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Book SynopsisThis is a collection of texts written between the fourth and fourteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox Christian tradition. First published in Greek in 1782, the writings were translated into Slavonic and later into Russian.

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Book SynopsisIt all began in June 2005 when Bobby Henderson wrote an open letter to the Kansas School Board proposing a third alternative to the teaching of evolution and intelligent design in schools.Bobby is a prophet of sorts, the spiritual leader of a growing, world-wide group of followers who worship the teachings of The Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM).The FSM appeared to Bobby as a giant ball of spaghetti, with meatballs for eyes, and touched Bobby with His noodly appendage resulting in the revelation that the FSM is the real creator of the universe. The FSM faithful look to Bobby as their prophet and spiritual leader. Shortly after Bobby's revelation a website (www.flyingspaghettimonster.org) came into existence to promote the word. Then came the articles, which were worldwide: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian (UK), Die Welt (Germany), Surprise (Austria), and many others chimed in to report the existence of the FSM. Bobby received letters of support from academics and Ka

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Book Synopsis''I don''t believe in God, but I miss Him.'' Julian Barnes'' new book is, among many things, a family memoir, an exchange with his philosopher brother, a meditation on mortality and the fear of death, a celebration of art, an argument with and about God, and a homage to the French writer Jules Renard. Though he warns us that ''this is not my autobiography'', the result is a tour of the mind of one of our most brilliant writers.Trade ReviewBoth fun and funny. It is sharp too, in the sense of painful as well as witty... Barnes dissects with tremendous verve and insight this awesome inevitability of death and its impact on the human psyche. He also tears at your heart * New Statesman *A maverick form of family memoir that is mainly an extended reflection on the fear of death and on that great consolation, religious belief... It is entertaining, intriguing, absorbing...an inventive and invigorating slant on what is nowadays called 'life writing'. It took me hours to write this review because each reference to my notes set me off rereading; that is a reviewer's ultimate accolade -- Penelope Lively * Financial Times *A brilliant bible of elegant despair...that most urgent kind of self-help manual: the one you must read before you die -- Tim Adams * Vogue *Intensely fascinating * The Times *An elegant memoir and meditation. A deep seismic tremor of a book that keeps rumbling and grumbling in the mind for weeks thereafter * Garrison Keillor *

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Book SynopsisIn this interfaith book Lucinda Mosher investigates different understandings of destiny, loss, death, and remembrance in America's many religions. Using stories and interviews with a variety of religious adherents and health professionals, the book wrestles with questions such as: how can our religion guide us in making decisions about certain kinds of medical treatment options? What religion-related issues would it be helpful for a healthcare provider to know? How do different religious traditions help manage our grief?In a globalized society religious traditions sit alongside each other as never before, and the need for religious literacy and multifaith chaplaincy is increasingly recognized. By looking at multireligious America, this book provides an essential exploration of different attitudes to death, helping members of all faith communities to become more literate with each other's religious traditions.Trade ReviewDr. Mosher provides insights into how the big questions of life and death are answered within the rich tapestry of American religious life. This book is a must-read for anyone working in the caring professions, whether physicians, nurses, counselors, chaplains, or therapists. America is becoming a more diverse place and this book is a valuable guide to navigating it. -- Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, Seminary of the Southwest, Austin, TXThis book changed me as much as anything I have read in recent years. If you want to know more about the full humanity your new neighbors-and are willing to think more deeply about your own eventual demise as well-then you cannot have better companions than the ones Lucinda Mosher introduces you to in this book. -- Barbara Brown Taylor, author of Learning to Walk in the DarkIn the context of religious pluralism and the needs of healthcare professionals to increase their interfaith literacy, Mosher's book is a gift. Its thematic approach speaks to the heart of person-centered care, and is enriched by a mosaic of voices within and across faith perspectives which leads practitioners not into an acquisition of knowledge but a deep relational respect and wonder, that builds cultural competency from the inside out -- The Rev. Dr. Storm Swain, Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Theology, United Lutheran SeminaryTable of ContentsPreface. 1. What We Are. 2. When We're Ailing. 3. Postponing Death, Extending Life. 4. Transition. 5. Recovery. Quick Information Guide to Religions. Suggestions for Further Reading. Glossary.

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Book SynopsisYou can only find out the rights and wrongs by Reasoning never by being rude about your opponent's psychology.' For C. S. Lewis, reason and logic are the sensible way to approach faith and ethics. Much of the 20th century's ills are caused by ill-founded beliefs and opinions.Lewis's original approach remains as vital today as ever. He is able to take the most convoluted subject, turn it side on and shed bright illumination on it. To be able to see along things rather than at them just like a beam of sunlight that invades the darkness of a toolshed is, to Lewis, the way to understanding.Written variously between 1940 and 1962, this collection of essays represents the best of Lewis's considerable wisdom on the great ethical and theological concerns of the day.Trade Review‘Most of us would gladly have given reams of our own work to write a couple of paragraphs as Lewis wrote.’Church of England Newspaper

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Book SynopsisIan Wilson is a prolific, internationally published author specialising in historical and religious mysteries. Born in south London, he graduated from Magdalen College, Oxford University, in 1963 with honours in Modern History. The TV documentary that he co-scripted to accompany his 1978 Shroud book won a BAFTA award, and his later book Jesus: The Evidence was a best-seller on both sides of the Atlantic. Accompanied by his wife Judith, Wilson emigrated from England to Queensland, Australia, in 1995, where he enthusiastically continues wide-ranging research projects both at home and around the world.Trade ReviewThe godfather of the bestselling genre of historical quests that seek for the 'truth' behind ancient myths and faiths. * The Independent *Really a completely new book, which I had not quite anticipated. The updated content [and] the enhanced pictorial program (including the many colour plates) ... greatly add to its impact. * Professor John Beldon Scott *In 1978 Ian Wilson first put forward the idea that the Shroud was the same as the Mandylion of Edessa...The [latest] evidence presented...is such that the burden of proof is now on those who think that the two relics are not related... This would take the Shroud back to the seventh century at least... -- John Ray * TLS *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“As an ideological refresher on what the West got right, Shapiro’s book gets the job done.” — The Washington Post Shapiro cavorts through 3,000 years of intellectual history in the span of about 250 pages, offering a perspicuous, “user-friendly” dive into some of our civilization’s biggest ideas. — The Washington Examiner “Ben Shapiro knows the power of his voice. He stands up and fights for what he believes with time-tested ideas. The Right Side of History is thoughtful and well-reasoned - exactly what Shapiro’s critics don’t want you to hear.” — Nikki Haley, former premanent representative of the U.S. Mission of the United Nations

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Book SynopsisPacking a powerful punch, this compelling read is an argument against the new atheistsTrade Review'A brilliantly argued re-evaluation of the relation of science and religion, casting welcome new light on today's major debates. A must-read for all reflecting on the greatest questions of life.' -- Alister McGrath, author, Glimpsing the Face of God on God's Undertaker'Recent books touting atheism have been grounded more on dyspepsia than on dispassionate reason. In this book John considers the best, most recent science from physics and biology, and demonstrates that the picture looks far different from what we've been told.' -- Michael Behe, author, Darwin's Black Box, on God's UndertakerTable of ContentsContentsIntroduction 9Chapter 1: Are God and Faith Enemies of Reason and Science? 27Chapter 2: Is Religion Poisonous? 59Chapter 3: Is Atheism Poisonous? 83Chapter 4: Can We be Good Without God? 97Chapter 5: Is the God of the Bible a Despot? 117Chapter 6: Is the Atonement Morally Repellent? 145Chapter 7: Are Miracles Pure Fantasy? 165Chapter 8: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? 187Chapter 9: Final Reflections 227Notes 233

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Book Synopsis Having taken over the leadership of the French school of sociology after the death of his uncle, Emile Durkheim, in 1917, Mauss, celebrated author of The Gift, re-launched the flagship journal, the Année sociologique. Here are two of Mauss's most significant statements on the social sciences. The first, written with Fauconnet, outlines the methodological orientations of the school. The second examines the internal organization of sociology as a division of intellectual labor. The essays are of interest to anthropologists as well as sociologists for Mauss, like Durkheim, did not distinguish in detail the two disciplines.Table of Contents Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction Mike Gane Sociology (with Paul Fauconnet) Sociology: Its Divisions and Their Relative Weightings Chapter 1. The Sequence or Order of the Parts of Sociology Chapter 2. On the Proportions of the Parts of Sociology Chapter 3. Concrete Divisions of Sociology Chapter 4. The Place of Applied Sociology or Politics Additional Bibliographical Note Index

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Book SynopsisGod, Pope Francis affirms, is present in nature, and he wants us to share that perspective, because he believes that it can generate in us a sense of wonder, awe, reverence and love for nature in all its aspects. This sense will make us strong enough to dedicate ourselves to the demanding task of caring for what he calls ‘our common home.’ When my home is under threat I will fight tooth and nail to protect it and those living in it, because I love it. Such commitment is needed today if our small and fragile planet is to be brought back to health. Brian Grogan brings the background of Ignatian spirituality and a lived appreciation of God’s creation to his book of meditations on Pope Francis’ Encyclical, Laudato Si. Rather than an exhaustive explanation of the encyclical, this book serves as a daily invitation to notice in ordinary creation the invitation of God to love and care for all God’s creation. Read slowly each morning, it could give a focus for living the day in recognising God in all things, and the call of God to be a co-creator of his beautiful world each day.

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Book SynopsisA call for Christianity to recover its confidence.

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Book SynopsisTo many, the problem of evil and suffering constitutes by far the most serious objection to mainstream religious belief. For all its starkness and salience, though, the dilemma is also widely misinterpreted. That visceral feelings often dominate discussion is understandable on one level. But this can displace the clearer-headed thinking needed to shed greater light on the subject. In this brief but broad-ranging book, Rupert Shortt shows that belief in a divine Creator is much more coherent intellectually than many sceptics suppose. Basic misconceptions about core aspects of Judaism, Christianity and Islam can in turn spawn still greater caricatures of subjects including divine power. Having cleared the ground, Shortt goes on to discuss the nature of evil from a classical Abrahamic standpoint and how Christian resources in particular offer guidance in an area where raw emotion, conceptual thTrade ReviewRupert Shortt is clear and incisive in this new work of theodicy -- Iain McGilchrist'One of the most cogent writers of our day' -- Peter Sedgwick'Beguiling' -- Julia Neuberger'Deep theological knowledge and spiritual discernment' -- John Barton'Wise, informed and immensely thoughtful' -- Alister McGrathA stunning challenge to the casual atheism of our age -- Angela TilbyHis arguments are powerful -- Bishop Erik VardenThe book succeeds in presenting a reasoned case for holding fast to the reality of God, as Christianity understands it, and not shirking from the troubling existence of suffering. -- Mark Vernonintelligent and lucid -- Melanie McDonagha profoundly helpful book -- Timothy RadcliffeUnlike most participants in this lively debate, Rupert Shortt hasn't decided the answer before asking the question . . . After all, evil and suffering are not a problem to be fixed but a mystery to be entered. -- Sam WellsShortt has an admirable gift for making the obscure lucid, for chasing away confusions, and for saying a great deal in a small space without sacrifice of substance or profundity -- David Bentley HartRupert Shortt gets to grips with this philosophical, theological, pastoral and human conundrum incisively but sensitively -- Fr Alban McCoyThe Hardest Problem contains hard thought, emotional honesty and keen awareness of the issues. * TLS *This is an immensely attractive exposition of Christian faith, accessible to a wide readership, and ideal for discussion groups on these topics. * Church Times *

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Book SynopsisThis volume analyzes changing relationships between religion and national identity in the course of European integration. Examining elite discourse, media debates and public opinions across Europe over a decade, it explores how accelerated European integration and Eastern enlargement have affected religious markers of collective identity. Trade Review“This is a book that traces, conceptually, theoretically and empirically, the impact of EU institutions on identity – and more specifically, religious identity. Much of the strength of the book derives from a research design that combines rich analysis of individual case studies with the identification of broad patterns and common themes. … editors have contributed to our understanding of the ways in which EU integration has shaped the development of national – and mainly religious – identity in different member states.” (Daphne Halikiopoulou, Religion and Society in Central and Eastern Europe, Vol. 9 (1), 2017)“This book sets out to redress the neglect of religion as an element of collective identities in the study of European integration from 1990–2010. … it makes a valuable contribution to the study of the entanglement of religion with national identities as they are effected by the processes of European integration. Hopefully this will provide a solid foundation for further research in this area, incorporating other cases, engaging with greater varieties of religion and encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and debate.” (Liam Sutherland, Nations and Nationalism, Vol. 22 (4), October, 2016)Table of Contents1. Religion, Nationalism and European Integration Introduction; Matthias Koenig and Wolfgang Knöbl 2. The (Fragile) Normalization of German Identity within Europe; Willfried Spohn 3. Changing Frameworks of National Identity in Post-communist Poland; Miko?aj Lewicki and S?awomir Mandes 4. Greek Identity and Europe Entanglements and Tensions; Effie Fokas and Evangelos Karagiannis 5. Turkey in Europe, Europe in Turkey History, Elites, and the Media; Levent Soysal, Saime Özçürümez and Ça?la Diner 6. Religious Dimensions of National and European Identities: Evidence from Cross-national Survey Research; Sabine Trittler, Slawomir Mandes and Matthias Koenig 7. Varieties of Religious Nationalism; Matthias Koenig and Wolfgang Knöbl

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Book SynopsisThis is the first reader to gather primary sources from influential theorists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries in one place, presenting the wide-ranging and nuanced theoretical debates occurring in the field of religious studies. Each chapter focuses on a major theorist and contains: an introduction contextualizing their key ideas one or two selections representative of the theorist's innovative methodological approach(es) discussion questions to extend and deepen reader engagement Divided in three sections, the first part includes foundational comparative debates: Mary Douglas's articulation of purity and impurity Phyllis Trible's methods of reading sacred texts Wendy Doniger's comparative mythology Catherine Bell's reimagining of religious and secular ritualThe second part focuses on methodological particularity: Alice Walker''s use of narrative Charles Long's critique of Eurocentricism CaroliTrade Review[An] important resource for any religious studies course that includes a theoretical dimension. * Nova Religio *Serving as brief intellectual-biographical histories, these essays illumine the preoccupations and priorities that have motivated influential scholars’s work. While the text is not a required counterpart for the Reader, the editors note that its contributions profitably locate the span of its contents within personal and historiographical worlds, opening an aperture for students to further reflect on their own locations and the disciplinary contexts in which these texts are situated. It is also worth noting that these essays deserve careers of their own as documents of intellectual history and could be usefully assigned together or apart in graduate as well as undergraduate seminars. * Reading Religion *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Permissions Introduction PART ONE: Comparative Approaches 1. The Bounds of Hierarchy: Mary Douglas 2. Feminist Textual Critique: Phyllis Trible 3. Myth and the Religious Imaginary: Wendy Doniger 4. Ritual and Belief: Catherine Bell PART TWO: Examining Particularities 5. Womanist Religious Interpretation: Alice Walker 6. Signifying Religion in the Modern World: Charles H. Long 7. Gender and Materiality: Caroline Walker Bynum PART THREE: Expanding Boundaries 8. Mestiza Language of Religion: Gloria Anzaldúa 9. Performative, Queer Theories for Religion: Judith Butler 10. Disrupting Secular Power and the Study of Religion: Index

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Book SynopsisTo many, the problem of evil and suffering constitutes by far the most serious objection to mainstream religious belief. For all its starkness and salience, though, the dilemma is also widely misinterpreted. That visceral feelings often dominate discussion is understandable on one level. But this can displace the clearer-headed thinking needed to shed greater light on the subject. In this brief but broad-ranging book, Rupert Shortt shows that belief in a divine Creator is much more coherent intellectually than many sceptics suppose. Basic misconceptions about core aspects of Judaism, Christianity and Islam can in turn spawn still greater caricatures of subjects including divine power. Having cleared the ground, Shortt goes on to discuss the nature of evil from a classical Abrahamic standpoint and how Christian resources in particular offer guidance in an area where raw emotion, conceptual thTrade ReviewRupert Shortt is clear and incisive in this new work of theodicy -- Iain McGilchrist'One of the most cogent writers of our day' -- Peter Sedgwick'Beguiling' -- Julia Neuberger'Deep theological knowledge and spiritual discernment' -- John Barton'Wise, informed and immensely thoughtful' -- Alister McGrathA stunning challenge to the casual atheism of our age -- Angela TilbyHis arguments are powerful -- Bishop Erik VardenThe book succeeds in presenting a reasoned case for holding fast to the reality of God, as Christianity understands it, and not shirking from the troubling existence of suffering. -- Mark Vernonintelligent and lucid -- Melanie McDonagha profoundly helpful book -- Timothy RadcliffeUnlike most participants in this lively debate, Rupert Shortt hasn't decided the answer before asking the question . . . After all, evil and suffering are not a problem to be fixed but a mystery to be entered. -- Sam WellsShortt has an admirable gift for making the obscure lucid, for chasing away confusions, and for saying a great deal in a small space without sacrifice of substance or profundity -- David Bentley HartRupert Shortt gets to grips with this philosophical, theological, pastoral and human conundrum incisively but sensitively -- Fr Alban McCoyThe Hardest Problem contains hard thought, emotional honesty and keen awareness of the issues. * TLS *This is an immensely attractive exposition of Christian faith, accessible to a wide readership, and ideal for discussion groups on these topics. * Church Times *

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Book SynopsisExamines how the rabbis of the Talmud read, understood, and used the New Testament Jesus narrative to assert, ultimately, Judaism's superiority over Christianity.Trade ReviewPeter Schafer, Winner of the 2007 Distinguished Achievement Award from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation "Schafer's fine new book should be of interest to a wide audience, and not only to specialists in the field of the historical interaction of Judaism and Christianity in late antiquity (who will be right to devour it)... Schafer's book tells a fascinating story... His great scholarship now provides Jews and Christians interested in developing a new and better relationship with a way to work through many of the hateful things that we have said about each other in the past, but without pretending that this bad past was not as bad as it really was or that it can simply be forgotten... The sources that Schafer adduces are virulent and dangerous, but his analysis of them leaves one unexpectedly full of hope."--David Novak, New Republic "In the talmudic references to Jesus ... Schafer persuasively finds sophisticated 'counternarratives that parody the New Testament stories,' composed by Jews who evinced a precise knowledge of the New Testament. The true accomplishment of Jesus in the Talmud is to show how certain talmudic passages are actually subtle rereadings of the New Testament, 'a literary answer to a literary text.' With considerable skill, Schafer weaves these together until they can be seen to form an intricate theological discourse that prefigures the disputations between Jews and Christians in the Middle Ages."--Benjamin Balint, First Things "Meticulously researched and argued as well as clearly and accessibly written, this most intriguing--albeit radical--book is sure to spark interest, debate, and controversy. An essential purchase for academic religion collections and theological libraries."--Library Journal "In [this] book Schafer has proven himself not only a formidable scholar of ancient and medieval Jewish texts ... but also a talented author from whose hands the text flows like the water to which the rabbis likened the Torah."--Galit Hasan-Rokem, Jewish Quarterly Review "Peter Schafer's Jesus in the Talmud reviews well-trodden territory but derives new and important readings from this familiar evidence. Applying contemporary historiographical methods, Schafer offers a convincing explanation of the talmudic texts about Jesus."--Ruth Langer, Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations "Peter Schafer deserves great merit for having taken up a subject whose reexamination has been overdue for a long time already and that is of major interest to New Testament scholars, Talmudists, and historians of ancient Judaism alike...The great achievement of this book is that it reopens the discussion of texts that are of greatest significance for the study of the relationship of Judaism and Christianity in antiquity and the early Middle Ages. It presents the Jewish intellectual elite in a new light, as active respondents to Christian claims and allegations and forceful combatants in the Christian-Jewish dispute."--Catherine Hezser, Review of Biblical Literature "Schafer's excellent study shows that, by ridiculing fundamental Christian claims, Babylonian Jewry rejected any notion that the old covenant had been superseded by the new, Judaism had nothing for which to reproach itself: its superiority over Christianity was incontestable."--Anthony Phillips, Church Times "Peter Schafer...provides a sophisticated treatment of the subject of Jesus and other figures in the New Testament in Talmudic literature. This subject has a long history, but have never been undertaken with the kind of rigor and sensitivity to contextual factors, including the differences between the evidence available in the Babylonian versus Jerusalem versions...Clear and accessible reading for the non-specialist, this is a careful, scholarly treatment that sets the agenda for future studies"--Jewish Book World "One of the greatest Hebrew scholars, Peter Schafer, published a book on a very controversial and difficult subject--Jesus in the Talmud. Jesus in the Talmud is a work of great value. Although the author declares that the book is not a scholarly treatise, but only a kind of extensive essay, the investigation is thorough and all its theses are excellently and fully argued."--Maciej Tomal, Palamedes "Peter Schafer's Jesus in the Talmud is already being picked up by anti-Semitic Web sites as proof that Judaism harbors blasphemous beliefs about Jesus. Yet, it is an important book by a meticulous scholar, the head of Princeton's Judaic studies program. It is also a truthful book and should be received in a spirit of truthfulness."--David Klinghoffer, Hadassah Magazine "Schafer bases his clearly written and exquisitely informed work on a collection of the fragmented texts about Jesus from the heart of the rabbinic period, a cluster of passages he assembles from material scattered throughout the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds and contemporaneous rabbinic literature. The simple gathering of these newly translated texts in one place makes the book an excellent English-language resource for researchers and laypersons alike."--Stephen Hazan Arnoff, Haaretz "This remarkable monograph is required reading for anyone interested in the reception of the NT in rabbinic literature."--M. J. Geller, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament "[C]ertainly the best modern study of this topic."--Simon Gathercole, Journal for the Study of the New Testament "This is a very interesting book, and the author's arguments are both logical and unique."--W. Pretorius, Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae "Schafer's erudite sailing through the 'sea of Talmud' is evident on every page; and, to the extent his thesis is correct, he relocates Talmudic Jesus tradition from Jesus research in the first century to Jewish-Christian relations in late antiquity."--Michael A. Daise, Journal for the Study of the Historical JesusTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Abbreviations xiii Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Jesus' Family 15 Chapter 2: The Son/Disciple Who Turned out Badly 25 Chapter 3: The Frivolous Disciple 34 Chapter 4: The Torah Teacher 41 Chapter 5: Healing in the Name of Jesus 52 Chapter 6: Jesus' Execution 63 Chapter 7: Jesus' Disciples 75 Chapter 8: Jesus' Punishment in Hell 82 Chapter 9: Jesus in the Talmud 95 Appendix: Bavli Manuscripts and Censorship 131 Notes 145 Bibliography 191 Index 203

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Book SynopsisThis is a revised and updated edition of this seminal work on the responses of Islam to the modern world. Starting with the present-day condition of man in the modern world and the dilemma of the present-day Muslim, Seyyed Hossein Nasr discusses the interchange that has continued between Islam and the West over the centuries. The author then proceeds to examine the profound struggle in the Muslim world between the Islamic tradition and Western ideologies and culture concentrating on the present situations in the Arab world, in Iran, in India and in Pakistan.In addition to a new preface, this revised edition of Islam and the Plight of Modern Man includes two new chapters: ''Islam at the Dawn of the Third Christian Millennium'', and ''Reflections on Islam and the West: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow''.

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Book SynopsisExposes and explains the unlikely alliance between Evangelical Christians and anti-transgender feministsTrade Review'Compellingly explains the seemingly quixotic anti-trans alliance of radical feminists and conservative evangelicals. Intellectually rich yet accessible, it demonstrates how that alliance is rooted in a shared ideological inheritance and weaponizing of a range of political tactics and hackneyed conspiracies. In doing so, it also points to ways in which their anti-trans stances can be understood and countered.' -- Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy, University of Westminster; Chair of AIDS Memory UK'We live in a time when anti-trans politics is becoming increasingly dehumanizing and dangerous. Reading this illuminating book will help the open-minded, open-hearted Christian reader hear, encounter, and love their trans neighbors. I learned much from this book. I am grateful for it.' -- David P. Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer UniversityTable of ContentsPreface: A Tower to the Heavens Introduction Part I: An 'Unlikely' Alliance 1. Warzone 2. Of Feminists and Mystics 3. Trans as Heresy in Evangelical Thought 4. The Alliance Goes to War Part II: The Theological Bit (And Why It Matters) 5. Gender Orthodoxy 6. Rebellion Part III: Covering the Cracks 7. 'God is bullshit, and so is gender' 8. Masking Strategies Part IV: The Future 9. A Coming Storm? 10. Getting Christianity Right Acknowledgements Notes

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Julian Baggini explores the arguments for atheism, and dispels some common myths, explaining how a life without religious belief can be positive, meaningful, and moral. This new edition discusses the recent flowering of 'New Atheism' and considers the position of atheism in society today.Table of Contents1: What is Atheism? 2: The case for atheism 3: Atheist ethics 4: Meaning and purpose 5: Atheism in history 6: Beyond the Atheism 7: Conclusion Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewCourses on topics ranging from religion and law to religious protest to general surveys of American religion will be enriched by the inclusion of this exciting text. * Spencer Dew, Wittenberg University/The Ohio State University, Religious Studies Review *Speak of the Devil is a must-read for scholars of religion. Laycock rightly frames TST (The Satanic Temple) as provoking consequential questions of classification, religious freedom, and national belonging. * Dusty Hoesly, Religion, Vol 52, no.1 *Speak of the Devil ranks its author among influential scholars of contemporary Satanism ... Laycock's work is likely to appeal to both scholars and a broader audience by presenting a fluent, readable, and properly contextualized analysis of the development of The Satanic Temple. * Miroslav Vrzal, Ivona Vrzalová, Religio *Recommended. * C.H. Lippy, emeritus, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, CHOICE *Joseph Laycock has written an outstanding treatment of one of the most misunderstood new religious movements...The book is well-written and impeccably documented. In addition to producing a fine introduction to TST, Laycock introduces us to a host of important contemporary cultural theorists, religion scholars, and legal experts working at the interface of politics and religion. This book will be valuable to anyone who teaches world religions/new religious movements, or anyone seeking to understand legal issues related to religion in the public square. * Jonathan P. Case, Evangelical Missions Quarterly *Laycock's book produces several contributions to the field. His survey of satanic history and its use in popular discourse reveals the extent to which the satanic affinity for performance traces back to earlier Church of Satan figures such as Anton LaVey but also the political activism, militant reactionism, and moral sensationalism of conservative Christians * William Chavez, Reading Religion *This volume is highly recommended. Its sections on the history of Satanism and TST may not be of interest to all Christians, but surely to those interested in a study of new religious movements, and Satanism in particular. Even for those who have no interest in Satanism or TST, and who find such subjects off-putting, the discussion of TST's challenges to our assumptions about religion, religious free-dom, and religious pluralism make this an important addition to select Christian libraries. * John W. Morehead, Cultural Encounters: A Journal for the Theology of Culture *Laycock's Speak of the Devil is a valuable contribution to the study of modern Satanism and will be of great interest especially to those studying new religious movements, religion in America, and issues of church and state in the United States. Clearly written and well organized, the book would be ideal for graduate seminars not only for its content, but also for its expert blending of history and ethnography in its portrait of an oft-reviled minority religion. * Brian C. Wilson, Western Michigan University, Nova Religio *Table of ContentsPrologue 1. The Day Satan Came to Oklahoma 2. Origins and History of The Satanic Temple 3. Satanic Schisms 4. The Satanic Reformation 5. Religion or Trolls? 6. Satanic Bake Sales 7. "Taking Equality Too Far" Conclusion Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTrans and Genderqueer Subjects in Medieval Hagiography presents an interdisciplinary examination of trans and genderqueer subjects in medieval hagiography. Scholarship has productively combined analysis of medieval literary texts with modern queer theory – yet, too often, questions of gender are explored almost exclusively through a prism of sexuality, rather than gender identity. This volume moves beyond such limitations, foregrounding the richness of hagiography as a genre integrally resistant to limiting binaristic categories, including rigid gender binaries. The collection showcases scholarship by emerging trans and genderqueer authors, as well as the work of established researchers. Working at the vanguard of historical trans studies, these scholars demonstrate the vital and vitally political nature of their work as medievalists. Trans and Genderqueer Subjects in Medieval Hagiography enables the re-creation of a lineage linking modern trans and genderqueer individuals to their medieval ancestors, providing models of queer identity where much scholarship has insisted there were none, and re-establishing the place of non-normative gender in history.Trade Review"The first thing one observes about Trans and Genderqueer Subjects in Medieval Hagiography is that it is a beautiful object. The cover image, by medievalist and artist Jonah Coman, is a sumptuous study in gold, like a Book of Hours, with vignettes of both holy images and protest marches in a band that encircles an image of a medieval saint holding a trans pride flag. We do not often talk about the physical form of scholarly books, but this one is a joy to hold. It is also a useful object, containing an appendix on trans and genderqueer terminology, language, and usage that serves as an important snapshot of how to talk about gender in the early twenty-first century and should prove enormously useful to those just coming to explore trans studies. [...] With this kind of work in the offering, the future of the profession has a chance to be as wonderful as this collection."- Masha Raskolnikov, The Medieval Review22.03.10 (2022) "The inspiring volume is a must-read for all scholars working with religion and history. Most importantly, it is an admirable effort to dismantle cis-heteronormative conceptions of the Middle Ages (propagated alarmingly by white supremacist groups). [...] The volume is of the utmost importance for the trans and genderqueer people of today, as it is in essence a serious academic endeavour to imagine a transgender past and, thus, offer a sense of historical belonging."- Rose-Marie Peake, Mirator 1/21 (2021) "By establishing transness as holy, the authors are not only working to put trans and genderqueer subjects back into the narrative of history, but at its center. Transness is being rewritten as something beautiful and divine."- - Milo, What Lives Here Now blog (2021) "In this important volume, Alicia Spencer-Hall and Blake Gutt bring together scholarship that rethinks, in creatively productive ways, how gender figures in medieval representations of sainthood and sanctity. [...] All the varied scholarship collected here is excellent, and the volume as a whole mounts a persuasive and invigorating argument about the importance of attending to trans and genderqueer texts and experiences in the Middle Ages."- Steven F. Kruger, Journal of Medieval Religious Cultures "Trans and Genderqueer Subjects in Medieval Hagiography is an excellent collection that, by offering a platform for both new and established scholars to revisit their earlier assessments of medieval texts, offers an understanding of the past predicated upon the need for a more just future." - Alexander Flores, Comitatus, Vol. 53, 2022Table of ContentsIList of Figures Acknowledgements 'Introduction', Alicia Spencer-Hall and Blake Gutt Following the Traces: Reassessing the Status Quo, Reinscribing Trans and Genderqueer Realities 1.'Assigned Female at Death: Joseph of Schönau and the Disruption of Medieval Gender Binaries', Martha G. Newman 2.'Inherited Futures: Capgrave's Life of St Katherine', Caitlyn McLoughlin 3.'Juana de la Cruz: Gender-Transcendent Prophetess', Kevin C.A. Elphick 4.'Non-Standard Masculinity and Sainthood in Niketas David's Life of Patriarch Ignatios', Felix Szabo Peripheral Vision(s): Objects, Images, and Identities 5.'Gender-Querying Christ's Wounds: A Non-Binary Interpretation of Christ's Body in Late Medieval Imagery', Sophie Sexon 6.'Illuminating Queer Gender Identity in the Manuscripts of the Vie de sainte Eufrosine', Vanessa Wright 7.'The Queerly Departed: Narratives of Veneration in the Burials of Late Iron Age Scandinavia', Lee Colwill Genre, Gender, and Trans Textualities 8.'St Eufrosine's Invitation to Gender Transgression', Amy V. Ogden 9.'Holy Queer and Holy Cure: Sanctity, Disability, and Transgender Embodiment in Tristan de Nanteuil', Blake Gutt 10.'The Authentic Lives of Transgender Saints: imago Dei and imitatio Christi in the Life of Saint Marinos the Monk', M.W. Bychowski Epilogue: 'Beyond Binaries: The (Trans) Gender(s) of Saints', Mathilde van Dijk Appendix: 'Trans and Genderqueer Studies Terminology, Language, and Usage Guide' Index

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Book SynopsisIn Heidegger’s Being: The Shimmering Unfolding, the eminent Heidegger scholar Richard Capobianco draws on many new texts and sources to highlight in fresh ways the beauty and spiritual resonance of Martin Heidegger’s thinking about Being. As in his earlier books, Capobianco offers a meditative path through Heidegger’s thought. He illuminates major motifs that are overlooked or set aside by most contemporary readings of Heidegger, amplifying these motifs in an original, heartfelt, and eloquent way. The book also offers a series of reflections that bring Heidegger’s thinking into close proximity to other thinkers and poets, including Alfred North Whitehead, C.G. Jung, Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, and Rumi. Heidegger’s Being: The Shimmering Unfolding is intended not only for dedicated students of Heidegger’s work but also for engaged general readers who wish to come to a deeper appreciation of his distinctive vision oTable of ContentsIntroduction Part I: Studies 1. Pindar’s “Gold” and Heraclitus’s “Kosmos” as Being Itself 2. In the Black Notebooks: The “Turn” Away from the Transcendental-Phenomenological Positioning of Being and Time to the Thinking of Being as Physis and Aletheia 3. Heidegger’s Manifold Thinking of Being: In Honor of Prof. William J. Richardson 4. Athena, Art, and Overcoming the Egoity of Our Age 5. Mythos, Being, and the Appropriation of a Religious Tradition 6. On Heidegger’s Heraclitus Lectures: In Nearness of a Process Metaphysics? 7. The Path through Heidegger’s Thought: Interview with FILOZOFIA Part II: Translation 8. “Martin Heidegger’s Thinking and Japanese Philosophy” by Kōichi Tsujimura and “Reply in Appreciation” by Martin Heidegger Part III: Reflections and Impressions 9. Heidegger and the Earliest Greeks 10. Heidegger, Phenomenology, and Metaphysics 11. Why “Phenomenology” Inevitably Slides toward Idealism/Subjectivism/Constructivism 12. Heidegger’s “Clearing” Is Not Identical with the Human Being 13. Heidegger, Max Müller, and Metaphysics: “Heidegger Remains a Metaphysician” 14. Heidegger, Plato, and “Light” 15. Hegel and the Inexhaustible Depth of “Things” 16. Facticity Only in the Light of Eternity 17. Another Suggestion on Thinking: Heidegger and Whitehead 18. Heidegger and C.G. Jung on Wholeness as the Telos of the Human Being 18. Heidegger and C.G. Jung on “Opposites” 20. Heidegger and Melville 21. Heidegger and a Robert Frost Poem 22. The Unspeakable Mystery of All Things 23. A “Hermetic Saying” and the Hermetic Tradition 24. Heidegger and Walt Whitman 25. Heidegger and the Limit of Language – and Rumi 26. Thomas Aquinas, “God,” and the “Godhead of God” Afterword A Note on the Text and Heidegger’s Gesamtausgabe Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Debates about science and religion are rarely out of the news. Whether it concerns what''s being taught in schools, clashes between religious values and medical recommendations, or questions about how to address our changing global environment, emotions often run high and answers seem intractable. Yet there is much more to science and religion than the clash of extremes. As Thomas Dixon and Adam Shapiro show in this balanced and thought-provoking Very Short Introduction, a whole range of views, subtle arguments, and fascinating perspectives can be found on this complex and centuries-old subject. They explore the key philosophical questions that underlie the debate, but also highlight the social, political, and ethical contexts that have made the tensions between science and religion such a fraught and interesting topic in the modern world. In this new edition, Dixon and Shapiro connect historical concepts such as evolution, the heliocentric solar system, and the problem of evil to present-day issues including the politicization of science; debates over mind, body, and identity; and the moral necessity of addressing environmental change. Ranging from medical missionaries to congregations adopting new technologies during a pandemic, from Galileo''s astronomy to building the Thirty Meter Telescope, they explore how some of the most complex social issues of our day are rooted in discussions of science and religion. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Reviewa wonderful book * Morteza Hajizadeh, New Books Network *Review from previous edition A rich introductory text...on the study of relations of science and religion. * R. P. Whaite, Metascience *A marvellous book that should be required reading for dogmatic fundamentalists of every persuasion. * Patricia Fara, British Journal for the History of Science *Dixon shows great skill in composing a book which combines coherence and clarity with a strong forward momentum... The interested reader need not hesitate. * Michael Fuller, The Expository Times *Bracing initiation * Observer. *The relationship between science and religion, past and present, is much more varied and more interesting than the popular caricature of conflict. Thomas Dixon gives us the richer picture, and he does it with clarity and verve. This is an ideal introduction to a fascinating subject. * Peter Lipton. University of Cambridge *Thomas Dixon has made a delightful contribution to this OUP series of Very Short Introductions. * Church Times *Table of Contents1: What are science-religion debates really about? 2: Galileo and the philosophy of science 3: God and nature 4: Darwin and evolution 5: Mind and morality 6: The worlds of science and religion References and further reading Index

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Book SynopsisIn a world where not everyone believes in God, ''blasphemy'' is surely a concept that has passed its use-by-date. And yet blasphemy (like God and religion) seems to be on the rise. In this Very Short Introduction Yvonne Sherwood asks why this should be the case, looking at factors such as the increased visibility of religious and racial minorities, new media, and engines of surveillance (which are far more omniscient than the old gods could ever be), and the legacies of colonial blasphemy laws. Throughout, Sherwood uncovers new histories, from the story of accidentally blasphemous cartoons, to the close associations between blasphemy, sex, and birth control. She also argues that blasphemy itself involves an inherent contradiction in imagining the divine as an entity that must be revered above all, yet also a being that could possibly be hurt by anything that happens in the merely human sphere. Unpicking some of the most famous cases of blasphemy, Sherwood also looks at obscure instances, asking why some ''blasphemies'' have become infamous, while others have disappeared.Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1: Introduction: 'Blasphemous' crucifixions 2: Blasphemy in scarequotes 3: Blasphemy in religion 4: Blasphemy in law 5: Blasphemy and minorities 6: Blasphemy and media References and Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisA timely critique of Milbank's theology of welfare and its influence on policy inside and outside the Church of England.Trade ReviewIn this wide-ranging book that does not shy away from bold policy suggestions, Joseph Forde offers a detailed exposition and critique of John Milbank, and a profound reflection on the Church's response to the reshaping of the Welfare State after the financial crash of 2008. Forde's lively and provocative book will stimulate all those who are interested in the Church's involvement with rebuilding society. Mark D. Chapman, Professor of the History of Modern Theology, University of Oxford An accessible, balanced and compelling account of recent theological and political history. Dr Forde recalls how John Milbank and Radical Orthodoxy re-connected Anglican social thought and political policy in ways not seen since the 1980s, but also outlines the challenge the Church of England now faces to think beyond the Blue Labour/Big Society paradigm to a theology of the State that can meet existential social threats such as climate emergency, growing poverty and global pandemics. Chris Baker, William Temple Professor of Religion, Belief and Public Life at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Director of Research at the William Temple Foundation John Milbank's influential political theology has played an important part in the current renewal of Anglican Social Theology. Forde expertly locates Milbank's work, scholarly and journalistic, in this Anglican tradition and assesses its contribution to debates on the 'Big Society' and the future of welfare. Anyone interested in Anglican Social Theology, Blue Labour, and the contribution of theology to public life will benefit from reading this book. Peter Scott, Samuel Ferguson Professor of Applied Theology and Director of the Lincoln Theological Institute, University of Manchester How does the Church, as well as thousands of voluntary agencies work alongside government to create a just, fair and compassionate society? This book puts this important question in a much larger historical and theological timeframe. It is a must-read for all interested in such concerns for the welfare of all our fellow citizens. Adrian Alker, Progressive Christianity Network, 5th July 2022 This book, the outcome of doctoral research by Joe Forde, is a substantial contribution to the study of the Church of England's attitude to welfare provision over the last hundred years. John Schofield, Centre for Radical Christianity Online, July 2022 The book draws on a remarkably wide range of sources and contains many wise reflections on a subject dear to my heart - the role of the Church in relation to poverty, inequality and welfare...I recommend Joe's book as shedding much fascinating light on the role of Church and state in our society today. David Price, Mark's Messenger - The Parish Magazine of St Mark's Church, July 2022 The book is a thorough going examination of the Church of England's approach to welfare, historically and, more specifically, since 2010... It is good and worth reading. But don't take my word for it. Ian K. Duffield, in Urban Theology Union newsletter, Autumn 2022 Forde has produced an extremely helpful and readable book which offers an excellent provocation for a return to a Temple-like advocacy of welfare statism. Forde's argument will help those from different strands of Anglican social thought to interrogate and clarify their position Revd Dr Matt Bullimore, in Modern Believing, Volume 64, Number 3Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Part 1: Locating John Milbank's Thinking on Welfare and the Church within the Anglican Socialist Tradition 1. Three Anglican Socialist Strands: Welfare Statist, Christendom, Revolutionist 2. Anglican Socialism and the Rise and Fall of the British Welfare State Consensus Part 2: John Milbank's Blue Socialist Thinking and His Perspective on the British Welfare State 3. John Milbank Writing in the Christendom Strand 4. John Milbank's Thinking on Welfare and the Church of England's Role in its Provision since 1945 Part 3: John Milbank, the 'Big Society' Project and the Church of England 5. The 'Big Society' Project and the Church of England: An Analysis of the Influences that Shaped GS1804 6. John Milbank and the Church of England's Future Approach to Welfare Conclusion Epilogue Appendix 1: GS1804: 'The Big Society' and the Church of England Appendix 2: List of Questions Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Holy Spirit has become an object of greater attention in Trinitarian theology, and indeed in the broader life of the Church, since the rise of Pentecostalism at the beginning of the twentieth century. Different understandings of the Holy Spirit have had different impacts on worship; here, Elizabeth Welch examines four surprising overlaps in the thought of two radically different traditions of the church about the relationship between the Holy Spirit and worship. These traditions are represented by John Owen, from seventeenth-century England, and John Zizioulas, from contemporary Greece. Welch explores in turn the common themes of the personal and relational nature of the triune God, the immediacy of the encounter with God through the Holy Spirit in worship, the role of the Holy Spirit in leading people into truth, and the transformative nature of worship that draws people into sharing God''s purpose for the world. In each, the insights of Owen and Zizioulas shed new light on the onTrade ReviewThis timely and scholarly book deepens ecumenical thinking about the connection between the Holy Spirit and the church's worship. Elizabeth Welch reveals unexpected convergences between John Owen (Reformed) and John Zizioulas (Orthodox), widely separated in time and in ecclesial tradition, in her dynamic, relational, and transformative theology of the Holy Spirit in worship. Both liturgy and theology will be enriched by the study of this book. Paul Avis, Durham University and University of Exeter Throughout this book, Elizabeth Welch makes fresh and stimulating connections. She writes persuasively about the meeting of Christian West and Christian East in the rich theology of the Holy Spirit and of worship developed by the seventeenth-century Puritan John Owen and the contemporary Orthodox theologian John Zizioulas. Through this sharply focused study, she illuminates central ecclesiological themes common to East and West. This is an original, thought-provoking, and profoundly irenic book. Nicholas Sagovsky, King's College London What connects a seventeenth-century English Puritan with a twenty-first-century Greek Orthodox theologian? The Holy Spirit! Elizabeth Welch's analysis of pneumatology in John Owen and John Zizioulas reveals unexpected convergence between the two thinkers. Insightful and stimulating, there is much here which promotes the quest to renew Christian worship and reinvigorate ecumenical dialogue. Robert Pope, Westminster College, Cambridge, United Kingdom In a post-denominational era, where the momentum of the church seems to have shifted to the 'new' and 'pentecostal' churches, Dr. Welch's book is an important contribution to the contemporary ecumenical discussion about the place and work of the Holy Spirit in the worship of the church and a reminder of the significance of the historic discussions to that debate." John Burgess, retired minister and training officer of the United Reformed Church In my opinion it is still the case that the latter has far too little emphasis, especially in Protestant services. I am therefore happy with this pneumatological attention to the liturgy and find it very commendable that the author also empahasises this in one (special) reformed 'father'. At the same time I think that the pneumatological reflection in this book are undeveloped. Owen and Zizioulas and their diverse contexts and positions demand so much from the author, that a pneumatological approach to worship in the primer remains. It would be great if Welch came soon time takes us into the next layers of paint. Klaas Bom In KERK EN THEOLOGIE 74.3 (2023), pp317-318.Table of ContentsForeword by Ben Quash Preface Acknowledgments 1. The Holy Spirit and Worship: Setting the Scene 2. Owen's and Zizioulas's Trinitarian Foundations 3. The "Dynamic Recovery" of the Holy Spirit in Owen and Zizioulas 4. The Significance of Worship for Owen and Zizioulas 5. The Quadrilateral, Part One: The Holy Spirit and the Trinity - Personal and Relational Understanding 6. The Quadrilateral, Part Two: The Holy Spirit Encountered in Worship - Immediacy, Mediation, and Otherness 7. The Quadrilateral, Part Three: "The Spirit Will Guide You into All the Truth" 8. The Quadrilateral, Part Four: Worship in the Power of the Holy Spirit - The Nature of Transformation 9. The Holy Spirit and Worship: Ecumenical Implications Appendix: Contents of Goold's edition of John Owen's Works Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisT.F. Torrance''s Conflict and Agreement in the Church gathers together his most influential essays and articles on topics relating to ecumenism. Himself involved heavily in the ecumenical movement, he wrote that ''ours must be the task of learning together again how to confess, like the early Church, faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and God in all its breadth and length and height and depth, and therefore in the overflowing love of God.'' Out of this conviction grew a comprehensive doctrine of the Church ''in which our differences are lost sight of because they are destroyed from behind by a masterful faith in the Saviour of men.''In this second volume, Torrance''s thought on inter-denominational cooperation in light of the Church''s mission is presented. He begins by suggesting that ''the lines of conflict and agreement in the Church coincide less and less with the frontiers of the historic communions''. This opens the door for greater union between those communion, but also exposes s

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Book SynopsisDoes belief in God require a sacrifice of intelligence?Trade ReviewHis outstanding chapter on revelation effortlessly weaves together his vast knowledge of different faiths. If philosophy is your bag and you are relaxed and comfortable with its language and conventions then this book could be for you. -- Peter Willis * The Lance *Table of ContentsContents1. Why Does Belief in God Matter? 62. What is God? 193. Does God Cause Evil? 314. Is the Universe Intelligently Designed? 455. The Sense of Transcendence 596. Is God Free? 747. Are Faith and Reason Incompatible? 868. What is Revelation? 1019. How God Acts in the World – A Christian Understanding 11510. Is Religion Evil? 13011. How Should We Interpret the Bible? 14212. What is the Future of Religion? 155Index 172

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Book SynopsisThis Element explores environmental ethics in Islam. Its core argument is that Islamic culture and civilization are rich in environmental concerns; Islam has unique considerations and directions about what sort of human-nature relationship there should be.

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Book SynopsisFocussing on the ways in which cannabis has been demonized, sacralized and normalized, Christopher Partridge analyses the complex and often difficult relationship Western societies have had with the plant since the nineteenth century.After an introduction to cannabis and its uses, the book discusses how and why it was constructed as a profane influence and a marker of deviance. It then examines the emergence of medicinal cannabis, showing how this has contributed to its normalization and even its sacralization. Finally, there is a discussion of sacred cannabis, which looks at its use within modern occultism, Rastafari and several cannabis churches.Overall, the book provides a cultural history of cannabis in the modern world, which exposes the underlying reasons for the various and changing attitudes to this popular psychoactive substance.

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Book SynopsisCraig Martin is Professor of Religious Studies, St. Thomas Aquinas College, USA. He is co-editor of Stereotyping Religion: Critiquing Clichés (Bloomsbury, 2018), and author of Capitalizing Religion (Bloomsbury, 2014) and Discourse and Ideology (Bloomsbury, 2022). Brad Stoddard is Associate Professor of Religious Studies, McDaniel College, USA. He is co-editor of Stereotyping Religion: Critiquing Clichés (Bloomsbury, 2018) and Race, Ethnicity, and New Religious Movements (Bloomsbury, 2019).Trade ReviewStereotyping Religion II shows, in clear straightforward examples, how the way we think about things limits what we can see. The authors of these chapters demonstrate how stereotypes erase some possibilities and make other seem inevitable, rooted in the very nature of reality. Even more, they show how stereotypes held across the political spectrum are incompatible, opening up new ways of thinking through some of our most vexing issues. * Julie Ingersoll, Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Florida, USA *Another set of popular conceptions are challenged in this fine volume, demonstrating forcefully the need to continue shaking common assumptions about religion. * Teemu Taira, Senior Lecturer of Religious Studies, University of Helsinki, Finland *Table of ContentsContributor Bios Acknowledgments Introduction 1. “Religion is personal and not subject to government regulation,” Savannah Finver (Ohio State University, USA) 2. “Religious freedom is about religious freedom,” Rita Lester (Nebraska Wesleyan University, USA) and Jacob Barrett (University of Alabama, USA) 3. “All religions are against LGBTQ rights,” James Crossley (St. Mary's University, UK) 4. “Spirituality is about spirituality,” Brad Stoddard (McDaniel College, USA) and Craig Martin (St. Thomas Aquinas College, USA) 5. “Eastern religions are more spiritual than Western religions,” Ting Guo (The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) 6. “Each religion has an authentic, unchanging core,” David G. Robertson (The Open University, UK) 7. “Religion and science naturally conflict,” Donovan Schaefer (University of Pennsylvania, USA) 8. “Conservative religions oppress women (while liberal religions don’t),” Leslie Dorrough Smith (Avila University, USA) 9. “Religious pluralism gives everyone a voice,” Martha Smith Roberts (Denison University, USA) 10. “Cults are not real religions,” Matthew Baldwin (Mars Hill University, USA) Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA scientific exploration into humanity''s obsession with the afterlife and the quest for immortality from the bestselling author and sceptic Michael ShermerIn his most ambitious work yet, Shermer sets out to discover what drives humans'' belief in life after death. For millennia, the awareness of our own mortality and failings has led to religions concocting comforting notions of an afterlife, of heaven and hell, utopias and dystopias, and of the perfectibility of human nature.Heavens on Earth explores the numerous manifestations of the afterlife - a place where souls might go after the death of the physical body. Religious leaders have toiled to make sense of this place that a surprisingly high percentage of people believe exists, but from which no one has ever returned to report what it is really like.This is one of the most profound questions of the human condition and has long driven philosophers and theologians to try to understand the meaning Trade ReviewNot only a bizarrely uplifting look at death and the great beyond, but a witty and insightful examination of morality as dictated by science * Independent *

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Book SynopsisIn late modernity theology has to perform an aesthetic turn, if it wants to break out of its current isolation. Theologians cannot limit themselves to biblical texts and Christian tradition as a frame of reference but also have to search for traces of God's presence in cultures and religions. God/Terror addresses the quest for God in the context of oppression, violence and terror from an aesthetic perspective. It looks at how artists and writers approach the relationship between God and Terror. Statements such as that from composer Karl Heinz Stockhausen: "9/11 was the greatest work of art ever" or from South African writer Adam Small: "Only literature can perform the miracle of reconciliation" - are occasions to reflect again about the relationship between ethics and aesthetics, theology and the arts. As in a medieval diptych, the theme is mirroring god talk in memory of 9/11 and in the context of political conflicts in Germany, South Korea and South Africa. First published in German as Gott - Terror: ein Diptychon by Kohlhammer.Table of ContentsPrologue I. Terror, War and Violence: God Talk in Memory of September 11th, 2001 1. The Power of Images 2. Apocalypse Now – Does 9/11 Mark an Epochal Boundary? 3. Conflicting Images of God II. Guilt, Reconciliation and Grace: God Talk in the Context of Political Conflicts in Germany, South Korea and South Africa 4. The Powerlessness of Images 5. Beyond Apocalypse – Dealing with Guilt in Societal Transformation Processes 6. In Conflict with God Epilogue

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Book SynopsisThe values of liberalism, pluralism, and democratic governance are under sustained attack from right-wing Christian fundamentalists, white ethnonationalists, and economic populists. At the same time, liberal democracies are failing at cultivating and transmitting the values, wisdom, and virtues that are the perquisites for individual and collective flourishing. Liberal democracies seem increasingly unable to negotiate diverse visions of the good life rooted in regional, ethnic, racial, religious, generational, and socioeconomic differences. Aspiring autocrats and social media organizations exploit these divisions to enhance their power or profit, resulting in increased tribalization and affective polarization. Solving these problems requires a renewed understanding of human flourishing and the wisdom and virtues that make it possible. The House We Live In explores the commonalities underlying three classical approaches to virtue ethics--Aristotelean, Buddhist, and Confucian--to develop a flourishing-based ethics capable of addressing the problems of liberal democracies. The book examines the moral and intellectual virtues that promote flourishing, the diversity of ways in which we may flourish, and the factors all flourishing lives share. It shows how a flourishing-based ethics can serve as a corrective to the historical Western over-emphasis on individualism at the expense of community. Finally, it addresses problems in domestic and foreign policy and the difficulties in talking to each other across the political divide from a flourishing-based perspective. The book is a reaffirmation of pluralism, the liberal democratic tradition, and the necessity of a pragmatic approach to living together despite seemingly incommensurable differences.Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1. The House We Live In Chapter 2. On Virtue Chapter 3. On Wisdom Chapter 4. On Flourishing Chapter 5. Only Connect Conclusions

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Book SynopsisThe information presented in this book will startle the world. For centuries, the authenticity of the Holy Shroud has been argued about. Skeptics push their negative opinion based on a few highly questionable clues, while the authenticists continue to detect new facts confirming that the Relic wrapped the corpse of Jesus Christ and that the body image impressed on it was produced by a source of energy generated during the Resurrection.What is world-changing is that to explain this "impossible image" of a tortured and crucified man, the book presents a startling new hypothesis, the "Divine Photograph" taken at the instant of the Resurrection, based on a phenomenon, the "Miracle of the Holy Fire" that manifests on every Holy Saturday at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. As this amazing relationship becomes more broadly known, the world will be shocked.Table of Contents1. The Miracle of the Holy Fire 2. Miracle of the Holy Fire, History and Religious Significance 3. Science Investigates the Holy Fire 4. The Holy Shroud and the Impossible Image 5. The Divine Photography 6. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThrough her wonder and her doubt Kristeva sets forth a compelling account of the sacred and of the intimate visionary capacity of the human soul. -- Joshua Paetkau The Ecclesial University Blog The Severed Head is a reminder that art can be the best teacher, particularly when the topic is an uncomfortable one. -- Patricia Contino New Pages.com This beautifully written and richly layered meditation on mortality and representation will undoubtedly appeal to those readers interested in semiotic and psychoanalytically informed readings of art. -- Jonathan Patkowski Library Journal XPress Reviews The Severed Head considers a remarkable a remarkable range of representations of the severed head in art historical, religious and mythological contexts. TLS

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Book SynopsisEditors: Jan. 1902-Jan. 1905, J.S. Bassett; Apr. 1905-Jan. 1919, W.H. Glasson (with Edwin Mims, Apr. 1905-July 1909; W.P. Few, Oct. 1909-Jan. 1919); Apr. 1919- W.K. Boyd, W.H. Wannamaker.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2016 Clifford Geertz Prize in the Anthropology of Religion, Society for the Anthropology of Religion "In crisp prose, Mahmood convincingly shows that secularism's promise for equal protection under the law for all religious believers has deeply shaped the modern world, despite the ways in which secularism itself thwarts this hope. This book challenges Western perceptions of the Middle East while deeply questioning the ability of secularism to live up to its promises."--Publishers Weekly "Stunning... Through a careful and brilliant analysis, Mahmood convincingly shows that far from a solution to the problem of interreligious strife, political secularism and modern secular governance are in fact intimately entwined to the exacerbation of religious tensions in the Middle East."--New Books in Islamic Studies "Thoroughly researched and ambitious in scope, Mahmood's latest study is an essential contribution to our understanding of secularism, minority relations and the study of religion in plural societies."--Baerd Kaertveit, Times Higher Education "In Religious Difference in a Secular Age: A Minority Report, Saba Mahmood has produced a valuable account both of how the idea of separating religion from politics came to be central to the development of the 'religiously neutral' state in Europe ... and of how that idea became politically important in the postcolonial Middle East... Her detailed analysis of the rich historical and ethnographic material she has assembled reinforces the conclusion that instead of regarding the secular state as the solution to discrimination against religious minorities, it must itself be understood as part of the problem."--Talal Asad, The Immanent Frame "Exemplary."--James Chappel, Boston Review "This discussion of Coptic Christians in Egypt offers a timely critique of contemporary notions of secularism. Mahmood demonstrates how perspectives that are largely Protestant result in ill-fitting assumptions about secularism, but shows the importance of honoring the limits of this approach rather than rejecting it altogether... Mahmood's presentation of Coptic Christian struggles highlights why the secular remains a contentious and relevant site for inquiry."--Choice "Mahmood has written an extremely well-researched book with a stimulating theoretical framework."--Vivian Ibrahim, Middle East Journal "A complex and ambitious intellectual tour de force... Mahmood's central thesis is strong and backed by ethnography. She has successfully pointed to the failure of societies, both in the West and the East, to accommodate minorities."--Akbar Ahmed, American Anthropologist "Mahmood's Religious Difference in a Secular Age masterfully combines the study of two topics in identity politics with advanced literatures--secularism and minority rights--to create an original and engaging volume about the promises and limits of political secularism."--Kristin Fabbe, Journal of Church and StateTable of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix NOTE ON TRANSLATION AND TRANSLITERATION xiii Introduction 1 Part I Chapter 1. Minority Rights and Religious Liberty: Itineraries of Conversion 31 Chapter 2. To Be or Not to Be a Minority? 66 Part II Chapter 3. Secularism, Family Law, and Gender Inequality 111 Chapter 4. Religious and Civil Inequality 149 Chapter 5. Secularity, History, Literature 181 Epilogue 208 BIBLIOGRAPHY 215 INDEX 229

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Book SynopsisDespite recent ferocious public debate about the likelihood of the existence of God, the most central concept in such arguments remains strangely obscure. What is God? In this written contribution to reasoned discussion, a revered religious thinker clarifies how the word "God" functions in various religious traditions.Trade Review"Hart marshals powerful historical evidence and philosophical argument to suggest that atheists—if they want to attack the opposition's strongest case—badly need to up their game."—Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian". . . there is something evangelical about this study: it is at once both the most valuable discussion of the doctrine of God to have appeared for decades, and a witty, often mordant, defence of Christian belief. . . . The Experience of God is still an outstanding addition to the literature on God, not least for its survey of so many of the world’s great faiths. It is also a fine piece of work of Christian apologetics, and a major contribution to debate on science and religion."—Andrew Davison, Times Literary Supplement"This hugely suggestive book is a lyrical paean to a vital, more capacious understanding of reality, ourselves and God: a timely and gripping invitation to wake up, see the regnant naturalism, and subvert its suffocating hegemony. The text is by turns elegant, curmudgeonly, witty, infuriating, incisive, nostalgic, rhapsodical, explosive, frequently bang on the money – and always stimulating."—Philip McCosker, The Tablet"David Hart can always be relied on to offer a perspective on Christian faith that is both profound and unexpected. In this masterpiece of quiet intellectual and spiritual passion, he magnificently sets the record straight as to what sort of God Christians believe in and why."—Rowan Williams, University of Cambridge"David Hart’s new book is nothing less than astounding. He is liberal, conservative, radical, theological, philosophical, and historical all at the same time – that is his genius. There is no American writing on religion as intelligently, bravely, and originally as Hart."—Conor Cunningham, University of Nottingham"David Bentley Hart’s new book is a feast- stylish and substantial. Bringing together Sanskritic analyses of God’s being with Latin and Greek and Arabic ones, this is a considerable achievement by one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary theology."—Paul J. Griffiths, Duke Divinity School"Writing at a high philosophical level with a sharp sense of humor, Hart argues for an ecumenical Theism. Devastatingly accurate, imaginative, and immensely readable, this is David Bentley Hart’s best book."—Francesca Murphy, University of Notre Dame"Magnificent . . . a book unlike anything done in recent times and one that only Hart could write."—Robert Louis Wilken

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Book SynopsisJesus turned water into wine, Mohammad split the moon into two, and Buddha walked and spoke immediately upon birth. According to recent statistics, even in the present age of advanced science and technology, most people believe in miracles. In fact, newspapers and television regularly report alleged miracles, such as recoveries from incurable diseases, extremely unlikely coincidences, and religious signs and messages on unexpected objects. In this book the award-winning author and philosopher Yujin Nagasawa addresses some of our most fundamental questions concerning miracles. What exactly is a miracle? What types of miracles are believed in the world''s great religions? What do recent scientific findings tell us about miracles? Can we rationally believe that miracles have really taken place? Can there be acts that are more religiously significant than miracles? Drawing on a vast variety of fascinating examples from across the major religions, Nagasawa discusses the lively debate on miracles that ranges from reported miracles in ancient scriptures in the East and West to cutting-edge scientific research on belief formation. Throughout, he drives us to ask ourselves if and how we can still believe in in miracles in the twenty-first century.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Reviewa thought-provoking book * Raiyan Azmi, Catholic Herald *a very fair-minded treatment of miracles * Paradigm Explorer *Nagasawa has a fairly detached view of the whole subject, which neither denigrates the believer nor exalts the sceptic ... [He] writes engagingly, and with a relatively easy to understand style ... this is a book I would recommend to both believer and sceptic. * Jonathan Cowie, Science Fact & Science Fiction Concatenation *Miracles inhabit the human psyche. They evoke intense, polarizing reactions - uncritical acceptance from believers, derisive denial from nonbelievers. In this much-needed book, Yujin Nagasawa, an innovative and fearless philosopher, expands our understanding of miracles and provides a sweeping, thoughtful, penetrating, objective account of their origins and meaning. * Robert Lawrence Kuhn, Creator and Host, PBS TV series Closer To Truth *'Miracles' is just the sort of topic that is perfect for Oxford University Press's extensive 'Very Short Introductions' series in that it is specific enough to allow for a focused treatment, and yet expansive enough to be of interest to a wide readership...The book would certainly be a helpful addition to any undergraduate course that touches on miracles, particularly because of the many lively illustrations and examples that Nagasawa includes in the text. * Brett Hendrickson, Reading Religion *Table of ContentsPREFACE; REFERENCES; FURTHER READING; INDEX

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