Islamic and Arab philosophy Books

Book SynopsisProvides a broad, comprehensive, and yet concise introduction to Islamic philosophy covering a vast subject area in a relatively short book.Trade ReviewCampanini's book achieves everthing that a good introduction to Islamic Philosophy should achieve, and more. It is commendable for its clarity, sound argumentation, sensible organisation, and brevity. Its treatment of the relationship between philosophy and Islami - which defines this philosophical tradition - truly makes the book shine. The reader will close this short book with a firm understanding of what Islamic philosophy is at its core, a healthy appreciation for the Islamic philosophical tradition, and a desire to explore it further. -- W. Craig Streetman, University of Kentucky in Journal of Shi's Islamic Studies Vol II No. 4 (2009) Campanini's book achieves everthing that a good introduction to Islamic Philosophy should achieve, and more. It is commendable for its clarity, sound argumentation, sensible organisation, and brevity. Its treatment of the relationship between philosophy and Islami - which defines this philosophical tradition - truly makes the book shine. The reader will close this short book with a firm understanding of what Islamic philosophy is at its core, a healthy appreciation for the Islamic philosophical tradition, and a desire to explore it further.Table of ContentsForeword Acknowledgements A Note on the Translation Part One: Finding a Paradigm Chapter 1: History Chapter 2: What is Medieval Islamic Philosophy? Chapter 3: Ways of Philosophising Part Two: Thought and Action: Some Major Themes in Islamic Philosophy Chapter 4: Tawhid, Pillar of Islamic Thought Chapter 5: The Structure of the Cosmos Chapter 6: The Human Intellect Chapter 7: Necessity or Freedom in Divine Action Chapter 8: Ethics and Politics Notes Bibliography

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Book SynopsisA biography of Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406), famous historian, scholar, theologian and statesman.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Preface; Map: Ibn Khaldun's Mediterranean; Timeline; 1. Historian meets History; 2. Ibn Khaldun's Early Life; 3. Ibn Khaldun the Statesman; 4. Egypt; 5. Ibn Khaldun's Method; 6. Modernity; 7. On being Ibn Khaldun; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisA biography of Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406), famous historian, scholar, theologian and statesman.Trade Review'A superb account of how a historian developed his own historical methodology... Highly recommended.' -- CHOICE Amazon 'A superb account of how a historian developed his own historical methodology... Highly recommended.'Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Preface; Map: Ibn Khaldun's Mediterranean; Timeline; 1. Historian meets History; 2. Ibn Khaldun's Early Life; 3. Ibn Khaldun the Statesman; 4. Egypt; 5. Ibn Khaldun's Method; 6. Modernity; 7. On being Ibn Khaldun; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisFârès Gillon is Associate Professor in Islamic Studies and Arabic at Aix-Marseille University, France. He received his PhD from the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (Paris), and specializes in the intellectual history of early Shiism, with a particular focus on Fatimid Ismailism. He has published several articles on these topics, and has also co-edited with Mathieu Terrier Anthologie de la philosophie en Islam (Paris, 2023). Previously, he was a Research Associate at the Institute of Ismaili Studies. His research interests include Shi'i history and doctrines, Ismailism, Nusayrism and Islamic Philosophy

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Book SynopsisRahim Gholami is Research Associate at The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK. He received his PhD in Arab and Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter, UK in 2021.

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Book SynopsisFederico Campagna is an Italian philosopher based in London. He is the author of The Last Night: anti-Work, Atheism, Adventure (2013) and What We Are Fighting For: a Radical Collective Manifesto (2012) and visiting lecturer at Royal College of Art, UK.Trade ReviewFederico Campagna's book is a brilliant tour de force that oscillates between lucid analyses of philosophical concepts, bridging the gap between Eastern and Western frameworks, and radical propositions for alternative worlds. By attempting to galvanize human perception out of its paralyzed and bordered state, what William Blake refers to as ‘the narrow chinks of [our] cavern’, Campagna expertly unravels the very foundations upon which our contemporary reality sits. Technic and Magic gradually builds towards a new and striking reconfiguration of reality that merges together the past, present and future. -- Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director at the Serpentine Galleries, London, UKFederico Campagna’s brilliant Technic and Magic is essential reading for our desperate times. This stunning historical and philosophical exploration radically transforms our understanding of the global technological culture we now inhabit. -- Jonathan Crary, Meyer Schapiro Professor of Modern Art and Theory, Columbia University, USA, author of 24/7Both Technic and Magic are used by us to change the world. However, as Frederico Campagna argues, Technic serves the accumulation of power whereas Magic, on the contrary, protects life and its value. In his fascinating book Campagna makes a parcours through the Indian, Islamic and old Gnostic sources to discover the hidden, hermetic tradition of magical thinking that keeps its relevance also for our contemporary condition. -- Boris Groys, Global Distinguished Professor of Russian and Slavic Studies, New York University, USACampagna takes us on a philosophically rich journey that is signposted by new terms and concepts discussed with due reference to other philosophical settings, including as they developed in Persia. His engaging prose promises to make a distinct contribution to emerging fields of knowledge. -- Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, Professor in Global Thought and Comparative Philosophies, SOAS, University of London, and Chair of the Centre for Iranian Studies at the London Middle East Institute, UKThis is a book not only for philosophers but also for poets and their readers and for all those who try to uphold the dignity of their spiritual existence. Is magic still a liveable territory? Federico Campagna asks fundamental questions but also has original suggestions how to keep this high flame alive in a radically non-magical world. -- Adam Zagajewski, poet, novelist and translator, author of 'Mysticism for Beginners: Poems'Campagna breaks with tradition by advancing scholarship that explores a common past and common understandings of meta-philosophical concepts, crossing the geopolitical barriers between the East and the West. Rarely does one see such ability to discuss complex, metaphysical and philosophic themes in a light and poetic manner - Outstanding. -- Ghoncheh Tazmini, Centre for Iranian Studies, SOAS University of London, UKTable of ContentsPREFACE, ‘The Keymaker’ by Timothy Morton INTRODUCTION CHAPTER ONE – TECHNIC’S WORLD - Crisis of Reality - Technic - Measure and Infinity - No Outside - Crisis of Action, Crisis of Imagination CHAPTER TWO – TECHNIC’S COSMOGONY - Defining Terms - 1 Absolute Language - 2 Measure - 3 Unit - 4 Abstract General Entity - 5 Life As Vulnerability - Upper and Lower Limits: Ego Absconditus and Double Affirmation - Conclusion INTERMISSION – WHAT IS REALITY? - Between India and the West - Why Seek Reality? CHAPTER THREE – MAGIC’S COSMOGONY - Defining Terms - 1 The Ineffable as Life - 2 Person - 3 Symbol - 4 Meaning - 5 Paradox - Upper and Lower Limits: Double Negation and Deus Absconditus - Conclusion CHAPTER FOUR – MAGIC’S WORLD - Outside Within - Secret - Initiation - As if - Happy Ending Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIslam and Morality considers how Islam, the Qur'an, and other Islamic texts have approached the ethics of a variety of contemporary and historical issues. Oliver Leaman provides a varied, balanced, and thought-provoking account of how Islamic thinkers discussed medical ethics, wealth, poverty, the environment, and law. He explores the work of a range of Islamic thinkers, including Rumi, Ibn al-Arabi, al-Ghazali, Mutahhari and Barlas, while taking into consideration the different branches of Islam and Islamic theology and law. The book also considers how Islam understands the concept of free will, the relationship between good and evil, and far less abstract topics like what we should eat and drink.Aimed at upper level undergraduates, postgraduates, and researchers working in Islamic Studies and ethics, this is one of the first books to provide a sustained reading of the importance of ethics within Islam.Trade ReviewLeaman’s style of philosophic writing draws readers into discussions of justice, conflict, health, bodies, nature, and choice as moral issues with stimulus from the Koran and rational inquiry. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and researchers; general readers. * CHOICE *This is a very accessible book, which treats a significant issue relating to Islam and morality. Professor Leaman’s analysis, especially the complex relationship between law and ethics, will surely stimulate further scholarly discussion of the principles of ethics and the theory behind its formulation in Islam and in its foundational scripture. His book will be a welcome contribution to Islamic studies and to ethics. -- Nuha Alshaar, Senior Research Associate at the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London, UK and Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Note on transliteration 1. Justice 2. Conflict 3. Sins 4. Health 5. Bodies 6. Nature 7. Choice 8. Sufis 9. Principles Index

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Book SynopsisSir Richard Sorabji is Honorary Fellow, Wolfson College, Oxford, and Emeritus Professor, King's College, London, UK. He is the world's leading scholar on the commentators on Aristotle and founder and co-editor of the Ancient Commentators on Aristotle series, published by Bloomsbury. He is also the author of the three sourcebooks on the ancient commentators: The Philosophy of the Comentators, 200600 AD, vols 13.Trade ReviewBuilding on the extraordinary achievements of the Ancient Commentators on Aristotle project, [Aristotle Re-Interpreted] is a valuable collection of groundbreaking studies, which, together with [Aristotle Transformed], constitutes a must-read for any scholar and student of philosophy and Classics as well as an indispensable acquisition of any library in these fields. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *In terms of the amount covered [this book is] certainly good value, and in my view anyone working in this subject area would be strongly advised to buy and read both [this and Aristotle Transformed.] * Classics for All Reviews *Classicists and philosophers are devoting increased attention to ancient commentaries on Aristotle. Much of this work began in earnest in the 1980s with the Duckworth/Bloomsbury "Ancient Commentators on Aristotle" series and the present volume's companion collection of scholarly essays, Aristotle Transformed (1990; 2nd ed., 2016), also edited by Sorabji. Aristotle Re-Interpreted updates earlier work in the wake of roughly three decades of research, discoveries, and advancements. Known for his leadership in founding this fascinating field of research, Sorabji (emer., King's College London, UK) brings together 23 essays—some original, some republished, some newly translated—by a host of esteemed scholars and philosophers from across the globe. The resulting volume is physically massive and massively significant for those whose research and teaching interests focus on ancient Aristotelian and Neoplatonist philosophical schools. In addition to the essays, Sorabji provides a lengthy, detailed introduction, which offers a nice survey of the philosophical figures and topics of interest within the field. Classicists, medievalists, and philosophers—really anyone interested in Aristotle, Neoplatonism, or the development of ideas from the classical age to the Middle Ages and Renaissance—will appreciate this scrupulously researched, intellectually breathtaking book. Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *This volume is very interesting for many reasons: it provides new findings and fragments on ancient philosophy, it contains essays that deal with poorly studied philosophers and commentaries, and it is a great tool for scholars who want to deepen their understanding of the main themes of ancient philosophy and to know how the works of the greatest ancient philosophers circulated around the world. At the end of the volume readers can also find an extensive bibliography, an Index Locorum, and an index of names and arguments. * Philosophy in Review *The volume is an excellent product that makes a considerable contribution to the study of the acceptance of Aristotelian thought through its commentators. (Bloomsbury Translation) * Sehepunkte *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Contributors Introduction: Seven Hundred Years of Commentary and the Sixth Century Diffusion to other Cultures Richard Sorabji 1. The Texts of Plato and Aristotle in the First Century BCE: Andronicus’ Canon Myrto Hatzimichali 2. Boethus’ Aristotelian Ontology Marwan Rashed 3. The Inadvertent Conception and Late Birth of the Free Will Problem and the Role of Alexander Susanne Bobzien 4. Alexander of Aphrodisias on Particulars and the Stoic Criterion of Identity Marwan Rashed 5. Themistius and the Problem of Spontaneous Generation Devin Henry 6. Spontaneous Generation and its Metaphysics in Themistius’ Paraphrase of Aristotle’s Metaphysics 12 Yoav Meyrav 7. The Neoplatonic Commentators on ‘Spontaneous’ Generation James Wildberding 8. A Rediscovered Categories Commentary: Porphyry? with Fragments of Boethus Riccardo Chiaradonna, Marwan Rashed, and David Sedley 9. The Purpose of Porphyry’s Rational Animals: A Dialectical Attack on the Stoics in On Abstinence from Animal Food G. Fay Edwards 10. Universals Transformed in the Commentators on Aristotle Richard Sorabji 11. Iamblichus’ Noera Theôria of Aristotle’s Categories John Dillon 12. Proclus’ Defence of the Timaeus against Aristotle: A Reconstruction of a Lost Polemical Treatise Carlos Steel 13. Smoothing over the Differences: Proclus and Ammonius on Plato’s Cratylus and Aristotle’s De Interpretatione R. M. van den Berg 14. Dating of Philoponus’ Commentaries on Aristotle and of his Divergence from his Teacher Ammonius Richard Sorabji 15. John Philoponus’ Commentary on the Third Book of Aristotle’s De Anima, Wrongly Attributed to Stephanus Pantelis Golitsis 16. Mixture in Philoponus: An Encounter with a Third Kind of Potentiality Frans A. J. de Haas 17. Gnôstikôs and/or hulikôs: Philoponus’ Accountof the Material Aspects of Sense-Perception Peter Lautner 18. The Last Philosophers of Late Antiquity in the Arabic Tradition Peter Adamson 19. Alexander of Aphrodisias versus John Philoponus in Arabic: A Case of Mistaken Identity Ahmad Hasnawi 20. New Arabic Fragments of Philoponus and their Reinterpretation: Does the World Lack a Beginning in Time or Take no Time to Begin? Marwan Rashed 21. Simplicius’ Corollary on Place: Method of Philosophising and Doctrines Philippe Hoffmann and Pantelis Golitsis 22. A Philosophical Portrait of Stephanus the Philosopher Mossman Roueché 23. Who Were the Real Authors of the Metaphysics Commentary Ascribed to Alexander and Ps.-Alexander? Pantelis Golitsis The Ancient Commentators on Aristotle Translations Bibliography Index Locorum General Index

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Book SynopsisPhilosophy in the Islamic world from the 9th to 11th centuries was characterized by an engagement with Greek philosophical works in Arabic translation. This volume collects papers on both the Greek philosophers in their new Arabic guise, and on reactions to the translation movement in the period leading up to Avicenna. In a first section, Adamson provides general studies of the 'formative' period of philosophy in the Islamic world, discussing the Arabic reception of Aristotle and of his commentators. He also argues that this formative period was characterized not just by the use of Hellenic materials, but also by a productive exchange of ideas between Greek-inspired 'philosophy (falsafa)' and Islamic theology (kalÄm). A second section considers the underappreciated philosophical impact of Galen, using Arabic sources to understand Galen himself, and exploring the thought of the doctor and philosopher al-RÄzÄ, who drew on Galen as a chief inspiration. A third section looks at al-FÄrÄbÄ aTable of ContentsRECEPTION OF GREEK PHILOSOPHY, I Arabic philosophy and theology before Avicenna II Aristotle in the Arabic commentary tradition III The last philosophers of late antiquity in the Arabic tradition GALEN AND AL-RAZI IV Galen and al-Razi on time V Galen on void VI Platonic pleasures in Epicurus and al-RazT VII Abu Bakr al-Razi on animals THE BAGHDAD SCHOOL VIII The Arabic sea battle: al-Farabi on the problem of future contingents IX Knowledge of universals and particulars in the Baghdad school X Yal;iya ibn 'AdI and Averroes on Metaphysics Alpha Elatton XI On knowledge of particulars XII Avicenna and his commentators on human and divine self-intellection XIII From the necessary existent to God

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Book SynopsisThe 12 essays provide an overview of Balibar's work after his collaboration with Althusser. They explain and expand his framework; in particular, by restoring Arabic and Islamic thought to the conversation on the citizen subject. The collection includes two previously untranslated essays by Balibar himself on Carl Schmitt and Thomas Hobbes.

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Book SynopsisAli Akbar examines the works of four noted scholars of Islam: Fazlur Rahman (Pakistan), Abdolkarim Soroush (Iran), Muhammad Mujtahed Shabestari (Iran) and Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd (Egypt).

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Book SynopsisIbn Tufayl (d. 1185) was an Andalusian courtier, philosopher, Sufi master, and royal physician to the Almohad Caliphs. He inspired the twelfth-century Andalusian revolt against Ptolemaic astronomy and sponsored the career of the most renowned Aristotelian of medieval times, Abu al-Walid Ibn Rushd (the Latin Averroes). Ibn Tufayl was an exemplar of the kind of versatile scholar early Almohad culture wanted to cultivate. In this thought provoking and concise account, Taneli Kukkonen explores the life and thought of Ibn Tufayl and assesses the influence and legacy of Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, Ibn Tufayl’s famous philosophical romance. Hayy Ibn Yaqzan became a popular and often-copied work in early modern Europe; it has since secured a place as one of the best read pieces in all Arabic literature, partly due to its outstanding literary qualities, in part because it provides an ideal introduction to the themes and preoccupations of classical Arabic philosophy. The study sets Hayy in its historical and philosophical context and paints a vivid portrait of the world as Ibn Tufayl saw it and as he wished for it to be seen.Trade Review‘Taneli Kukkonen’s study is not only a superb introduction to Ibn Tufayl and his work, but it also provides a succinct overview of Islamic philosophical thought at large…his exposition [is] admirably lucid and, indeed, entertaining.’ * LA Review of Books *‘Scholars and students of Ibn Ṭufayl will enjoy Kukkonen's introduction. Indeed his observation that Ibn Ṭufayl's "casual asides and narrative detours can be just as fascinating to us as what he is ultimately driving at" may equally be made of his own book.’ * Journal of the History of Philosophy *Table of ContentsPreface Hayy Ibn Yaqzan: An overview 1 LIFE AND TIMES The Almohad Revolution A New Intellectual Order The Caves of Guadix The Medical Tradition In Royal Service Sufi, Musicologist, Medical Author Sponsor 2 HAYY Hayy: A Synopsis An Architectural Design Hayy’s Theme Pointers and Reminders The Spiral Path Authority and Authentication Harmony and Hierarchy 3 ISLAND LIFE The Island The Perfect Climate From Ceylon to Mali The Twice-born Child History or Drama Seeing with One’s Own Eyes Beginning from the Beginning Experience and Art The Limits of Skill 4 NATURE Taking in the World Structure and Scaffolding Suspended between Worlds Natures and Powers Forms and Universals Synthesis and Analysis Matter The Elements The Heavenly Spheres 5 SOUL Living Nature Vital Heat The Vehicle of the Soul The Spirit which is God’s Diffusion and Suffusion Plurality and Unity The Human Distinction The Science of the Soul 6 THREE DUTIES Finitude and Transcendence Two Worlds Ought from Is Three Lives The Conservation Principle Kinship with the Heavens Leaving the World Behind 7 GOD Unveiling the Mysteries From Asceticism to Mysticism Tasting the Truth Theological Precepts Like Knowing Like Annihilation and Restoration Faces and Names The “Eastern Wisdom” Sensation and Intellection Arrival 8 RELIGION Religion and Society Asal and Salaman Language and Reality Modeling Perfection Re-entering the Cave Human Weakness Morality and Scripture Mortality and Revelation 9 AFTERLIFE Arabic Margins Hebrew Echoes Early Modern Success The “Robinson” Question Orientalist Ideas Back to Ibn Tufayl Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisHow do we communicate meaning in the age of fake news? What is the difference between narrative and information; between ideology and political narrative; between ‘narrative fiction’ and a story? Will the narration continue forever? What is history and what is propaganda? What shall we do tonight? What might we believe tomorrow? We look at the past, present and future of narratives and tell a few tall tales ourselves.

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Book SynopsisThe influence of Ibn 'Arabi, the 12th century Andalusian mystic philosopher extended beyond the Muslim world from Spain, to China, to Indonesia. Interest in Ibn 'Arabi in the west has grown over the last century. "Ibn Arabi and the Contemporary West" examines 'Arabi's teachings through the work of the Beshara Trust and the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society. The study investigates how the Beshara School has used Ibn 'Arabi's teachings in assisting a range of students from around the world towards personal, spiritual development and how the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society has evolved into an international organisation with increasing influence in both the West and the Muslim world.Trade Review'Ibn Arabi and the Contemporary West tells several remarkable and intertwined stories. In the context of Islamic Studies, it recounts the recent transmission of universal spiritual teachings that were once central to the spread of Islam as a world religion and civilization, but then were lost and often rejected in the aftermath of colonialism, to the UK and the wider English-speaking world; and it concludes with the unexpected ways that spiritual heritage is now being rediscovered by new generations across the Muslim world. In that new, global setting, this study also sketches the background of the multi-faceted, increasingly global adaptation of Ibn 'Arabi's teachings - which for centuries had helped integrate and inspire the burgeoning creative expressions of the Islamic humanities and spirituality across Asia and Africa - by contemporary artists and thinkers working in many of those same fields today: including philosophy, ecology, architecture, psychology, spirituality, and religious thought. And on a more human, immediate level, this is the story of the lasting inspiration and personal influences of a single quiet spiritual teacher and those he inspired, detailing the formation, teachings, and expanding development and outreach of the Beshara movement.' Professor J. W. Morris, Boston CollegeTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Bulent Rauf 2. The Beshara Trust: Early Years 3. Chisholme and Sherborne: The Introduction of Structured Residential Courses 4. An Introduction to the Texts and Teachings of Ibn 'Arabi Used for Study by the Beshara School 5. Recent Beshara Education: The Curses and their Aims 6. Student experiences During and Following the Courses 7. The Pilgrimage through Turkey 8. Outreach 9. The Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe influence of Ibn 'Arabi, the 12th century Andalusian mystic philosopher extended beyond the Muslim world from Spain, to China, to Indonesia. Interest in Ibn 'Arabi in the west has grown over the last century. "Ibn Arabi and the Contemporary West" examines 'Arabi's teachings through the work of the Beshara Trust and the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society. The study investigates how the Beshara School has used Ibn 'Arabi's teachings in assisting a range of students from around the world towards personal, spiritual development and how the Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society has evolved into an international organisation with increasing influence in both the West and the Muslim world.Trade Review'Ibn Arabi and the Contemporary West tells several remarkable and intertwined stories. In the context of Islamic Studies, it recounts the recent transmission of universal spiritual teachings that were once central to the spread of Islam as a world religion and civilization, but then were lost and often rejected in the aftermath of colonialism, to the UK and the wider English-speaking world; and it concludes with the unexpected ways that spiritual heritage is now being rediscovered by new generations across the Muslim world. In that new, global setting, this study also sketches the background of the multi-faceted, increasingly global adaptation of Ibn 'Arabi's teachings - which for centuries had helped integrate and inspire the burgeoning creative expressions of the Islamic humanities and spirituality across Asia and Africa - by contemporary artists and thinkers working in many of those same fields today: including philosophy, ecology, architecture, psychology, spirituality, and religious thought. And on a more human, immediate level, this is the story of the lasting inspiration and personal influences of a single quiet spiritual teacher and those he inspired, detailing the formation, teachings, and expanding development and outreach of the Beshara movement.' Professor J. W. Morris, Boston CollegeTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Bulent Rauf 2. The Beshara Trust: Early Years 3. Chisholme and Sherborne: The Introduction of Structured Residential Courses 4. An Introduction to the Texts and Teachings of Ibn 'Arabi Used for Study by the Beshara School 5. Recent Beshara Education: The Curses and their Aims 6. Student experiences During and Following the Courses 7. The Pilgrimage through Turkey 8. Outreach 9. The Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi Society Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe Book of Love, Longing, Intimacy and Contentment is the thirty-sixth chapter of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali''s Revival of the Religious Sciences. This was the first treatise which established not merely the possibility but the necessity for the love of God. Ghazali argues that all the virtues and spiritual stages that precede love, like repentance, patience and thankfulness, lead to love; and all the spiritual stages that follow on from love are a result of it. Out of Ghazali''s pioneering treatment would emerge not only new trends in Sufi theory and practice, but an entire body of mystical poetry including that of the great Persian poets Rumi and Hafiz. The translation is preceded by an extensive introduction which sets the work in its historical and spiritual context.

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Book SynopsisAl-Ghazali on Invocations and Supplications is a translation of the ninth chapter of the Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya'' ''Ulum al-Din). This chapter falls in the sections dealing with the requirement of religion. The present volume is probably the most widely read compendium of such material, popular not only for its comprehensiveness and beauty, but also for the analytical approach of its author, who explores the psychological and spiritual effects of prayer and the celebration of God''s name.This new third edition includes the invocations and supplications in Arabic for those readers who would like to use them in their prayers and a translation of Imam Ghazali''s own Introduction to the Revival of the Religious Sciences, which gives the reasons that caused him to write the work, the structure of the whole of the Revival, and places each of the chapters in the context of the others.

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Book SynopsisA series of closely related essays on the philosophical and theological work of Franz Rosenzweig and Emmanuel Levinas. The author describes how they articulated a responsible humanism and a new enlightenment which placed moral obligation to the other above all other human concerns.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[Kripal] is a serious intellectual, but one who wears his heart on his sleeve. He writes with sensitivity and self-deprecating humor. . .a book that often sparkles with insight and inspires the reader to think, 'I never thought of it that way.'"--New York Journal of Books "This beautifully written and sharply observed book is simply put one of the most remarkable challenges to scholarship-as-usual that I have encountered. It will baffle or annoy many scholars, but those who take it seriously as an invitation to look differently at the way we think about religion and what should count as the subject of scholarship will find that it changes their sense of the possible."--T. M. Luhrmann, author of When God Talks Back "Kripal proposes in Secret Body a revolutionary historiography of religion. . . his personal voice and commitments are so steadily audible in the background of his vatic scholarship."--Fortnightly Review "Secret Body is Jeffrey Kripal at his most capacious, and most confessional. All the highways and byways of his tireless imagination converge here, in this magisterial but intimate effort of auto-interpretation. I have come to see Kripal in the grand tradition of Ludwig Feuerbach: showing us how we have projected our own superhuman potential into a world of gods and monsters, and pleading with us to recall that potential from exile. However, Kripal tops Feuerbach in at least one column: he has an infectious sense of humor about the whole charade."--Charles M. Stang, Harvard Divinity School "[Kripal] is a compelling communicator who expresses his ideas with refreshing clarity and acuity. . .Secret Body constitutes an absorbing retrospective of ideas now brought together in one engagingly confessional volume. For anyone else interested in exploring mysticism, paranormal experiences, and the nature of being, without having to suspend their critical discernment in order to do so, Kripal's book will be of great interest. It challenges entrenched positions taken up by those who seek to either defend or debunk esotericism. Above all this is an optimistic book, offering a hopeful new perspective on the cosmic nature of embodied consciousness as a legitimate subject of intellectual, scientific, and humanistic analysis."--Spiral Nature Magazine "Secret Body is a remarkable ode to freedom. With acute self-reflexivity. . .This volume serves as a fine introduction to Kripal's career and to the story he has written of himself in order to make sense of himself within a Super Story that he admits he only dimly comprehends. And yet this lack of understanding does not signify theoretical resignation, much less mystical fascism. . .Rather, it serves as prolegomena to the future of a "new comparativism" in the history of religion."--Reading Religion "Kripal presents us with a compilation of theories, cultural references and anecdotes making up an impassioned thesis about the future of religious studies and 'what human beings may become'. . .For all its eccentricities, Kripal's work is playful, engaging and original. His references to both "high" and "low" culture are reminiscent of prominent intellectuals such as Susan Sontag and Slavoj Zizek. His earnest encouragement of scholars to be more open and his rejection of skeptical approaches--'scholars are not religiously inept and disciples are not dumb'--is both heartening and timely. Secret Body may not be fully rational or fully defensible, but it certainly is an enjoyable read."--Times Higher Education Secret Body is the latest, bravest, and most accessible book by Jeffrey J. Kripal. Both ambitious and substantial. . . Secret Body is a book you can dip into at will, and revisit often. In many ways ahead of its time, Kripal's work will likely become more and more relevant to more and more areas of inquiry as the century unfolds. It may even open up a new space for Americans to reevaluate the personal and cultural narratives they have inherited, and to imagine alternative futures."--Los Angeles Review of Books

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"God, Science, and Self advances contemporary work in Islamic thought and religious studies by introducing a hermeneutics of modernity that has the potential to reshape analyses of modern thought and its relation to religious reflection." Randi Rashkover, College of William & Mary and author of Nature and Norm: Judaism, Christianity, and the Theopolitical Problem"God, Science, and Self broadens the study of Iqbal in particular, and modern Islamic thought in general, demonstrating a modern, anti-colonial project that deserves to be revisited in the current context." Abdulkader Tayob, University of Cape Town“A powerful and philosophically robust exploration of Muhammad Iqbal’s masterpiece Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam.” Journal of World Philosophies

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"God, Science, and Self advances contemporary work in Islamic thought and religious studies by introducing a hermeneutics of modernity that has the potential to reshape analyses of modern thought and its relation to religious reflection." Randi Rashkover, College of William & Mary and author of Nature and Norm: Judaism, Christianity, and the Theopolitical Problem"God, Science, and Self broadens the study of Iqbal in particular, and modern Islamic thought in general, demonstrating a modern, anti-colonial project that deserves to be revisited in the current context." Abdulkader Tayob, University of Cape Town“A powerful and philosophically robust exploration of Muhammad Iqbal’s masterpiece Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam.” Journal of World Philosophies

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Book SynopsisIn Gendered Morality, Zahra Ayubi rethinks the tradition of Islamic philosophical ethics from a feminist critical perspective. She calls for a philosophical turn in the study of gender in Islam based on resources for gender equality that are unlocked by feminist engagement with the Islamic ethical tradition.Trade ReviewWell-suited for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, Gendered Morality makes a monumental intervention to debates in philosophy, feminist studies, and Islamic studies. -- Joud Alkorani, University of Toronto * Religious Studies Review *I recommend this book to advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, and academics working in the broad field of Islam and Gender, Gender and Religion and more specifically feminist approaches (philosophy) of religion or Islam. * Reading Religion *This book has much to offer a diverse set of readers. -- Justine Howe * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Gendered Morality, Zahra Ayubi’s first book, is a substantial contribution to the study of Islamic ethics, law, and philosophy. -- Benjamin P. Beames * Bustan: The Middle East Book Review *Zahra Ayubi’s Gendered Morality: Classical Islamic Ethics of the Self, Family, and Society represents a major feminist intervention in the field of Islamic ethics (akhlāq). -- Samuel Kigar Religion Department, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA, USA * Journal of Islamic Ethics 4 *In revealing the deep-rooted gendered and hierarchical cosmology prevailing in the classical Islamic world view, the author provides a realistic pathway to her goal of establishing a feminist philosophy of Islamic ethics...Recommended. * Choice *In Gendered Morality, Ayubi explores Muslim masculinity as imagined by influential medieval scholars. Her turn to ethics—understood not as a vague catch-all phrase for right living but as a rigorous and exacting genre within Muslim thought—represents a significant contribution to scholarship. She also offers a constructive feminist account of what might be retrievable for Muslim philosophical ethics. This is an essential and innovative book. -- Kecia Ali, Boston UniversityTurning the lens of gender analysis to the study of Islamic ethics, Zahra Ayubi interrogates the most formidable texts of the Persianate philosophical tradition. The result is a persuasive demonstration of feminist scholarship and a welcome contribution to Islamic studies. -- Carl W. Ernst, William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillIn this brilliant and wonderfully creative book, Zahra Ayubi combines a sophisticated analysis of Islamic ethics with a strikingly original feminist critique. Her work is a major achievement in the fields of medieval Islamic philosophy as well as feminist theory. Indeed, this is one of the most important and innovative works in the field of feminism and religion. -- Susannah Heschel, Eli Black Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth CollegeZahra Ayubi presents compelling evidence to show how medieval Islamic scholars created a philosophical system of ethics that is inherently gendered. The insights she provides as to how truth and virtue were cast in masculine, paternal terms and how those terms shaped beliefs about human agency and happiness are profound. Her concluding vision of a 'feminist philosophy' based on justice promises to render Gendered Morality a tour de force in the field. -- Kathryn Kueny, author of Conceiving Identities: Maternity in Medieval Muslim Discourse and PracticeTable of ContentsList of Figures and TablesAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Epistemology and Gender Analytics of Islamic Ethics2. Gendered Metaphysics, Perfection, and Power of the (Hu)man’s Soul3. Ethics of Marriage and the Domestic Economy4. Homosocial Masculinity and Societal EthicsConclusion: Prolegomenon to Feminist Philosophy of IslamGlossary of Persian and Arabic TermsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisIn Gendered Morality, Zahra Ayubi rethinks the tradition of Islamic philosophical ethics from a feminist critical perspective. She calls for a philosophical turn in the study of gender in Islam based on resources for gender equality that are unlocked by feminist engagement with the Islamic ethical tradition.Trade ReviewWell-suited for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, Gendered Morality makes a monumental intervention to debates in philosophy, feminist studies, and Islamic studies. -- Joud Alkorani, University of Toronto * Religious Studies Review *I recommend this book to advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, and academics working in the broad field of Islam and Gender, Gender and Religion and more specifically feminist approaches (philosophy) of religion or Islam. * Reading Religion *This book has much to offer a diverse set of readers. -- Justine Howe * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Gendered Morality, Zahra Ayubi’s first book, is a substantial contribution to the study of Islamic ethics, law, and philosophy. -- Benjamin P. Beames * Bustan: The Middle East Book Review *Zahra Ayubi’s Gendered Morality: Classical Islamic Ethics of the Self, Family, and Society represents a major feminist intervention in the field of Islamic ethics (akhlāq). -- Samuel Kigar Religion Department, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA, USA * Journal of Islamic Ethics 4 *In revealing the deep-rooted gendered and hierarchical cosmology prevailing in the classical Islamic world view, the author provides a realistic pathway to her goal of establishing a feminist philosophy of Islamic ethics...Recommended. * Choice *In Gendered Morality, Ayubi explores Muslim masculinity as imagined by influential medieval scholars. Her turn to ethics—understood not as a vague catch-all phrase for right living but as a rigorous and exacting genre within Muslim thought—represents a significant contribution to scholarship. She also offers a constructive feminist account of what might be retrievable for Muslim philosophical ethics. This is an essential and innovative book. -- Kecia Ali, Boston UniversityTurning the lens of gender analysis to the study of Islamic ethics, Zahra Ayubi interrogates the most formidable texts of the Persianate philosophical tradition. The result is a persuasive demonstration of feminist scholarship and a welcome contribution to Islamic studies. -- Carl W. Ernst, William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillIn this brilliant and wonderfully creative book, Zahra Ayubi combines a sophisticated analysis of Islamic ethics with a strikingly original feminist critique. Her work is a major achievement in the fields of medieval Islamic philosophy as well as feminist theory. Indeed, this is one of the most important and innovative works in the field of feminism and religion. -- Susannah Heschel, Eli Black Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth CollegeZahra Ayubi presents compelling evidence to show how medieval Islamic scholars created a philosophical system of ethics that is inherently gendered. The insights she provides as to how truth and virtue were cast in masculine, paternal terms and how those terms shaped beliefs about human agency and happiness are profound. Her concluding vision of a 'feminist philosophy' based on justice promises to render Gendered Morality a tour de force in the field. -- Kathryn Kueny, author of Conceiving Identities: Maternity in Medieval Muslim Discourse and PracticeTable of ContentsList of Figures and TablesAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Epistemology and Gender Analytics of Islamic Ethics2. Gendered Metaphysics, Perfection, and Power of the (Hu)man’s Soul3. Ethics of Marriage and the Domestic Economy4. Homosocial Masculinity and Societal EthicsConclusion: Prolegomenon to Feminist Philosophy of IslamGlossary of Persian and Arabic TermsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe philosophical work of Jean-Luc Marion has opened new ways of speaking about religious convictions and experiences. In this exploration of Marion's philosophy and theology, the author presents a comprehensive and critical analysis of the ideas of saturated phenomena and the phenomenology of givenness.Trade ReviewGschwandtner hopes to . . . [tone] down . . . and [sharpen focus] so that we see more clearly how Marion's phenomenological descriptions of the historical 'event', the work of art, the natural object, the movement into an erotic love – as well as prayer, sacrifice, and the Eucharist – make up 'degrees of givenness'.November 2015 * Heythrop Journal *Christina M. Gschwandtner has established herself as a valued reader of contemporary French philosophy in general and of Marion's writings in particular. She was the first to consider at length Marion's extensive reflections on Descartes and to evaluate their theological importance, and she has translated two of Marion's books from the French. This new study, Degrees of Givenness, extends her contribution to our understanding of this fecund philosopher. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of Abbreviations of Works by Jean-Luc MarionIntroduction: Givenness, Saturated Phenomena, Negative Certainties, and Hermeneutics1. Historical Events and Historical Research2. Art and the Artist3. Nature and Flesh4. Love and Violence5. Gift and Sacrifice6. Prayer and Sainthood7. Eucharist and SacramentConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisStudies the epistemologies of two of the most influential intellectual/spiritual traditions of West Africa: Tijani Sufism and Ifa.Trade Review“Deep Knowledge: Ways of Knowing in Sufism and Ifa, Two West African Intellectual Traditions by Oludamini Ogunnaike is a sweeping and ambitious book that operates on multiple levels with the aim of getting us to think differently about the foundations of knowledge itself.”—Usman Butt Middle East Monitor“One critical element of anti-racist pedagogy is studying and teaching “ways of knowing” from outside the traditional Western canon. One major challenge to this work is the availability of scholarly sources that bridge the gap between these ways of knowing on the one hand, and the Western post-Enlightenment academy on the other. Oludamini Ogunnaike’s stunning Deep Knowledge: Ways of Knowing in Sufism and Ifa, Two West African Intellectual Traditions makes a major contribution through tackling two such knowledge traditions that do not receive a great deal of scholarly (or popular) attention within the Euroamerican academy.”—Patrick J. D’Silva Journal of the American Academy of Religion“While many historical works have been published concerning each religion, they largely lack the depth of the presentation and analyses of the indigenous philosophical and ontological concepts in which this work excels.”—John Glover Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies“A barzakh, or isthmus, is a liminal space ‘where two seas meet.’ Voyaging these two seas of esoteric knowledge—the Fayda Tijaniyya and Ifa divination—this book promises a sea change in Africana studies, Islamic studies, intellectual history, and academic philosophy. The community of the flood is likely the world’s largest Sufi movement, and Ifa a primary vessel for traditional sacred knowledge in West Africa and the Atlantic, yet both remain marginal in the academy. Ogunnaike offers an exploration of their shared praxis and metaphysics, writing from inside them to produce insights of stunning brilliance. This revolutionary book is a scholarly watershed.”—Rudolph T. Ware,author of The Walking Qur'an: Islamic Education, Embodied Knowledge, and History in West Africa“Deep Knowledge is refreshingly interdisciplinary, strikingly innovative, and deeply insightful, and the chief subjects of analysis—namely, epistemologies in Ifa divination and Sufi practice, primarily in Nigeria and Senegal—are of a great and growing significance that has become increasingly global. Ogunnaike possesses profound knowledge of each of these forms of religious and philosophical practice as well as the requisite linguistic fluencies to study them in depth, and he has an uncanny knack for explaining complex ideas in accessible language. This is a groundbreaking book of major importance to the study of African religion. Highly recommended!”—Terry Rey,author of The Priest and the Prophetess: Abbé Ouvière, Romaine Rivière, and the Revolutionary Atlantic World“The rare depth of insight, historical know-how, and explanatory force of Deep Knowledge clearly signal a landmark achievement in the study of cross-cultural philosophy. By penetrating the heart of the West African traditions of Ifa and Tijani Sufism, highly acclaimed author Oludamini Ogunnaike effectively explains how they can also penetrate our hearts. As such, this book is a must-read for all serious students of non-Western epistemology and culture.”—Mohammed Rustom,author of Inrushes of the Heart: The Sufi Philosophy of ‘Ayn al-Qudat“Makes a significant contribution to the study of religions in Africa.”—Ala Rabiha Alhourani Journal of Religion in AfricaTable of ContentsSection 1: IntroductionChapter 1: African Philosophy?Section 2: Ways of Knowing in Tijani SufismChapter 2: What is Tijani Sufism?Chapter 3: What is Ma‘rifah?Chapter 4: How is Ma‘rifah Acquired?Chapter 5: How Does Tarbiyah Work?Section 3: Ways of Knowing in IfaChapter 6: What is Ifa?Chapter 7: Knowledge in Ifa Chapter 8: How is Knowledge Acquired in Ifa? Chapter 9: How is Knowledge Verified in Ifa?Section 4: Comparing Ifa and Tijani Sufism Chapter 10: Comparing Ifa and Tijani Sufism Chapter 11: Comparative Conclusions NotesIndex

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Book SynopsisDescribes the Ansaru Allah Community/Nubian Islamic Hebrews (AAC/NIH), a 1970s religious movement in Brooklyn that spread, in part, through the production and dissemination of literature and lecture tapes. Tracks the development of AAC/NIH discourse to reveal surprising consistency and coherence behind the appearance of serial reinvention.Trade Review“Metaphysical Africa: Truth and Blackness in the Ansaru Allah Community is an important, well researched documentation of one of the more controversial representations of Islam in modern American society. You may not agree with their practices or what they believed in, but Knight will convince you their influence can’t be ignored.”—Richard Marcus Blogcritics“Michael Muhammad Knight’s Metaphysical Africa offers fresh insight into the Ansaru Allah Community. His approach provides a theory that explains many of the apparent inconsistencies seen in York’s teachings. This is a well-researched and well-organized book for anyone interested in American religious history, particularly with a focus on Black separatism.”—Dawn Hutchinson Nova Religio“Metaphysical Africa is a great achievement. Students and scholars of Afrodiasporic religion, culture, and politics will find much use in the concept of ‘metaphysical Africa,’ Knight’s innovative discursive approach, and his reinterpretation of the movement’s teachings.”—Justine M. Bakker Reading Religion“An important book on an overlooked movement, Metaphysical Africa contributes to the broader study of “Africa” as imagined in and through African American religious practice.”—Spencer Dew Religious Studies Review“In Metaphysical Africa, Michael Muhammad Knight demonstrates a substantial grasp of the origins and "inner workings" of the AAC-NIH in a refreshingly fulsome fashion. With a wonderful fusion of journalistic zeal and scholarly rigor, each chapter of this book lends itself to an intriguing, insightful representation of a profoundly dynamic Black religious worldview coming into its own.”—Juan M. Floyd-Thomas,coauthor of The Altars Where We Worship: The Religious Significance of Popular Culture“This book is the best study yet of the Ansaru Allah Community/Nubian Islamic Hebrews’ teachings, a major leap forward in understanding the history of this much-misunderstood group. Michael Muhammad Knight departs from existing scholarly literature on the movement by showing the continuities as well as the changes in the group’s religious thought, particularly concerning the place of its Islamic identity, and analyzes the coherence of the system rather than dismissing it as a senseless hodgepodge of a mad prophet.”—Edward E. Curtis IV,editor of The Practice of Islam in America: An Introduction“Metaphysical Africa is significant as it provides close readings of the primary AAC/NIH materials, many of which have never been examined seriously. Michael Muhammad Knight convincingly discusses the internecine arguments over the nature of Islam, Africa, and blackness for African American religious movements.”—Nora L. Rubel,author of Doubting the Devout: The Ultra-Orthodox in the Jewish American ImaginationTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsList of IllustrationsIntroduction: “The Most Dynamic Pamphlets in History” 1. “I Am the Raisin-Headed Slave”: The Nubian Ahl al-Bayt, Sudanese Mahdiyya, and Global Blackness as Islamic Revival2. Heralds of the Reformer: Visions of Blackamerican Muslim History3. “The Covenant Is Complete in Me”: Nubian Islamic Hebraism and the Religion of Abraham4. Between Zion and Mecca: Bilal as Islamic and Hebrew5. The Sudan Is the Heart Chakra: The AAC/NIH as Sufi Tariqa6. Islam Is Hotep: Ansar Egyptosophy7. The Pyramidal Kaʿba: Malachi Z. York and the Nuwaubian Turn8. Nuwaubian Ether: Ansar Legacies in Hip-HopCoda: The View from IllyuwnNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisA collection of essays examining the extent to which rhetoric’s relation to the sacred is one of ineffability and how our response to the sacred integrates the divine (or the altogether other) into the human order.Trade Review“Responding to the Sacred provides a capacious and prismatic view of communicating that which is not fully communicable, and in doing so, it ventures to rhetoric’s very edges—and beyond.”—Debra Hawhee,author of Rhetoric in Tooth and Claw: Animals, Language, Sensation“Each chapter of the book stands out on its own in delving deep into specific themes, while at the same time speaking to the other chapters and the introduction in a holistic manner. Here Bernard-Donals and Jensen’s editorial finesse shows—they weave one narrative while pausing at proper intervals to make space for variegated portals.”—Ankana Das Reading Religion

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Book SynopsisA collection of essays examining the extent to which rhetoric’s relation to the sacred is one of ineffability and how our response to the sacred integrates the divine (or the altogether other) into the human order.Trade Review“Responding to the Sacred provides a capacious and prismatic view of communicating that which is not fully communicable, and in doing so, it ventures to rhetoric’s very edges—and beyond.”—Debra Hawhee,author of Rhetoric in Tooth and Claw: Animals, Language, Sensation“Each chapter of the book stands out on its own in delving deep into specific themes, while at the same time speaking to the other chapters and the introduction in a holistic manner. Here Bernard-Donals and Jensen’s editorial finesse shows—they weave one narrative while pausing at proper intervals to make space for variegated portals.”—Ankana Das Reading Religion

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Book SynopsisDescribes the Ansaru Allah Community/Nubian Islamic Hebrews (AAC/NIH), a 1970s religious movement in Brooklyn that spread, in part, through the production and dissemination of literature and lecture tapes. Tracks the development of AAC/NIH discourse to reveal surprising consistency and coherence behind the appearance of serial reinvention.Trade Review“Metaphysical Africa: Truth and Blackness in the Ansaru Allah Community is an important, well researched documentation of one of the more controversial representations of Islam in modern American society. You may not agree with their practices or what they believed in, but Knight will convince you their influence can’t be ignored.”—Richard Marcus Blogcritics“Michael Muhammad Knight’s Metaphysical Africa offers fresh insight into the Ansaru Allah Community. His approach provides a theory that explains many of the apparent inconsistencies seen in York’s teachings. This is a well-researched and well-organized book for anyone interested in American religious history, particularly with a focus on Black separatism.”—Dawn Hutchinson Nova Religio“Metaphysical Africa is a great achievement. Students and scholars of Afrodiasporic religion, culture, and politics will find much use in the concept of ‘metaphysical Africa,’ Knight’s innovative discursive approach, and his reinterpretation of the movement’s teachings.”—Justine M. Bakker Reading Religion“An important book on an overlooked movement, Metaphysical Africa contributes to the broader study of “Africa” as imagined in and through African American religious practice.”—Spencer Dew Religious Studies Review“In Metaphysical Africa, Michael Muhammad Knight demonstrates a substantial grasp of the origins and "inner workings" of the AAC-NIH in a refreshingly fulsome fashion. With a wonderful fusion of journalistic zeal and scholarly rigor, each chapter of this book lends itself to an intriguing, insightful representation of a profoundly dynamic Black religious worldview coming into its own.”—Juan M. Floyd-Thomas,coauthor of The Altars Where We Worship: The Religious Significance of Popular Culture“This book is the best study yet of the Ansaru Allah Community/Nubian Islamic Hebrews’ teachings, a major leap forward in understanding the history of this much-misunderstood group. Michael Muhammad Knight departs from existing scholarly literature on the movement by showing the continuities as well as the changes in the group’s religious thought, particularly concerning the place of its Islamic identity, and analyzes the coherence of the system rather than dismissing it as a senseless hodgepodge of a mad prophet.”—Edward E. Curtis IV,editor of The Practice of Islam in America: An Introduction“Metaphysical Africa is significant as it provides close readings of the primary AAC/NIH materials, many of which have never been examined seriously. Michael Muhammad Knight convincingly discusses the internecine arguments over the nature of Islam, Africa, and blackness for African American religious movements.”—Nora L. Rubel,author of Doubting the Devout: The Ultra-Orthodox in the Jewish American Imagination

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Book SynopsisThis is a much needed, concise survey of Arab nationalism both as an historical movement and a doctrine. The author identifies the particular characteristics and development of Arab nationalism and provides a wide-ranging history.Trade Review"[Choueiri] provides a wealth of detail based on the writings of al-Miqdadi, Ghurbal ... and many others. Largely expository in style, his book describes what they have to say about the Arab nation and about the political programmes needed to realize its potential. In doing so, he brings out the differences among them and sympathetically assesses the problems many encountered." Times Literary Supplement "Recommended particularly for university libraries and those interested in political theory and Middle East studies." CHOICE "Arab Nationalism is a well-written, fact-filled book that constitutes a useful single-volume study of the evolution of Arabism. It is well-suited for readers who have in interest in the international nuances and development of nationalism and for those Middle East history enthusiasts who wish to delve into a more specialized topic." History: Reviews of New BooksTable of ContentsPreface. Acknowledgements. Glossary. 1. Nationalism and Its Theories. The World of Unbelief and Negative Approaches. Rousseau's Passion. Kant's Guilt. The World of Positive Belief. A Question of Dignity. The Agnostics or Reluctantly Neutral. 2. Narrating the Nation. Lessons of History. The Rise of Islam. The Modern Age. Darwish al-Miqdadi: The Nation in History. Historical Structures. Lessons of History and Temporal Distances. An Egyptian Perspective. Islam and Arabism. 3. Cultural and Political Arabism. The Ottoman Background and European Rivalry. Cultural Arabism. The Fatherland and Patriotism. The Cultural and the Political. Political Arabism 1900-1945. Articulation of Pan-Arabism. Political Parties. 4. Educating the Nation: Sati' al-Husri. The Arab League. What is Nationalism?. 5. In Search of Theory. Regionalism. An Arab Polity. Al-Arsuzi: Language and Industry. Shahbandar: Leadership and Revolution. Michel 'Aflaq: The Vanguard. Socialism. Nationalism. Religion. New Politics. 6. Socialism and Pan-Arabism. The World of Social Arab Nationalism. Nasserism. Political Orientations. Theory and Practice. The Universal and the Specific. Ba'thism. 7. Epilogue: Civil Society and Democracy. Neo-Arabism. Notes. List of Dynasties. Further Reading. Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisButterworth richly deserves to be congratulated for providing advanced students and scholars with authoritative, reliable, and readable translations of Alfarabi''s important political writings. ? ChoiceAlfarabi (ca. 870–950) founded the great tradition of Aristotelian/Platonic political philosophy in medieval Islamic and Arabic culture. In this second volume of political writings, Charles E. Butterworth presents translations of Alfarabi''s Political Regime and Summary of Plato''s Laws, accompanied by introductions that discuss the background for each work and explore its teaching.In addition, the texts are carefully annotated to aid the reader in following Alfarabi''s argument. An Arabic-English/English-Arabic glossary allows interested readers to verify the way particular words are translated. Throughout, Butterworth''s method is to translate consistently the same Arabic word by the same English word, rendering Alfarabi''s style Trade ReviewAccurate and very readable.... [Butterworth] was a student of Muhsin Mahdi, the leading scholar of Alfarabi of our time (and perhaps of all time), whose many editions, translations, and studies of Alfarabi's writings have enriched our understanding of this most influential philosopher. Butterworth is Mahdi's intellectual heir.... We are much indebted to Butterworth, who has undertaken this mission with admirable responsibility. * Speculum *Butterworth brilliantly combines in one volume the theoretical agenda of the Political Regime and the practical concerns of the Summary. This volume is an excellent contribution to Alfarabi scholarship and should be most welcome to anyone interested in Islamic philosophy. * The Review of Politics *Butterworth here offers... a commendable, skilled rendition of the Summary of Plato's Laws. * Journal of the History of Philosophy *Butterworth richly deserves to be congratulated for providing advanced students and scholars with authoritative, reliable, and readable translations of Alfarabi's important political writings. * Choice *Butterworth's splendid introduction to the first of these two texts provides the best introduction to Alfarabi's metaphysics that one is likely to find. In briefly sketching the life of Alfarabi, he also draws attention to the often forgotten major centers of learning in the ancient world. * The Review of Metaphysics *The translation on the whole is clear and very readable.... Readers with neither knowledge of Arabic nor familiarity with al-Farabi's writings will find the text easy to understand and follow, and the book will be useful for students. * Journal of Islamic Studies *Table of ContentsPrefacePolitical RegimeIntroductionThe TextSummary of Plato's LawsIntroductionThe TextAppendix A: Alfarabi, Enumeration of the SciencesAppendix B: Averroes's Defense of the Philosophers as Believing in Happiness and Misery in the HereafterGlossary A: Arabic–EnglishGlossary B: English–ArabicBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisAt the beginning of this volume, Erasmus leaves Louvain to live in Basel. Weary from the many controversies reflected in the letters of the previous volumes, he is also anxious to see the annotations to his third edition of the New Testament through Johann Froben’s press. Above all he fears that pressure from the imperial court in the Netherlands will force him to take a public stand against Luther. Erasmus completes a large number of works in the span of this volume, including the Paraphrases on Matthew and John, two new expanded editions of the Colloquies, an edition of De conscribendis epistolis, two apologiae against his Spanish detractors, and editions of Arnobius Junior and Hilary of Poitiers. But the predominant theme of the volume remains ‘the sorry business of Luther.’ The harder Erasmus persists in trying to adhere to a reasonable course between Catholic and reforming zealots, the more he finds himself ‘a

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Book SynopsisA survey and analysis of what Shari'a, or Islamic law, means for Muslims today.Trade Review"The contributors to this volume present an important antidote, with in-depth analyses of some of the most important trends in legal thought in today's Muslim world."—John O. Voll, Islamic Law & Society"What Shari'a means to contemporary Muslims matters to non-Muslims as well. This volume enlightens everyone. It is at once scholarly and accessible, and informative in a deep and reliable way." —Gene Outka, Yale University"An important and illuminating anthology. This is no dry and pedantic read in the minutiae of arcane legal issues. These essays demonstrate that Shari'a is a living concern to Muslims around the world." —Sohail Hashmi, Mount Holyoke College"This important and timely volume helps bridge the gap between theoretical aspects of the law and its application in the modern world, and breaks new ground by paying close attention to both Shiite and Sunni uses of Islamic law. The authors, all experts in their fields, write with unusual clarity and precision to help us to understand the complex role of Islamic law in the Muslim world today.Itwill be a vital resource." —Jonathan E. Brockopp, Pennsylvania State UniversityTable of ContentsContents Chapter 1 Introduction Frank Griffel Chapter 2 Much Ado About Values: Justice in Modern Islamic Thought Gudrun Kr'mer Chapter 3 The Harmony of Natural Law and Shari'a in Islamist Theology Frank Griffel Chapter 4 Islamic Law and Legal Change: The Concept of Ma_la_a in Classical and Contemporary Legal Theory Felicitas Opwis Chapter 5 _All_l al-F_s_: Shari'a as Blueprint for Righteous Global Citizenship David L. Johnston Chapter 6 Shari'a and Islamic Democracy in the Age of al-Jazeera Noah Feldman Chapter 7 From ijtih_d to wil_yat al-faq_h : The Evolution of the Shi'ite Authority to Political Power Abbas Amanat Chapter 8 Shi'ite Theories of Social Contract Shahrough Akhavi Chapter 9 Shari'a and Constitution in Iran: A Historical Perspective Sa'd Amir Arjomand Chapter 10 The Normativity of the Factual On the Every Day Construction of Shari'a in a Yemeni Family Court Anna W'rth Chapter 11 Afterword Roy Mottahedeh Acknowledgments About the Authors Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA survey and analysis of what Shari'a, or Islamic law, means for Muslims today.Trade Review"The contributors to this volume present an important antidote, with in-depth analyses of some of the most important trends in legal thought in today's Muslim world."—John O. Voll, Islamic Law & Society"What Shari'a means to contemporary Muslims matters to non-Muslims as well. This volume enlightens everyone. It is at once scholarly and accessible, and informative in a deep and reliable way." —Gene Outka, Yale University"An important and illuminating anthology. This is no dry and pedantic read in the minutiae of arcane legal issues. These essays demonstrate that Shari'a is a living concern to Muslims around the world." —Sohail Hashmi, Mount Holyoke College"This important and timely volume helps bridge the gap between theoretical aspects of the law and its application in the modern world, and breaks new ground by paying close attention to both Shiite and Sunni uses of Islamic law. The authors, all experts in their fields, write with unusual clarity and precision to help us to understand the complex role of Islamic law in the Muslim world today.Itwill be a vital resource." —Jonathan E. Brockopp, Pennsylvania State UniversityTable of ContentsContents Chapter 1 Introduction Frank Griffel Chapter 2 Much Ado About Values: Justice in Modern Islamic Thought Gudrun Kr'mer Chapter 3 The Harmony of Natural Law and Shari'a in Islamist Theology Frank Griffel Chapter 4 Islamic Law and Legal Change: The Concept of Ma_la_a in Classical and Contemporary Legal Theory Felicitas Opwis Chapter 5 _All_l al-F_s_: Shari'a as Blueprint for Righteous Global Citizenship David L. Johnston Chapter 6 Shari'a and Islamic Democracy in the Age of al-Jazeera Noah Feldman Chapter 7 From ijtih_d to wil_yat al-faq_h : The Evolution of the Shi'ite Authority to Political Power Abbas Amanat Chapter 8 Shi'ite Theories of Social Contract Shahrough Akhavi Chapter 9 Shari'a and Constitution in Iran: A Historical Perspective Sa'd Amir Arjomand Chapter 10 The Normativity of the Factual On the Every Day Construction of Shari'a in a Yemeni Family Court Anna W'rth Chapter 11 Afterword Roy Mottahedeh Acknowledgments About the Authors Notes Index

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Book SynopsisQuestions and answers from two great philosophersWhy is laughter contagious? Why do mountains exist? Why do we long for the past, even if it is scarred by suffering? Spanning a vast array of subjects that range from the philosophical to the theological, from the philological to the scientific, The Philosopher Responds is the record of a set of questions put by the litterateur Abu Hayyan al-Tawhidi to the philosopher and historian Abu ''Ali Miskawayh. Both figures were foremost contributors to the remarkable flowering of cultural and intellectual life that took place in the Islamic world during the reign of the Buyid dynasty in the fourth/tenth century. The correspondence between al-Tawhidi and Miskawayh holds a mirror to many of the debates and preoccupations of the time and reflects the spirit of rationalistic inquiry that animated their era. It also provides insight into the intellectual outlooks of two thinkers who were divided as much by their distinctivTrade ReviewThis publication not only offers a new critical reference edition of the Arabic text, but also, through an elegant and fluent English translation, makes this unique work accessible to an audience of non-specialists. * Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies *A fascinating read, particularly for the aspiring scholar of classical Arabic texts, who will benefit from a solid English translation alongside the original Arabic. * Al Jadid *A marvel of literary finesse, of an English style seemingly able to match the often ornate prose of the Arabic... A pleasure to read throughout. * Journal of Near Eastern Studies *

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Book SynopsisWhy has continental philosophy so often made its North American home in Catholic institutions?Trade Review“The story told in The Catholic Reception is a compelling one that has shaped how phenomenology is practiced at Catholic universities in North America, and is a story that need not yet be over.” -- Zachary Willcutt * Journal for Continental Philosophy of Religion *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Catholics and Continental Thought: A Curious Allegiance Stephanie Rumpza 1. The Reception of Phenomenology and Existentialism by American Catholic Philosophers: Some Facts and Some Reasons Daniel Dahlstrom 2. Between the Old World and the New: Neoscholasticism, Continental Philosophy, and the Historical Subject Gregory P. Floyd 3. Continental Philosophy and Hermeneutics: Between Religion and Secularity John D. Caputo 4. Meaning, Concreteness, and Subjectivity: American Phenomenology and Catholic Philosophy at Boston College Patrick Byrne 5. Catholicism and Continental Philosophy in French Canada: An Opening Followed by an Ungrateful Separation Jean Grondin 6. French Phenomenology and Catholic Thought: Unfolding the Logos of the Logos Christina M. Gschwandtner 7. The Use of Philosophy in Critical Catholic Theology Andrew Prevot 8. Continental Philosophy as a Source for Theology: The Case of the “Science-Religion” Debate Anne M. Carpenter 9. How Continental Philosophy of Religion Came into Being and Where It Is Going Bruce Ellis Benson 10. Catholic Thought, French Phenomenology, and the University: Historical-Critical Remarks Jeffrey Bloechl 11. Being True to Mystery and Metaxological Metaphysics William Desmond 12. Catholic Thought and the Appropriation of Apocalyptic Forms of Philosophy in Alain Badiou, Slavoj Zizek, and Agamben Cyril O’Regan

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Book SynopsisRecognized as one of the leading philosophers and Jewish thinkers of the twentieth century, Emil Ludwig Fackenheim has been widely praised for his boldness, originality, and profundity. As is well-known, a striking feature of Fackenheim’s thought is his unwavering contention that the Holocaust brought about a radical shift in human history, so monumental and unprecedented that nothing can ever be the same again. Fackenheim regarded it as the specific duty of thinkers and scholars to assume responsibility to probe this historical event for its impact on the human future and to make its immense ramifications evident. In Emil Fackenheim’s Post-Holocaust Thought and Its Philosophical Sources, scholars consider important figures in the history of philosophy including Kant, Hegel, Heidegger, and Strauss and trace how Fackenheim''s philosophical confrontations with each of them shaped his overall thought. This collection details which philosophers exercised thTable of ContentsIntroduction Abbreviations 1. Emil Fackenheim on Moses Maimonides and the “One Great Difference between the Medievals and the Moderns” Benjamin Lorch, Michigan State University 2. Emil Fackenheim’s Jewish Correction of Kant’s Quasi-Christian Eschatology Martin D. Yaffe, University of North Texas 3. The Meaning of History: Knowledge of Good and Evil in Hegel and Fackenheim Paul Wilford, Boston College 4. Strategies of Jewish Hegelianism: Emil Fackenheim and Samuel Hirsch Martin Kavka, Florida State University 5. Can Philosophy Be Positive? The Place of Schelling in the Thought of Emil Fackenheim Jeffrey A. Bernstein, College of the Holy Cross 6. Emil Fackenheim’s Way from Presence to History: Its Grounding in a Critique of Rosenzweig on Revelation Kenneth Hart Green, University of Toronto 7. Fackenheim and Buber on Revelation: Re-evaluating the Existential and Historical Turn Away from Philosophy Steven Kepnes, Colgate University 8. To Captivate the Jewish Thinker: Fackenheim’s Ontological Encounter with Heidegger Waller R. Newell, Carleton University 9. Philosophy in the Age of Auschwitz: Emil Fackenheim and Leo Strauss Kenneth C. Blanchard, Jr., Northern University 10. Wiesel and Fackenheim: Philosophy and the Problem of Persecution Sharon Portnoff, Connecticut College Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisThe ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism contains profound wisdom about the cosmos, nature, human life, and education. Taoism seeks to be in harmony with nature, and using it as a guide can help us live in a way that is healing to both ourselves and the planet. Taoism, Teaching, and Learning identifies key aspects of Taoist thought and highlights how these principles can promote a holistic approach to teaching and learning. In particular, this book offers educators guidelines and pedagogical examples for how to instil a perspective of interconnectedness into their classrooms. It sheds light on how philosophical Taoism articulates a vision of the universe and life that mirrors the actual realities of nature. Providing frameworks and methods for teaching and learning based on the interconnectedness of life, Taoism, Teaching, and Learning develops an inspiring vision for education and helps us to see our world in a deeply holistic and meaningful way.Table of ContentsForeword Preface 1. Exploring Taoist Educational Philosophies in a Classical Suzhou Garden 2. Bringing Education into Harmony with the Way Things Are 3. Self-Cultivation 4. Wu-Wei: Teaching with Ease and Grace 5. Balancing Yin and Yang 6. Taoism and Holistic Education 7. Yin and Yang: Play in Kindergarten and the Teachers’ Role 8. A New Vision for Education

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Book SynopsisDespite being a pillar of belief in the Judeo-Christian tradition, the idea of revelation was deeply discredited over the course of the Enlightenment. The post-Enlightenment restoration of revelation among German religious thinkers is a fascinating yet underappreciated moment in modern efforts to navigate between reason and faith. The Rebirth of Revelation compares Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish reflections on revelation from 1750 to 1850 and asserts that a strategic transformation in the term’s meaning secured its relevance for the modern age. Tuska Benes argues that propositional revelation, understood as the infallible dispensation of doctrine, gave way to revelation as a subjective process of inner transformation or the historical disclosure of divine being in the world. By comparatively approaching the unconventional ways in which Protestantism, Catholicism, and Judaism have rehabilitated the concept of revelation, The Rebirth of Revelation Trade Review“Benes focuses on the period between 1750 and 1850 in the German lands, which boasted some of the most important intellectual minds of the period. They include Lessing, Mendelssohn, Kant, Herder, Schleiermacher, and Hegel. The most intriguing part of Benes’s book, however, is not the responses of these intellectual giants; rather, her approach is. She provides a much broader picture, including the religious struggles that haunted Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Jewish intellectual communities at the time.” -- Ulrich Groetsch, University of North Alabama * Central European History *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Historical Revelation in the Protestant Enlightenment Reason and Revelation: Spinoza, Leibniz, and Wolff Reimarus and the Neologians on Pagan Salvation G.E. Lessing on the Historicity of Revelation The Kantian Critique of Revelation 2. The Comparative History of Religion, 1770–1800 David Hume and the Comparative History of Religion J.G. Herder’s Älteste Urkunde des Menschengeschlechts (1774) The Comparative Religious History of Christoph Meiners J.A. Starck and J.G. Hamann on Rational Ur-Monotheism The Göttingen School of Comparative Religious History 3. God’s Word in Comparative Mythology, 1760–1830 The Divine Origins of Language: Hamann and Herder The Ursprache and Mosaic Revelation: Friedrich Schlegel J.A. Kanne’s Elusive Ursprache The Language of Revelation Nationalized: Friedrich Rückert The Symbolism of God’s Word: Joseph Görres 4. Revelation in Nature from Physicotheology to G.H. Schubert Natural Theology and the Collapse of Intelligent Design Restoring Revelation to Naturphilosophie Nature Divested of Sacred Tradition G.H. Schubert in the Spinoza Renaissance Physica Sacra: The Urwelt, Creation, and Scripture 5. The Philosophy of Revelation: Schleiermacher, Hegel, and Schelling Schleiermacher: Revelation as Subjective Experience The Self-Revelation of God in Hegel The Dark Ground of Revelation in Schelling 6. The Epistemology of Grace: Revelation in Catholic Theology, 1770–1850 Enlightened Catholicism and the Semi-Rationalist Defense of Revelation The Moral Necessity of Revelation for Georg Hermes The Comparative History of Religion in Enlightened Catholic Theology Syncretism in Post-Kantian Catholic Histories of Religion Catholic Philosophies of Revelation: Anton Günther and J.S. Drey The Neo-Scholasticism of Joseph Kleutgen 7. Revelation in Jewish Religious Thought from Mendelssohn to Geiger Revelation and the Law: Moses Mendelssohn Kant and Pre-Mosaic Revelation: Saul Ascher Salomon Ludwig Steinheim on Primordial Revelation Revelation as Historical Experience: Samson Raphael Hirsch Jewish Philosophies of Revelation: Salomon Formstecher and Samuel Hirsch The Genius of Revelation: Abraham Geiger 8. Revelation Imperiled in Protestant Religious Thought, 1820–1850 Revelation and Neo-Confessionalism: August Tholuck The Self-Revelation of Humanity: Ludwig Feuerbach Søren Kierkegaard: Revelation in Existentialist Thought Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisWithout the notes, Erasmus said, the texts of the Scripture were 'naked and defenceless,' open to criticism by uncomprehending readers and corruption by careless printers. The Annotations represent not only Erasmus' defence of the New Testament against such abuss, but also a reflection of his own philosophy, objectives, and working methods.In establishing the text and defending it against his opponents, Erasmus drew on manuscript sources, classical literature, patristic writings, scholastic exegesis, and the work of his immediate forerunners, Valla and Lefevre. He did not hesitate to point out the errors of illustrious writers like Jerome and established medieval authorities like Peter Lombard. In general he was appreciative of the early church Fathers and contemptuous of medieval commentators.As well as discussing the contents and aims of the Annotations, Erika Rummel investigates Erasmus' development from philologist to theologian and traces the prepub

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Book SynopsisA consideration of three of the most contentious ethical issues of our time - abortion, war and euthanasia - from the Muslim perspective. Scholars of Islamic studies have collaborated to produce this volume which both integrates Muslim thinking into the field of applied ethics and introduces readers to an aspect of the religion long overlooked in the West. This collective effort sets forth the relationship between Islamic ethics and law, revealing the complexity and richness of the Islamic tradition as well as its responsiveness to these controversial modern issues. The contributors analyze classical sources and survey the modern ethical landscape to identify guiding principles within Islamic ethical thought. Clarifying the importance of pragmatism in Islamic decision-making, the contributors also offer case studies related to specialized topics, including ""wrongful birth"" claims, terrorist attacks, and brain death. The case studies elicit possible variations on common Muslim perspectives. The contributors situate Muslim ethics relative to Christian and secular accounts of the value of human life, exposing surprising similarities and differences. In an introductory overview of the volume, Jonathan E. Brockopp underscores the steady focus on God as the one who determines the value of human life, and hence as the final arbiter of Islamic ethics. A foreword by Gene Outka places the volume in the context of general ethical studies, and an afterword by A. Kevin Reinhart suggests some significant ramifications for comparative religious ethics.

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Book SynopsisAbout a millennium ago, in Cairo, someone completed a large and richly illustrated book. In the course of thirty-five chapters, our unknown author guided the reader on a journey from the outermost cosmos and planets to Earth and its lands, islands, features and inhabitants. This treatise, known as The Book of Curiosities, was unknown to modern scholars until a remarkable manuscript copy surfaced in 2000. Lost Maps of the Caliphs provides the first general overview of The Book of Curiosities and the unique insight it offers into medieval Islamic thought. Opening with an account of the remarkable discovery of the manuscript and its purchase by the Bodleian Library, the authors use The Book of Curiosities to re-evaluate the development of astrology, geography and cartography in the first four centuries of Islam. Early astronomical ‘maps’ and drawings demonstrate the medieval understanding of the structure of the cosmos and illustrate the pervasive assumption that almost any visible celestial event had an effect upon life on Earth. Lost Maps of the Caliphs also reconsiders the history of global communication networks at the turn of the previous millennium. Not only is The Book of Curiosities one of the greatest achievements of medieval map-making, it is also a remarkable contribution to the story of Islamic civilization.Trade Review'This study is the first overview of a masterpiece of medieval mapmaking and Islamic civilisation.' * Apollo *“With its focus on eleventh-century Fatimid Cairo, 'Lost Maps of the Caliphs' reinterprets early Islamic apprehensions of the earth and the heavens, while reorienting our modern understanding of medieval Arabic mapmaking and its part in the transmission of Late Antique cartographic knowledge. A remarkable and important book of dazzling scholarship.” -- Jerry Brotton * author of A History of the World in Twelve Maps *“The two authors, Savage-Smith on the heavens and Rapoport on the earth, explain 'The Book of Curiosities' with exemplary scholarship and lucidity. Like the manuscript itself, this companion volume vastly enhances our understanding of the classical Arabic worldview in all its rich complexity." -- Hugh N. Kennedy * SOAS, University of London *“'Lost Maps of the Caliphs' is organized along the lines of the original manuscript, and exceptionally well documented, using a dazzling range of sources in an equally dazzling range of languages. The result is totally fascinating, with untold potential to illuminate any treatment of the medieval world on any continent in the Eastern Hemisphere.” -- Ingrid Rowland * University of Notre Dame *

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