Religious issues and debates Books

Book SynopsisDuring his 2009 inaugural speech, President Obama described the United States as a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus--and nonbelievers. It was the first time an American president had acknowledged the existence of this rapidly growing segment of the population in such a public forum. And yet the reasons why more and more people are turning away from religion are still poorly understood. In Faith No More, Phil Zuckerman draws on in-depth interviews with people who have left religion to find out what''s really behind the process of losing one''s faith. According to a 2008 study, so many Americans claim no religion (15%, up from 8% in 1990) that this category now outranks every other religious group except Catholics and Baptists. Exploring the deeper stories within such survey data, Zuckerman shows that leaving one''s faith is a highly personal, complex, and drawn-out process. And he finds that, rather than the cliché of the angry, nihilistic atheist, apostates are life-afTrade ReviewEveryone knows, deep down, that there is a conflict between reason and faith-between having good reasons for what one believes and having bad ones. This conflict finds its most poignant expression in the lives of men and women who have lost their belief in God despite their best efforts to maintain it. Faith No More offers a fascinating look at these lives, and at the myriad ways in which thoughtful people can come to their senses." * Sam Harris, author of the New York Times bestsellers The Moral Landscape, Letter to a Christian Nation, and The End of Faith *With Faith No More Philip Zuckerman has given us a fascinating look at how individual contemporary Americans raised in various religions awakened out of a belief in the supernatural. His care in not rounding all these up into any facile overarching theories is itself almost supernatural, and yet in this careful reporting of their stories he manages to offer a great deal of insight. It is a wonderfully informative and provocative study and should be read by everyone interested in the real experience of religion and irreligion." * Jennifer Michael Hecht, author of Doubt: A History *Faith No More helps us understand the diverse routes people take to irreligiosity and the dilemmas they face in a culture that often condemns them. Far from being kneejerk atheists, it turns out that the most secular Americans have actually spent a lot of time wrestling with their faith. Documenting their journeys and placing them in sociological context, this book establishes Phil Zuckerman as one of the most sophisticated analysts of secularity today. * Arlene Stein, Professor of Sociology, Rutgers University *This could-be-dry content proves immensely engaging becuase of Zuckerman's jargin-free exposition and his seamless incorporation of interview material rendered apparently verbatim-verbal tics("like,""you know," etc) and all-in the manner of a good documentart film. * Ray Olson, Booklist *Zuckerman's writing is engaging and straightforward, which makes for enjoyable reading...[Faith No More] is laudable for its rich interview data, readability, and insight into the lived experiences of American apostates. * Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion *This is an absorbing book that puts flesh on the bones of recent identifiable trends in American nonbelief and, in turn, profoundly questions the assumption of a 'spiritual turn' in Western societies. Moreover, it provides distinctive insights into the complexities of belief, nonbelief, doubt and scepticism. * Social Forces *Zuckerman here builds on his previous work which examined 'Society without God,' that is, Nordic countries which rank amongst the least religious places in the world. In this book he combines qualitative interviews and rich descriptions to produce an interesting and well written book. * Catholic Books Review *The interview data are valuable for research on irreligion in America. The book will probably be enjoyed most by readers who, like Zuckerman's subjects, have lost their religion. These readers are likely to feel encouraged that they are not alone, that it takes courage to do what they have done, and that life can be good without religion. * Sociology of Religion *well written and engaging read that sheds light on the stories, emotions, thoughts, experiences and struggles of men and women in the United States who have left faith and religious involvement for a more secular life... * Patrick Mitchel, Evangelical Quarterly *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Chapter One: Mother was an Exorcist ; Chapter Two: Stopped Making Sense ; Chapter Three: Misfortune ; Chapter Four: To be Mormon, or Not to Be ; Chapter Five: Sex and Secularity ; Chapter Six: Others ; Chapter Seven: Jail, Food Stamps, and Atheism ; Chapter Eight: The Apostate Worldview ; Chapter Nine: All in the Family? ; Chapter Ten: How and Why People Reject Religion ; Conclusion ; Appendix: Research Methods and Sample Characteristics ; Notes ; References ; Index

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor millennia, people have used the Bible as a touchstone on important social and political questions, and rightly so. But many use the Bible simply as a weapon to wield against opponents in a variety of debates--without knowing what the Bible actually says about the issue in question. In The Bible Now, two respected biblical scholars tell us carefully what the Bible says or does not say about a wide range of issues--including homosexuality, abortion, women''s status, capital punishment, and the environment. In fascinating passages that shed new light on some of today''s most passionate disputes, the authors reveal how the Bible is frequently misunderstood, misquoted, mistranslated, and misused. For instance, those who quote the Bible in condemning homosexuality often cite the story of Sodom, and those who favor homosexuality point to David''s lament over the death of Jonathan. But as the authors show, neither passage is clearly about homosexuality, and these texts do not offer solid fTrade ReviewA refreshingly no-nonsense, authorative work. * Robert A. Segal, Times Higher Education *Richard Friedman and Shawna Dolansky make a fresh contribution to some very stale debates * John Barton, Times Literary Supplement *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Chapter 1: Homosexuality ; Chapter 2: Abortion ; Chapter 3: Women's Status ; Chapter 4: Capital Punishment ; Chapter 5: The Earth ; Epilogue

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the last fifteen years a controversial new theory of the origins of biological complexity and the nature of the universe has been fomenting bitter debates in education and science policy across North America, Europe, and Australia. Backed by intellectuals at respectable universities, Intelligent Design Theory (ID) proposes an alternative to accepted accounts of evolutionary theory: that life is so complex, and that the universe is so fine-tuned for the appearance of life, that the only plausible explanation is the existence of an intelligent designer. For many ID theorists, the designer is taken to be the god of Christianity. Niall Shanks has written the first accessible introduction to, and critique of, this controversial new intellectual movement. Shanks locates the growth of ID in the last two decades of the twentieth century in the growing influence of the American religious right. But as he shows, its roots go back beyond Aquinas to Ancient Greece. After looking at the historTrade Review[A] cogent and well-argued alarum...Shanks deftly skewers the scientific pretensions of intelligent design creationists. * Science *

Read more less

Trade ReviewThis smart, well-executed set of essays should interest not only tacticians of counterinsurgency warfare but anyone seeking to understand how politicized religion confronts the practical dilemmas of struggling for power. * Jack Snyder, Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Relations, Columbia University *Table of ContentsContributors ; 1. Counterinsurgency and the Problem of Sacred Space ; 2. The Golden Temple: A Tale of Two Sieges ; 3. A Mosque, a Shrine, and Two Sieges ; 4. The Battle for the Soul of Pakistan at Islamabad's Red Mosque ; 5. Fighting for the Holy Mosque: The 1979 Mecca Insurgency ; 6. Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency in Iraq's Sacred Spaces ; 7. Iron Fists Without Velvet Gloves: The Krue Se Mosque Incident and Lessons in Counterinsurgency for the Southern Thai Conflict ; 8. Conclusion: Counterinsurgency in Sacred Spaces

Read more less

Book SynopsisBuddhism has played a significant role in the current global rise in religious nationalism and violence, but the violent aspects of Buddhist tradition have been neglected in the outpouring of academic analyses and case studies of this disturbing trend. This book offers eight essays examining the dark side of a tradition often regarded as the religion of peace. The authors note the conflict between the Buddhist norms of non-violence and the prohibition of the killing of sentient beings and acts of state violence supported by the Buddhist community (sangha), acts of civil violence in which monks participate, and Buddhist intersectarian violence. They consider contemporary and historical cases of Buddhist warfare from a wide range of traditions - Tibetan, Mongolian, Japanese, Chinese, Sri Lankan, and Thai - critically examining both Buddhist textual sources justifying violence and Buddhist actors currently engaged in violence. They draw not only on archival material but interviews with thTrade ReviewThe book...presents a uniquely Buddhist "heart of darkness" * Katherine Wharton, Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents1. Buddhism and War ; 2. Making Merit through Warfare ; 3. Sacralized Warfare: The Fifth Dalai Lama and the Discourse of Religious Violence ; 4. Corporal Punishment during Mongolia's Theocratic Period ; 5. A Buddhological Critique of 'Soldier Zen' in Wartime Japan ; 6. Buddhist Monks in China during the Korean War ; 7. Sermons to Soldiers in the Sri Lankan Army ; 8. Militarizing Buddhism: Violence in Southern Thailand ; Concluding Remarks: Afterthoughts

Read more less

Book SynopsisStorming Zion offers a compelling explanation for the growing trend of state raids on new and nontraditional religious communities. Stuart Wright and Susan Palmer base their study on a massive data set documenting 116 government raids over the last six decades, primarily in Western countries.Trade ReviewThe book's analysis of expanded government raiding of NRMs in France is a solid addition to ongoing discussions over religious pluralism, laïcité and French church–state relations, and European counter-extremism policy. * Brian Auten, Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsPreface ; Chapter 1. Government Raids on Religious Communities ; Chapter 2. Countermovement Mobilization and Government Raids ; Chapter 3. The Twelve Tribes ; Chapter 4. The Family International/Children of God\ ; Chapter 5. Branch Davidians ; Chapter 6. The United Nuwaubian Nation ; Chapter 7. The Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints ; Chapter 8. The Church of Scientology ; Chapter 9. Raids in France ; Chapter 10. Exploring the Causes and Consequences of Raids on NRM Communities ; Notes ; References ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of the Study of Religion provides a comprehensive overview of the academic study of religion. Written by an international team of leading scholars, its fifty-one chapters are divided thematically into seven sections. The first section addresses five major conceptual aspects of research on religion. Part two surveys eleven main frameworks of analysis, interpretation, and explanation of religion. Reflecting recent turns in the humanities and social sciences, part three considers eight forms of the expression of religion. Part four provides a discussion of the ways societies and religions, or religious organizations, are shaped by different forms of allocation of resources. Other chapters in this section consider law, the media, nature, medicine, politics, science, sports, and tourism. Part five reviews important developments, distinctions, and arguments for each of the selected topics. The study of religion addresses religion as a historical phenomenon and part six loTable of ContentsList of Figures and Tables List of Contributors Michael Stausberg and Steven Engler: Introduction: Aims, Scope, and Organization Part I. Religion 1: Michael Stausberg & Mark Q. Gardiner: Definition 2: Giovanni Casadio: Historicizing and Translating Religion 3: Michael Stausberg & Steven Engler: Theories of Religion 4: Heinz Streib and Constantin Klein: Religion and Spirituality 5: Lois Lee: Non-religion Part II. Theoretical Approaches 6: Armin W. Geertz: Cognitive Science 7: Peter Seele & Lucas Zapf: Economics 8: John H. Shaver, Benjamin Grant Purzycki, and Richard Sosis: Evolutionary Theory 9: Darlene Juschka: Feminism and Gender Theory 10: Gavin Flood: Hermeneutics 11: Matthew Day: Marxism 12: Arvind Mandair: Postcolonialism 13: Mark Q. Gardiner and Steven Engler: Semantics 14: Robert A. Yelle: Semiotics 15: Paul-François Tremlett: (Post)-structuralism 16: Philip A. Mellor and Chris Shilling: Social Theory Part III. Modes 17: Volkhard Krech: Communication 18: David Morgan: Materiality 19: Jeppe Sinding Jensen: Narrative 20: Axel Michaels and William S. Sax: Performance 21: Rosalind I. J. Hackett: Sound 22: David Chidester: Space 23: David Chidester: Time Part IV. Environments 24: Anne Koch: Economy 25: Benjamin Schonthal: Law 26: Oliver Krüger: Media 27: Adrian Ivakhiv: Nature 28: Pamela Klassen: Medicine 29: Hubert Seiwert: Politics 30: Laura J. Vollmer and Kocku von Stuckrad: Science Carole M. Cusack: Sports Alex Norman: Tourism Part V. Topics 33: Jason C. Bivins: Belief 34: John Corrigan: Emotion 35: Craig Martin: Experience 36: Christoph Auffarth: Gift and Sacrifice 37: Gustavo Benavides: Gods 38: Henrik Bogdan: Initiation and Transitions 39: Manfred Hutter: Priests, Prophets, Sorcerers 40: Hugh B. Urban: Purity 41: Gavin Flood: Salvation Part VI. Processes 42: Steve Bruce: Differentiation 43: Albert de Jong: The Disintegration and Death of Religions 44: Asonzeh Ukah: Expansion 45: Manuel A. Vásquez and David Garbin: Globalization 46: Jörg Rüpke: Individualization and Privatization 47: Olav Hammer: Tradition and Innovation 48: Jeremy Carrette: Objectification and Commodification 49: Paul Christopher Johnson: Syncretism and Hybridization Part VII. The Discipline 50: Michael Stausberg: History 51: Thomas A. Tweed: Relevance

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince OUP''s publication in 2000 of Michael Emerson and Christian Smith''s groundbreaking study, Divided by Faith (DBF), research on racialized religion has burgeoned in a variety of disciplines in response to and in conversation with DBF. This conversation has moved outside of sociological circles; historians, theologians, and philosophers have also engaged the central tenets of DBF for the purpose of contextualizing, substantiating, and in some cases, contesting the book''s findings. In a poll published in January 2012, nearly 70% of evangelical churches professed a desire to be racially and culturally diverse. Currently, only around 8% of them have achieved this multiracial status. To an unprecedented degree, evangelical churches in the United States are trying to overcome the deep racial divides that persist in their congregations. Not surprisingly, many of these evangelicals have turned to DBF for solutions. The essays in Christians and the Color Line complicate the research findiTrade ReviewChristians and the Color Line does a fantastic job in advancing the conversation and provoking more critical thought. * Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion *Table of ContentsTable of Contents ; Foreword ; Contributors ; Acknowledgments ; Introduction ; Chapter One ; "Neoevangelicalism and the Problem of Race in America" ; Chapter Two ; "Healing the Mystical Body: Catholic Attempts to Overcome the Racial ; Divide in Chicago, 1930-1960" ; Chapter Three ; "'Glimmers of Hope': Progressive Evangelical Leaders and Racism, ; 1965-2000" ; Chapter Four ; "'Buttcheek to Buttcheek in the Pew': Interracial Relationalism at a ; Mennonite Congregation, 1957-2010" ; Chapter Five ; "Still Divided by Faith? Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race ; in America, 1977-2010" ; Chapter Six ; "Worshipping to Stay the Same: Avoiding the Local to Maintain Solidarity" ; Chapter Seven ; "Beyond Body Counts: Sex, Individualism, and the Segregated Shape ; of Twentieth-Century Evangelicalism" ; Chapter Eight ; "Color-Conscious Structure-Blind Assimilation: How Asian-Americans ; can Unintentionally Maintain the Racial Divide" ; Chapter Nine ; "Knotted Together: Identity and Community in a Multiracial Church" ; Chapter Ten ; "Much Ado About Nothing? Rethinking the Efficacy of Multiracial ; Churches for Racial Reconciliation" ; Theological Afterword ; "The Call to Blackness in American Christianity"

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn recent decades, reception history has become an increasingly important and controversial topic of discussion in biblical studies. Rather than attempting to recover the original meaning of biblical texts, reception history focuses on exploring the history of interpretation. In doing so it locates the dominant historical-critical scholarly paradigm within the history of interpretation, rather than over and above it. At the same time, the breadth of material and hermeneutical issues that reception history engages with questions any narrow understanding of the history of the Bible and its effects on faith communities.The challenge that reception history faces is to explore tradition without either reducing its meaning to what faith communities think is important, or merely offering anthologies of interesting historical interpretations. This major new handbook addresses these matters by presenting reception history as an enterprise (not a method) that questions and understands tradition Trade Reviewan important, valuable contribution to its subject * Eric Ziolkowski, Relegere: Studies in Religion and Reception *a rich collection of different and often very valuable materials on the reception history of the Bible. Among the articles some are real treasures * Ulrich Luz, Journal of Theological Studies *This volume is most certainly timely and highly pertinent to recent developments within biblical studies ... a welcome addition * R. I. Kueh, Journal of Ecclesiastical History *Table of ContentsPART ONE; PART TWO; HERMENEUTICAL AND HISTORICAL ISSUES; HEBREW BIBLE; NEW TESTAMENT

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Theology of Jonathan Edwards is the first survey of the religious thought of America''s theologian--Jonathan Edwards--that draws on all of his writings, now available in a 73-volume online Yale critical edition. In 48 chapters, McClymond and McDermott, two of the world''s leading Edwards scholars, treat topics in Edwards''s thought that have rarely been analyzed in depth, and never in coordination with a close analysis of the rest of his theology. Such topics include the implications of his doctrine of the Trinity for the divide between Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy, his enduring appeal among both conservative and liberal Protestants, his ecclesial and sacramental theologies, his conflicted relationship with the history of Calvinism, the cultural-historical and comparative-religious turn he made toward the end of his career (as the leading colonial thinker on the topic of world religions), the appeals to his ideas in nineteenth- and twentieth-century debates over Methodist, HolinTrade ReviewThis whopping book is without doubt the Big Mac of Jonathan Edwards studies. ... Writing clearly and accessibly, but also authoritatively and yet modestly, they compare their product to the sections of a symphony orchestra, or to a series of viewing stations of both the explored and yet to-be-explored interior of Edwards's writings. * Paul Helm, Journal of Ecclesiastical History *very impressive book on the theology of one of the greatest minds ever given to God's church. Those with an interest in Edwards certainly must get a copy. Ministers or serious-minded Christians would also be well served by having this excellent volume. * William M. Schweitzer, Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology *Table of ContentsPart One: Introduction: Historical, Cultural, and Social Contexts ; Chapter One: Overture to a Symphony ; Chapter Two: Jonathan Edwards: A Theological Life ; Chapter Three: Edwards's Intellectual Context ; Chapter Four: Edwards's Spirituality ; Chapter Five: The Question of Development: Did Edwards Change? ; Part Two: Topics in Edwards's Theology ; Section One: Methods and Strategies ; Chapter Six: Beauty and Aesthetics ; Chapter Seven: Metaphysics ; Chapter Eight: Typology: Scripture, Nature, and All of Reality ; Chapter Nine: Revelation: Scripture, Tradition, and Reason ; Chapter Ten: Apologetics ; Chapter Eleven: Biblical Exegesis ; Chapter Twelve: The Concept of a History of Redemption ; Section Two: The Triune God, the Angels, and Heaven ; Chapter Thirteen: God as Trinity: Father, Son, and Spirit ; Chapter Fourteen: The End of God in Creation ; Chapter Fifteen: Providence and History ; Chapter Sixteen: The Person and Work of Jesus Christ ; Chapter Seventeen: The Role of the Holy Spirit ; Chapter Eighteen: The Angels in the Plan of Salvation ; Chapter Nineteen: Heaven is a World of Love ; Section Three: Theological Anthropology and Divine Grace ; Chapter Twenty: The Affections and the Human Person ; Chapter Twenty-one: Edward's Calvinism and Theology of the Covenants ; Chapter Twenty-two: Free Will and Original Sin ; Chapter Twenty-three: Salvation, Grace, and Faith: An Overview ; Chapter Twenty-four: Conversion: A Divine and Supernatural Light ; Chapter Twenty-five: Justification and Sanctification ; Chapter Twenty-six: The Theme of Divinization ; Chapter Twenty-seven: The Theology of Revivals ; Section Four: Church, Ethics, Eschatology, and Society ; Chapter Twenty-eight: The Church ; Chapter Twenty-nine: Edwards On (and In) the Ministry ; Chapter Thirty: The Sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper ; Chapter Thirty-one: The Voice of the Great God: A Theology of Preaching ; Chapter Thirty-two: Public Theology, Society, and America ; Chapter Thirty-three: True Virtue, Christian Love, and Ethical Theory ; Chapter Thirty-four: Edwards On (and In) Missions ; Chapter Thirty-five: Eschatology ; Chapter Thirty-six: Christianity and Other Religions ; Part Three: Legacies and Affinities: Edwards's Disciples and Interpreters ; Chapter Thirty-seven: Selective Readings: Edwards and the New Divinity ; Chapter Thirty-eight: Mixed Reactions: Princeton and Andover Seminaries, and Nineteenth-Century American Culture ; Chapter Thirty-nine: New Beginnings: The Twentieth Century Recovery of Edwards's Theology ; Chapter Forty: Interpretations, I: Edwards and Modern Philosophy ; Chapter Forty-one: Interpretations, II: Edwards and the Reformed Tradition ; Chapter Forty-two: Interpretations, III: Edwards and the Revival Tradition ; Chapter Forty-three: Interpretations, IV: Edwards and the Catholic and Orthodox Traditions ; Chapter Forty-four: Interpretations, V: Edwards and Contemporary Theology ; Chapter Forty-five: Conclusion: Edwards as a Theological Bridge ; Index

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMark Amstutz offers a groundbreaking exploration of the rise, evolution, and crucial impact of Evangelicals on American foreign affairs. In the nineteenth century, Protestant missionaries spearheaded global engagement by serving throughout the world. They gained fluency in foreign languages, developed knowledge about distant societies, and increased cross-cultural awareness. They also played a vital role in advancing human dignity by teaching and modeling values, building schools and clinics, and creating institutions that nurtured civil society. In view of their important role in global affairs, Amstutz argues, Evangelicals can be regarded as America''s first internationalists. When modernists gained control of Protestant denominations at the turn of the twentieth century, traditional Protestants responded by creating a Fundamentalist movement that gave precedence to spiritual life but neglected social and political concerns. Four decades later, orthodox believers sought to restore thTrade ReviewAn excellent overview of the often surprising and unexpected multidimensional paths of evangelica perspectives on US foreign Policy. * M. S. Hill, Choice, *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; PART I ; 1. Christianity and Foreign Policy ; 2. The Nature and Rise of Evangelicalism ; 3. The Genesis of Evangelical Global Engagement: The Missionary Movement ; 4. The Political Ethics of Evangelicals ; PART II ; 5. Evangelicals and Global Poverty ; 6. Evangelicals and U.S. Foreign Policy Towards Israel ; 7. The Rise of Evangelical Foreign Policy Advocacy ; 8. Shortcomings of Evangelical Foreign Policy Advocacy ; 9. Towards a More Effective Evangelical Global Engagement ; Notes ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA fresh reading of Kierkegaard that engages an essential problem in the philosophy of religion - the difference between what is understood by reason and what must be taken on faithTrade ReviewAs the title The Paradoxical Rationality of Søren Kierkegaard suggests, Richard McCombs sets out to dispel the . . . common view that Kierkegaard is an irrationalist, especially when it comes to matters of faith. Much of the book is dedicated to the idea that despite Kierkegaard's many direct statements against reason, he is actually making an indirect case for how sensible faith in Christ really is.22.4 2014 * International Journal of Philosophiical Studies *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsAbbreviations1. A Pretense of Irrationalism2. Paradoxical Rationality3. Reverse Theology4. The Subtle Power of Simplicity5. A Critique of Indirect Communication6. The Figure of Socrates and the Climacean Capacity of Paradoxical Reason7. The Figure of Socrates and the Downfall of Paradoxical Reason8. The Proof of Paradoxical ReasonNotesBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisMuch time and attention is currently devoted by Christian writers to the notion of discipleship. Many of the courses and local church programmes are, however, focused on the gathered church or on gathering. Roger Walton challenges the church to ''train and release'' reflective and creative disciples by giving attention to the presence of God in the life of the world and engaging with the divine in the ordinary. This is a challenging resource for all involved in church leadership and training new Christians.

Read more less

Book SynopsisRobert Song’s book advances a theological account of marriage and sexuality which appeals to the central biblical theme of the fulfilment of creation in Christ, but is also open to the possibility of same-sex relationships.Trade ReviewRobert Song knows he has written a book that will make no one or any side of the debates about gay marriage happy. But then, that is why this is such a good and necessary book. Song will make you happy because drawing on the wisdom of the Christian tradition he frames the arguments about gay relationships in a way that makes us think hard about why, for example, Christians do not have to have children to be Christian. Song, with wit and clarity, has opened up a new space for discussions and questions surrounding the erotic that we so sorely need. Hopefully, after reading Song, those who are sure they know what side they are on will be a little less sure. -- Stanley HauerwasRobert Song’s timely and helpful contribution to ecclesial discernment about faithful, lifelong relationships is truly scholarly in that it brings into the room a cloud of witnesses that offer light and hope, deeply pastoral in that it never loses the good shepherd’s heart for those in danger of being lost, rejected, or consumed by their own righteousness, appropriately prophetic in that it believes the question is not what scripture says but what scripture requires us now to say, and wonderfully wise in its judgements and proposals. If our prayer in the midst of conflict is not that ‘our’ side will ‘win,’ but that articulating tensions thoughtfully will bring out the best in all of us, then that prayer has been answered in this reverent, responsible and seriously thoughtful book. -- Sam WellsThis is a rare phenomenon: a genuinely fresh contribution to a well-worn debate. With rich theological insight, Robert Song reframes the issues, placing the key Christian distinction not between heterosexual and homosexual but between procreative and non-procreative relationships. This is provocative, beautifully argued, and a must-read for all seeking a way out of our present theological quagmire. -- John BarclaySong comes to support same-sex marriage but by a rather complicated route. Readers who follow his argument will find it intellectually stimulating. -- Paul Richardson * Church Newspaper *Whether one agrees with Song's argument or not, this volume is an elegant irenic, creative, and accessible work that is as valuable for the way it addresses its issues as much as, if not more than, for its specific conclusions. it is a model of how such debates should be carried out. -- Robert MacSwain * Anglican Theological Review, 98.2 *

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

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.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIs Islam fundamentally violent? For influential New Atheists such as Sam Harris, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and Richard Dawkins, the answer is an emphatic yes, largely because of the Islamic doctrine of jihad. According to this view, when al-Qaeda plotted 9/11 or ISIS planned any one of its recent terrorist attacks, they were acting in accord with Islamic scripture. Jihad, Radicalism, and the New Atheism scrutinizes this claim by comparing the conflicting interpretations of jihad offered by mainstream Muslim scholars, violent Muslim radicals, and New Atheists. Mohammad Hassan Khalil considers contemporary Muslim terrorism to be a grave problem that we must now confront. He shows, however, that the explanations offered for this phenomenon by the New Atheists are highly problematic, and that their own interpretations of the role of violence in Islam exceed those of even radicals such as Osama bin Laden. In showing all of this, Khalil offers critical insights on a most pressing issue.Trade Review'Mohammad Khalil's critique of the 'new atheists' is compelling, rational, and hard-hitting without veering into polemics. The result is a highly lucid, carefully argued and engaging book on a very timely topic that has been begging for such a level-headed, scholarly treatment.' Asma Afsaruddin, Indiana University'… [N]o work has to this point looked at jihadist discourses on war and New Atheist discourses on Islam together as a shared narrative around what it means to be genuinely motivated by religion in modern Islam. Mohammad Khalil's book does just that, and it should be required reading for anyone looking for a way out of the Manicheanism of both jihadism and certain kinds of anti-religious discourse.' Andrew F. March, Law and Social Change Fellow, Islamic Legal Studies Program, Harvard Law School, MassachusettsTable of ContentsPart I. Jihad: 1. War and peace in the foundational texts of Islam; 2. Jihad in Islamic law; Part II. Violent Radicalism: Bin Laden, 9/11, and ISIS: 3. 'So we kill their innocents': Bin Laden and 9/11; 4. 'Our hearts bleed': 9/11 and contemporary Muslim thought; 5. 'We will take revenge': a word on ISIS; Part III. The New Atheism: 6. 'We are at war with Islam': the case of Sam Harris; 7. 'It Is about Islam': the case of Ayaan Hirsi Ali; 8. 'Imagine a world with no religion': a word on Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAll religions describe spiritual experience as pleasant, and the goal of the religious pursuit as profoundly joyful. But many religions also condemn sensory pleasures and the desire for objects of pleasure. In this book, Ariel Glucklich resolves this apparent contradiction by showing how religious practices that instill self-control and discipline transform one type of pleasure into the pleasures of mastery and play. Using historical data and psychological analysis, he details how the rituals, mystical practices, moral teachings, and sacred texts of the world''s religions act as psychological instruments that induce well-being. Glucklich also shows that in promoting joy and pleasure, religion also strengthens social bonds and enhances an individual''s pursuit of meaning.Table of ContentsIntroduction: religion, pleasure and evolution; 1. The variety and mystery of religious pleasure; 2. The nature and cultivation of complex pleasure; 3. The discovery of mastery pleasure; 4. Philo's mastery, Plotinus' play and the mystic's joy; 5. Pleasure, play and magical thinking; 6. Church-sect theory and pleasure; 7. Narratives and rituals of pleasure; 8. A scholar's Shabbat in central Virginia; Conclusion.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAll religions describe spiritual experience as pleasant, and the goal of the religious pursuit as profoundly joyful. But many religions also condemn sensory pleasures and the desire for objects of pleasure. In this book, Ariel Glucklich resolves this apparent contradiction by showing how religious practices that instill self-control and discipline transform one type of pleasure into the pleasures of mastery and play. Using historical data and psychological analysis, he details how the rituals, mystical practices, moral teachings, and sacred texts of the world''s religions act as psychological instruments that induce well-being. Glucklich also shows that in promoting joy and pleasure, religion also strengthens social bonds and enhances an individual''s pursuit of meaning.Table of ContentsIntroduction: religion, pleasure and evolution; 1. The variety and mystery of religious pleasure; 2. The nature and cultivation of complex pleasure; 3. The discovery of mastery pleasure; 4. Philo's mastery, Plotinus' play and the mystic's joy; 5. Pleasure, play and magical thinking; 6. Church-sect theory and pleasure; 7. Narratives and rituals of pleasure; 8. A scholar's Shabbat in central Virginia; Conclusion.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book offers scholars, administrators and the broader public an original proposal for the humanities. It argues that these disciplines, while serving society, are intrinsic to our humanity. It offers new bold ideas about how to think with greater humanistic coherence.Trade Review'Recommended.' M. Meola, Choice Magazine'The book offers very interesting reflections about how the humanities proceed and case studies from the author's own experience, to offer insight about its contributions … provides excellent arguments to pursue the Humanities as an academic respectable and needed program … [an] important book.' Lluis Oviedo, Reviews in Science, Religion and Theology'… vibrant and essential for the academic and non-academic world … The book is broadly informed and deserves praise for its accessibility … the book is an easy-to-understand, self-standing defense of the humanities. It is plain and straight, without simplifying things beyond what is needed, given the length and scope of the book.' Maria Kronfeldner, MetascienceTable of ContentsI. What are the Humanities?: 1. Humanities: a tentative definition; 2. Understanding others; 3. Self-involving: philosophy and theology; 4. Responsible scholarship; II. Who Needs the Humanities?: 5. Professionals: how to live with interpretations; 6. Humans; 7. The value of the humanities.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis important collection of essays addresses the question of why scholars can no longer do without class in religious studies and theology, and what we can learn from a renewed engagement with the topic. This volume discusses what new discourses regarding notions of gender, ethnicity, and race might add to developments on notions of class.Trade ReviewTimely and indispensable for working to change the plight of the 99 percent, this provocative text probes the intersection of religion, theology, and class through the lenses of global capital, gender, blackness, migration, and alternative economies. I highly recommend it. - Kwok Pui-lan, Professor, Episcopal Divinity School, USA By gathering provocative analyses from international thinkers into one volume, Joerg Rieger raises embedded assumptions about social class and theology into a much-needed, critical light. Religion, Theology, and Class: Fresh Engagements After Long Silence provides a space for substantive conversations among scholars in religious studies, particularly as we consider building just relationships. - Stephanie Y. Mitchem, Professor, Department of Religious Studies, University of South Carolina, USATable of ContentsIntroduction: Why We Can Do No Longer without Class in Religious Studies and Theology; Joerg Rieger PART I: BASIC DEFINITIONS AND CHALLENGES 1. Religion and Class; Richard D. Wolff 2. Classes, Other Distinctions, and Their Theological Values; Néstor Míguez 3. Save Us from Cynicism: Religion and Social Class; Jung Mo Sung 4. Class, Sin, and the Displaced; Vítor Westhelle PART II: HISTORICAL CONTEXTS 5. Religion and Class in the Construction and Deconstruction of the Myth of American Exceptionalism; Sheila D. Collins 6. Protesting Classes through Protestant Glasses: Class, Labor, and the Social Gospel in the United States; Ken Estey PART III: ONGOING STRUGGLES: GENDER, POVERTY, RACE, AND CLASS 7. Poverty and Poor People's Agency in High-Tech Capitalism; Jan Rehmann 8. Inequality, Class, and Power in Global Perspective; Pamela K. Brubaker 9. Black Reconstruction: Thinking Blackness and Rethinking Class in Late Capitalist America, Corey D.B. Walker 10. Instigating Class Struggle? The Study of Class in Religion and Theology and Some Implications for Race and Gender; Joerg Rieger

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book uses ethnography as theological practice, yielding a theology constructed at the intersection of church, academy and everyday life. Drawing on the author's research in her Baptist church, the resulting 'ethnographic theology' produces creative theological insights, while also proposing fresh alternatives for Christian thought and action.Trade Review“The volume is addressed to other academic theologians, particularly those who desire to produce knowledge not about or for but through those who empower their work. … I found her ways of weaving dense theory and theology through ethnography a pleasure to read.” (Rebecca Spurrier, Shorter Reviews, Vol. 70 (4), October, 2016)Table of ContentsIntroduction PART I: ETHNOGRAPHIC THEOLOGICAL THEORIES AND METHODS 1. Making Space: Making the Theological Field 2. Making Theologians: Deploying a Theological Habitus PART II: CONSTRUCTIVE THEOLOGIES 3. Cogs in the Machine: A Reflexive Theology of Ecclesial Change 4. The Slump of a Shoulder: A Carnal Theology of God 5. My Mother's Hips: A Performance Theology of Sanctification Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisIntroductory Remarks PART I: EPISTEMOLOGY 1. Disagreement, Opinion and Expertise 2. Belief, Faith and Evidence 3. Debate, Reason and Argument PART II: METAPHYSICS 4. Science, Nature and Transcendence 5. Mind, Body and Spirit 6. Cause, Freedom and Responsibility PART III: ETHICS 7. Flourishing, Virtue and Happiness 8. Trust, Violence and Power 9. Meaning, Understanding, and Narrative Postscript References and Further Reading IndexTable of ContentsIntroductory Remarks PART I: EPISTEMOLOGY 1. Disagreement, Opinion and Expertise 2. Belief, Faith and Evidence 3. Debate, Reason and Argument PART II: METAPHYSICS 4. Science, Nature and Transcendence 5. Mind, Body and Spirit 6. Cause, Freedom and Responsibility PART III: ETHICS 7. Flourishing, Virtue and Happiness 8. Trust, Violence and Power 9. Meaning, Understanding, and Narrative Postscript References and Further Reading Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrances Timbers is a Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Victoria, Canada. She holds a PhD from University of Toronto.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. For the Uninitiated 2. Magic, Manhood and Masculinity 3. Scrying and Subversion 4. Swords, Sex and Sacrifice 5. Fairies and Fantasy 8. Magic and Honour Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisExistence as Prayer: The Consciousness of Christ in the Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar explores a major and controversial aspect of the thought of the Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar, the question of Christ's human consciousness. Although this issue is often cited in studies of Balthasar's theology, Mark L. Yenson analyzes it as a nexus for understanding the broader dynamics of Christology, Trinitarian theology, anthropology, and metaphysics in Balthasar's works. Rather than providing mere exposition, Yenson sets Balthasar's approach to Christ's consciousness against the background of the Council of Chalcedon and its reception, culminating in the all-embracing Christological vision of the great Byzantine thinker Maximus the Confessor. Balthasar's groundbreaking study of Maximus, Cosmic Liturgy, is shown to provide some important keys to Balthasar's later thought, and reveals Maximus as a vital resource for modern Christology. While this study is a significant Table of ContentsContents: Maximus and the Neo-Chalcedonian Legacy – Person, Mission, and the Analogy of Being – The Consciousness of Christ – Christ’s Consciousness and the Cross.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe very essence of the existential relationship between the human and the divine is communicated by the English word, worship'. Although the word appears to carry a univocal meaning in English, no such word per se exists in the Greek New Testament. The English word at best explains but does not adequately and completely define the dynamics involved in the relationship between humanity and God. Worship and the Risen Jesus in the Pauline Letters approaches the subject of Christian worship in respect to its origins from the perspective of the earliest New Testament writer: Paul. This book seeks to address the relative absence in scholarship of a full treatment of worship in the Pauline Letters. Closely related to the theme of Christian worship in the Pauline Letters is the person of the risen Jesus and the place he occupies in the faith community. This work proposes a proper working definition of, including criteria for, worship'. Paul employed an array of Greek words as descriptoTrade Review«The book by C[osta] is a most welcome contribution to the study of worship in the NT and of the place of the risen Christ in worship.» (Léon van Ommen, Biblische Zeitschrift 2/2017)

Read more less

Book SynopsisNo church is immune to the problems that can arise when parishioners behave in difficult ways. Responding to such situations with self-awareness and in a manner true to one’s faith tradition makes the difference between peace and disaster. In this must-read book, Boers shows how a better understanding of difficult behavior can help congregational leaders avoid the trap of labeling such parishioners and exercise self-care when the going gets rough.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Asia-Pacific region is considered the world's religious core, with the greatest number of pilgrims and travellers to religious events for both international and domestic tourism. It is estimated that there are approximately 600 million national and international religious and spiritual voyages in the world, of which over half take place in Asia. This book focuses on tourism and sacred sites in Asia. Contemporary case studies of religious and pilgrimage activities provide key learning points and present practical examples from this 'hub' of pilgrimage destinations. They explore ancient, sacred and emerging tourist destinations and new forms of pilgrimage, faith systems and quasi-religious activities. It will be of interest to researchers within religious, cultural, heritage and Asian tourism. Key features include: - An Asian perspective on a growing area of tourism. - Case studies from across the continent. - Full-colour images of pilgrimage sites and key destinations bring the topic to life.Table of Contents1: Religious Tourism and Sacred Sites in Asia 2: The Rise of Heritage and Religious Tourism to Sacred Sites in Oman 3: Entrepreneurship for Religious Tourism in Mumbai, India 4: Spiritual Tourism in Sufism in South Asia 5: Religious Tourism in Azerbaijan: Current Challenges 6: The Sacred in Caves and Mountains: Animist and Christian Interfaces in the Philippines 7: Religious Tourism in the Ideological Framework of Chinese Tourism Education 8: Religious Tourism: The Beginning of a New Era with Special Reference to India 9: Pilgrimage and Historical Tourism on West Java: Learning about History 10: To Own the Sacred, to Control the People: Maha¯bodhi Temple Complex, Bodhgaya¯, India 11: Branding the Buddha’s Birthplace: Exploring Nepal’s Potential to Become a Destination of Global Buddhist Tourism 12: Religious Migrations in Contemporary Central Asia 13: Religious Festival in Tourism: A Comparative Perspective of the Aobao Festival 14: To Brand Gandhara, the Ancient Buddhist Centre: Pakistan’s Potential to Develop Buddhist Tourism 15: Nankana Sahib as ‘A Symbol of Religious Coexistence’ 16: The Destination Marketing Development of Religious Tourism in Uzbekistan: A Case Study 17: Religion and Religious Tourism: A Case Study of Kerala

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe country is bankrupt, the gap between rich and poor is widening, the church has retreated from the inner cities, and even in the more affluent suburbs, many young people see the church as irrelevant - out of touch.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a landmark book that will renew our understanding of what the gospel - literally 'the good news about Jesus' - is for today's cultures. It begins with a key challenge - do we believe God speaks in the cultural context, or only in the Christian tradition? Part One - Listening to God in the cultural context explores the radically changing culture in which the church exists today, the rise of new spiritualities, the secularisation of society and religion's increasingly dubious public image. Part Two - Listening to God in the Christian tradition looks at key periods in Christian history as responses to cultural changes, from the ancient pagan world to modernist faith. What can we learn from the lessons of the past? Part Three moves from theory to practice and tells great stories where innovative evangelism is taking place - from supermarkets to festivals to the internet.

Read more less