Religion and politics Books

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewExtensive and significantly representative...journalists, editors, publishers, and those who train them (journalism and communication schools, religion departments, professional guilds) should take note. * Ken Chitwood, Reading Religion *Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1 Media coverage of Muslims: Introduction and overview Chapter The tone of Muslim coverage Chapter 3 United States newspaper coverage of Muslims: Main patterns and group comparisons Chapter Time and tone: Major events and their impact on coverage Chapter 5 Is the United States unique? Examining newspapers from the Anglophone North and the Global South Chapter 6 What do newspapers talk about when they talk about Muslims? Chapter 7 Conclusions and extensions: Islamophobia, constructing boundaries, and tone-checking the media Appendix I I.A. Corpus creation I.B. Sentiment analysis I.C. Geocoding Appendix II II.2. Chapter 2-Supplementary material II.3. Chapter 3-Supplementary material II.4. Chapter 4-Supplementary material II.5. Chapter 5-Supplementary material II.6. Chapter 6-Supplementary material References

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1908, Unitarian pastor Bertrand Thompson observed the momentous growth of the labor movement with alarm. Socialism, he wrote, has become a distinct substitute for the church. He was not wrong.In the generation after the Civil War, few of the migrants who moved North and West to take jobs in factories and mines had any association with traditional Protestant denominations. In the place of church, workers built a labor movement around a shared commitment to a Christian commonwealth. They demanded an expanded local, state and federal infrastructure which supported collective bargaining for better pay, shorter work-days, and an array of municipal services. Protestant clergy worried that if the labor movement kept growing in momentum and cultural influence, socialist policies would displace the need for churches and their many ministries to the poor. Even worse, they feared that the labor movement would render the largest Protestant denominations a relic of the nineteenth century.In The Trade ReviewWith astonishing archival findings and narrative lucidity, The Gospel of Church supplies a beautiful primer on the religious debates that originate the modern labor movement. Janine Drake exposes how Christian leaders turned against union organizing to preserve their universalizing hold on the moral order. This is a book appears just as socialism experiences a revitalized presence in public conversation and Christian nationalism is on the rise. Required reading for activists, agitators, educators, and historians who want to understand when and why so many American Christians got scared of strikes. * Kathryn Lofton, author of Consuming Religion *Janine Giordano Drake's revelatory book will lead readers to a new understanding of the church as a site of political contest in the early 20th century. A feat of research and scholarship, her account of religion, class, and politics will help scholars gain a deeper understanding of Christianity as a social force- one that has reshaped the political landscape with implications reaching to the present day. * Kimberly Kather Phillips-Fein, author of Invisible Hands: The Businessmen's Crusade Against the New Deal *Janine Giordano Drake skillfully and effectively tells the story of how protestant ministers, organized into the Federal Council of Churches and motivated by wider Social Gospel commitments, suppressed working class movements in support of socialism and industrial unions. Her well-documented argument shows how Protestant ministers and the FCC, between 1908 and 1920, used notions of Christian justice to strengthen their own power and public presence while weakening unions and voices on the working-class religious left. Her work bridges scholarship in the fields of labor and religious history and speaks to important political developments that reverberate to this day. * Randi Storch, author of Red Chicago: American Communism at Its Grassroots, 1928-35 *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Gilded Age Churches and the Vacuum of Denominational Authority Chapter 2: Christianity and the American Commonwealth Chapter 3: Planting the Church of Social Democracy: Socialism and Christian Socialism in the Socialist Party of America Chapter 4: Between Religion and Politics: Christian Socialists and the Socialist Party Chapter 5: Socialism and the Limits of American Protestantism Chapter 6: Reframing the Moral Lessons of the Labor Movement Chapter 7: Charles Stelzle's Labor Temple and the Constested Boundaries of American Religion Chapter 8: The Great War and the Victory of White Protestant Clergy Chapter 9: The Interchurch World Movement and the Christening of the Open Shop Afterword: On the Heroic Narrative of Christian Social Service

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis book is essentially a neo-Anabaptist primer for political theology and church-state relations...With an approach more akin to theology than social science, this volume is an extended argument for Christian pacifism and peacemaking that some readers will welcome as a corrective to contemporary right-wing Christian political activism. * Choice *an impressive book * Andrew S. Gilmour, The Living Church *This book skillfully counters the global rise of religious nationalism by deftly analyzing the founding mission of Christianity. It shows that by politicizing itself, Christianity has lost its prophetic voice, urgently needed to advance human rights and peace everywhere. This book will be a light for Christians and a template for religious social activism around the world." -Mark Juergensmeyer, author of God at WarThis remarkable book shows how state privilege both harms Christianity and undermines global peace and democracy. In contrast, independent Christian communities that live by the radical ethic of Jesus promote human rights, dignity for the poor, women's empowerment, and peace & reconciliation. Beautifully written and cogently argued. * Allen Hertzke, author of Freeing God's Children *Tracing the theology and charting the history of churches across the globe, Nilay Saiya lays bare the startling realization that whenever the church attains a privileged status with the state, true Christian practice withers and dies. This book couldn't be more timely. It is a significant contribution to the study of the church in society. It cannot be ignored by anyone who cares about the politics of Jesus Christ in our time." -David Fitch, BR Lindner Chair of Theology, Northern Seminary, ChicagoTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. Clashing Kingdoms Chapter 2. Patriots, Pietists, and Prophets Chapter 3. Wayward Christian Soldiers: Christianity and Violence Chapter 4. Christianizing Foreign Policy: The Case of American Evangelicals and the Middle East Chapter 5. Holy Humanitarians? Christianity and Human Rights Chapter 6. Sowing in Shalom: Peace and Reconciliation Chapter 7. Looking Inward: The Paradox of Privilege and the Church Chapter 8. The Path Forward Appendix References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn recent years, Islamophobia has seen a disturbing global rise. Blaming Muslim minorities for economic, political, and social problems is an increasingly common rhetorical strategy for politicians in countries worldwide. A narrative of the threatening Muslim invader is troublingly prevalent, regardless of whether the targets of such rhetoric are born citizens or new arrivals. Its consequences are deadly and devastating for Uyghurs in China-indefinitely detained in concentration camps-Indian Muslims attacked in pogroms, and the Rohingya victims of genocide. In parts of Europe and North America, the consequences of Islamophobia are less overtly violent but no less harmful: Muslims are banned from wearing hijab, building minarets, opening Islamic schools, or legally immigrating to certain countries. In the United States, Europe, and India, Islamophobic rhetoric is increasingly normalized, fracturing ethnically diverse societies as xenophobic right-wing political ideals accumulate followe

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMarkofski has written an ambitious and wide-ranging book mapping new terrain in the study of American evangelicalism and marking future directions for that broad religious movement so critical to American and global society. The book's compelling argument will matter for the future of evangelical Christianity, for the future of democracy, and for how we understand 'public religion' generally. We need this book for meeting the current historical moment. * Richard L. Wood, Professor of Sociology at the University of New Mexico, author of A Shared Future: Faith-based Organizing for Racial Equity (with Brad Fulton) *Markofski's ethnography on multicultural evangelicalism is much needed, deeply nuanced, and highly accessible. A must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of race, politics, and evangelicals in America. * John Inazu, Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion, Washington University in St. Louis *This maybe the most important book in years on US evangelical Christianity, both for scholars concerned about anti-democratic trends and for students personally committed to evangelical religion. Morebroadly,this book will shape future conversations regarding public religion in the United States and globally, particularly the role religion can play in the defense and deepening of democracy. * Social Forces *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Collaboration for Common Goods: Evangelicals and Others Seeking Justice and Power Together Chapter 1: Good News? Common Goods? Multicultural Evangelicalism? Ethical Democracy? Chapter 2: Engaging Race and Inequality Chapter 3: Engaging Poverty and Inequality Chapter 4: Engaging Politics, Culture, and Religious Difference Chapter 5: Reflexive Evangelicalism: Learning from Experience and Scripture Chapter 6: Ethical Democracy and Four Modes of Social Reflexivity Conclusion: Multicultural Evangelicalism and Democracy in America Appendix: Multisite Ethnography and the Exceptional Case Method References

Read more less

Book SynopsisMore than half a century ago, sociologist J. Milton Yinger remarked about religion, There are few major subjects about which men know so little, yet feel so certain. Samuel L. Perry says that Yinger had it right. Americans--and Westerners more generally--neglect the scientific study of religion, and we do so at our peril.In Religion for Realists, Perry argues that we need the scientific study of religion--the rational, data-driven analysis of religious life-now more than ever. Contrary to the fears of many religious Americans, the scientific study of religion only threatens empirical falsehoods, promulgated often to the benefit of charlatans and demagogues. And contrary to the silent hopes of many secular academics, religion doesn''t go away when you ignore it. Instead, interest groups fill the void to shape the public''s understanding of religious reality: sometimes well, usually poorly. Perry makes the case that, as people in the West self-sort into partisan tribes, all of us--religious and irreligious alike--need the scientific study of religion. This book presents a practical roadmap for ensuring that its insights are widely available, accessible, and impactful.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCan religion coexist in harmony with the American ideal of separation of church and state? Philosopher Robert Audi here explores this perennial and topical question. The notion of a religion is complex and elastic; the notion of democracy is complex and contested. Audi explores both notions in the context of American founding documents, American ideals of religious liberty and social justice, and contemporary American social problems in public education, business, and healthcare--all of which are beset by the culture wars--from perceived hostility to religion in schools, to vaccine resistance, to refusals to provide religiously objectionable services, to abortion. Is This God''s Country? reflects Audi''s decades of work on religion and politics, ethics, and philosophy of religion. He accessibly explains why America separates church and state, how this can benefit both religious and secular citizens, why there is nevertheless controversy about what this means, and how opposed religious

Read more less

Book SynopsisA sweeping history of Islamism in Central Asia from the Russian Revolution to the present through Soviet-era archival documents, oral histories, and a trove of interviews and focus groups.Few observers anticipated a surge of Islamism in Central Asia, after seventy years of forced communist atheism. Muslims do not inevitably support Islamism, a modern political ideology of Islam. Yet, Islamism became the dominant form of political opposition in post-Soviet Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. In Politicizing Islam in Central Asia, Kathleen Collins explores the causes, dynamics, and variation in Islamist movements-first within the USSR, and then in the post-Soviet states of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Drawing upon extensive ethnographic and historical research on Islamist mobilization, she explains the strategies and relative success of each Central Asian Islamist movement. Collins argues that in each case, state repression of Islam, by Soviet and post-Soviet regimes, together with theTrade ReviewRemarkable in scope and depth, drawing on everything from interviews in the Ferghana Valley to jihadi propaganda in multiple languages, Collins' book is a contender for the definitive work on the rise of militant Islamism in Central Asia. * Thomas Hegghammer, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford University, and author of The Caravan: Abdallah Azzam and the Rise of Global Jihad and Jihad in Saudi Arabia *A groundbreaking study of Islamism's evolution in Central Asia, Kathleen Collins' remarkable feat of scholarship should be required reading for all serious analysts and observers of this important region. Collins' book offers irrefutable evidence that religious freedom is the best counterterrorism policy. * Mike Croissant, US government counterterrorism officer (ret.) *Politicizing Islam covers a lot of ground and is based on a massive amount of sustained original research. Collins traces three waves of Islamist mobilization, each one a response to state repression. Her use of interviews and focus groups allows her to bring society back in into the analysis. She makes a clearly thought-out argument on the basis of impressive research. * Adeeb Khalid, Jane and Raphael Bernstein Professor of Asian Studies and History, Carleton College, and author of Making Uzbekistan and Islam After Communism *Collins achieves something extraordinary in this masterful and careful analysis of Islamism in Central Asia. Based on years of in-depth interviews, archival materials, and other sources, Collins traces the emergence of Islamist movements, from the moderate and democratic to the radical and militant in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Along the way, she reveals the lived experiences of many Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek religious believers. Without demonizing Islam or sensationalizing Islamism, Collins enriches our understanding of both Soviet and post-Soviet religious repression and its unintended consequences: making Islam more resilient and fostering a religious basis for political opposition. Anyone endeavoring to understand the fabric of modern-day Central Asia should closely read Collins' scholarship. * Steve Swerdlow, Associate Professor of the Practice of Human Rights, University of Southern California, and former Senior Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch *Table of ContentsList of Figures List of Images List of Tables List of Maps Acknowledgements Technical Note List of Acronyms PART I Introduction 1: Secular Authoritarianism, Ideology, and Islamist Mobilization PART II: The USSR Politicizes Islam 2: The Russian Revolution and Muslim Mobilization 3: The Atheist State: Repressing and Politicizing Islam 4: Muslim Belief and Everyday Resistance PART III: Tajikistan: From Moderate Islamists to Muslim Democrats 5: The Islamic Revival Party Challenges Communism 6: A Democratic Islamic Party Confronts An Extremist Secular State 7: The Attraction and Limits of Islamist Ideas in Tajikistan PART IV: Uzbekistan: From Salafists to Salafi-Jihadists 8: Seeking Justice and Purity: Islamists against Communism and Karimov 9: Making Extremists: The Uzbek Jihad Moves to Afghanistan 10: The Attraction and Limits of Islamist Ideas in Uzbekistan PART V: Kyrgyzstan: Civil Islam and Emergent Islamists 11: Religious Liberalization and Civil Islam in Kyrgyzstan 12: Emergent Islamism in Kyrgyzstan 13: The Attraction and Limits of Islamist Ideas in Kyrgyzstan PART VI: From Central Asia to Syria: Transnational Salafi-Jihadists 14: Central Asians Join the Syrian Jihad 15: From Central Asia to Afghanistan, Syria, and Beyond Appendix Glossary Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe relationship between early Mormons and the United States was marked by anxiety and hostility, heightened over the course of the nineteenth century by the assassination of Mormon leaders, the Saints'' exile from Missouri and Illinois, the military occupation of the Utah territory, and the national crusade against those who practiced plural marriage. Nineteenth-century Latter-day Saints looked forward to apocalyptic events that would unseat corrupt governments across the globe, particularly the tyrannical government of the United States. The infamous White Horse Prophecy referred to this coming American apocalypse as a terrible revolution in the land of America, such as has never been seen before; for the land will be literally left without a supreme government. Mormons envisioned divine deliverance by way of plagues, natural disasters, foreign invasions, American Indian raids, slave uprisings, or civil war unleashed on American cities and American people. For the Saints, these violeTrade ReviewCertainly, the book reveals a rich lode of apocalypticism that persists and changes within religious traditions that lay claim to be the restoration of all things prior to the earth's final dispensation. In so doing, it invites promising further work by scholars of religious futurism. * Tona Hangen, BYU Studies Quarterly *It is when he begins to explore understudied material... that this book really starts to break new ground and offer not simply new history, but new perspectives on the trajectory of the new religious movement that Joseph Smith founded. * Matthew Bowman, Claremont Graduate University, Journal of Mormon History *Blythe's most admirable achievement with this volume is his ability to provide a fascinating, easily accessible, but still truly academic, thoroughly researched, and meticulously presented cultural and social history of the Latter-day Saints in the United States, structured around the theme of the apocalypse ... I wholeheartedly recommend Terrible Revolution. * Iren E. Annus, Nova Religio *...this volume is a unique contribution to the literature on American religious history. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * D. S. Azzolina, CHOICE *The title may include "Terrible," but this book is anything but. It is a unique contribution to understanding the history, theology, and folklore surrounding the much-anticipated end times through the eyes of the church and its lay members. * Kevin Folkman, Association For Mormon Letters *Terrible Revolution was one of the most exciting and well-researched books I've read in a while. It is a book that you want to complete in one sitting, but don't. Instead, you show restraint and space out the reading because you want to savor the history and enjoy it a moment longer. * Christopher Angulo, Association of Mormon Letters blog *Christopher Blythe has written an essential guide for understanding the religious culture of Mormonism. Terrible Revolution takes readers from early expectations of an imminent Second Coming, to the White Horse Prophecy, to contemporary preppers. An essential text. * John G. Turner, author of Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet *In this illuminating study, Christopher Blythe spins a masterful narrative that combines an impressive breadth of sources, official and popular, to tell a story still unfolding in the 21st century." -Terryl Givens, author of Wrestling the Angel: The Foundations of Mormon ThoughtBlythe's Terrible Revolution offers a smart, original, and compelling analysis of the evolving role of apocalyptic thinking in the LDS Church. Blythe has marshalled thousands of sources, some long hidden away in obscure places, and diligently connected them to larger social and political trends." -Matthew Avery Sutton, author of American Apocalypse: A History of Modern EvangelicalismBlythe does a terrific job walking the reader through the shifts and nuances of the multiple apocalyptic themes that pepper the LDS imagination, both officially and unofficially." -Amy Hoyt, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought Ik YThe Latter-day Saints of the nineteenth century belonged to an apocalyptic tradition, argues historian and folklorist Christopher Blythe in his highly informative book Terrible Revolution....Blythe charts the rise and fall of Mormon apocalyptic discourse over the two-hundred- year history of the Restoration. He defines "apocalyptic" as "the belief that society was headed toward cataclysmic events that would uproot the current social order in favor of a divine order that would be established in its place". * Patrick Q. Mason, Journal of Book of Mormon Studies *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Chapter One: The Apocalyptic Tradition in Early Mormonism Chapter Two: "Long Shall His Blood...Stain Illinois": Martyrology and Malediction Chapter Three: The Geography of Mormon Apocalyptic Chapter Four: The Judgments Begin: Apocalypticism in Utah Territory Chapter Five: The Americanization of Mormon Apocalyptic Chapter Six - Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Apocalyptic Trajectories Afterword: Apocalypticism in the "Mormon Moment" Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisAre most white American Christians actually committed to a Religion of Whiteness?Recent years have seen a growing recognition of the role that White Christian Nationalism plays in American society. As White Christian Nationalism has become a major force, and as racial and religious attitudes become increasingly aligned among whites--for example, the more likely you are to say that the decline of white people as a share of the population is bad for society, the more likely you are to believe the government should support religious values--it has become reasonable to wonder which of the adjectives in the phrase White Christian Nationalism takes precedence. In this book, Michael O. Emerson and Glenn E. Bracey II respond definitively: the answer is white. The majority of white Christians in America, they argue, are believers in a Religion of Whiteness that shapes their faith, their politics, and more. The Religion of Whiteness, they argue, raises the perpetuation of racial inequality to a

Read more less

Book SynopsisAt its founding, the United States was an overwhelmingly Protestant country. However, over the last 250 years, it has become increasingly diverse with tens of millions of Catholics, millions of Latter-day Saints, Muslims, Hindus, and Jews, alongside a rapidly increasing share of Americans who claim no religious affiliation at all. The American Religious Landscape uses an in-depth statistical analysis of large datasets to answer foundational questions about this diversity, such as: How many Hindus are there in the US? Which state has the highest concentration of Muslims? Are atheists more highly educated than the general population? How many Roman Catholics attend Mass weekly? It focuses on the overall size, geographic distribution, and demographic composition of twelve different religious groups in short and accessible chapters that, taken together, serve as a basic introduction to the state of religion in America. Through dozens of charts, graphs, and maps--designed for readability and clarity--readers will be left with a solid understanding of the contours of contemporary American religion and what it could look like in the future.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor more than thirty years, Jonathan Z. Smith was among the most important voices of critical reflection within the academic study of religion. Smith had also produced a significant corpus of essays and lectures on teaching and on the essential role of academic scholarship on religion in matters of education and public policy. Education was not a side issue for Smith, and his essays continually shed light on fundamental questions. What differentiates college from high school? What are the proper functions of an introductory course? What functions should a department serve in undergraduate and graduate education? How should a major or concentration be conceived-if at all? What roles should the academic guilds play in public discourse on education and on religion? Most importantly, what does it mean to say that one is both a scholar and a teacher, and what responsibilities does this entail?Smith''s writings on these crucial issues for education have been largely inaccessible until now. S

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisUntil the modern period the integration of church (or other religion) and state (or political life) had been taken for granted. The political order was always tied to an official religion in Christian Europe, pre-Christian Europe, and in the Arabic world. But from the eighteenth century onwards, some European states began to set up their political order on a different basis. Not religion, but the rule of law through non-religious values embedded in constitutions became the foundation of some states - a movement we now call secularism. In others, a de facto secularism emerged as political values and civil and criminal law altered their professed foundation from a shared religion to a non-religious basis. Today secularism is an increasingly hot topic in public, political, and religious debate across the globe. It is embodied in the conflict between secular republics - from the US to India - and the challenges they face from resurgent religious identity politics; in the challenges faced by religious states like those of the Arab world from insurgent secularists; and in states like China where calls for freedom of belief are challenging a state imposed non-religious worldview. In this Very Short Introduction Andrew Copson tells the story of secularism, taking in momentous episodes in world history, such as the great transition of Europe from religious orthodoxy to pluralism, the global struggle for human rights and democracy, and the origins of modernity. He also considers the role of secularism when engaging with some of the most contentious political and legal issues of our time: ''blasphemy'', ''apostasy'', religious persecution, religious discrimination, religious schools, and freedom of belief and freedom of thought in a divided world.Previously published in hardback as Secularism: Politics, Religion, and FreedomABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewCopson has managed to put together an accessible, but surprisingly nuanced and comprehensive, introduction to secularism that would be appropriate for undergraduate classrooms or lay readers interested in the topic. * Mary Leah Friedline, Religious Studies Review *Today's world is in dire need of the noble tradition of secularism, and I know nobody better qualified than Andrew Copson to expound it. * Richard Dawkins *This is an exceptionally careful, fair-minded and positive introduction to the many meanings of a word often carelessly used. It will be an enormous help to all who want to understand better the current controversies about religious belief and modern society. * Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury *A must read. It is a worthwhile introduction that will inform and may correct some assumptions and prejudices. * The Rev Maurice Stafford, Methodist Recorder *Concise and fair-minded ... Secularism helps the reader navigate [the] ... shifting terrain admirably. * Nick Spencer, Times Literary Supplement *Andrew Copson's short book covers a lot of ground. It is one of the best books I've read in this excellent series. Copson [...] provides a balanced and generous interpretation that presents arguments on different sides ... His approach is subtle and intelligent, and is informed by a deep understanding of the positions of those with whom he disagrees. I learnt a great deal from reading this. * Nigel Warburton, Five Books *Recommended. * CHOICE *Copson is even-handed in his analysis ... This is as nuanced a defence of secularism as you'll find * Jonathan Wright, Catholic Herald *Andrew Copson ... looks for genuine debate in Secularism ... It is natural to review books on atheism and secularism together. The intersection of the two groups is large. But one of the chief benefits of reading Copson is that he enables us to think more deeply about how they diverge. * Maximilian de Gaynesford, The Tablet *It is to Andrew Copson's credit that his short book refuses to circumvent ... big issues but rather brings them blinking out into the light and enables readers to understand better and think more clearly about them. It is undoubtedly the author's hope-and by and large this reviewer's too-that by the end of the book readers will look more positively on secularism. But that would mark not the end of a debate, but the start of a new one. Secularism yes. But what kind? * Nick Spencer, Theos *An excellent and sympathetic introduction to secularism * Paradigm Explorer *[Copson's] new book strikes the rare balance of being both entertaining and informative ... [His] gift, it seems, is the ability to condense decades of the evolution and analysis of the concept of secularism into 140 short pages. * The Pink Humanist *Secularism is of growing importance all over the world, yet it is also an approach with deep roots reaching far back into our history. Andrew Copson elegantly explores this history as well as secularism's importance today, showing how it evolved and how it is the key to de-escalating so many of the modern world's points of conflict. * Dan Snow *Andrew Copson is one of the most thoughtful people in the world on secularism. We have never needed a sane, intelligent, persuasive guide to secularism more than now - so I'd say thank God for this excellent book, if that wasn't too obviously ironic. * Johann Hari *A timely tour de force and indispensable analysis for anyone seeking to get to grips with the roots, philosophy, and current controversies surrounding secularism which are challenging our vexed world. * Professor Francesca Klug, author of Magna Carta For All Humanity: Homing in on Human Rights *A secular state embraces freedom of religion or belief, the equal treatment of persons regardless of faith, and the separation of religious and state authorities. In this wide-ranging and timely study Andrew Copson describes the virtues of secularism as the guarantor of equal dignity, freedom, and security for all, but also the various platforms from which it is opposed, and its fragile and increasingly beleaguered state across the world. Scrupulously fair, his book brings much-needed clarity into a confused and embittered area of dispute. * Simon Blackburn, author of Ethics: A Very Short Introduction and Plato's Republic: A Biography *This is a dazzling tour of the history and meanings of Secularism. Copson pulls off that most compelling thing a synthesis of nuance and rigour that is global in its vision, historical in its foundation, but fully contemporary in its relevance. For being so intimately involved in advocacy, the author demonstrates balance and understanding of critical as well as supportive positions, and with its authoritative research base this is immensely useful for student learning in the growing arena of Studies in Nonbelief. * Callum Brown, Professor of Late modern European History, University of Glasgow *Table of Contents1: What is secularism? 2: Secularism in Western societies 3: Secularism diversifies 4: The case for secularism 5: The case against secularism 6: Conceptions of secularism 7: Hard questions and new conflicts Afterword: The future of secularism References and Further Reading Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisUnderstanding Liberal Democracy presents notable work by Nicholas Wolterstorff at the intersection between political philosophy and religion. Alongside his influential earlier essays, it includes nine new essays in which Wolterstorff develops original lines of argument and stakes out novel positions regarding the nature of liberal democracy, human rights, and political authority. Taken together, these positions are an attractive alternative to the so-called public reason liberalism defended by thinkers such as John Rawls. The volume will be of interest to philosophers, political theorists, and theologians, engaging a wide audience of those interested in how best to understand the nature of liberal democracy and its relation to religion.Table of ContentsPART ONE: PUBLIC REASON LIBERALISM; PART TWO: RE-THINKING LIBERAL DEMOCRACY; PART THREE: PERSPECTIVES ON RIGHTS; PART FOUR: LIBERAL DEMOCRACY AND RELIGION

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1989, Francis Fukuyama famously declared that we had reached the end of history, and that liberal democracy would be the reigning ideology from now on. But Fukuyama failed to reckon with the idea of illiberal democracy. What if majorities, working through the democratic process, decide they would rather not accept gender equality and other human rights norms that Western democracies take for granted? Nowhere have such considerations become more relevant than in the Middle East, where the Arab uprisings of 2011 swept the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist parties into power. Since then, one question has been on everyone''s mind: what do Islamists really want?In Temptations of Power, noted Brookings scholar Shadi Hamid draws on hundreds of interviews with Islamist leaders and rank-and-file activists to offer an in-depth look at the past, present, and future of Islamist parties across the Arab world. The oldest and most influential of these groups, the Muslim Brotherhood, initially Trade ReviewAn Egyptian colleague of mine recently suggested that Hamid, who has emerged as a prominent commentator on the Muslim Brotherhood in recent years, had been duped by the organization. My colleague should read Hamids book; so should others. Many observers have explored the question of whether Islamist moderation is tactical or sincere. Hamids answer is clear: it is tactical. Hamid has extensively researched the Brotherhoods branches in Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia. * John Waterbury, Book of the year 2014, Foreign Affairs *An important and fresh contribution to our understanding of political Islam, Temptations of Power offers an insider and intimate perspective on Islamic movements and the rationale behind their leadership and survival. Drawing from many interviews with Islamists in the Middle East, the book uncovers aspects of political Islam that can sound counterintuitive to general audiences. * Reza Akhlaghi, Book of the year 2014, Foreign Policy Association *Table of Contents1. Islamists in Transition ; 2. Democrats Before Democracy ; 3. The Promise of Politics ; 4. The Turn to Repression ; 5. Learning to Lose ; 6. Temptations of Power ; 7. Illiberal Democracy ; 8. A Tunisian Exception? ; 9. The Past and Future of Political Islam

Read more less

Book SynopsisMuslims in the Western Imagination explores the ways in which Muslim men are depicted as monsters throughout history. Monsters help a society delineate who belongs in a social group and who, or what, is excluded. Even when Muslim monsters are symbolic, as in post-9/11 zombie films, they still function to define Muslims as non-human entities. These are not portrayals of Muslim men as malevolent human characters, but rather as creatures that occupy the imagination--non-humans that exhibit their wickedness outwardly on the skin. They populate medieval tales, Renaissance paintings, Shakespearean dramas, Gothic horror novels, and Hollywood films. Through an exhaustive survey of medieval, early modern, and contemporary literature, art, and cinema, Sophia Rose Arjana examines the dehumanizing ways in which Muslim men have been constructed and represented as monsters, and the impact such representations have on perceptions of Muslims. The study is the first to present a Foucauldian genealogy oTrade ReviewArjana succeeds in supplying ample evidence that exposes a long history of the 'monsterization' and vilification of Muslims within the Western European and North American traditions of popular culture. Her concern for how these perpetuate mischaracterization of both Muslims and Islam and result in mistreatment, unfair exclusion, and outright injustice is well grounded and deserves serious attention, with expressed hope for correction. * R. Charles Weller, Religion *Islamophobia is a broad pathology of our times. Pegged to September 11, 2001, it has continued to flourish in the shadow of subsequent wars waged by the US and its allies, throughout the Middle East. While Abu Ghraib became one of the showcases of American horror, Homeland set the mark for thinking about, or imagining, Muslim enemies. Both are highlighted in this, the first genealogy, which is also a semiotics, of Islamophobia. A well-researched, carefully staged book, it illumines how brutal images of monster Muslims have become commonplace, almost reflexive in the long afterlife of the War on Terror. * Bruce Lawrence, Professor of Islamic Studies Emeritus, Duke University *Rigorously historical, and partaking of the best of discursive analysis, this is a remarkable study of the distorted mirror in which the Western imagination has conceived of Muslims. As Arjana demonstrates, this tells me almost nothing about Muslims, and a great deal about the Western imagination. Arjana makes a persuasive case that in order to understand the dehumanizing practices in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, Bagram, and elsewhere, we need to cast a much longer critical look at the history of the Western imaginaire about Muslims [as] Monsters. Essential reading for Islamic studies, American studies, and European history. * Omid Safi, Director of Duke Islamic Studies Center, Duke University *In The Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie wrote this about the power of representation: They describe us . . . that's all. They have the power of description, and we succumb to the pictures they construct. In her exhaustive and often disturbing work, Sophia Arjana catalogues the many ways in which Muslims have been described as monsters. It is a compelling book. * Amir Hussain, Editor, Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Islam in the Western Imagination ; Chapter 1: The Muslim Monster ; Chapter 2: Medieval Muslim Monsters ; Chapter 3: Turkish Monsters ; Chapter 4: The Monsters of Orientalism ; Chapter 5: Muslim Monsters in the Americas ; Chapter 6: The Monsters of September 11th ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe history of deliverance politics in Anglo-American history contains remarkable moments of achievement, but this is not a story of triumphal progress. Exodus was hotly contested, used by the powerful as well as the weak, and mobilized to support a host of rival causes. By writing themselves into the Protestant history of liberty, African Americans undercut complacent narratives of progress, injecting a powerful sense of unease into the tradition. The argument over who owns the biblical narrative has continued into the twenty-first century. If Barack Obama saw himself as an inheritor of Exodus politics, so too did George W. Bush. Many Christians - and many non-Christians too - remain understandably suspicious of those who read Israel''s history as political paradigm, especially when it underpins religious nationalism. This story is riddled with moral ironies. The Books of Moses could be used to justify anti-black racism and the dispossession of Native peoples as well as freedom from sTrade ReviewThis book, a tour de force of historical research and cultural analysis, demonstrates that a rhetoric of 'deliverance' grounded in several key biblical texts has been an under-appreciated but vitally important theme of political mobilization in Britain and American from the 16th century to the present. The argument is built on careful analysis of these texts from the Book of Exodus and elsewhere in Scripture, and of their surprisingly broad effect in different historical periods and national circumstances. The effect adds significantly to political understanding of religious history and religious understanding of the political. It is a noteworthy, but also surprisingly timely work. * Mark Noll, author of Protestantism: A Very Short Introduction *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Introduction: "Biblical Traditions that Call for Liberation" ; Part I: Reformations, Revolutions, and Political Slavery ; 1. "The Only Parallel": The Puritan Revolution as England's Exodus ; 2. "God's Favourite People": The Revolutions of 1688 and 1776 ; Part II: Abolitionists, African Americans, and Racial Slavery ; 3. "Pretended Votaries of Freedom": The Rise of Protestant Antislavery to 1807 ; 4. "Yours for the Jubilee": The Abolitionists' Scriptural Imagination, 1808-1865 ; 5. "When Israel was in Egyptland": Black Exodus Politics, 1808-1865 ; Part III: Exodus after Slavery ; 6. "I Have Seen the Promised Land": The Persistence of Deliverance Politics, 1865-2008 ; Conclusion: Sacred Texts, Godly Readers, and Historical Change ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisOver the last thirty years, conservative evangelicals have been moving to the Northwest of the United States, where they hope to resist the impact of secular modernity and to survive the breakdown of society that they anticipate. These believers have often given up on the politics of the Christian Right, adopting strategies of hibernation while developing the communities and institutions from which a new America might one day emerge. Their activity coincides with the promotion by prominent survivalist authors of a program of migration to the American Redoubt, a region encompassing Idaho, Montana, parts of eastern Washington and Oregon, and Wyoming, as a haven in which to endure hostile social change or natural disaster and in which to build a new social order. These migration movements have independent origins, but they overlap in their influences and aspirations, working in tandem to offer a vision of the present in which Christian values must be defended as American society is rebuilt according to biblical law. This book examines the origins, evolution, and cultural reach of this little-noted migration and considers what it might tell us about the future of American evangelicalism.Drawing on Calvinist theology, the social theory of Christian Reconstruction, and libertarian politics, these believers are projecting significant soft power. Their books are promoted by leading mainstream publishers and listed as New York Times bestsellers. Their strategy is gaining momentum, making an impact in local political and economic life, while being repackaged for a wider audience in publications by a broader coalition of conservative commentators and in American mass culture. This survivalist evangelical subculture recognizes that they have lost the culture war - but another kind of conflict is beginning.Trade ReviewSurvival and Resistance in Evangelical America adds complexity to our understanding of the methods that evangelicals have pursued to enact change as well as the periodization for these efforts. * Eileen Luhr, Oregon Historical Quarterly *Whether familiar or unacquainted with those involved in Christian Reconstruction in the Pacific Northwest, readers will be equipped and prepared to think carefully about the movement and the relationship between faith, politics, and culture. * Aaron Lumpkin, SOUTHEASTERN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW *an important book * William Schultz, Church History *For Lutherans, the value of this book can be found in the question of how best to approach secularism. * Mark Mattes, Grand View University, Lutheran Quarterly *A fine addition to an expanding list of historically grounded monographs on Christian Reconstruction. * Brian J. Auten, Ad Fontes *Gribben paints a rich and detailed portrait... * Ryan David Shelton, New Books Network *Survival and Resistance in Evangelical America provides an insightful exploration of the larger social and regional contexts inhabited by Rushdoony's offspring. * Gillis J. Harp, Grove City College, Christianity Today *Table of ContentsPreface Map Introduction Chapter 1: Migration Chapter 2: Eschatology Chapter 3: Government Chapter 4: Education Chapter 5: Media Conclusion Glossary Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne Sunday in February 1987, protesters stood outside the Unitarian Universalist Church of Amherst in Massachusetts, whose minister planned to hand out condoms during his sermon, dramatizing the need for the church to confront the AIDS crisis. The minister gave out nearly five hundred condoms as the audience exploded into applause. But he could not hang around to enjoy it; having received threats in advance of the service, he dashed out of the sanctuary immediately. Thus was the climate for religious AIDS activism in the mid-1980s. After the Wrath of God is the first book to tell the story of American religion and the AIDS epidemic. Anthony Petro shows how religious leaders and organizations posited AIDS as a religious and moral epidemic, and analyzes how this construction has informed cultural and political debates about public health and sexual morality. While most attention to religion and AIDS foregrounds the role of the Religious Right, this book examines the much broader-and moreTrade Review[O]f interest to graduate students in the social sciences. * Mary Jo Iozzio, Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: AIDS, Sexuality, and American Religion ; 1) Emerging Morality: American Christians, Sexuality, and AIDS ; 2) Governing Authority: C. Everett Koop and the Moral Politics of Public Health ; 3) Ecclesiastical Authority: AIDS, Sexuality, and the American Catholic Church ; 4) Protest Religion!: ACT UP, Religious Freedom, and the Ethics of Sex ; Afterword: We "Other Christians" ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first comprehensive analysis of the philosophical issues raised by the hijab controversy in France, this book also conducts a dialogue between contemporary Anglo-American and French political theory and defends a progressive republican solution to so-called multicultural conflicts in contemporary societies. It critically assesses the official republican philosophy of laïcité which purported to justify the 2004 ban on religious signs in schools. Laïcité is shown to encompass a comprehensive theory of republican citizenship, centered on three ideals: equality (secular neutrality of the public sphere), liberty (individual autonomy and emancipation) and fraternity (civic loyalty to the community of citizens). Challenging official interpretations of laïcité, the book then puts forward a critical republicanism which does not support the hijab ban, yet upholds a revised interpretation of three central republican commitments: secularism, non-domination and civic solidarity. Thus, it articuTrade ReviewA provocative and stimulating read...Laborde's work above all facilitates a transatlantic conversation about the meaning of republicanism in modern political thought...A surefooted and intelligent guide to debates over identity politics in France...models a way to think about reforming 'non-ideal' societies and deserves the attention to anyone seriously interested in doing so. * French Politics, Culture and Society *Table of ContentsEGALITE: ON REPUBLICAN NEUTRALITY; LIBERTE: ON REPUBLICAN AUTONOMY; FRATERNITE: ON REPUBLICAN SOLIDARITY

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn examination of how, at the close of the Roman Empire, Christianity influenced the political and social philosophy of the peoples of the Near East, laying the groundwork for the blending of religious and ethnic identity that we see in the Middle East today.Trade ReviewPhilip Woods's book is a remarkable debut... a well-structured and convincingly argued work * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Things are often more complicated than they may seem, and this is certainly also true for the phenomenon Wood has been studying in such a brilliant way. * Joseph Verheyden, Journal of Eastern Christian Studies *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Classification in a Christian Empire ; 2. Controlling the Barbarians: The First Syrian Hagiographic Collection ; 3. Theories of Nations and the World of Late Antiquity ; 4. Edessa and Beyond: The Reception of the Doctrina Addai in the Fifth and Sixth Centuries ; 5. The Julian Romance ; 6. Creating Boundaries in the Miaphysite Movement ; 7. A Miaphysite Commonwealth ; Conclusions

Read more less

Book SynopsisWritten by a team of internationally renowned scholars, this volume provides an in-depth introduction to religion in contemporary China. Instead of adopting the traditional focus on pre-modern religious history and doctrinal traditions, Chinese Religious Life examines the social dimensions of religious life, with essays devoted to religion in urban, rural, and ethnic minority settings; to the religious dimensions of body, gender, environment, and civil society; and to the historical, sociological, economic, and political aspects of religion in contemporary Chinese society.Trade ReviewThe essays in this volume present data on an important contemporary development, one with implications for insight into the human condition... * Journal of Chinese Political Science *Table of ContentsIntroduction Philip Wickeri ; Part I: Ways of Being Religious in the Chinese World ; 1. Spirituality in a Modern Chinese Metropolis, Lizhu Fan and James Whitehead ; 2. Communal Worship and Festivals in Chinese Villages, Wai-lun Tam ; 3. The Religious Life of Ethnic Minority Communities, Philip Wickeri and Yik-Fai Tam ; 4. Modalities of Doing Religion, Adam Chau ; Part II. Religion, Culture, and Society ; 5. The Body: Health, Nation, and Transcendence, David A. Palmer ; 6. Gender and Sexuality, C. Julia Huang, Elena Valussi, and David A. Palmer ; 7. Chinese Cosmology and the Environment, Robert Weller ; 8. Religious Philanthropy and Chinese Civil Society, Andre Laliberte, David A. Palmer, and Keping Wu ; Part III. Religion, Politics, and the Economy ; 9. Religion in Chinese Social and Political History, David A. Palmer ; 10. The Social Organization of Religious Communities in the Twentieth Century, Vincent Goossaert ; 11. Contemporary Issues in State-Religion Relations, Andre Laliberte ; 12. Market Economy and the Revival of Religions, Fenggang Yang ; Part IV. Global Perspectives ; 13. The Globalization of Chinese Religions and Traditions, Richard Madsen and Elijah Siegler ; Conclusion, Glenn Shive ; Glossary ; Suggested Further Readings ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisReligion in China survived the most radical suppression in human history--a total ban of any religion during and after the Cultural Revolution (1966-1979). All churches, temples, and mosques were closed down, converted for secular uses, or turned to museums for the purpose of atheist education. China remains under Communist rule. But in the last three decades, religion has revived and thrived. Christianity has been the fastest growing religion for decades. Many Buddhist and Daoist temples have been restored. The state even sponsors large Buddhist gatherings and ceremonies to venerate Confucius and the legendary ancestors of the Chinese people. Traditional Chinese temples have sprung up in some areas. On the other hand, quasi-religious qigong practices, once ubiquitous in public parks throughout the country, are now rare. All the while, the authorities have carried out waves of atheist propaganda, anti-superstition campaigns, severe crackdowns on the underground Christian churches and vTrade ReviewYang's book Religion in China has brilliant chapters, some controversial but all provacative and worth considering. * The New York Review of Books *Table of ContentsPreface ; Chapter One: Explaining Religious Vitality ; Chapter Two: A Definition of Religion for the Social Scientific Study of Religion ; Chapter Three: Chinese Marxist Atheism and Its Policy Implications ; Chapter Four: Regulating Religion under Communism ; Chapter Five: The Red, Black, and Gray Markets of Religion ; Chapter Six: The Shortage Economy of Religion under Communism ; Chapter Seven: Oligopoly Dynamics: China and Beyond

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume offers a timely and dynamic study of the rise of religion in American politics, examining the public messages of political leaders over the past seventy-five years. The authors show that U.S. politics today is defined by a calculated, deliberate, and partisan use of faith that is unprecedented in modern politics. Beginning with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, America has seen a no-holds-barred religious politics that seeks to attract voters, identify and attack enemies, and solidify power. Domke and Coe identify a set of religious signals sent by both Republicans and Democrats in speeches, party platforms, proclamations, visits to audiences of faith, and even celebrations of Christmas. The updated edition of this ground-breaking book includes a new preface, an updated analysis of the last Bush administration, as well as a new final chapter on the Jeremiah Wright controversy, the candidacies of Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin, and Barack Obama''s victory.Trade ReviewThe God Strategy is a sobering look at just how deeply imbedded religion has become in the contemporary American political psyche. Both the person of faith and the non-believer should fear what is revealed in this carefully crafted review of modern campaign strategies to 'get the God vote'. Domke and Coe demonstrate, with stunningly clear examples, just how the union of government and religion tends to degrade the integrity of both. * Rev. Barry Lynn, Executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State *Religion has become central to American politics. The God Strategy is a superb overview of what happened and how it has impacted our democracy. David Domke and Kevin Coe have done the nation a service. * George Lakoff, author of Don't Think of an Elephant! *Domke and Coe have done a masterful job of giving us insight into the mix of religion and politics. The God Strategy taught me much about a field I thought I knew. Anyone who wants to understand how the deeply religious character of America could be used to effect coming elections needs to read this book. * Joel Hunter, Pastor and Member, Board of Directors of the National Association of Evangelicals *The God Strategy offers an intriguing look at what has become one of the most powerful shaping forces in American political life. Like it or not, religion has for years been establishing the parameters of public debate. As Domke and Coe make clear, this is unlikely to change anytime soon. * Ron Reagan *Table of ContentsIntroduction A New Religious Politics ; Chapter One One Nation Under God, Divisible ; Chapter Two Political Priests ; Chapter Three God and Country ; Chapter Four Acts of Communion ; Chapter Five Morality Politics ; Chapter Six Religious Politics and Democratic Vitality ; Chapter Seven Act II ; Appendixes A to E

Read more less

Book SynopsisIslamophobia has been on the rise since September 11, as seen in countless cases of discrimination, racism, hate speeches, physical attacks, and anti-Muslim campaigns. The 2006 Danish cartoon crisis and the controversy surrounding Pope Benedict XVI''s Regensburg speech have underscored the urgency of such issues as image-making, multiculturalism, freedom of expression, respect for religious symbols, and interfaith relations. The 1997 Runnymede Report defines Islamophobia as dread, hatred, and hostility towards Islam and Muslims perpetuated by a series of closed views that imply and attribute negative and derogatory stereotypes and beliefs to Muslims. Violating the basic principles of human rights civil liberties, and religious freedom, Islamophobic acts take many different forms. In some cases, mosques, Islamic centers, and Muslim properties are attacked and desecrated. In the workplace, schools, and housing, it takes the form of suspicion, staring, hazing, mockery, rejection, stigmatiTrade ReviewThis cannot be verbalized; it must be seen.... * Murad Wilfried Hofmann, The Muslim World Book Review *Edited with skill by John L. Esposito and Ibrahim Kalin...Together the authors give a comprehensive, well-documented account of the historical roots of present-day Islamophobia. * Times Literary Supplement *This well-presented collection of essays goes far towards analysing the nature of the problem and canvassing thereby the issues that need to be tackled if Islamophobia is to be eradicated...essential reading for all for whom Islamophobia is a pressing concern. * Douglas Pratt, Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations *Table of ContentsFOREWORD EKMELEDDIN IHSANOGLU, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE; INTRODUCTION JOHN L. ESPOSITO; THE CONTEXT OF ISLAMOPHOBIA; CASE STUDIES; MANIFESTATIONS; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

Read more less

Book SynopsisChinese traditional culture cannot be understood without some familiarity with the I Ching, yet it is one of the most difficult of the worlds ancient classics. Assembled from fragments with many obscure allusions, it was the subject of ingenious, but often conflicting, interpretations over nearly three thousand years. Teaching the II Ching (Book of Changes) offers a comprehensive study at a time when interest in Asian philosophy and the culture of China is on the rise. Still widely read in China, it has become a countercultural classic in the West. Recent scholarship has radically altered our understanding of this foundational work. Geoffrey Redmond and Tze-Ki Hon present an up-to-date survey of recent studies including reconstruction of the early meanings, excavated manuscripts, the New Culture Movement, and the Cultural Revolution. To facilitate introducing the classic to students, the necessary background is provided for university teachers and students, even non-China specialists. Trade ReviewThis balance between the critical and the nonjudgmental is one of the more distinctive features of this book. The stance continues in the sections "How Does the Yijing Work?" and sections on how the text has been compared with science, mathematics, and computers... It covers the major English translations, describes more fully the various layers of text, and provides very complete instructions on consulting the Yi and interpreting the results. * Joseph A. Adler, Dao *Teaching the I-Ching (Book of Changes) is a reliable road-map for students to navigate the intriguing intellectual terrain of the ancient Chinese Classic, detailing the historical background and the texts structure and content. Redmond and Hons narratives are readable, and their scholarship underpins the accessible translation. This book should serve as an important reference book for undergraduates, graduates, and general readers, who want to explore the multifarious and mysterious world of Changes'. * Dennis K. H. Cheng, Chair Professor of Cultural History, Hong Kong Institute of Education; European Chair of Chinese Studies, Leiden University; Professor of Chinese Literature, National Taiwan University *A magnificent achievement, offering a well-written and judicious synthesis of existing scholarship on the origins, development, and transnational travels of the I Ching. In addition, Redmond and Hon offer their readers insightful suggestions about how to understand and productively use this fascinating document-not only in the classroom but also beyond. * Richard J. Smith, author of The I ching: 6IA Biography *The uniqueness of this book is its combination of scholarly rigor with a willingness to explore the phenomenology of divination practice. It is an excellent history of the I Ching as a book, including the ways it has been interpreted both in China and the West up to the present day. The two chapters (1 and 11) that cross the great water into divination practice do so without going overboard into the trendy realm of popular I Ching enthusiasm. * Joseph A. Adler, Author of Reconstructing the Confucian Dao: Zhu Xi's Appropriation of Zhou Dunyi *The authors are well-informed regarding the traditional Chinese context and modern issues alike...This volume belongs in all collections. * Russell Kirkland, Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgements ; Chronology of Chinese Dynasties ; Structure of the Yijing ; List of Illustrations ; Introduction: Studying an Ancient Classic ; Chapter 1 Divination: Fortune-Telling and Philosophy ; Chapter 2 Bronze Age Origins ; Chapter 3 Women in the Book of Changes ; Chapter 4 Excavated Manuscripts ; Chapter 5 Ancient Meanings Reconstructed ; Chapter 6 The Ten Wings ; Chapter 7 Cosmology ; Chapter 8 Moral Cultivation ; Chapter 9 The Yijing in Modern China ; Chapter 10 The Yijing's Journey to the West ; Chapter 11 Reading the Book of Changes ; Chapter 12 The Future of the Yijing ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the spring of 1968, a group of Catholic antiwar activists barged into a draft board in suburban Baltimore, stole hundreds of Selective Service records, and burned the documents in a fire fueled by homemade napalm. The bold actions of the ''Catonsville Nine'' quickly became international news, and they remained in the headlines throughout the summer and fall of 1968, when the activists were tried in federal court. Shawn Francis Peters tells the fascinating story ofthis singular witness for peace and social justice.Trade ReviewClearly a labor of love, The Cantonsville Nine is a useful examination of the ways in which conscience and politics combined to create both an important moment of protest and witness a larger drama critiquing US foreign policy in Vietnam and the rest of the world. * Sarah Thelen, Journal of American Studies *Table of ContentsIntroduction: "Arguably the Single Most Powerful Antiwar Act in American History" ; Chapter 1: "I Want You to Meet This Priest" ; Chapter 2: "What About Destroying a Death Certificate?" ; Chapter 3: "In Jail For the Right Reason" ; Chapter 4: "A Great Human Act Done by Sincere Men" ; Chapter 5: "Guatemala Smells Like South Vietnam Did a Few Years Ago" ; Chapter 6: "Did You Hear What We Are Planning?"

Read more less

Book SynopsisScholars universally acknowledge the role that Christian belief played in the social movement engendered by Martin Luther King Jr. Yet few have actually delved into the complexity of King''s theology itself. The centrality of one aspect of his theology in particular - imago Dei, the belief that human beings are made in God''s image - has been surprisingly overlooked.In this book, Richard W. Wills Sr. offers a comprehensive analysis of King''s appeal for civil rights by investigating his understanding of imago Dei. Wills begins by tracing the evolution of this idea through the history of Christian thought, showing the intellectual sources King drew on in constructing his own beliefs. Wills then demonstrates how King employed this idea in his civil rights work. The belief that we are all made in God''s image was crucial, Wills shows, to King''s understanding of human nature and equality. While King shared with many of his black church forebears the view that humanity''s creation by God wTrade ReviewRichard Wills's Martin Luther King Jr. and the Image of God is the most illuminating account to date of the central theological themes in King's life and thought. King emerges as a skillful and synthetic thinker and practitioner who stands in continuity not only with the Hebrew prophets and the radical Jesus but with the seminal theological minds of the Christian tradition. And in reconnecting King to the religious past, Wills offers new ways of appropriating King's legacy as a resource for contemporary religious thought and social activism. * Charles Marsh, Director of the Project on Lived Theology and Professor of Religious Studies, University of Virginia *Christian anthropology asks the big questions: Who are we? What ought we to do? What might we become? Martin Luther King raised the same questions-and answered them in ways that have challenged succeeding generations. Richard Wills brings a wealth of data and insight to his portrait of King the theologian. He reminds us that under King's leadership the Movement was bursting not only with political promise but theological meaning as well. This is a carefully nuanced, yet exciting book. * Richard Lischer, author of The Preacher King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Word that Moved America *Richard Wills' eagerly-awaited book offers a truly original perspective on one of the best known religious figures of the past hundred years. It is a helpful introduction to King's religious thought that will reward beginners and specialists alike. It deserves a wide audience. * Clayborne Carson, Professor of History and Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute, Stanford University *It turns out that there is indeed more to say about the theology of our nation's greatest civil rights leader. Wills makes exceptionally good use of the King archives, leaving no stone unturned in the quest for clarifying how King honed a theology in service of racial justice. . . as a fresh reconsideration of the theology of one of America's greatest public figures, this volume is enormously successful. * Horizons *Table of ContentsPrologue ; Part 1. Historical Explication ; I. The Historical Context ; II. The Host of Witnesses ; Part 2. Theological Meditation ; III. King As Critical Thinker ; IV. King Among Theologians ; V. Theological Implications ; Part 3. Practical Application ; VI. Beloved Community ; VII. Beloved Community and Beyond ; Epilogue

Read more less

Book SynopsisWaging a counterinsurgency war and justified by claims of ''an agreement between Guatemala and God,'' Guatemala''s Evangelical Protestant military dictator General Ríos Montt incited a Mayan holocaust: over just 17 months, some 86,000 mostly Mayan civilians were murdered. Virginia Garrard-Burnett dives into the horrifying, bewildering murk of this episode, the Western hemisphere''s worst twentieth-century human rights atrocity. She has delivered the most lucid historical account and analysis we yet possess of what happened and how, of the cultural complexities, personalities, and local and international politics that made this tragedy. Garrard-Burnett asks the hard questions and never flinches from the least comforting answers. Beautifully, movingly, and clearly written and argued, this is a necessary and indispensable book.-- Francisco Goldman, author of The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop?Virginia Garrard-Burnett''s Terror in the Land of the Holy Spirit is impressivelyTrade ReviewIn a country still torn over the war by polarizing accusations amplified by righteous self-exculpation, Garrard-Burnett listens carefully to as many sides as her sources allow-the Left, the Right, Catholic activists, evangelicals, the US embassy-to conclude that states turn genocidal, not just because they can, but because both perpetrators and public come to see their self-preservation, if not salvation, at stake. In helping us understand better that self-preservation, this book also speaks with respect-and hope-to the survivors. We should all be listening carefully. * John Watanabe, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Dartmouth College *This is a careful narrative and sober analysis of Mott's seventeenth-month regime in Guatemala. * Religious Studies Review *Virginia Garrard-Burnett's examination of General Efrain Rios Montt is one of the best available historicalpolitical analyses of Guatemala's brutal armed conflict...Garrard-Burnett is arguably one of the most important contemporary historians of Protestantism in Latin America. In this slim volume, she not only demonstrates her deep and nuanced understanding of the evangelical movement in Guatemala but also explains the dynamics and contours of the political crisis that brought Rios Montt to power in 1982.. * American Historical Review *This work secures a solid place among some of the dominant works in modern Latin American historiography, particularly in its positioning within the field of subaltern studies. While remaining sensitive to the voice and agency of the victims of the genocide, Garrard- Burnett relies heavily on truth commission reports to provide a clear analysis of the influences of evangelical rhetoric that saturated Guatemala's violent struggles of the late Cold War. This useful, insightful work deserves a wide reading among students and specialists alike.. * Hispanic American Historical Review *Table of Contents1. Rios Montt Earns His Place in the History Books: Debates about la Violencia ; 2. Guatemala's Descent in Violence ; 3. Rios Montt and the New Guatemala ; 4. Terror ; 5. "Los Que Matan en el Nombre de Dios": Rios Montt and the Religious Question ; 6. Blind Eyes and Willful Ignorance: U.S. Foreign Policy, Media, and Foreign Evangelicals ; Epilogue ; Notes ; Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe immigration of Muslims to Europe and the integration of later generations presents many challenges to European societies. Unwanted builds on five years of ethnographic research with a group of fifty-five second-generation Muslim immigrant drug dealers in Frankfurt, Germany to examine the relationship between immigration, social exclusion, and the informal economy. Having spent countless hours with these young men, hanging out in the streets, in cafes or bars and at the local community center, Sandra Bucerius explores the intimate aspects of their, one of the most discriminated and excluded populations in Germany. Bucerius looks at how the young men negotiate their participation in the drug market while still trying to adhere to their cultural and religious obligations and how they struggle to find a place within German society. The young men considered their involvement in the drug trade a response to their exclusion at the same time that it provides a means of forging an identity Trade ReviewThis is one of the most exciting and original ethnographic studies on drug dealing I have read in a long time. It is the German counterpart of classical American studies as Philip Bourgois' In Search of Respect or Elijah Anderson's Code of the Street. The setting is not an American ghetto but a Frankfurt neighborhood in an advanced German welfare state. Bucerius has drawn on her extensive fieldwork in the neighborhood of Bockenheim to present an ethnography that explains the lifestyles and social exclusion of a group of second generation immigrants with a Muslim background that are involved in drug dealing. Her enduring fieldwork in a combination with her theoretical lenses based on Pierre Bourdieu, Mary Douglas and Max Weber offer an explanation why these young men choose to become drug dealers. It is a stunning achievement written with civic involvement, as well with academic detachment and humor. * Godfried Engbersen, Professor of Sociology, Erasmus University Rotterdam *In the tradition of the best urban ethnographies, Unwanted provides an insightful look at the lives of second generation Muslim immigrant young men involved in Frankfurt's drug economy. Sandra Bucerius deftly navigates structure, culture, and agency, grappling with how macro-level forces in German society impact the lives of young men she describes as 'perpetual foreigners,' and how their identity work constructs meaning in the face of marginalization and crime involvement. Unwanted illuminates unique features of the German context, while offering larger lessons for scholars who seek to better understand social exclusion and its impacts. It is an important and timely contribution. * Jody Miller, Professor of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction ; Chapter 2: "I Am a Bockenheimer": Social Exclusion and Local Identification ; Chapter 3: "As Long as You Don't Get Carried Away": On Choosing Lifestyle and Gaining Respect ; Chapter 4: "I'm Not a Dirty Crack Dealer": Purity and Impurity in the Drug Market ; Chapter 5: Muslim Virgin Wanted: In Search of Reasons to Quite Dealing ; Chapter 6: Where to Go from Here? ; Appendix: "Somehow you're a friend even though you're a woman" Some Thoughts on Negotiating Access and Trust ; References

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn God's Own Party, Daniel K. Williams presents the first comprehensive history of the Christian Right, uncovering how evangelicals came to see the Republican Party as the vehicle through which they could reclaim America as a Christian nation.Trade ReviewI have long sought a book that would present the history of how the GOP became, in the mind of most conservative Christians, God s Own Party...This is the book I have been waiting for...For an interesting and objective history of the Christian Right, I highly recommend Williams book. * Laurence M. Vance, LewRockwell.com *This book is a needed addition to scholarship on the rise of the New Right. * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Chapter 1: From Isolation to Influence ; Chapter 2: The Emergence of a Fundamentalist Right ; Chapter 3: God and Country during the Kennedy Presidency ; Chapter 4: The Christian Silent Majority ; Chapter 5: Nixon's Evangelical Strategy ; Chapter 6: The Grassroots Campaign to Save the Family ; Chapter 7: Culture Wars in the Carter Years ; Chapter 8: Moral Majority ; Chapter 9: Reagan ; Chapter 10: Crashing the Party ; Chapter 11: Capturing the White House ; Notes ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIslam''s relationship to liberal-democratic politics has emerged as one of the most pressing and contentious issues in international affairs. In Islam, Secularism, and Liberal Democracy, Nader Hashemi challenges the widely held belief among social scientists that religious politics and liberal-democratic development are structurally incompatible. This book argues for a rethinking of democratic theory so that it incorporates the variable of religion in the development of liberal democracy. In the process, it proves that an indigenous theory of Muslim secularism is not only possible, but is a necessary requirement for the advancement of liberal democracy in Muslim societies.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Chapter 1. Toward a Democratic Theory for Muslim Societies: The Historical Background ; Chapter 2. Dueling Scriptures: The Political Theology of John Locke and the Democratization of Muslim Societies ; Chapter 3. A Concise Anatomy of Secularism: Examining Its Linkages to Liberal Democracy ; Chapter 4. Secularism and Its Discontents in Muslim Societies: Indigenizing the Separation between Religion and State ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA recent Pew survey of American Muslims found that the majority (56 percent) believed that many religions can lead to Paradise; only one-third held that Islam is the one, true faith leading to eternal life. Ours is a world of ever-increasing interconnectedness. More and more Muslims today work with, befriend, and marry non-Muslims. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that a significant number of American Muslims would choose to believe that God will save their Christian parents, Jewish spouses, Buddhist neighbors, Hindu friends, or even atheist coworkers. The essays in this volume look at the views of Muslim theologians on this matter. Most maintain that while faith in the fundamental doctrines of Islam is theoretically required for salvation, God will excuse non-Muslims who never encountered the divine message conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad. (Whether such unreached non-Muslims still exist is the subject of much debate.) Some go a step further, and hold that God may redeem non-MuslimTrade ReviewKhalil s volumes encourage us to perceive inter-religious dialogue on a deeper level than that of superficial do-gooders unable to understand the real difficulties of religious confrontation. * Marginalia *This is a collection of essays-as rich as it is unique-that tackles the weighty topic of salvation within the Islamic tradition. Rather than offering pat and monochromatic responses, the various authors demonstrate that a broad spectrum of perspectives is possible on this subject through a faithful and critical reading of foundational texts within Islam. Mohammad Hassan Khalil is to be commended for bringing this multifaceted intra- and interfaith conversation to the attention of a broad reading public. * Asma Afsaruddin, Chair & Professor of the Department of Near Eastern Languages & Cultures, Indiana University *Table of ContentsForeword: Salvation: The Known and the Unknown - Tariq Ramadan ; Acknowledgments ; A Note on Conventions ; Contributors ; Introduction: Grappling with the Salvation Question - Mohammad Hassan Khalil ; Part I: Historical Dimensions ; Chapter 1: Failures of Practice or Failures of Faith: re Non-Muslims Subject to the Sharia? - A. Kevin Reinhart ; Chapter 2: "No Salvation Outside Islam": Muslim Modernists, Democratic Politics, and Islamic Theological Exclusivism - Mohammad Fadel ; Part II: Diversity and Mercy ; Chapter 3: The Ambiguity of the Qur'anic Command - William C. Chittick ; Chapter 4: Beyond Polemics and Pluralism: The Universal Message of the Qur'an - Reza Shah-Kazemi ; Part III: Supersessionism and Mercy ; Chapter 5: The Path of Allah or the Paths of Allah? Revisiting Classical and Medieval Sunni Approaches to the Salvation of Others - Yasir Qadhi ; Chapter 6: Realism and the Real: Islamic Theology and the Problem of Alternative Expressions of God - Tim Winter ; Part IV: Reconceptualizing Pluralism ; Chapter 7: Non-reductive Pluralism and Religious Dialogue - Muhammad Legenhausen ; Chapter 8: Oneself as the Saved Other? The Ethics and Soteriology of Difference in Two Muslim Thinkers - Sajjad Rizvi ; Part V: Otherness and the Qur'an ; Chapter 9: The Portrayal of Jews and the Possibilities for Their Salvation in the Qur'an - Farid Esack ; Chapter 10: Embracing Relationality and Theological Tensions: Muslima Theology, Religious Diversity, and Fate - Jerusha Lamptey ; Part VI: Otherness and Inclusion ; Chapter 11: The Food of the Damned - David M. Freidenreich ; Chapter 12: Acts of Salvation: Agency, Others, and Prayer beyond the Grave in Islam - Marcia Hermansen ; Chapter 13: Citizen Ahmad among the Believers: Salvation Contextualized in Indonesia and Egypt - Bruce B. Lawrence ; Glossary of Select Terms ; Index ; Index of Qur'anic Verses

Read more less

Trade ReviewA solidly resourced, cogently analyzed, and persuasively argued brief. * Publishers Weekly *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Perilous Times ; 2. The Nuclear-Haunted Era ; 3. What to Mobilize Against ; 4. Waging War on Terror ; 5. Weapons of Mass Destruction ; 6. Panics and Pandemics ; 7. Environmental Catastrophe ; 8. Setting a New Agenda ; 9. The Call for Action ; Notes ; Selected Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisMillions of American Christians see U.S. support for the State of Israel as a God-ordained responsibility. Millions more see the ''''special relationship'''' between the two countries as a bond that should never be challenged, much less broken. Robert O. Smith provides an in-depth look at the English Protestant tradition of Judeo-centric prophecy interpretation at the heart of this popular affinity. In 2006, John Hagee founded Christians United for Israel. Several high-level policymakers, both Christians and Jews, flocked to endorse the effort. Soon, however, questions rose about apparently anti-Catholic and anti-Islamic ideas contained in Hagee''s preaching and writing. More Desired Than Our Owne Salvation explores the content of Christian Zionist attitudes, their resonance in popular American culture, and the history of the ideas that have contributed to present realities. After discussing polling data and exploring how Black Protestant views clarify general American attitudes, Smith revisits sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Protestant interpretations of scripture and history. The Pope and the Turk figured significantly, identified by both Luther and Calvin as the two heads of the Antichrist. Protestant exiles from England carried these ideas back to Elizabethan England, provided a nationalist twist, and set Anglo-American history on a new path.The resulting English Protestant tradition of Judeo-centric prophecy interpretation shaped Puritan identity, which was then transferred to New England, where it began informing the foundations of American vocation and self-understanding. Through its developments and adaptations, this Judeo-centric tradition provided English colonists and Anglo Americans with purpose and vision. When the State of Israel was founded in 1948, many Americans readily welcomed it as a prophetic counterpart, a country whose preservation ''''may be more desired then our owne salvation.''''Trade Reviewoffers readers a deeper understanding of Christian Zionism * Caitlin Carenen, American Hisorical Review *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; Introduction ; Chapter 1 Blessing the Jew: The Traits of Contemporary American Christian Zionism ; Chapter 2 Supporting the Jew: Culture, Doctrine, and American Popular Opinion on the State of Israel ; Chapter 3 Mythologizing the Jew: The Reformation Foundations of Judeo-centric Prophecy Interpretation (1530-1603) ; Chapter 4 Militarizing the Jew: Judeo-centric Prophecy Interpretation, Thomas Draxe to Joseph Mede (1608-1627) ; Chapter 5 Admitting the Jew: Parliamentary Authority, Christian Zionism, and British Imperial Identity ; Chapter 6 Typologizing the Jew: The Judeo-Centric Foundations of America's Covenantal Vocation ; Chapter 7 Systematizing the Jew: John Nelson Darby and the Putative Paternity of Christian Zionism ; Chapter 8 Politicizing the Jew: William E. Blackstone and the Mobilization of Cultural Fundamentalism ; Conclusion: Christian Zionism from the Cartwright Petition to American Empire ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides a critical history of the distinctive tradition of Indian secularism known as Tolerance. Since it was first advanced by Mohandas Gandhi, the Tolerance ideal has measured secularism and civil religiosity by contrast with proselytizing religion. In India today, it informs debates over how the right to religious freedom should be interpreted on the subcontinent. Not only has Tolerance been an important political ideal in India since the early twentieth century; the framing assumptions of Tolerance permeate historical understandings among scholars of South Asian religion and politics. In conventional accounts, the emergence of Tolerance during the 1920s is described as a victory of Indian secularism over the intolerant practice of shuddhi proselytizing, pursued by reformist Hindus of the Arya Samaj, that was threatening harmonious Hindu-Muslim relations. This study shows that the designation of shuddhi as religious proselytizing was not fixed; it was the product of decadTrade ReviewThe Limits of Tolerance is a fascinating and important book-a cautionary tale really-that should be read by anyone interested in the global politics of religious freedom. Insisting on the value of the micro-history of the political work that concepts such as tolerance and religious freedom do in very specific times and places, in this case late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century India, Adcock makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the way such ideas migrate, transform, and serve partisan political ends. * Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, Professor and Chair, Department of Religious Studies, Indiana University *The Limits of Tolerance is an exciting and much-needed contribution to our historical understanding of the origins of specifically Indian ideas of religious freedom as freedom from proselytizing, as well as to contemporary debates over the nature of secularism, the political entanglements of religion, and the competing interests of religious toleration, freedom of expression, and governance * Robert A. Yelle, author of The Language of Disenchantment: Protestant Literalism and Colonial Discourse in British India *Table of ContentsTable of Contents ; Acknowledgements ; Preface ; Introduction: History and the Limits of Tolerance ; Part I: Religion and Translation in Colonial India ; Chapter One. The Colonial Politics of Religious Toleration ; Chapter Two. Religious Controversy and Ritual-Politics: Problems of ; Translation ; Part II. The Political History of Universal Religion in India ; Chapter Three. The Fountainhead of Religion ; Chapter Four: "The Arya Samaj, a Political Body!" ; Part III. Ritual-Politics and Religious Freedom ; Chapter Five. The Contested Politics of Shuddhi ; Chapter Six. The Ascendance of Tolerance: Debating ; Religious Freedom in the 1920s ; Conclusion. Secularism and the Limits of Tolerance ; Bibliography ; Notes ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisDismissing oversimplified and politically-charged views of the politics of Shi'ite Islam, Said Amir Arjomand offers a richly researched sociological and historical study of Shi'ism and the political order of premodern Iran that exposes the roots of what became Khomeini's theocracy.Trade Review"This book deserves to be read by anyone concerned with the relationship between religion and state in Iran and Islam." - New Republic "This is an important book.... Arjomand has certainly challenged much contemporary Western scholarship and made an important contribution to the continuing debate on the subject of religion and politics in [Shi'ite] Islam." - American Historical Review "A remarkable achievement in providing a sustained, solid theoretical perspective on a massive movement in modern Islamic societies, while advancing the sociological study of Islam to an unsurpassed level.... Supported by an impressive and unprecedented analytical examination of theological and juridical texts." - Contemporary Sociology "Very illuminating.... Rich and comprehensive.... A sophisticated analysis of the history of Shi'ite influence on political action in Iran." - American Journal of Sociology"

Read more less