Interfaith relations Books

Book SynopsisThe far right is on the rise across Europe, pushing a battle scenario in which Islam clashes with Christianity as much as Christianity clashes with Islam. From the margins to the mainstream, far-right protesters and far-right politicians call for the defence of Europe's Christian culture. The far right claims Christianity. This book investigates contemporary far-right claims to Christianity. Ulrich Schmiedel and Hannah Strømmen examine the theologies that emerge in the far right across Europe, concentrating on Norway, Germany and Great Britain. They explore how churches in these three countries have been complicit, complacent or critical of the far right, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally. Ultimately, Schmiedel and Strømmen encourage a creative and collaborative theological response. To counter the far right, Christianity needs to be practiced in an open and open-ended way which calls Christians into contact with Muslims.Trade Review"I cannot think of a more insightful book about the rise of the Islamophobic far right. Taking the UK, Germany and Norway as case studies, the authors show that laying claim to Christianity is at the heart of today’s ‘new racism’. Writing as Christians, they combine a powerful critique of the way the church has responded to the far right with a challenge to fellow Christians: claim Christianity back. You do not, however, have to be either a Christian or a theologian to benefit from reading this timely and illuminating book." -- Brian Klug, St Benet’s Hall, Oxford“Politics abhors a religious vacuum and so, over recent years, in an atmosphere of alleged secular neutrality, the far-right have used Christianity to legitimise their agenda. It is easy to condemn or dismiss this; much harder to understand and respond to it. But that is what Hannah Strømmen and Ulrich Schmiedel attempt here. Discomforting in some places, provocative in others, intelligent and well-researched throughout, The Claim to Christianity is a serious contribution to the growing literature on our new age of religion and politics.” -- Nick Spencer, Senior Fellow, TheosStrømmen and Schmiedel develop important insights into populism on the left and right in contemporary political discourses of religion. While many close readings of political and religious statements stay at the level of analysis, this book is practice-oriented. Both critical and constructive, it is a timely response to the political catastrophes created by struggles over the meaning and identity of Christianity. Theologians, political scientists, religious activists, and policy makers will benefit from reading it. -- Fatima Tofighi, University of Religions (Qom, Iran)"This book looks set to cause a storm in our churches in Britain, advocating a new liberation theology which confronts the new, and ancient, racism against Islam, Muslims, and many of our other old prejudices such as Antisemitism and prejudice against travellers. It sets up a challenge to churches – that they cannot seek to be neutral moderators of unpleasant politics, but must rather engage with and encourage personal relationships which seek to break down racist propaganda and hatreds." -- Bonnie Evans-Hills, priest in charge of St Margaret’s Church, Leven, Scottish Episcopal Church, Churches Together in Britain & Ireland Interfaith Advisory Group, and co-author of Engaging Islam from a Christian Perspective

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Book SynopsisWhat happens when a Muslim, born and brought up in a Muslim family in an Islamic country, converts to Christianity? In this unique book, Brother Andrew describes the personal, cultural, spiritual and life-threatening challenges that they face.Most of the book is written as a thrilling novel, tracing the intertwined lives of a small group of believers in an unnamed Islamic country. The story becomes all the more fascinating as we realise that the stories are all based on the actual experiences of real people Andrew meets on a regular basis. SECRET BELIEVERS is the most topical, eye-opening Christian book of 2007.Trade ReviewThe most topical, eye-opening Christian book of 2007! * UCB (United Christian Broadcasters) *

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Book SynopsisThe Routledge Handbook of Muslim-Jewish Relations invites readers to deepen their understanding of the historical, social, cultural, and political themes that impact modern-day perceptions of interfaith dialogue. The volume is designed to illuminate positive encounters between Muslims and Jews, as well as points of conflict, within a historical framework. Among other goals, the volume seeks to correct common misperceptions about the history of Muslim-Jewish relations by complicating familiar political narratives to include dynamics such as the cross-influence of literary and intellectual traditions. Reflecting unique and original collaborations between internationally-renowned contributors, the book is intended to spark further collaborative and constructive conversation and scholarship in the academy and beyond.Trade Review'This volume [is] an important contribution to the growing literature on Muslim-Jewish relations'- Mark R. Cohen, Khedouri A. Zilkha Professor of Jewish Civilization in the Near East, Emeritus, Princeton University, USA'Josef Meri and thirty-five other scholars lift a reader’s imagination above the current quagmire to the richness and complexities of Muslim-Jewish Relations over 13 centuries. This text is a post-modern exercise confronting the absolutes of power rhetoric with multiple perspectives from an ancient narrative.- Professor Joseph T. Kelley, Center for the Study of Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations, Merrimack College, USATable of ContentsTable of ContentsAcknowledgementsTransliterationIntroduction - Josef (Yousef) Meri1. Historical Themes: Medieval - Josef (Yousef) Meri2. Historical Themes: Modern - Orit Bashkin and Daniel J. Schroeter3. Scripture and Exegesis - Shari Lowin and Nevin Reda4. Theology - Aaron Hughes5. Medicine – Paulina B. Lewicka and Gad Freudenthal6. Literature (Medieval) - Arie Schippers7. Literature (Modern) - Masha Itzhaki and Soubhi Boustani8. Islamic and Jewish Legal Traditions - Judith Frishman and Umar Ryad9. Philosophy - Oliver Leaman10. Education - Moshe Sokolow and Matthew Wilkinson11. Mysticism - Aaron Hughes12. Communities and Identity - Ben Gidley and Nasar Meer13. Constructive Dialogue –Akbar Ahmed and Edward Kessler14. Palestinian-Israeli Conflict - Donna Divine15. Women - Ibtissam Bouachrine and Judith L. Goldstein16. Nationalism-Arab - Yousef Choueiri17. Nationalism-Jewish - Yair Wallach18. Antisemitism and Islamophobia - Ivan Kalmar and Tariq Ramadan19. The Holocaust - Peter Wien20. The Nakba - Alexander Flores21. Cinema - Dinah Stillman and Aomar Boum22. Music - Edwin Seroussi23. Art - Aaron Rosen and Yasser Tabbaa24. Food and Foodways - David Waines and Sami ZubaidaGlossaryIndex

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Book SynopsisTraces the continuing, changing, and often clashing roles of blood as both symbol and substance through the entire sweep of Jewish and Christian history.Trade Review"Biale's writing is as interesting, and sometimes as controversial, as his topics." -- Ingrid Wilkerson World History Connected "Bird provides readers with a readable, informed overview of the state of the question." Hebrew Studies: A Journal Devoted To Hebrew Language And LiteratureTable of ContentsPreface Introduction: Writing with Blood 1. Pollution and Power: Blood in the Hebrew Bible 2. Blood and the Covenant: The Jewish and Christian Careers of a Biblical Verse 3. God's Blood: Medieval Jews and Christians Debate the Body 4. Power in the Blood: The Medieval and the Modern in Nazi Anti-Semitism 5. From Blood Libel to Blood Community: Self-Defense and Self-Assertion in Modern Jewish Culture Epilogue: Blood and Belief Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisRelations between Christians and Jews over the past two thousand years have been characterised to a great extent by mutual distrust and by Christian discrimination and violence against Jews. In recent decades, however, a new spirit of dialogue has been emerging, beginning with an awakening among Christians of the Jewish origins of Christianity, and encouraging scholars of both traditions to work together. An Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations sheds fresh light on this ongoing interfaith encounter, exploring key writings and themes in Jewish-Christian history, from the Jewish context of the New Testament to major events of modern times, including the rise of ecumenism, the horrors of the Holocaust, and the creation of the state of Israel. This accessible theological and historical study also touches on numerous related areas such as Jewish and interfaith studies, philosophy, sociology, cultural studies, international relations and the political sciences.Trade Review'This is a scholarly publication, supported by a further reading list, a glossary and a comprehensive index.' Methodist Recorder'The invaluable work of the Woolf Institute of Abrahamic faiths, and in particular its director, Edward Kessler, has borne some fruit in Kessler's admirable An Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations.' Jewish Chronicle'Thank goodness … for writers such as Edward Kessler. His Introduction to Jewish-Christian Relations is a strikingly thoughtful and thought-provoking guide. It is an ambitious attempt to explore the relationship between Christians and Jews over the whole of the past 2000 years - and, what is more, to offer some sense of how this might work out in the future.' Church Times'Kessler shines in these pages as a master teacher, and this sensitive treatment should be read widely, not only by students but also by anyone interested in Jewish-Christian relations, whether clergy, layperson or secular Westerner.' TheologyTable of ContentsAcknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. New Testament; 3. The writings of the Church Fathers; 4. The writings of the rabbis; 5. Biblical interpretation: another side to the story; 6. Medieval relations; 7. Antisemitism and the Holocaust; 8. Zionism and the State of Israel; 9. Covenant, mission and dialogue; 10. Jewish-Christian relations and the wider interfaith encounter; Timeline; Bibliography; Glossary; Index.

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Book SynopsisYohanan Friedmann uses the Qur'anic and classical sources to explain Islamic attittudes to interfaith relations. While they were usually tolerant, coercion was employed occasionally against marginal elements. Friedmann's erudite study sheds light not only on medieval attitudes, but also on the approach of some radical Islamic movements today.Trade Review'… Friedmann presents a remarkably wide spectrum of legal opinions by the four Sunni schools of law, and he does it with commendable clarity and beyond the sensationalism of Bat Ye'or and her likes … extremely valuable book … raises a point of pivotal importance for both Muslims and non-Muslims of today.' The Muslim World Book Review'The book is an informative text that presents a nuanced view of Islamic legal pronouncements on issues of inter-faith relationships.' The New Delhi Book ReviewTable of ContentsPreface; Introduction; 1. Religious diversity and hierarchy of religions; 2. Classification of unbelievers; 3. Is there no compulsion in religion?; 4. Apostasy; 5. Interfaith marriages; 6. Concluding observations; Selected bibliography; Indexes.

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Book SynopsisThe Didache as a mediating document between Jewish and gentile Christians, advocating Mosaic law without full conversion.Trade Review'In this stimulating and original monograph, Nessim argues that the author of the Didache mandated the same Torah followed by the Jewish people for gentiles, insofar as it was deemed to apply to them. The claim is controversial, but in arguing it, Nessim touches on an array of issues pertinent to the study of Jewish and Christian identity and their relationship to each other.' - James Carleton Paget, University of Cambridge 'Much has been written since the rediscovery of the Didache on its relationship to Judaism and Torah, but most of the work has been piecemeal, focusing on particular texts and problems. . . . In this book Daniel Nessim has provided a plausible and holistic account of its background in the historical context of the failed revolt against Rome and its aftermath in Antioch, drawing particularly on the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Jewish sources. He locates the struggle in the emergence of the earliest movement of Jesus believers around the position of Torah, God's covenant with Israel, and continuing Jewish ethnic identity in mixed communities of Jesus believers. . . . His study provides intriguing possibilities for rethinking relations today between Jesus-believing Jews and gentiles who identify with and wish to live and worship in common with them.' - Jonathan Draper, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 'A fresh and measured study of how the Didache understood the application of the Torah to Gentile followers of Jesus and Jews respectively. I highly recommend it!' - David Rudolph, The King's University, Southlake, TexasTable of ContentsPreface | ix Abbreviations | xi Introduction | xiii Part One: Didache and Torah | 1 1. The Didache and the Torah: A Literature Review | 3 2. Text and Transmission | 22 Part Two: A Comprehensible and Authoritative Teaching | 45 3. Crisis and Community | 47 4. Two Ways and the One Way of Torah | 74 5. An Authoritative Torah and Teacher | 90 Part Three: Torah for the Lord's Community | 113 6. The Two Ways Choice | 115 7. The Sectio, Jesus, and the Torah | 129 8. The Sectio and the Two Ways | 140 9. The Torah and the Two Ways | 158 10. The Yoke of the Lord | 177 11. The Two Ways Disciple | 196 Conclusion | 221 Bibliography | 225 Author Index | 243 Subject Index | 247 Index of References | 253

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Book SynopsisReligion posits one characteristic as an absolute: faith. Compared to faith, all other social distinctions and sources of conflict are insignificant. The New Testament says: We are all equal in the sight of God'. To be sure, this equality applies only to those who acknowledge God's existence.Trade Review"Beck does not claim to have found 'the' answer to religious conflict. What he does demonstrate very effectively is that one way of avoiding a polarised and terrifying future is to find hope in the mdoern world's many ironies, paradoxes and complexities"New Humanist, four star review "A volume with more than enough ideas to inspire the study of religion for the foreseeable future. The author's acclaimed individualization thesis is put to work in the context of an emerging debate concerning the cultivation of humanity: one between believers in various forms of religious universals, and a form of cosmopolitanism which acknowledges that variety is the spice of life. Whatever the 'god of one's own' owes to universalism, Beck's controversial argument is that the most effective god of one's own lies with non-essentialist, relatively modest and sceptical, cosmopolitanism realism." Paul Heelas, Lancaster University "This new book from one of Europe's leading thinkers is a welcome, thoughtful engagement with the prominence of religion in the contemporary world. Writing as an unabashed sociological secularist, but one who refuses the simplifications of typical ideas of secularization, Beck explores religion's contradictory potentials, patterns of individuation and group identity, and the relation of religion to the "crisis of European modernity". Beck should inspire other sociologists and secularists to think harder about phenomena they too often ignore."Craig Calhoun, New York University and President, Social Science Research CouncilTable of ContentsAcknowledgements ixI The diary of ‘a God of one’s own’: Etty Hillesum. An unsociological introduction 1II The return of the Gods and the crisis of European modernity. A sociological introduction 19III Tolerance and violence: The two faces of the religions 47IV Heresy or the invention of a ‘God of one’s own’ 93V The cunning of unintended consequences: How to civilize global religious conflicts. Five models 137VI Peace instead of Truth? The futures of the religions in the world risk society 164Bibliography 201Index 220

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Book SynopsisBased on thirty years of field experience, Joy Loewen shows women how to successfully and sensitively befriend and minister to Muslim women.

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Book SynopsisA guide for students, groups, and organizations seeking to foster interfaith dialogue and promote understanding across religious linesIn this book, renowned interfaith leader Eboo Patel offers a clear, detailed, and practical guide to interfaith leadership, illustrated with compelling examples. Patel explains what interfaith leadership is and explores the core competencies and skills of interfaith leadership, before turning to the issues interfaith leaders face and how they can prepare to solve them. Interfaith leaders seek points of connection and commonality—in their neighborhoods, schools, college campuses, companies, organizations, hospitals, and other spaces where people of different faiths interact with one another. While it can be challenging to navigate the differences and disagreements that can arise from these interactions, skilled interfaith leaders are vital if we are to have a strong, religiously diverse democracy. This primer presents readers with the

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Book SynopsisA “thought-provoking, myth-smashing” exploration of American identity and a passionate call for a more tolerant, interfaith America (Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State) There is no better time to stand up for your values than when they are under attack. Alarmist, hateful rhetoric once relegated to the fringes of political discourse has now become frighteningly mainstream, with pundits and politicians routinely invoking the specter of Islam as a menacing, deeply anti-American force. In Sacred Ground, author and renowned interfaith leader Eboo Patel says this prejudice is not just a problem for Muslims but a challenge to the very idea of America. Patel shows us that Americans from George Washington to Martin Luther King Jr. have been “interfaith leaders,” illustrating how the forces of pluralism in America have time and again defeated the forces of prejudice. And now a new generation needs to rise up and c

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Book SynopsisThis groundbreaking work challenges contemporary stereotypes by revealing how both Buddhist and Muslim religious traditions were shaped by a millennium of cross-cultural exchange along the Silk Road from Iran to China.Trade Review"Johan Elverskog is exceedingly well read in the relevant literature, and his book is fascinating and thought-provoking." * TLS *"[Elverskog] challenges deeply ingrained misperceptions about the historical relationship between Buddhism and Islam, and more importantly challenges us to rethink more broadly many of our assumptions about cultural encounters across Eurasia and the basis on which they rest. This is "world history" at its best, avoiding the oversimplifications of model building that have sometimes framed that subject." * The Silk Road *"The book, brilliantly moving from the interaction between economic and religious regimes to cross-cultural artistic production, succeeds in presenting a rich history full of rosy moments as well as tension and clashes. In so doing, Elverskog has made a very important and unique contribution to the community of historians of the world and Asia as well as students of religion." * American Historical Review *"Elverskog has produced, for the very first time, a detailed account of the long-term interaction of Buddhism and Islam that should be welcomed by all students of Eurasian history. His approach to this issue is informed, balanced, and insightful. He understands that it is important to recognize the diversity within both religions, and that their encounters were not clashes between monolithic belief systems. Their relationship ran the gamut between religious violence and fanaticism to cultural exchange and tolerance." * Thomas T. Allsen, author of The Royal Hunt in Eurasian History *"This is the most thorough treatment I have seen of the historical relationship between Buddhism and Islam. Elverskog skillfully and often entertainingly corrects many longstanding stereotypes about both religions, and richly demonstrates the complexity of their historical interaction with each other. This book is thoughtful, its arguments well supported, and its style very accessible." * Richard Foltz, author of Religions of the Silk Road *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: Contact Chapter Two: Understanding Chapter Three: Idolatry Chapter Four: Jihad Chapter Five: Halal Conclusion Notes Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisConquerors, Brides, and Concubines investigates the political and cultural significance of marriages and other sexual encounters between Christians and Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula, from the Islamic conquest in the early eighth century to the end of Muslim rule in 1492. Interfaith liaisons carried powerful resonances, as such unions could function as a tool of diplomacy, the catalyst for conversion, or potent psychological propaganda. Examining a wide range of source material including legal documents, historical narratives, polemical and hagiographic works, poetry, music, and visual art, Simon Barton presents a nuanced reading of the ways interfaith couplings were perceived, tolerated, or feared, depending upon the precise political and social contexts in which they occurred.Religious boundaries in the Peninsula were complex and actively policed, often shaped by an overriding fear of excessive social interaction or assimilation of the three faiths that coexisted wiTrade Review"A carefully researched and utterly fascinating work of scholarship that significantly furthers our understanding of the sexual politics of medieval Iberia." * D. Fairchild Ruggles, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1. Sex as Power Chapter 2. Marking Boundaries Chapter 3. Damsels in Distress Chapter 4. Lust and Love on the Iberian Frontier Conclusion Appendix. The Privilegio del Voto List of Abbreviations Notes Selected Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisA study of three hundred years of medieval Franciscan history that focuses on martyrdomWhile hagiographies tell of Christian martyrs who have died in an astonishing number of ways and places, slain by members of many different groups, martyrdom in a Franciscan context generally meant death at Muslim hands; indeed, in Franciscan discourse, death by Saracen came to rival or even surpass other definitions of what made a martyr. The centrality of Islam to Franciscan conceptions of martyrdom becomes even more apparent—and problematic—when we realize that many of the martyr narratives were largely invented. Franciscan authors were free to choose the antagonist they wanted, Christopher MacEvitt observes, and they almost always chose Muslims. However, martyrdom in Franciscan accounts rarely leads to conversion of the infidel, nor is it accompanied, as is so often the case in earlier hagiographical accounts, by any miraculous manifestation.If the importance of Trade Review"MacEvitt’s book shows us how the reconfigured political landscape of the Islamic world in the high Middle Ages opened the way for a deeper, richer, and more complex engagement between Islam and Latin Christianity than at any earlier point in time....This is a fine book, one that significantly expands our understanding of the history of the Franciscan order, Latin Christian engagement with Islam, and the role of hagiography in shaping mentalities and communities during the Middle Ages." * Medieval Encounters *"Christopher MacEvitt convincingly demonstrates how martyrdom functioned as a central tenet of Franciscan identity, and as such his book constitutes an original and substantial contribution to the fields of Christian-Muslim relations and religious institutional history." * Bert Roest, Radboud University, Netherlands *Table of ContentsNote on Names Introduction Chapter 1. "I Acquired the Martyrs": Bishops, Kings, and the Victory of the Martyrs Chapter 2. "Do Not Fear Those Who Kill the Body": The Desire for Martyrdom in the Thirteenth Century Chapter 3. "To Sustain the Frail": Franciscan Evangelization in the Thirteenth Century Chapter 4. "Their Blood Has Been Spilled Everywhere": Evangelization, Martyrdom, and Christian Triumphalism in the Early Fourteenth Century Chapter 5. "The Infidels Learned Nothing": Poverty, Rejection of the World, and the Creation of the Franciscan Passio Chapter 6. "For the Damnation of Infidels": Martyrdom and History in the Chronicle of the Twenty-Four Ministers-General Epilogue. The Afterlife of the Martyrs Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisExamines the changes in Jewish-Christian relations in the Iberian kingdom of Castile during the pivotal period of the reconquest and the hundred years that followed the end of its most active phase. The study’s focus on the Christian heartland north of the Duero River allows for a detailed investigation of the Jews’ changing relations with the area’s main power players.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewFrom her masterful discovery of neglected documentary sources and a broad interpretation of the relations of Christians and Jews in northern Castile not based on the age-old rehearsal of tolerant and intolerant forces to explain Iberia's multi religious communities, but drawn from a very detailed analysis of the many interactions of Castilian Christians and Jews, Professor Irish has produced a book that makes her a distinguished intellectual successor of Yitzhak Baer and at the forefront of the group of new scholars who are brilliantly exploring one of Spanish history's greatest vexed questions."-Sixteenth Century Journal

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Book SynopsisFor six months in 2004, controversy raged in Hamtramck, Michigan, as residents debated a proposed amendment that would exempt the adhan, or Islamic call to prayer, from the city's anti-noise ordinance. The call to prayer functioned as a flashpoint in disputes about the integration of Muslims into this historically Polish-Catholic community. No one openly contested Muslims' right to worship in their mosques, but many neighbors framed their resistance around what they regarded as the inappropriate public pronouncement of Islamic presence, an announcement that audibly intruded upon their public space.Throughout U.S. history, complaints about religion as noise have proven useful both for restraining religious dissent and for circumscribing religion's boundaries more generally. At the same time, religious individuals and groups rarely have kept quiet. They have insisted on their right to practice religion out loud, implicitly advancing alternative understandings of religion and itsTrade Review[A]n engaging exploration of religious sound, and the controversies it creates, throughout US history. . . .Religion Out Loudis a tremendous piece of scholarship, rich in archival material and accessibly written. It encourages us to attend to the materiality of religion and it will certainly stand as a notable contribution to the fields of US religious history, religion and law, sound and media studies, and beyond. * Reviews of Religious Research *Weiners engaging writing style, careful explanation of case studies, and important critique of the orthodoxies of religious pluralism will likely make this book appealing to students and scholars for years to come. * Religion in American History *Isaac Weiner recovers a fascinating series of aural disputes and weaves them into 'a political history of religious sound' that argues that competing constructions of 'noise' illumine the extent and limits of America religious pluralism as it has developed over time . . . .Religion Out Loudis an innovative study that generates fresh perspectives on venerable themes, including the shifting shape of Protestant power and the efforts of religious newcomers to find a home in the United States. * The Journal of American History *[A]n innovative study that generates fresh perspectives on venerable themes, including the shifting shape of Protestant power and efforts of religious newcomers to find a home in the United States. Weiner's analysis is theoretically rich. * Journal of American Ethnic History *Isaac Weiner's fascinating book,Religion Out Loud, takes as its starting point that 'religion' consists not simply of systems of substantive content, moral claims, and theological arguments, but rather is fundamentally constituted by the expressive practices that enact such systems, and a recognition that such practices involve, in most cases, acts of public sounding . . . . A valuable and important work. * Anthropological Quarterly *Religion Out Loud is one of the most consistent books in cultural studies. Though the focus of Weiner's book is the United States, the issues around noisy religious practices are universal. Hence, this book is an obligatory reference for scholars and an exemplary academic performance for cultural studies on any region. * 2014 Yearbook for Traditional Music *Weiner has made a great contribution to the debates on public space and religious pluralism, offering a rich history of religious landscapes in the United States. * Material Religion *The impressively young scholar Isaac Weiner uses this inherently public identity of sound to analyse various interpretations of religion and religion's role in shared space . . . . His sonic take on the public role of religion is a refreshing alternative to a number of studies that rush to theological and political conclusions at the detriment of respectable scholarship. * International Journal of Public Theology *Each of these controversies is subjected to careful analysis, and Weiner concludes with a reaffirmation of the significance of sound in religion. This is a valuable study for everyone interested in understanding religion in the US. * Choice *By offering concrete examples of the conflicts, compromises, and challenges of negotiating religious difference in urban spaces, Weiner’s work makes a valuable contribution not only to the anthropology of media, religious studies, and sociolegal critique, but to ethnographically grounded studies of political philosophy and pluralism more broadly—one in which religious “toleration” is less an abstract theory, and more an act of community negotiation. -- Religious Studies ReviewInvestigates the ways in which American law sought to regulate the increasingly pluralistic religious soundscape of American cities. -- Richard Kent Evans * LA Review of Books *Offers a brilliantly researched and intellectually nuanced account of the sounds of religion in the United States and the legal standing of religious noise over time . . . . A fascinating and immensely valuable contribution to the scholarship of sensory studies, public religion, secularism, sonic technologies, and material practice. In sum: a pleasure to read and to ponder. -- Sally M. Promey,Yale UniversityWeiner remakes the religious history of the senses as legal history. The regulation of religious sounds has created a tangle in American jurisprudence, ensnaring everything from the pealing bells of Episcopalians to the loudspeakers of Jehovahs Witnesses to the calls to prayer of immigrant Muslims. With deftness and discerning insight, Weiner reveals the politics involved in defining noisy religion as public nuisance. -- Leigh Eric Schmidt,Washington University in St. LouisReligion Out Loud advances the study of the materiality of religions in a substantial way by showing how important the investigation of sound is for understanding the history of religions in the United States. . . . Fascinating, resourceful, and thoughtful from beginning to end. This book belongs in all kinds of courses because it demonstrates how to do cultural history, study the senses and modernity, and compare religious traditions in the concrete registers of daily life. We will never hear sacred noise in the same way again. -- David Morgan,Duke UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part I: The Sounds of Power 1. From Sacred Noise to Public Nuisance 2. Church Bells in the Industrial City Part II: The Sounds of Dissent 3. A New Regulatory Regime 4. Sound Car Religion and the Right to Be Left Alone Part III: The Sounds of Difference 5. A New Constitutional World and the Illusory Ideal of Neutrality 6. Calling Muslims-and Christians-to Pray Conclusion Notes Index About the Author

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Book SynopsisExploring the issue of Islamophobic attacks against Sikhs since 9/11, this book explains the historical, religious and legal foundations and frameworks for understanding race hate crime against the Sikh community in the UK.Focusing on the backlash that Sikhs in the UK have faced since 9/11, the authors provide a theological and historical backdrop to Sikh identity in the global context, critically analysing the occurrences of Islamophobia since 9/11, 7/7 and most recently post-Brexit, and how British Sikhs and the British government have responded and reacted to these incidents. The experiences of American Sikhs are also explored and the impact of anti-Sikh sentiment upon both these communities is considered. Drawing on media reporting, government policies, the emerging body of inter-disciplinary scholarship, and empirical research, this book contributes to the currently limited body of literature on anti-Sikh hate crime and produces ideas for policy makers on how to rectify the situation.Providing a better understanding of perceptions of anti-Sikh sentiment and its impact, this book will of interest to scholars and upper-level students working on identity and hate crime, and more generally in the fields of Religion and Politics, Cultural Studies, Media Studies, and International Studies.Trade Review"Racism in Britain has become nastier since the EU Referendum and the election of President Trump. This book shows the impact on the Sikh community and reminds us that well intentioned policies have ignored this significant faith community." - Right Hon Fiona Mactaggart formerly Home Office minister and MP for Slough"Since 9/11 the government and the general public have not realised how often it has been Sikhs who have borne the brunt of many Islamophobic attacks. Thank you, Jagbir Jhutti-Johal and Hardeep Singh for outlining and contextualising so many incidents. The time may now be closer when Sikhs receive the sort of support already currently available to Jews and Muslims." - Eleanor Nesbitt, Professor Emeritus, Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, University of Warwick, UK"While Sikhs have a long history in the region, this is the first book to examine critically how Sikh bodies have been racialized from a British perspective. This is a massive contribution to our understanding of the British Sikh experience, particularly as it relates to the modern period, and it has important resonance for scholars in various fields, from religious, ethnic, and diaspora studies to political science and anthropology." - Simran Jeet Singh, New York University, US"I fear perpetrators of hate crime are unlikely to read this book, but those who might do something about its existence – teachers, policy makers, police and members of the media – should read it. This highly accessible, meticulously documented volume fills a gaping hole in the all-too-common ignorance and religious illiteracy to be found in contemporary society." - Eileen Barker, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the London School of Economics and founder of INFORM."At a time of significant national concern about antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice, this book shines a valuable light on the hidden victimisation suffered by members of a faith group whose largely seamless integration into liberal Western society has left them feeling invisible. Providing details of the many hate crimes suffered by Sikhs whose religious symbols have led to them being mistaken for Muslims, the authors make a persuasive case that greater religious literacy is imperative at all levels of British society, not least among politicians, police and the media." - Andrew Norfolk, The Times, UKTable of ContentsForeword: Lord Singh of Wimbledon, Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations (NSO) Introduction Chapter 1: The Evolution of the Sikh Dharam and Identity Chapter 2: Sikhs in Britain Post 9/11 Chapter 3: UK - Do Sikhs count? Conclusion

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis book's collection of remarkable essays takes an interdisciplinary approach to clarifying the growth and development of Korean Christianity and the importance of this development for Korean politics, religion, gender issues, social issues, and interreligious dialogue. Since Western scholarship has mostly ignored this aspect of Korean history and the history of Christianity, [it] makes an important contribution toward filling a void. Given current Buddhist-Christian hostilities that occasionally break out in South Korea, [its] concluding essay on how best to encourage Korean Buddhist-Christian dialogue is particularly important.... Highly recommended. - Choice ""An impressively comprehensive overview of Korean Christianity.... An excellent guide - probably one of the best resources available in English - for the study of Korean Christianity."" - International Bulletin of Missionary Research

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Book SynopsisBrings together primary texts from influential Jewish and Christian writers, providing an accessible overview of the major issues and movements in the Christian-Jewish dialogue. The book includes key topics such as anti-Semitism, Jesus, Israel, women and the Holocaust.Trade Review ‘ . . . the book will be invaluable to students and others who are new to the issues.’ (European Judaism, Volume 30, No. 1, Spring 1997) ‘The editor’s contribution to this volume is invaluable. In addition to comments linking and summarising contributions, there is a succinct introduction on the background to the dialogue and a readable and personal final chapter. The bibliography and list of authors and sources is an excellent resource, revealing the huge amount of ongoing work currently taking place in Jewish-Christian dialogue. . . Overall, this book gives an excellent overview of the depth and breadth of thinking, discussion and writing which are rapidly and profoundly changing the relationship between Christians and Jews. Bringing together such material is a remarkable achievement and makes it a valuable resource for anyone wishing either to participate in dialogue or simply to understand the issues involved.’ (The Australian Jewish News, 17 October 1997) ‘The breadth of this thoughtfully-chosen selection is indicated by the inclusion, on the one hand, of the Palestinian Christian Naim Ateek in the section on Israel, and, on the other hand, of Judith Plaskow, who has argued that feminist attacks on the patriarchy of the Old Testament are a form of anti-Judaism.’ (Theological Book Review, June 1997) ‘The Reader introduces key ideas and issues as well as providing background material. I found my appetite whetted by many of the passages and I now intend to read in full many of the articles and books. I was particularly pleased to read several fascinating, but previously unpublished, pieces and at the end of each section there is an excellent list of suggestions for further reading. The book also has a very good bibliography and a glossary of terms. A Reader such as this will be very valuable to students at all levels who are studying some aspect of Christian-Jewish relations. It would also be of interest to Jews and Christians who are participating in dialogue or considering the need to do so. There is a great deal of material which would help someone to ‘get their bearings’ on both theory and practice. The extracts deal with some major theological issues which arise in dialogue such as the nature of God, Christology, the problem of suffering and soteriology and while these are not discussed in depth the commentary on the extracts enables the reader to get a sense of the wider picture.’ (Common Ground, 1997) Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword by Dr Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth Glossary of Terms 1. Introduction 2. Anti-Semitism 3. The Holocaust 4. Mission 5. Israel 6. The Jewish Jesus 7. Scripture 8. Salvation 9. Women 10. A Mutual Witness 11. Challenges for the Future Bibliography Copyright Acknowledgements List of Authors and Sources Quoted Index

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Book SynopsisBrings together primary texts from influential Jewish and Christian writers, providing an accessible overview of the major issues and movements in the Christian-Jewish dialogue. The book includes key topics such as anti-Semitism, Jesus, Israel, women and the Holocaust.Trade Review ‘ . . . the book will be invaluable to students and others who are new to the issues.’ (European Judaism, Volume 30, No. 1, Spring 1997) ‘The editor’s contribution to this volume is invaluable. In addition to comments linking and summarising contributions, there is a succinct introduction on the background to the dialogue and a readable and personal final chapter. The bibliography and list of authors and sources is an excellent resource, revealing the huge amount of ongoing work currently taking place in Jewish-Christian dialogue. . . Overall, this book gives an excellent overview of the depth and breadth of thinking, discussion and writing which are rapidly and profoundly changing the relationship between Christians and Jews. Bringing together such material is a remarkable achievement and makes it a valuable resource for anyone wishing either to participate in dialogue or simply to understand the issues involved.’ (The Australian Jewish News, 17 October 1997) ‘The breadth of this thoughtfully-chosen selection is indicated by the inclusion, on the one hand, of the Palestinian Christian Naim Ateek in the section on Israel, and, on the other hand, of Judith Plaskow, who has argued that feminist attacks on the patriarchy of the Old Testament are a form of anti-Judaism.’ (Theological Book Review, June 1997) ‘The Reader introduces key ideas and issues as well as providing background material. I found my appetite whetted by many of the passages and I now intend to read in full many of the articles and books. I was particularly pleased to read several fascinating, but previously unpublished, pieces and at the end of each section there is an excellent list of suggestions for further reading. The book also has a very good bibliography and a glossary of terms. A Reader such as this will be very valuable to students at all levels who are studying some aspect of Christian-Jewish relations. It would also be of interest to Jews and Christians who are participating in dialogue or considering the need to do so. There is a great deal of material which would help someone to ‘get their bearings’ on both theory and practice. The extracts deal with some major theological issues which arise in dialogue such as the nature of God, Christology, the problem of suffering and soteriology and while these are not discussed in depth the commentary on the extracts enables the reader to get a sense of the wider picture.’ (Common Ground, 1997) Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword by Dr Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth Glossary of Terms 1. Introduction 2. Anti-Semitism 3. The Holocaust 4. Mission 5. Israel 6. The Jewish Jesus 7. Scripture 8. Salvation 9. Women 10. A Mutual Witness 11. Challenges for the Future Bibliography Copyright Acknowledgements List of Authors and Sources Quoted Index

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Book SynopsisA revised and updated edition of the best-selling introduction to Islam written by one of the foremost scholars in the field. Ideals and Realities of Islam seeks to answer criticism brought against Islam by presenting the point of view of Islam. In six chapters dealing with the universal and the particular aspects of Islam, the Qur''an, the Prophet and the Prophetic tradition, the Sharia, Sufism, and Shi''ism, Seyyed Hossein Nasr outlines the essential aspects of the Islamic beliefs, making frequent references to other religions in general and Christianity in particular.Drawing mainly on the Qur''an and the hadith, but also on the works of some contemporary Western scholars, the author presents the Islamic spiritual and intellectual tradition in the light of contemporary modern thought. This edition includes a new introduction by the author and an updated annotated bibliography.

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Book SynopsisIn this study of Lord Shaftesbury - Victorian England's greatest humanitarian and most prominent Christian Zionist - Donald M. Lewis examines why British evangelicals became fascinated with the Jews and how they promoted a 'teaching of esteem' that countered a 'teaching of contempt'. Evangelicals militated for the restoration of Jews to Palestine by lobbying the British cabinet on foreign policy decisions. Professing their love for the Jews, they effectively reshaped the image of the Jew in conversionist literature, gave sacrificially to convert them to Christianity, and worked with German Pietists to create a joint Anglican-Lutheran bishopric in Jerusalem, the center (in their minds) of world Jewry. Evangelical identity evolved during this process and had an impact on Jewish identity, transforming Jewish-Christian relations. It also changed the course of world history by creating a climate of opinion in the United Kingdom in favor of the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which pledged BritTrade Review"Lewis's book is a very important contribution to the study of British Christian Zionism. One suspects that it will remain the authoritative text on that subject for many years to come." --H-Review DigestTable of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. The Rise of British Evangelical Interest in the Jews: 1. The restoration of the Jews in Protestant thought; 2. Pietism, Clapham, and the Jews; 3. Evangelicalism, prophecy and the Jews; Part II. 'Shaftesbury and the Jews': 4. Shaftesbury the new recruit; 5. 'Christian Europe' in the House of Islam: political, cultural and religious factors leading to European interest in the Middle East in the first half of the nineteenth century; 6. Shaftesbury's attitude to the Jews and to Palestine; 7. Protecting 'God's ancient people' and preparing for their restoration; Part III. Evangelicals and Pietists Together: The Mission to Jews and Palestine: 8. British Evangelical and German Pietist missions in Palestine in the 1820s; 9. A British consul in Jerusalem; 10. An Anglican church in Jerusalem for the 'unwelcome intruders in the Home of Islam'; 11. The Jerusalem Bishopric; 12. Prussia's turn: the Episcopate of Samuel Gobat; Part IV. Shaftesbury's Final Years: 13. Toward the Balfour Declaration.

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Book SynopsisThis 3-volume reference work brings together over 400 extracts from the major writings left byChristians and Muslims that reflect their reciprocal knowledge and the attitudes that gradually developed. Each volume is divided into the following sections:Volume 1 (600 1500): Muslim Arabic works; Christian Arabic works; Iberian Arabic works; Greek works; works in Syriac, Armenian and other languages; works in Latin and Romance languages. Volume 2 (1500 1700): Works from the Middle East and North Africa, Southern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Volume 3 (1700 1914): Works from the Middle East and North Africa, Southern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Asia and Oceania, Africa, and the Americas. Each volume contains a general introduction and also introductions to each section. The extracts, many of which have been translated into English for the first time, are accompanied by biographical introductions, sugg

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Book SynopsisAn engaging and accessible introduction to Christianity's relationship with other world religions, addressing the questions of why the reality, and vitality, of other religions has become a challenge, and showing how Christianity is equipped to deal with religious plurality at both the doctrinal and social level. Timely and accessible, this book tackles the question of why the reality, and vitality, of other religions has become a challenge for Christianity Makes a decisive contribution to debates about the clash between Islam and the West, arguing that the major threat to religious freedoms come from secularism, and that Islam and Christianity both have the resources to develop a vibrant and pluralist public square; one informed by intellectual rigor and debate Considers the wider issue of how modernity has defined religion', and provides a substantial critique of secular ways of controlling religions Shows how Christianity is very welTrade Review“All in all, D’Costa should be commended for writing an excellent book. This work is a wonderful contribution to the conversation regarding Christianity and non-Christian religions. I highly recommend it for all persons interested in the theology of religions, as well as any Christian looking for new ways to understand the possibility of salvation for non-Christians.” (The International Journal of Public Theology, 1 December 2012) "I warmly encourage readers in each to take it up and read." (One in Christ, July 2010) "[D'Costa] finds convincing substantiation for his position in biblical, patristic, and medieval Christian doctrine." (CHOICE, September 2009)"For a generation which is reasserting its Catholic identity, this thesis may serve a valuable purpose, calming the anxieties of those who, admirable, have managed to maintain an interest in the salvation of non-Christians yet are as hard put to win converts as their more pluralist co-religionists." (The Way, January 2010) "His gazetteer of these regions at the edge of the eschatological map is fascinating. The closing pages are as perceptive a meditation on what the dereliction of the cross can and cannot mean as we might expect to find in a first-rate book devoted entirely to that subject." (Chruch Times, December 2009) Table of ContentsPreface ix Part I: Charting the Territory: Theology of Religions 1 1 Early Map Making 3 Introduction 3 Pluralism 9 Inclusivism 19 Exclusivism 25 2 Changing the Angle: Recent Maps 34 Some Criticisms of the Threefold Typology 34 Comparative Theology 37 Postmodern Postliberalism 45 Part II: The Making and Meaning of Religions 55 3 Modernity’s Story 57 Introduction 57 Modernity’s Story about Religions 58 4 An Alternative: The Secular Construction of the Sacred Modernity as the Establishment of a New Ruling 74 Religion 74 Conclusion 102 Part III: Religions in the Public Square 103 5 Whose Religion and Which Public Square? 105 The Public Square 105 A Taxonomy of Secular Modernity and Postmodernity 107 6 Christian and Muslim Public Squares 128 Roman Catholicism, Modernity and Religious Plurality 128 Islam, Reasoned Debate, and Religious Plurality 136 Part IV: Christ’s Descent into Hell 159 7 Old Doctrines for New Jobs 161 Introduction 161 “The Descent”: Introduction to the “Circles of Hell” 165 The Limbo of the Just and the Unevangelized 167 8 Further into the Inferno 188 Purgatory and the Non-Christian 188 The Children’s Limbo 194 The Descent into Hell 201 Bibliography 212 Subject Index 225 Index of Works 233

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Book SynopsisAn engaging and accessible introduction to Christianity's relationship with other world religions, addressing the questions of why the reality, and vitality, of other religions has become a challenge, and showing how Christianity is equipped to deal with religious plurality at both the doctrinal and social level. Timely and accessible, this book tackles the question of why the reality, and vitality, of other religions has become a challenge for Christianity Makes a decisive contribution to debates about the clash between Islam and the West, arguing that the major threat to religious freedoms come from secularism, and that Islam and Christianity both have the resources to develop a vibrant and pluralist public square; one informed by intellectual rigor and debate Considers the wider issue of how modernity has defined religion', and provides a substantial critique of secular ways of controlling religions Shows how Christianity is very welTrade Review“All in all, D’Costa should be commended for writing an excellent book. This work is a wonderful contribution to the conversation regarding Christianity and non-Christian religions. I highly recommend it for all persons interested in the theology of religions, as well as any Christian looking for new ways to understand the possibility of salvation for non-Christians.” (The International Journal of Public Theology, 1 December 2012) "I warmly encourage readers in each to take it up and read." (One in Christ, July 2010) "For a generation which is reasserting its Catholic identity, this thesis may serve a valuable purpose, calming the anxieties of those who, admirable, have managed to maintain an interest in the salvation of non-Christians yet are as hard put to win converts as their more pluralist co-religionists." (The Way, January 2010) "His gazetteer of these regions at the edge of the eschatological map is fascinating. The closing pages are as perceptive a meditation on what the dereliction of the cross can and cannot mean as we might expect to find in a first-rate book devoted entirely to that subject." (Chruch Times, December 2009) Table of Contents1: Words and worlds: ‘world religions’ and ‘Christian theology’. 2: Checking our baggage: twentieth century non-theological influences on our field. . 3: Who’s in and who’s out?: the salvation of the non-Christian. 4: Engaging the other: the meaning of the religions in their concrete forms. 5: The public square: the clash of religions?. 6: Conclusions.

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