anthropologists of music and of Islam alike.”—Martin Stokes, coeditor of Islam and Popular Culture”Musical Ethics and Islam is a ground-breaking ethnography of the interplay of aesthetic experience and social ideology, art and life. Banu Senay expertly interleaves personal experiences of 'sweet servitude' to a ney master with luminous accounts of the ethical, affective, and political aspects of music in post-Kemalist Turkey and the ney revival of recent years.”—Michael Jackson, author of The Work of Art: Rethinking the Elementary Forms of Religious Life

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Restless Pilgrim: Andrew Jenson's Quest for Latter-day Saint History provides a fast-paced walk through the life of this seminal Latter-day Saint historian, and his relentless thirst to gather as much history of the early Saints as possible." --Journal of Mormon HistoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ixPrologue 11 Danish American Emigrant 72 Entrepreneurial Chronicler 293 Historian’s Office Affiliate 504 Itinerant World Traveler 795 Assistant Church Historian 1046 Elder and Emissary 1217 Scandinavian Mission President 1408 Modern Record Keeper 1659 Explorer of Latin America 18310 Public Commemorator 20311 Twilight Church Historian 221Epilogue 240Notes 247Bibliography 293Index 309

Read more less

Book SynopsisIndonesia's two leading Muslim organizations - Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) - have created enormous networks led by women who interpret sacred texts and exercise powerful religious influence. This book explores the work of these contemporary women leaders, examining their attitudes toward the rise of radical Islamists.Trade Review"Given the current interest in women and gender issues in Islam, and scholarly neglect of Islam in Southeast Asia, this book provides a wonderful addition to the literature. . . . Based on extensive fieldwork in Indonesia, the book skillfully weaves interviews, songs, observations, written materials, and theoretical insight into a highly readable account of how Muslim women in a specific context negotiate their roles in modern Muslim society. . . . Highly recommended."--Choice"Van Doorn-Harder has risen to the challenge of breaking down stereotypes of Islam by combining an ethnographic and historical analysis of these two traditions in Indonesia as well as the influence of women in shaping standards for women's rights."--Sociology of Religion “The core of Women Shaping Islam is Van Doorn-Harder’s sensitive and nuanced depiction of women in Muhammadiyah and NU. . . . Gives rise to new and complex questions.”--Journal of the American Academy of Religion

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow Jewishness and feminism converged in the life histories of twentieth-century activistsTrade Review"A well-researched analysis of the complimentary yet sometimes tension-inducing interactions between Judaism, Jewishness, and feminism."--Jewish Book World"Pinsky creates an artful map of shifting Jewish feminist identities over time."--Shofar"Recommended."--Choice “Pinsky's work introduces the unique cultural experience of Jews into the feminist dialogue with much success. . . .Informative and enjoyable from chapter to chapter.”--Contemporary Sociology"Delightful to read, this book provides an underrepresented perspective in Jewish women's studies and significant evidence about the ways individuals negotiate changes brought about by social movements."--Rebecca T. Alpert, author of Whose Torah? A Concise Guide to Progressive Judaism"An enjoyable, thoughtful book that connects theoretical questions to the embodied lived experience of Jewish feminists."--Caryn Aviv, coauthor of New Jews: The End of the Jewish Diaspora

Read more less

Book SynopsisA wide-ranging exploration of Asian immigrant religionTrade Review"In expanding the geographical frame of scholarly narratives and appealing to new primary sources, Issei Buddhism in the Americas opens bold new conversations about Buddhism in the western hemisphere."--Thomas Tweed, author of Crossing and Dwelling: A Theory of ReligionTable of ContentsContributors are Noriko Asato, Michihiro Ama, Masako Iino, Tomoe Moriya, Lori Pierce, Cristina Rocha, Keiko Wells, Duncan Ryuken Williams, and Akihiro Yamakura.

Read more less

Book SynopsisReligion has played a protean role in the lives of America''s workers. In this innovative volume, Matthew Pehl focuses on Detroit to examine the religious consciousness constructed by the city''s working-class Catholics, African American Protestants, and southern-born white evangelicals and Pentecostals between 1910 and 1969. Pehl embarks on an integrative view of working-class faith that ranges across boundaries of class, race, denomination, and time. As he shows, workers in the 1910s and 1920s practiced beliefs characterized by emotional expressiveness, alliance with supernatural forces, and incorporation of mass culture''s secular diversions into the sacred. That gave way to the more pragmatic class-conscious religion cultures of the New Deal era and, from the late Thirties on, a quilt of secular working-class cultures that coexisted in competitive, though creative, tension. Finally, Pehl shows how the ideology of race eclipsed class in the 1950s and 1960s, and in so doing replacTrade Review"Pehl is to be commended for his multivalent work, and for the important contributions he makes to both The Working Class in American History series and to the study of America's religious history."--Anglican Theological Review"The value of Pehl's wonderful book is that it helps us reimagine the currents of faith that ebb and flow in American society and interact with changing political and economic circumstances. This is a book that belongs on the shelves of historians." --American Historical Review"Pehl's work makes a number of important contributions to our thinking about religion within labor history. . . . He expertly weaves together the thoughts of religious leaders and rank-and-file workers and shows the intersections of these processes among Protestants and Catholics, and African American and white workers."--Journal of American History"The Making of Working Class Religion is an important read for both scholars of labor and scholars of religion as a methodological model for advancing the study of religion, labor, and class. . . . Pehl's book teaches its readers--whether they be scholars, labor organizers, or graduate or undergraduate students--how to recover and interpret critically and empathetically, the religious worlds of working-class people."--Labour/Le Travail"This book is well-written, concise, and highly recommended to all audiences."--The Michigan Historical Review"Highly Recommended."--Choice"Matthew Pehl's subtle and stunning book describes the remarkable moments when working class identities and religion remarkably converged in America's quintessential manufacturing city--Detroit--first from the 1920s to the 1940s, then as they fractured amidst the racial, ethnic, gender, and political shifts after World War II. Pehl incisively describes the possibilities and tensions, and achievements and failures, that encouraged and undermined bonds between religion and the working classes in an uneasily complex American city. A terrific achievement and enthralling read."--Jon Butler, author of Awash in a Sea of Faith: Christianizing the American People"A signal contribution to the resurgence of historical interest in the religious worlds of working class men and women. Pehl shows how 'work' had religious significance in Detroit's working class neighborhoods and in doing so he helps restore the realities and exigencies of daily toil to American religious history. The Making of Working Class Religion is also an exciting religious history of modern Detroit. With its huge cast of historical actors--Detroit's white and black, Protestant and Catholic workers, Elijah Muhammad, Reinhold Niebuhr, Father Charles Coughlin, and many others--the book goes a long way towards establishing the city's importance as a place of religious innovation and public engagement. This is dynamic and powerful history."--Robert Orsi, author of The Madonna of 115th Street: Faith and Community in Italian Harlem, 1880-1950

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Based on a broad array of sources, the author illuminates vital aspects of sensory culture—norms, ritual practices, beliefs, intellectual assumptions, and lived experiences. His conclusions offer a probing critique and correction of traditional theories about the nature and impact of the German Reformation."--Wietse de Boer, coeditor of Religion and the Senses in Early Modern Europe"This is a pioneering history of the senses in the age of Reformations. Focusing on German Protestantism, Baum shows that changes in sensuous regimes were shaped by political and economic frameworks as well as modes of communication. Change was incomplete but pronounced, yet the myth of Protestantism as anti-sensual faith is comprehensively debunked. Based on a wide range of manuscripts and printed works from different localities, this is a significant contribution to our understanding of Reformation history which is at the cutting edge of the field."--Ulinka Rublack, author of The Astronomer and the Witch: Johannes Kepler's Fight for his Mother

Read more less

Trade Review”Musical Ethics and Islam is easy on the mind's eye and the ear, full of insight, and a genuine pleasure to read. ªenay well understands her instrument, the crafting of its sounds and the complex demands of her teacher's 'jealous gift'. It charts a new and distinct route through the cultural complexities of Islamic revival in Turkey and beyond; her conclusions will be of real interest to anthropologists of music and of Islam alike.”—Martin Stokes, coeditor of Islam and Popular Culture”Musical Ethics and Islam is a ground-breaking ethnography of the interplay of aesthetic experience and social ideology, art and life. Banu Senay expertly interleaves personal experiences of 'sweet servitude' to a ney master with luminous accounts of the ethical, affective, and political aspects of music in post-Kemalist Turkey and the ney revival of recent years.”—Michael Jackson, author of The Work of Art: Rethinking the Elementary Forms of Religious Life

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Restless Pilgrim: Andrew Jenson's Quest for Latter-day Saint History provides a fast-paced walk through the life of this seminal Latter-day Saint historian, and his relentless thirst to gather as much history of the early Saints as possible." --Journal of Mormon HistoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ixPrologue 11 Danish American Emigrant 72 Entrepreneurial Chronicler 293 Historian’s Office Affiliate 504 Itinerant World Traveler 795 Assistant Church Historian 1046 Elder and Emissary 1217 Scandinavian Mission President 1408 Modern Record Keeper 1659 Explorer of Latin America 18310 Public Commemorator 20311 Twilight Church Historian 221Epilogue 240Notes 247Bibliography 293Index 309

Read more less

Book SynopsisTells an intimate and personal story of what it means to be Bukharan JewishTrade ReviewThis study of the Jewish communities of Central Asia—primarily the cities of Tashkent, Bukhara, and Samarkand, and smaller surrounding settlements—is an impressive synthesis of ethnography and cultural history. It is the product of many years of patient interviews, participant observation, and archival research. * AJS Review *Much interest will be provoked by this book in the transformation of Bukharan Jewish self-identity and especially the varieties of their Jewishness. Within these wide categories, this beautifully presented and well-written monograph adds to our understanding of this community. * Slavic Review *[This] book is an important work that offers readers a insightful perspective of a Jewish group as it is transformed and shaped. . . The book is well written, well argued, and very readable. It will definitely become a must read in curricula dealing not only with Jewish studies but nationalities, Diaspora, and minorities studies as well. * H-Judaic *It is a rare edited volume that keeps readers moving from chapter to chapter like a single-author book, but that is precisely what 'Ethnographies of the State in Central Asia' accomplishes. Including authors from a range of academic fields, it is positioned as a contribution to the interdisciplinary body of literature on ethnographically analysing 'the state', and incorporates rich and engaging case studies from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Xinjiang. * Central Asian Survey *Bukharan Jews and the dynamics of global Judaism makes an original and exciting contribution to the anthropology of Jewish communities and promises to become an important reference-point in social studies of Judaism. Alanna Cooper's engaging study of the Bukharan Jews (or the Jews of Central Asia) takes the reader on a journey throughout the centuries and discusses a wide range of issues in the history and anthropology both of this specific community and of Judaism in general. * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *Bukharan Jews and the Dynamics of Global Judaism is an important contribution to Jewish Studies, shining a light on a neglected area of the Jewish world that deserves more attention. * Journal of Folklore Research *By considering a community at the 'periphery' of the Jewish world, Cooper aims to reflect on the wider faith and culture.8/9/13 * Times Literary Supplement *[T]his is a readable, illuminating, and in many ways pathbreaking book. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Based on a wealth of different kinds of source materials and together with the challenging questions she raises, Cooper produces a broad and interesting picture of a lesser-studied and understood group of Jews, which despite a common name are becoming distinguished units based on location, the length of time they have been living there and outside influences. * AJL Reviews *Bukharan Jews and the Dynamics of Global Judaism is written in an engaging style, not laden with jargon or with so much detail as to lose the inattentive reader. Cooper situates her work within Jewish studies, but she provides enough explanation of her key interests and questions that a reader who knows little about Judaism will still find the work very accessible. Likewise, non-anthropologists will find her explanations of method and theory to be useful and easily understood. * Nationalities Papers *Overall, Bukharan Jews and the Dynamics of Global Judaism contributes to the growing field of Jewish ethnography, especially in its concentration on an understudied Jewish group that reveals the significance of contestation to understanding diaspora communities. Methodologically, Cooper's focus on contestations and conversations and her incorporation of historiographic material in addition to ethnographic work are also valuable. This ethnography will be of particular interest to students and scholars of the anthropology of Jews, Jewish studies more broadly, and diaspora and migration studies. * American Ethnologist *Every serious student of Jewish history should read this book. * Jewish Link *Table of ContentsPreface: Reining in Diaspora's MarginsAcknowledgmentsPart 1. Introduction1. First Encounter: Bukharan Jewish Immigrants in an Ashkenazi School in New York2. Writing Bukharan Jewish History: Memory, Authority, and PeoplehoodPart 2. Eighteenth-Century Conversations3. An Emissary from the Holy Land in Central Asia4. Revisiting the Story of the Emissary from the Holy LandPart 3. Nineteenth-Century Conversations5. Russian Colonialism and Central Asian Jewish Routes6. A Matter of Meat: Local and Global Religious Leaders in Conversation7. Building a Neighborhood and Constructing Bukharan Jewish IdentityPart 4. Twentieth-Century Conversations8. Local Jewish Forms9. International Jewish Organizations Encounter Local Jewish Community Life10. Varieties of Bukharan Jewishness11. Negotiating Authenticity and Identity: Bukharan Jews Encounter Each Other and the Self12. Jewish History as a ConversationNotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers a balanced view of the complexities of the African Muslim past while looking toward Africa's future role in the globalized Muslim worldTrade ReviewThis book is outstanding in all respects. It will not only help experts and instructors to better understand this field, but will also admirably serve the general public with little knowledge of Muslim Africa and newcomers to the field of Islam in Africa. * Cahiers d'Etudes Africaines *Loimeier's impressive book presents a critical assessment of scholarship on the 1,300 years of the historical development and evolution of Muslim societies in Africa . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *No quoteDec. 2015 * AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST *Roman Loimeier has written another powerful book that synthesizes a rich variety of sources offering fresh insight into the history of Islam in Africa that emphasizes its uniqueness, while recognizing its diversity. . . . This is essential reading for students of Islam at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and certainly a must read for all scholars of Islam in Africa. * Islamic Africa *It is rare for a book to textualize the research material and take the position of directing future course of research. This one successfully does both. It can be highly recommended for those scholars and researchers engaged in serious study of Islam and Muslims in African society and history. * Journal of Islamic Studies *Unlike most academic treatments where scholarship gets in the way of readership and clarity, Loimeier's work is a pleasure to read from start to finish. . . . [T]his great study is a must for anyone interested in Islam and its history, and is clearly the book to read on this fascinating subject. * The Muslim World Book Review *This is an erudite and comprehensive account of the history of Islam in Africa through the colonial period. * International Journal of African Historical Studies *Muslim Societies in Africa avoids the temptation to idealise or demonise Africa's Muslims, to homogenise them, or to categorise them as either more or less orthodox than Muslims elsewhere. It will be an invaluable aid to scholars who study particular Muslim societies in Africa and who desire a broader understanding of Islam's influence on the continent as a whole. * Africa Spectrum *[This] book clearly debunks the notion of the peculiarity of Muslim societies in Africa and provides a nuanced analysis that places their history in that of a much more globalized world. This is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the history of Islam in Africa. . . . Overall this is a masterful contribution to the growing literature on Islam in Africa, suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate classes about the history of Muslim societies in Africa. * Journal of African History *Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction: The Geographical and Anthropological Setting 1. Is there an African Islam? 2. The bilād al-maghrib: Rebels, saints and heretics 3. The Sahara as connective space4. Dynamics of Islamization in the bilād al-sÙdān 5. The dynamics of jihād in the bilÁd al-sÙdÁn 6. Islam in Nubia and Funj 7. Egyptian colonialism and the Mahd in the Sudan 8. Ethiopia and Islam 9. Muslims on the Horn of Africa 10. The East African Coast 11. Muslims in Cape Town: Community and Dispute 12. Muslims under Colonial Rule Conclusion Appendix Glossary of Arabic terms NotesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisContributes to a richer understanding of this diverse, dynamic, and fluid religious worldTrade ReviewGods of the Mississippi succeeds on two fronts. It will certainly serve as an essential resource for scholars of religion in the South, not to mention those interested specifically in religion on and along the great river. What is more, this collection now stands as an invaluable example of precisely how scholars can retell religious history in the United States and across the Americas. * Journal of Southern Religion *Gods of the Mississippi examines how religion moved and adapted along the Mississippi River and its banks from expeditions to its source to living in its delta. . . . What follows the Introduction are nine excellent essays and an epilogue by Thomas Tweed. . . . Gods of the Mississippi bucks against an east-to-west story of American religious history and narrates a story from the continent's interior. * Religion in American History *Table of ContentsForeword \ Catherine L. Albanese and Stephen J. SteinAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Religious Life on the Mississippi \ Michael Pasquier 1. "The Singing of the Mississippi": The River and Religions of the Black Atlantic \ Jon F. Sensbach 2. Religion and American Empire in Mississippi, 1790–1833 \ Sylvester Johnson 3. Movement, Maps, and Wonder: Civil Religious Competition at the Source of the Mississippi River, 1805–1832 \ Arthur Remillard 4. Looking for the New Jerusalem: Antebellum New Religious Movements and the Mississippi River \ Thomas Ruys Smith 5. "Go Down into Jordan: No, Mississippi": Mormon Nauvoo and the Rhetoric of Landscape \ Seth Perry 6. The Mississippi River and the Transformation of Black Religion in the Delta, 1877–1915 \ John M. Giggie 7. The Redemption of Souls and Soils: Religion and the Rural Crisis in the Delta \ Alison Collis Greene 8. Bonfires on the Levee: Place, Memory, and the Sacred in River Road Catholicism \ Justin D. Poché 9. "Big River": Johnny Cash and the Currents of History \ John HayesAfterword: "No Home Like a Raft": Repositioning the Narratives of U.S. Religious History \ Thomas A. TweedContributorsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisContributes to a richer understanding of this diverse, dynamic, and fluid religious worldTrade ReviewGods of the Mississippi succeeds on two fronts. It will certainly serve as an essential resource for scholars of religion in the South, not to mention those interested specifically in religion on and along the great river. What is more, this collection now stands as an invaluable example of precisely how scholars can retell religious history in the United States and across the Americas. * Journal of Southern Religion *Gods of the Mississippi examines how religion moved and adapted along the Mississippi River and its banks from expeditions to its source to living in its delta. . . . What follows the Introduction are nine excellent essays and an epilogue by Thomas Tweed. . . . Gods of the Mississippi bucks against an east-to-west story of American religious history and narrates a story from the continent's interior. * Religion in American History *Table of ContentsForeword \ Catherine L. Albanese and Stephen J. SteinAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Religious Life on the Mississippi \ Michael Pasquier 1. "The Singing of the Mississippi": The River and Religions of the Black Atlantic \ Jon F. Sensbach 2. Religion and American Empire in Mississippi, 1790–1833 \ Sylvester Johnson 3. Movement, Maps, and Wonder: Civil Religious Competition at the Source of the Mississippi River, 1805–1832 \ Arthur Remillard 4. Looking for the New Jerusalem: Antebellum New Religious Movements and the Mississippi River \ Thomas Ruys Smith 5. "Go Down into Jordan: No, Mississippi": Mormon Nauvoo and the Rhetoric of Landscape \ Seth Perry 6. The Mississippi River and the Transformation of Black Religion in the Delta, 1877–1915 \ John M. Giggie 7. The Redemption of Souls and Soils: Religion and the Rural Crisis in the Delta \ Alison Collis Greene 8. Bonfires on the Levee: Place, Memory, and the Sacred in River Road Catholicism \ Justin D. Poché 9. "Big River": Johnny Cash and the Currents of History \ John HayesAfterword: "No Home Like a Raft": Repositioning the Narratives of U.S. Religious History \ Thomas A. TweedContributorsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplores the response of society in general and religion in particular to major cultural shocks such as the Famine and to long term processes such as urbanization.Trade ReviewVisit the companion website for the bookBy tapping the power of new geospatial technologies, the authors explored the intersection of geography, religion, politics, and identity in Irish history. Troubled Geographies. . . is a well-researched and written scholarly book that would interest students of European/Irish history and socio-cultural change. * International Social Science Review *The book makes a strong case for a greater consideration of spatial information in historical analysis—a message that is obviously appealing for geographers. But only when HGIS becomes more fully integrated into history and the humanities will the potential suggested by Troubled Geographies be fully realized. * Journal of Interdisciplinary History *A book like this is useful as a reminder of the struggles and the sacrifices of generations of unrest and conflict, albeit that, on a global scale, the Irish troubles are just one of a myriad of disputes, each with their own history and localized geography. The book is excellent as an introduction; it is written in a fluent, engaging and factually-correct prose. The first eight chapters on Ireland's history are essential reading before any sense can be made of the contemporary religious conflicts. . . * Journal of Historical Geography *Table of ContentsList of FiguresList of TablesAcknowledgments1. Geography, Religion, and Society in Ireland: A Spatial History2. The Plantations: Sowing the Seeds of Ireland's Religious Geographies3. Religion and Society in Pre-Famine Ireland4. The Famine and its Impacts, 1840s to 1860s5. Towards Partition, 1860s to 1910s6. Partition and Civil War, 1911 to 19267. Division and Continuity, 1920s to 1960s8. Towards the Celtic Tiger: The Republic, 1961 to 20029. Stagnation and Segregation: Northern Ireland, 1971 to 200110. Communal Conflict and Death in Northern Ireland, 1969 to 200111. Belfast through the Troubles: Socio-economic Change, Segregation, and Violence12. Conclusions: Ireland's Religious Geographies—Stability or Change?Notes on Methods and Literature: From Historical GIS Databases to Narrative HistoriesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisOver the centuries, the messianic tradition has provided the language through which modern Jewish philosophers, socialists, and Zionists envisioned a utopian future. This book helps you ask new questions and provide new ways of thinking about this enduring Jewish idea.Trade ReviewLehrer and Meng have edited an important interdisciplinary work, which should make an immediate impact on the field of Polish Jewish Studies. * Religious Studies Review *[A]ppropriate for academic collections that are either comprehensive or include a specialization on messianism.Sept 2015 * AJL Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroductionMichael L. Morgan and Steven Weitzman Part I. Blurred Lines and Open Secrets in Early Jewish Messianism1. Messianism between Judaism and Christianity Annette Yoshiko Reed 2. He that Cometh Out: On How to Disclose a Messianic Secret Steven Weitzman Part II. Between Here and Eternity in Medieval Judaism3. Maimonides and the Idea of a Deflationary Messiah Kenneth Seeskin4. 'And the Crooked Shall be Made Straight': Twisted Messianic Visions, and a Maimonidean Corrective Menachen Kellner5. Seeking the Symmetry of Time: The Messianic Age in Medieval Chronology Elisheva Carlebach Part III. Messianism and Ethics in Modern Jewish Thought6. Messianism and Ethics Matt Goldish7. To Infinity and Beyond: Cohen and Rosenzweig on Comportment towards Redemption Benjamin Pollock8. Levinas and Messianism Michael L. MorganPart IV. Politics and Anti-Politics in Contemporary Jewish Messianism9. What Zvi Yehudah Kook Wrought: The Theopolitical Radicalization of Religious ZionismShai Held10. Messianic Religious Zionism and the Reintroduction of Sacrifice: The Case of the Temple InstituteMotti Inbari11. The Muted Messiah: The Aversion to Messianic Forms of Zionism in Modern Orthodox ThoughtDavid Shatz12. The Divine/Human Messiah and Religious Deviance: Rethinking Chabad MessianismShaul Magid Part V. Messianism between Religious and Secular Imagination13. Isadore Isou's Messianism Awry Cosana Eram14. Arthur A. Cohen's Messianic Fiction Emily Kopley15. Reading Messianically with Gershom Scholem Martin KavkaIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisOver the centuries, the messianic tradition has provided the language through which modern Jewish philosophers, socialists, and Zionists envisioned a utopian future. This book helps you ask questions and provide new ways of thinking about this enduring Jewish idea.Trade ReviewLehrer and Meng have edited an important interdisciplinary work, which should make an immediate impact on the field of Polish Jewish Studies. * Religious Studies Review *[A]ppropriate for academic collections that are either comprehensive or include a specialization on messianism.Sept 2015 * AJL Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroductionMichael L. Morgan and Steven Weitzman Part I. Blurred Lines and Open Secrets in Early Jewish Messianism1. Messianism between Judaism and Christianity Annette Yoshiko Reed 2. He that Cometh Out: On How to Disclose a Messianic Secret Steven Weitzman Part II. Between Here and Eternity in Medieval Judaism3. Maimonides and the Idea of a Deflationary Messiah Kenneth Seeskin4. 'And the Crooked Shall be Made Straight': Twisted Messianic Visions, and a Maimonidean Corrective Menachen Kellner5. Seeking the Symmetry of Time: The Messianic Age in Medieval Chronology Elisheva Carlebach Part III. Messianism and Ethics in Modern Jewish Thought6. Messianism and Ethics Matt Goldish7. To Infinity and Beyond: Cohen and Rosenzweig on Comportment towards Redemption Benjamin Pollock8. Levinas and Messianism Michael L. MorganPart IV. Politics and Anti-Politics in Contemporary Jewish Messianism9. What Zvi Yehudah Kook Wrought: The Theopolitical Radicalization of Religious ZionismShai Held10. Messianic Religious Zionism and the Reintroduction of Sacrifice: The Case of the Temple InstituteMotti Inbari11. The Muted Messiah: The Aversion to Messianic Forms of Zionism in Modern Orthodox ThoughtDavid Shatz12. The Divine/Human Messiah and Religious Deviance: Rethinking Chabad MessianismShaul Magid Part V. Messianism between Religious and Secular Imagination13. Isadore Isou's Messianism Awry Cosana Eram14. Arthur A. Cohen's Messianic Fiction Emily Kopley15. Reading Messianically with Gershom Scholem Martin KavkaIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewDoron's work provides a valuable contribution to the growing body of scholary work on postwar relief and reconstruction efforts. * Studies in Contemporary Jewry * Jewish Identity and Youth raises fundamental questions for the understanding of not only Jewish reconstruction in post-World War II France, but also Holocaust memory, postwar French society and culture and the history of postwar European families and children. * French Politics, culture and Society *The value of Daniella Doron's deft and far-reaching study of the debates and institutions centered on Jewish children in post-Vichy France extends far beyond the author's rather modest assessment of the book's contribution to historical scholarship. This work not only adds knowledge to a number of intersecting fields, it also demonstrates what we stand to gain by bringing these fields to bear on one another. * Journal of Modern History *Doron's book appears at a key moment. Its emphasis on children emerging from hunger, displacement and war should render it standard reading for policymakers, NGOs and others interested in shaping the destinies of today's abandoned children. * French History *The present volume makes an important contribution to the history of the Jewish family and of French Judaism in therst decade after the war. * American Historical Review *Daniella Doron's recent book is a welcome contribution to French history and the history of childhood and will interest advanced students and scholars in these areas. * AJS Review *Ultimately, this comprehensive study highlights the debates surrounding family and identity as French Jewish communities slowly recovered and reestablished their place in the French nation. Historically grounded, well organized, and engaging. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *This work ultimately fills an important gap in the scholarship, and it will serve as a bridge between the numerous studies on the Holocaust and those that examine the impact of the North African Jewish migration. * H-France *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of AbbreviationsIntroduction 1. "Their Children? Our Children!:" Holocaust Memory in Postwar France2. "A Drama of Faith and Family:" Custody Disputes in Postwar France3. Notre Vie en Commune: The Family Versus the Children's Home4. The Homes of Hope?: Trauma, Universal Victimhood, and Universalism5. From Competition to Cooperation: Redefining Jewish Identities ConclusionNotesWorks Cited Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review[W]ell researched and meticulously cited . . . Recommended. * Choice *Lichtenstein is to be commended for writing what promises to be a definitive account of Jewish minority nationalism in interwar Czechoslovakia. . . The detailed geographic and ideological contextualization of the Czech case study will interest all scholars researching Jewish history in central and eastern Europe, as well as the history of nation-building in modern Europe. * Slavic Review *Lichtenstein's book makes a dynamic contribution to the recent historiography of the Jewish experience in twentieth century. * Hungarian Historical Review *Zionists in Interwar Czechoslovakia is a powerful study of interwar Zionism in Czechoslovakia that both complicates the picture and draws simple and useful parallels to contemporaneous developments in Europe * Austrian Studies *This richly detailed monograph, based on an array of archival and contemporary secondary sources, is a welcome addition to modern European, but especially modern Jewish, historiography. * European History Quarterly *Lichtenstein's book is of utmost importance for the understanding of Zionism as a national movement beyond the national project in Palestine. * East Central Europe *[A] well-documented and insightful monograph. * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsAcknowledgementsList of Place NamesIntroduction: Making Jews at Home1. The Jews of Czechoslovakia—A Mosaic of Cultures2. Jewish Power and Powerlessness: Zionists, Czechs and the Paris Peace Conference3. Mapping Jews: Social Science and the Making of Czechoslovak Jewry4. Conquering Communities: Zionists, Cultural Renewal, and the State5. A Stateless Nation's Territory: Zionists and the Jewish Schools6. Making New Jews: Maccabi in Czechoslovakia7. Promised Lands: Zionism and Communism in Interwar CzechoslovakiaEpilogue: "A Storm of Barbarism"NotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWriting Jewish Culture is a significant work in the field of Jewish Studies as well as German-Jewish and Yiddish literature and will be of great interest to scholars in these fields. * Slavic Review *Writing Jewish Culture looks at the ethnographic issues while defining Jewishness in a very fresh, sophisticated way. The contributors in this volume are accomplished and unmatched scholars. It is a very timely and important addition to the literature on Jewish ethnography. * Washington Book Review *This book significantly contributes to our knowledge of Jewish ethnography, history, literature, and culture and should be very interesting for scholars as well as a wider audience. * The Russian Review *Table of ContentsNote on Transliteration and NamesIntroduction / Andreas Kilcher and Gabriella SafranPart 1: Reinventing the "Jews" in Ethnographic Writing1. The Voice of a Native Informer: Salomon Maimon Describes Life in Polish Lithuania / Liliane Weissberg 2. Legends of Authenticity: Das Buch von den polnischen Juden (1916) by S. J. Agnon and Ahron Eliasberg / Sylvia Jaworski3. The Cold Order and the Eros of Storytelling: Joseph Roth's "Exotic Jews" / Andreas Kilcher4. Yiddish Ethnographic Poetics and Moyshe Kulbak's "Vilne" / Jordan FinkinPart 2: Seeing, Hearing, and Reading Jews5. Listening in the Dark: The Yiddish Folklorists' Claim of a Russian Genealogy / Gabriella Safran6. Ethnoliterary Modernity: Jewish Ethnography and Literature in the Russian Empire and Poland (1890-1930) / Annette Werberger7. Imagining the Wandering Jew in Modernity: Exegesis and Ethnography in Feuchtwanger's Jud Süss / Galit Hasan-Rokem8. Exclusion and Inclusion: Ethnography of War in Kriegsgefangene (1916) and Das Ostjüdische Antlitz (1920) / Eva Edelmann-Ohler9. Avant-Garde Authenticity: Ethnography and Identity in Moï Ver's Photobook Ein Ghetto im Osten / Samuel SpinnerPart 3: Spaces of Jewish Ethnography between Diaspora and Nation10. Zionism's Ethnographic Knowledge: Leo Motzkin's and Heinrich York-Steiner's Narratives of Palestine (1898-1904) / Alexander Alon11. Eastern Europe in Argentina: Yiddish Travelogues and the Exploration of Jewish Diaspora / Tamar LewinskyPart 4: Politics and the Addressee of Ethnography12. From Custom Book to Folk Culture: Minhag and the Roots of Jewish Ethnography / Nathaniel Deutsch13. In Search of the Exotic: "Jewish Houses" and Synagogues in Russian Travel Notes / Alla Sokolova14. Ballads of Strangers: Constructing "Ethnographic Moments" in Jewish Folklore / Dani SchrireAppendicesNote to ReadersA. What Is Jewish Ethnography? (Handbook for Fieldworkers) / Naftoli Vaynig and Khayim Khayes, Translated by Jordan FinkinB. Research Your Shtetl / H. Aleksandrov, Translated by Jordan FinkinC. "A Strange Experience" / A. Almi, Translated by Gabriella SafranList of ContributorsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWriting Jewish Culture is a significant work in the field of Jewish Studies as well as German-Jewish and Yiddish literature and will be of great interest to scholars in these fields. * Slavic Review *Writing Jewish Culture looks at the ethnographic issues while defining Jewishness in a very fresh, sophisticated way. The contributors in this volume are accomplished and unmatched scholars. It is a very timely and important addition to the literature on Jewish ethnography. * Washington Book Review *This book significantly contributes to our knowledge of Jewish ethnography, history, literature, and culture and should be very interesting for scholars as well as a wider audience. * The Russian Review *Table of ContentsNote on Transliteration and NamesIntroduction / Andreas Kilcher and Gabriella SafranPart 1: Reinventing the "Jews" in Ethnographic Writing1. The Voice of a Native Informer: Salomon Maimon Describes Life in Polish Lithuania / Liliane Weissberg 2. Legends of Authenticity: Das Buch von den polnischen Juden (1916) by S. J. Agnon and Ahron Eliasberg / Sylvia Jaworski3. The Cold Order and the Eros of Storytelling: Joseph Roth's "Exotic Jews" / Andreas Kilcher4. Yiddish Ethnographic Poetics and Moyshe Kulbak's "Vilne" / Jordan FinkinPart 2: Seeing, Hearing, and Reading Jews5. Listening in the Dark: The Yiddish Folklorists' Claim of a Russian Genealogy / Gabriella Safran6. Ethnoliterary Modernity: Jewish Ethnography and Literature in the Russian Empire and Poland (1890-1930) / Annette Werberger7. Imagining the Wandering Jew in Modernity: Exegesis and Ethnography in Feuchtwanger's Jud Süss / Galit Hasan-Rokem8. Exclusion and Inclusion: Ethnography of War in Kriegsgefangene (1916) and Das Ostjüdische Antlitz (1920) / Eva Edelmann-Ohler9. Avant-Garde Authenticity: Ethnography and Identity in Moï Ver's Photobook Ein Ghetto im Osten / Samuel SpinnerPart 3: Spaces of Jewish Ethnography between Diaspora and Nation10. Zionism's Ethnographic Knowledge: Leo Motzkin's and Heinrich York-Steiner's Narratives of Palestine (1898-1904) / Alexander Alon11. Eastern Europe in Argentina: Yiddish Travelogues and the Exploration of Jewish Diaspora / Tamar LewinskyPart 4: Politics and the Addressee of Ethnography12. From Custom Book to Folk Culture: Minhag and the Roots of Jewish Ethnography / Nathaniel Deutsch13. In Search of the Exotic: "Jewish Houses" and Synagogues in Russian Travel Notes / Alla Sokolova14. Ballads of Strangers: Constructing "Ethnographic Moments" in Jewish Folklore / Dani SchrireAppendicesNote to ReadersA. What Is Jewish Ethnography? (Handbook for Fieldworkers) / Naftoli Vaynig and Khayim Khayes, Translated by Jordan FinkinB. Research Your Shtetl / H. Aleksandrov, Translated by Jordan FinkinC. "A Strange Experience" / A. Almi, Translated by Gabriella SafranList of ContributorsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe story of how the Holocaust decimated Jewish life in the shtetls of Eastern Europe is well known. Still, thousands of Jews in these small towns survived the war and returned afterward to rebuild their communities. The recollections of some 400 returnees in Ukraine provide the basis for Jeffrey Veidlinger's reappraisal of the traditional narrative of 20th-century Jewish history. These elderly Yiddish speakers relate their memories of Jewish life in the prewar shtetl, their stories of survival during the Holocaust, and their experiences living as Jews under Communism. Despite Stalinist repressions, the Holocaust, and official antisemitism, their individual remembrances of family life, religious observance, education, and work testify to the survival of Jewish life in the shadow of the shtetl to this day.Trade ReviewHitherto the story of the Holocaust in the Eastern European shtetl has been told by those who left—on behalf of those who did not survive. What do we learn from these stories told from the shtetl itself? In the Shadow of the Shtetl restores horror to the setting in which it occurred: at home, among familiar people and places. . . . In their accounts the everyday and the extraordinary, the innocuous and the gruesome are continually intertwined. The same people participated in both. The relationship between the normal and the abnormal, the intimate and the alien takes on a different shape in these stories—perhaps a shape that can help us better understand places like Rwanda or Cambodia—or Bosnia. * New York Review of Books *Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on Translation 1. The Shtetl: A Historical Landscape 2.The Scars of Revolution 3.Social Structure of the Soviet Shtetl 4.Growing Up in Yiddish 5.The Sanctuary of the Synagogue 6.Religion of the Home: Food and Faith 7.Life and Death in Reichkommissariat Ukraine 8. Life Beyond the River: Transnistria 9. A Kind of Victory Conclusion Brief Biographies Notes Bibliography Acknowledgements Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOverall, Moses Mendelssohn's Living Script represents an exciting revival of sophisticated scholarly interest in the ''German Socrates''' philosophical-theological contributions. . . . The book is a must-read for students of Judaism, German intellectual history, and the hermeneutic tradition, and it may be hoped that more of its kind will follow. * Toronto Journal of Theology *With scholarly acuity and philological sophistication, Sacks offers us an elegant historical examination of Mendelssohn's own historical consciousness, capturing the philosopher's enduring relevance for the present and future. * The Journal of Religion *Highly recommended. * Choice *Sacks has written an accessible book that will help students who read Jerusalem to better understand Mendelssohn's intellectual methods and objectives as well as his contributions to the development of modern religious forms of Judaism. Mendelssohn's Living Script is also an important book that makes a valuable contribution to debates that will continue to engage the next generation of scholars of Mendelssohn. * Reading Religion *Table of ContentsTranslations and AbbreviationsAcknowledgementsIntroduction1. The "Living Script": Jerusalem's Perplexing Arguments2. Conceptual Disfiguring: Jewish Practice and Philosophical History3. The Felicity of the Nation: Jewish Practice and Social History4. "The Strict Obedience We Owe": Jewish Practice and the Study of History5. Rethinking Mendelssohn: Mendelssohn's Historical JudaismConclusion: Beyond Mendelssohn: History, Modernity, and Religious PracticeBibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewDreams Deferred is a convenient general guide to the multi-faceted Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as a valuable aid to understanding the contentious debates surrounding the BDS movement on American campuses and elsewhere. * Reading Religion *Nelson's book is worth the read because it is full of concise overviews and insightful arguments that can serve as launching points for further discussions about the many important topics addressed within. * H-Net *The book empowers readers to be informed participants in conversations and debates about developments that increasingly touch all of our lives. Its sixty concise but detailed essays give facts and arguments to assist all who seek justice for both Israelis and Palestinians and who believe the two-state solution can yet be realized. * European Association for Jewish Studies *A rare blast of cogent analysis, reliable information, and just good sense about an issue desperately in need of all three. -- Eric Alterman * Media Columnist, The Nation *This critical dictionary of anti-Israeli mendacities will be a sword in the hands of anybody who wants to cut through the dogmas and the intimidations of the BDS movement. It restores the disputation to first principles and first facts. It documents a foul intellectual bankruptcy. Slanders are refuted and clichés are shattered on its every page. Dreams Deferred is an important intervention in an important battle of ideas. I hope it finds many readers, especially on campus. Israel is not perfect, but enough is enough. -- Leon WieseltierIf you're sending a child off to college this fall, you'd do well to make sure they pack a copy of Dreams Deferred. . . . From apartheid to Zionism, there are definitions and descriptions that will help a student cope with today's anti-Israel environment prevalent on so many campuses. No less important, it will inform and clarify their own opinions and strengthen their positions. * Chicago Jewish Star *Dreams Deferred will be a tremendous resource for anyone who is upset by slanders against Israel, who shudders for the present reality of Israelis and Palestinians, or who yearns for a better future. * Reform Judaism *In this timely book of 60 essays, Nelson examines the boycott, sanctions, and divestment (BDS) movement, arguing that such policy has been divisive and counterproductive and undermines the cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Along with an array of contributors, Nelson tackles 60 major issues concerning the conflict, condensing them into clear and concise essays that as a collection create a logical and intricate link of events, concepts, phenomena, and ideologies that give the reader an inclusive picture of the conflict's dynamics today. * Middle East Journal *Offering brief, but cogent points on each topic, it is a particularly appropriate book for people engaged in dialogue with people highly critical of Israel, whether on campus or in the workplace. * The Jewish News *For all of us who hope for a decent peace between Israelis and Palestinians, who oppose the occupation and the BDS movement, who defend, against all odds, the two state solution, this book is powerful intellectual armor and an intellectual sword. -- Michael Walzer, Institute for Advanced StudyWhether you agree with Nelson's Zionist philosophy or not, he has edited a book that gives pro-Zionist, pro-Israel, and anti-BDS activists, and particularly those within the academy, much food for thought and much valuable information that will be of material help in the major task of confronting contemporary anti-Zionism and BDS in all its forms. * International Society for Research on Aggression Blog *Easily accessible and highly enlightening, Dreams Deferred is a must-read for those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the issues and history surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. * The Louis D. Brandeis Center *Readers of the book may come to understand what's at stake and the serious problems that need to be overcome to reach Mideast peace. And the knowledge they acquire may empower them to take part in the debate about Israel's future. * Washington Jewish Week *The quality of the prose is great and so is the level of historical and contemporary knowledge of Israel displayed therein. . . . It's quite an achievement to tackle such a wide range of topics, each of which could easily fill a short book. * Fathom *This work is highly useful as background for debates and discussions. The editor urges small steps to ease tensions until an agreement can be reached that 'validates the national narratives of both peoples. * Jewish Book Council *396 pages of essential information for anyone who cares about the delegitimization of Israel . . . the book's thoroughness and ease of use will be an asset for anyone dedicated to Israel. * Jewish United Fund *Table of ContentsTopics include ACADEMIC BOYCOTTS //ANTI-IMPERIALISM // ANTI-JEWISH BOYCOTTS IN HISTORY // ANTI-NORMALIZATION // ANTI-ZIONISM AS ANTI-SEMITISM // APARTHEID // BDS (BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT, AND SANCTIONS): A BRIEF HISTORY // BDS AND ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES // BDS AND CHRISTIAN CHURCHES // BI-NATIONALISM // COORDINATED UNILATERAL WITHDRAWAL // CULTURAL BOYCOTTS // DIVESTMENT CAMPAIGNS // ECONOMIC BOYCOTTS // FATAH // "FROM FERGUSON TO PALESTINE" // GAZA // HAMAS // HEZBOLLAH // HOLOCAUST INVERSION // THE INDIGENOUS PALESTINIAN // THE INTIFADAS // ISRAEL: DEMOCRATIC AND JEWISH // ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN UNIVERSITY COOPERATION // THE ISRAELI RIGHT AND RELIGIOUS SETTLER POLITICS // JEWISH ANTI-ZIONISM: THREE VIEWS // THE "JEWISH CONSPIRACY" // JEWISH HISTORY BEFORE ZIONISM // JIHAD // THE LEBANON WARS (1978, 1982, 2006) // THE 1948 WAR // THE ONE-STATE SOLUTION // ORIENTALISM & THE ATTACK ON ENLIGHTENMENT VALUES // THE OSLO ACCORDS // THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION (PLO) // THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (PA) // THE PALESTINIAN RIGHT OF RETURN // PALESTINIANS IN ISRAELI HIGHER EDUCATION // THE PEACE PROCESS // PINKWASHING (LGBTQ) // PROPORTIONALITY AND ASYMMETRIC WARFARE // THE SECURITY BARRIER // SETTLER COLONIALISM // THE SOCIAL JUSTICE MANDATE IN HIGHER EDUCATION // TEACHING FEMINISM IN ISRAEL // THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION // THE WEST BANK // WORLD WAR II AND THE FOUNDING OF ISRAEL // ZIONISM AS PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE // INDEX

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewDreams Deferred is a convenient general guide to the multi-faceted Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as a valuable aid to understanding the contentious debates surrounding the BDS movement on American campuses and elsewhere. * Reading Religion *Nelson's book is worth the read because it is full of concise overviews and insightful arguments that can serve as launching points for further discussions about the many important topics addressed within. * H-Net *The book empowers readers to be informed participants in conversations and debates about developments that increasingly touch all of our lives. Its sixty concise but detailed essays give facts and arguments to assist all who seek justice for both Israelis and Palestinians and who believe the two-state solution can yet be realized. * European Association for Jewish Studies *A rare blast of cogent analysis, reliable information, and just good sense about an issue desperately in need of all three. -- Eric Alterman * Media Columnist, The Nation *This critical dictionary of anti-Israeli mendacities will be a sword in the hands of anybody who wants to cut through the dogmas and the intimidations of the BDS movement. It restores the disputation to first principles and first facts. It documents a foul intellectual bankruptcy. Slanders are refuted and clichés are shattered on its every page. Dreams Deferred is an important intervention in an important battle of ideas. I hope it finds many readers, especially on campus. Israel is not perfect, but enough is enough. -- Leon WieseltierIf you're sending a child off to college this fall, you'd do well to make sure they pack a copy of Dreams Deferred. . . . From apartheid to Zionism, there are definitions and descriptions that will help a student cope with today's anti-Israel environment prevalent on so many campuses. No less important, it will inform and clarify their own opinions and strengthen their positions. * Chicago Jewish Star *Dreams Deferred will be a tremendous resource for anyone who is upset by slanders against Israel, who shudders for the present reality of Israelis and Palestinians, or who yearns for a better future. * Reform Judaism *In this timely book of 60 essays, Nelson examines the boycott, sanctions, and divestment (BDS) movement, arguing that such policy has been divisive and counterproductive and undermines the cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Along with an array of contributors, Nelson tackles 60 major issues concerning the conflict, condensing them into clear and concise essays that as a collection create a logical and intricate link of events, concepts, phenomena, and ideologies that give the reader an inclusive picture of the conflict's dynamics today. * Middle East Journal *Offering brief, but cogent points on each topic, it is a particularly appropriate book for people engaged in dialogue with people highly critical of Israel, whether on campus or in the workplace. * The Jewish News *For all of us who hope for a decent peace between Israelis and Palestinians, who oppose the occupation and the BDS movement, who defend, against all odds, the two state solution, this book is powerful intellectual armor and an intellectual sword. -- Michael Walzer, Institute for Advanced StudyWhether you agree with Nelson's Zionist philosophy or not, he has edited a book that gives pro-Zionist, pro-Israel, and anti-BDS activists, and particularly those within the academy, much food for thought and much valuable information that will be of material help in the major task of confronting contemporary anti-Zionism and BDS in all its forms. * International Society for Research on Aggression Blog *Easily accessible and highly enlightening, Dreams Deferred is a must-read for those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the issues and history surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. * The Louis D. Brandeis Center *Readers of the book may come to understand what's at stake and the serious problems that need to be overcome to reach Mideast peace. And the knowledge they acquire may empower them to take part in the debate about Israel's future. * Washington Jewish Week *The quality of the prose is great and so is the level of historical and contemporary knowledge of Israel displayed therein. . . . It's quite an achievement to tackle such a wide range of topics, each of which could easily fill a short book. * Fathom *This work is highly useful as background for debates and discussions. The editor urges small steps to ease tensions until an agreement can be reached that 'validates the national narratives of both peoples. * Jewish Book Council *396 pages of essential information for anyone who cares about the delegitimization of Israel . . . the book's thoroughness and ease of use will be an asset for anyone dedicated to Israel. * Jewish United Fund *Table of ContentsTopics include ACADEMIC BOYCOTTS //ANTI-IMPERIALISM // ANTI-JEWISH BOYCOTTS IN HISTORY // ANTI-NORMALIZATION // ANTI-ZIONISM AS ANTI-SEMITISM // APARTHEID // BDS (BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT, AND SANCTIONS): A BRIEF HISTORY // BDS AND ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES // BDS AND CHRISTIAN CHURCHES // BI-NATIONALISM // COORDINATED UNILATERAL WITHDRAWAL // CULTURAL BOYCOTTS // DIVESTMENT CAMPAIGNS // ECONOMIC BOYCOTTS // FATAH // "FROM FERGUSON TO PALESTINE" // GAZA // HAMAS // HEZBOLLAH // HOLOCAUST INVERSION // THE INDIGENOUS PALESTINIAN // THE INTIFADAS // ISRAEL: DEMOCRATIC AND JEWISH // ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN UNIVERSITY COOPERATION // THE ISRAELI RIGHT AND RELIGIOUS SETTLER POLITICS // JEWISH ANTI-ZIONISM: THREE VIEWS // THE "JEWISH CONSPIRACY" // JEWISH HISTORY BEFORE ZIONISM // JIHAD // THE LEBANON WARS (1978, 1982, 2006) // THE 1948 WAR // THE ONE-STATE SOLUTION // ORIENTALISM & THE ATTACK ON ENLIGHTENMENT VALUES // THE OSLO ACCORDS // THE PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION (PLO) // THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (PA) // THE PALESTINIAN RIGHT OF RETURN // PALESTINIANS IN ISRAELI HIGHER EDUCATION // THE PEACE PROCESS // PINKWASHING (LGBTQ) // PROPORTIONALITY AND ASYMMETRIC WARFARE // THE SECURITY BARRIER // SETTLER COLONIALISM // THE SOCIAL JUSTICE MANDATE IN HIGHER EDUCATION // TEACHING FEMINISM IN ISRAEL // THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION // THE WEST BANK // WORLD WAR II AND THE FOUNDING OF ISRAEL // ZIONISM AS PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE // INDEX

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn all, despite the challenges posed by the confluence of history and memory in reconstructing the past, Hanson demonstrates how to navigate this rough terrain with a significant degree of success, a cue that emerging historians, especially those studying Africa, could take to contribute meaningfully to this dynamic field. * Africa *This book about the Ahmadiyya, a reformist Islamic movement in South Asia and West Africa, is a welcome addition to the growing scholarship on the historiography of global Islam and the British Empire. It is also notably well written and grounded in current debates in the field of African history. * American Historical Review *Table of ContentsPreface and AcknowledgementsNote on Terminology and SpellingList of AbbreviationsIntroductionSection 1: Preparing the Way in the Gold Coast1. The Hausa Force and the Religious Marketplace in the Fante States2. Binyameen Sam's Fante Muslim CommunitySection 2: Ahmadiyya Genesis and Expansion to London and Lagos 3. The Genesis of the Ahmadiyya in British India4. Ahmadiyya Expansion to London and LagosSection 3: Ahmadiyya Arrival and Consolidation in the Gold Coast 5. Ahmadiyya Arrival in the Gold Coast6. Ahmadiyya Consolidation in the Gold Coast 7. Ahmadiyya Expansion to Asante8. Ahmadiyya Expansion to WaConclusionGlossaryBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe book will surely stand up over time as authoritative for its extensive documentation and the intellectual subtlety of its analysis. * Russian Review *Table of ContentsPrefaceList of AbbreviationsIntroduction: Studying Soviet Policy toward Religion and the Church in Latvia and Estonia1. The Early Stalinization Process, 1944-19492. The Period of High Stalinism, 1949-19533. The Post-Stalin Thaw, 1953-19574. Renewed Repression and International Opening under Khrushchev, 1958-19645. Détente and Stagnation in the Brezhnev Era, 1964-19856. Perestroika and Religious Policy in the Baltics: Playing Harmony in the Singing Revolution, 1985-1991Conclusion: The Contours of Baltic Exceptionalism in Soviet Religious Policy and its LimitsGlossaryBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe book will surely stand up over time as authoritative for its extensive documentation and the intellectual subtlety of its analysis. * Russian Review *Table of ContentsPrefaceList of AbbreviationsIntroduction: Studying Soviet Policy toward Religion and the Church in Latvia and Estonia1. The Early Stalinization Process, 1944-19492. The Period of High Stalinism, 1949-19533. The Post-Stalin Thaw, 1953-19574. Renewed Repression and International Opening under Khrushchev, 1958-19645. Détente and Stagnation in the Brezhnev Era, 1964-19856. Perestroika and Religious Policy in the Baltics: Playing Harmony in the Singing Revolution, 1985-1991Conclusion: The Contours of Baltic Exceptionalism in Soviet Religious Policy and its LimitsGlossaryBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe book is scrupulously documented allowing the reader to follow up with further information on any given aspect of this topic. Highly recommended for all adult and secondary school Judaica collections * AJL Reviews *At a time when questions of Jewish "(dis)loyalty" are once again appearing in the headlines, this timely volume offers directions to begin untangling the historial roots and trajectories of the dynamics of trust -- Noam Sienna * Church History *Table of ContentsIntroduction: On the Word of a Jew, or Trusting Jewish History / Nina Caputo and Mitchell B. Hart Section One: To Swear an Oath1. Oaths, Vows, and Trust in the Bible / Robert S. Kawashima 2. "And in most of their business transactions they rely on this": Some Reflections on Jews and Oaths in the Commercial Arena in Medieval Europe / Ephraim Shoham-Steiner3. The Oath of a Jew in the Thirteenth Century English Legal Context / Joshua Curk 4. What is an Infidel?: Jewish Oaths and Jewish History in the Making of English Trust and Tolerance / Mitchell B. Hart 5. Trusting Adolphe Crémieux: Jews and Republicans in Nineteenth-Century France / Lisa Leff Section Two: The Business of Trust 6. "A kind of republic and neutral nation:" Commerce, Credit, and Conspiracy in Early Modern Europe / Joshua Teplitsky7. Jewish Peddlers and Non-Jewish Customers in the New World: Between Profit and Trust / Hasia Diner 8. Belonging and Trustworthiness: Jewish Businessmen in the Public Rhetoric around the "Trustworthy Businessman" in Post-World War I Germany / Stefanie Fischer Section Three: Intimacy of Trust 9. The Voice of a Jew? Petrus Alfonsi's Dialogi contra judaeos and the Question of True Conversion / Nina Caputo 10. A Return to Credibility? The Rehabilitation of Repentant Apostates in Medieval Ashkenaz / Rachel Furst 11. The Jewish Physician as Respondent, Confidant, and Proxy: The Case of Marcus Herz and Immanuel Kant / Robert Leventhal Section Four: The Politics of Trust 12. Perspectives from the Periphery: The East India Company's Jewish Sepoys, Anglo-Jewry, and the Image of "the Jew" / Mitch Numark 13. Between Honor and Authenticity: Zionism as Theodor Herzl's Life-Project / Derek Jonathan Penslar 14. The Most Trusted Jew in America: Jon Stewart's Earnestness / Shaina Hammerman

Read more less

Book SynopsisThrough a thoughtful interrogation of the effects of faith and religion on our lives, our relationships, and our country, God Land investigates whether our divides can ever be bridged and if America can ever come together.Trade ReviewLenz holds light to the hypocrisy she finds. And her overall conclusions — that so much of this boils down to white supremacy and white privilege — is not what I was expecting from this book, but so helpful to me. By no means is Lenz, a middle class white woman, the first to point out white supremacy in American Christianity. But I found the structure of her arguments incredibly compelling and straightforward, for me, also an upper middle class white woman. * She Can't Stop Reading *God Land is a courageous narrative account of the religious and political divides that threaten to rip America down its middle. * Foreword Reviews *God Land is a gritty, insightful tour guide into some of the realities of the American Midwest. In this highly readable book, journalist Lyz Lenz provides her reader with a window into her own lived experiences as an Iowa transplant, a victim of sexist evangelical church cultures, a divorcee and a mother—a woman entangled with broader cultural histories of white Protestant America, nostalgia, and loss in the heartland. . . . Highly recommended. -- Kristy Nabhan-Warren * Indiana Magazine of History *This work will resonate with any readers interested in understanding American landscapes where white, evangelical Christianity dominates both politics and culture. * Publishers Weekly *[Lenz's] sharp, insightful prose and deep compassion help illuminate many facets of a complicated region and its ties to Christianity. And like the people she meets, Lenz can't quite give up her stubborn longing for a big-hearted faith and an even bigger God. The result is an incisive, sober-eyed yet hopeful look at a vital aspect of American culture. * Shelf Awareness *Table of Contents Dangerous Speculation The Heart of the Heartland Yearning for Better Days The Pew and the Pulpit The Church of the Air Room at the Table A Muscular Jesus The Asian American Reformed Church of Bigelow, Minnesota Bridging the Divide A Den of Thieves Satanists Potluck Reclaiming Our Faith The Fire Outside

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis is a rich study that makes important contributions to the historiography of the Russian Empire, sharpening our picture of an empire in which lines between colonizer and colonized were far from clear. * The Middle Ground Journal *Ross offers a fascinating, well-researched narrative that fills an important lacuna in our understanding of Russia's engagement with Islam. As her clearly clearly shows, Ross engages not only with topics related to the study of Islam but also with some of the key themes of Russian history: Empire and Nation, Islam and Modernity, and the way empire worked by mutual relations and not by a unidirectional vector of power and control. Her study of the Machkaran network of scholars provides an important corrective to an image of Islamic reform dominated by Central Asian and Crimean Jadidism; it is bound tostimulate further research. -- Orel Beilinson * Euraian Geography and Economics *Danielle Ross' monograph, Tatar Empire: Kazan's Muslims and the Making of Imperial Russia, offers a substantive and thought-provoking addition to the historiography of both the Russian Empire in general and its relationship with its subject Muslim peoples in particular. . . . Tatar Empire is a fascinating and well-written contribution to the field. It is recommended not only to scholars interested in the history of Russian-Muslim relations, but also to a wider audience of experts interested in questions of empire, religion, and the emergence of nationalism. -- John M. Romero * Canadian-American Slavic Studies *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: The Empire that Tatars Built1. The Age of the Settler Ulamā2. The Art of Accruing Scholarly Prestige3. Colonial Trade and Religious Revival4. A Shaykhly Rural Gentry5. Knowledge, History-Writing, and Becoming Colonial6. Muslim Cultural Reform and Kazan Tatar Cultural Imperialism7. Fundamentalism, Nationalism, and Social Conflict8. At War with the Tatar Kingdom9. An Empire without RussiansConclusionGlossaryBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the 1700s, Kazan Tatar (Muslim scholars of Kazan) and scholarly networks stood at the forefront of Russia's expansion into the South Urals, western Siberia, and the Kazakh steppe. It was there that the Tatars worked with Russian agents, established settlements, and spread their own religious and intellectual cuture that helped shaped their identity in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Kazan Tatars profited economically from Russia's commercial and military expansion to Muslim lands and began to present themselves as leaders capable of bringing Islamic modernity to the rest of Russia's Muslim population. Danielle Ross bridges the history of Russia's imperial project with the history of Russia's Muslims by exploring the Kazan Tatars as participants in the construction of the Russian empire. Ross focuses on Muslim clerical and commercial networks to reconstruct the ongoing interaction among Russian imperial policy, nonstate actors, and intellectual developments within Kazan's Muslim cTrade ReviewThis is a rich study that makes important contributions to the historiography of the Russian Empire, sharpening our picture of an empire in which lines between colonizer and colonized were far from clear. * The Middle Ground Journal *Ross offers a fascinating, well-researched narrative that fills an important lacuna in our understanding of Russia's engagement with Islam. As her clearly clearly shows, Ross engages not only with topics related to the study of Islam but also with some of the key themes of Russian history: Empire and Nation, Islam and Modernity, and the way empire worked by mutual relations and not by a unidirectional vector of power and control. Her study of the Machkaran network of scholars provides an important corrective to an image of Islamic reform dominated by Central Asian and Crimean Jadidism; it is bound tostimulate further research. -- Orel Beilinson * Euraian Geography and Economics *Danielle Ross' monograph, Tatar Empire: Kazan's Muslims and the Making of Imperial Russia, offers a substantive and thought-provoking addition to the historiography of both the Russian Empire in general and its relationship with its subject Muslim peoples in particular. . . . Tatar Empire is a fascinating and well-written contribution to the field. It is recommended not only to scholars interested in the history of Russian-Muslim relations, but also to a wider audience of experts interested in questions of empire, religion, and the emergence of nationalism. -- John M. Romero * Canadian-American Slavic Studies *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: The Empire that Tatars Built1. The Age of the Settler Ulamā2. The Art of Accruing Scholarly Prestige3. Colonial Trade and Religious Revival4. A Shaykhly Rural Gentry5. Knowledge, History-Writing, and Becoming Colonial6. Muslim Cultural Reform and Kazan Tatar Cultural Imperialism7. Fundamentalism, Nationalism, and Social Conflict8. At War with the Tatar Kingdom9. An Empire without RussiansConclusionGlossaryBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review[Jews and the Mediterranean] takes aim in part at a trope in Mediterranean studies that plays up the integration of minorities across communities, with character types of cosmopolitanism, fluidity, and diversity. The papers examine what made Jews and Jewish communities distinctive, even as they interacted with their Muslim and Christian neighbors and business partners. * Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews *Studious, erudite, and highly recommended. * Midwest Book Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Jewish History in the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean in Jewish History / Jessica Marglin and Matthias Lehmann1. Globalization or Culture: The Ancient Jews and the Mediterranean / Seth Schwartz2. The New Melting Pot? Mediterraneanism and the Study of Jewish History / Jonathan Ray3. Can we Speak of a Geographical Axis in Medieval Jewish Culture? / Andrew Berns4. Jews and the Early Modern Mediterranean Slave Trade / Daniel Hershenzon5. Religious Boundaries in Italy during an Era of Free Trade, 1550-1750: The Case of Livorno / Corey Tazzara6. A Father's Consolation: Intra-Cultural Ties and Religion in a Trans-Mediterranean Jewish Commercial Network / Francesca Bregoli7. Soap and the Making of a Short Distance Network in the Nineteenth-Century Adriatic / Constanze Kolbe8. A Guide to the Jewish Mediterranean: Le Guide Sam and the Shaping of an Interwar Mediterranean Diaspora / Devi Mays9. A New Myth of Coexistence? The Jewish Mediterranean Dream and the Three Ages of Nostalgia / Clémence BoulouqueIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review[Jews and the Mediterranean] takes aim in part at a trope in Mediterranean studies that plays up the integration of minorities across communities, with character types of cosmopolitanism, fluidity, and diversity. The papers examine what made Jews and Jewish communities distinctive, even as they interacted with their Muslim and Christian neighbors and business partners. * Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews *Studious, erudite, and highly recommended. * Midwest Book Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Jewish History in the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean in Jewish History / Jessica Marglin and Matthias Lehmann1. Globalization or Culture: The Ancient Jews and the Mediterranean / Seth Schwartz2. The New Melting Pot? Mediterraneanism and the Study of Jewish History / Jonathan Ray3. Can we Speak of a Geographical Axis in Medieval Jewish Culture? / Andrew Berns4. Jews and the Early Modern Mediterranean Slave Trade / Daniel Hershenzon5. Religious Boundaries in Italy during an Era of Free Trade, 1550-1750: The Case of Livorno / Corey Tazzara6. A Father's Consolation: Intra-Cultural Ties and Religion in a Trans-Mediterranean Jewish Commercial Network / Francesca Bregoli7. Soap and the Making of a Short Distance Network in the Nineteenth-Century Adriatic / Constanze Kolbe8. A Guide to the Jewish Mediterranean: Le Guide Sam and the Shaping of an Interwar Mediterranean Diaspora / Devi Mays9. A New Myth of Coexistence? The Jewish Mediterranean Dream and the Three Ages of Nostalgia / Clémence BoulouqueIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Shmuel Feiner gives us a capacious and methodologically innovative volume on the "modernity" of the Jewish eighteenth century by juxtaposing myriad events across disparate regions recounted through a captivating panoply of personalities."—David Sorkin, Lucy G. Moses professor of Jewish history at Yale University"Shmuel Feiner has synthesized the work of the best modern scholars of a half-century of European Jewish history and combined it with his own, original research, to tell the story of a period little known to non-specialists. The result is a narrative that is as authoritative as it is entrancing."—Allan Arkush, Jewish Review of Books"Extraordinarily erudite and compulsively readable, this book transforms everything we thought we knew about the Jewish eighteenth century. A remarkable achievement."—Yair Mintzker, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Happy Times? The First Century in the Modern AgeI. 17001. Pictures from Married Life: Glikl the daughter of Leib between Hamburg and Metz2. "Rise up and Succeed": Absolutism and Court Jews in Baroque Culture3. Jews in the News: The Angry Masses, a Holy Society, and "Judaism Unmasked"4. Between Enlightened Thought and an Imaginary UniverseII. 1701–17255. "Everyone Wants to be Happy: Dangers and Amusements6. "Our Miserable Brethren": Jews in Time of War7. Melancholy, Career, and Travels: Five Life Stories8. Christians versus Jews: Bitter and Violent Relations9. From London to Jerusalem: Confrontations and Disputes10. The Challenge of Sabbateanism: The Storm over the "Hypocritical Serpent"11. Competition over the Picture of the World: Witches and Human KnowledgeIII. 1725-175012. To Silence the "Fellow from Padua": Moses Haim Luzzatto and the Great Awakening13. Criticism and Ambition: From Gulliver to the Baal Shem Tov and Jew Süss14. Contradictory Tendencies: Hostility, Violence, and "True Happiness"15. "An Indelible Stain": War and Expulsion16. A Vision of the Future: Ascent of the Soul, a Path for the Just, and a Teacher of the Perplexed17. Toward Mid-Century: The Awakening of ShameIndex

Read more less