Religion: general Books

Book SynopsisWidely used as a primer, a class text, or just a provocation to critical thinking, Studying Religion clearly explains the methods and theories employed in the academic study of religion by tackling the problem of how scholars define and then study religion. Written for all newcomers to the field, its brief chapters explore the three main ways in which religion is defined and, along the way, also consider a range of related topics, from the history and functions of religion to its public discourse, religion in the courts, and the classification of diverse groups into world religions.The works of classic and contemporary scholarsfrom Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud to Bruce Lincoln and Naomi Goldenbergare analyzed and explored in readable chapters and detailed supporting materials. Studying Religion represents a shift away from the traditional descriptive and comparative approach and, instead, uses the study of religion to invite readers to consider how they diviTrade ReviewPraise for the Previous Edition:"If you find yourself teaching a course on the study of religion or need to get a brief history and recent thinking on the subject, this expanded edition of Studying Religion has you in mind. This book is both practical and, as Lévi-Strauss might say, good to think with."Suzanne Owen, Leeds Trinity University, UK"Those who want to explore religion as part of culture should start here."Matthew Recla, Boise State University, USA, Reading ReligionTable of ContentsPreface to the 2nd Edition A Word on the 3rd Edition Acknowledgements Introduction What is the Study of Religion? Example: ‘…, But Not Specially Defined’ Summary of Vocabulary and Scholars Chapter 1 What’s in a Name? Example: Fruit or Vegetable? Summary of Vocabulary and Scholars Chapter 2 The History of ‘Religion’ Example: ‘Religion’ on the Colonial Frontier Summary of Vocabulary and Scholars Chapter 3 The Essentials of Religion Criticisms Example: ‘He’s Your Father!' Summary of Vocabulary and Scholars Chapter 4 The Functions of Religion Criticisms Example: ‘People Started to Come to Her for Healing’ Summary of Vocabulary and Scholars Chapter 5 The Resemblance Among Religions Criticisms Example: ‘Not an Easy Task’ Summary of Vocabulary and Scholars Chapter 6 The Public Discourse on Religion Example: Public Muslim Cemeteries in France Summary of Vocabulary and Scholar Chapter 7 The Insider/Outsider Problem Example: Under the Academic Microscope Summary of Vocabulary and Scholar Chapter 8 Religion and Classification Example: The World Religions Paradigm Summary of Vocabulary and Scholar Chapter 9 Identification Matters Case Study 1: Good Religion and Bad Religion Case Study 2: Religion and Gender Case Study 3: Religion and Race Case Study 4: Religion and Indigeneity Summary of Vocabulary and Scholars Afterword The Necessary Lie: Duplicity in the Disciplines, by Jonathan Z. Smith Honesty Is the Best Pedagogy, by K. Merinda Simmons Glossary Scholars Bibliography Resources Index

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Book SynopsisDagestan History, Culture, Identity provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of Dagestan, a strategically important republic of the Russian Federation which borders Chechnya, Georgia and Azerbaijan, and its people.It outlines Dagestan's rich and complicated history, from 5th c ACE to post USSR, as seen from the viewpoint of the Dagestani people. Chapters feature the new age of social media, urban weddings, modern and traditional medicine, innovative food cultivation, the little-known history of Mountain Jews during the Soviet period, flourishing heroes of sport and finance, emerging opportunities in ethno-tourism and a recent Dagestani music revival. In doing so, the authors examine the large number of different ethnic groups in Dagestan, their languages and traditions, and assess how the people of Dagestan are coping and thriving despite the changes brought about by globalisation, new technology and the modern world: through which swirls an increasing sensTable of Contents1 Introduction – what is Dagestan? 2 Shaitans, monsters, magic places and substances 3 The Sasanian walls against the Huns 4 Trade with the Kievan Russ and the Golden Horde 5 Trade with the Moscow Tsardom XV-XVI centuries 6 Trade with Muscovy XVII-XVIII centuries 7 Under Russian governance 1801-1859 8 XIX Century historical consciousness 9 Shamil’s Ethno-religious Imamate 10 Legal systems under the Russian government 11 Repression and Sovietization 12 Language policy of the USSR 13 Schools, literacy and publishing under the Tsar and Soviets 14 Poems written in Avar and Archi languages 15 Re-Islamization of public consciousness 16 Pre-Soviet and contemporary cultures 17 New traditions in urban weddings 18 Social media – the XXI century 19 Surviving covid-19 and traditional medicine 20 Traditional medicine of mountain Dagestan 21 Dagestan mountain-valley horticulture 22 About Mountain Jews 23 Meat and Fish of the Mountain Jews 24 Heroes of sport and finance 25 Monetizing the Mountains 26 A virtual tour to Archi 27 In Dagestan, as they say, everyone sings and everyone dances

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Book SynopsisReligious Hatred and Human Conflict focuses the lens of psychodynamic psychology on a phenomenon that often confounds conventional thinking the intensity of conflict with religious or quasi-religious dimensions.The book highlights six dimensions of religion: identity, doctrine and practice, emotion and experience, mythology, sacred values and power and control, exploring how these can give rise to religious hatred and lead to marginalisation, persecution and even genocide. It also explores reasons for the evolution of religion and religious hatred, and their relationship with human behaviour through contemporary issues such as fundamentalism, martyrdom, clerical narcissism and apocalyptic belief. Acland examines how religious hatred and conflict may be transcended by facilitating processes of dialogue and diapraxis which enable a systematic understanding of prejudices and projections. Last, it offers practical methods and strategies for helping individTrade Review'It is a unique publication and it fills an important practical and theoretical gap in the existing literature … It is innovative and refreshing that the author integrates psychodynamic perspectives into the work – this is an important lacuna in the literature. The work fills a gap by approaching the question of religious hatred and conflict with religious dimensions from multiple different conceptual angles, many of which are much neglected in the field.' - David Leech, Senior Lecturer, Dept of Religion and Theology, University of Bristol, UKTable of ContentsPART 1: Contexts and culturesChapter 1: Beginning, background and biasesChapter 2: Three backstoriesConflict resolution and transformationThe psychology of religionPsychodynamic psychologyInspirational beginnings: Sigmund Freud and Carl JungRehabilitating JungBeyond Freud and JungPART 2: What is religious hatred? Chapter 3: Thinking about religious hatredAnatomies of hatredHatred and evolutionHatred and the OtherFrom hatred to genocideHatred and thoughtcrimeReligion and hatred as addictionsChapter 4: Psychodynamic approaches to religious hatredComplexesComplexes and religious traditionsCultural complexesThe ShadowComplexes and Shadows in transmissionPART 3: Religious hatred and the dimensions of religion Chapter 5: Six dimensions of religionDimensions of religionThe dimensions of religion, religious hatred and the problem of evilChapter 6: The identity dimensionReligion and identityConflicting religious identities and the idea of the "Other"The narcissism of small differencesThe Persona, the Shadow and the OtherChapter 7: The doctrine and practice dimensionReligious doctrine and the Golem EffectFundamentalismFundamentalism, hatred and violenceThe psychology of fundamentalist doctrine and practiceGroups and group practicesFundamentalism as a form of cultural complexChapter 8: The emotional and experiential dimensionThe missing dimensionMarks of religious experienceEmotions and religious experienceThe psychology of religious experienceReligious hatred and the Divided SelfHealing the Divided SelfReligious hatred as the failure to individuateHatred and the Self Chapter 9: The mythological dimensionApproaching mythologySocial impacts of mythImpacts of myth on individualsMythology and religious hatredModern mythsCosmic warsWhen myth leads to martyrdomThe psychology of ArmageddonMythmaking and scapegoatingChapter 10: The sacred values dimensionThe nature of sacred valuesSacred values and personal motivationValuing sacred valuesPseudo-sacred valuesSecular values that turn sacredSacred values and religious hatredSacred values and uncertaintyChapter 11: The power and control dimensionThe impetus to controlConstraints as controlCompensatory controlTerror Management TheoryFrom control to paranoiaControl through clericalismEvolution of religious controlPART 4: Working through religious hatredChapter 12: The search for answersUnderstanding religionAppreciating the emotional and unconsciousBeyond dialogueRe-framing religious hatred as a psychospiritual problemIncorporating the transcendent functionThe practicalities of conflict resolution: dialogue and diapraxisDiapraxis: process and structuresUsing the dimensions of religion as a structure for dialogue and diapraxis AfterwordReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisIslam in India: History, Politics and Society is based on the historical and contemporary relevance of the religion and its related culture(s) in India.

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Book SynopsisThis book addresses the crisis of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America, the region of the world with the highest percentage of Catholics. Bringing together research from across the continent, it demonstrates that abuse within the Church is indeed a global phenomenon, though abuses have taken different forms according to varying sociocultural contexts. With attention to abuses committed against children, women and vulnerable adults by both men and women within the settings of parishes, new religious movements and international religious organizations, it also raises questions of justice, asking how to assess the suffering of victims, how to deal with abusers and how to prevent abuses. It will therefore be of interest to scholars of religious studies, sociology, Latin American studies, criminology, theology, and religious leaders with interests in the abuses and scandals that have been revealed in the worldwide Church.

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together theologians, clergy, people with dementia, carers, clinicians and others to offer a holistic, interdisciplinary exploration of dementia which focuses not only on what dementia is and what it is not, but more importantly, what it means to live well with dementia and to find hope where sometimes it feels like there is no hope.Located within practical theology and theological anthropology, the diversity of perspectives on dementia presented in this book offers deep insights into what it means to be a human being, to live humanly in the midst of difficult situations, and helps us understand and navigate the complexities of the dementia journey. In offering foundational practical and theoretical knowledge, the book helps cut through the false consciousness of modernity and enter a world where personhood is defined not by our capacities or the loss of them, but by God's loving presence. It offers a contextual theological framework to look beyond what we assumTable of ContentsA Word From the Editor A Word From the Guest Editors 1. A Spiritual Journey Into the I-Thou Relationship: A Personal Reflection on Living With Dementia 2. My Glorious Opportunity: How My Dementia Has Been a Gift 3. Journeys With People Who Have Dementia: Connecting and Finding Meaning in the Journey 4. Epiphanies: Small Miracles in Everyday Experiences of Dementia 5. God’s Faithfulness and Dementia: Christian Theology in Context 6. Lost in Eden: Dementia From Paradise 7. The Lived Experience of Dementia: Developing a Contextual Theology 8. “I Am Still With You”: Dementia and the Christian Wayfarer 9. What Happens to the Person With Dementia?

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Book SynopsisThis volume explores the historical trajectory of the spread of Islam in South Asia and how the engagements of the past have played a crucial role in the making of the present outfits of South Asian Islam.Islam in South Asia has maintained a distinct role while imbibing cultural, social, ethnic, folk, and artistic networks of the subcontinent in diverse echelons. In an unequivocal analysis, this volume showcases the visible varieties of Islam from an array of regional cultural, ethnic, and vernacular groups. While many characteristics remain distinct in different provinces or regions of South Asia, similarities are palpable in etiquettes, customary laws, art, and architecture. More than regional differences, various ethnic groups from all poles of the Indian subcontinent have paved the way for the dissimilar landscapes of Islam, in tandem with differences in language, culture, and festivals. The case studies in this book exhibit forms of cultural pluralism in the communities,Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Indigenization of Islam PART I: Theology, Jurisprudence, and Syncretic Traditions 1 Monsoon Landscapes of Integrated Islam 2 The Chishtıs and Cross-Cultural Interactions in Medieval South Asia 3 Islamic Law: State Policies, Sharia, and Promotion of Syncretic Practices PART II: State and Society 4 Multifaith Relationships and Civilization-Building in Muslim States and Societies 5 Muslim South Asia: A Thousand Years of Travel Accounts 6 Cultural Integration in Muslim Communities: The Cases of Malabar and Assam PART III: Architecture, Arts, and New Cultures 7 Localizing Islam in South Asia 8 Architectural Diversity in South Asian Islam 9 Muslim Epigraphy and Ornamentation: Its Diversity in South Asian Culture

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1974 Beyond the Gods argues that true mystics transcend religious boundaries, and that Eastern mysticism has increasing relevance for the troubled minds and spirits of the West. Blofeldâs approach is a highly personal one based on encounters with monks, lamas, and recluses in their mountain retreats. He also includes a vivid description of the Chinese religious scene and chapters on the mystical practices of Taoism, Châan (Zen) and the Tantric Buddhism of Tibet. The book seeks to answer broader questions like â what has Eastern mysticism to offer the West, how can we free ourselves from the pressures of modern life or benefit from eastern methods of cultivating the sublime mystical experience? This is an interesting read for scholars and researchers of Buddhism, Taoism, and religion in general.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1950 Roman Catholicism is an attempt on the part of a Roman Catholic to state what he conceives to be the nature and function of the Church to which he belongs. Those who read the book are asked to believe that what it contains is set down in all sincerity and honesty. The book brings themes like function and unity of the Roman Catholic Church; Roman Catholic theology; moral and social teaching; Roman Catholicism and human history; link between Roman Catholicism and modern situation; and Catholic life and practice. This book is essential for scholars and researchers of Christianity, Catholicism, and religion in general.

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Book SynopsisGabriela Mann's book explores the work of an Israeli psychoanalyst who encounters the trauma and tragedy of Israelis living in an environment saturated with existential anxieties and threats to their well-being. This work offers clinical materials that illustrate the possibility of expansion of the mind through a spiritual dimension in psychoanalysis. The main theme focuses on transcending from a narrow perspective to a broad compassionate view by uncovering the interconnectedness between seemingly different phenomena. This cultivates the patients' ability to free themselves from past and contemporary trauma. Drawing on Kohut, Bion, and Winnicott, as well as from Buddhist thinking, Seeing Through Blindness describes the transformation of archaic narcissism, usually concerned with individual goals, to mature narcissism which strives for a supra-individual perspective. The reader is invited to choose among the chapters that describe splits in the self, paradoxes of belonging, perpetrators and victims, perversion, and selfobject needs at times of threat and bereavement. The book offers new ways of thinking about trauma in a troubled world, for all psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists.

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Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1958.Occasionalism is generally associated in the history of philosophy with the name of Malébranche . But long before this time, the Muslim Theologians of the ninth and tenth centuries had developed an occasionalist metaphysics of atoms and accidents. Arguing that a number of distinctively Islamic concepts such as fatalism  and the surrender of personal endeavour cannot be fully understood except in the perspective of the occasionalist world view of Islam, the volume also discusses the attacks on Occasionalism made by Averroes and St. Thomas Aquinas. Table of ContentsChapter 1 The Islamic Metaphysics of Atoms and Accidents; Chapter 2 The Repudiation of Causality by al-Ghaz?l?; Chapter 3 The Averroist Rehabilitation of Causality; Chapter 4 The Causal Dilemma and the Thomist Synthesis;

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Book SynopsisGeopolitics of Global Catholicism uncovers the key trends in today's Catholicism, providing an incisive analysis of its deep entanglement with national, regional, as well as global politics.This book offers an exciting exploration of five versions of local Catholicism(s) and sheds light on the various theo-political constellations that not only differ widely across these national contexts but also have global geopolitical consequences. It is built around a novel theoretical argument showing that Catholic geopolitics contains not only a spatial dimension (as classic geopolitical studies would have it) but also a temporal one. As a consequence, the Catholic role in the world cannot be simply understood as a result of the spatial expansion of the Church but rather as a result of the complex relationships between Catholicism and colonization, inculturation, backwardness, and modernization(s). To counter the lingering Eurocentrism of most studies of the Catholic Church, thi

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1951 Encyclopaedia of Religion and Religions is the book where in one volume may be found information- clearly written, unbiased, and accurate- on the Founders and great personalities, the theological tenets and philosophical ideas, the rites, ceremonies and practices, the scriptures and creeds, the Churches, and organizations, of all the religions that have played a vital part in the life of the human race. Whenever possible, the articles, which range in length from a paragraph to comprehensive studies of several thousand words, have been submitted for approval by recognized authorities, and this is particularly so in the cases of the Christian Churches and Denominations. But the work is essentially a whole, written by one who has devoted many years to the subject and is a trained encyclopaedist, with an encyclopaedistâs dispassionate yet sympathetic and understanding approach to facts that are of immense and perennial importance and interest. This is an essential historical resource for scholars and researchers of religion.

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Book SynopsisDoes the current celibate, semi-monastic, and all-male seminary formation contribute to the persistence of clerical sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church?Applying sociological theories on socialization, total institutions, and social resistance as the primary conceptual framework, and drawing on secondary literature, media reports, the author's experience, interviews, and Church documents, this book argues that the Catholic Church's institution of the celibate seminary formation as the only mode of clerical training for Catholic priests has resulted in negative unintended consequences to human formation such as the suspension of normal human socialization in society, psychosexual immaturity, and weak social control against clerical sexual abuse. The author thus contends that celibate training, while suitable for those who do live in religious or monastic communities, is inappropriate for those who are obliged to live alone and work in parishes. As such, an alternative mod

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Book SynopsisThis book explores tazkiya therapy, a holistic psychological approach based on Qur'anic guidance and rooted in the understanding of human beings as multidimensional that is, physical, psychological, social and spiritual beings.The book starts with a detailed explanation or the object, the process and the purpose of tazkiya therapy, along with an account of the boundaries and the enabling factors of the approach. Rather than a singular theoretical framework, tazkiya therapy is a dynamic and flexible approach that integrates multiple frameworks and disciplines to grow the human soul, cognition, emotion and behaviour. Although it is a multidimensional approach, the process of therapy is step-by-step, and the middle part of the book presents the key stages in the approach. Within these steps, the therapist is given seven different approaches that they can customise to the needs of the client depending on whether they need assistance with thinking patterns, emotional disturbance,

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Book SynopsisPeter L. Berger on Religion provides an overview and critical assessment of the work of one of the most influential sociologists of the 20th century.Situating Berger's writings on religion and secularisation in the broader framework of social constructionism, the book argues that neither he nor the research influenced by him consistently followed the constructionist paradigm. This assessment is informed by a close examination of The Sacred Canopy (1967), in particular. The volume also offers a Berger-inspired constructionist framework for the study of religion.This book is an excellent resource for students and researchers interested in the intersection of religion and social theory.

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Book SynopsisSociology of Religion is a collection that seeks to explore the relationship between the structure and culture of religion and various elements of social life in the United States. This reader is an ideal standalone course text and can also serve as supplement to the text written by the same author team, Religion Matters (Routledge, 2010). Based on both classic and contemporary research in the sociology of religion, this new, third edition highlights a variety of research methods and theoretical approaches to studying the sociological elements of religion. It explores the ways in which religious values, beliefs and practices shape the world outside of church, synagogue, or mosque walls while simultaneously being shaped by the non-religious forces operating in that world.Table of ContentsSection I: Changing Contexts1 America’s Changing Religious Landscape: Overview PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life2 Changing American Congregations: Findings from the Third Wave of the National Congregations Study Mark Chaves and Shawna L. Anderson3 All Creatures Great and Small: Megachurches in Context Mark Chaves4 “Nones” on the Rise: One-in-FiveAdults Have No Religious Affiliation PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life5 Is the United States a Counterexample to the Secularization Thesis? David Voas and Mark Chaves6 The Gender Gap in Religion Around the World: Women are Generally More Religious Than Men, Particularly Among Christians Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project7 Gendering Secularization Theory Linda Woodhead8 Socioeconomic Inequality in theAmerican Religious System: An Update and Assessment Christian Smith and Robert Faris9 The Shifting Religious Identity of Latinos in the United States: Nearly One-in-Four Latinos Are Former Catholics PEW Forum on Religion and Public Life10 The Impact of International Migration on Home Churches: The Mar Thoma Syrian Christian Church in India Prema Kurien11 Redefining the Boundaries of Belonging: The Institutional Character of Transnational Religious Life Peggy Levitt12 Religious Population Share and Religious Identity Salience: Is Jewish Identity More Important to Jews in Less Jewish Areas? Becka A. Alper and Daniel V. A. OlsonSection II: Evolving Content13 Spiritual but Not Religious? Beyond Binary Choices in the Study of Religion Nancy T. Ammerman14 “I Was a Muslim, But Now I Am a Christian”: Preaching, Legitimation, and Identity Management in a Southern Evangelical Church Gerardo Marti15 Warrior Chicks: Youthful Aging in a Postfeminist Prosperity Discourse Kathleen E. Jenkins and Gerardo Marti16 The Embodied Goddess: Feminine Witchcraft and Female Divinity Wendy Griffin17 U.S. College Students’ Perception of Religion and Science: Conflict, Collaboration, or Independence? A Research Note Christopher P. Scheitle18 Sensing God: Bodily Manifestations and Their Interpretation in Pentecostal Rituals and Everyday Life Joel InbodySection III: Patterning Diversity19 At Ease with Our Own Kind: Worship Practices and Class Segregation in American Religion Timothy J. Nelson20 Poor Teenagers’ Religion Philip Schwadel21 Practical Divine Influence: Socioeconomic Status and Belief in the Prosperity Gospel Scott Schieman and Jong Hyun Jung22 Religion, Race, and Discrimination: A Field Experiment of How American Churches Welcome Newcomers Bradley R. E. Wright, Christopher M. Donnelly, Michael Wallace, Stacy Missari, Annie Scola Wisnesky and Christine Zozula23 Race, Belonging, and Participation in Religious Congregations Brandon C. Martinez and Kevin D.Dougherty24 The Gender Pray Gap: Wage Laborand the Religiosity of High-Earning Women and Men Landon Schnabel25 Sexual Encounters and Manhood Acts: Evangelicals, Latter-Day Saints, and Religious Masculinities Kelsy Burke and Amy Moff Hudec26 Islam and Woman Where Tradition Meets Modernity: History and Interpretations of Islamic Women’s Status Jeri Altneu Sechzer27 Evangelical Ambivalence toward Gays and Lesbians Lydia Bean and Brandon C. Martinez28 “We Are God’s Children, Y’All”: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Lesbian- and Gay-Affirming Congregations Krista McQueeneySection IV: Seeing Consequences29 Religion and Gender Equality Worldwide: A Country-Level Analysis Landon Schnabel30 Latino Congregations and Youth Educational Expectations Esmeralda Sanchez, Nicholas Vargas, Rebecca Burwell, Jessica Hamar Martinez, Milagros Pena and Edwin I Hernandez31 Rejecting Evolution: The Role of Religion, Education, and Social Networks Jonathan P. Hill32 Faith in the Age of Facebook: Exploring the Links Between Religion and Social Network Site Membership and Use Brian J. Miller, Peter Mundey and Jonathan P. Hill33 Correcting a Curious Neglect, or Bringing Religion Back In Christian Smith34 Social Support and the Religious Dimensions of Close Ties Stephen M. Merino35 Bereavement and Religion Online: Stillbirth, Neonatal Loss, and Parental Religiosity Janel Kragt Bakker and Jenell Paris

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Book SynopsisFocus: Music and Religion of Morocco introduces the region and its history, highlighting how the pressures of religious life, post-colonial economic struggle, and global media come together within Moroccan musical life. Musical practices contextualize and clarify global historical and contemporary movementsmany of which remain poorly understoodwhile articulating the daily realities of the region's populations in ways that rarely show through current news accounts of religious extremism, poverty and inequality, and forced migration.As with other volumes in the series, Focus: Music and Religion of Morocco addresses large, conceptual issues though interwoven case studies, in three parts: Part I Memories and Medias: Who We Are highlights how issues of religion, colonialism, nationalism, and globalization transcend boundaries through music to create a sense of personal and national identity, whTable of ContentsPART I - Memories and Medias: Who We Are / 1. Andalusian Memories / 2. Global Popular Music / PART II - Contesting Mainstreams: Where We’re Going / 3. Pop and Protest / 4. Gnawa Music and Ritual / PART III - Focusing In: Faith and Fun in Fez / 5. Sufi Ritual / 6. Sufi Entertainments / 7. Malhun as Pop, Piety, and Local Pride / Conclusion: Who We Are and Where We’re Going Resources Glossary References Index

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Book SynopsisTodayâs antisemitism is difficult to recognize because it does not come dressed in a Nazi uniform and it does not openly proclaim its hatred or fear of Jews. This book looks at the kind of antisemitism which is tolerated or which goes unacknowledged in apparently democratic spaces: trade unions, churches, left-wing and liberal politics, social gatherings of the chattering classes and the seminars and journals of radical intellectuals. It analyses how criticism of Israel can mushroom into antisemitism and it looks at struggles over how antisemitism is defined. It focuses on ways in which those who raise the issue of antisemitism are often accused of doing so in bad faith in an attempt to silence or smear. Hostility to Israel has become a signifier of identity, connected to opposition to imperialism, neo-liberalism and global capitalism; the âcommunity of the goodâ takes on toxic ways of imagining most living Jewish people.Trade Review‘For more than a decade, David Hirsh has campaigned courageously against the all-too-prevalent demonisation of Israel as the one nationalism in the world that must not only be criticised but ruled altogether illegitimate. This intellectual disgrace arouses not only his indignation but his commitment to gather evidence and to reason about it with care. What he asks of his readers is an equal commitment to plumb how it has happened that, in a world full of criminality and massacre, it is obsessed with the fundamental wrongheadedness of one and only national movement: Zionism.’ — Todd Gitlin, Professor of Journalism and Sociology, Columbia University, USA‘David Hirsh is one of our bravest and most thoughtful scholar-activists. In this excellent book of contemporary history and political argument, he makes an unanswerable case for anti-anti-Semitism.’ — Anthony Julius, Professor of Law and the Arts, UCL, and author of Trials of the Diaspora (OUP, 2010)."David Hirsh writes as a sociologist, but much of the material in his fascinating book will be of great interest to people in other disciplines as well, including political philosophers. Having participated in quite a few of the events and debates which he recounts, Hirsh has done a commendable service by deftly highlighting an ugly vein of bigotry that disfigures some substantial portions of the political left in the UK and beyond." — Matthew H. Kramer FBA, Professor of Legal & Political Philosophy, Cambridge University, UK "A fierce and brilliant rebuttal of one of the Left's most pertinacious obsessions. What makes David Hirsh the perfect analyst of this disorder is his first-hand knowledge of the ideologies and dogmata that sustain it." - Howard Jacobson, Novelist and Visiting Professor at New College of Humanities, London, UK"David Hirsh's new book "Contemporary Left Anti-Semitism" is an important contribution to the literature on the longest hatred. Coming at a time when there is appropriate attention to a resurgence of populist, classic right-wing anti-Semitism, Hirsh's work is a reminder that there is no ideological monopoly on anti-Semitism. As he delineates in detail, using Britain as a jumping off point but speaking more broadly, left-wing anti-Semitism is more challenging to identify but is no less pernicious than its right-wing counterpart. In a highly polarized world, understanding anti-Semitism from wherever it emerges is more vital than ever. Hirsh makes a large contribution toward that imperative." - Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO, Anti-Defamation League, USA "David Hirsh has rightfully emerged as an important voice on the issue of contemporary antisemitsm. He writes with passion but with balance and offers insights, to which we may have been previously oblivious, but, after reading what he has to say, seem utterly obvious. This book is not just for those who care about prejudice and antisemitism. It is also a must read for anyone who cares about the contemporary political landscape. It is a wakeup call for those who believe in the ideals and objective of leftist politics." - Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies, Emory University, United States"David Hirsh is not only one of the foremost analysts and authorities on contemporary antisemitism, he is also one of its most redoubtable opponents." Mark Gardner, Director of Communications, CST, UK"David Hirsh is a relentless investigator into one of the darker corners of contemporary left discourse, always shining a probing, revealing light." Jonathan Freedland, Author and Journalist, The Guardian, UK"The rise of anti-Semitism on the British left -- which reached its apex in Jeremy Corbyn's capturing the leadership of the Labour Party -- is one of the most confounding, and worrisome, developments in contemporary Western politics. A man of the left himself, David Hirsh understands this phenomenon better than anyone, and has the battle scars to prove it." James Kirchick, Foreign Policy Analyst and Journalist, USA "David embodies what academia should be about - nuance, balance, careful evaluation of the merits of every perspective put forward, when disagreeing, doing so in a measured, respectful manner that deals with the issues not personalities, a willingness to subject his views to rigorous critical scrutiny and where called for adjust his views accordingly - he puts all too many of his academic humanities colleagues to shame. Listening to him is an intellectual treat. This fight is about more than Israel. It's about restoring intellectual honesty and professional integrity to the world's institutions of higher learning, which have largely been hijacked by intellectual frauds, moral charlatans and witch-hunting ideological bullies." - Wendy Kahn, National Director, South African Jewish Board of Deputies. "In his book Contemporary Left Antisemitism David Hirsh proves himself to be our foremost diagnostician of a dangerous malaise: antisemitism among people who consider themselves progressive and antiracist. Building on masterly analyses of a series of contemporary case-studies, and approaching antisemitism as a sociocultural and institutional framework rather than a product of individual prejudice, Hirsh exposes the hostile assumptions and defensive obfuscations of left antisemitic discourse, from the continued use of blood libel and conspiracy theories to the implication of inherent deviousness to Jewish motives – the historically shocking observation that many antiracists ‘have been educated to recognize the accusation of antisemitism, rather than the antisemitism itself, as the dirty trick’. Honest, precise and unwavering, Hirsh’s writing is publicly-engaged scholarship at its best. This deeply insightful book is indispensable not only for those wishing to understand contemporary left antisemitism, but for anyone concerned with the moral health of democratic political culture." - Paul Frosh, Department of Communication and Journalism, The Hebrew University of JerusalemIn Contemporary Left Antisemitism, David Hirsh takes on those in Britain and elsewhere who have embraced an anti-imperialist and anti-neoliberal political view and think of themselves as members of the community of the good, but in recent decades have also embraced toxic ways of imagining most Jews. Such "progressives" participate in antisemitism even as they insist they stand against it. They practice a discursive intolerance, expressed in insults, exclusions, purges, and boycott; at the same time, they accuse Jews of crying antisemitism in bad faith.They pour new life into a powerful tradition of accusing the Jew, updating it for a new era.Hirsh further suggests that the new antisemitism cloaked as antizionism emerges when progressive politics are shaped by identity and position rather than by commitment to shared democratic values. These good folks think in simple binaries casting Israel as bad and Jews as privileged. The world they see is divided by opposed camps and they cast their lot uncritically with the victimized and the resistant.Hirsh’s study is a useful guide to this new politics and intolerance, which has spread in recent years also to the United States and especially to its universities. Hirsh’s account teases out its key features and assays its impacts – on unions, the courts, the Labour Party, the universities. It is also a powerful story of marginalization and the effort by a brilliant scholar to define an empirical methodology for study of antisemitism and to speak back effectively against bigotry. - Ken Waltzer, Professor Emeritus, Social Relations and Policy, Michigan State University'The empirical richness of the study is, not surprisingly, impressive.' - Lars Rensmann, Antisemitism StudiesTable of Contents1. Ken Livingstone and the Livingstone Formulation 2. The rise of Jeremy Corbyn and how tolerance of antisemitism came to function as a marker of belonging 3. The crescendo of antisemitism in Corbyn’s Labour Party and the Chakrabarti Inquiry 4. The campaign for an academic boycott of Israel 5. Struggles over defining antisemitism 6. Ronnie Fraser v UCU: taking the union to court for antisemitism 7. Antizionism: discourse and its actualization 7. Jewish antizionism: being drawn towards the logic of antisemitism 8. Sociological method and antisemitism

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Todayâs antisemitism is difficult to recognize because it does not come dressed in a Nazi uniform and it does not openly proclaim its hatred or fear of Jews. This book looks at the kind of antisemitism which is tolerated or which goes unacknowledged in apparently democratic spaces: trade unions, churches, left-wing and liberal politics, social gatherings of the chattering classes and the seminars and journals of radical intellectuals. It analyses how criticism of Israel can mushroom into antisemitism and it looks at struggles over how antisemitism is defined. It focuses on ways in which those who raise the issue of antisemitism are often accused of doing so in bad faith in an attempt to silence or smear. Hostility to Israel has become a signifier of identity, connected to opposition to imperialism, neo-liberalism and global capitalism; the âcommunity of the goodâ takes on toxic ways of imagining most living Jewish people.

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Book SynopsisHuman ecology - the study and practice of relationships between the natural and the social environment - has gained prominence as scholars seek more effectively to engage with pressing global concerns. In the past seventy years most human ecology has skirted the fringes of geography, sociology and biology. This volume pioneers radical new directions. In particular, it explores the power of indigenous and traditional peoples'' epistemologies both to critique and to complement insights from modernity and postmodernity. Aimed at an international readership, its contributors show that an inter-cultural and transdisciplinary approach is required. The demands of our era require a scholarship of ontological depth: an approach that can not just debate issues, but also address questions of practice and meaning. Organized into three sections - Head, Heart and Hand - this volume covers the following key research areas: Theories of Human Ecology Indigenous and Wisdom Traditions Eco-spirituaTrade Review'Below the clamor of a bustling world, this volume imparts the seeds of a radical alternative for human ecology. They lie beneath the surface: amid the whispered voices at the margin, in the praxis of traditional spirituality, along the dusty road of post-modernism, and from the ivy halls of science. This is not the human ecology of a prehistoric fireside or an academic symposium. It is an unconventional and timely pedagogy of hope.' From the Foreword by Richard J. Borden, Rachel Carson Chair in Human Ecology, College of the Atlantic and Past-President/Executive Director, Society for Human Ecology 'There can be no doubt about the academic value of this book... It looks over the edge, and ventures outside established lines.' International Journal of Environment and Pollution 'This is indeed a book of scholarly and practical importance that deserves a wider audience. The key strengths of the book are its auto-biographical approach and activist orientation. Since about half of the contributors are Indigenous and an equal number are women, this anthology offers a rich diversity of voices and narratives, not readily found in conventional human ecology... Radical Human Ecology will make a good university course text as well as a useful activist manual. It is a book with lots to offer to anyone who is concerned about building a better future for humanity and the planet.' Global Change, Peace and Security 'Radical Human Ecology: Intercultural and Indigenous Approaches challenges prevailing orthodoxy in the field, arguing that current approaches to human ecology still fundamentally fail to see humans as an integral part of nature... The obvious care that has been taken by the editors to ensure balanced representation and contributions from around the world is also admirable.' Australasian Journal of Environmental Management 'Human Ecology is about the wellbeing of people and planet. That is indeed the mission of this remarkable Radical Human Ecology compendium.' The NetwoTable of ContentsIntroduction: Human Ecology: A Pedagogy of Hope?; 1: Head: Theories of Human Ecology; 1: The Attitude of Human Ecology; 2: The Challenge of Radical Human Ecology to the Academy; 3: Being From and Coming To: Outline of an Ethno-Ecological Framework; 4: Returning the Sacred: Indigenous Ontologies in Perilous Times; 2: Heart: Radical Epistemologies of Relationship; 5: The Human Ecologist as Alchemist: An Inquiry into Ng?i Te Rangi Cosmology, Human Agency, and Well-Being in a Time of Ecological Peril; 6: Exploring Identity, Belonging and Place-making as a Transition Activist; 7: Education for Life: Human Ecology Pedagogy as a Bridge to Indigenous Knowing; 8: Sufi Path: Possibilities of Transcending Limited and Limiting Identity; 9: The Promise of Orthodox Christianity for Sustainable Community Development; 10: North American Indians, Connectivity and Human Ecology; 11: Living in Respect: Traditional knowledge of the Woodland Cree in Northern Saskatchewan; 3: Hand: Human Ecology in Practice; 12: Teaching Radical Human Ecology in the Academy; 13: Human Ecology as Peacebuilding; 14: Migration, Aboriginality and Acculturation; 15: The Immigration Experience: Losses and Gains for Immigrant and Refugee Women; 16: Rebuilding China's Economy on Gendered Rural Family Labour: A Case Study of Generational Migration, Stasis and Ecological Degradation; 17: Human Ecology: From Conceptual Exercise to Militant Practice in Maranhão; 18: The Place of Creation: Transformation, Trauma and Re-rooting Creative Praxis; 19: Experiments in Action Research and Human Ecology: Developing a Community of Practice for Rural Resilience Pioneers; 20: He Whanaunga T?r?: The Politics and Practice of an Indigenous and Intercultural Approach to Ecological Well-Being; Editors' Afterword: A Research Agenda for Human Ecology

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Book SynopsisThis book opens a new interdisciplinary frontier between religion and theatre studies to illuminate what has been seen as the religious, or spiritual, nature of Polish theatre director Jerzy Grotowski's work. It corrects the lacunae in both theatre studies and religious studies by examining the interaction between the two fields in his artistic output. The central argument of the text is that through an embodied and materialist approach to religion, developed in the work of Michel Foucault and religious studies scholar Manuel Vasquez, as well as a critical reading of the concepts of the New Age, a new understanding of Grotowski and religion can be developed. It is possible to show how Grotowski's work articulated spiritual experience within the body; achieving a removal of spirituality from ecclesial authorities and relocating spiritual experience within the body of the performer.This is a unique analysis of one of the 20th Century's most famouTable of ContentsIntroduction: Grotowski and interdisciplinary engagements 1 Rendering Grotowski’s spirituality: perspectives from performance and theatre studiesPart One: Foucault and Grotowski’s Theatre of Productions phase 2 Foucault, religion and Grotowski 3 A Foucaultian imperative in Grotowski’s theatre Part Two: The New Age, the body and Grotowski4 Critical thinking about the New Age 5 Grotowski, embodiment and the New Age6 Yoga, shamanism and ritual in Grotowski’s work7 Trance, channeling and the ancestors in Grotowski’s theatre8 Grotowski and Gurdjieff: embodied resemblances9 Grotowski as Guru: an interdisciplinary challengeConclusion

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Book SynopsisReligion and popular culture is a fast-growing field that spans a variety of disciplines. This volume offers the first real survey of the field to date and provides a guide for the work of future scholars. It explores: key issues of definition and of methodology religious encounters with popular culture across media, material culture and space, ranging from videogames and social networks to cooking and kitsch, architecture and national monuments representations of religious traditions in the media and popular culture, including important non-Western spheres such as Bollywood This Companion will serve as an enjoyable and informative resource for students and a stimulus to future scholarly work.Trade Review"Overall, this is an impressive collection of essays that encapsulates many of the important points of interface between religion and popular culture. It will become an important marker in the development of the field and its introduction at this point is timely."Steve Knowles, University of Chester, UK"Lyden and Mazur offer a fascinating collection of essays from a wide range of contributors exploring religion and popular culture. This is a terrific resource for the classroom and scholars will be impressed with their contribution to the field."Gina Messina-Dysert, Claremont Graduate University, USA"Overall, this is an impressive collection of essays that encapsulates many of the important points of interface between religion and popular culture. It will become an important marker in the development of the field and its introduction at this point is timely."Steve Knowles, University of Chester, UK"Lyden and Mazur offer a fascinating collection of essays from a wide range of contributors exploring religion and popular culture. This is a terrific resource for the classroom and scholars will be impressed with their contribution to the field."Gina Messina-Dysert, Claremont Graduate University, USAThis excellent, thoroughly indexed volume provides a much-needed overview of religion and popular culture, a growing area of study that draws upon a range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. (...) Scholars will appreciate the breadth of coverage this work offers, and students will enjoy the many contemporary references (e.g., Miley Cyrus, South Park) that illustrate the editors' themes. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels; general readers."S. Rokusek, Florida Gulf Coast University in CHOICETable of ContentsContributors INTRODUCTION John Lyden SECTION I: APPROACHING THE DISCIPLINE OF RELIGION & POPULAR CULTURE Chapter 1. Definitions: What is the Subject Matter of “Religion and Popular Culture� John Lyden Chapter 2. Conversations & Confessions: Who’s Writing About This, and Why? Eric Michael Mazur SECTION II: ENCOUNTERS WITH POPULAR CULTURE PART A: MEDIATED ENCOUNTERS Introduction to Section II, part A Chapter 3. Television Elijah Siegler Chapter 4. Journalism Jolyon Mitchell Chapter 5. Film John Lyden Chapter 6. Radio Tona Hangen Chapter 7. Music Mark Hulsether Chapter 8. Video- & Internet Games Rachel Wagner Chapter 9. Internet & Social Networking Heidi Campbell & Paul Emerson Teusner Chapter 10. Advertising Tricia Sheffield PART B: MATERIAL ENCOUNTERS Introduction to Section II, part B Chapter 11. Popular Literature Jennie Chapman Chapter 12. Comics / Graphic Novels Christine Hoff Kraemer & A. David Lewis Chapter 13. Food & Cooking Benjamin Zeller Chapter 14. Fashion Edward Dutton Chapter 15. Games & Dolls Nikki Bado & Rebecca Sachs Norris Chapter 16. Kitsch Leonard Norman Primiano PART C: LOCATIVE ENCOUNTERS Introduction to Section II, part C Chapter 17. Shopping & Consumption Sarah McFarland Taylor Chapter 18. Electronic Dance Music Events Graham St John Chapter 19. Sport Jeffrey Scholes Chapter 20. Monuments of Civil Religion Darryl Caterine SECTION III. RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS Introduction to Section III Chapter 21. Buddhism James Shields Chapter 22. Roman Catholicism Rodger Payne Chapter 23. Hinduism Sheila J. Nayar Chapter 24. Islam William Lafi Youmans Chapter 25. Judaism Eric Michael Mazur Chapter 26. Mormonism Lee Trepanier, Lynita Newswander & Chad Newswander Chapter 27. Contemporary Paganism Jodie Vann Chapter 28. Protestantism Clive Marsh Index

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Book SynopsisThis book highlights the history of Islamic popular devotional art and visual culture in 20th-century India, weaving the personal narrative of the author's journey through his understanding of the faith. It begins with an introductory exploration of how the basic and universal image of Mecca and Medina may have been imported into Indian popular print culture and what variants it resulted in here. Besides providing a historical context of the pre-print culture of popular Muslim visuality, the book also explores the impact the 1947 Partition of India may have made on the calendar art in South Asia. A significant portion of the book focuses on the contemporary prints of different localised images found in India and what role these play in the users' lives, especially in the augmentation of their popular faith and cultural practices. The volume also compares the images published in India with some of those available in Pakistan to reflect different socio-political trajectories. Finally,Trade Review‘The breadth of coverage of issues related to Muslim popular visual culture . . . for insights, as well as the extraordinarily rich collection of images that will serve as a comprehensive reference for many years to come, this book is highly recommended to scholars and other readers alike.’Sandria Freitag, Indian Economic Social History Review ‘Saeed takes us on a journey throughout India, where we encounter visual art [in Islam] in the form of calligraphy, chromolithographs of Sufi saints, architecture, items of clothing, and ritual paraphernalia in abundance, especially within and around the compounds of the many dargahs that dot the landscape of India.’Frank J. Korom, Religious Studies Review‘Yousuf Saeed’s delightful book provides readers with a rare glimpse into the visual culture of Muslim communities in South Asia. Drawing on the author’s personal experiences and extensive research, it sensitively explores diverse aspects of Muslim devotional life through a vivid and vibrant tradition of popular art. Masterfully narrated and beautifully illustrated, this unique book is "a must read" for anyone interested in the popular religion of South Asia.’Ali Asani, Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA‘In this welcome volume, Yousuf Saeed surveys significant examples of the colourful lithographs and other images that form a part of the devotional experience of many Indian Muslims. The work is historical, with attention to the importance of technological innovations in photography, print and transportation. It also takes into account central themes in cultural and political history, including the impact of Partition, and devotional and reformist currents that alternately encouraged and disapproved of many of these images. This is a vivid account on a sTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Duller the Better 1. The Image of Mecca in India 2. The Popular Culture of Indian Muslims Before Print 3. Heroes, Portraits and Miraculous Powers 4. Images of Use and the Use of Images 5. Images of the Two Nations 6. Postscript: Why Do Popular Images Thrive in the Muslim World Despite…? Afterword to the Second Edition: Challenges to Religious Plurality

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Book SynopsisThis book argues that relationships between religion and development in faith-based development work are constructed through repeated processes of negotiation. Rather than being a neat and tidy relationship, faith-based development work is complex and multifaceted: an ongoing series of negotiations between theological interpretations and theories of human development; between identities as professional practitioners and as believers; between different religious traditions at local, regional and international levels; and between institutional structures and individual agency. In particular, the book draws on a deep ethnographic study of Christian faith-based development work in the Bolivian Andes. The case study highlights the importance of seeing theological interpretations as being firmly embedded in local religious and cultural systems involved in a constant process of identity construction. Overall, the book argues that religion should not be seen as homogeneous, or eitherTable of Contents1. Introduction 2. Theoretical Perspectives on Religion and Development 3. Religion and Development in Bolivia: Resistance and Decolonisation 4. Constructing a Faith-Based Identity 5. Theological Frameworks for Understanding Development 6. Faith-Based Discourses of Development 7. Practicing Integral Development 8. Unresolved Tensions in Faith-Based Development 9. Conclusion: Negotiations and Contentions of Religion and Development

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Book SynopsisThis text combines study of the dynamic historical development of each religious tradition with a comparative thematic structure. Students are encouraged to discover and explore the nature of religious experience by comparing basic themes and issues common to all religions, finding connections with their own personal experiences. By sensitively introducing descriptive material within a comparative thematic structure, this text helps students to understand how each religion provides, for its adherents, patterns and meanings that make up a full way of life.Table of ContentsI. EXPLORING THE SACRED PATHS. 1. Perspectives on the Religious Path. 2. Beginnings of the Human Religious Adventure. 3. Sacred Paths Among Indigenous Peoples. II. RELIGIONS ARISING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN WORLD. 4. Religions of Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece. 5. The Zoroastrian Tradition. 6. Jewish Sacred Story and Historical Context. 7. Jewish Worlds of Meaning. 8. Ritual Practices and the Good Life for Jews. 9. Christian Sacred Story and Historical Context. 10. Christian Worlds of Meaning. 11. Ritual Practices and the Good Life for Christians. 12. Muslim Sacred Story and Historical Context. 13. Muslim Worlds of Meaning. 14. Ritual Practices and the Good Life for Muslims. III: ONGOING EXPLORATIONS ON THE SACRED PATHS. 15. New Religious Movements. 16. Guideposts and Crossings on the Paths. Notes. Suggestions for Further Reading. Acknowledgments. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Swarthmore Lectureship was established by the Woodbrooke Extension Committee, at a meeting held December 7th 1907: the minutes of the Committee provided for an annual lecture on some subject relating to the message and work of the Society of Friends. The Lectureship has a two-fold purpose: first, to interpret further to the members of the Society of Friends their Message and Mission; and, secondly, to bring before the public the spirit, the aims and the fundamental principles of the Friends.The Lectures have been delivered on the evening preceding the assembly of the Friends' Yearly Meeting in each year. The present Lecture was delivered at Friends House, London, on the evening preceding the Yearly Meeting, 1930.Table of ContentsI. The Reform of the Reformation II. The Historic Mission of the Quakers III. Social Democracy as a Western Ideal IV. The Mission of Quakerism in the Present Day

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Book SynopsisMany Peoples, Many Faiths places the world's religions in historical context, illustrating the complex dynamic of each religion over time, while also presenting current beliefs, practices, and group formations. This unique textbook includes engaging sections on women in religion, religion and governance, and religion in America throughout. Thoroughly revised and updated for its eleventh edition, Many Peoples, Many Faiths covers the following topics: Understanding the World's Religious Heritage Indigenous Peoples and Religion The Spiritual Paths of India The Journey of Buddhism Religions of East Asia The Family of the Three Great Monotheistic Religions and Zoroastrianism The Unique Perspective of Judaism The Growth of Christianity Building the House of Islam New Religious Movements Religion and Violence, Non-violence, and Peacemaking This edition reflects new scholarTrade ReviewPraise for previous editions:'A very good book, best on the market.' - Helena Gourko, Merrimack College, USA'There is no competition for this book. It is a nearly perfect introductory textbook in my considered estimation.' - Dell deChant, University of South Florida, USA'The author’s approach is purely descriptive, which allows me to provide my own interpretation of the material during lecture. I like the historical approach of the text. That provides the text with an orderly structure of the material.' - Curtis Smith, Pennsylvania State University, USATable of Contents1. Understanding the World’s Religious Heritage 2. The Sacred in Nature and Community: Indigenous Peoples and Religion 3. Life Against Time: The Spiritual Paths of India 4. Wisdom Embarked for the Farther Shore: The Journey of Buddhism 5. Dragon and Sun: Religions of East Asia 6. One God, May Words and Wonders: The Family of the Three Great Monotheistic Religions and Zoroastrianism 7. Keeping Covenant with God In History: The Unique Perspective of Judaism 8. Spreading the Word of God in the World: The Growth of Christianity 9. Submitting to the Will of God: Building the House of Islam 10. Spirits Rising: New Religious Movements 11. Redeeming the World: Religion and Violence, Non-violence, and Peacemaking 12. A Final Word

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Book SynopsisAlthough human rights belong to all persons on the basis of their humanity, this book demonstrates that in the practice of international human rights law, the freedom to be non-religious or atheist does not receive the same protection as the freedom to be religious. Despite the claimed universality of freedom of religion and belief contained in article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the key assertion made is that there is a hierarchy of religion and belief, with followers of major established religions enjoying high protection and low regulation at the top, and atheists and non-believers enduring high persecution and weaker protection at the bottom. The existence of this hierarchy is proven and critiqued through three case study chapters that respectively explore the extent to which non-religious and atheist rights-holders enjoy freedom from proselytism, freedom from hate and freedom from the religions of their parents.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Freedom of Religion or Belief1. The meaning of ‘religion’ and ‘belief’ in international law 2. ICCPR Article 18 and the plurality of religion and belief 3. Limitations to manifestations4. Conclusion: The limits of article 18 to protect freedom from religionChapter 2: The Hierarchy of Religion and Belief1. Established, major religions at the top of the hierarchy 2. New, unusual or emerging religions and beliefs 3. Non-religion and atheism at the bottom of the hierarchy 4. Conclusion: Non-religious and atheist rights-holders neglectedChapter 3: Freedom from Proselytism1. Proselytism as a manifestation of religion 2. Forms of improper coercion3. Determining where coercion undermines choice4. Conclusion: The need to prioritise rights over religionsChapter 4: Freedom from Hate1. Article 20 and hate speech in the name of religion2. Pro-religious bias of article 20 3. Weak protection of non-believers and atheists from hate speech 4. Conclusion: Curtailing religious incitement to violence against atheistsChapter 5: Freedom from Parents1. Balancing rights of parents and children2. Freedom from coercive religious or moral education 3. Freedom from religious circumcision4. Conclusion: The need to protect children from their parents Chapter 6: Conclusion1. Indefensibility of pro-religious bias of human rights law 2. Freedom from religion as the measure of religious freedom

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Book SynopsisWith its increasingly secular and religiously diverse population Australia faces many challenges in determining how the state and religion should interact. Australia is not unique in facing these challenges. States worldwide, including common law countries with shared legal and religious heritages, have also been faced with the question of how the state and religion should relate to one another. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and the United States have all had to grapple with how to manage the state-religion relationship in the present day.This book provides a comprehensive historical review of the interaction of the state and religion in Australia. It brings together multiple examples of areas in which the state and religion interact, and reviews these examples across Australia's history from settlement through to present day. The book sets this story within a wider theoretical context via an examination of theories of state-religion relationships Table of Contents1: Introduction; Part I: Theory and Context; 2: Theories of State-Religion Relationships; 3: In the Beginning; 4: Religion in the Australian Constitution; 5: Comparison with other Jurisdictions; Part II: Australian Case Studies; 6: Contemporary Issues; 7: Restricting Religion; 8: Religion and Education; 9: Funding Religion; 10: Conclusion

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Book SynopsisNeuroscience and Psychology of Meditation in Everyday Life addresses essential and timely questions about the research and practice of meditation as a path to realization of human potential for health and well-being. Balancing practical content and scientific theory, the book discusses long-term effects of six meditation practices: mindfulness, compassion, visualization-based meditation techniques, dream yoga, insight-based meditation and abiding in the existential ground of experience. Each chapter provides advice on how to embed these techniques into everyday activities, together with considerations about underlying changes in the mind and brain based on latest research evidence. This book is essential reading for professionals applying meditation-based techniques in their work and researchers in the emerging field of contemplative science. The book will also be of value to practitioners of meditation seeking to further their practice and understand associaTrade ReviewDusana Dorjee masterfully presents a wealth of information from diverse areas—neuroscience, psychology of meditation, contemplative practices, existential wellbeing, and Buddhism—in a flawless narrative that is sure to prove a classic in the field of meditation. Informed by research and practice, the book lays out the essence of six meditation practices, the changes that occur in the brain as a result of short- and long-term formal and informal practices, and how meditation enhances our general wellbeing. One of the great strengths of the book is that it presents this material in a very accessible form that can be used by practitioners and researchers alike.Nirbhay N. Singh, PhD, Editor-in-Chief, Mindfulness, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, USATable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgementsIntroduction Chapter 1: THE NEW SCIENCE OF MEDITATION What is the science of meditation missing? The mind’s capacity to self-regulate Purpose, meaning and modes of existential awareness Existential drive, health and well-being Towards a long-term perspective of meditation Summary: Chapter 1 Chapter 2: LONG-TERM MEDITATION PRACTICE Neural plasticity, body physiology and meditation The state and trait effects of meditation The quantity and quality of meditation practice Formal and informal meditation Adverse effects of meditation Developing a long-term perspective of meditation Summary: Chapter 2 Chapter 3: MINDFULNESS What is mindfulness? How to develop mindfulness? Neuroscience of mindfulness Mindfulness, self-regulation and existential well-being A day of mindfulness practice Mindfulness from a long-term practice perspective Summary: Chapter 3 Chapter 4: COMPASSION AND RELATED QUALITIES What is compassion? A Buddhist perspective What is compassion? A Western scientific perspective Developing compassion and related qualities in the Buddhist context Neuroscience of compassion and loving kindness Compassion, self-regulation and existential well-being A day of compassion practice Compassion from a long-term practice perspective Summary: Chapter 4 Chapter 5: VISUALIZATION IN MEDITATION PRACTICE What is visualization-based meditation? Developing visualization-based meditation practice in the Buddhist context Neuroscience of visualization-based meditation Visualization-based meditation, self-regulation and well-being A day of visualization-based meditation Visualization-based meditation from a long-term practice perspective Summary: Chapter 5 Chapter 6: EXISTENTIAL INSIGHT AND DREAM YOGA What is existential insight? The Western approach What is existential insight? The Buddhist approach Developing existential insight in daytime and dream yoga practice Neuroscience of existential insight and dream yoga practices Existential insight, self-regulation and existential well-being 24 hours of meditation practice Existential insight practice from a long-term perspective Summary: Chapter 6 Chapter 7: THE STATE OF EXISTENTIAL BALANCE What is the state of existential balance? Developing the state of existential balance Neuroscience of the state of existential balance The state of existential balance, self-regulation and existential well-being The state of existential balance in everyday life The state of existential balance from a long-term practice perspective Summary: Chapter 7 Chapter 8: THE POTENTIAL OF CONTEMPLATIVE SCIENCE Contemplative psychologyContemplative psychotherapyContemplative neuroscienceContemplative science in health careDevelopmental contemplative scienceContemplative science and societyChallenges facing contemplative scienceConclusionSummary: Chapter 8

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Book SynopsisThis fully revised edition offers a comprehensive overview of the many theories of religion and politics and provides students with an accessible, in-depth guide to the subject's most significant debates, issues, and methodologies. It begins by asking the basic questions of how social scientists see religion and why religion remains relevant to politics in the modern era. Fox examines the influence of religious identity, beliefs, institutions and legitimacy on politics, and surveys important approaches and issues found in the literature on religion and politics. Four new chapters on religious policy around the world, political secularism, and religious freedom and human rights have been added to fully revised content covering religious identity, rational choice approaches to religious politics worldviews, beliefs, doctrines, ideologies, institutions and political mobilization, fundamentalism, secularization, and religion and conflict.This work will be essential readingTrade Review"This revised and reorganized edition of the Fox volume makes this work the standard introduction to politics and religion. An Introduction to Religion and Politics (2nd edition) covers virtually all of the major approaches to the study of religion and politics, and is both accessible to beginning students and a valuable resource for serious academic analysts. Quite simply, it has become the dominant text in the comparative field." - Ted G. Jelen, University of Nevada, Las Vegas"An Introduction to Religion and Politics is an outstanding step beyond the high quality first edition. Fox, a leading scholar, offers a tour de force on subjects ranging from religious freedom to government regulation of faith. The book is distinguished by its comprehensiveness, notably intellectual breadth and topical range." - Patrick James, Dornsife Dean’s Professor, School of International Relations, University of Southern California"Any student who seeks a foundation of knowledge about religion and global politics, in using this revised text, will be learning at the feet of one of the pioneers and masters of the field. Professor Fox leaves no stone unturned in covering both the theory and practice of religion in global politics in today's world." - Daniel Philpott, Professor, University of Notre Dame, Indiana.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Secularization and Functionalism: Predictions of Religion’s Decline, and Irrelevance Chapter 3: Religious Identity Chapter 4: Religious Worldviews, Beliefs, Doctrines, and Theologies Chapter 5: Religious Legitimacy Chapter 6: Religious Institutions and Political Mobilization Chapter 7: Rational Religion Chapter 8: Religious Fundamentalism Chapter 9: Religion and Conflict Chapter 10: Government Religion Policy 1: Official Policies and Supporting Religion Chapter 11: Government Religion Policy 2: Restrictions, Regulation, Control and Discrimination Chapter 12: Political Secularism Chapter 13: Religious Freedom Chapter 14: Religion in International Relations Chapter 15: Conclusions

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Book SynopsisThis is the second volume of Sir E. A. Wallis Budge's narrative account of Ethiopian history, and continues the chronicle of the Kings of Abyssinia where the first volume ended: the death of Lebna Dengel in 1540.The list of kings ends with the Regent Ras Tafari, who still reigned at the time of first publication in 1928. Thereafter, the author devotes considerable attention to an overview of the cultural, social and political idiosyncrasies of the Ethiopian people: literature, spells and magic, architecture, ethnography, the alphabet, and a wide range of other engrossing topics. This material complements the narrative history, helping to situate the deeds of the kings and the fortunes of their people in a broader context. Table of ContentsContents; List of Illustrations; A History of Ethiopia

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Book SynopsisThis handbook is a detailed reference source comprising original articles covering the origins, history, theory and practice of Islamic law. The handbook starts out by dealing with the question of what type of law is Islamic law and includes a critical analysis of the pedagogical approaches to studying and analysing Islamic law as a discipline. The handbook covers a broad range of issues, including the role of ethics in Islamic jurisprudence, the mechanics and processes of interpretation, the purposes and objectives of Islamic law, constitutional law and secularism, gender, bioethics, Muslim minorities in the West, jihad and terrorism. Previous publications on this topic have approached Islamic law from a variety of disciplinary and pedagogical perspectives. One of the original features of this handbook is that it treats Islamic law as a legal discipline by taking into account the historical functions and processes of legal cultures and the patterns of legal thought.WiTable of Contents1: I. Approaches and the State of the Field; 2: II. What Type of Law Is Islamic Law?; 3: Part One: Jurisprudence and Ethics; 4: Chapter 1: Shariʿah, Natural Law and the Original State; 5: Chapter 2: "God Cannot be Harmed": On Ḥuqūq Allah/Ḥuqūq al-ʿIbād Continuim; 6: Chapter 3: Balancing this World and Next: Obligation in Islamic Jurisprudence; 7: Chapter 4: Divine Command Ethics in the Islamic Legal Tradition; 8: Chapter 5: Islamic Law and Bioethics; 9: Part Two: History and Interpretation: Scholars; 10: Chapter 6: The Qurʾan and the Hadith as Sources of Islamic Law; 11: Chapter 7: The Emergence of the Major Schools of Islamic Law; 12: Chapter 8: Qadis and Muftis: Judicial Authority in Islamic Law; 13: Chapter 9: Consensus; 14: Chapter 10: Superior Argument; 15: Chapter 11: Maqāṣid al-Shariʿah; 16: Chapter 12: Legal Pluralism in Sunni Islamic Law; 17: Chapter 13: Interpreting Islamic Law: The Role of Legal Canons; 18: Chapter 14: Ijtihād and Taqlīd; 19: Part Three: History and Interpretation: Society and Politics; 20: Chapter 15: Legal Traditions of the ‘Near East’: The Pre-Islamic Context; 21: Chapter 16: The Place of Custom in Islamic Law; 22: Chapter 17: Jihad, Sovereignty, and Jurisdiction; 23: Chapter 18: Fiqh al-Aqalliyyāt and Muslim Minorities in the West; 24: Chapter 19: Family Law and Succession; 25: Chapter 20: Islamic Law and the Question of Gender Equality; 26: Part Four: State and Power; 27: Chapter 21: Islamic law and the State in pre-modern Sunni thought; 28: Chapter 22: Concept of State in Shiʿi Jurisprudence; 29: Chapter 23: Codification, Legal Borrowing and the Localization of ‘Islamic Law’; 30: Chapter 24: Modern Islamic Constitutional Theory; 31: Chapter 25: Islam, Constitutionalism and Democratic Self-Government; 32: Chapter 26: Terrorism, Religious Violence, and the Shariʿah; 33: Index

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1880 and reprinted in 1987, this is a fascinating collection of essays by the nineteenth-century theologian and historian George P. Fisher, arranged into three key classifications. The first group comprises papers that relate to the history, polity and dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church, with a particular focus on how the religion of ancient Rome reappears in the characteristic features of Latin Christianity. The second group of essays relates to the New England theology that was pioneered by Jonathan Edwards and entailed important modifications in the philosophy of Calvinism. Unitarianism is also discussed in detail, which is the subject of a paper on Channing, who was regarded as the most prominent representative of the movement in America. The third set of essays explores Theism and Christian evidences, with papers presenting analyses of rationalistic theory, Atheism, and the intellectual and spiritual career of the Apostle Paul. A fascinating and comprehensivTable of Contents1. The Massacre of St Bartholomew 2. The Influence of the Old Roman Spirit and Religion on Latin Christianity 3. The Temporal Kingdom of the Popes 4. The Council of Constance and the Council of the Vatican 5. The Office of the Pope and how he is Chosen 6. The Relation of Protestantism and of Romanism to Modern Civilization 7. The Relation of the Church of England to the Other Protestant Bodies 8. The Philosophy of Jonathan Edwards 9. Channing as a Philosopher and Theologian 10. The System of Dr N. W. Taylor in its Connection with Prior New England Theology 11. The Augustinian and the Federal Doctrines of Original Sin 12. A Sketch of the History of the Doctrine of Future Punishment 13. Rationalism 14. The Unreasonableness of Atheism 15. The Apostle Paul 16. The Four Gospels: A Review of "Supernatural Religion"

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Book SynopsisModern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom, 2nd edition, brings together experts who explore the use of ancient healing techniques from Buddhism, Christianity, Goddess, Shamanism, Taoism, and Yogic traditions as well as the mystical practices of Judaism and Islam and their application to modern counseling and therapy professions. Each chapter lays out time-tested techniques used by teachers, guides, and practitioners to facilitate psychological healing, embraces a wide variety of cultural perspectives, and offers a large, varied, and meaningful view of the world. This new edition includes added material on Islam, indigenous, and shamanic healing perspectives and practices, as well as new findings in the fields of neuropsychology and epigenetics. With its vast offerings of new treatment methods from a variety of perspectivesfrom therapeutic metaphors and breathing exercises to meditation and yoga techniquesthis book will be of use to mental health professionals, social workers, anTrade Review"This marvelous book comes at a pivotal time in the history of the human journey—a time when the deadening forces of Western technology appear to be overtaking our humanity—and it offers the reader real alternatives. It provides clear and grounded discussion of the world's great healing traditions, spiritual wisdom, and indigenous practices from several ancient sources. I particularly valued the experiential guidance which clients and therapy practitioners may use to reconnect with the life force that sustains us all. An important book."—Maureen O’Hara, PhD, professor of psychology at National University"Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom, second edition, recasts the world's wisdom traditions in frames that restore social, ecological and gender balance. This work is as salient as it is timely; a clarion call to bind oneself with the crimson thread of empathy that unites all seekers of transcendence. I urge believers and nonbelievers alike to drink from this deep well of spiritual wisdom. I know I will be returning to it for years to come."—Andrew Gurevich, professor of world literature and world religions in Portland, Oregon"Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom, second edition, offers a unique exploration of ancient healing techniques and their application to modern counseling and therapy professions. This compilation informs the contemporary dialogue about psychotherapy while also rehabilitating the image of incorporating the wisdom traditions into practice. It reflects the significant work in the integration of spirituality and psychology of which all practitioners of healing and consciousness should be aware."—Hope Umansky, PhD, dean at the California Institute for Human Science"This important book pairs holistic practices of psychospiritual healing with the living truths and practices that inform the world’s great religious traditions. Both religion and psychology are strengthened by this synthesis."—Craig Chalquist, PhD, chair of the department of East-West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies"There is a growing awareness in the world of psychotherapy that spirituality is an integral part of the healing process. This wonderful sourcebook reminds us that the world's religious and spiritual traditions offer practices and perspectives that can support the development of the whole person on the therapeutic journey. Practitioners as well as individuals on their own journeys will benefit from the resources for psychospiritual exploration offered in this book, and readers will discover a deeper understanding of the synergy between the process of psychological growth and the realm of spiritual insight and awakening, as reflected in the diverse approaches presented."—Selene Kumin Vega, PhD, director of the Mind-Body Healthcare Practice Program at Saybrook UniversityTable of ContentsForeword to the Second Edition Stanley Krippner Foreword to the First Editon Stephen Gilligan Introduction Sharon G. Mijares 1. Nurturing the Seeds of Sanity: A Buddhist Approach to Psychotherapy Karen Kissel Wegela 2. Rediscovering Christ, the Healer Dwight H. Judy 3. Tales of the Goddess: Healing Metaphors for Women Sharon G. Mijares 4. Kabbalistic Pathways for Growth and Healing Sheldon Z. Kramer 5. Indigenous Knowledge and Shamanic Ways: Inner Journeys and Soul Retrieval Sharon G. Mijares 6. The Key in the Dark: Self and Soul Transformation in the Sufi and Islamic Spiritual Traditions Neil Douglas-Klotz 7. Taoist Mind-Body Resources for Psychospiritual Health and Healing Benjamin R. Tong 8. The Yoga Path as a Way of Life Eleanor Criswell & Kartikeya C. Patel Conclusion Sharon G. Mijares Index

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Book SynopsisFew cities around the world transcend their physical boundaries the way Jerusalem does. As the spiritual capital of monotheism, Jerusalem has ancient roots and legacies that have imposed themselves on its inhabitants throughout the centuries. In modern times, and aside from all the religious complexities, Jerusalem has become enmeshed in the Palestinian and Israeli national identities and political aspirations, which have involved and dragged into the fray other actors from around the world.Consisting of 35 chapters from leading specialists, the Routledge Handbook on Jerusalem provides a broad spectrum of studies related to the city and its history. Beginning with a historical overview starting from the end of the Bronze age, the chapters go on to look at a range of topics including: religious symbolism and pilgrimage religious and social relations social and economic history architecture and archaeolTable of ContentsA. Historical Perspectives: Ancient–Medieval. Chapter 1 Jerusalem from Its Beginnings to the End of the Late Bronze Age – Eyal Meiron. Chapter 2 Jerusalem in the First Temple Period – Kyle H. Keimer. Chapter 3 From the Babylonian Exile through the Hasmonean Period – Joshua Schwartz. Chapter 4 Herodian Jerusalem – Orit Peleg-Barkat. Chapter 5 Aelia Capitolina – Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah. Chapter 6 Byzantine Jerusalem – Ute Verstegen. Chapter 7 Jerusalem in Early Islam: The Making of the Muslims’ Holy City – Suleiman A. Mourad. Chapter 8 The Crusader Period – Adrian J. Boas. Chapter 9 Jerusalem in the Ayyubid and Mamluk Periods – Zayde Antrim. B. Historical Perspectives: Early-Modern–Modern. Chapter 10 Ottoman Jerusalem, 1517–1918 – Yuval Ben-Bassat and Johann Büssow. Chapter 11 Jerusalem in the Transition from Empire to Mandate – Abigail Jacobson. Chapter 12 British Jerusalem – Thomas Abowd. Chapter 13 Nationalizing Jerusalem: The Holy City under Jordanian Rule – Kimberly Katz. Chapter 14 Israeli Jerusalem: Seven Decades Since 1948 – Yitzhak Reiter. C. Monuments, Art, Literature & Urban Space. Chapter 15 The Church of the Holy Sepulchre – Megan Boomer and Robert G. Ousterhout. Chapter 16 The Dome of the Rock – Alain George. Chapter 17 Representations of Jerusalem in Jewish Art and Literature in the Late Antique, Medieval, and Modern Periods – Shulamit Laderman. Chapter 18 The Western Wall or Kotel – Dotan Goren. Chapter 19 Moments of Transformation in the Urban Order of Jerusalem – Wendy Pullan. Chapter 20 Jerusalem in Palestinian Poetry – Atef Alshaer. D. Ritual, Representation & Meaning. Chapter 21 Jerusalem as Ritual Space – Jeremy D. Smoak. Chapter 22 Death and Burial in Iron Age Jerusalem: A View from the Silwan Necropolis – Matthew J. Suriano. Chapter 23 Jewish Religious Symbolism and Pilgrimage – Daniel R. Schwartz. Chapter 24 The Heavenly Jerusalem and the Earthly Jerusalem – Oliver Larry Yarbrough. Chapter 25 Christian Religious Symbolism and Pilgrimage – Rebecca Stephens Falcasantos. Chapter 26 Jerusalem Temples to Jerusalem Rocks before the Coming of Islam – Naomi Koltun-Fromm. Chapter 27 Jerusalem in Maps – Rehav Rubin. Chapter 28 The Holy City and Medieval Europe – Giuseppe Perta. Chapter 29 Acquiring Jerusalem – Annabel Jane Wharton. Chapter 30 Jerusalem and Eschatology – Ora Limor. E. Contestation. Chapter 31 150 Years of Archaeology and Controversy in Jerusalem – Raphael Greenberg. Chapter 32 Between the Nations: The Sepulchre in Intercommunal and International Dynamics – Georgios Tsourous. Chapter 33 Intercommunal Relations during the British Mandate – Laura Robson. Chapter 34 The Armenians of Jerusalem in the Modern Period: The Rise and Decline of a Community – Bedross Der Matossian. Chapter 35 Jerusalem in the Peace Process – Menachem Klein

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Book SynopsisVernacular religion is religion as people experience, understand, and practice it. It shapes everyday culture and disrupts the traditional boundaries between ''official'' and ''folk'' religion. The book analyses vernacular religion in a range of Christian denominations as well as in indigenous and New Age religion from the nineteenth century to today. How these differing expressions of belief are shaped by their individual, communal and national contexts is also explored. What is revealed is the consistency of genres, the persistence of certain key issues, and how globalization in all its cultural and technological forms is shaping contemporary faith practice. The book will be valuable to students of ethnology, folklore, religious studies, anthropology, and religious studies.Table of Contents1. Introduction: Vernacular Religion, Generic Expressions and the Dynamics of Belief Part I: Belief as Practice 2. Everyday, Fast and Feast: Household Work and the Production of Time in Pre-Modern Russian Orthodox Karelia, Marja-Liisa Keinanen 3. How to Make a Shrine with Your Own Hands: Local Holy Places and Vernacular Religion in Russia, Alexander Panchenko 4. "I make my saints work ...": A Hungarian Holy Healer's Identity Reflected in Autobiographical Stories and Folk Narratives, Judit Kis-Halas 5. Chronic Illness and the Negotiation of Vernacular Religious Belief, Anne Rowbottom Part II: Traditions of Narrated Belief 6. Autobiographical and Interpretative Dynamics in the Oral Repertoire of a Vepsian Woman, Madis Arukask and Taisto-Kalevi Raudalainen 7. Hidden Messages: Dream Narratives about the Dead as Indirect Communication, Agnes Hesz 8. Religious Legend as a Shaper of Identity: St. Xenia in the Mental Universe of a Setu Woman, Merili Metsvahi Part III: Relationships between Humans and Others 9. Things Act: Casual Indigenous Statements about the Performance of Object-Persons, Graham Harvey 10. Haunted Houses and Haunting Girls: Life and Death in Contemporary Argentinian Folk Narrative, Maria Ines Palleiro 11. Angels in Norway: Religious Border-Crossers and Border-Markers, Ingvild Salid Gilhus 12. "We, too, have seen a great miracle": Conversations and Narratives on the Supernatural among Hungarian-Speaking Catholics in a Romanian Village, Eva Pocs Part IV: Creation and Maintenance of Community and Identity 13. Komi Hunter Narratives, Art Leete and Vladimir Lipin 14. Stories of Santiago Pilgrims: Tradition Through Creativity, Tiina Sepp 15. Restoring/Restorying Arthur and Bridget: Vernacular Religion and Contemporary Spirituality in Glastonbury, Marion Bowman Part V: Theoretical Reflections and Manifestations of the Vernacular 16. Belief as Generic Practice and Vernacular Theory in Contemporary Estonia, Ulo Valk 17. Some Epistemic Problems with a Vernacular Worldview, Seppo Knuuttila Afterword: Manifestations of the Religious Vernacular: Ambiguity, Power and Creativity, Leonard Norman Primiano

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Book SynopsisThe reign of Constantine (306-37), the starting point for the series in which this volume appears, saw Christianity begin its journey from being just one of a number of competing cults to being the official religion of the Roman/Byzantine Empire. The involvement of emperors had the, perhaps inevitable, result of a preoccupation with producing, promoting and enforcing a single agreed version of the Christian creed. Under this pressure Christianity in the East fragmented into different sects, disagreeing over the nature of Christ, but also, in some measure, seeking to resist imperial interference and to elaborate Christianities more reflective of and sensitive to local concerns and cultures. This volume presents an introduction to, and a selection of the key studies on, the ways in which and means by which these Eastern Christianities debated with one another and with their competitors: pagans, Jews, Muslims and Latin Christians. It also includes the iconoclast controversy, which dTrade Review'... it can be stated that this anthology achieves its purpose, giving the reader (who is not necessarily a specialist) a cross-cultural overview of the theological debate in the Christian Middle East,maintaining a high scholarly level and a valuable historical balance in its presentation of the state of research.' Islamochristiana 'It goes without saying that each of the articles is a classic and the publishers are to be commended for producing them in such an accessible format, given that many of the original sources are now hard to obtain ... The publishers have given us a valuable compendium of scholarship in a relatively little-known branch of learning and this volume will serve the academic community accordingly.' Ecclesiastical HistoryTable of ContentsContents: Introduction; Supplementary bibliography; Part 1 The Formative Period: The making of a heretic: the Life of Origen in Epiphanius Panarion 64, J. Rebecca Lyman; Manichaeans and public disputation in late antiquity, Richard Lim; The conversations with the Syrian Orthodox under Justinian (532), Sebastian Brock; Anti-Jewish polemic and the emergence of Islam, V. Déroche. Part 2 The Encounter with Islam: Byzantine accounts of Islam, Wolfgang Eichner; Disputes with Muslims in Syriac Christian texts: from Patriarch John (d.648) to Bar Hebraeus (d.1286), Sidney H. Griffith; The signs of prophecy: the emergence and early development of a theme in Arabic theological literature, Sarah Stroumsa; Reopening the Muslim-Christian dialogue of the 13th-14th centuries: critical reflections on Ibn Taymiyyah's response to Christianity, Nancy N. Roberts. Part 3 Iconoclasm: A Dark-Age crisis: aspects of the Iconoclastic controversy, Peter Brown; Texts as weapons: polemic in the Byzantine dark ages, Averil Cameron. Part 4 Anti-Latin Texts: Byzantine perceptions of Latin religious 'errors', Tia M. Kolbaba. Part 5 The Tools of Argument: Dyophysite florilegia of the 5th and 6th centuries CE, Marcel Richard; The saint, the scholar and the astrologer: a study of hagiographical themes in some 'question and answer' collections of the 5th-7th centuries CE, Gilbert Dagron; The first Christian Summa Theologiae in Arabic: Christian Kalam in 9th-century Palestine, Sidney H. Griffith; Communal identity and the systematisation of knowledge in the Syriac 'cause of all causes', G.J. Reinink; Abdallah ibn al-Fadl's exposition of the Orthodox faith, Ramy Wannous; Index.

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Book SynopsisThrough the analysis of several commemorative acts in space, matter and image, namely museums and memorials, this book reflects on the ways in which architecture as a discipline, a practice and a discourse represents the Holocaust. In doing so, it problematises how one presents an extreme historical case in a contemporary context and integrates the historical into actuality. By examining several cases, the book defines the issues faced by various architects who dealt with this topic and discusses their separate and distinctive approaches. In each case, it analyses the ways in which the cultural and political contexts of commemoration led to a different interpretation of the condition. Focusing on the Ghetto Fighters' House, the world's first Holocaust museum; Yad Vashem, Israel's national Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem; the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington; and the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, the book discusses how the representation of history by architecture creates a Trade Review'In this personal, yet deeply learned exploration of Holocaust commemoration on the cusp of "new media," Eran Neuman examines an age when physical memorials and architectural representation of Holocaust memory become something else altogether. Shoah Presence: Architectural Representations of the Holocaust is a sensitive meditation on the ways aesthetic spaces in the landscape conjure internal memory spaces within us.' James E. Young, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA ’This book studies Holocaust museums on the premise that their location away from the site of trauma poses an intriguing set of representational, philosophical and even political problems. Neuman’s brilliant and thorough analysis brings the reader into the heart of the multi-layered contestations about what architecture should or should not do in these contexts.’ Mark Jarzombek, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USATable of ContentsIntroduction: Holocaust Commemoration and Architectural Representation; Chapter 1 Dwelling in Monumentality: Presence and Memory in the Ghetto Fighters’ Kibbutz; Chapter 2 Monumental Holocaust Landscapes at Yad Vashem; Chapter 3 “The Events you are about to Experience are Real”: Authenticity at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum; Chapter 4 Diagramming Memory: Peter Eisenman’s Holocaust Memorial in Berlin; epi Epilogue: Presencing the Holocaust;

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Book SynopsisWith its first public live performance in Paris on 11 February 1896, Oscar Wilde''s Salomé took on female embodied form that signalled the start of ''her'' phenomenal journey through the history of the arts in the twentieth century. This volume explores Salome''s appropriation and reincarnation across the arts - not just Wilde''s heroine, nor Richard Strauss''s - but Salome as a cultural icon in fin-de-siècle society, whose appeal for ever new interpretations of the biblical story still endures today. Using Salome as a common starting point, each chapter suggests new ways in which performing bodies reveal alternative stories, narratives and perspectives and offer a range and breadth of source material and theoretical approaches. The first chapter draws on the field of comparative literature to investigate the inter-artistic interpretations of Salome in a period that straddles the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the Modernist era. This chapter sets the tone for theTrade Review'This book has the potential for a wide readership including academics and students as well as those interested in opera and ballet settings of plays. It offers a sociocultural and historic rereading of a seminal literary, musical, operatic, balletic, cinematic work that has changed the direction of the theater and theatrical works for film. It is successful in revealing how "corporeal performing bodies reveal alternative stories, narratives, perspectives".'NotesTable of ContentsContents: Introduction: performing Salome, revealing stories, Clair Rowden; Decadent senses: the dissemination of Oscar Wilde’s Salomé across the arts, Polina Dimova; Visions of Salome, visions of Wilde: critical readings of Oscar Wilde’s Salome in early 20th-century Vienna, Sandra Mayer; Whose/who’s Salome? Natalia Trouhanowa, a dancing diva, Clair Rowden; Salome’s slow dance with the Lord Chamberlain, London 1909-10, Anne Sivuoja-Kauppala; Seven veils, seven rooms, four walls and countless contexts, Hedda Høgåsen-Hallesby; The dirt on Salome, Caryl Clark; Outrageous Salome: grace and fury in Carmelo Bene’s Salomè and Ken Russell’s Salome’s Last Dance, Tristan Grünberg; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisLong obfuscated by modern definitions of historical evidence and art patronage, Lucrezia Tornabuoni deâ Mediciâs impact on the visual world of her time comes to light in this book, the first full-length scholarly argument for a lay womanâs contributions to the visual arts of fifteenth-century Florence. This focused investigation of the Medici familyâs domestic altarpiece, Filippo Lippiâs Adoration of the Christ Child, is broad in its ramifications. Mapping out the cultural network of gender, piety, and power in which Lippiâs painting was originally embedded, author Stefanie Solum challenges the received wisdom that women played little part in actively shaping visual culture during the Florentine Quattrocento. She uses visual evidence never before brought to bear on the topic to reveal that Lucrezia Tornabuoni - shrewd power-broker, pious poetess, and mother of the 'Magnificent' Lorenzo deâ Medici - also had a profound impact on the visual arts. Lucrezia emerges as a fascinating key tTrade Review'Solum presents a fresh, innovative interpretation of a familiar masterpiece by Filippo Lippi, illuminating our understanding of a series of related works. This erudite and lucid text offers a new paradigm for the definition of the nature of the artist-patron relationship, especially important for future work on female patronage.' Bruce Edelstein, New York University in Florence'Stefanie Solum opens this stimulating book by discussing a question fundamental for those interested in artistic patronage in Renaissance Florence: whether or not laywomen commissioned significant paintings, sculptures, or buildings in the city during the fifteenth century. ...Lucrezia certainly pursued a religious ideal embodied by the saints, exemplified in religious texts, and outlined in devotional literature. Solum’s ingenious utilization of such evidence yields a fascinating hypothesis concerning Lucrezia’s role in influencing the creation of a major fifteenth-century painting, as well as a reconstruction of her inner life of prayer and rich religious imagination.' CAA.ReviewsTable of ContentsContents: Preface; Introduction: Lucrezia Tornabuoni de' Medici and the power of female patronage in 15th-century Florence; Saving the Medici; Gendered histories: Lucrezia Tornabuoni’s spiritual activism; Choosing the Child Baptist: beyond a civic icon; From outside in: the Child Baptist, Lucrezia Tornabuoni, and the contemplative turn; Garden, forest, and mountain: navigating the Baptist’s wilderness in the Palazzo Medici Adoration; Lucrezia Tornabuoni, female piety, and the power of patronage; Works cited; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe place of religion in public life continues to be a much-debated topic in Western nations. This book charts the changing role of hospital chaplains and examines through detailed case studies the realities of practice and the political debates which either threaten or sustain the service. This second edition includes a new introduction and updated material throughout to present fresh insights and research about chaplaincy, including in relation to New Atheism and the developing debate about secularism and religion in public life. Swift concludes that chaplains must do more to communicate the value of what they bring to the bedside.Trade ReviewReviews of the first edition: ’The book I wanted to read when I first became a healthcare chaplain. As a novice chaplain, I wanted acquainting with the historical background of my new profession; a handle on the politics behind the emerging professional agenda of chaplaincy; and direction in understanding what spiritual care means in a non-religious environment.’ Reviews in Religion and Theology (reviewer Steve Nolan, UK) ’Swift’s book is for church historians, practical theologians, chaplains, health care professionals, and those embattled in the debate over society’s role in health care. Americans have been privy to a front row seat as politicians, insurance providers, lobbyists, assorted special-interest groups, and medical professionals debate health care in the USA. This is a must -read book if that debate is of interest to you.’ Journal of Religion, Disability & Health (reviewer Willard W.C. Ashley) ’This invaluable book will stand the test of time. Health care professionals will find it a constant point of reference as they wrestle with the issues both locally and nationally. Most importantly, there is a challenge here to the churches to take chaplaincy seriously as the frontier ministry it is.’ Paul Ballard, Cardiff University, UK ’A fascinating book written by a serving chaplain. ... provides a valuable insight into the opportunities and difficulties in 21st century chaplaincy. It deserves to be required reading for all those entering the profession.’ Theology (reviewer Derek J. Fraser) ’[Swift] has ignited the debate about what is truly of value in healthcare chaplaincy and how that value can be appreciated, understood, and evidenced by both the faith communities and by the NHS.’ Journal of Practical Theology (reviewer Mia Hilborn) ’With the NHS facing more and more calls on its resources from an ageing population, chaplains do need to follow Swift’s advice. This book should help them gain new confidence in the value of thTable of ContentsContents: Foreword to the first edition; Foreword to the second edition; Preface; Introduction; A history of the chaplain; The chaplains’ professionalization; The political context; The battle of Worcester; The chaplain today: an auto-ethnography; Religion, secularization and spirituality; Theological voices and ventures; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe plight of the fallen woman is one of the salient themes of nineteenth-century art and literature; indeed, the ubiquity of the trope galvanized the Victorian conscience and acted as a spur to social reform. In some notable examples, Julia Grella O'Connell argues, the iconography of the Victorian fallen woman was associated with music, reviving an ancient tradition conflating the practice of music with sin and the abandonment of music with holiness. The prominence of music symbolism in the socially-committed, quasi-religious paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites and their circle, and in the Catholic-Wagnerian novels of George Moore, gives evidence of the survival of a pictorial language linking music with sin and conversion, and shows, even more remarkably, that this language translated fairly easily into the cultural lexicon of Victorian Britain. Drawing upon music iconography, art history, patristic theology, and sensory theory, Grella O'Connell investigates female fallenness and itsTrade Review'The Diana McVeagh Prize Committee commends Dr. O’Connell’s interdisciplinary scholarship, which traverses visual art, literature, theology, and music with great skill, and is delivered in exceptionally refined and lucid prose. Through her focus on the trope of the ‘fallen woman,’ Dr. O’Connell demonstrates--among other things--how images involving Saint Cecilia or Mary Magdalen informed Victorian perceptions of music's moral agency.' North American British Musical Studies Association, 2019 McVeagh Prize Committee 'In Sound, Sin, and Conversion in Victorian England, Julia Grella O’Connell provides a wide-ranging and learned study of music and theology in the Victorian era. O’Connell’s complex argument addresses the varied cultural manifestations of the notion that music and conversion are connected phenomena…the great strength of O’Connell’s book is its ability to follow the thread of music, hearing, and conversion through so many different cultural genres, including fiction, painting, and music.' Victorian Studies/Volume 62, No. 2Table of ContentsIntroduction: Music, Sin, and Grace 1. Music, Magdalenes, and Metanoia in The Awakening Conscience 2. Music, Mirrors, and Marian Doppelgängers 3. Instruments of Change: Hearing and Belief 4. Musical Converts Conclusion: Seeing, Hearing, and Conversion

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Book SynopsisJohn Owen (1616-1683) is regarded as one of the greatest theologians Britain ever produced. Owen has had an important historical and theological influence, and his significance is widely recognized today. As a revival in Owen studies and reprints has taken place, this much-needed companion by an international group of leading scholars, helpfully explores key questions related to Owen''s method, theology, and pastoral practice. Examining his thought through such topics as his epic work on the Holy Spirit, his developed view of faith and reason, and his contribution to the place of toleration, this book offers an authoritative exploration of one of Britain''s greatest theologians.Trade Review'Scholarly interest in the life and work of John Owen has been growing now for some years, both as part of the renaissance of interest in Reformed theology and as part of the increased prominence given to intellectual history in studies of early modern England. This volume offers an excellent overview of the kinds of scholarship currently being pursued and represents a significant contribution to our understanding of this intriguing figure and his times.' Professor Carl R. Trueman ’John Owen is arguably one of the most important Reformed theologians to have written in the English language. His work demonstrates what is best about constructive theology: a deep and sympathetic engagement with the tradition, a broad understanding of human learning, and an incisive and nimble mind, able to zero in on the most fundamental theological questions. These characteristics are explored in the essays of this volume, which give a snapshot of the state-of-the-art in the recent resurgence of interest in his work. They offer an overview of Owen’s thought, his intellectual context, and his ongoing significance for theology today that places beyond doubt his significance for the wider Church. This is a most welcome Companion to the study of one of the greatest Puritan minds.’ Oliver D. Crisp, Fuller Theological Seminary, USA ’Owen's reputation as one of the most distinguished minds of the seventeenth century is by now well established. This collection of well-informed interpretative essays provides an excellent guide to the range of his thought.’ John Webster, University of Aberdeen, UK '... this is one of the most important places to start when studying John Owen, and it should be read alongside some of the great introductions to Owen’s theology, such as Carl Trueman’s volume in the Great Theologians Series, John Owen: Reformed Catholic, Renaissance Man (2007) also by Ashgate... this will serve those interested in Owen well, providing needed access to a wide-rangingTable of ContentsContents: Preface, Carl R. Trueman; Section I Method: Reformed or reforming? John Owen and the complexity of theological codification for mid-17th-century England, Ryan Kelly; John Owen on faith and reason, Sebastian Rehnman; John Owen’s commentary on Hebrews in context, John W. Tweeddale; Covenant theology as relational theology: the contributions of Johannes Cocceius (1603-1669) and John Owen (1618-1683) to a living reformed theology, Willem J. van Asselt; Impetration and application in John Owen’s theology, Gert van den Brink; John Owen, Renaissance man? The evidence of Edward Millington’s Bibliotheca Oweniana (1684), Crawford Gribben. Section II Theology: The spirit as gift: explorations in John Owen’s pneumatology, Kelly M. Kapic; Beholding the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ: John Owen and the ’reforming’ of the beatific vision, Suzanne McDonald; Christ’s priestly oblation and intercession: their development and significance in John Owen, Edwin Tay; The significance of John Owen for modern Christology, Alan Spence; John Owen's doctrine of the Trinity in its Catholic context, Robert Letham; Justification and mystical union with Christ: where does Owen stand?, George Hunsinger. Section III Practise: Owen’s personality: the man behind the theology, Tim Cooper; John Owen and the Puritan toleration controversy, 1646-59, John Coffey; ’The fire that kindleth all our sacrifices to God’: Owen and the work of the Holy Spirit in prayer, Daniel R. Hyde; From life’s first cry: John Owen on infant baptism and infant salvation, Lee Gatiss; John Owen’s gospel offer: well-meant or not?, Martin Foord; Index.

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Book SynopsisTaking seriously the practice and not just the theory of music, this ground-breaking collection of essays establishes a new standard for the interdisciplinary conversation between theology, musicology, and liturgical studies. The public making of music in our society happens more often in the context of chapels, churches, and cathedrals than anywhere else. The command to sing and make music to God makes music an essential part of the DNA of Christian worship. The book's three main parts address questions about the history, the performative contexts, and the nature of music. Its opening four chapters traces how accounts of music and its relation to God, the cosmos, and the human person have changed dramatically through Western history, from the patristic period through medieval, Reformation and modern times. A second section examines the role of music in worship, and asks whatif anythingmakes a piece of music suitable for religious use. The final paTable of ContentsPreface, Vernon White Part 1: The Meanings of Music in Western History 1 Mellifluous Music in Early Western Christianity, Carol Harrison 2 ‘We Prefer Gods We Can See’: Music’s Mediations Between Seen Things and God in the Patristic and Medieval Periods, Nancy van Deusen 3 Hearing Revelation: Music and Theology in the Reformation, Jonathan Arnold 4 Music, Atheism, and Modernity: Aesthetics, Morality, and the Theological Construction of the Self, Gareth Wilson Part 2: The Work of Worship and the Meanings of Music 5 The worship of God and the quest of the Spirit: ‘Contemporary’ versus ‘Traditional’ Church Music, Gordon Graham 6 Musical Promiscuity: Can the Same Music Serve Sacred and Profane Ends Equally Well? Lucy Winkett 7 Mixing their Musick: Worship, Music, and Christian Communities, James Hawkey Part 3: The Meanings of Music and the Mystery of God 8 The Malleable Meanings of Music, John Butt 9 The Material, the Moral and the Mysterious: Three Dimensions of Music, Ben Quash 10 Absolute Music / Absolute Worship, Daniel K.L. Chua 11 Afterword, Jeremy S. Begbie

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Book SynopsisIslam’s Sacred Law is one of the most complex, detailed and comprehensive legal theories that Islam, as a Western religion, has produced in its capacity as a doctrine of social justice. However, few available texts have dealt with the treatment of women under the actual system of justice that adheres to Islam’s Sacred Law. This book fills this void by providing a much needed comprehensive study of the application of the Sacred Law to women under the Islamic Republic of Iran’s justice system. It will be a fascinating guide to all those interested in comparative law, criminal justice and the sociology of law.Trade Review’...provides much needed insight into Islam’s basic Sharia (Sacred) Law...a comprehensive but succinct challenge to the contemporary government’s claim that its application of the Sharia emulates the Prophet Muhammad’s style of adjudication...’ UN21 Interest Group Newsletter 'Kusha's book provides a reasoned analysis supported by a wealth of data about the criminal justice system in Iran as it relates to women...The book is a must read for both its criminological and historic significance.' International Criminal Justice ReviewTable of ContentsContents: Introduction; The Sharia law’s genesis: a brief history; The legal theory of Sharia law; Women’s legal status in Sharia law; Iran’s criminal justice system: from secular to Sharia; The criminogenic impacts of Sharia based criminal justice system in Iran, 1979-1999; Feminine crime under the Sharia based system in Iran; The Sharia law and female victimization in Iran; Conclusion; Index.

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Book SynopsisNew Age and holistic beliefs and practices - sometimes called the "new spirituality" - are widely distributed across modern global society. The fluid and popular nature of new age makes these movements a very challenging field to understand using traditional models of religious analysis. Rather than treating new age as an exotic specimen on the margins of 'proper' religion, "New Age Spirituality" examines these movements as a form of everyday or lived religion. The book brings together an international range of scholars to explore the key issues: insight, healing, divination, meditation, gnosis, extraordinary experiences, and interactions with gods, spirits and superhuman powers. Combining discussion of contemporary beliefs and practices with cutting-edge theoretical analysis, the book repositions new age spirituality at the forefront of the contemporary study of religion.Trade Review"The book moves the study of new age from the margins of the comparative study of religion. It resists the claim that religion must be institutional, yet similarly resists the idea that diffuse and individualistic phenomena, like new age, lack social and historical dimensions. New age - examined methodologically and discovered in rich empirical data - is revealed as religion, not fringe but central." - Carole M. Cusack, University of Sydney "Acumen Publishing continues to lead the way in the academic study of the overlapping fields of paganism, occultism, and New Age with this new collection - By treating New Age as 'core' or 'elementary' religion and by linking contemporary studies of New Age to classic literature on religion, the book has the potential to open new avenues of analysis and critique in anthropology." - Anthropology Review DatabaseTable of ContentsIntroduction: 'All mixed up': thinking about religion in relation to new age spiritualities, Ingvild Salid Gilhus and Steven J. Sutcliffe; PART I: RETHINKING NEW AGE SPIRITUALITIES; 1. New Age, World Religions and Elementary Forms, Steven J. Sutcliffe; 2. 'All over the place': The Contribution of New Age to a Spatial Model of Religion, Ingvild Salid Gilhus; 3. Towards a New Paradigm of Constructing 'Religion': New Age Data and Unbounded Categories, Liselotte Frisk; 4. On Transgressing the Secular: Spiritualities of life, Idealism, Vitalism, Paul Heelas; 5. Hiding in Plain Sight: The Organizational Forms of 'Unorganized Religion', Ann Taves and Michael Kinsella; PART II: COMPARING NEW AGE BELIEFS AND PRACTICES; 6. Narrow New Age and Broad Spirituality: A Comprehensive Schema and a Comparative Analysis, Norichika Horie; 7. Dolphins and other Humans: New Age identities in Comparative Perspective, Mikael Rothstein; 8. New Age, Sami Shamanism and Indigenous Spirituality, Trude Fonneland and Siv Ellen Kraft; 9.

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