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Book SynopsisKosher Jesus is a project of more than six years research and writing. The book seeks to offer to Jews and Christians the real story of Jesus, a wholly observant, Pharisaic Rabbi who fought Roman paganism and oppression and was killed for it. While many Christians will be confused by its assertion that Jesus never claimed divinity and not only did not abrogate the Torah but observed every letter of the Law, they will find comfort in my tracing most of Jesus principal teachings back to Jewish sources, this before he was stripped of his Jewishness by later writers who sought to portray him as an enemy of his people. This is especially true of Jesus'' most famous oration, the Sermon on the Mount, which is a reformulation of the Torah he studied and to which he was committed. A small sampling: Jesus: (Matt 5:5) Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Hebrew Bible: (Psalms 37) The meek shall inherit the earth, and delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Jesus: (Matt 5:8) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see G-d. Hebrew Bible: (Psalms 24) Who shall ascend the mount of the Lord the pure-hearted. Jesus: (Matt 5:39) But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. Hebrew Bible: (Lamentations 3:30) Let him offer his cheek to him who smites him Jesus: (Matt 6:33) But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Hebrew Bible: (Psalms 37:4) Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Jesus: (Matt 7:7) Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. Hebrew Bible: (Jer 29:13) When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart. Jesus: (Matt 7:23) Then I will declare to them, I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers. Hebrew Bible: (Psalms 6:9) Depart from me, all you workers of evil... The book is also for Jews who remain deeply uncomfortable with Jesus because of the Church s long history of anti-Semitism, the deification of Jesus, and the Jewish rejection of any Messiah who has not fulfilled the Messianic prophecies. We Jews will forever reject the divinity of any man, the single most emphatic prohibition of our Bible. And we can never accept the Messiahship of any personality, however noble or well-intended, who died without ushering in the age of physical redemption. But as Christians and Jews now come together to love and support the majestic and humane Jewish state, it s time that Christians rediscover the deep Jewishness and religious Jewish commitment of Jesus, while Jews re-examine a lost son who was murdered by a brutal Roman state who sought to impose Roman culture and rule upon a tiny yet stubborn nation who will never be severed from their eternal covenant with the God of Israel.

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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 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 SynopsisControversial megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll proclaimed from a conference stage in 2013, I know who made the environment and he's coming back and going to burn it all up. So yes, I drive an SUV. The comment, which Driscoll later explained away as a joke, highlights what has been a long history of religious anti-environmentalism. Given how firmly entrenched this sentiment has been, surprising inroads have been made by a new movement with few financial resources, which is deeply committed to promoting green religious traditions and creating a new environmental ethic. To Care for Creation chronicles this movement and explains how it has emerged despite institutional and cultural barriers, as well as the hurdles posed by logic and practices that set religious environmental organizations apart from the secular movement. Ellingson takes a deep dive into the ways entrepreneurial activists tap into and improvise on a variety of theological, ethical, and symbolic traditions in order to issue

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Book SynopsisOffers an account of religion and society in nineteenth-century America. Exploring the eruptions of religion in New York's penny presses, the budding fields of anthropology and phrenology, and Moby-Dick, this book challenges the strict separation between the religious and the secular that remains integral to discussions about religion.Trade Review"Imaginative and rewarding, this is an exemplary instance of interdisciplinary historical inquiry. A brilliant, groundbreaking book." (John Corrigan, Florida State University)"

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Book SynopsisA century ago Canada was considered to be a Christian nation and the vast majority of Canadians claimed they were devoutly religious. But some vigorously resisted the dominance of Christianity. Towards a Godless Dominion explores both anti-religious activism and the organized opposition religious unbelievers faced from Canada in the 1920s and ’30s.Trade Review“Engaging, insightful, well-written, and solidly researched. Elliot Hanowski adds a new dimension to our understanding of religion and irreligion in twentieth-century Canada. The book further expands our knowledge of the religious spectrum in Canadian society, importantly deflecting attention away from the historic mainstream churches and beliefs.” David B. Marshall, University of Calgary and author of Secularizing the Faith: Canadian Protestant Clergy and the Crisis of Belief, 1850–1940“Towards a Godless Dominion reminds us that repression works. Elites remain as ready and able as ever to stifle the kinds of speech that they find threatening. It takes courage or at least eccentricity to resist them.” Literature Review of Canada

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Book SynopsisReligion, Theory, Critique is an essential tool for learning about theory and method in the study of religion. Leading experts engage with contemporary and classical theories as well as non-Western cultural contexts. It is the first textbook which seeks to engage discussion of classical approaches with contemporary cultural and critical theories.Trade ReviewCovering an important and impressive range of theoretical approaches and critical engagement, this sophisticated book will be a useful resource for serious scholars of religion as well as those working in related fields such as anthropology, sociology of religion, and psychology of religion. -- Hugh Urban, Ohio State University Once driven by a comparative method on the trail of timeless universals, the academic study of religion is today an entirely different beast: a newer generation is far more sensitive to viewpoint, theory, and the practical implications of scholarship itself. Religion, Theory, Critique offers a set of state-of-the-art essays that keep in sight both the study of religious people as well as those who classify them as religious. It therefore sets the table for scrutinizing the entire field-including our tools and our assumptions. -- Russell McCutcheon, University of Alabama This volume will quickly become essential to undergraduate and graduate 'theory and method' courses, as well as a range of 'religion and culture' courses and graduate student reading lists. -- M. Gail Hamner, Syracuse UniversityTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments 1. The Copernican Turn in the Study of Religion, by Richard King Part 1: Historical Foundations/Genealogies 2. Nominalist "Judaism" and the Late-Ancient Invention of Religion, by Daniel Boyarin 3. Bible/Religion/Critique, by Ward Blanton and Yvonne Sherwood 4. Hegel: On Secularity and the Religion-Making Machine, by Arvind Mandair 5. Friedrich Max Muller and the Science of Religion, by Lourens van den Bosch 6. Classic Comparative Theology and the Study of Religion, by Hugh Nicholson 7. Religion, Religious Studies, and Shinto in Modern Japan, by Jun'ichi Isomae Part 2: The Enlightenment Critique of Religion 8. David Hume on Religion, by Randall Styers 9. Feuerbach on Religion, by Jay Geller 10. Nietzsche: Life, Works, Reception, by Tyler Roberts 11. Sigmund Freud on Religion, by Volney Gay 12. Karl Marx on Religion, by Terry Rey 13. "Religion" in the Writings of the New Atheists, by Tina Beattie Part 3: Religion Beyond the West 14. Indigenous African Traditions as Models for Theorizing Religion, by Edward P. Antonio 15. Zongjiao and the Category of Religion in China, by Ya-pei Kuo 16. Islamic D?n as an Alternative to Western Models of "Religion", by Ahmet T. Karamustafa 17. Translation, by Arvind Mandair Part 4: Religion as Experience 18. The Psychology of Religion, by Jeremy Carrette 19. William James and the Study of Religion: A Critical Reading, by Jeremy Carrette and David Lamberth 20. Rudolf Otto and the Idea of the Holy, by Gregory Alles 21. Jung on Religion, by Volney Gay 22. Religion and the Brain: Cognitive Science as a Basis for Theories of Religion, by Ilkka Pyysiainen 23. A Critical Response to Cognitivist Theories of Religion, by Steven Engler and Mark Quentin Gardiner Part 5: Religion, Language, and Myth 24. "Religion" in Anglo-American (Analytical) Philosophy of Religion, by Ludger Viefhues-Bailey 25. Structuralist Linguistics and Structuralist Theories of Religion, by Volney Gay 26. Imagining, Manufacturing, and Theorizing Myth: An Overview of Key Theories of Myth and Religion, by Daniel Dubuisson Part 6: Religion/Society/Culture 27. The Origins of the Sociology of Religion: The Problem of "Religion" and "Religions" in Classical Sociology, by Bryan S. Turner 28. Contemporary Social Theory and Religion: The Misconstrual of Religion in Theories of "Second" Modernity, by Simon Speck 29. Classical Anthropological Theories of Religion, by Randall Styers 30. Defining Religion: Geertz and Asad, by Jon P. Mitchell 31. Religion, Media, and Cultural Studies, by Richard Fox Part 7: Religion, Ritual, and Action 32. Classic Ritual Theories, by Ulrike Brunotte 33. The Myth-Ritual Debate, by Ulrike Brunotte 34. From Ritual to Ritualization, by Jon P. Mitchell 35. Religion and Theories of Action, by Kocku von Stuckrad Part 8: The Phenomenology of Religion and Its Critics 36. Phenomenology of Religion: The Philosophical Background, by Charles E. Scott 37. The Phenomenology of Religion, by James L. Cox 38. Mircea Eliade, by Gregory Alles 39. Critical Responses to Phenomenological Theories of Religion: What Kind of Category Is "Religion"?, by William Arnal 40. Critical Religion: "Religion" Is Not a Stand-Alone Category, by Timothy Fitzgerald Part 9: Religion and Contemporary European Thought 41. Post-Marxism and Religion, by Nelson Maldonado-Torres 42. Pierre Bourdieu on Religion, by Terry Rey 43. Jacques Derrida on Religion, by Ellen Armour 44. Foucault and the Study of Religion, by Jeremy Carrette 45. Contemporary Continental Philosophy and the "Return of the Religious", by Randall Styers Part 10: Religion, Gender, and Sexuality 46. Feminist Approaches to the Study of Religion, by Darlene Juschka 47. French Feminism and Religion, by Morny Joy 48. Queer Theory Meets Critical Religion: Are We Starting to Think Yet?, by Naomi R. Goldenberg Part 11: Religion, Coloniality and Race 49. Religion, Modernity, and Coloniality, by Nelson Maldonado-Torres 50. Apartheid Comparative Religion in South Africa, by David Chidester 51. Theorizing Race and Religion: Du Bois, Cox, and Fanon, by William David Hart 52. Black Cultural Criticism, the New Politics of Difference, and Religious Criticism, by Victor Anderson 53. Theorizing Black Religious Studies: A Genealogy, by Victor Anderson Part 12: Religion/Nation/Globalization 54. Religion and Violence, by William T. Cavanaugh 55. Religion and Economy, by Gregory Alles 56. Globalization and Religion, by Jeremy Carrette List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review[T]he book will have some real and lasting use as a primary source American Catholic Studies

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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 SynopsisTrade ReviewThe Essential Huainanzi could be used, affordably, for student course work. I highly recommend. -- James D. Sellmann * Dao *Table of ContentsContents Sketch of Early Chinese History, with Special Reference to the Huainanzi Introduction 1. Originating in the Way 2. Activating the Genuine 3. Celestial Patterns 4. Terrestrial Forms 5. Seasonal Rules 6. Surveying Obscurities 7. Quintessential Spirit 8. The Basic Warp 9. The Ruler's Techniques 10. Profound Precepts 11. Integrating Customs 12. Responses of the Way 13. Boundless Discourses 14. Sayings Explained 15. An Overview of the Military 16 and 17. A Mountain of Persuasions and A Forest of Persuasions 18. Among Others 19. Cultivating Effort 20. The Exalted Lineage 21. An Overview of the Essentials Glossary of Personal Names Brief Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis book is bound to become a standard against which future scholarship on the cultural history of Christianity and several related fields will be evaluated. It achieves the feat of offering an exhaustive genealogy of the significance of "blood" in Western civilization, thereby pulling blood into an urgently needed visibility. -- Elisabeth Weber, University of California, Santa Barbara This is an original reading of the place of blood in Christian theology and religion and its far-reaching impact on the history and cultural practices of the West. It is distinguished by the singular voice of its author, who is at once fiercely critical, ironic, contemptuous, erudite, and enlightening as he engages thinkers both living and dead on the relationship between blood and its many metaphoric and literal representations. This is not a conventional book in any way, it is a manifesto, a call, if not to arms, then to recognition of the fact that Western thought, its social and political organization, is infused with Christianity, even if those influenced by it are not practicing Christians in any religious sense. -- Joan W. Scott, Harold F. Linder Professor, Institute for Advanced Study As in all his writings, Anidjar always surprises us by seeing connections where others have missed them. In this challenging book, he brilliantly excavates the meanings of blood in Christianity as well as how those meanings persist in our world in barely secularized form. -- David Biale, author of Blood and Belief: The Circulation of a Symbol Between Jews and Christians Blood is first of all language, style, thought in writing. Blood is relentlessly compelling, a joyful destruction of trivialities, a delight of erudition. Blood is moved by epistemic urgency and internal critique, it answers the need for historical perspective, guided by the desire to understand what we are politically made of. Blood looks at the way blood speaks and is spoken, how it governs and rules over us, how it shapes the Christian nation, the state and the economy. Our obsession with blood is not a thing of the past, it is our absolute present time. Blood is not a metaphor, it is an organizing principle. Blood is not what Harvey discovered, something that would always have been known to us. It is what the Eucharist partakes of and brings up: the community of blood, blood piety--soon the purity of blood. And from these are derived our theory and politics, kinship and race, science and religion, literature and dreams, technology and bodies. Blood is an exceptionally powerful and fascinating object to be read, kept on a shelf--and meditated. -- Dominique Pestre, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales In this highly original book Anidjar deconstructs 'Christianity' into its element: blood. In doing so he demonstrates, with impressive skill, the ubiquity of blood-and its metamorphoses-in Christian history. In this exploration of the circulation of blood as the life of nation, state, and capital, the reader is presented with an extraordinary account of modernity no less. Scholars of modernity will learn to see 'Christianity' as something at once more and less than 'religion'-even though it is, as Anidjar argues, the (misleading) prototype of all religions.' This is a work to be read carefully and its implications pondered over. -- Talal Asad, CUNY Graduate Center Every once in awhile one encounters a book that makes one ask: 'why has this not been written before?' How could we have overlooked the importance of blood? What is it? A fact, metaphor, substance, medium, or element in which we live and move? A bloodbath? Or are we merely the tub, the tubes, and plumbing in which the essence of life and symbol of violent death gurgles and flows. Anidjar has identified, not a bright red line, but an entire circulatory system that links religion, race, economics, the state, the family, and biology. This is a book that will not so much be read as injected into all these discourses, infecting them with a necessary and viral critique. A brilliant achievement by one of the most original intellects of our time. -- W. J. T. Mitchell, University of Chicago, editor of Critical Inquiry Ambitious and daring... Blood is bound to provoke heated discussion... Immanent Frame Academic books can dazzle for a variety of reasons. Some projects are so painstakingly, meticulously researched that, even though the subject matter is sometimes dry and often only ever capable of appealing to a highly specific audience, they command respect. Other works are written with such finesse and linguistic dexterity that they dazzle with their glimmering sheen of intellectual bravura. Yet others become cornerstones of the academic canon because of their wide-reaching implications in many diverse disciplines. Blood: A Critique of Christianity is that rare combination that manages all three. A project of soaring ambition and incredible scope, Gil Anidjar attempts to weave a narrative constructed from-and soaked in-the cultural, social, political history of blood within Christianity and, by extension, the entire Western world. Oxonian Review Gil Anidjar's Blood: A Critique of Christianity is a consuming book - a fierce intelligence combined with compelling readings of everything and anything related to the mechanics of circulation, the rhythmic splattered arcs, the media and metaphysics, the diseases born within and carried by the blood. Syndicate - John Modern Gil Anidjar academia's Quentin Tarantino. Both men have rewritten the history of the modern West as a history of blood... One can only wish Anidjar's work Tarantinoesque popularity. Syndicate - Bettina Bildhauer Blood: A Critique of Christianity offers a dazzling and occasionally maddening meditation on the theme of blood in Christianity and Western culture... As a commentary on literature and western thought, Blood is delightful and convincing. Syndicate - Brittany Pheiffer Noble This book designs to provoke, not persuade. It uses history not to make arguments, but to pose questions... There is much to admire in the book... The sheer number of surprising hypotheses will generate some brilliant ones. Syndicate - Eugene Rogers Blood is a book every Christian should read. Journal of the Conference on Faith and HistoryTable of ContentsPreface: Why I Am Such a Good Christian Acknowledgments Introduction: Red Mythology Part One. The Vampire State 1. Nation (Jesus' Kin) 2. State (The Vampire State) 3. Capital (Christians and Money) Part Two. Hematologies 4. Odysseus' Blood 5. Bleeding and Melancholia 6. Leviathan and the Blood Pump Conclusion: On the Christian Question (Jesus and Monotheism ) Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA fresh interpretation of Nietzsche's engagement with the work of Paul the Apostle, reorienting the relationship between the two thinkers while embedding modern philosophy within early Christian theology.Trade ReviewWritten in a precise and economical style, crystallizing its points with aphoristic clarity, Nietzsche Versus Paul reconstructs a series of "Christian" moments found throughout the Nietzschean corpus and so reveals a surprisingly consistent, sophisticated, and cunning structure. This contribution goes far beyond the circles of Nietzsche scholarship, where it will certainly be received as a fresh and powerful intervention. Indeed, it is an original conceptualization of atheism, nihilism, secularization, and modernity as well, and will be warmly received by scholars of philosophy and religion, especially, those interested in their intersection. -- Judith Butler, University of California, Berkeley Nietzsche versus Paul is a wonderful, philosophically engaging book, meticulous -- even relentless -- in its argumentation, arresting in its interpretive scope, and dedicated to the surprisingly neglected presence of Christianity in Nietzsche. -- Gil Anidjar, Columbia University A brilliant reconstructive projective which fills a genuine lacuna in recent scholarship in history, philosophy, and theology alike. Nietzsche versus Paul is coherent, well formulated, and of extraordinary importance for all of the larger philosophical and historical discussions which have emerged, surprisingly, to become some of the most pressing 'theory' topics of our time. -- Ward Blanton, University of KentTable of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction 1. From Dionysian Tragedy to Christianity 2. From Judaism to Christianity 3. Jesus-Christ and the Two Worlds of Early Christianity 4. Paul: The First Christian 5. Science and Art After the Death of God 6. Beyond Modern Temporality Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA fresh interpretation of Nietzsche's engagement with the work of Paul the Apostle, reorienting the relationship between the two thinkers while embedding modern philosophy within early Christian theology.Trade ReviewWritten in a precise and economical style, crystallizing its points with aphoristic clarity, Nietzsche Versus Paul reconstructs a series of "Christian" moments found throughout the Nietzschean corpus and so reveals a surprisingly consistent, sophisticated, and cunning structure. This contribution goes far beyond the circles of Nietzsche scholarship, where it will certainly be received as a fresh and powerful intervention. Indeed, it is an original conceptualization of atheism, nihilism, secularization, and modernity as well, and will be warmly received by scholars of philosophy and religion, especially, those interested in their intersection. -- Judith Butler, University of California, Berkeley Nietzsche versus Paul is a wonderful, philosophically engaging book, meticulous -- even relentless -- in its argumentation, arresting in its interpretive scope, and dedicated to the surprisingly neglected presence of Christianity in Nietzsche. -- Gil Anidjar, Columbia University A brilliant reconstructive projective which fills a genuine lacuna in recent scholarship in history, philosophy, and theology alike. Nietzsche versus Paul is coherent, well formulated, and of extraordinary importance for all of the larger philosophical and historical discussions which have emerged, surprisingly, to become some of the most pressing 'theory' topics of our time. -- Ward Blanton, University of KentTable of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction 1. From Dionysian Tragedy to Christianity 2. From Judaism to Christianity 3. Jesus-Christ and the Two Worlds of Early Christianity 4. Paul: The First Christian 5. Science and Art After the Death of God 6. Beyond Modern Temporality Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisOffers a bold and original view of what philosophical anthropology might look likeTrade ReviewIn the end, A Philosophical Anthropology of the Cross represents one of the first major Lutheran engagements with continental philosophy, and an excellent one at that. While the book is certainly not accessible to the layperson, it is accessible to pastors and teachers, and gives a helpful overview of the connections between major figures in continental philosophy and the trajectory of Bonhoeffer's philosophical and theological project. Most importantly, it is a valuable contribution at an important time that begins a conversation of depth about both philosophy that is engaged with the scandal of the cross as well as a robust Lutheran vocabulary of sanctification. * Dialog *Gregor's work is impressive along two important lines. One the one hand, he offers the uniformed or porrly informed philospher a clear and often quite detailed presentation of Bonhoeffer's systematic thought, with attention to its conscious relation not only to Lutheran theology but also to modern philosophy. On the other hand, he also threads that presentation into the contemporary philosophical context by marking important points of contact with work by such convivial thinkers as Ricoeur, Marcel, and Charles Taylor, but also Nietzsche and Heidegger, with whom discussion would be considerably more antagonistic.Sept. 2014 * International Philosophical Quarterly *Gregor has been true to his undertaking to investigate the implications of Paul's insight into the tension between philosophy and Christian faith. * Heythrop Journal *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsList of Abbreviations 1. Philosophy, the Cross, and Human BeingPart 1 2. The Hermeneutics of the Self 3. Faith, Substance, and the Cross 4. The Incurved Self 5. The Anthropological QuestionPart 2 6. The Concreteness and Continuity of Faith 7. The Capable Human Being as a Penultimate Good 8. The Call to Responsibility 9. Reflexivity, Intentionality, and Self-understanding 10. Religion within the Limits of the Penultimate?NotesSelect BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisSince the 1973 publication of Gustavo Gutiérrez's groundbreaking work A Theology of Liberation, liberation theology''s central premise of the preferential option for the poor has become one of the most important yet controversial theological themes of the twentieth century. As the situation for many of the world's poor worsens, it becomes ever more important to ensure that the option for the poor remains not only a vibrant theological concept but also a practical framework for living out the gift and challenge of Christian faith. The Preferential Option for the Poor beyond Theology draws on a diverse group of contributors to explore how disciplines as varied as law, economics, politics, the environment, science, liberal arts, film, and education can help us understand putting a commitment to the option for the poor into practice. The central focus of the book revolves around the question: How can one live a Christian life in a world of destitution? The contributTrade Review"This is a timely, rich, and thought-provoking book. In the midst of a widening gap between rich and poor, a growing knowledge of the plight of the excluded, and a renaissance of a call to solidarity in the Church, the contributions remind us that there is a lot that can be done to alleviate poverty. This book with its interdisciplinary approach encourages us to think of solutions. A preferential option for the poor as a firm commitment of thought and action can be extended beyond the boundaries of theology. Gustavo Gutiérrez, the living icon of this option, and Daniel G. Groody, a respected authority on this topic, take us on a journey that is intellectually and culturally encouraging." —Clemens Sedmak, F.D. Maurice Professor of Moral and Social Theology, King's College London“Daniel G. Groody and Gustavo Gutiérrez have given us a series of testimonies to the significance of the preferential option for the poor in the lives of authors writing from a variety of disciplines and perspectives. By fostering such interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary conversation, the authors deepen our understanding of the concept and show us its relevance outside of theology. That the poor become subjects of history, and not only its objects, lies at the core of the liberation theological approach of Gustavo Gutiérrez; it reflects an approach to challenges that is at least as necessary as our technological, political, and economic approaches and, by so doing, touches on important theological issues.” —Jacques Haers, University of Antwerp“Tackling one of theology’s most important yet controversial issues, Groody and Gutiérrez ensure that the option for the poor remains a framework for living a Christian life.” —U.S. Catholic“Drawing on a diverse group of contributors to explore how various disciplines such as law, economics, politics, the environment, science, liberal arts, film, and education can shed light on a commitment to the poor into practice. The book explores the question of how to live as a Christian in a world of destitution.” —Notre Dame Works“[Essayists] look at the way the option for the poor can shape our social, economic, political, educational and environmental approaches to poverty.” —Notre Dame Magazine"[T]he book's value is clear: if enacting true change around the problem of poverty requires input from many disciplines, then those disciplines must be brought into conversation with one another. . . . This volume should interest a broad audience, including scholars; general readers interested in the question of poverty as it relates to various disciplines and industries; and undergraduate or graduate students in classes covering liberation theology, as a needed complement to theological approaches." —Choice“. . . this book could not be more timely and relevant. . . . Each of the twelve chapters provides an inspiring and gripping testimony by a scholar or professional and their efforts to integrate the POP with their work as a lawyer, economist, businessperson, biologist, politician, professor, teacher, physician, filmmaker, or advocate for justice.”—Catholic Library World“The essays are well written, personal, and yet replete with each author’s expertise . . . . The authors skillfully and clearly point out that the option for the poor is both personally unique and socially transformative.” —American Catholic Studies“One of Gutiérrez’s key insights into missionary engagement was what is referred to as ‘a preferential option for the poor.’ . . . The importance of this publication is that while making an option for the poor can involve living in solidarity with the oppressed, the various authors demonstrate that it means “One of Gutiérrez’s key insights into missionary engagement was what is referred to as ‘a preferential option for the poor.’ . . . The importance of this publication is that while making an option for the poor can involve living in solidarity with the oppressed, the various authors demonstrate that it means above all using the skills and qualifications that one had gained in order to be in solidarity with those who are oppressed in their struggles for justice and dignity.” —Mission Studies, Volume 32, 2015above all using the skills and qualifications that one had gained in order to be in solidarity with those who are oppressed in their struggles for justice and dignity.” —Mission Studies

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Book SynopsisThe 1980s saw the peak of a moral panic over fantasy role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. This book explores both the history and the sociological significance of this panic. It is suitable for those with an interest in religion, popular culture, and social behavior, both in the classroom and beyond.Trade Review"Dangerous Games presents a detailed and multi-layered history of the social realities surrounding Role Playing Games (RPGs), analyzing a complex legacy of cultural and religious epistemologies, in order to argue that the corresponding moral panic over such games is itself a form of dangerous corrupted play. . . . Overall, Dangerous Games is an important read for students and scholars of contemporary history, religion, popular culture, and mythology." * Nova Religio *"Dangerous Games is a necessary interjection into the conversation between fantasy role-playing and the hysteria over violent-themed play . . . [and] charges players to keep rolling on, and for those who question such games to reflect on what exactly they find so repugnant from an exploration of imagination and play." * Reading Religion *"Worth reading for the detailed and nuanced history of fantasy role-playing games in and of itself, the book’s supplementary focus on tragic events that were widely linked to role-playing games is engrossing. . . . But Laycock’s greatest achievement is shooting a silver bullet straight into the heart of moral, media and satanic panics by positing that society’s discomfort with role-playing games is rooted in a discomfort with imagination." * Times Higher Education *"This book deserves a place in the library of any scholar of games as cultural texts—and especially those interested in religion and games." * American Journal of Play *"This book will be useful for those who wish to explore the intersections of religion and popular culture. . . .clear and convincing." * Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsPreface. "You Worship Gods from Books!" Introduction. Fantasy and Reality PART I. THE HISTORY OF THE PANIC 1. The Birth of Fantasy Role-Playing Games 2. Dungeons & Dragons as Religious Phenomenon 3. Pathways into Madness: 1979--1982 4. Satanic Panic: 1982--1991 5. A World of Darkness: 1991--2001 PART II. INTERPRETING THE PANIC 6. How Role-Playing Games Create Meaning 7. How the Imagination Became Dangerous 8. Rival Fantasies Conclusion. Walking between Worlds Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"American Misfits is filled with colorful anecdotes, lively characters, and sharp social analysis. One of America's leading sociologists, Robert Wuthnow shows that respectability is rarely about respecting others but rather about identifying others to malign for their deficiencies and offenses."—Leigh Eric Schmidt, Washington University in St. Louis"This is an outstanding book—impressively researched, boldly argued with interdisciplinary breadth, and innovative in the way it depicts the middle-class American dream as perpetually fleeting and tenuous, marked off by day-to-day practices of the rank-and-file and prone to negotiation among those who seek to patrol the boundaries of belonging. It is also a riveting read, driven by rich description and detailed investigation of countless colorful characters who have tested those boundaries and found themselves held up as test cases of what America should and shouldn't look like, and who should and shouldn't be counted as respectable citizens."—Darren Dochuk, University of Notre DameTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 1 A Relational Approach: The Social Construction of Respect and Respectability 19 2 Worked as a Huckster: Moral Connotations of Placeless Labor 39 3 An Incurable Lunatic: Pension Politics in the Struggle for Respectability 70 4 Not a Fanatic: Zeal in the Cause of Zion 101 5 Dying Young: Immigrant Congregations as Moral Communities 135 6 Excessive Profits: Wealth, Morality, and the Common People 187 7 Naughty Children: Moral Instruction by Negative Example 227 8 Othering: Cultural Diversity and Symbolic Boundaries 258 Notes 267 Selected Bibliography 307 Index 327

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the 2017 National Jewish Book Award in Education and Jewish Identity (In Memory of Dorothy Kripke)"

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisChristianity's multifaceted role in English political discourse.Trade Review'Crossley shifts decisively to analysing the last decade of English politics and its intersections with religion - all in the context of Brexit, Islam and the rediscovery of a socialist left. Sharp analysis, insights aplenty, a major contribution to serious political debate in the UK' -- Roland Boer, Xin Ao Distinguished Overseas Professor at Renmin University of China, Beijing, Research Professor at the University of NewcastleTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Religion in English Political Discourse, 1979-2017: A Brief History 2. Brexit Means Christmas, Christmas Means Socialism, and a Time for 'Homosexual Sex': Shifting Notions of Religion from the Frontbenches 3. Muslims, the 'Perversion of Islam', and Christian England on the (Far) Right 4. Brexit Barrow: Religion in Real-Time During a Summer of Political Chaos 5. Manufacturing Dissent from the Centre: Cults, Corbyn and the Guardian 6. Red Apocalypticism on the Corbynite Left: Martyrdom, Rojava and the Bob Crow Brigade Epilogue Notes Index

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Book SynopsisIn the past several years religion has increasingly become an integral component of discussions about diversity and multiculturalism in Canada. Of particular concern has been the formulation of limits on religious freedom. Defining Harm explores the ways in which religion and religious freedom are conceptualized and regulated in a cultural context of fear of the other and religious extremism.Drawing from literature on risk society, governance, feminist legal theory, and religious rights, Lori Beaman looks at the case of Jehovah's Witness Bethany Hughes who was denied her right to refuse treatment on the basis of her religious conviction. The B.H. case, as it was known in the courts, reflects a particular moment in the socio-legal treatment of religious freedom and reveals the specific intersection of religious, medical, legal, and other discourses in the governance of the religious citizen.A powerful examination of the governance of a religious citizeTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1 Introduction: The Culture of Fear and the Risk Paradigm2 Body, Mind, and Soul: The Notion of Governance3 Risk and Excess4 A Free and Informed Will5 Conclusion: Governmentality, Risk, and Religious FreedomNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisIn the past several years religion has increasingly become an integral component of discussions about diversity and multiculturalism in Canada. Of particular concern has been the formulation of limits on religious freedom. Defining Harm explores the ways in which religion and religious freedom are conceptualized and regulated in a cultural context of fear of the other and religious extremism.Drawing from literature on risk society, governance, feminist legal theory, and religious rights, Lori Beaman looks at the case of Jehovah's Witness Bethany Hughes who was denied her right to refuse treatment on the basis of her religious conviction. The B.H. case, as it was known in the courts, reflects a particular moment in the socio-legal treatment of religious freedom and reveals the specific intersection of religious, medical, legal, and other discourses in the governance of the religious citizen.A powerful examination of the governance of a religious citizeTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1 Introduction: The Culture of Fear and the Risk Paradigm2 Body, Mind, and Soul: The Notion of Governance3 Risk and Excess4 A Free and Informed Will5 Conclusion: Governmentality, Risk, and Religious FreedomNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Religion and Social Justice brings together a team of distinguished scholars to provide a comprehensive and comparative account of social justice in the major religious traditions. The first publication to offer a comparative study of social justice for each of the major world religions, exploring viewpoints within Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism Offers a unique and enlightening volume for those studying religion and social justice - a crucially important subject within the history of religion, and a significant area of academic study in the field Brings together the beliefs of individual traditions in a comprehensive, explanatory, and informative style All essays are newly-commissioned and written by eminent scholars in the field Benefits from a distinctive four-part organization, with sections on major religions; religious movements and tTable of Contents Notes on Contributors ix Acknowledgments xix Introduction 1 Part I Major World Religions 13 Introduction 15 1 Buddhism: Historical Setting 17Mavis Fenn 2 Buddhism: Contemporary Expressions 30Steven Emmanuel 3 Christianity: Historical Setting 46Stanley M. Burgess 4 Christianity: Contemporary Expressions 61Curtiss Paul DeYoung 5 Confucianism: Historical Setting 77Joseph Chan 6 Confucianism: Contemporary Expressions 93Stephen C. Angle 7 Hinduism: Historical Setting 110O.P. Dwivedi 8 Hinduism: Contemporary Expressions 124Amita Singh 9 Islam: Historical Setting 137Hussam S. Timani 10 Islam: Contemporary Expressions 153Erin E. Stiles 11 Judaism: Historical Setting 170Moshe Hellinger 12 Judaism: Contemporary Expressions 190Eliezer Segal Part II Religious Movements and Themes 205 Introduction 207 13 Bahá’í Faith 210Christopher Buck 14 The Quest for Justice in Revival, a Creole Religion in Jamaica 224William Wedenoja 15 The Muhammadiyah: A Muslim Modernist Organization in Contemporary Indonesia 241Florian Pohl 16 The Role of the Chief in Asante Society 256Yaw Adu-Gyamfi 17 Tibetan Monastics and Social Justice 268Derek F. Maher 18 Sangha and Society 280Hiroko Kawanami 19 G’meelut Chasadim (Deeds of Kindness) 292W.E. Nunnally 20 Hospitality 306Ana María Pineda 21 Zakat: Faith and Giving in Muslim Contexts 319Azim Nanji 22 Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue 330Barbara Brown Zikmund Part III Indigenous People 345 Introduction 347 23 Africa: Religion and Social Justice among the Diola of Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau 350Robert M. Baum 24 Australia: Religion and Social Justice in a Continent of Hunter-Gatherers 361Robert Tonkinson 25 Central America: A God for the Poor – Folk Catholicism and Social Justice among the Yucatec Maya 373Christine A. Kray 26 Europe: The Roma People of Romania 388Sorin Gog and Maria Roth 27 Middle East: The Kurds – Religion and Social Justice of a Stateless Nation 402Charles G. MacDonald 28 New Zealand: The Māori People 412Rawinia Higgins 29 North America: Ojibwe Culture 425Gregory O. Gagnon 30 Southern Asia: The Gonds of India – A Search for Identity and Justice 438Sushma Yadav Part IV Social Justice Issues 451 Introduction 453 31 Colonialism 456Brigid M. Sackey 32 Abundant Life or Abundant Poverty? The Challenge for African Christianity 469T. John Padwick 33 AIDS, Religion, and the Politics of Social Justice in Sub-Saharan Africa 482Afe Adogame 34 Religion, Civil Rights, and Social Justice 496Paul Harvey 35 Human Rights: The South African Experience 507Glenda Wildschut 36 The “Double-Conscious” Nature of American Evangelicalism’s Struggle over Civil Rights during the Progressive Era 519L.B. Gallien, Jr. 37 Gender and Sexuality in the Context of Religion and Social Justice 535Mary E. Hunt 38 Beginning of Life 547Andrew Lustig 39 Death and Dying 561Courtney S. Campbell 40 Religion’s Influence on Social Justice Practices Relating to Those with Disabilities 575Ruth Vassar Burgess 41 Ecology and the Environment 591Laurel Kearns 42 Christianity and Nonviolent Resistance 607Celia Cook-Huffman43 Building Peace in the Pursuit of Social Justice 620Mohammed Abu-Nimer Index 633

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