Religious intoleranceand conflict Books

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Book SynopsisIn April of 2002, a mosque in Cambridge, MA run by the Islamic Society of Boston (ISB) posted an appeal on its website: “Chechen refugee family needs temporary place to live until they complete their permanent refugee status in the US. Husband has good business knowledge, auto-mechanic experience and construction.” Contrary to the Islamic Society of Boston’s claims, taken entirely at face value by most media, that the Tsarnaev brothers only briefly and occasionally attended its Cambridge mosque over the year or so before they bombed the Boston Marathon, the Tsarnaevs were already involved with the ISB in April of 2002 – the month that they arrived in the United States. The family, which was not religious when it arrived in America, began regularly praying at the ISB mosque and turned increasingly fundamentalist. This fits an alarming pattern: Since 9/11, fourteen leaders and members of the ISB have either been imprisoned, killed by law enforcement, or declared fugitives for their involvement in Islamic terrorism. The stories of the Tsarnaev brothers have been told in countless places. The story of the mosque that they attended during their increasing radicalization – and the organization that runs it – has not been told in any meaningful way yet. Terror in the Cradle of Liberty documents the rise of Islamist networks within New England’s historically-moderate and century-old Muslim community since the 1960s. It contains a detailed and personal account of the efforts by Massachusetts activists since 2002 to expose and counter the influence of Islamist networks in New England – even as Jewish, political, and law enforcement leaders in the Bay State have decided to embrace these networks as interfaith and community allies.Trade Review“A frightening portrait of the terrorist threat we face in our homeland, and of the progressive enablers and deniers who make it possible. A must read.” —David Horowitz “‘Boston, Boston, Boston, what a town to get lost in,’ the old song goes. But as Ilya I. Feoktistov shows in this highly compelling book, this most liberal of cities, the birthplace of our democracy, has now become a shelter for the most disturbing jihadism.” —Roger L. Simon “For a generation, the government, the media, and the academy have told Americans to ignore the catalyst of jihadist terror, as if the threat were the resulting brutality rather than the animating ideology. Terror in the Cradle of Liberty is Ilya I. Feoktistov’s spellbinding account of how the Boston Marathon bombing is the result of this willful blindness.” —Andrew C. McCarthy, New York Times bestselling author of Willful Blindness, The Grand Jihad, and Ball of Collusion

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Book SynopsisThe late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have been a period of mass production and proliferation of Jewish ideas, and have witnessed major changes in Jewish life and stimulated major debates. The New Jewish Canon offers a conceptual roadmap to make sense of such rapid change. With over eighty excerpts from key primary source texts and insightful corresponding essays by leading scholars, on topics of history and memory, Jewish politics and the public square, religion and religiosity, and identities and communities, The New Jewish Canon promises to start conversations from the seminar room to the dinner table. The New Jewish Canon is both text and textbook of the Jewish intellectual and communal zeitgeist for the contemporary period and the recent past, canonizing our most important ideas and debates of the past two generations; and just as importantly, stimulating debate and scholarship about what is yet to come.Trade Review“Extraordinarily rich, lively and illuminating. … [The editors] have succeeded magnificently in achieving their goal.” —Jonathan Kirsch, the Jewish Journal“This is a rich col­lec­tion that pro­vides a win­dow into many of the key debates that have raged, and still rage, in the Jew­ish world. It rais­es many provoca­tive ques­tions about the nature of con­tem­po­rary Judaism and its future.” —Martin Green, Jewish Book CouncilTable of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction: "The State of Jewish Ideas: Towards a New Jewish Canon" I. Jewish Politics and the Public Square 1. Michael Walzer, Exodus and Revolution, 1985 Essay: William Galston 2. George Steiner, "Our Homeland, the Text," 1985; Judith Butler, "Judith Butler's Remarks to Brooklyn College on BDS," 2013 Essay: Julie Cooper 3. Jonathan Woocher, Sacred Survival: The Civil Religion of American Jews, 1986 Essay: Sylvia Fishman 4. Benny Morris, The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, 1947–1949, 1987; and The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem Revisited, 2004;Ari Shavit, "Survival of the Fittest? An Interview with Benny Morris," 2004 and "Lydda, 1948," 2013 Essay: Daniel Kurtzer 5. Irving (Yitz) Greenberg vs. Meir Kahane, Public Debate at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, 1988 Essay: Shaul Magid 6. Yeshayahu Leibowitz, Eliezer Goldman (ed.), Judaism, Human Values, and the Jewish State, 1992 Essay: Joshua Shanes 7. Israeli Supreme Court Part 1: Israeli Knesset Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty, 1992; Aharon Barak, "A Judge on Judging: The Role of a Supreme Court in a Democracy," January 2002 Essay: Yigal Mersel 8. Aharon Lichtenstein, "On the Murder of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin z"l," 1995 Essay: David Wolkenfeld 9. Aviezer Ravitzky, Messianism, Zionism, and Jewish Religious Radicalism, 1996 Essay: Yehuda Magid 10. Israeli Supreme Court Part 2: The Israeli Supreme Court sitting as the High Court of Justice, Horev v. Minister of Transportation, 1997; The Israeli Supreme Court sitting as the High Court of Justice: Baruch Marzel v. Jerusalem District Police Commander, Mr. Aharon Franco, 2002 Essay: Donniel Hartman 11. Samuel G. Freedman, Jew vs. Jew: The Struggle for the Soul of American Jewry, 2000 Essay: Noam Pianko 12. Breaking the Silence Testimonies, Founded in 2004 Essay: Sarah Anne Minkin 13. Steven M. Cohen and Jack Wertheimer, "Whatever Happened to the Jewish People?," 2006 Essay: Erica Brown 14. Yitzhak Shapira and Yosef Elitzur, Torat HaMelekh, 2009 Essay: Hillel Ben-Sasson 15. Moshe Halbertal, "The Goldstone Illusion," 2009 Essay: Elana Stein Hain 16. Peter Beinart, "The Failure of the American Jewish Establishment," 2010 Essay: Sara Yael Hirschhorn 17. Daniel Gordis, "When Balance Becomes Betrayal" and Sharon Brous, "Lowering the Bar," 2012 Essay: Yehuda Kurtzer 18. Matti Friedman, "An Insider's Guide to the Most Important Story on Earth," 2014 Essay: Rachel Fish II. History, Memory and Narrative 1. David Hartman, "Auschwitz or Sinai?," 1982 Essay: Rachel Sabath Beit Halachmi 2. Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi, Zakhor: Jewish History and Jewish Memory, 1982 Essay: Alexander Kaye 3. Emil Fackenheim, To Mend the World, 1982 Essay: Benjamin Pollock 4. Robert M. Cover, "The Supreme Court, 1982 Term—Foreword: Nomosand Narrative," 1983 Essay: Christine Hayes 5. Kahan Commission (Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Events at the Refugee Camps in Beirut), 1983 Essay: Yehuda Kurtzer 6. Amos Oz, In the Land of Israel, 1983 Essay: Wendy Zierler 7. David Biale, Power and Powerlessness in Jewish History, 1986 Essay: Judah Bernstein 8. Elie Wiesel, Acceptance Speech, on the Occasion of the Award of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, 1986 Essay: Claire E. Sufrin 9. Primo Levi, The Drowned and the Saved, 1986 Essay: Sarah Cushman 10. Irving (Yitz) Greenberg, "The Third Great Cycle of Jewish History," 1987 Essay: Joshua Feigelson 11. Deborah Lipstadt, Denying the Holocaust, 1993; Yaffa Eliach, There Once Was a World: A 900-Year Chronicle of the Shtetl of Eishyshok, 1998 Essay: Yehuda Kurtzer 12. Haym Soloveitchik, "Rupture and Reconstruction," 1994 Essay: Yehuda Kurtzer 13. Naomi Seidman, "Elie Wiesel and the Scandal of Jewish Rage," 1996 Essay: Erin Leib Smokler 14. Dabru Emet, New York Times, 2000 Essay: Marcie Lenk 15. Jonathan Sarna, American Judaism: A History, 2004 Essay: Marc Dollinger 16. David Weiss Halivni, Breaking the Tablets: Jewish Theology After the Shoah,2007 Essay: Daniel Weiss 17. Ruth Wisse, "How Not to Remember and How Not to Forget," 2008 Essay: Dara Horn 18. Yossi Klein Halevi, Like Dreamers, 2013 Essay: Hannah Kober III. Religion and Religiosity 1. Joseph Soloveitchik,Halakhic Man, 1983 Essay: Shlomo Zuckier 2. Yehoshua Yeshaya Neuwirth, Shemirath Shabbath Kehilchathah, 1984 Essay: David Bashevkin 3. David Hartman, A Living Covenant: The Innovative Spirit in Traditional Judaism, 1985 Essay: David Ellenson 4. The Complete Artscroll Siddur, 1984 Essay: David Zvi Kalman 5. Neil Gillman, Sacred Fragments: Recovering Theology for the Modern Jew, 1990; Eugene Borowitz, Renewing the Covenant: A Theology for the Postmodern Jew, 1991 Essay: Michael Marmur 6. Rachel Adler "In Your Blood, Live: Re-visions of a Theological Purity," 1993 Essay: Gail Labovitz 7. Rodger Kamenetz, The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India, 1994 Essay: Or Rose 8. Avivah Gottleib Zornberg, Genesis: The Beginning of Desire, 1995 Essay: Shira Hecht-Koller 9. Abraham Joshua Heschel, Susannah Heschel (ed.), Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity, 1996 Essay: William Plevan 10. Noam Zion and David Dishon, A Different Night: The Family Participation Haggadah, 1997 Essay: Emily Filler 11. Mendel Shapiro, "Qeri'at HaTorah by Women: A Halakhic Analysis," 2001 Essay: Tova Hartman 12. Jonathan Sacks, Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations, London: Continuum,2002 Essay: Michal Raucher 13. Rav Shagar, Broken Vessels, 2004 Essay: Tomer Persico 14. Arthur Green, Radical Judaism: Rethinking God and Tradition, 2010; Daniel Landes, "Hidden Master," 2010; Arthur Green and Daniel Landes, "God, Torah, and Israel: An Exchange," 2011 Essay: Samuel Hayim Brody 15. Elie Kaunfer, Empowered Judaism: What Independent Minyanim Can Teach Us About Building Vibrant Jewish Communities, 2010 Essay: Shawn Landres and Josh Avedon IV. Identities and Communities 1. Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Letter to the Jewish Community of Teaneck, 1981 Essay: Jonathan Sarna 2. Blu Greenberg, On Women and Judaism: A View from Tradition, 1981 Essay: Rachel Gordan 3. Harold Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, 1981; Alan Lew, This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation, 2003 Essay: Joshua Ladon 4. Evelyn Torton Beck (ed.), Nice Jewish Girls: A Lesbian Anthology, 1982; Susannah Heschel (ed.), On Being a Jewish Feminist, 1983 Essay: Claire E. Sufrin 5. Paul Cowan with Rachel Cowan, Mixed Blessings: Overcoming the Stumbling Blocks in an Interfaith Marriage, 1988 Essay: Samira Mehta 6. Judith Plaskow, Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective, 1990 Essay: Judith Rosenbaum 7. Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Deborah, Golda, and Me: Being Female and Jewish in America, 1991 Essay: Arielle Levites 8. Barry Kosmin, "Highlights of the CJF 1990 National Jewish Population Survey," 1991; "A Portrait of Jewish Americans," 2013 Essay: Mijal Bitton 9. Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Literacy, 1991; Paula Hyman, "Who is an Educated Jew?" 2002; Vanessa Ochs, "Ten Jewish Sensibilities," 2003 Essay: Hannah Pressman 10. Yaakov Levado, "Gayness and God: Wrestlings of an Orthodox Rabbi," 1993 Essay: Zev Farber 11. Leonard Fein, "Smashing Idols and Other Prescriptions for Jewish Continuity," 1994 Essay: Aryeh Cohen 12. Steven M. Cohen and Arnold M. Eisen, The Jew Within: Self, Family, and Community in America, 2000 Essay: Alan Brill 13. A. B. Yehoshua, "The Meaning of Homeland," 2006 Essay: James Loeffler 14. Elliot N. Dorff, Daniel S. Nevins, and Avram I. Reisner, "Homosexuality, Human Dignity, and Halakhah: A Combined Responsum for the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards," 2006 Essay: Jane Kanarek 15. Noah Feldman "Orthodox Paradox," 2007; Jay Lefkowitz, "The Rise of Social Orthodoxy: A Personal Account," 2014 Essay: Elli Fischer 16. Tamar Biala and Nechama Weingarten-Mintz (eds.), Dirshuni: Midrashei Nashim, 2009 Essay: Sarah Mulhern 17. Leon Wieseltier, "Language, Identity, and the Scandal of American Jewry," 2011 Essay: Jon Levisohn 18. Ruth Calderon, Inaugural Knesset Speech, "The Heritage of All Israel," 2013 Essay: Yossi Klein Halevi 19. Rick Jacobs, "The Genesis of Our Future," 2013 Essay: Dan Friedman

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Book SynopsisInspired by seven photographs of WWII refugees in an old album, the author embarked on a quest to uncover the story behind each portrait. Had the refugees been rescued by the diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who saved thousands of Jews from the Holocaust by providing Japanese transit visas? Searching for the identities of the people in the photographs, the author scoured historical records and interviewed numerous fascinating individuals, including Sugihara visa recipients and their descendants. While solving the mystery of the people in the photographs, the author uncovered more hero diplomats and new details about Sugihara visas. This account of the author’s investigation supports the legacy of Chiune Sugihara and highlights other WWII saviors, such as the Dutch diplomat Jan Zwartendijk. Trade Review“[N]early forgotten footnotes in the annals of the Holocaust are resurrected with passion and conviction by Kitade, who has devoted himself to building bridges of mutual understanding between Japan and Jews. In Emerging Heroes, he salutes the Japanese and foreign diplomats who went above and beyond the call of duty to lend a helpful hand to Jewish refugees during their darkest hours of duress.”— Sheldon Kirshner, Times of Israel“Akira Kitade has written a highly entertaining and gripping sequel to his well-received book Visas of Life and the Epic Journey: How the Sugihara Survivors Reached Japan. The first three chapters follow up on the stories of the seven photos discussed in his previous book. The next five chapters focus on the heroic roles played by the Japanese consul Chiune Sugihara and five essential diplomat 'accomplices' in saving over 2000, mostly Polish Jews, who had escaped to Lithuania prior to March 1940. These diplomats included Jan Zwartendijk, Honorary Consul of the Netherlands in Lithuania; Saburo Nei, Acting Japanese Consul General of Japan in Vladivostok; N. A. J. de Voogd, Consul of the Netherlands in Kobe; Yoshitsugu Tatekawa, Ambassador of Japan in the Soviet Union; Tadeusz Romer, Ambassador of the Polish Government-in-Exile in Japan. The last chapter gives an accounting of the 2,140 names on the Sugihara List. Akira Kitade personalizes the stories in each chapter and writes in a relaxed, colloquial style. He exhibits an open-mindedness throughout in relating his stories.”– George Bluman, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Sugihara descendant“Akira Kitade is an unlikely chronicler of courage, hope, and heroism in humanity’s darkest age.Clearing out his modest office as he retired after a lifelong career at Japan’s Tourism Bureau, Akira discovered a dusty 75-year-old scrapbook filled with poems and photos in a neglected drawer. Written by his boss in 1941, it was titled ‘people without nations.’ The scrapbook’s haunting photos of desperate refugees led Akira on a journey of discovery into the lives of terrified Jews fleeing the Nazis and their unknown saviors.His tale, carefully written, with precision and detail, is a gripping story of good interfering in the face of evil, moral choices blunting the teeth of danger, and pure bravery. Reading as fine as dramatic fiction, it will stand for generations as a handbook of ordinary folks whose difficult decisions led them to immortal greatness.”–Rabbi Aaron Kotler, President Emeritus, Beth Medrash Govoha“Huge numbers of refugees took shelter from Poland in Lithuania at the beginning of WWII. Thousands of them were rescued from the Holocaust in the summer of 1940 by Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese consul in Kaunas. However, their destinies have scarcely been known after the war. Akira Kitade traces fourteen survivors by their footprints, who or whose parents received 'Visas for Life' from Sugihara or other Japanese diplomats and opened up a field of activity in the new world. Kitade also clarifies the activity of other rescuers than Sugihara.”– Chiharu Inaba, Professor of International Relations, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan. Author of On the Hill of Yad Vashem: Trees of Righteous among the Nations (in Japanese).Table of ContentsMessage from the Mayor of Tsuruga City Takanobu Fuchikami Foreword Harriet P. Schleifer Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Encounter with an Album 2. The Sugihara Survivors I Met, and the Follow-Up 3. People in the Album Whose Identities Were Discovered 4. Jan Zwartendijk, Consul of the Netherlands in Kaunas 5. Saburo Nei, Acting Consul General in Vladivostok 6. N. A. J. de Voogd, Consul of the Netherlands in Kobe, Later Ambassador of the Netherlands to Japan 7. Yoshitsugu Tatekawa, Ambassador to the Soviet Union 8. Tadeusz Romer, Polish Ambassador to Japan 9. Tracking Down the 2,139 People on the Sugihara List  Conclusion List of Major References

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Book SynopsisExamines the diverse experiences of Reformed Protestant religious refugees fleeing war and persecution in the Netherlands for cities and towns in the Holy Roman Empire in the late sixteenth century. Starting in the mid-sixteenth century, widespread persecution and war forced tens of thousands of Reformed Protestants in the Netherlands to flee their homes for new communities in England and the Holy Roman Empire. This book follows those refugees who escaped to large cities and small towns to the east and southeast, up the Rhine River watershed. The comprehensive approach taken here examines these forced migrations from political, intellectual, social, cultural, religious, and linguistic perspectives, including using a large prosopographical database to track refugees' movements and experiences. It challenges scholars' claims that Reformed Protestants developed more doctrinal, volunteeristic, and well-organized churches particularly capable of surviving the challenges of persecution and exile. Instead, the authors show, refugees proved remarkably willing to compromise and adapt, even as they built new relationships with the unfamiliar people they met abroad. Based on an extensive collaboration between two senior scholars with different but complementary intellectual backgrounds—one a European trained in theology and intellectual history and the other a North American with expertise in social and cultural history—and the team of researchers they led, this book challenges conventional wisdom about refugees and forced migrations in early modern Europe. Upon publication, this book is openly available in digital formats thanks to generous funding from the Dutch Research Council.Table of ContentsFigures and Tables Abbreviations Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Leaving Home 2. Foreign Accommodations 3. Strangers and Neighbors 4. Managing Worship 5. Living in Diaspora 6. Returning and Remembering Afterword Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe masthead of the Liberator, an anti-Catholic newspaper published in Magnolia, Arkansas, displayed from 1912 to 1915 an image of the Whore of Babylon. She was an immoral woman sitting on a seven-headed beast, holding a golden cup “full of her abominations,” and intended to represent the Catholic Church.Propaganda of this type was common during a nationwide surge in antipathy to Catholicism in the early twentieth century. This hostility was especially intense in largely Protestant Arkansas, where for example a 1915 law required the inspection of convents to ensure that priests could not keep nuns as sexual slaves.Later in the decade, anti-Catholic prejudice attached itself to the campaign against liquor, and when the United States went to war in 1917, suspicion arose against German speakers—most of whom, in Arkansas, were Roman Catholics.In the 1920s the Ku Klux Klan portrayed Catholics as “inauthentic” Americans and claimed that the Roman church was trying to take over the country’s public schools, institutions, and the government itself. In 1928 a Methodist senator from Arkansas, Joe T. Robinson, was chosen as the running mate to balance the ticket in the presidential campaign of Al Smith, a Catholic, which brought further attention.Although public expressions of anti-Catholicism eventually lessened, prejudice was once again visible with the 1960 presidential campaign, won by John F. Kennedy.Anti-Catholicism in Arkansas illustrates how the dominant Protestant majority portrayed Catholics as a feared or despised “other,” a phenomenon that was particularly strong in Arkansas.

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Book SynopsisFacing issues of violence and conflict, authors of textbooks for Religious Education (RE) choose a range of different strategies. While some try to write as non-controversially as possible about such issues, other authors choose to leave them completely out. Even in the academic study of religions, a well-established perspective is that religion is primarily something good, and important for societies as well as for human development. Such basic presumptions/perspectives are often nurtured by an apologetic orientation to the representation of religion. In some cases, religious violence and conflict are therefore considered disruptive forces that destroy what is "true," "authentic" and "valuable" in religion.Textbook Violence offers critical perspectives on how textbooks deal or not deal with issues of conflict and violence in religions. The volume's contributions provide examples from textbooks for university level as well as from RE in schools, and include discussions of conflict and violence in a range of different religious traditions. The contributors bring issues of religious violence and conflict into focus through such questions as: In what way is violence and/or conflict treated? Who are the authorial voices? What are their aims? Who is the reader being addressed? How are the representations of religions framed by value judgments?Beyond certain obvious ideological considerations (e.g., nationalism; the interests of religious pedagogues who contribute to textbooks in some countries), there are a number of different factors shaping representations of religions in textbooks - from commercial considerations and statutory stipulations to situations where publishers and national examination boards work closely together to produce textbooks with contents keyed to national exams. This means that authors have to face different expectations and considerations when writing textbooks. Textbook Violence will also include reflections on the choices such authors are facing.Table of ContentsIntroductionJames R. Lewis and Bengt-Ove Andreassen1. Reading Beyond the Lines: What Students Learn From their History TextbooksMichael H. Romanowski, Qatar University2. This is not a Religion!: "The Treachery of the Iages" of Aum, Yasukuni and Al-Qaeda in Japanese TextbooksSatoko Fujiwara, University of Tokyo3. Ignore the War, Concentrate on Peace: Textbook Analysis of Strategies in Post-Conflict Societies - A Praxeological ApproachZrinka Stimac, Georg Eckert Institute, Germany4. Colonial Conflicts: Absence, Inclusion and Indigenization in Textbook Presentations of Indigenous Peoples Torjer A. Olsen, University of Tromso5. Talking about Conflicts in Pursuit of the Common Good, or how to Handle Sensitive Topics while Learning about Religions: The Approach of the Ethics and Religious Culture Textbooks in Quebec Sivane Hirsch, Universite du Quebec a Trois- Rivieres6. Representations of Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust in RE Textbooks for Norwegian Upper Secondary SchoolSuzanne Anett Thobro, University of Tromso7. Aniconism and Images in Norwegian RE Textbooks: Representations and Historical ChangeSissel Undheim, University of Bergen8. Undermining Authority: The Representation of Buddhism and Discourse on Modernity in Religion Education TextbooksKai Arne Nyborg, University of Tromso 9. Significant or Insignificant Absence? Religion and Violence in RE Textbooks for Norwegian Teacher EducationBengt-Ove Andreassen10. Toward an Appreciation of Non-NormativityA Quasi-AutobiographyAaron W. Hughes, University of Rochester11. Self-Contradictions and Projected Otherness: Images of Sikh Militancy in the Writings of Orientalist Scholars and Contemporary Textbook AuthorsJames R. Lewis

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Book Synopsis‘His parting shot at opposing the storm of fanaticism breaking over our times’ Financial Times Dear Zealots is an essential collection of three essays written out of a sense of urgency, concern, and a belief that a better future is still possible. It touches on the universal nature of fanaticism and its possible cures; the Jewish roots of humanism and the need for a secular pride in Israel; and the geopolitical standing of Israel in the wider Middle East and internationally. Amos Oz boldly puts forward his case for a two-state solution in what he calls ‘a question of life and death for the State of Israel’. Wise, provocative, moving and inspiring, these essays illuminate the argument over Israeli, Jewish and human existence, shedding a clear and surprising light on vital political and historical issues, and daring to offer new ways out of a reality that appears to be closed down.'Concise, evocative... a brilliant book of thoughts and ideas' David GrossmanTrade ReviewA passionate polemic against dogmatism and defeatism... Oz refuses to give up on democracy, on Israel or on justice for Palestinians. -- Louise Adler * The Australian *

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a fresh perspective on religious difference by setting local challenges within the global picture, and exploring the meaning of religious resurgence for Western secularist ideas. Theory and practical engagement are combined in an imaginative Christian approach to responding to religious difference, without resorting to relativism.Trade ReviewAt a time when some are fomenting divisions among religions, this wonderful book fosters understanding and compassion. Read it and you will feel more hopeful about the world. -- Dame Minouche Shafik, Director, London School of EconomicsThis book on interfaith engagement, by a distinguished leader in the field, not only vividly tells the story of a remarkable initiative but also gives its secret: an approach to faith communities and religious issues that is well-informed, imaginative, wise in strategy and execution, and deeply relevant to our conflicted world. -- David F. Ford OBE, Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus, University of CambridgeA thoughtful account of how religion can play a constructive role amid conflicts, and why people of faith should make this effort. -- Craig Calhoun, University Professor of Social Sciences, Arizona State University, USAThis short, incisive Christian reflection on interfaith dialogue and practice could well become a landmark in identifying and resourcing the next generation's agenda for such encounter... This invigorating work could energise much theology, interfaith encounter, and religious education, as well as the teaching of politics and social sciences. -- Dr Philip Lewis, Consultant on Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations to the Bishop of Leeds, and former lecturer in Peace Studies at Bradford University * Church Times *Table of ContentsIntroduction. 1. Saved from the Way of Blood. 2. Things Fall Apart. 3. The Return of Religion. 4. Deeply Christian, Serving the Common Good. 5. Becoming Good Neighbours.

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Book Synopsis‘[A] potent, brutal read... You won't be able to forget this story of a young boy robbed of his own childhood.’ Marie Claire, best YA 2019 I tell myself I’ve chosen to live, but the water knows the truth. Waves brush my arms, soft as shroud linen. The water knows I have to die. Three years after his older brother is recruited by the Somali militia group Al Shaabab, Abdi and his family are kidnapped by Americans. In exchange for their freedom, he reluctantly agrees to go undercover to rescue his brother and help foil deadly attacks. After months in their ranks, Abdi finally escapes. Haunted and alone on the streets of Kenya, he steals what he can to get by. But an arrest for petty theft sets in motion a chain of events that force him to confront the past he’s been so desperately trying to forget.Trade Review'Greed, guilt, and redemption are layered in a sober yet tender narrative showing the lengths one will go to for loved ones.' * Kirkus Reviews *'An intriguing examination of ways familial loyalty and guilt can lead anyone to make desperate choices. Anderson uses the exploration of manipulation and coercion to craft a thought-provoking narrative.' * School Library Journal *'Anderson...breathe[s] ferocious life into a story that needs to be told. This is one of those tough but invaluable books with the power to increase a reader's awareness of and empathy for teens who have lost the right to be young.' * Booklist, starred review *'[Anderson] makes it clear how difficult it is for even children to survive this faith-based and historically rooted conflict unscathed.' * Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books *'Narrator Kevin R. Free breathes dramatic urgency into Anderson's intense story…Listeners hear and feel Abdi's horror and numb, helpless despair at the atrocities he witnesses — and perpetrates — and we rejoice at his redemption.' * AudioFile, Earphones Award Winner *‘[A] potent, brutal read... You won't be able to forget this story of a young boy robbed of his own childhood.’ -- Marie Claire, best YA 2019‘Let’s Go Swimming on Doomsday is a gritty, challenging, but worthwhile read offering a message of redemption.’ -- Armadillo Magazine

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Book SynopsisSelected as one of ‘Five books that help explain what is happening in Afghanistan’ (Financial Times) So-called Islamic State began to appear in what it calls Khorasan (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Central Asia, Iran and India) in 2014. Reports of its presence were at first dismissed as propaganda, but during 2015 it became clear that IS had a serious presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan at least. This book, by one of the leading experts on Islamist insurgency in the region, explores the nature of IS in Khorasan, its aim and strategies, and its evolution in an environment already populated by many jihadist organisations. Based on first-hand research and numerous interviews with members of IS in Khorasan, as well as with other participants and observers, the book addresses highly contentious issues such as funding, IS’s relationship with the region’s authorities, and its interactions with other insurgent groups. Giustozzi argues that the central leadership of IS invested significant financial resources in establishing its own branch in Khorasan, and as such it is more than a local movement which adopted the IS brand for its own aims. Though the central leadership has been struggling in implementing its project, it is now turning towards a more realistic approach. This is the first book on a new frontier in Islamic State’s international jihad. Trade Review‘An important and extensively detailed account.’Excellent . . . the book brings clarity to the subject of terrorism and its nature in Afghanistan and Khorasan. It is a brilliant mix of journalistic account and academic research.’‘The book has a number of vital implications for peace in the region … Giustozzi is an astute observer of the conflict in Afghanistan and its many participants.’ -- Texas National Security Review'Drawing on incredible field research, and full of unique insight, this book explains how the Islamic State unexpectedly took root in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It reveals in detail the complex and mostly troubled relations between IS-K and the Taliban in both countries. This is yet another "must-read" study by Giustozzi, the great chronicler of the ongoing Afghan conflict.' -- Theo Farrell, Executive Dean of Law, Humanities and the Arts at the University of Wollongong, Australia, author of 'Unwinnable: Britain’s War in Afghanistan, 2001-2014''This is the first book on the Islamic State’s Khorasan branch and will be a go-to-guide for many years to come. Giustozzi has pulled together primary sources, original materials and first hand journalistic accounts to describe the emergence, composition and structure of the Islamic State group in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. A highly important scholarly contribution, it is essential reading for all those who want to understand the complexities of violent extremism in South and Central Asia.' -- Dawood Azami, PhD, Multi-Media Editor, BBC World Service

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Book SynopsisRohingya men, women and children have been fleeing from their homes for forty years. The tipping point came in August 2017, when almost 700,000 were wrung from Myanmar in a single military operation. There are now very few members of this Muslim minority left in the country. Instead, they live mostly in Bangladesh's refugee camps; or precariously in Malaysia, India, Saudi Arabia and scatterings elsewhere. With the Rohingya almost entirely in exile, 'I Feel No Peace' is the first book-length exploration of what their existence abroad looks like. Journalist Kaamil Ahmed draws on hundreds of hours of interviews, and on relationships that he has built over years with Rohingya in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and throughout the diaspora. He speaks to families who have had their children snatched, and people kidnapped to feed a system of human trafficking that is nourished by the community's suffering. Among the most disturbing and under-reported of his revelations is the complicit role of the UN and NGOs in the plight of the Rohingya. But Ahmed also describes stories of resilience and hope, painting a nuanced picture of how a scattered community survives. The characters of 'I Feel No Peace' are complex, heart-breaking and unforgettable.Trade Review'As Mr. Ahmed observes with heart-rending eloquence, the Rohingya have been, since 1982, a species of non-people in Myanmar … To read Mr. Ahmed’s invaluable book is to become overwhelmed with dread for the Rohingya.' -- The Wall Street Journal'['I Feel No Peace'] is effective at placing the recent exodus of Rohingya in its historical position: as something that had happened multiple times before, and will likely happen again. [...] [It is an] antidote for those who had any doubt of the inequality, desperation and injustice that characterises how the world treats refugees: silencing their voices and thereby making it easier to degrade them, and even ignore mounting death tolls.' -- Sally Hayden, The Irish Times'In prose that brims with empathy and humanity, Ahmed zooms in on individual lives to explain the breadth of this people's struggles.' -- Prospect'An in-depth exploration of the Rohingya in exile, their exploitation, quests for justice, and the apparent failures of world bodies such as the United Nations to protect them.' -- Al Jazeera'Deeply moving.' -- Nikkei Asia'An impressive mix of history, political analysis and extensive reportage from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Malaysia... The book gives a human angle to the refugee crisis and Ahmed's often tender portrayal, combined with a rightful anger for their treatment, is a must read.' -- Asian Review of Books'Ahmed's beautifully written... book weaves together the stories of Rohingya people who are not just buffeted by tragedy but are also agents in a struggle for justice... 'I Feel No Peace' is the opposite of the superficial glosses from reporters who dip into refugee camps for a few days.' -- Mekong Review'A moving account of the persecution, the suffering of Rohingya people, and their quest for justice and a dignified life in exile... The book lends a much-needed voice to the world's most silenced people.' -- Asia Sentinel‘An extraordinary – and depressing – picture of the Rohingya’s recent history … One book cannot solve the problem, but this one will help the reader understand it at the human level.’ -- Survival'This book goes to the heart of the eternal and under-reported suffering of the Rohingya. Forced out of what once was Burma and now is Myanmar, most are in exile in Bangladesh and beyond. An important story of our times.' -- Jon Snow'This book paints a deep, complicated and appalling picture: of one million people who have fled danger but now face immense risks from those they thought would protect them. While documenting the harm done by the UN and the Bangladeshi state, Ahmed humanises those normally dehumanised--the refugees.' -- Aditya Chakrabortty, 'The Guardian''A haunting and poetic, yet incisive and grounded, account of the tragedies that have befallen the Rohingya, of the realities of a people living almost entirely in exile, and of their struggles to maintain dignity and hope in the face of persecution and betrayal.' -- Kenan Malik, author, broadcaster and 'Observer' columnist'"I Feel No Peace" is a tender, forensic, harrowing and beautifully human portrait of the Rohingya, a people persecuted beyond measure. Ahmed has produced an exceptional work of journalism which promises to inspire change for the better.' -- Musa Okwonga, author, podcaster and musician'This is a remarkable and vivid testament to the results of Myanmar's genocide of the Rohingya. A striking portrait of a people forced on the run--in all their suffering, bravery and determination. A must-read.' -- Azeem Ibrahim, author of 'The Rohingyas' and 'Authoritarian Century''A strikingly urgent and necessary book, giving voice to the world's most silenced people. A fierce roar of resistance against the greed, racism and violence that have been largely ignored by the global community. This is a book to be read by all.' -- Zana Fraillon, author of 'The Bone Sparrow''Kaamil Ahmed is both a journalist and friend to many Rohingya. This is what makes his book come alive. With great detail, he tells the story of Myanmar's genocidal attacks, the diverse journeys of many refugees, as well the resilience of the Rohingya people.' -- John Quinley, Senior Human Rights Specialist, Fortify Rights'Kaamil Ahmed's book fills a glaring void in the literature on one of the world's worst examples of cruelty and dispossession. It promises to bring much-needed attention to the catastrophe of the Rohingya and deserves to be widely read.' -- Christopher Lamb, President, Australia Myanmar Institute'Readers wanting to learn about Rohingya refugees and understand the complexity of their current plight will not be disappointed by Ahmed's book, which provides both personal accounts of the Rohingya's unfathomable hardships and historical events that contextualise the protracted crisis.' -- Mary Shepard Wong, Professor in the Department of Sociology, Azusa Pacific University, and editor of 'Teaching for Peace and Social Justice in Myanmar'

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Book SynopsisIn order to better understand the political conditions of the Arabic language in Israel, a comparison with the political conditions of Arabic in the Levant as well as the Diaspora is necessary. Comparison consists of macro factors, such as nation-state building, and at the micro level, the daily public usage of Arabic. While the relationship between language and nationhood is well documented, study of the unique socio-political situation of the use of Arabic in the Jewish state, and in particular language usage in East Jerusalem, has hitherto not been addressed. The removal of Arabic as an official language in Israel in 2018 has major implications for IsraeliPalestinian accommodation. Research for the book relied on ethnographic fieldwork as well as sociolinguistic literature. Investigation is wide-ranging: distinguishing the different public presences of language; the state of literacy (publishing, education); and (formal and informal) interviews with students, teachers and journalists. Linguists often consider the Levant to belong to one dialect group but post-1918 people in the Levant have had to deal with separate political realities, and language differences reflect their unique political and social circumstances. The history of European colonialism is but one influencing factor. Diaspora comparison engages with the US city of Dearborn, Michigan, home to the largest Arab American community in one locality. How does this community find meaning in both being American and a threat to national security? This dilemma is mirrored in the life of Palestinians in Israel. Security and securitisation are relational concepts (Rampton and Charalambous 2019), and language plays a large part in personal sense of belonging. Analytical tools such as the concept of seamline (Eyal 2006), and indexicality (Silverstein 1979), assist in coming to terms with the metapragmatic meanings of language. This important book reaches far beyond linguistic difference; it goes to the heart of political, social and economic despair faced by multiple communities.Trade ReviewBuilding on long term and wide-ranging ethnographic explorations of language and politics in the Middle East, Professor Camelia Suleiman incorporates situated understanding of people and place, cross-disciplinary scholarship, and insightful theoretical links to account for the use and role of Arabic in the Jewish state, with a comparison to the diaspora in the US a key feature. It is an important, revealing, thought-provoking book, which illuminates facets of a complex history of language, politics, and identity. Colleen Cotter, Professor in Media Linguistics, Queen Mary University of LondonCamelia Suleiman’s Arabic between State and Nation is a vitally important and many-sided study on the position and development of Arabic in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. It even discusses Arabs and Arabic in Michigan, with the highest concentration of Arabs in the US. Through language, it tackles a myriad important questions such as identity, position of minorities in a settler-colonial state, and the role of education systems. This diligently researched book is an essential reading for anybody wishing to learn what has happened to Levantine Arabic, once common to the whole region but now separated by modern borders and competing nation-building projects. Hannu Juusola, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, University of Helsinki, FinlandThe author discusses the role of language in various Arab contexts and leads the reader to the special situation of the language development in Jerusalem. I found the book interesting, well organized, and comprehensive. In my opinion, this book should be part of linguistics studies, as well as Middle East Studies. Mona Khoury-Kassabri, Vice President of Strategy and Diversity, Professor of Social Work, Hebrew University of JerusalemIt is a fascinating, comprehensive and enlightening research work on the interplay between the Arabic language and the social and political developments in the Levant states, notably Jordan, Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Based on a variety of sources, personal observations and interviews, this original study uniquely contributes to our knowledge and understanding of the crucial role of Arabic on the national identities of important Middle Eastern entities. Moshe Ma'oz, Professor Emeritus, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

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Book SynopsisThis volume is a tribute to the work of Michael Jerryson, one of the initiators of the academic discourse on Buddhism and violence whose intellectual pursuits have resulted in a trailblazing shift in the academic study of Buddhism. Preconceived in the modern west as a pacific, chiefly meditative practice aiming for personal salvation and world peace, Buddhism has been exposed in the last few decades for its manifold legacy of violence. This is apparent not only in Buddhist groups' history of support for actual military aims, but in Buddhism's association with religious nationalism and in its more subtle expressions of discursive and structural violence. This exposure is due in significant part to Michael Jerryson who, in addition to exploring this perhaps surprising Buddhist history, has investigated the dynamism of Buddhist authority. Most recently in his critique of U Wirathu, the Burmese Buddhist monk whose advocacy of Buddhist nationalism in Myanmar has stirred a boiling pot of anti-Muslim resentments, Michael Jerryson has shown that reverence for Burmese religious authorities transcends respect for traditional Buddhist doctrine and monastic accomplishments. It emanates instead from the phenomenon of religious authority itself and from the cultural institutions which support it. His examinations have resulted in heightened sensitivity to the sociology of religious authority and violence. The scholarly contributions in this volume include discussions of Buddhism and violence, religious authority and nationalism, whether Buddhist, Christian, white, or other.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Legacy of Michael Jerryson Margo Kitts and Mark Juergensmeyer Section I: Buddhism and Violence 1. Introduction Stephen Jenkins, Humboldt State University 2. Dharma and Its Discontents John M. Thompson, Christopher Newport University 3. Buddhists and International Law Ben Schonthal, University of Otago 4. Exorcising the Body Politic: The Question of Conversion at the Tibet-Mongol Interface Matthew King, University of California, Riverside 5. De-Centering the Normative in the Introduction to Buddhism Class Nathan McGovern, Franklin Marshall College 6. But is it Buddhist? Blaze Marpet, Northwestern University 7. Humanizing the Rohingya Beyond Victimization Grisel d’Elena, Florida International University Section 2: Religious Authority 8. Introduction: Religious Authority Matthew Walton, University of Toronto 9. Contested Authority: Evangelism as a Cultural System Julie Ingersoll, University of North Florida 10. Jerryson’s “Exposure of Buddhism” and the Legacy of Violence in US War Culture Kelly Denton-Borhaug, Moravian College 11. Making Authority from Apocalypse: Three Cases from Classical Islam Jamel Velji, Claremont McKenna College 12. Affect in the Archives: Violence in Late Ancient Apocalyptic Texts Abby Kulisz, Indiana University 13. Religion, Authority Grammar: The Scholarly Legacy of Secular Concepts Andrew Atwell, University of Chicago

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Book SynopsisDo we really understand others and their beliefs? Martyn Percy believes that if we better understand the people in our churches, in our communities and in our societies, then we might cultivate more ease in the 21st century, not only in local and national politics but also in international politics. Others: A Very Short Book About Beliefs takes a curious, anti-prejudiced look at some weird and wacky beliefs. And although odd beliefs are wryly observed throughout, its subversive subtext aims to challenge people not to write off others’ beliefs as irrational, weird or daft but to invite the reader to reconsider others in the light of what we don't know.

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Book SynopsisIn 2014, the island of Ahamb in Vanuatu became the scene of a startling Christian revival movement led by thirty children with spiritual vision'. However, it ended dramatically when two men believed to be sorcerers and responsible for much of the society's problems were hung by persons fearing for the island's future security. Based on twenty months of ethnographic fieldwork on Ahamb between 2010 and 2017, this book investigates how upheavals like the Ahamb revival can emerge to address and sometimes resolve social problems, but also carry risks of exacerbating the same problems they arise to address.

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Book SynopsisBorn amid immense suffering and bloodshed, the Kingdom of Jerusalem remained a battlefield for almost 200 years. The Crusades gave rise to the Military Orders of the Templars and Hospitallers, and were a backdrop to the careers of some of history's most famous leaders including Richard 'The Lionheart' and Saladin. On occasion the savagery of the Crusaders left their opponents reeling, creating frictions that survived for more than 700 years. At the same time, as this book lavishly illustrates, art, architecture and learning all benefited from new knowledge the Crusaders brought back from the East.

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Book SynopsisDoes religion cause war? It is often claimed that religion is responsible for more wars, more global conflicts and more deaths than any other factor. After all, the world has seen its share of crusades, inquisitions and jihads. Enlightened, modern people assume that if we could only discard primitive religious belief, the world would be a better place. Alas, the picture is not quite so simple. "Indeed," writes Meic Pearse, "there is only one thing that bears a heavier responsibility than religion as a principal cause of war. And that is, of course, irreligion." In this provocative book, historian Meic Pearse debunks the common misconception that religion causes war. He argues that while religion is often a significant generator of armed conflict both in the past and in the present, the two principal causes of human warfare are in fact culture and greed for territory, resources or power. Since culture and greed often clothe themselves in religion, wars fought for culture often appear to be fought for religion. With keen analysis of global history and current events, Pearse shows how irreligion has produced far bloodier wars than religion, and how global secularism itself does violence to religion and traditional cultures. Ultimately, throughout history warfare has been waged over the shape of society itself. A crisis in meaning leads people to fight for what they fear may be lost. For a world weary of war, Pearse points beyond both cultural and secular metanarratives to an alternative hope.

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Book SynopsisManifestations of hatred of Jews and Israel have risen over the last few decades in the Arab and Muslim world. This hatred is demonstrated in many ways -- from propaganda to terrorism. But is such hatred the result of Islamic anti-Semitism, as widely claimed? Or does it have other roots and reasons? This book sets the record straight by explaining that while anti-Semitism is the credo of fanatic groups and regimes, such an attitude is not representative of traditional and contemporary Islam. For centuries Muslim attitudes to Jews were ambivalent: contempt and antagonism alongside tolerance and co-operation. In fact Jews under Islam were better off than their Christian neighbours, and much better off than their Jewish brethren under Christianity. A similar pattern of relations has developed over the last several decades between Muslim nations and the Jewish state of Israel: hostility and violence, mostly by Muslim Arabs, but also dialogue and co-operation by and with many other Muslims. These complex relations are discussed here by Muslim and Jewish scholars -- from Azerbaijan, Egypt, India, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, the USA, Palestine and Turkey -- who analyse the religious, cultural, political and economic factors that have shaped Muslim attitudes to Jews and Israel. Ideas and suggestions are put forward to improve Muslim-Jewish relations -- the theme of which was first conceived at an international conference organised by the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and the Divinity School, Harvard University.Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction by Moshe Ma'oz; Modern Myths of Muslim Anti-Semitism; The Image of the Jew/Zionist/Israeli in the Arab World; The Breakdown of Arab-Israeli Peace: Research from Remote, Reciprocal Stereotypes & Anti-Normalization - The Case of Jordan; Islam & the Question of Peace with Israel: Jad al-Haqqs Fatwa Permitting Egypts 1979 Peace Treaty with Israel; Saudi Arabia & Israel: The Essence of Strategic Pragmatism; Myth, History & Realpolitik: Morocco & its Jewish Community; Babylon versus Zion: Changing Iraqi Perceptions of Israel; Azerbaijani Public Perceptions of Jews & the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict; Turkish Policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict; Dancing in the Dark: Pulling the Veil off Israeli-Pakistan Relations; Indian Muslims & the Three Js: Jews, Jerusalem & the Jewish State; Indonesian Muslims Perceptions of Jews & Israel; African Islam: Its Attitudes towards Israel & Judaism; "The Triangle": Europeans, Muslims, Jews; An Examination of Current Attitudes of Muslim Americans Toward Jews, Israel & Jerusalem; Index.

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Book SynopsisManifestations of hatred of Jews and Israel have risen over the last few decades in the Arab and Muslim world. This hatred is demonstrated in many ways -- from propaganda to terrorism. But is such hatred the result of Islamic anti-Semitism, as widely claimed? Or does it have other roots and reasons? This book sets the record straight by explaining that while anti-Semitism is the credo of fanatic groups and regimes, such an attitude is not representative of traditional and contemporary Islam. For centuries Muslim attitudes to Jews were ambivalent: contempt and antagonism alongside tolerance and co-operation. In fact Jews under Islam were better off than their Christian neighbours, and much better off than their Jewish brethren under Christianity. A similar pattern of relations has developed over the last several decades between Muslim nations and the Jewish state of Israel: hostility and violence, mostly by Muslim Arabs, but also dialogue and co-operation by and with many other Muslims. These complex relations are discussed here by Muslim and Jewish scholars -- from Azerbaijan, Egypt, India, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, the USA, Palestine and Turkey -- who analyse the religious, cultural, political and economic factors that have shaped Muslim attitudes to Jews and Israel. Ideas and suggestions are put forward to improve Muslim-Jewish relations -- the theme of which was first conceived at an international conference organised by the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and the Divinity School, Harvard University.Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction by Moshe Ma'oz; Modern Myths of Muslim Anti-Semitism; The Image of the Jew/Zionist/Israeli in the Arab World; The Breakdown of Arab-Israeli Peace: Research from Remote, Reciprocal Stereotypes & Anti-Normalization - The Case of Jordan; Islam & the Question of Peace with Israel: Jad al-Haqqs Fatwa Permitting Egypts 1979 Peace Treaty with Israel; Saudi Arabia & Israel: The Essence of Strategic Pragmatism; Myth, History & Realpolitik: Morocco & its Jewish Community; Babylon versus Zion: Changing Iraqi Perceptions of Israel; Azerbaijani Public Perceptions of Jews & the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict; Turkish Policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict; Dancing in the Dark: Pulling the Veil off Israeli-Pakistan Relations; Indian Muslims & the Three Js: Jews, Jerusalem & the Jewish State; Indonesian Muslims Perceptions of Jews & Israel; African Islam: Its Attitudes towards Israel & Judaism; "The Triangle": Europeans, Muslims, Jews; An Examination of Current Attitudes of Muslim Americans Toward Jews, Israel & Jerusalem; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn recent decades, the taking of hostages has proven to be a particularly effective tactic for Islamic terrorist organizations worldwide, including al Qaeda. The global jihad movement regards citizens of foreign (mainly western) countries as prime targets for abduction, although in fact local residents have constituted the majority of kidnapping victims. This book analyzes Islamic terror abductions over the last 30 years in the Middle East (Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia), Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and the Philippines), Africa (the Maghreb, the Sahel regions, and Somalia), and in Russia as a part of the Russian-Chechen conflict. Discussion also focuses on the abduction by Hizballah of Israeli soldiers, the Second Lebanon War of 2006, the Mumbai terror attack (2008), the Chechen hostage crisis in Moscow and Beslan (2002 and 2004), the kidnapping of employees of the Algerian In Amenas gas facility by al Qaeda of the Maghreb' in January 2013 and the Nairobi "Westgate Mall" hostage crisis in September 2013. The role of Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism, and its patronage of terror organizations that utilize the tactic of abduction to promote Iranian interests in Lebanon and Iraq, is highlighted throughout. Discussion focuses on the challenges faced by countries whose citizens have been abducted by Islamic terror organizations and their reactions to these challenges, and provides theoretical classifications of the phenomenon of terrorism in general and terror abduction in particular.

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Book SynopsisThe act of converting people to certain beliefs or values is highly controversial in today's postcolonial, multicultural world. Proselytization has been viewed by some as an aggressive act of political domination. 'Proselytization Revisited' offers a comprehensive overview of the many arguments for and against proselytization in different regions and contexts. Proselytization is examined in the context of rights talk, globalisation and culture wars. The volume brings together essays demonstrating the global significance of proselytization, ranging from Christians in India to Turkish Islamic Movements and the Wiccan use of modern media technologies. The cross-cultural and multidisciplinary nature of this collection of essays provides a fresh perspective and the book will be of value to readers interested in the dynamic interaction of beliefs, ideas and cultures.Table of Contents1. Rosalind I. J. Hackett, "Revisiting Proselytization in the Context of Rights Talk, Free Markets and Culture Wars"2. Jean-Francois Mayer, "Conflicts over Proselytism - An Overview and Comparative Perspective"3. Jacob De Roover and Sarah Claerhout, "Conversion of the World: Proselytization in India and the Universalization of Christianity"4. Grace Kao, "The Logic of Anti-Proselytization, Revisited"5. Paul Freston, "The Changing Face of Christian Proselytization: New Actors from the Global South"6. Heather Sharkey, "Muslim Apostasy, Christian Conversion, and Religious Freedom in Egypt"7. F.-K. Asonzeh Ukah, "Seeing is More Than Believing: Posters and Proselytization in Nigeria"8. Steve C. Berkwitz, "Buddhism and the Politics of Conversion in Sri Lanka"9. Rachelle Jacobs Scott, "Merit and the Search for Inner Peace: the Discourses and Technologies of Dhammakaya Proselytization"10. Jean DeBernardi, "Asia's Antioch: Evangelical Christianity and Proselytism in Singapore"11. Paul-Francois Tremlett, "False Consciousness and the Jargon of Authenticity: Religion and Nationalism in the Christianised Lowland Philippines"12. Patsy Rahn, "Salvation through Secular Protest: the Development of Falun Gong Proselytization"13. Mark Mullins, "The Social and Legal Context of Proselytization in Contemporary Japanese Religions"14. Olga Kazmina, "Negotiating Proselytism in 21st Century Russia"15. Bayram Balci, "Between Da'wa and Mission: Turkish Islamic Movements in the Turkic World (Central Asia and the Caucasus)"16. Julia S. Kovalchuk, "Spiritual Wars in the 10-40 Window: Korean Proselytism among Russia's Asian Minorities"17. Shawn Arthur, "Proselytization or Information? Wicca and the Internet"18. Omri Elisha, "You Can't Talk to an Empty Stomach: Faith-based Activism, Holistic Evangelism, and the Publicity of Evangelical Engagement"19. James T. Richardson, Concluding remarks

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Book SynopsisGlobal jihadism has been on policy agendas for more than two decades. Since the 9/11 attacks, both transnational jihadi entities such as Al-Qaeda and national or regional militant groups have attracted a great deal of media and scholarly attention. In recent years, policy agendas have increasingly come to include a focus on countering militant jihadi ideologies. Despite this, studies of global jihadism that take the impact of ideas seriously are at a relatively early stage and have yet to fully capture the richness of their social contexts and intellectual universes. Departing from the security studies approaches that have characterised much writing about jihadi groups, this volume aims to engage policy-makers and specialists alike by bridging existing disciplines and areas of study to create a framework for beginning to understand jihadi movements through the study of their ideologies, intellectual histories, political engagements and geographies. The contributors to the volume come from a range of academic disciplines (including history, anthropology, political science, religious studies and area studies), as well as from the worlds of diplomacy and policy research. In addition to studies of globalised contexts and ideologies, the volume also includes detailed studies of jihadi currents of thought and responses to them in Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, India, Pakistan, Egypt, South-East Asia and Europe.Trade Review'If you want to understand the origins, ideological and political worldviews of what is popularly referred to as transnational jihadism, then Jeevan Deol and Zaheer Kazmi's Contextualising Jihadi Thought is the book to read. A masterful and accessible global perspective that will be welcomed by academic experts, policymakers and students alike.' * John L. Esposito, University Professor, Georgetown University and author of The Future of Islam *'This is a complex text that aims at understanding transnational jihadist networks through the study of their ideologies, intellectual histories, political engagements and geographic contexts. It includes richly detailed case studies of local militant groups in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, India, North Africa, South-East Asia and the UK. A breath of fresh air in a subject area dominated by narrow and simplistic commentaries, which take the ideological narratives of jihadist factions at face value.' * Fawaz A. Gerges, Professor of International Relations and Director of the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics, and author of The Rise and Fall of Al-Qaeda *'Jeevan Deol and Zaheer Kazmi have brought together an extremely impressive team of contributors to write one of the best available books on jihadi ideology. This is essential reading for any serious student of al-Qaida and the jihadi movement.' * Thomas Hegghammer, Director of Terrorism studies, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) *'A truly valuable contribution to the understanding of jihadi discourse and rationale, bringing into light new analysis and interpretation of these movements, in a legitimate and largely successful attempt to "de-exoticise" them.'- * Professor Jean-Pierre Filiu, Sciences Po, Paris, author, The Arab Revolution *

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Book SynopsisThe eruption of the anti-Assad revolution in Syria has had many unintended consequences, among which is the opportunity it offered Sunni jihadists to establish a foothold in the heart of the Middle East. That Syria's ongoing civil war is so brutal and protracted has only compounded the situation, as have developments in Iraq and Lebanon. Ranging across the battlefields and international borders have been dozens of jihadi Islamist fighting groups, of which some coalesced into significant factions such as Jabhat al Nusra and the Islamic State. This book assesses and explains the emergence since 2011 of Sunni jihadist organisations in Syria's fledgling insurgency, charts their evolution and situates them within the global Islamist project. Unprecedented numbers of foreign fighters have joined such groups, who will almost certainly continue to host them. Thus, external factors in their emergence are scrutinised, including the strategic and tactical lessons learned from other jihadist conflict zones and the complex interplay between Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State and how it has influenced the jihadist sphere in Syria. Tensions between and conflict within such groups also feature in this indispensable volume.Trade Review'Lister's knowledge of the various groups is impressive... [The Syrian Jihad] is an indispensable guide to the different jihadi factions.' -New York Times; 'Lister has done yeoman's work in tracing how the peaceful uprising that began in 2011 was hijacked by an Islamist insurgency that now threatens global security. ... as [he] persuasively argues, ISIS is itself a product of Mr. Assad's evil regime.'-Wall Street Journal; 'Lister has produced a work that is required reading for both experts and the general reader alike.' -Prospect Magazine; 'Lister's book will certainly become a classic of the literature on the Syrian civil war. This richly-documented study actually consists of two intertwined histories, as the account of the Jihadi insurgency, a tour de force in its own right, is complemented with in-depth analysis of the broader military developments.' - Thomas Pierret, Lecturer in Contemporary Islam, University of Edinburgh and author of Religion and State in Syria: The Sunni Ulama from Coup to Revolution

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Book SynopsisA perennial frontier for Islamic orthodoxy, Bangladesh is witnessing an alarming rise in Islamist-inspired assassinations and terrorist attacks. In July 2016, the world's attention fell upon a café in a leafy Dhaka neighbourhood as the barbarity of a distant 'Caliphate' was visited on this corner of South Asia. Twenty-nine died in the assault on the Holey Bakery, affixing an unbidden nightmare to the image of a supposedly tolerant Muslim nation. Joseph Allchin probes Bangladesh's recent and distant past as he investigates how it has become the latest front in world extremism. Delving into the local and global differences between political actors, he exposes the continued influence of the country's independence struggle on today's allegiances, and scrutinises the careers of two long-term rivals: current prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and Khaleda Zia, who held the office in 1991-6 and 2001-6. This unerring investigation examines the relationship between radical Islam and the Bangladeshi political class, laying bare the extremist forces that bedevil the country's present and future.Trade Review‘An important contribution on an under-explored topic [which] must be recommended for all south Asia watchers and observers of Islamist militancy the world over.’ -- International Affairs‘["Many Rivers, One Sea"] displays an acute understanding of the sources, evolution and growth of Islamist politics in Bangladesh over the course of the past several decades … telling anecdotes combined with an attention to historical detail make Allchin’s book a truly compelling read.’ -- India Today‘[Allchin] lays out in vivid, if not bloody, detail, the persistence in contemporary Bangladesh of violent extremism in the name of Islam. He has produced one of the best compilations of terror in Bangladesh in English and between two covers.’ -- South Asia Journal‘This is a remarkable book … a notable contribution to the literature on Islamic extremism.’ -- Asian Affairs Journal‘Allchin’s grippingly written account of the rise and modus operandi of [Bangladeshi] militant movements is sobering, and will add to the political challenges the country faces.’ -- Survival: Global Politics and Strategy'Combining an investigative reporter's probing eyes and an academic's rigour, Allchin goes behind the scenes of ongoing Islamist militancy in Bangladesh, contextualising events within the domestic, regional and global political trends in a manner seldom found in media coverage and public discourse. A compelling and captivating narrative.' -- Ali Riaz, Distinguished Professor of Politics and Government, Illinois State University'A penetrating look at the background behind Bangladesh's explosion of Islamist violence, by a journalist who knows the country better than his peers do. Essential reading for students of South Asian extremism.' -- Ellen Barry, Chief International Correspondent, The New York Times'An original and thought-provoking book. Drawing on his long and unique relationship with the country, Allchin digs deep beneath surface understandings to explore the complex factors behind Bangladesh's changing faces.' -- David Lewis, Professor of Social Policy and Development, LSE

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Book SynopsisIslamist terrorism is on the rise in Europe, and we are witnessing new methods of attack on an all-too-regular basis. While the death of Osama bin Laden and the advent of the `Arab Spring’ fed expectations that international jihadism was a spent force, Europe has faced an increase in terrorist plots over the past few years. In addition, there are growing security concerns over the fallout of the Syrian conflict, and its sizeable contingents of battle-hardened European fighters. This book provides a comprehensive account of the rise of jihadist militancy in Europe and offers a detailed background for understanding the current and future threat. Based on a wide range of new primary sources, it traces the phenomenon back to the late 1980s, and the formation of jihadist support networks in Europe in the early 1990s. Combining analytical rigour with empirical richness, the book offers a comprehensive account of patterns of terrorist cell formation and plots between 1995 and 2017. In contrast to existing research which has emphasised social explanations, failed immigration and homegrown radicalism, this book highlights the entrepreneurial role of former Arab-Afghan veterans and their associated organisations and ideological agendas.Trade Review'Nesser's detailed analysis of the threat we face could hardly be more timely. Its main focus is on the individuals involved, their backgrounds, motivations and modus operandi.' -- The Independent; 'Petter Nesser's unflashy book analyses jihadi activity in Europe from the 1994 attempt by Algerian hijackers to crash an Air France jet into Paris to the massacre at Charlie Hebdo's offices and the kosher deli hostage crisis one year ago.' -- The Times; 'A forensic look at 20 years of terrorist attacks. … This is not a book to read if you want to sleep easy.' -- The Sunday Times; 'Petter Nesser is one of the longest standing and most objective observers of this phenomenon. His book is full of detailed information that will make it a work of reference for many years to come. More than any other book on the subject, it shows the continuities and discontinuities, allowing readers and analysts to make sense of what has changed and what has remained the same. An absolute must read for anyone studying jihadist terrorism in Europe.' -- Peter Neumann, Director, International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR), King's College London; 'Petter Nesser is to be commended for a clear and well-researched explanation of jihadist terrorism in Europe that is impressive in historical range and depth of coverage. His study is essential for understanding a subject that is of paramount importance to the public and policy makers as well as scholars.' -- Martha Crenshaw, Senior Fellow, Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Stanford University; 'Several of the very best studies on terrorism have emerged from scholars around the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (FFI). This is another of them. Petter Nesser's history of Islamist terrorism in Europe explains more than two decades of terrorist plotting like no other single-author study -- a must read for counter-terrorist professionals and academics, but also for all concerned citizens who want to make sense of “senseless violence.”' -- Alex P. Schmid, Editor-in-Chief of Perspectives on Terrorism and former Officer-in-Charge of the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations

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Book SynopsisFounded in the early twelfth century, allegedly to protect pilgrims to the Holy Land, the Knights Templar became famous for their pioneer banking system, crusading zeal, and strict vows of obedience, chastity and poverty. Having grown to some 15,000 men, they came to be perceived as a threat by Philip the Fair, who in 1307 disbanded the group and tortured their leaders for confessions. The French king accused the order of heresy, sodomy and blasphemy. Recent works of fiction and popular histories have created a resurgence of interest in the mysterious Knights Templar. Numerous contradictory and fantastic claims are made about them, adding to the enigma that already surrounds the warrior monks of France. In this unique collection of lecture material and writings from Rudolf Steiner, a new perspective emerges. Based on his spiritual perceptions, Steiner speaks of the Templars' connection to the esoteric tradition of St John, their relationship with the Holy Grail, and their spiritual dedication to Christ. He describes the secret order that existed within the Templars, and the strange rituals they performed. He also throws light on the Templars' attitude to the Roman Church, and the spiritual forces that inspired their torture and confessions.

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Book SynopsisThe Jacobite Wars is a detailed exploration of the Jacobite military campaigns of 1715 and 1745, set against the background of Scottish political, religious and constitutional history. The author has written a clear and demythologised account of the military campaigns waged by the Jacobites against the Hanoverian monarchs. He draws on the work of recent historians who have come to emphasise the political significance of the rebellions (which had been dismissed by earlier historians), showing the danger faced by the Hanoverian regime during those years of political and religious turbulence. The Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745 occurred within the context of the 1707 Act of Union, acquiring the trappings of a national crusade to restore Scotland's independence. James Edward Stuart promised consistently to break the Union between Scotland and England if he became King. The rebellions also had great religious significance: the Jacobite cause was committed to restoring a Catholic dynasty to the throne and was therefore supported by the small number of Catholics in the country, and also the Episcopalians, who were together set against the Presbyterians. The failure of the rebellions, culminating in the Battle of Culloden, coincided with the national identity of Scotland becoming associated with Presbyterianism and North Britain. John L. Roberts presents the view that the political vulnerability of Hanoverians would explain the strength of Government reaction to the 1745 rebellion, especially in the Scottish Highlands, and the ferocity of its retribution, which has long been lamented in popular Scottish culture. The Jacobite Wars will appeal to anyone with an interest in the military history of this key period in Scotland's past.Trade ReviewDrawing on contemporary sources and the work of later historians, Roberts sustains a clear and persuasive narrative to produce a much-needed military and political re-assessment of this much-mythologized episode of Scottish history. -- Trevor Royle Drawing on contemporary sources and the work of later historians, Roberts sustains a clear and persuasive narrative to produce a much-needed military and political re-assessment of this much-mythologized episode of Scottish history.Table of ContentsPreface; 1. Origins of the Jacobite Movement; 2. Outbreak of the 1715 Rebellion; 3. March South to Preston; 4. Battle of Sherrifmuir; 5. End of the 1715 Rebellion; 6. Jacobitism in the Doldrums; 7. 'A Rash and Desperate Undertaking'; 8. March South to Edinburgh; 9. 'Masters of Scotland'; 10. Nemesis at Derby; 11. Retreat to Scotland; 12. The Highland Campaign; 13. Prelude to Culloden; 14. Battle of Culloden; 15. Aftermath of Culloden; 16. Escape of the Prince; Select Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisInvestigation of the development of the Cathar heresy in south-west France, looking at how and why its growth differed across the regions. The medieval county of Quercy in Languedoc lay between the Dordogne and the Toulousain in south-west France; it played a significant role in the history of Catharism, of the Albigensian crusade launched against the heresy in 1209,and of the subsequent inquisition. Although Cathars had come to dominate religious life elsewhere in Languedoc during the course of the twelfth century, the chronology of heresy was different in Quercy. In the late twelfth century, nearby abbeys were still the main focus of devotional activity; inquisitors' discoveries in the 1240s point to the previous twenty years as the period when Catharism and also the Waldensian heresy took a firm hold, most dramatically in its far north. This study deals with the cultural and political origins of the religious change. Its careful analysis offers a significant re-evaluation of the nature and social significance of religious dissidence,and of its protection and persecution in both the history and historiography of Catharism. Dr Claire Taylor is Associate Professor, School of History, University of Nottingham.Trade ReviewMakes a thought-provoking and rich contribution to a complex subject. * FRENCH HISTORY *[Provides] a new model for approaching the subject. * CRUSADES *Highly recommendable reading for all who are interested in medieval heresy. * SEHEPUNKTE *Tightly focused and highly detailed. [...] Anyone interested in heresy and its repression will find this book essential reading. * CATHOLIC HISTORICAL REVIEW *Heresy came late to Quercy. . . . Taylor is concerned to work out why this should have been so and brings to the task a thorough knowledge of the sources and the region and great acuity and intellectual tenacity. * SPECULUM *Table of ContentsIntroduction Investigating Medieval Quercy: Questions about Sources Medieval Quercy War and its Aftermath 'Heretical' Quercy: the Evidence Gathered by c.1245 Heresy: A Social and Cultural Life Heresy and What it Meant The Re-Shaping of Quercy Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisHanif Qadir is recognised as one of the world's leading specialists in positively transforming violent extremists. He has worked with hundreds of high-risk terrorist and violent extremist cases and has challenged many known figureheads who lead violently extreme groups both at home and abroad. In this essential book for all those who work with young people, Hanif outlines the push and pull factors and the early indicators of radicalisation, and offers decisive and unambiguous advice on how and when to intervene. The book includes anonymous case studies of a wide variety of people Hanif has personally worked with and lays down simple lessons on what success and failure looks like when tackling extremism.Trade Review"No one I know has done more on the ground with practical experience countering violent extremism than Hanif Qadir. His experience and expertise is something we can all learn from. For anyone interested in counter-extremism, his book is an absolute must read." Peter Neumann, Professor of Security Studies and Director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization, King's College LondonTable of ContentsPersonal Testimony and Experiences within the Al Qaeda network Underlying Issues Current Challenges The Reality of the Threat Early indicators including the general 22 Point Vulnerability Assessment Framework Interventions - When & Who is best suited Recruitment Strategies early and current Attitudes and Behaviour Push & Pull Factors Case studies: Learning Outcomes Referral Pathways What does success and Failure look like The correct Islamic Perspective on Extremism and Terrorism Concluding Remarks

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Book SynopsisIn Nazi-occupied Poland, Rosa Dunovich faces a terrifying reality: to save her daughter, she must send her into hiding. Her only hope of finding her again - if they survive - is her medallion. A tale of courage, sacrifice and survival, inspired by true events of Poland's darkest days and brightest heroes.

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Book SynopsisBased on ethnographic research conducted in a town on the Polish-Belarussian border, this book examines borders and the lingering echoes of conflict. Using hauntology as a guiding framework to understand how people live amidst the histories and reverberations of conflicts, the author investigates the role that landscape, with its material presences and absences, plays in evoking and maintaining the border. The ethnography probes themes of ethnicity, religious practice, memory and space, investigating the border as a dynamic social process. By immersing herself in the everyday lives of the borderland, Joyce unravels how traces – lingering imprints of the past – shape local relationships in the present, influencing shared understandings of history and the future. Introducing the concept of the spectral border as a lens to reveal the ambiguous presence of afterlives and memories tied to a historical boundary, the book unveils its present-day ghostly forms in the local ideas and practices of neighbourliness at the heart of borderland identity. Spectral Borders interrogates the use and limitations of these practices by exploring points of tension, where the meanings and uses of ‘being a neighbour’ and ‘being from the borderland’ are tested and challenged. In doing so, the book raises important questions about how conviviality is created and managed in a place with a long and unresolved history marked by ethnic and religious violence, war, and civil unrest.Trade ReviewJoyce has written a layered and nuanced ethnography of a formerly little-known Polish borderland. While tragic events have recently brought the region to world attention, she shows that the Polish–Belarus border has long been politicized, as it has shifted between different nations. The book focuses on the hauntings that underlie much of the social, religious and cultural life of the region: the spectres of religious conflicts played out in contested spaces by Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox institutions and actors, and ofa large Jewish community now all but disappeared. Joyce explores the complex relations local people have with the forest, a place full of secret histories as well as environmentalminitiatives, tourist trails, local foragers and more clandestine economic practices. The border follows the River Bug, also a site where traces of past conflicts lurk below the surface, easily evoked by present occurrences. This beautifully written book, moving easily between anthropology and history, in a dialogue between vivid ethnography and sophisticated theory, deserves to be read by anyone interested in the region, or in memory, place and landscape, and the complex social worlds that encompass and make them.Frances Pine, Emerita Reader in Anthropology, Goldsmiths, University of London; This monograph is a fascinating read, offering a fresh and original perspective on the complex cultural landscape of the Polish-Belarusian borderland. The concept of spectral borders is presented with particular ethnographic sensitivity and offers an engaging and elegant literary narrative.Justyna Straczuk, Associate Professor, Polish Academy of Sciences.Table of ContentsIntroduction – Around the kitchen table: neighbours and spectres; Chapter 1 – The House of Culture: working with fragments, traces and absences; Chapter 2 – The Bug Cycle Path: the border as a tourist destination; Chapter 3 – Boundary markers: spectral borders in eastern Poland; Chapter 4 – The Church of the Holy Spirit: contested churches and religious borders; Chapter 5 – The iron gate: ruins, absence and uncanny façades; Chapter 6 – The basilica: pilgrimage, presence and co-presence; Conclusion – construction sites; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisJakarta, 2014. Hendra is ?Radikal'', a techno DJ at the top of his game. In his relentless pursuit of new highs, he likes to lose himself in music and drugs. But when a childhood trauma resurfaces, even his love for Jasmine cannot prevent him from falling into a self-destructive downward spiral. As he grapples with his inner demons and an Indonesia caught between tradition and modernity, Hendra is vulnerable to the extremist ideology that begins to infiltrate his world. No longer able to find solace in techno and ecstasy, he is presented with a new purpose in life and a focus for his pent-up rage: jihad.

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Book SynopsisThe end of the 20th century and the start of the the 21st century have brought too many questions concerning religion and violence in a new and urgent way. What are the relationships between religion and violence, peace and community' Is violence at the heart of religion' How are truth, justice, mercy, atonement and reconciliation to be sought' How do we care for the most vulnerable, the victms' How can we work towards a global ethic of peace' What is the role of religion in a seculat state' This volume of essays confronts these complex issues in the foundations of religions and their sacred texts, in their traditions and in their practices in the world today. With deep compassion and insight the writers in this collectionuand they come from Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Pacificuseek to face religion's paradoxical legacies and on-going sites of struggle. JOnathan Inkpin, who edited this volume worked as the Coordinator of the Decade to Overcome Violence for the National Council of Churches in Australia.

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Book SynopsisMany American Christians have come to understand their relationship to other Christian denominations and traditions through the lens of religious persecution. This book provides a historical account of these developments, showing the global, theological, and political changes that made it possible for contemporary Christians to claim that there is a global war on Christians. This book, however, does not advocate on behalf of particular repressed Christian communities, nor does it argue for the genuineness (or lack thereof) of certain Christians’ claims of persecution. Instead, this book is the first to examine the idea that there is a “global war on Christians” and its analytical implications. It does so by giving a concise history of the categories (like “martyrs”), evidence (statistics and metrics), and theologies that have come together to produce a global Christian imagination premised upon the notion of shared suffering for one’s faith. The purpose in doing so is not to deny certain instances of suffering or death; rather, it is to reflect upon the consequences for thinking about religious violence and Christianity worldwide using terms such as a “global war on Christians.”Trade Review"Jason Bruner's Imagining Persecution offers a polite, probing, and ultimately devastating deconstruction of the common American Christian belief that there is at this time a global war of persecution against Christians. This is an extraordinarily important book. In its own understated way, it raises this fundamental question—why exactly is it so important for conservative American Christians to believe they are part of a globally persecuted community?"— David P. Gushee, author of Still Christian: Following Jesus Out of American Evangelism. "A significant contribution."— David Smith, author of Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States "Persecution, Martyrdom, and Christian Identity: 7 Questions with Jason Bruner"— Sacred Matters "New Books Network - New Nooks in Christian Studies" interview with Jason Bruner— New Books Network - New Nooks in Christian StudiesTable of ContentsContents Preface 1. Coming to Terms: Christians, Martyrs, and Persecution 2. Christians, Martyrdom, and Persecution from the New Testament to the Reformation 3. Religious Persecution and American Christianity 4. A Global War on Christians? 5. The Global Politics of the Suffering Body of Christ Notes Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisAn award-winning journalist’s extraordinary account of being kidnapped and tortured in Syria by al Qaeda for two years—a revelatory memoir about war, human nature, and endurance that’s “the best of the genre, profound, poetic, and sorrowful” (The Atlantic).In 2012, American journalist Theo Padnos, fluent in Arabic, Russian, German, and French, traveled to a Turkish border town to write and report on the Syrian civil war. One afternoon in October, while walking through an olive grove, he met three young Syrians—who turned out to be al Qaeda operatives—and they captured him and kept him prisoner for nearly two years. On his first day, in the first of many prisons, Padnos was given a blindfold—a grime-stained scrap of fabric—that was his only possession throughout his horrific ordeal. Now, Padnos recounts his time in captivity in Syria, where he was frequently tortured at the hands of the al Qaeda affiliate, Jebhat al Nusra. We learn not only about Padnos’s harrowing experience, but we also get a firsthand account of life in a Syrian village, the nature of Islamic prisons, how captors interrogate someone suspected of being CIA, the ways that Islamic fighters shift identities and drift back and forth through the veil of Western civilization, and much more. No other journalist has lived among terrorists for as long as Theo has—and survived. As a resident of thirteen separate prisons in every part of rebel-occupied Syria, Theo witnessed a society adrift amid a steady stream of bombings, executions, torture, prayer, fasting, and exhibitions, all staged by the terrorists. Living within this tide of violence changed not only his personal identity but also profoundly altered his understanding of how to live. Offering fascinating, unprecedented insight into the state of Syria today, Blindfold is “a triumph of the human spirit” (The New York Times Book Review)—combining the emotional power of a captive’s memoir with a journalist’s account of a culture and a nation in conflict that is as urgent and important as ever.Trade Review“Lays bare the human condition at its extremes. There is depravity and resilience, rage and revelation, and, ultimately, a triumph of the human spirit…Padnos [is] a thoughtful witness of a nightmarish world…an acutely observed account that is deeply moving in places.” —New York Times Book Review "The best of the genre, profound, poetic, and sorrowful." —The Atlantic "[I]mmediate and a solid warning to enterprise journalists to give dangerous subjects plenty of distance." —Kirkus Reviews “Harrowing.” —Library Journal “Harrowing and absorbing…Padnos’ exquisitely painful accounts of his torture, and the tortures and deaths of his fellow inmates, both horrify and provoke a strange hope that it can’t get any worse….With emotional clarity, Padnos endows his captors with humanity, casting them as people struggling to survive in a world turned upside down, just as he is.” —BookPage “Although this is a book about captivity, suffering and savagery, it is also deeply moving, with shafts of enlightenment on every page. As a testament to the noblest qualities of the human spirit, it is thrilling.” —Lawrence Wright, author of The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 “Theo Padnos was held, isolated, and tortured for almost two years by the al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. It would be hard for such a dramatic account to disappoint, and it doesn’t. But Padnos’s book is so much more. We see a narrator who is deeply human, vulnerable, and compelling. His thoughts are enough like our own that we easily imagine ourselves there, held captive by Islamists. His writing is rich and thoughtful and emotionally revelatory. This is a brilliant book.” —David Bradley, chairman, Atlantic Media

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