Religious intoleranceand conflict Books

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Book SynopsisReligious Horror and Holy War in Viking Age Francia explores how authorities in western Francia used horror rhetoric to cast Christian soldiers, who robbed the poor and the church, as monsters that devoured human flesh and drank human blood. Adapting modern literary horror approaches to medieval sources, this study reveals how such rhetoric served as a form of spiritual weaponry in the clergy's attempts to correct and condemn wayward military men. This investigation, therefore, unearths long-forgotten Carolingian thought about the dreadful spiritual reality of internal enemies during a time of political division and the Northmen's depredations. Yet such horror also informed a new understanding of Christian heroism that developed in relation to the wars fought against the invaders. This vision of heroic soldiers, which included military martyrs, culminated in ideas about holy war against the pagans. Thus Carolingian religious horror and holy war together belonged to a body of ideas about the spiritual, unseen side of the church's cosmic conflict against evil that foreshadowed later medieval Crusading thought.Trade ReviewGillis has written a vital book that takes a moment of crisis in the late ninth century and transforms how we think about not just the Viking attacks but much else. The Franks were enmeshed in violence and Gillis is one of the first to really theorize what that meant, how 'horror' can help us understand not just how they thought about war, politics, and religion, but also how the centuries that followed built upon those foundation stones and further developed an idea of Christian holy war that crescendoed in the twelfth century."" - Matthew Gabriele, Professor of Medieval Studies, Dept. of Religion & Culture, Virginia Tech""Matthew Gillis is one of the most creative historians working today in any field. His application of the theories and literature of horror to Carolingian texts allows him and his readers to find new insights in the material. It will be particularly valuable for showing how the Carolingians and ideas of horror helped shape the early doctrine of holy war."" - Jay Rubenstein, Professor of History and Director of the Center for the Premodern World, University of Southern CaliforniaTable of Contents Preface PART ONE. ""And The Blood of Our Brothers Drips from Our Mouths"" – King Carloman II's Monsters & Carolingian Religious Horror PART TWO. ""Men Devouring One another Drink their Neighbors' Blood"" – Spiritual Protections against Christian Monsters PART THREE. ""Alas, Naked They Underwent the Savage Folk's Sword!"" – Heroism in Abbo of Saint-Germain's Wars of the City of Paris PART FOUR. ""O, Francia, Protect Yourself!"" – Cosmic War in Abbo of Saint Germain's Sermons Acknowledgements Abbreviations Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe sixteenth century, which heralded the end of the Middle Ages and the commencement of the Early Modern Era, was a time of tremendous religious upheaval and social ferment. The nebulous conglomeration of movements often referred to as the "Reformation" led to a wave of bloodshed and persecution which engulfed most of Europe for at least a hundred years. The present volume offers a translation of a particularly graphic literary portrayal of tortures and atrocities committed against Catholics during that time—the Speculum Haereticae Crudelitatis [The Mirror of Heretical Cruelty], by Arnold Havens (1540–1610). Havens was a Carthusian monk, an accomplished historian and scholar, and a prolific author. The Mirror of Cruelty is a remarkable and unique literary achievement, describing in gruesome and chilling detail an extensive catalogue of disturbing, inhuman and often bizarre acts of abuse. Most of these have not been available in any English-language sources until now, or have been presented only in abridged and bowdlerized forms. Havens drew the overall plan of his work from another book which enjoyed a wide, underground circulation at the time—the notorious Theatrum Crudelitatum [Theatre of Cruelties], by Richard Verstegan, a kind of nightmarish picture-book of atrocities committed against Catholics. A selection of illustrations from that book are included in this volume.Table of Contents Translator's Introduction Letter of Approval from the Prior of the Grande Chartreuse monastery, and Moderator and Minister-General of the Carthusian Order, Dom Bruno II de Affringues i. Introduction ii. The slaughter and devastation instigated by Martin Luther in upper Germany iii. The cruel persecutions of Catholics in England iv. King Henry VIII and the Carthusian martyrs v. Some acts of egregious cruelty committed in Ireland vi. The persecutions in France under the Calvinist regimes vii. Some particular examples of atrocities committed by Calvinists in France viii. The Franciscan martyrs at Gorkum (Part I) ix. The Franciscan martyrs at Gorkum (Part II) x. The Franciscan martyrs at Gorkum (Part III) xi. The Franciscan martyrs at Gorkum (Part IV) xii. The cruelty of the Calvinists towards four Augustinian Canons Regular xiii. The martyrdom of two Hieronymite monks at Gouda xiv. The vicious martyrdom of the poet Cornelis Musius xv. The martyrdom of William of Gouda, a Franciscan friar xvi. Further hideous crimes perpetrated against Catholics in Holland and Flanders xvii. The martyrdom of twelve Carthusian monks at Roermond in Holland xviii. The horrendous and inhuman torture and execution of Balthasar Gérard of Burgundy, the man who killed the Prince of Orange xix. Conclusion List of Images Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThis book considers the history of the Prester John legend and its impact on the Crusades, investigating its entangled mythical history between East and West during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The present study thus responds to the still pressing need for a comprehensive historical investigation of the twelfth and thirteenth crusading history of the legend and its impact on the Muslim-Crusader encounters, examining various Latin, Arabic, Syriac, and Coptic accounts. It further reflects on new eastern aspects of the legend, presenting a new Arab scholarly view. This book first charts a pre-history of the legend in the late ancient Christian prophecy of the Last Emperor down to the emergence of the legend in the mid-twelfth century. Second, the work presents a historical discussion of the legend and its association with actual occurrences in the Far East and the Levant, analysing the legend history under the crusading crisis and the imperial papal schism in Europe. Meanwhile, the work considers the vague Prester John Letter addressed to Manuel I Komnenus, Byzantine Emperor, and its elaborate conception of a mythical eastern kingdom, revealing imaginative parallels on the wondrous East and legendary Eastern Christian kings in Arabic Muslim and Christian accounts of the Muslim geographer and cartographer al-Idr?s?, the Coptic ?b? al-Mak?rim and the Syriac Ibn al-?Ibr? (Bar Hebraeus), among others. Moreover, the book examines how the legend impacted war and peace processes between the Ayyubids and the Crusaders during the Fifth Crusade against Egypt (1217-1221), revealing how it was mingled with Arabic and Eastern Christian prophecies at the time. The study concludes by investigating the perception of Prester John by the papal and European envoys to the Mongols in the thirteenth century, revealing how the legend was instrumentalised (and even weaponised) to establish a Latin-Mongol crusade through a parallel exploration of relevant Latin, Arabic and Syriac sources.Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgements Note of Transliteration and Style List of Figures and Maps List of Abbreviations INTRODUCTION Historiography: Prester John between Past and Present Objectives and Methodology CHAPTER 1. Setting a Geographic and Mythico-historical Stage for the Prester John Legend CHAPTER 2. Between Transmission and Reception: The Birth of the Prester John Legend and the Crusader-Muslim Conflict, 1122-1145 CHAPTER 3. The Prester John Letter and its Perception between the Crusading Crisis in the Levant and Imperial-Papal Schism in the West CHAPTER 4. Imaging the Prester John Kingdom in the Three Indias: The Legend's Entanglements with Alexander Romance, Jewish and Arab Muslim-Christian Imagination CHAPTER 5. Waiting for King David, Son of Prester John: The Impact of the Legend on Peace and War during the Fifth Crusade (615-618/1217-1221) CHAPTER 6. The Mongol Figure of Prester John: Remembering the Legend and the Enterprise of Latin-Mongol Crusade(s), 1222-1300 CONCLUSION Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIt seems that people often have trouble getting along together. Families argue, neighbors come to blows, countries lob weapons at each other. Is this the way it has to be? Anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists and others say it is. Having observed a long history of man's quarrelsome behavior, they claim that man has animal instincts, or that he is antisocial and violent by his very nature. In truth, man is rather peaceful. But he can be driven, individually and collectively, to hatred and violence. In researching the causes of violence, L. Ron Hubbard unearthed a fundamental and natural law of human relations which explains why conflicts between people are so often difficult to remedy. And he provided an immensely valuable tool that enables one to resolve any conflict, be it between neighbors, co-workers or even countries. In this chapter, you will discover how to help others resolve their differences and restore peaceable relations. Peace and harmony between men can be more than just a dream. Widespread application of this law will make it a reality.

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Book SynopsisThis volume explores the ways in which the term 'diaspora' has been applied in past and present to various religious communities in different contexts. It considers under what circumstances people may be classified as living in a diaspora, and the consequence this has for their position in society.

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Book SynopsisIn 1992, a group of academics at the National University of Malaysia (UKM) organized a seminar titled "Seminar Ahli Sunnah dan Syiah Imamiyyah" ("Seminar on Ahl al-Sunnah and Imami Shi'ism") in Kuala Lumpur. It aimed to demonize Shi'a Muslims and ban Shi'ism, effectively escalating sectarianism in Muslim society.A Deobandi presenter at the seminar by the name of Muhammad Asri Yusoff put forth arguments about Shi'ism, which later became the "intellectual base" for the discrimination and repression of Shi'a Muslims by Islamic authorities in Malaysia. This repression continues till the present day, and other religious leaders—particularly those with a Salafi orientation—take part in this.While much attention has been given to those who have escalated sectarianism, there have also been efforts to de-escalate sectarianism. These efforts come from groups such as Persatuan Ulama Malaysia, and individuals such as Abdul Hadi Awang of PAS, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the leader of International Movement for a Just World, Chandra Muzaffar, as well as Malaysian academic, Syed Farid Alatas.Nevertheless, the roots of sectarianism have been deeply laid since the seminar in 1992. Unsurprisingly, the sectarian campaign against Shi'as is aligned with the agenda of extremist and terrorist organizations such as ISIS. The sectarian campaign thus arguably emboldens such groups and puts Malaysia and the entire Southeast Asia at risk.

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Book SynopsisThe late Steven Lowenstein was a brilliant social historian who, after retiring from his academic position at the University of Judaism, toiled for years—and up to his final days—to complete this monumental book, which is the definitive demographic history of German Jewry. Lowenstein took the research of Hebrew University demographer Professor Osiel Oscar Schmelz and brought it to life in the daily lived experiences of German Jews. The book is organized chronologically from Napoleon to German Unification (1815-1871), Imperial Germany and then the post- World War I era through the Nazi period. Later chapters are regional and topical studies. Lowenstein’s calling as a social historian required him to examines “every leaf on every tree in the forest;” but he never lost sight of the trees and the forest – larger context. We know the ending of the story of German Jewry. Lowenstein’s great achievement is to document the extraordinary demographic resources that bespoke a vibrant German Jewish culture—and made that ending especially tragic. Trade Review“The pioneering research of Usiel Oscar Schmelz and Steven Lowenstein provides a new dimension for German-Jewish History. Instead of relying on a few personal accounts and anecdotal evidence, this book constitutes a tool to decipher the complete picture of the German-Jewish community. It is an indispensable source for everyone interested in the modern Jewish experience.”— Michael Brenner, President of the International Leo Baeck Institute for the Research of German-Jewish History and Culture“Steven Lowenstein’s landmark volume presents the history of German Jewry from the early 19th century into the Nazi era through the prism of shifting population patterns. Replete with an incomparable array of data, the book’s meticulous narrative also serves as a memorial to a diverse Jewish community whose history reflected the triumphs and tragedies of the modern Jewish experience.”— Jack Wertheimer, Professor of American Jewish History, The Jewish Theological Seminary“Steven Lowenstein’s demographic history of Jews in Germany is a state-of-the-art study that will certainly become a classic. He has absorbed and presented in highly readable prose the chronological, regional, and topical demographic interpretations of the years 1815-1939 while also engaging in historiographical debates. This new and all-embracing picture of German Jewry offers readers careful analyses of such topics as urbanization, marriage and intermarriage, births and deaths, in and out migration and internal migration, and addresses age, region, and gender while also comparing to non-Jewish populations in Germany. The book is breathtaking in its research and scope and a must-read for every scholar of German-Jewish history.”— Marion Kaplan, Skirball Professor Emerita of Modern Jewish History, New York University“Stephen Lowenstein has published the definitive demographic history of German Jewry. This is a monumental curated archive, actually a twice posthumous book. Lowenstein’s initial statistics were compiled by the Israeli demographer Usiel Oscar Schmelz, and Lowenstein himself died before finishing this tome. Family historians, genealogy buffs and population historians will rely on Lowenstein’s volume and appreciate its comparative reach and meticulous detail.”— Deborah Hertz, Wouk Chair in Modern Jewish Studies, Department of History, University of California at San Diego“This monumental work by the eminent social historian, Steven Lowenstein (1945–2020), appears posthumously; with his early loss, Jewish Studies has lost a prodigious and pathbreaking researcher. The book is based on the huge documentary collections and research of Usiel Oscar Schmelz, a pioneering demographer of Jewry, left unfinished at his death. These Lowenstein supplemented by massive further research and reorganization….The old adage, ‘anecdotes do not data make,’ well sums up Lowenstein’s book, which is about data: precise, specific, and substantiated.”— Shulamit S. Magnus, Jewish History Table of ContentsForeword (Prof. Sergio DellaPergola, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem)Preface 1. The Life and Work of Steven M. Lowenstein z”l (1945–2020): “From Washington Heights to Skid Row—a Life of Learning and Doing” (David N. Myers, UCLA)Preface 2. Steven Lowenstein’s Demographic History (Michael Berenbaum, American Jewish University)AcknowledgmentsEditors’ NoteIntroductionCHRONOLOGICAL SECTION1. From the Fall of Napoleon to the Unification of Germany (1815–1871)2. German Jewish Population Changes in Imperial Germany (1871–1918)3. From the “Demographic Crisis” of the 1920s to the Flight to Escape after 1933TOPICAL SECTION4. Natural Growth and Changes in the German Jewish Family5. Changing Age Structure6. Conversion and Intermarriage7. Migration—Overall Trends and Internal Migration8. Immigration and Emigration9. From Countryside to City: Urbanization and the Survival of Small-Town Jewish Communities10. Jewish Residential Concentration in German CitiesREGIONAL SECTION11. The Eastern Provinces12. Central and Northwestern Germany—from Sparse Jewish Density to an Urban and Immigrant Center13. Western Germany14. Southern GermanyConclusionsBibliographyGeographic names in German and English (Alphabetized in German)A Note on Discrepancies

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Book SynopsisThis book discusses psychological aspects of dehumanization and of the human tendency to dominate, control and potentially murder those considered less than or “other” by the dominant group. It explores how increasingly severe dehumanization resulted in the genocide of six million Jews in the second World War. Psychological and behavioral strategies Nazi aggressors and ordinary citizens used to mislead themselves during this process are described. Understanding the sequence of events from dehumanization to murder has implications for the apparent tendency of human beings to harm and potentially kill those who appear “different”, or who are made into the “other”. Efforts to prevent genocide should actively challenge dehumanization of weaker populations whenever possible, even when dehumanization appears mild, “insignificant,” or “innocuous.”Trade Review“This informative and accessible contribution to the burgeoning literature on dehumanization is the first and only book in the English language focusing specifically on the dehumanization of Jews during the Nazi regime. Highly recommended! “— David Livingstone Smith, author of Making Monsters: Dehumanization and How to Resist It“This volume explores ways in which intolerance and enmity perniciously result in the dehumanization of individuals and groups, setting the stage for nothing less than the mass murder of entire groups and cultures. The author effectively shows ways in which othering and objectification wears away at any empathy and identification, an alienation that allows for nothing less than Genocide, a neologism invented only after the Shoah. The insidious nature of this turn is explored by the author using historical texts and individual stories. A compelling and necessary read for historians, mental health professionals, and students of history, sociology, psychohistory, and Jewish studies.”— Emily Kuriloff, Psy.D., Clinical Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, and author of Contemporary Psychoanalysis and the Legacy of the Third Reich: History, Memory, Tradition. Routledge, 2014“Dr. Gabel, a child psychiatrist and historian, takes on the inexplicable. He probes what makes for and sustains history’s horrific genocides. ‘Behavior serves a purpose’ helps in understanding motivations, including murder. But Dr. Gabel goes further with his core insight: that ‘dehumanization’ opens intrinsic psychological doors to allow for the progression from violence to murder to genocide. This is a deeply considered and scholarly book about what we have not been able to face.”— Lloyd I. Sederer, MD, Adjunct Professor, Columbia School of Public HealthTable of ContentsIntroduction A Brief History of the Jews from Antiquity through the Middle Ages Antisemitism and Dehumanization of the Jews in the Modern Period. Enlightenment and Emancipation. Political Antisemitism Dehumanization. Research. Definitions. Examples in the Nazi Era The Human Propensity toward Violence, Destruction, and Murder. Prohibitions against Killing Other Humans. Examples of the Tendency toward Violence and Murder in the Nazi Era The Progression from Dehumanization to Murder and Genocide in the Nazi Era Dehumanization of School-Aged Children in Nazi Germany Medical Implementation of Aryan Ideology: Sterilization, Euthanasia, Experimentation Summary and Conclusions. Alternative Approaches. Addressing Dehumanization ReferencesIndex

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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