{"title":"Religion: general Books","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"sacred-springs-holy-wells-in-great-britain-9781904263456","title":"Sacred Springs - Holy Wells in Great Britain","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat is so special about spring water? How are wells holy? Why are so many known for 'the healing of eyes'? The ancient holy wells of the British Isles are amongst the most beautiful and magical places anyone can visit. Often untouched by all but the most delicate hands, and located in some of the most secret nooks and crannies of the country, their stories evoke a lost world of pagan gods, healing forces, second sight and holy visions. This beautiful book, beautifully illustrated throughout by the author, tells the story of the holy waters of the British Isles through hand-picked examples. A useful gazetteer at the back of the book catalogues further rewarding sites to visit.  WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. \"Fascinating\" FINANCIAL TIMES. \"Beautiful\" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. \"Rich and Artful\" THE LANCET. \"Genuinely mind-expanding\" FORTEAN TIMES. \"Excellent\" NEW SCIENTIST. \"Stunning\" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.","brand":"Wooden Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47850623107415,"sku":"9781904263456","price":8.18,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781904263456.jpg?v=1710616859"},{"product_id":"coping-with-drug-problems-in-the-family-9781847090966","title":"Coping with Drug Problems in the Family","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrug addiction is no longer - if indeed it ever has been - a problem confined to tower blocks and prisons. With an estimated 250,000 problematic drug users in the UK in every section of society, the UK has the highest levels of addiction and multi-drug consumption and the second-highest rate of drug-related deaths in Europe, according to a report on behalf of the UK Drug Policy Commission. Whether it's a son, husband, daughter or mother, having a problematic drug user in the family is disastrous. Family members have to deal with questions they never dreamed they'd have to answer. Should you continue to allow a drug user to live with you? What should you do if he or she steals from you? What's the best way to encourage him or her to seek treatment? Can you help him or her 'detox' by yourself? What are the health risks to the addict and his family? Why has he or she become addicted in the first place? And, most importantly, what help is available to help your family get through this? This book provides a simple, non-ideological guide for people whose families are affected by drug use.","brand":"John Murray Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47850745463127,"sku":"9781847090966","price":7.19,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781847090966.jpg?v=1710620008"},{"product_id":"bethlehem-9781472128645","title":"Bethlehem","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe town of Bethlehem carries so many layers of meaning--some ancient, some mythical, some religious--that it feels like an unreal city, even to the people who call it home. Today, the city is hemmed in by a wall and surrounded by forty-one Israeli settlements and hostile settlers and soldiers. The population is undergoing such enormous strains it is close to falling apart. Any town with an eleven-thousand-year history has to be robust, but Bethlehem may soon go the way of Salonica or Constantinople: the physical site might survive, but the long thread winding back to the ancient past will have snapped, and the city risks losing everything that makes it unique.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStill, for many, Bethlehem remains the little town of the Christmas song. Nicholas Blincoe will tell the history of the famous little town, through the visceral experience of living there, taking readers through its stone streets and desert wadis, its monasteries, aqueducts and orchards, showing the city from every ang\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA lovely personal adventure through the history of Bethlehem from its origins up to the present day. Blincoe captures the continuities and contradictions, the myths and the history of one of the world's most famous towns with real flair * PETER FRANKOPAN, author of Silk Roads *\u003cbr\u003e[Bethlehem] brings within reach 11,000 years of history, centering on the beloved town's unique place in the world. Blincoe's love of Bethlehem is compelling, even as he does not shy away from the complexities of its chronicle * PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER *\u003cbr\u003e[Bethlehem] illuminates both the past and the present of the Middle East with countless instances of fantastic achievement and equally terrible human folly * YOTAM OTTOLENGHI, co-author of Jerusalem *\u003cbr\u003eA book by a talented chronicler who lovingly paints the city's many contradictions and bewildering complexity. Highly readable and informative, it leaves the reader not only with a profound admiration for this city of extremes and its resilient inhabitants who have endured such hardships, but also with a deep lament at the current suffering of the people of Bethlehem * RAJA SHEHADEH , author of Where the Line Is Drawn *\u003cbr\u003eAn exuberant and erudite journey into the real Bethlehem. Each page leads the reader down new and fascinating tangents of history, cuisine, and personal anecdote, each time somehow finding its way back to Bethlehem and its habit of standing at the centre of world affairs * JACOB NORRIS, author of Land of Progress: Palestine in the Age of Colonial *\u003cbr\u003eMajestic . . . [a] book of many marvellous things -- John Lewis-Stempel * S magazine *\u003cbr\u003eA thorough and entertaining account -- Tibor Fischer * Standpoint *\u003cbr\u003eMasterful -- Emma Williams * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eBlincoe's thoroughness is nothing short of impressive . . . Blincoe offers a biography so vividly imagined that I jumped when my phone buzzed, interrupting my reverie of Nabatean temples . . . The reward is in the lush prose and personal accounts. Blincoe is a joyful writer, well suited to the task of evoking place with passages . . . transporting the reader with mouthwatering specificity. Blincoe handles his own narratives of Bethlehem delicately, like a horticulturist pruning beloved orchids, following its many iterations through the rise and fall of civilizations . . . More than anything, his love for the place leaps off the page; for all its chronicling of incursions and defeat, this is ultimately a book about hope -- Hala Alyan * The New York Times Book Review *\u003cbr\u003ePart history, part travelogue and memoir, it reads like an extended love letter to a place on the brink . . . a highly discursive, frequently amusing, often tragic but always accessible history * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eBlincoe proves an erudite and evocative guide to a city whose place in biblical history has proved to be more of a curse than a blessing -- John Preston * Mail on Sunday *\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little, Brown Book Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851684299095,"sku":"9781472128645","price":9.74,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781472128645.jpg?v=1710642039"},{"product_id":"ancient-english-cathedrals-9781904263418","title":"Ancient English Cathedrals","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePerhaps the most awe-inspiring structures ever built in these isles, ancient cathedrals continue to exude spiritual force and architectural magic many centuries after their incredible design and construction. This book, by monumental mason, letterer and fire-fighter Mark Mills is beautifully illustrated with rare fine engravings, and carefully printed on the highest quality papers.  Here is the amazing story of the cathedrals, told through the exquisite examples of old England. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. \"Fascinating\" FINANCIAL TIMES. \"Beautiful\" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. \"Rich and Artful\" THE LANCET. \"Genuinely mind-expanding\" FORTEAN TIMES. \"Excellent\" NEW SCIENTIST. \"Stunning\" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.","brand":"Wooden Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48242748850519,"sku":"9781904263418","price":8.21,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781904263418.jpg?v=1716233319"},{"product_id":"religion-and-the-decline-of-magic-9780140137446","title":"Religion and the Decline of Magic","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWitchcraft, astrology, divination and every kind of popular magic flourished in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, from the belief that a blessed amulet could prevent the assaults of the Devil to the use of the same charms to recover stolen goods. At the same time the Protestant Reformation attempted to take the magic out of religion, and scientists were developing new explanations of the universe. Keith Thomas''s classic analysis of beliefs held on every level of English society begins with the collapse of the medieval Church and ends with the changing intellectual atmosphere around 1700, when science and rationalism began to challenge the older systems of belief.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMonumental ... with a living treasure on each page, and probably the book that, in my whole life, I've pressed on other people most energetically. (Selected people, of course. They have to care for history, and they need a sense of wonder and a sense of fun.) -- Hilary Mantel * New York Times *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732345893207,"sku":"9780140137446","price":17.09,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780140137446.jpg?v=1719996503"},{"product_id":"the-varieties-of-religious-experience-9780140390346","title":"The Varieties of Religious Experience","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStanding at the crossroads of psychology and religion, this catalyzing work applied the scientific method to a field abounding in abstract theory. William James believed that individual religious experiences, rather than the precepts of organized religions, were the backbone of the world''s religious life. His discussions of conversion, repentance, mysticism and saintliness, and his observations on actual, personal religious experiences - all support this thesis. In his introduction, Martin E. Marty discusses how James''s pluralistic view of religion led to his remarkable tolerance of extreme forms of religious behaviour, his challenging, highly original theories, and his welcome lack of pretension in all of his observations on the individual and the divine.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eIntroduction  by Martin E. Marty\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003ci\u003eSuggestions for Further Reading\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003ci\u003eA Note on the Text\u003c\/i\u003e  \u003cb\u003eThe  Varieties of Religious Experience\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732360900951,"sku":"9780140390346","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780140390346.jpg?v=1719996554"},{"product_id":"religion-9780190064679","title":"Religion","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReligion plays a central role in human experience. Billions of people around the world practice a faith and act in accordance with it. Religion shapes how they enter the world and how they leave it - how they eat, dress, marry, and raise their children. It shapes their assumptions about who they are and who they want to be. Religion also identifies insiders and outsiders, who has power and who doesn''t. It sanctifies injustice and combats it. It draws national borders. It affects law, economy, and government. It destroys and restores the environment. It starts wars and ends them. Whether you notice it or not, religion plays a role in how billions conduct their lives. We are called, then, to understand this important factor in human life today.Beginning with the first signs of religion among ancient humans and concluding with a look at modern citizens and global trends, leading scholar Thomas Tweed examines this powerful and enduring force in human society. Tweed deftly documents religion as it exists around the world, addressing its role in both intensifying and alleviating contemporary political and environmental problems, from armed conflict to climate change. Religion: A Very Short Introduction offers a concise non-partisan overview of religion''s long history and its complicated role in the world today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e...illuminating... * John Pridmore, The Way *\u003cbr\u003e...Tweed's book is strong on historizing and contextualizing religion... * Michael Stausberg, Religion *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface: Why Religion Matters   1. What Religion Is  2. What Religion Does    3. How Religion Is Expressed  4. How Religion Has Changed  5. Global Religion Today","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732530377047,"sku":"9780190064679","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780190064679.jpg?v=1791378649"},{"product_id":"women-in-the-new-testament-world-essentials-of-biblical-studies-9780190237585","title":"Women in the New Testament World Essentials of","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eModern readers of the New Testament often notice its varying ideas about women. Some passages encouraged women to be submissive and remain silent. Yet in others, women characters owned property, headed households, or spoke with approval. Women in the New Testament World helps readers understand this conflicting evidence. It argues that social norms of the time encouraged traditional feminine virtues. However, as Susan Hylen argues, women in the culture enacted these virtues in a variety of ways, including active leadership in households, associations, and cities. In contrast to earlier approaches that divided the evidence into groups that either allowed or forbade women''s leadership, this book points to a tension that was pervasive across different groups and regions of the Roman world. Society widely viewed women as inferior to men yet applauded their active pursuit of familial and civic interests. Thus, it was not the case that some women led while others were silent; instead, women were praised for modesty at the same time as they exerted influence in their communities. Elaborating on this rich historical background, Hylen illuminates new possibilities in New Testament texts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is much to appreciate in this careful study, and the book is a welcome addition to resources on women in the ancient world...clearly written and impressively researched book. * Colleen Conway, Seton Hall Univeristy, Review of Biblical Literature *\u003cbr\u003eOverall, I highly recomend this book as an academically rigorous and socially responsible treatment of the socio-historical world of women in the New Testament World... this book is prescient in this moment in history as modern biases about culture continue to shift and expand. * Amy Lineman Allen, Christian Theological Seminary, Horizons in Biblical Theology *\u003cbr\u003eHylen's interesting and clearly written book serves as an informative reminder to avoid assuming that blanket generalizations about cultural norms and assumed restrictions upon NT women should be taken as accurate. ... [The book] offers an excellent resource for any who want to engage with the fascinating cast of females who come to us in the pages of the NT. * Florence Morgan Gillman, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly *\u003cbr\u003eWomen in the New Testament World is suggested for anyone seeking to better understand the world that women lived in during the composition of the New Testament. Many of the chapters promptly address the common assumptions regarding women in the first centuries, systematically opposing them in a wellorganized and thoughtful manner. The brevity of the work only heightens the achievement. The amount of content packed into such a small volume is a feat in itself. Hylen's work will serve as a standard introductory primer in classrooms that are interested in addressing gender issues in the ancient world. * T. G. Barkasy, Reading Religion  *\u003cbr\u003eSusan Hylen's new book is not another study of the literary portraits of New Testament women, but rather an in-depth exploration of the social world in which these real women lived and these literary figures are portrayed. It lays out methods and interpretive problems, presents evidence, and walks the reader through the conflicting ideals and reports that come to us from that world. An excellent resource for the interested general reader. * Carolyn Osiek, Professor Emerita, Brite Divinity School *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of Figures Acknowledgements Abbreviations  Chapter 1: Introduction  Chapter 2: Interpreting Evidence for Women's Lives  Chapter 3: Gendered Virtues  Chapter 4: Marriage, Divorce, and Widowhood  Chapter 5: Class Status, Wealth, and Patronage  Chapter 6: Occupations  Chapter 7: Speech and Silence Conclusion   Notes Bibliography Index of Primary Sources Topical Index","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732534800727,"sku":"9780190237585","price":32.41,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780190237585.jpg?v=1791454003"},{"product_id":"a-most-peculiar-book-9780190651732","title":"A Most Peculiar Book","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor a book that has consistently topped the best-seller lists since the invention of the modern printing press, the Bible remains wildly misunderstood. Inconsistencies and unexplained impossibilities are often set aside, with readers picking and choosing aphorisms and slogans at will. Such a pick-and-choose mentality is concerning, given the fact that the Bible remains influential in people's private lives and in public policy and discourse. Kristin Swenson's newbook seeks to remind readers of the oddities and complications in the Bible, suggesting that those uncomfortable spots can offer remarkable opportunity for spiritual growth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKristin Swenson sets out to complexify the Bible for her readers and, in a certain sense, she is successful. We are treated to something like a catalogue of the Bible's oddities, idiosyncrasies, and contradictions, all written in a readable, accessible style * Rory J. Balfour, Durham University, Durham, UK, Journal of Reformed Theology *\u003cbr\u003ethere is much good and well-informed discussion on particular texts or topics that would serve its intended readers well * KEITH BEECH-GRÜNEBERG, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament *\u003cbr\u003ea remarkable piece of work ... Do read this book, generously and openmindedly. You will not regret it. * Nicholas King SJ, The Way *\u003cbr\u003eWriting in an engaging style and with a palpable love of Scripture... Swenson offers a helpful guide especially to both those who reject the Bible as nonsense and those who insist on literalist interpretation. * A.J. Levine, CHOICE *\u003cbr\u003eKristin Swenson's latest book on the Book tackles the complex and surprising dimensions of the Bible and offers readers a way of understanding the Bible they may not have considered. * Nick Mattiske, Journey *\u003cbr\u003eRather than dismiss the Bible as an outlandish or irrelevant relic of antiquity, Swenson leans into the messiness full throttle. Making ample room for discomfort, wonder, and weirdness, A Most Peculiar Book guides readers through a Bible that will feel, to many, brand new. * Church Times *\u003cbr\u003eAlongside the many controversial issues and complexities that the Bible poses, Swenson has herein brought everything to within a very fine appreciation of transparent proposal and the most utmost of appeal. * David Marx Book Reviews *\u003cbr\u003eRigorous [and] stimulating... Both religious and secular readers will benefit from Swenson's illuminating analysis of the Bible's contradictions and oddities.\" * Publishers Weekly, Starred Review   *\u003cbr\u003eDo you think you know the Bible? Wait till you read Kristin Swenson's new book. What if you don't know the Bible at all? Even better. A Most Peculiar Book is a deeply informed, completely accessible, and endlessly fascinating explanation of what scholars know about the Bible and lay people, as a rule, do not. Read this book and prepare to learn! * Bart D. Ehrman, author of Heaven and Hell: A History of the Afterlife *\u003cbr\u003eOne can only truly love and respect the Bible if one is willing to embrace its complexities, problems, messiness, and just plain weirdness. Whether you are looking to deepen your relationship with sacred scripture or are coming to the Bible for the first time, Kristin Swenson will help you appreciate — even love — the Bible as it is. * Peter Enns, author of The Bible Tells Me So and How the Bible Actually Works *\u003cbr\u003eA stimulating and challenging book, which questions all simplistic 'Bible-believing' theories about the authority of Scripture by showing how complex and contradictory it often is. Kristin Swenson tackles the problems head on while still making good her claim to love the Bible. * John Barton, author of A History of the Bible: The Story of the World's Most Influential Book *\u003cbr\u003eThis book explores what is weird, difficult, and disconcerting both about and in the Bible, seeking to show how those qualities can enrich one's relationship, religious or not, to the text...Swenson, formerly professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and now a full-time writer, observes that the Bible demands interaction and even argument, and therefore in this book she has shared questions that both make her love the Bible and make that love complicated. * New Testament Abstracts *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments  Introduction   Chapter 1 - A Problematic Book  Chapter 2 - God  Chapter 3 - Angels, Demons, and a Talking Ass  Chapter 4 - Good People Behaving Badly  Chapter 5 - Impossibilities, Normalized  Chapter 6 - Misconception, Misapprehensions  Chapter 7 - And General Befuddlements  Chapter 8 - Arguments Behind Closed Doors  Chapter 9 - Biblical (Im)morality  Chapter 10 - But in the Original...  Chapter 11 - The Perennial Bestseller  Chapter 12 - Ten Commandments for [Best Word Here] the Bible  In Conclusion, Sola Scriputra  Notes  Index","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732541288791,"sku":"9780190651732","price":21.14,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780190651732.jpg?v=1719997347"},{"product_id":"norse-mythology-9780195153828","title":"Norse Mythology","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNorse Mythology explores the magical myths and legends of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Viking-Age Greenland--outlining along the way the prehistoric tales and beliefs from these regions that have remained embedded in the imagination of the world. The book begins with an Introduction that helps put Scandinavian mythology in place in history, followed by a chapter that explains the meaning of mythic time, and a third section that presents in-depth explanations of each mythological term. These fascinating entries identify particular deities and giants, as well as the places where they dwell and the varied and wily means by which they forge their existence and battle one another. We meet Thor, one of the most powerful gods, who specializes in killing giants using a hammer made for him by dwarfs, not to mention myriad trolls, ogres, humans and strange animals. We learn of the ongoing struggle between the gods, who create the cosmos, and the jötnar, or giants, who aim to destroy it. In the enchanted world where this mythology takes place, we encounter turbulent rivers, majestic mountains, dense forests, storms, fierce winters, eagles, ravens, salmon and snakes in a landscape closely resembling Scandinavia. Beings travel on ships and on horseback; they eat slaughtered meat and drink mead. Spanning from the inception of the universe and the birth of human beings to the universe''s destruction and the mythic future, these sparkling tales of creation and destruction, death and rebirth, gods and heroes will entertain readers and offer insight into the relationship between Scandinavian myth, history, and culture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book has a very good and thorough dictionary of names.... Its essays on time in Norse mythology and its summary of the historical background are extremely helpful and enlightening. * Nicholas D. Humez, Montclair State University *","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732637495639,"sku":"9780195153828","price":18.89,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780195153828.jpg?v=1719997750"},{"product_id":"the-hebrew-bible-as-literature-9780195300079","title":"The Hebrew Bible as Literature","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Hebrew Bible, or Christian Old Testament, contains some of the finest literature that we have. This biblical literature has a place not only in the synagogue or the church but also among the classics of world literature. The stories of Jacob and David, for instance, present the earliest surviving examples of literary characters whose development the reader follows over the length of a lifetime. Elsewhere, as in the books of Esther or Ruth, readers find a snapshot of a particular, fraught moment that will define the character. The Hebrew Bible also provides quite a few high points of lyric poetry, from the praise and lament of the Psalms to the double entendres in the love of poetry of the Song of Songs. In short, the Bible can be celebrated not only as religious literature but, quite simply, as literature. This book offers a thorough and lively introduction to the Bible''s two primary literary modes, narrative and poetry, foregrounding the nuances of plot, character, metaphor, structure and design, and intertextual allusions. Tod Linafelt thus gives readers the tools to fully experience and appreciate the Hebrew Bible''s literary achievement.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLinafelt synthesizes a good deal of scholarly research in an accessible fashion and provides the lay reader with a helpful introduction to reading the narrative and poetic texts of the Hebrew Bible. * Kevin Scott, Reading Religion *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction ; 1. Biblical literature and the Western literary tradition ; 2. Reading biblical narrative ; 3. Reading biblical poetry ; 4. Narrative and poetry working together ; 5. Connections between texts","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732637987159,"sku":"9780195300079","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780195300079.jpg?v=1719997751"},{"product_id":"the-flag-and-the-cross-9780197618684","title":"The Flag and the Cross","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA bracing examination of a force that imperils American democracyMost Americans were shocked by the violence they witnessed at the nation''s Capital on January 6th, 2021. And many were bewildered by the images displayed by the insurrectionists: a wooden cross and wooden gallows; Jesus saves and Don''t Tread on Me; Christian flags and Confederate Flags; even a prayer in Jesus'' name after storming the Senate chamber. Where some saw a confusing jumble, Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry saw a familiar ideology: white Christian nationalism.In this short primer, Gorski and Perry explain what white Christian nationalism is and is not; when it first emerged and how it has changed; where it''s headed and why it threatens democracy. Tracing the development of this ideology over the course of three centuriesand especially its influence over the last three decadesthey show how, throughout American history, white Christian nationalism has animated the oppression, exclusion, and even exterminati\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThough the book classes as religion, it will be important reading for students of sociology and political science as well as students of religion, given its sophisticated survey work. It will also interest nonacademic readers struggling to understand the impact of this movement on American politics. * A. W. Klink, CHOICE *\u003cbr\u003eDeeply researched and immensely clarifying, The Flag and the Cross offers a sobering account of the history of white Christian nationalism and the threat it poses in our present moment. Anyone who cares about the fate of American democracy should read this book. * Kristin Kobes Du Mez, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation *\u003cbr\u003eWhite Christian nationalism is the key concept to understand the authoritarian American right today. In this exceptional investigation, drawing on sociology, social psychology, philosophy, and history, Gorski and Perry show how the various apparently incoherent strands of libertarianism, racism, and authoritarianism combine to make a toxic moral and political stew. This book makes a vital contribution to our understanding of the current moment. * Jason Stanley, author of How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them *\u003cbr\u003eFor anyone concerned about the future of religion and democracy in America, Gorski and Perry's The Flag and the Cross is essential reading. This book helps us understand how white Christian nationalism divides Americans along racial and religious lines. * Anthea Butler, author of White Evangelical Racism *\u003cbr\u003eGorski and Perry make sense of the seemingly senseless January 6 uprising. Built on powerful evidence, they show how white nationalism wove itself into the very fabric of modern conservative values. By making visible the creation of white nationalism, this book gives me hope that we can unmake it. * Beth Allison Barr, Professor of History at Baylor University and author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth *\u003cbr\u003eParticularly for those concerned with gaining a basic understanding of Christian nationalism in order practically to engage it, Gorski and Perry's book is a valuable resource...The Flag and the Cross is able to bridge the often-vexing divide between theory and practice...Gorski and Perry's work compliments that of scholars and activists concerned with the wider project of anti-racism by offering an account which is both critical and constructive, and importantly, relevant to all readers. * Nathan Dever, Modern Believing *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction: The Eruption Chapter 1: What is WCN? Mapping the Landscape Chapter 2: When did it Begin? Bedrock Foundations Chapter 3: How Does it Work? Seismographic Readings Conclusion: Where It's Going: Herrenvolk Autocracy or Multiracial Democracy?","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732658925911,"sku":"9780197618684","price":18.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780197618684.jpg?v=1791378672"},{"product_id":"oxford-a-level-religious-studies-for-ocr-as-and-year-1-student-book-9780198392859","title":"Oxford A Level Religious Studies for OCR AS and","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOxford A Level Religious Studies for OCR is a brand new course developed by renowned authors Libby Ahluwalia and Robert Bowie for the 2016 OCR specification. This textbook has been endorsed by OCR and supports a deep engagement with philosophy, ethics and the study of Christianity using an approach accessible to all students.","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732715745623,"sku":"9780198392859","price":39.78,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780198392859.jpg?v=1719998096"},{"product_id":"the-virgin-mary-9780198794912","title":"The Virgin Mary","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Virgin Mary - a Jewish mother - is central to Christianity, a revered woman in Islam, and a person of persistent fascination for centuries. Marian worship and theology has inspired countless appearances in art, as well as religious philosophy and doctrine, while the concept of the Virgin herself has been involved in controversial discussions over the Virginal body, race, anti-Semitism, and globalism. This Very Short Introduction describes the evolution of Marian thought from early Christianity to the present day. Mary Joan Winn Leith focuses on the centuries between the rise of Christianity and the Counter-Reformation, the eras when most of the doctrinal issues, popular traditions, and associated conventions of Marian iconography developed, and covers Catholic, Orthodox, and other Christian denominations, as well as the Islamic Mary. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that includes art history, archaeology, and gender studies as well as doctrinal history, she considers some of the misunderstandings and unquestioned assumptions about the Virgin Mary that pervade past and present Christian consciousness and today''s secular world. Leith also discusses apparitions of Mary and representations of Mary in contemporary popular culture.\u003cb\u003eVery Short Introductions\u003cb\u003e: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring \u003c\/b\u003eABOUT 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe series focuses on providing a broad and detailed scholarly yet accessible background to the Virgin Mary. This the author accomplishes, engagingly and comprehensively. * Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook, Ave: Magazine of the Society of Mary *\u003cbr\u003eThe book, like other volumes in The Very Short Introduction series, is interdisciplinary and focuses on providing a broad,and detailed scholarly, yet accessible background to the Virgin Mary. This the author accomplishes, engagingly and comprehensively. While Leith's approach here is not devotional, her respect for her subject and devotees is apparent. The book is both detailed and informative and provides technical background helpful to teaching and preaching on Mary. * Sheryl A. Kujawa-Holbrook, AVE, the Magazine of the Society of Mary *\u003cbr\u003eWinn Leith provides an engaging and wide-ranging survey. [...] A particular strength of the books is that Winn Leith is able to depict devotion to Mary not only as a historical curiosity, but as a living tradition. * Edward Dowler, Church Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1: Meeting Mary: The Surprising Virgin 2: Mary in the New Testament, History, and Earliest Christianity 3: Mary After the Gospels 4: Mary the Goddess? 5: Eastern Mary - Byzantium and Islam 6: Empress of Heaven and Hell: Mary in the Middle Ages and Renaissance 7: Modern Mary - Reformation to the Present Glossary References Further Reading Index\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732786458967,"sku":"9780198794912","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780198794912.jpg?v=1791378723"},{"product_id":"liberating-science-the-early-universe-evolution-and-the-public-voice-of-science-9780198878551","title":"Liberating Science The Early Universe Evolution","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLiberating Science: The Early Universe, Evolution and the Public Voice of Science is a presentation of science for the general reader, with an emphasis on correcting widely held misconceptions, and a call to liberate science from ''private ownership'' in cultural terms.Quantum fields and the physics of the early universe are described in non-technical language, showing what science can and cannot say about origins. Darwinian evolution is then discussed, giving due weight both to variation and to the constraints which shape the possible outcomes.The text provides a liberating view of what science is telling us about the natural world and offers the next generation a balanced and liberating view of their own moral stature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1: A candid friend 2: What is a quantum field? 3: Quantum fluctuation? 4: The vacuum as a dynamical system 5: The very early Universe 6: Nothing comes of nothing 7: Rubble and randomness 8: What science can and cannot do 9: Science, science fiction and the multiverse 10: Could it simply be? 11: Religious imagery 12: Sinking the selfish gene 13: The magician's box 14: Stepping out 15: Angels with dirty faces 16: Science and sensibility 17: Great is the power of steady misrepresentation 18: Fruit pie 19: Contemporary thought and evolution 20: Brightland 21: Getting past Brightland","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732826632535,"sku":"9780198878551","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780198878551.jpg?v=1719998570"},{"product_id":"fundamentalism-a-very-short-introduction-very-short-introductions-9780199212705","title":"Fundamentalism A Very Short Introduction Very","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMalise Ruthven tackles the polemic and stereotypes surrounding this complex phenomenon - one that eludes sim today, a conclusion impossible to ignore since the events in New York on September 11 2001. But what does ''fundamentalism'' really mean? Since it was coined by American Protestant evangelicals in the 1920s, the use of the term ''fundamentalist'' has expanded to include a diverse range of radical conservatives and ideological purists, not all religious. Fundamentalism could now mean both militant Israeli settlers as well as the Islamist radicals who oppose them, it can mean Christians, Hindus, animal liberationists, and even Buddhist nationalists. Ruthven investigates fundamentalism''s historical, social, religious, political, and ideological roots, and tackles the polemic and stereotypes surrounding this complex phenomenon - one that eludes simple definition, yet urgently needs to be understood. ABOUT 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStimulating. * Roger Hardy, New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eReview from previous edition 'Ruthven's careful analysis of the phenomena ... provides a much-needed mental map [from] one of today's most perceptive observers and historians of religion.' * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003e'...powerful stuff ... this book is perceptive and important.' * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eThis is a gentle, civilised book, written with some style. I enjoyed reading it. * Sasthi Brata, Spectator 10\/04\/2004 *\u003cbr\u003eThe first clear definition of this indispensable yet misused term. * Anoush Ehteshami, University of Durham *\u003cbr\u003e... an important contribution to the current political and cultural debates about Islam and the West, religious extremism, and the changing identity of supposedly secular societies. * R. Scott Appleby, University of Notre Dame *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Family Resemblances ; 2. The Scandal of Difference ; 3. The Snares of Literalism ; 4. Controlling Women ; 5. Fundamentalism and Nationalism I ; 6. Fundamentalism and Nationalism II ; 7. Conclusion ; Further reading","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732834857303,"sku":"9780199212705","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780199212705.jpg?v=1791378735"},{"product_id":"rastafari-9780199584529","title":"Rastafari","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom its obscure beginnings in Jamaica in the early 1930s, Rastafari has grown into an international socio-religious movement. It is estimated that 700,000 to 1 million people worldwide have embraced Rastafari, and adherents of the movement can be found in most of the major population centres and many outposts of the world. Rastafari: A Very Short Introduction provides an account of this widespread but often poorly understood movement. Ennis B. Edmonds looks at the essential history of Rastafari, including its principles and practices and its internal character and configuration. He examines its global spread, and its far-reaching influence on cultural and artistic production in the Caribbean and beyond. ABOUT 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction ; 1. Movement of Jah people: the history of Rastafari in Jamica ; 2. 'Rastatology' and 'livity': the principles and practices of Rastafari ; 3. Grounding, houses, and mansions: social formation of Rastafari ; 4. Rastafari international: the making of a global movement ; 5. Kingmen, queens, and dawtas: gender issues in Rastafari ; 5. 'The Head Corner Stone': Rastafari and Caribbean culture ; Further reading","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732869951831,"sku":"9780199584529","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780199584529.jpg?v=1791454655"},{"product_id":"wandering-in-darkness-9780199659302","title":"Wandering in Darkness","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnly the most naïve or tendentious among us would deny the extent and intensity of suffering in the world. Can one hold, consistently with the common view of suffering in the world, that there is an omniscient, omnipotent, perfectly good God? This book argues that one can.Wandering in Darkness first presents the moral psychology and value theory within which one typical traditional theodicy, namely, that of Thomas Aquinas, is embedded. It explicates Aquinas''s account of the good for human beings, including the nature of love and union among persons. Eleonore Stump also makes use of developments in neurobiology and developmental psychology to illuminate the nature of such union. Stump then turns to an examination of narratives. In a methodological section focused on epistemological issues, the book uses recent research involving autism spectrum disorder to argue that some philosophical problems are best considered in the context of narratives. Using the methodology argued for, the book gives detailed, innovative exegeses of the stories of Job, Samson, Abraham and Isaac, and Mary of Bethany.In the context of these stories and against the backdrop of Aquinas''s other views, Stump presents Aquinas''s own theodicy, and shows that Aquinas''s theodicy gives a powerful explanation for God''s allowing suffering. She concludes by arguing that this explanation constitutes a consistent and cogent defense for the problem of suffering.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview from previous edition immensely ambitious [and] stunningly successful, repeatedly finding new levels of meaning. * Times Literary Supplement *\u003cbr\u003eEleonore Stump's magisterial treatment of the problem of evil ... is bold, meticulously argued, and highly nuanced. In terms of scope and power, Stump's book clearly ranks among the best book length treatments of the problem of evil. * European Journal for the Philosophy of Religion *\u003cbr\u003eEleonore Stump's major new book on the problem of suffering is perhaps the most important contribution to the field in decades ... reading this book is a thought-provoking spiritual journey which raises all kinds of fresh yet down-to-earth and urgent questions. Ultimately, it may have the potential to transform how we think about and do theology. * Theology *\u003cbr\u003eoriginal, insightful, and brilliant. * Religious Studies Review *\u003cbr\u003eA truly magnificent achievement, the book is rich with compelling narratives from inside and outside the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. * Analysis *\u003cbr\u003ea must-read for philosophers of religion and a very beneficial read for other philosophers and for other scholars of religion. It is without question a highly nuanced and philosophically deep book. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *\u003cbr\u003eEleonore Stump's Wandering in Darkness poses a learned, astutely crafted argument for the compatability of human suffering and God's existence, and in doing so it provides a number of innovations that will be of real interest to analytic philosophers of religion in particular and more generally to anyone curious about the so-called 'problem of evil' * Daniel Colucciello Barber, Journal of Religious Studies *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePART I: THE NATURE OF THE PROJECT; PART II: THE WORLD AT LARGE: LOVE AND LONELINESS; PART III: THE WORLD OF THE STORIES: SUFFERING IN PARTICULAR; PART IV: OTHER-WORLDLY THEODICY: WHAT WE CARE ABOUT IN A DEFENSE","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732877128023,"sku":"9780199659302","price":31.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780199659302.jpg?v=1719998778"},{"product_id":"african-religions-9780199790586","title":"African Religions","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfrica is home to hundreds of ethnic groups, who together speak more than a thousand languages. It is not surprising, then, that Africa''s enormous range of peoples, cultures, and ways of life has engendered a wide diversity of religious practices.This Very Short Introduction offers a wide-ranging look at the myriad indigenous religious traditions on the African continent. Drawing on archeological research, historical evidence, ethnographic studies, and archival materials such as missionary records, Jacob Olupona-one of the world''s leading authorities on African religions-captures a wealth of information in a short compass. The book not only gives the reader a full and vivid sense of African religious belief-exploring myths, gods and local deities, ancestor worship, rites of passage, festivals, divination, and much more-but it also underscores the role these religions play in everyday African life. Indeed, traditional religions inform everything from birthing and death, marriage and family dynamics, to diet, dress and grooming, health care, and even governance. Monarchs, chiefs, and elders play both political and religious roles, imparting secular and spiritual guidance to their subjects, while also being guardians of religious centres such as shrines, temples, and sacred forests. The author also examines the spread of Christianity and Islam throughout Africa, both the moderate sects (which often blend aspects of indigenous faith into their own practice) and the more extreme fundamentalist sects, which the author states have had a dire effect on African life. In fact, radical forms of Christianity and Islam-both of which decry tradition religion as paganism--have driven a near total collapse of indigenous practice. But if traditional religions are engaged in a battle for their lives in Africa, Olupona shows that they are thriving elsewhere in the world-particularly in the Americas and in Europe.About the Series:Oxford''s Very Short Introductions series offers concise and original introductions to a wide range of subjects--from Islam to Sociology, Politics to Classics, Literary Theory to History, and Archaeology to the Bible. Not simply a textbook of definitions, each volume in this series provides trenchant and provocative--yet always balanced and complete--discussions of the central issues in a given discipline or field. Every Very Short Introduction gives a readable evolution of the subject in question, demonstrating how the subject has developed and how it has influenced society. Eventually, the series will encompass every major academic discipline, offering all students an accessible and abundant reference library. Whatever the area of study that one deems important or appealing, whatever the topic that fascinates the general reader, the Very Short Introductions series has a handy and affordable guide that will likely prove indispensable. ABOUT 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of ilustrations ; Preface ; Chapter 1 Worldview, cosmology, and myths of origin ; Chapter 2 Gods, ancestors, and spirit beings ; Chapter 3 Sacred authority: Divine kingship, priests, and diviners ; Chapter 4 Ceremonies, festivals, and rituals ; Chapter 5 Sacred Arts, verbal and ritual performances ; Chapter 6 Encounter with the incoming world: Christianity and Islam in Africa ; References ; Further reading ; Index","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732889776471,"sku":"9780199790586","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780199790586.jpg?v=1791378747"},{"product_id":"ritual-9780199943524","title":"Ritual","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRitual is part of what it means to be human. Like sports, music, and drama, ritual defines and enriches culture, putting those who practice it in touch with sources of value and meaning larger than themselves. Ritual is unavoidable, yet it holds a place in modern life that is decidedly ambiguous. What is ritual? What does it do? Is it useful? What are the various kinds of ritual? Is ritual tradition bound and conservative or innovative and transformational?Alongside description of a number of specific rites, this Very Short Introduction explores ritual from both theoretical and historical perspectives. Barry Stephenson focuses on the places where ritual touches everyday life: in politics and power; moments of transformation in the life cycle; as performance and embodiment. He also discusses the boundaries of ritual, and how and why certain behaviors have been studied as ritual while others have not. Stephenson shows how ritual is an important vehicle for group and identity formation; how it generates and transmits beliefs and values; how it can be used to exploit and oppress; and how it has served as a touchstone for thinking about cultural origins and historical change. Encompassing the breadth and depth of modern ritual studies, Barry Stephenson''s Very Short Introduction also develops a narrative of ritual''s place in social and cultural life. ABOUT 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of illustrations ; Introduction ; Chapter 1 Ritualization ; Chapter 2 Ritual and the Origins of Culture ; Chapter 3 Ritual and Society ; Chapter 4 Ritual and Transformation ; Chapter 5 Definitions, Types, Domains ; Chapter 6 Ritual as Performance ; Chapter 7 The Fortunes of Ritual ; References ; Further reading ; Index","brand":"Oxford University Press Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732891316567,"sku":"9780199943524","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780199943524.jpg?v=1719998833"},{"product_id":"meaning-in-history-the-theological-implications-of-the-philosophy-of-history-9780226495552","title":"Meaning in History  The Theological Implications","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"The University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732909568343,"sku":"9780226495552","price":31.56,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780226495552.jpg?v=1719998912"},{"product_id":"after-life-9780226793726","title":"After Life","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLife is one of our most basic concepts, yet when examined directly it proves remarkably contradictory and elusive, encompassing both the broadest and the most specific phenomena. The author clears the ground for a new philosophy of life by recovering the twists and turns in its philosophical history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This is a timely, significant, and original work that deepens and enlarges the terms of contemporary philosophical debate over the nature of 'life.' After Life promises to become an indispensable point of reference for future discussions of this topic.\" - Ray Brassier, American University of Beirut\"","brand":"The University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732921659735,"sku":"9780226793726","price":31.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780226793726.jpg?v=1719998958"},{"product_id":"infallibility-integrity-and-obedience-9780227179390","title":"Infallibility Integrity and Obedience","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe doctrinal and structural revolution currently underway in the Roman Catholic Church is alarming for several reasons, not least because of the arbitrary nature of its imposition and the absence of resistance it has encountered. The reluctance of many to challenge the authority of the pope, tied to the increasing personal veneration by the faithful of each successive incumbent of the Holy See, is arguably a symptom of unresolved unclarity surrounding the nature of authority in the Church dating back to the First Vatican Council.In Infallibility, Integrity and Obedience, John Rist unflinchingly exposes the developments that have bred this crisis of understanding - and the resulting rejection of tradition in the papal agenda - over the past hundred and fifty years. Reserving particular attention for the Roman Catholic dilemmas, political and theological, of the 1930s, the mid-twentieth-century debates on reproductive technology, and the advent of ''celebrity autocracy'', he shows how a\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e{\\rtf1\\ansi\\ansicpg1252\\deff0\\deflang2057{\\fonttbl{\\f0\\fnil\\fcharset0 Verdana;}} {\\colortbl ;\\red0\\green0\\blue0;} \\viewkind4\\uc1\\pard\\hyphpar0\\sl288\\slmult1\\qj\\cf1\\f0\\fs20 'In this invigorating study of the modern papacy, Professor John Rist identifies the conjoining of four elements, which have caused serious damage to the Church: the creeping authority of the Pope stemming from uncertainty surrounding Vatican I; the servility and silence of the bishops in response; a revolutionary aspect on the part of the Jesuit order; and the unthinking obedience of a poorly instructed laity. Rist argues persuasively that the authentic truth of Vatican I, that the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to the successors of St Peter to safeguard the Deposit of Faith, must be restored before things become beyond repair on the human level. Chief among his proposals is that the nineteenth century misuse of the term \\lquote infallibility\\rquote  should be strictly curtailed to its primary meaning, that the Church and the pope must always cling to basic Catholic dogma, and a hierarchy of truths must be recognized.' - John Beaumont, author of The House with a Hundred Gates.\\par \\pard\\sa240\\cf0 'One need not necessarily agree with all of Dr. Rist\\rquote s account of recent Church history or his proposed solutions to the current crisis in the Church, but one must recognize that he has clearly exposed the root of an important cause of this crisis.  He unquestionably documents a dangerous growth of an exaggeration of papal authority and irrational obedience to the papal will.  Although these exaggerations can appear welcome when exercised by faithful popes with good intentions, he shows how they can be repurposed to deconstruct the Church and her doctrine.  This may be one of the most important books written to wake Catholics up to this danger.' - Brian M. McCall, Orpha and Maurice Merrill Chair in Law, University of Oklahoma\\par \\pard\\hyphpar0\\sl288\\slmult1\\qj\\cf1\\par \\pard\\cf0\\par }  I'm old enough to remember, quite vividly as a child, Pope Pius XII. I pray for him, along with every pope of my lifetime, every day. That includes Pope Francis-wholeheartedly. And yet, while a book like John Rist's is diminished by its flaws, it's not entirely unfair about our current moment. One can't help but wonder if somewhere a young Erasmus has the draft of a new Exclusus in his drawer. The original was withering. We should hope that the Church in our day will have a kinder legacy.     Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., is the archbishop emeritus of Philadelphia In Public Discourse, October 9, 2023.   Rist opens his book with a very through discussion of the debate leading up to the formal proclamation of papal infallibility Vatican I. He explains the ardent desire of Pope Pius IX for unambiguous support of his primacy-which he inelegantly expressed by saying: \"I am the Church! I am the tradition!\" Rist also explores the argument advanced by opponents of the initiative, such as Ignaz von Dollinger, whose implacable hostility toward the claim of papal infallibility eventually led to his excommunication. Phill Lawler in Catholic Culture, 01\/2024.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface 1. Toward the Syllabus of Errors 2. From The Syllabus of Errors to Pastor Aeternus (1870) 3. Leo XIII: Top- Down Pastor 4. Saint Pius X and the Modernist Dragon 5. The 1930s: Fascists, Nazis, 'New Theologians', Condoms 6. The End of an Era? Pius XII as Past and Future 7. Who Changed What at Vatican II? 8. The Pope, the 'Pill' and the ' Woman Problem' 9. Celebrity Autocracy: John Paul II 10. Joseph Ratzinger: Poacher Turned Gamekeeper? 11. Perón Meets Ignatius: The Choice Against Tradition 12. Modest Conclusions, Less Modest Suggestions Very Select Bibliography Index","brand":"James Clarke \u0026 Co Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732935979351,"sku":"9780227179390","price":19.71,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780227179390.jpg?v=1719999018"},{"product_id":"songs-of-the-spirit-9780281077960","title":"Songs of the Spirit","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFresh and insightful reflections on favourite psalms, designed for daily meditiation from Ash Wednesday to Easter\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘As John Calvin said, the Psalms are a \"mirror of the soul\", and Megan Daffern helps us to look into this mirror in a way that transforms us and leads us into a deeper relationship with God.’ * Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Grundy Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College, Virginia *\u003cbr\u003e‘A fresh and insightful guide for any Christian who seeks to engage with these practical and prayerful reflections on ancient psalmody.’ * Susan Gillingham, Professor of the Hebrew Bible, University of Oxford *\u003cbr\u003e‘Written by someone who enthuses about Hebrew, but who knows how to write short sentences comprised of ordinary words, and who knows how to relate the Bible to everyday life.’ * John Goldingay, Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary, California *","brand":"SPCK Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48733497819479,"sku":"9780281077960","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780281077960.jpg?v=1720000304"},{"product_id":"psychology-and-religion-9780300001372","title":"Psychology and Religion","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Yale University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48733509517655,"sku":"9780300001372","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780300001372.jpg?v=1720000360"},{"product_id":"ezra-9780300149692","title":"Ezra","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA new translation and commentary on the biblical book of Ezra by the renowned author of two award-winning biblical commentaries\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The culmination of a lifetime of research on the book of Ezra by a most distinguished scholar.”—Hugh Williamson, University of Oxford\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Yale University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48733511647575,"sku":"9780300149692","price":57.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780300149692.jpg?v=1720000370"},{"product_id":"spiritual-politics-9780345369833","title":"Spiritual Politics","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Random House USA Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48733629284695,"sku":"9780345369833","price":14.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780345369833.jpg?v=1720000917"},{"product_id":"the-moral-landscape-9780552776387","title":"The Moral Landscape","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eSam Harris is a neuroscientist and the author of the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestsellers \u003ci\u003eThe End of Faith\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eLetter to a Christian Nation\u003c\/i\u003e. His writing has appeared in \u003ci\u003eNewsweek\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times, The Los Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Times, \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eNature\u003c\/i\u003e and in many other journals. He holds a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. He is a co-founder of Project Reason.\u003cbr\u003ewww.samharris.org\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI was one of those who had unthinkingly bought into the hectoring myth that science can say nothing about morals. To my surprise, \u003ci\u003eThe Moral Landscape\u003c\/i\u003e has changed all that for me... As for religion, and the preposterous idea that we need God to be good, nobody wields a sharper bayonet than Sam Harris -- Richard Dawkins\u003cbr\u003eSam Harris breathes intellectual fire into an ancient debate. Reading this thrilling, audacious book, you feel the ground shifting beneath your feet. Reason has never had a more passionate advocate -- Ian McEwan\u003cbr\u003eA tremendously appealing vision, and one that no thinking person can afford to ignore -- Steven Pinker, Harvard College Professor of Psychology\u003cbr\u003eReaders are bound to come away with previously firm convictions about the world challenged, and a vital new awareness about the nature and value of science and reason in our lives -- Lawrence M. Krauss, Professor at Arizona State University\u003cbr\u003eThis is an inspiring book -- John Lloyd * The Financial Times *","brand":"Transworld Publishers Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48735287509335,"sku":"9780552776387","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780552776387.jpg?v=1723810112"},{"product_id":"strength-for-all-seasons-9780593690239","title":"Strength for All Seasons","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA mom’s devotional of strength-bearing prayers and verses for overcoming the stress and difficulties of life and motherhood\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eStrength for All Seasons\u003c\/i\u003e, author Julie Lavender is beautifully candid about the difficulties of motherhood and offers encouragement and wisdom based on God’s most powerful words, reminding weary moms that he is the ultimate source of strength and resilience. This thoughtful weekly devotional gives moms the grace and space to go at their own pace and reflect on both celebrations and challenges while staying grounded in God’s truths. The seasons of motherhood are ever-changing with peaks and valleys and ebbs and flows, but the one thing moms can consistently count on is God. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• \u003cb\u003e52 WEEKS OF TRUTH-BEARING PRAYERS AND DEVOTIONS\u003c\/b\u003e—cherry-picked verses of God’s most powerful living words are meant to transform, inspire, and motivate moms to seek God no matter the situation or circum","brand":"Random House USA Inc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48735824347479,"sku":"9780593690239","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780593690239.jpg?v=1723810359"},{"product_id":"the-dancing-wu-li-masters-9780712648721","title":"The Dancing Wu Li Masters","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is an account of the essential aspects of the new physics for those with little or no knowledge of mathematics or science. It describes current theories of quantum mechanics, Einstein''s special and general theories of relativity and other speculations, alluding throughout to parallels with modern psychology and metaphorical abstractions to Buddhism and Taoism. The author has also written The Seat of the Soul.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe most exciting intellectual adventure I've been on since reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance -- Christophre Lehmann-Haupt * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003eRecommended highly, both for those who want to understand the essential significance of modern physics and for those who are concerned with its implications for the possible transformation of the human consciousness * Times Literary Supplement *","brand":"Ebury Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48736033309015,"sku":"9780712648721","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780712648721.jpg?v=1723810466"},{"product_id":"queerness-in-the-catholic-church-9780809156658","title":"Queerness in the Catholic Church","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Paulist Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48737434468695,"sku":"9780809156658","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"the-shape-of-matthews-story-9780809155989","title":"The Shape of Matthews Story","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Gospel of Matthew, like the other Gospels, is a story. The narrative nature of Matthew''s account of the life of Jesus unfolds as a plotted sequence of words and events, beginning with his birth and closing with his presence to the disciples as their risen Lord. The location of any single passage within the flow of the unfolding story is a major guide to understanding this Gospel. Matthew is best known for his account of the birth of Jesus (Matt 12); Peter''s recognition of Jesus as the Son of Man, the Son of God (16:1320); and the final commission of all the disciples to preach the gospel to all nations (28:1628). But where do these famous passages appear in the story? What preceded them and what follows? The first Gospel famously highlights five major discourses, during which only Jesus speaks. 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Surveying a representative sample of official liturgical sources from different Christian Churches, the question is asked how 'pure' the monotheism expressed in them is.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction; 1. Christian Liturgy as Cult and Faith; 2. Doxology: One God Worthy of Worship; 3. Doxologies: A Survey of Traditional Liturgical Material; 4. The Unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Orations; 5. Myriad Saints and One True Savior: Exploring Their Connection; Conclusion.","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738000863575,"sku":"9781009001847","price":21.54,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"learning-from-other-religions-9781009367707","title":"Learning from Other Religions","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow can believers in one faith value another without either reducing all religion to some lowest common denominator or suggesting that other religions only partially anticipate one's own? David Brown persuasively argues that sometimes the greater insight lies elsewhere: learning from each other is actually essential to any religion's flourishing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Learning from Other Religions brings new impetus to the debate about relations between other religions and one's own. Written by a leading Christian theologian, it contests the conventional classifications of exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism and raises the challenging prospect that God's activities can be seen in all religions. It urges followers of each religion to appreciate the insights achieved in others and to discover the massive wealth and variety within them. The book takes this well-worn discussion in an appealing if demanding new direction.' David Thomas, Emeritus Professor of Christianity and Islam, University of Birmingham\u003cbr\u003e'Learning from Other Religions reveals the analytical strengths of a leading scholar who has reflected over decades on the nature of religion. It shows the characteristics of a serious thinker whose engagement with religiosity and belief has changed with the times. Here the transformations of the modern world are recognized in a changed context where practitioners of other faiths are often one's immediate neighbours. The book marks a new level of inter-religious understanding and is motivated by a positive sense of hospitality towards the religious other in its many different forms. It is rare to find such a detailed, broad-based account of the principal religions. It is also encouraging to find a genuine openness towards these other religions and a preparedness to take them seriously on their own terms.' Oliver Davies, Emeritus Professor of Christian Doctrine, King's College London\u003cbr\u003e'This good and interesting book has a definite and clear aim – to improve understanding of religions by greater knowledge of their origins, histories, and inner diversity. It has great merit, focussed on a well-argued advocacy of a particular view of revelation and religious understanding.' Keith Ward, FBA, Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus, University of Oxford\u003cbr\u003e'While this masterful survey evidences an extraordinarily wide knowledge of the world's religious traditions, Brown's imaginative readings – marked by both rigour and generosity – move us ineluctably beyond mere pluralism towards a richly textured, complex and reverential re-envisioning of the very meaning of revelation. Anybody engaged in inter faith encounter will find their insight deepened and their sympathy enlarged through his always careful yet often surprising reflections.' Michael Ipgrave, OBE Bishop of Lichfield\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Complementary Shards; 2. Ancient Paganism and the Biblical God; 3. Different Eyes: Hinduism; 4. The Religions of India; 5. The Religions of China; 6. The Religions of Japan; 7. Islam: Warning or Hope; 8. Revelation's Enrichment; 9. Beyond Inclusivism and Pluralism.","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738034385239,"sku":"9781009367707","price":35.39,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781009367707.jpg?v=1791468940"},{"product_id":"a-way-of-life-for-the-third-millennium-9781035824120","title":"A Way of Life For the Third Millennium","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Austin Macauley Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738162475351,"sku":"9781035824120","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781035824120.jpg?v=1723811787"},{"product_id":"a-way-of-life-for-the-third-millennium-9781035824137","title":"A Way of Life For the Third Millennium","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Austin Macauley Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738162573655,"sku":"9781035824137","price":15.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781035824137.jpg?v=1723811788"},{"product_id":"sacred-mountains-of-the-world-9781108819817","title":"Sacred Mountains of the World","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the Andes to the Himalayas, mountains have an extraordinary power to evoke a sense of the sacred. In the overwhelming wonder and awe that these dramatic features of the landscape awaken, people experience something of deeper significance that imbues their lives with meaning and vitality. Drawing on his extensive research and personal experience as a scholar and climber, Edwin Bernbaum''s Sacred Mountains of the World takes the reader on a fascinating journey exploring the role of mountains in the mythologies, religions, history, literature, and art of cultures around the world. Bernbaum delves into the spiritual dimensions of mountaineering and the implications of sacred mountains for environmental and cultural preservation. This beautifully written, evocative book shows how the contemplation of sacred mountains can transform everyday life, even in cities far from the peaks themselves. Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition considers additional sacred mountains, as well \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Bernbaum has created a comprehensive and magisterial overview of the heritage of sacred mountains, in a well written work illustrated with many of his own photographs. He combines historical and cultural knowledge of holy peaks with his first-hand observations and experiences at most of these sites. This book will serve the next generation of readers; it is not likely that in the near future anyone will duplicate his feat of linking scholarly knowledge with field work on a global scale.' H. Bryon Earhart, Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religion, Western Michigan University, Author of Mount Fuji: Icon of Japan\u003cbr\u003e'Sacred Mountains of the World combines the grandeur and adventures of mountains worldwide with the spiritual resonance that each brings to the people who are native to them. The book is one of adventure and love, of curiosity and respect. The first edition changed me forever; the second is even better.' John Reynolds, National Parks Service (retired)\u003cbr\u003e'Reading this book is like making a pilgrimage to sacred mountains of the world with the people who love and revere them. It provides insights from extensive research and personal experiences of the author into the spiritual, cultural, and aesthetic values of mountains, and fresh ideas for conservation.' Steven R. Beissinger, Faculty Co-Director, Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity, University of California, Berkeley\u003cbr\u003e'Ed Bernbaum's second edition of Sacred Mountains of the World offers a newly polished lens through which we see mountains, not as something to be conquered, leveled, or converted, but instead as where we may find peace, tranquility, and a connection to deeper meaning for our time on this small and fragile planet.' Jonathan B. Jarvis, 18th Director of the US National Park Service\u003cbr\u003e'This astounding book ties literature, art, philosophy, religion, history, and science together in a compelling whole – elevating our understanding and deepening our sensitivity for the world in which we are privileged to live, as long as we can preserve it from our own predation.' Rev. Scotty McLennan, M. Div., J. D., former Dean for Religious Life, Stanford University\u003cbr\u003e'Edwin Bernbaum, unlike most of us earthlings, has experienced spirituality at many of nature's most sublime heights. Now, with his inspired prose and photographs, he gives us a chance to share these transcendent moments. He also shows how the world's cultures, however disparate, tend to converge at mountain tops.' Peter Dale Scott, Poet and Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley\u003cbr\u003e'This new edition of Sacred Mountains of the World is a substantially expanded, supremely successful recasting of the fine 1998 original. Bernbaum's thoroughly researched global survey of the role of mountains in religious thought and practice, cultural imagination, and mountaineering experience is enhanced by his own exceptional photographs and personal references to his own lifelong engagement with mountains.' William A. Graham, Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Emeritus and University Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus, Harvard University\u003cbr\u003e'Bernbaum has created a comprehensive and magisterial overview of the heritage of sacred mountains, in a well written work illustrated with many of his own photographs. He combines historical and cultural knowledge of holy peaks with his firsthand observations and experiences at most of these sites. This book will serve the next generation of readers; it is not likely that in the near future anyone will duplicate his feat of linking scholarly knowledge with field work on a global scale.' H. Bryon Earhart, Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religion, Western Michigan University, Author of Mount Fuji: Icon of Japan\u003cbr\u003e'Sacred Mountains of the World combines the grandeur and adventures of mountains worldwide with the spiritual resonance that each brings to the people who are native to them. The book is one of adventure and love; of curiosity and respect. The first edition changed me forever; the second is even better.' John Reynolds, Former Director Pacific West Region, US National Park Service\u003cbr\u003e'Pilgrimage to sacred mountains is both an ancient impulse and a vital ongoing imperative. Ed Bernbaum understands this as no other, and with this beautiful new edition of his classic book, he gives us all an extended roadmap to hidden lands where heaven and earth converge on a regular basis to reveal glimpses of the divine. If religion concerns death and eternity, the sacred, Bernbaum reminds us, is all about life, the glory of what exists in this moment on this blue jewel of a planet.' Wade Davis, Professor of Anthropology and Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk, University of British Columbia, Author of Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePart I. Sacred Mountains around the World: 1. The Himalayas: Abode of the sacred; 2. China: Mountains of the middle kingdom; 3. Central Asia: The distant ranges; 4. Japan: Mountains of the rising sun; 5. South and southeast Asia: Cosmic centers; 6. The Middle East: Heights of revelation; 7. Europe: Paradigms of perfection; 8. Africa: Facing the heights; 9. North America: The high and the beautiful; 10. Latin America: Mountains of vanished empires; 11. Oceania: Islands of the sky; Part II. The Power and Mystery of Mountains: 12. The symbolism of sacred mountains; 13. Mountains and the sacred in literature and art; 14. The spiritual dimensions of mountaineering; 15. Sacred mountains, the environment, and everyday life.","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738335293783,"sku":"9781108819817","price":28.47,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781108819817.jpg?v=1791469744"},{"product_id":"gods-psychiatry-healing-for-your-troubled-heart-9780800723941","title":"Gods Psychiatry  Healing for Your Troubled Heart","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith more than a million and a half copies sold, \u003ci\u003eGod''s Psychiatry\u003c\/i\u003e shows readers how ancient teachings of the Bible offer timeless wisdom for a happier and healthier life today. Readers will acquire confidence, banish fear and worry, root out hate and suspicion, bring out the best in themselves, and face life with enthusiasm and inward peace.","brand":"Fleming H. Revell Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738458730839,"sku":"9780800723941","price":7.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780800723941.jpg?v=1720048602"},{"product_id":"luke-9512453-9780801010521","title":"Luke  9512453","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis clearly-organized, contemporary analysis gives scholars, ministers, and teachers valuable perspective on Luke--from Jesus' journey to Jerusalem, through the Last Supper, to the resurrection.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ev. 1. 1:1-9:50 -- v. 2. 9:51-24:53.","brand":"Baker Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738465710423,"sku":"9780801010521","price":43.19,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780801010521.jpg?v=1720048631"},{"product_id":"the-widows-song-9781035848942","title":"The Widows Song","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Austin Macauley Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738523873623,"sku":"9781035848942","price":6.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781035848942.jpg?v=1720049209"},{"product_id":"representing-religion-in-film-9781350140806","title":"Representing Religion in Film","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the first full-length exploration of the relationship between religion, film, and ideology. It shows how religion is imagined, constructed, and interpreted in film and film criticism. The films analyzed include \u003ci\u003eThe Last Jedi\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTerminator\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCloud Atlas\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDarjeeling Limited\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHellboy\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Revenant\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Religulous\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Secret of my Success\u003c\/i\u003e.  Each chapter offers: - an explanation of the particular representation of religion that appears in film - a discussion of how this representation has been interpreted in film criticism and religious studies scholarship - an in-depth study of a Hollywood or popular film to highlight the rhetorical, social, and political functions this representation accomplishes on the silver screen - a discussion about how such analysis might be applied to other films of a similar genre  Written in an accessible style, and focusing on Hollywood and popular cinema, this book will be of interest to both movie l\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRelevant for students and scholars across a range of disciplines, \u003ci\u003eRepresenting Religion in Film\u003c\/i\u003e not only provides analyses of compelling case studies, but it also presents the theoretical tools necessary for studying religion and popular culture more broadly. Read with a highlighter and a bag of popcorn. * K. Merinda Simmons, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Alabama, USA *\u003cbr\u003eThis book will change the way we think about religion and film studies. * William L. Blizek, Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of Contributors Forward, Tenzan Eaghll \u003ci\u003e(independent scholar, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e and Rebekka King \u003ci\u003e(Middle Tennessee State University, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e Introduction - Three Film Critics Walk into a Theatre: The Ideological Blindspot in the Academic Study of Religion and Film, Tenzan Eaghll \u003ci\u003e(independent scholar, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 1.       Atheistic Documentaries and the Critique of Religion in Bill Maher’s\u003ci\u003e Religulous, \u003c\/i\u003eTeemu Taira \u003ci\u003e(University of Helsinki, Finland)\u003c\/i\u003e 2.       Capitalism, the Hero’s Journey, and the Myth of Entrepreneurship in \u003ci\u003eThe Secret to My Success \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e Joy, \u003c\/i\u003eDennis LoRusso\u003ci\u003e (Princeton University, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 3.       Oprah, Mindy, and Reese: The Holy Trinity of Disney’s \u003ci\u003eA Wrinkle in Time, \u003c\/i\u003eLeslie Dorrough Smith \u003ci\u003e(Avila University, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 4.       Race, Colonialism, and Whiteness in Scorsese’s\u003ci\u003e Silence, \u003c\/i\u003eMalory Nye\u003ci\u003e (Aberdeen University, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 5.       We Haven’t Located Us Yet: The Mystic East in Wes Anderson’s \u003ci\u003eDarjeeling Limited, \u003c\/i\u003eMichael J. Altman \u003ci\u003e(University of Alabama, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 6.       Lost in Žižek, Redeemed in \u003ci\u003eCloud Atlas\u003c\/i\u003e: Buddhism and Other Tales of “Asian Religions” in Western Cinema and Affective Circulation\u003ci\u003e, \u003c\/i\u003eTing Guo (\u003ci\u003eUniversity of Toronto, Canada\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e)\u003c\/i\u003e 7.       Magical realism, Anti-modernity, and the Religious Imaginaries of Latin American cinema: A look through Ciro Guerra’s \u003ci\u003eThe Wind Journeys, \u003c\/i\u003eRebecca Bartel\u003ci\u003e (San Diego State University, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 8.       Unsettling Settler-Colonial Myths about Native Americans in \u003ci\u003eThe Revenant, \u003c\/i\u003eMatt Sheedy \u003ci\u003e(Bonn University, Germany)\u003c\/i\u003e 9.       From the Horrors of Human Tragedy and Social Reproduction to the Comfort of a Demonic Cult: Agency in the Film \u003ci\u003eHereditary, \u003c\/i\u003eSean McCloud \u003ci\u003e(University of North Carolina-Charlotte, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 10.   Superheroes, Apocalyptic Messiahs, and \u003ci\u003eHellboy\u003c\/i\u003e, Aaron Ricker \u003ci\u003e(McGill University, Canada)\u003c\/i\u003e 11.   AI Apocalypticism and the Religious Impulse In, and \u003ci\u003eFrom\u003c\/i\u003e, the Terminator Franchise, Beth Singler (\u003ci\u003eUniversity of Cambridge, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 12.   Myth of the Auteur and the Authentic in \u003ci\u003eStar Wars: The Last Jedi, \u003c\/i\u003eRichard Newton (\u003ci\u003eUniversity of Alabama, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e Conclusion - Religion as Film: Constructing a Course as a Critique of a Dominant Paradigm, Tenzan Eaghll \u003ci\u003e(independent scholar, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e Notes Bibliography Index","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738594259287,"sku":"9781350140806","price":21.84,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781350140806.jpg?v=1720049591"},{"product_id":"fieldnotes-in-the-critical-study-of-religion-9781350251656","title":"Fieldnotes in the Critical Study of Religion","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book introduces students to the so-called classics of the field from the 19th and 20th centuries, whilst challenging readers to apply a critical lens.  Instead of representing scholars and their works as virtually timeless, each contributor provides sufficient background on the classic work in question so that readers not only understand its novelty and place in its own time, but are able to arrive at a critical understanding of whether its approach to studying religion continues to be useful to them today. Scholars discussed include Muller, Durkheim, Freud and Eliade. \u003ci\u003e Fieldnotes in the Critical Study of Religion: Revisiting Classical Theorists \u003c\/i\u003etherefore offers a novel way into writing both a history and ethnography of the discipline, helping readers to see how it has changed and inviting them to consider whatif anythingendures and thereby unites these diverse authors into a common field.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book represents the field’s historical richness and curiosities like no other. 13 modern scholars of religion are in conversation with a partner from the field’s past; the engagements are sometimes contrary, often celebratory, and always insightful. The volume is a model of how to read the founders and ancestors of the critical study of religion. * Willi Braun, Professor Emeritus of Religion, University of Alberta, Canada *\u003cbr\u003eThis is a much-needed book. Those of us who teach theory and method courses face an annual dilemma: should we teach the classics in the field, and, if so, how best to do so? This book steers us ably through the shoals by offering approaches to these earlier works that both acknowledge their contribution but also dismantle their problematic, often colonialist, assumptions and approaches. * Adele Reinhartz, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Ottawa, Canada *\u003cbr\u003eWe stand not on the shoulders of giants, but of people who asked many of the same questions that we do today. \u003ci\u003eFieldnotes in the Critical Study of Religion\u003c\/i\u003e is a constructive reassessment of our scholarly forebears that shows us that even if their answers no longer satisfy, the issues they addressed are still topical. * David G. Robertson, Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies, The Open University, UK *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of Contributors Preface: Taking \u003ci\u003eNotes\u003c\/i\u003e in the \u003ci\u003eField \u003c\/i\u003eof Religious Studies: Critical Methods, \u003ci\u003eVaia Touna (The University of Alabama, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e Introduction: Revisiting the Past…, Again, \u003ci\u003eAaron W. Hughes\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eRussell T. McCutcheon (The University of Alabama, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 1. Friedrich Max Muller, \u003ci\u003eBrent Nongbri \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e(MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society, Norway)\u003c\/i\u003e 2. William James, \u003ci\u003eEmily Clark (Gonzaga University, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 3. Edward B. Tylor, \u003ci\u003eMitsutoshi Horii (Shumei University, Japan)\u003c\/i\u003e 4. Joseph Kitagawa, \u003ci\u003eChristopher M. Jones\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e(Washburn University, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 5. James Frazer, \u003ci\u003eKrista Dalton\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e(Kenyon College in Gambier, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 6. Wilfred Cantwell Smith, \u003ci\u003eEdith Szanto (The University of Alabama, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 7. Sigmund Freud, \u003ci\u003eRobyn Walsh (University of Miami, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 8. Gerardus van der Leeuw, \u003ci\u003eTenzan Eaghll (Mahidol University, Thailand)\u003c\/i\u003e 9. Rudolf Otto, \u003ci\u003eMartha Smith Roberts (Fullerton College, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 10. Carl Jung, Lauren Griffin 11. Bronislaw Malinowski, \u003ci\u003eBrett Esaki\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e(University of Arizona, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 12. Mircea Eliade, \u003ci\u003eJoseph Winters (Duke University, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 13. Max Weber, \u003ci\u003eAndrew Tobolowsky (\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eCollege of William and Mary, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e Afterword: Revisiting Classics and Plotting Futures for the Field of Religious Studies, \u003ci\u003eRichard Newton\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003e(The University of Alabama, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e Notes Bibliography Index","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738610512215,"sku":"9781350251656","price":20.89,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781350251656.jpg?v=1720049645"},{"product_id":"american-druidry-9781350264120","title":"American Druidry","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eKimberly Kirner\u003c\/b\u003e is Professor of Anthropology at California State University, Northridge, USA.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eList of Illustrations  Acknowledgements  Introduction: The Why, What, and How of this Book \u003cb\u003eThe First Triad – All as Sacred: Place, Time, and the Body\u003c\/b\u003e 1.Claimed by Place 2.Echoes through Time 3.Becoming a Body 4.The First Spiral: Recognizing a Participatory World \u003cb\u003eThe Second Triad – All as Conscious: Relational Spirituality\u003c\/b\u003e 5.A Congregation of Nature Spirits 6.A Community of Ancestors 7.A Covenant with the Shining Ones 8.The Second Spiral: An Ecocentric Community \u003cb\u003eThe Third Triad – All as Worthy: Living Druidry\u003c\/b\u003e 9.The Foundation of Right Action: Knowledge 10.The Foundation for Peace: Justice 11.The Foundation for Divine Connection: Loving Others 12.The Third Spiral: The Druid in the World Bibliography Index","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738611003735,"sku":"9781350264120","price":20.89,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781350264120.jpg?v=1723812145"},{"product_id":"christians-in-the-city-of-shanghai-9781350330054","title":"Christians in the City of Shanghai","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExamining the stories of diverse Christians in Shanghai, this book uses the city as a model to highlight how a minority religion in a city has interacted with other religions as well as social, cultural, political, and economic changes.   Susangeline Y. Patrick illustrates how the history of Shanghai Christians sheds light on why and how Christians have accommodated social and political changes, and gives valuable insights into multiculturalism, globalization, sinicization, and ecclesiology. The interreligious dialogues between Shanghai Christians and other traditions such as Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Islam, and Judaism throughout history provide worthy reflections on the roles of Christians in a multi-religious space.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLike other global cities, Shanghai is a dynamic hub of Christianity. The city acts as a pair of lungs, inhaling believers from across China and around the world, then exhaling them to embark on new and surprising trajectories. Patrick outlines the significance of these movements, illuminating the strategic role that Shanghai has played in shaping World Christianity for the past four centuries.\u003c\/i\u003e * Daryl Ireland, Research Assistant Professor of Mission, Boston University, USA *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWith rich knowledge of mission history and valuable insight into the social and cultural context, Dr Patrick skillfully depicts a kaleidoscope of the rises and falls of Shanghai Christians over recent centuries. This book provides a window into the living faith forged under pressure in this vibrant cosmopolitan city that invites revival and renewal of Chinese Christianity with a global vision. A must-read resource!\u003c\/i\u003e * Rev. Xiaoli Yang, Honorary Research Associate, University of Divinity, USA and author of 'A Dialogue between Haizi’s Poetry and the Gospel of Luke' *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction: Shanghai and World Christianity  1.      Catholic Shanghai  2.      The Protestant Century and Holistic Mission  3.     The Shanghai Orthodox: Russian, Armenian, and Chinese 4.      Indigenous Christians and Globalization  5.      The Multicultural Church and Cosmopolitan Shanghai 6.      Interreligious Encounters 7.      Beyond the Borders  Conclusion: What Shanghai Christians Offer in World Christianity  Notes  Appendices  Bibliography  Index","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738619982167,"sku":"9781350330054","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781350330054.jpg?v=1720049677"},{"product_id":"the-covid-pandemic-and-the-worlds-religions-9781350349636","title":"The Covid Pandemic and the Worlds Religions","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBelievers from a variety of faith communities were asked to assess how the Covid pandemic has affected their faith. The anthology collects their responses to key questions, such as:   How does your faith explain why such events occur?  How has it affected your religious practices?  What changes has it necessitated?  What differences might we expect once the pandemic is over?  What have we learned from it?  Two exponents of each major religion and a number of minority faiths comment on these issues, combined with a concluding essay by the editors assessing the overall impact of the pandemic on religion worldwide. Faiths explored include Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, Sikh Baha'i, Jain, African Traditional Religion, Zoroastrian, Unitarian, Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Science.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor religions of all kinds, the imperative to remember is of great importance. As we tentatively move into a post-Covid society, it is easy to forget the impact the pandemic had on our understanding and practice of faith and spirituality. This remarkable collection of reflections from a very wide range of traditions should serve as a multi-faceted reminder to the deep religious and ethical issues which Covid created, uncovered and amplified. * Michael Ipgrave OBE, Bishop of Lichfield, UK *\u003cbr\u003eBy sharing experiences of the Covid Pandemic, people of different countries and beliefs will be better prepared to act together in the event of  future global threats to peace and prosperity. * Marcus Braybrooke, Former President of the World Congress of Faiths, UK *\u003cbr\u003eGeorge D. Chryssides and Dan Cohn-Sherbok have assembled an informed collection of contributors who provide a comparative window into how adherents of a wide variety of religious traditions responded to the global pandemic. Readers will learn not only how differently the religions understood and responded to the traumatic events, but also how united the human species is in drawing upon religion in times of need. * John W. Morehead, Director, Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy\/Multifaith Matters, USA *\u003cbr\u003eA collection of insightful responses and reflections from a wide variety of religious voices that are valuable in themselves and, as Rowan Williams says in the foreword, “They suggest that the process of distilling what is to be learned from the pandemic will need spiritual insight, not just a superficial optimism about doing better next time.\" * David Steers, Editor of Faith and Freedom, UK *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNotes on Contributors Foreword, \u003ci\u003eRowan\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eWilliams, Former Archbishop of Canterbury\u003c\/i\u003e Acknowledgements Table of Acronyms 1. Covid and Religion – \u003ci\u003eChristopher Lewis, (Dean Emeritus, Christchurch Cathedral, Oxford, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 2. Pandemics and Jewish Responses – \u003ci\u003eOliver Leaman (University of Kentucky, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 3. Some Jewish Perspectives from the United States – \u003ci\u003eDavid J. Zucker (Rabbi and Author, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 4. Covid, Communion and Christianity – \u003ci\u003eClare Amos (World Council of Churches, Switzerland)\u003c\/i\u003e 5. We Can’t Forget: Conservative Protestants in the COVID-19 Pandemic – \u003ci\u003eCamille Kaminski Lewis (Furman University, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 6. “What people's hands have earned”: Islamic perspectives on Covid – \u003ci\u003eUsama Hasan (\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eAl Quran Society\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 7. Glimpses into Islamic Perspectives and Practice – \u003ci\u003eFarhana Mayer (University of Oxford, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 8. Turning to Medicine is Not Turning Away from God: Hindu Resilience in a Pandemic – \u003ci\u003eAnantanand Rambachan (St Olaf College, Minnesota, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 9. Karma, Chanting, Love, and Zoom; Hindu Responses to a Pandemic – \u003ci\u003eShaunaka Rishi Das (Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eUtsa Bose\u003c\/i\u003e 10. The Buddha’s Prescription for the World: How People Used Buddhism to Cope with the Pandemic – \u003ci\u003eBogodá Seelawimala (Head of the London Buddhist Vihara and the Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 11. Covid and Theravada Buddhism – \u003ci\u003ePeter Harvey (University of Sunderland, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 12. Fostering Everyday Culture at Shinto Shrines under Covid – \u003ci\u003eTaishi Kato (Shinto Priest, Hattori Tenjingu Shrine, Osaka, Japan)\u003c\/i\u003e 13. The Significance of Matsuri festivals in Shinto during Epidemics – \u003ci\u003eKoji Suga (Kokugakuin University, Japan)\u003c\/i\u003e 14. Covid and Sewa: Practising Sikhi during a Global Pandemic – \u003ci\u003eTejpaul Singh Bainiwal (University of Southern California Riverside, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 15. Sikh Scriptemics during Pandemic – \u003ci\u003eNikky-Guninder Kaur Singh\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003e(Colby College, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 16. Navigating the Covid-19 Pandemic: Building Resilience: Reflections of a Bahá’í – \u003ci\u003eWendi Momen (University of Derby, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 17. World-Embracing Vision Against World-Threatening Pandemic – \u003ci\u003eGeorge Merchant Ballentyne (Leicester Council of Faiths, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 18. Jains and Covid-19 – \u003ci\u003eVinod Kapashi (World Congress of Faiths, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 19. Jain Perceptions of the Pandemic – \u003ci\u003eKumarpal Desai\u003c\/i\u003e 20. African Religion – Vibrant amid Covid-19 in Eswatini – \u003ci\u003eHebron L Ndlovu (University of Swaziland, Swaziland)\u003c\/i\u003e 21. Opening our eyes: Covid-19 and Indigenous Funeral Processes in African Traditional Religion – \u003ci\u003eNokuzola Mndende (Nelson Mandela University, South Africa)\u003c\/i\u003e 22. Zarathustra’s Wisdom: Accepting Natural Consequences – \u003ci\u003eJehangir Sarosh (The World Council of Religions for Peace)\u003c\/i\u003e 23. Transforming Challenges into Progress: A Zoroastrian Perspective – \u003ci\u003eKarishma Koka (University of Cambridge, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 24. Unitarians and global catastrophe: a pandemic, a war and a climate emergency – \u003ci\u003eFeargus O’Connor (World Congress of Faiths, UK)\u003c\/i\u003e 25. Unitarian Universalists Face Covid: Challenges, Surprises, and New Pathways – \u003ci\u003eJay Atkinson (Starr King School, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 26. When ‘No Resident Will Say: “I Am Sick”’ – The Global Religious Response of Jehovah’s Witnesses to the Covid-19 Pandemic – \u003ci\u003eJolene Chu (Archivist, World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 27. How one Jehovah’s Witness community negotiated the ride of the ‘pale horse’ – \u003ci\u003eGary Perkins (Independent Scholar, UK) \u003c\/i\u003e 28. Practising my Christian Science Faith during the Covid-19 Pandemic – \u003ci\u003eShirley Paulson (Formerly Head of Ecumenical Affairs, Christian Science Church, USA)\u003c\/i\u003e 29. Personal Experiences of the Christian Science Faith during Covid – \u003ci\u003eSusan Searle, (Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia,\u003c\/i\u003e Australia) 30. Covid and Theology – \u003ci\u003eDan Cohn-Sherbok\u003c\/i\u003e 31. What Have We Learned? – \u003ci\u003eGeorge D. Chryssides\u003c\/i\u003e Index","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738622406999,"sku":"9781350349636","price":18.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781350349636.jpg?v=1720049687"},{"product_id":"a-level-religious-studies-for-eduqas-religion-and-ethics-9781382029001","title":"A Level Religious Studies for Eduqas Religion and","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWritten by Clare Lloyd - an experienced teacher and examiner, and a trusted author - this new textbook fully supports Component 3 of the Eduqas AS and A Level Religious Studies specifications. Drawing on the most recent guidance, it will help students prepare for exam success. It is clearly laid out, accessible and concise, containing exactly what students need and no more. AO1 and AO2 content is separated and activities help students develop both skills. It also includes extensive exam support, including annotated model paragraphs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI think this resource is exceptional in breadth and depth. It is very accessible but there is plenty of scope for the more able to be extended. The examination explanation and support is really valuable and explanations are clear and relevant to the learner. I think the resource will encourage the development of necessary skills in the A level and will inspire them with confidence and develop their maturity in academic writing. * Carmel Long, Head of Philosophy and Ethics Department, Hereford Sixth form College *\u003cbr\u003eI am really impressed with [this] book and I would recommend my students to buy it as a necessity for the course as I think it caters for the needs of all students.    The exam chapter is particularly useful for the students to help them understand the course and the examination process. It explains the variety of command words clearly, teaching the expectations of these commands. * Beth Roberts Jones, Director of Teacher Development at Felsted School *\u003cbr\u003eThis exam board specific textbook is a very welcome resource for both students and teachers. We will certainly be recommending it to our A Level candidates. One real strength of this text is that the author is a very experienced examiner for this exam board (Eduqas), and also a highly respected teacher who still teaches and enters a large cohort of candidates from her Sixth Form College for this exam every year. To have her knowledge and advice at their finger-tips is a huge privilege for students and teachers alike. * Sarah Edwards, Teacher of Religious Studies at King Edward VI Sixth Form College, Stourbridge *","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738639905111,"sku":"9781382029001","price":33.51,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781382029001.jpg?v=1791378868"},{"product_id":"the-nanteos-grail-9781398106222","title":"The Nanteos Grail","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDid seven monks carry The Grail from Glastonbury Abbey at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, to the Cistercian Abbey of Strata Florida in Mid Wales? The mystery of the Nanteos Cup and its healing powers has fascinated and intrigued for 300 years.","brand":"Amberley Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738672509271,"sku":"9781398106222","price":15.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781398106222.jpg?v=1720049847"},{"product_id":"a-new-introduction-to-the-bible-9781398419421","title":"A New Introduction to The Bible","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Austin Macauley Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738708554071,"sku":"9781398419421","price":10.79,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781398419421.jpg?v=1720049963"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/collections\/religion-general.oembed?page=80","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}