Social groups: religious groups and communities Books

Book SynopsisWhat if Islam never existed? To some, it''s a comforting thought: no clash of civilizations, no holy wars, no terrorists. But what if that weren''t the case at all? In A World Without Islam, Graham E. Fuller guides us along an illuminating journey through history, geopolitics, and religion to investigate whether or not Islam is indeed the cause of some of today''s most emotional and important international crises. Fuller takes us from the birth of Islam to the fall of Rome to the rise and collapse of the Ottoman Empire. He examines and analyzes the roots of terrorism, the conflict in Israel, and the role of Islam in supporting and energizing the anti-imperial struggle. Provocatively, he finds that contrary to the claims of many politicians, thinkers, theologians, and soldiers, a world without Islam might not look vastly different from what we know today. Filled with fascinating details and counterintuitive conclusions, A World Without Islam is certa

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisTraveling in Europe in August 1938, David Kurtz, captured three minutes of ordinary life in Poland on a 16 mm Kodachrome colour film. Three Minutes in Poland traces Glenn Kurtz's remarkable four year journey to identify the people in his grandfather's haunting images. Glenn creates an exploration of memory, loss, and improbable survival.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNATIONAL BESTSELLER • The author of the runaway bestseller How the Irish Saved Civilization takes us on another captivating...persuasive as well as entertaining journey into history (The New York Times), recreating a time when the actions of a small band of people had repercussions that are still felt today.The Gifts of the Jews reveals the critical change that made western civilization possible. Within the matrix of ancient religions and philosophies, life was seen as part of an endless cycle of birth and death; time was like a wheel, spinning ceaselessly. Yet somehow, the ancient Jews began to see time differently. For them, time had a beginning and an end; it was a narrative, whose triumphant conclusion would come in the future. From this insight came a new conception of men and women as individuals with unique destinies--a conception that would inform the Declaration of Independence--and our hopeful belief in progress and

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisAt the end of World War II, nearly three million Jews were trapped inside the Soviet Union. They lived a paradox - unwanted by a repressive Stalinist state, yet forbidden to leave. This title tells the story of their rescue.

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

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

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

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

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis text on the history of Galilee between the 1st and 7th centuries contains 20 essays examining such issues as the first Christians, social and economic conditions, Roman rule and military presence, rabbis and Jewish law, languages and the archaeological remains of ancient synagogues.

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 SynopsisRyan J. Lynch is Assistant Professor of History at Columbus State University, USA. A specialist in early Islamic history and early Arabic historiography, he received his DPhil from the University of Oxford. His research has appeared in journals such as the Journal of the American Oriental Society and in reference publications such as The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Early Arabic Historical Tradition and the Problematic Nature of the “Narrative Sources” Chapter 1: The Text of Futuh al-buldan Chapter 3: The Sources of Futuh al-buldan Chapter 4: The Content and Themes of the Text Chapter 5: The Matter of Genre and the Classification of Futuh al-buldan Chapter 6: The Medieval Reception and Reuse of the Futuh Conclusion: A Portrait of Authority Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisSaud al-Sarhan (PhD, University of Exeter) is Secretary General at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies (KFCRIS) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was previously the Director of Research at KFCRIS. He is also an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at Exeter University, UK, an Associate Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King's College London, and a Distinguished International Affairs Fellow of the National Council on US-Arab Relations, USA.Trade ReviewSaud al-Sarhan has brought together an impressive array of contributors as editor of this book, which is the first to analyse the history and meaning of political quietism in Islamic societies around the globe. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the work is, indeed, its willingness to admit and impartially examine variations in the practice and thought of Muslim societies [...] This book feels like the start of a new debate which recognizes quietism in Islam, not as a form of subservience but as political power. -- International AffairsThis book is a welcome addition in the field, providing an extremely useful nuanced discussion; I suspect that it will be required reading for anyone with a genuine interest in the politics of Islam. * Middle East Monitor *"An excellent introduction to key concepts and developments in quietist political theology in Islam ... a book well worth reading especially for anyone interested in politics, Islam, Islamism, Islamic theology, and sociology of religion" -- Asif Mohiuddin, Sakarya University, TurkeyThe [book] enables the reader [to have] a wealth of insights into the historical and contemporary developments in Muslim countries ... It belongs in every library with humanities, social sciences and literature, and can be used by all readers. * Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde des Morgenlandes (Bloomsbury Translation) *Table of ContentsIntroduction Saud al-Sarhan, The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Saudi Arabia; and Faisal Abullhassan, Johns Hopkins University, USA Part I – The Concept of Political Quietism: Its Problematics and the Islamic Context 1 – Making Sense of ‘Political Quietism’—An Analytical Intervention Jan-Peter Hartung, University of Göttingen, Germany 2 – Expressions of Political Quietism in Islamic History Ebrahim Moosa, University of Notre Dame, USA; and Nicholas Roberts, Sewanee: The University of the South, USA Part II – Political Quietism in Classical Islam 3 – The Rightly-Guided Caliphs: The Range of Views Preserved in Hadith Robert Gleave, University of Exeter, UK; and Christopher Melchert, University of Oxford, UK 4 – “Patience in Our Situation Is Better than Sedition”: The Shift to Political Quietism in the Sunni Tradition Saud al-Sarhan, The King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Saudi Arabia 5 – Quietism and Political Legitimacy in Imami Shi'i Jurisprudence: al-Sharif al-Murtada’s Treatise on the Legality of Working for the Government Reconsidered Robert Gleave, University of Exeter, UK Part III – Political Quietism in Modern and Contemporary Islamic Thought 6 – “I’m Only a Village Farmer and a Dervish’: Between Political Quietism and Spiritual Leadership: Early Modern Shi'i Sufism and the Challenge of Modernity Alessandro Cancian, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK 7 – Legal Discourses on Hijra in the Caucasus after the Fall of the Caucasus Imamate: Risalat al-sharifa by the Dagestani Scholar 'Abd al-Rahman al-Thughuri Mogamed Gizbulaev, Princeton University, USA 8 – Constitutionalism as Quietist Strategy: The Case of Tunisia Jeremy Kleidosty, University of Helsinki, Finland 9 – “Dropping a Thick Curtain of Forgetting and Disregard”: Modern Shi'i Quietism Beyond Politics Rainer Brunner, The French National Center for Scientific Research, France 10 – Public Piety and the Politics of Preaching Among Female Preachers in Riyadh Laila Makboul, University of Oslo, Norway 11 – The Gülen Movement in Azerbaijan: Political Quietism or Taqiyya? Fuad Aliyve, ADA University, Azerbaijan 12 – The Neo-Traditionalist Critique of Modernity and the Production of Political Quietism Walaa Quisay, University of Oxford, UK

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis work examines the relevance of traditional Islamic thought and practices for a lasting solution to the current environmental crisis. The book argues that only a revival of the traditional worldview which perceives all entities of nature as signs of God can effectively respond to the crisis our planet faces.Trade ReviewDr. Tarik Quadir’s present work on environmentalism is perhaps one of the best studies on the subject to have appeared in recent years. Through his thorough exposition of the environmental philosophy of Seyyed Hossein Nasr . . . and his spiritual approach to the contemporary environmental crisis, Dr. Quadir has succeeded in articulating a veritable alternative to mainstream approaches to environmentalism. -- Osman Bakar, chair professor and director, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Centre of Islamic Studies, Universiti Brunei DarussalamQuadir has produced a brilliant work of research far transcending the book’s focus on technology, science, and environmentalism. . . . Accompanied by a plethora of notes [from] diverse sources, Quadir offers us a highly nuanced, intricately crafted investigation of the philosophical and ethical thinking underlying the environmentalist issue in modern Islam and the contemporary West. -- Leonard Lewisohn, PhD, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter[Regarding] the disclosure of the spiritual roots of the environmental crisis, it is no exaggeration to say that Seyyed Hossein Nasr is a visionary: for over half a century, he has been calling out on behalf of Mother Nature, articulating a vision of ecological harmony, and eliciting from many who share that vision a spiritual change of direction, a metanoia. . . . [R]ecommended reading for those wishing to know what they can do, at the deepest level, about the environmental crisis. -- Reza Shah-Kazemi, PhD, author of The Other in the Light of the One and Paths to TranscendenceTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 0.1 The Environmental Crisis is Caused by Modern Technology-Based Lifestyles 0.2 Introduction to Seyyed Hossein Nasr 0.3 Failures of Mainstream Environmentalism 0.4 The Role for Religions and the Significance of Nasr 0.5 Nasr on Technological Solutions 0.6 Nasr and the Perennial Philosophy 0.7 Nasr and Traditional Islam 0.8 Environmentalism in the Muslim World and Nasr 0.9 The Need for a Sacred Science 0.10 Introduction Summary Chapter 1 A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS 1.1 Nature in the Pre-Modern Christian Europe 1.2 The Root is in Rationalism 1.3 The Renaissance Humanism and the Emergence of the Promethean Man 1.4 Scientific Revolution and the Divorce of Science from Metaphysics 1.5 Scientism and Scientific Progressivism during the Enlightenment and Beyond 1.6 Nasr’s General Recommendations for all Civilizations 1.7 Chapter Summary Chapter 2 THE PERENNIAL PRINCIPLES AND THE METAPHYSICS OF NATURE WITHIN ISLAM 2.1 The Perennial Principles and the Islamic Tradition 2.2 Metaphysical Exposition of Tawhid and Hierarchy of Reality 2.3 Chapter Summary Chapter 3 METAPHYSICS, SUFISM, AND ISLAMIC ETHICS 3.1 Nasr’s Strategies for the Dissemination and Application of the Knowledge of Islamic Environmental Ethics 3.2 Religious and Metaphysical Doctrines at the Foundation of Islamic Ethics 3.3 The Metaphysics of the Hierarchy of Reality Provides the Rationale for Shari‘a 3.4 Sufism and the Supremacy of Knowledge by the Heart 3.5 Sufi Popularization of Nature’s Wonder 3.6 Chapter Summary Chapter 4 THE ADVENT OF SCIENTIFIC PROGRESSIVISM AND THE MARGINALIZATION OF SUFISM 4.1 Nasr on the Contemporary Muslim Attitude towards Modern Science and Technology 4.2 The Advent of Scientific Progressivism 4.3 The Salafi Modernists 4.4 Conservative Salafi Rejection of Secularism 4.5 Revivalist/Revolutionary Salafi Movements 4.6 Transcendence of God and the Growing Affinity between Wahhabis and Salafis 4.7 Chapter Summary Chapter 5 THE PERENNIAL PRINCIPLES AND THE TRADITIONAL ISLAMIC SCIENCES 5.1 Traditional Islamic Sciences 5.2 Classification of Sciences 5.3 Example of the Traditional Scientists 5.4 Chapter Summary Chapter 6 NASR’S CRITIQUE OF MODERN SCIENCE AND SCIENTISM 6.1 Nasr and the Philosophy of Science 6.2 Limitations of Modern Science 6.3 Scientism Denies tawhid and the Hierarchy of Reality 6.4 Scientism Denies any Ultimate Meaning or Purpose 6.5 Scientism in Action 6.6 Nasr’s Arguments against the Theory of Evolution 6.7 Modern Science as a Way of Takthir 6.8 Takthir, the Environmental Crisis, and the Predicament for Muslims 6.9 Chapter Summary Chapter 7 TECHNOLOGY IS NOT VALUE-NEUTRAL 7.1 Work and Spirituality in Islam 7.2 The Machine and its Relationship with the Human Being 7.3 Preservation and Revival of Traditional Modes of Production 7.4 Chapter Summary Chapter 8 TOWARDS AN ISLAMIC SCIENCE 8.1 Why Metaphysics? Why the Metaphysics of Mulla Sadra? 8.2 An Outline of Sadra’s Natural Philosophy 8.3 Implications of Mulla Sadra’s Natural Philosophy 8.4 Technology Based on the New Islamic Science 8.5 The Debate over Islamic Science 8.6 Reform of Educational Institutions 8.7 Chapter Summary Chapter 9 CONCLUSION 9.1 Summary of Nasr’s Approach for the Islamic World 9.2 What Have We Achieved? 9.3 Final Reflections Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTwo volumes of the Jewish philosopher's classic work that collects and retells the marvelous legends of Hasidism.   This new paperback edition brings together volumes one and two of Buber's classic work Tales of the Hasidim, with a new foreword by Chaim Potok. Martin Buber devoted forty years of his life to collecting and retelling the legends of Hasidim. Nowhere in the last centuries, wrote Buber in Hasidim and Modern Man, has the soul-force of Judaism so manifested itself as in Hasidim... Without an iota being altered in the law, in the ritual, in the traditional life-norms, the long-accustomed arose in a fresh light and meaning.These tales—terse, vigorous, often cryptic—are the true texts of Hasidim. The hasidic masters, of whom these tales are told, are full-bodied personalities, yet their lives seem almost symbolic. Through them is expressed the intensity and holy joy whereby God becomes visible in everything.

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplores what it means to be Jewish and what Israel means to the Jews. Combining his increasing disillusionment with Israel with an account of the Jewish people since biblical times, the author weaves a personal and historical odyssey of uncommon power. It is suitable for anyone interested in the past and future of the Jewish state.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis Noble House explores the preoccupation with biblical genealogy that emerged among Jews in the Islamic Near East between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. Arnold Franklin looks to Jewish society''s fascination with Davidic ancestry, examining the profusion of claims to the lineage that had already begun to appear by the year 1000, the attempts to chart the validity of such claims through elaborate genealogical lists, and the range of meanings that came to be ascribed to the House of David in this period. Jews and Muslims shared the perception that the Davidic line and the noble family of the Prophet Muhammad were counterparts to one another, but captivation with Davidic lineage was just one facet of a much broader Jewish concern with biblical ancestry.Based on documentary material from the Cairo Geniza, the book argues that this genealogical turn should be understood as a consequence of Jewish society''s dynamic encounter with its Arab-Islamic milieu and constiTrade Review"Franklin's rich contribution to the field of Jewish history and culture in the medieval Islamic Near East . . . restores a key aspect of Jewish society to its proper place in historical scholarship, an achievement that is long overdue. Most importantly, Franklin's work fills in a major gap in our understanding of the complex negotiation and confident self-assertion of minority populations within the medieval Islamic world. For his sophisticated synthesis and analysis of a complex web of interconnected topics pertaining to Jewish prestige and power within medieval Islam, scholars of medieval Judaism and Islam alike owe Arnold Franklin a debt of gratitude." * Jewish History *"A welcome, thoroughly researched, and important study of the barely noticed shift in the attitude of the Jews of the Muslim East toward genealogy and the ways in which this shift was occasioned by their deep encounter with Islamic civilization. I applaud the ease with which Franklin incorporates such diverse materials." * Ross Brann, Cornell University *"A substantial, rich, and original work that takes a typically Jewish topic into the heart of an Islamic cultural context." * Menahem Ben-Sasson, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem *Table of ContentsA Note on Transliteration, Names, and Dates Preface Introduction Chapter 1."Sharīf of the Jewish Nation": Reconceptualizing the House of David in the Islamic East Chapter 2. "The Truth of the Pedigree": Documenting Origins and the Public Performance of Lineage Chapter 3. Ancestry as Authority: Lineage and Power in Near Eastern Jewish Society Chapter 4. "Designated in the Past and for the Future": Davidic Dynasts and Medieval Messianic Anticipation Chapter 5. "The Sharīf of Every People Is Well-Born": Genealogy and the Legitimization of Minority Culture Conclusion Appendix A. Halper 462: Transcription and Translation Appendix B. Tentative List of Davidic Dynasts Datable between ca. 950 and ca. 1450 Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn interpretation of the historical experience of the Jewish community in Syria and in the other places to which Aleppan Jewry have immigrated. It points to the social, economic and cultural links that the communities have made for the persistence of community throughout the diaspora.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA collection of essays exploring the phenomenon of spirit possession among Jews from a multidisciplinary perspective. Questions addressed include: what beliefs have Jews held about possession?; and have their conceptions of possession been similar to those of their Christian and Muslim neighbours?

Read more less

Book SynopsisMany historians focus on the growing anti-Semitism of the period 1848 to 1933, culminating in the Nazi Party's rise to power and its programme of genocide, but Peter Pulzer emphasizes the evolution of the ethnic identity, social roles and political activities of German Jews.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLooks at the life and writings of cultural critic Aby Warburg through the prism of Warburg's little-known political views. This work argues, based on archival research, that Warburg's work and teachings developed as a reaction to the growing anti-Semitism in Germany, which he saw as a threat to classical education and university scholarship.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOriginally published in Warsaw in 1913, this memoir offers a panoramic description of the author's experiences growing up in Kamieniec Litewski, a Polish shtetl connected with many important events in the history of nineteenth-century Eastern European Jewry. It also presents an important document of Jewish life during a fascinating era.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn annotated translation of the Yudisher Theriak, along with a comprehensive introduction that places the original work in its historical context.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers an account of the murder of the young Atlanta factory worker Mary Phagan and the subsequent lynching of Leo Frank, the transplanted northern Jew who was her employer and accused killer. This book includes letters written by Jim Conley, who was the state's main witness against Frank.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Iberian Peninsula has always been an integral part of the Mediterranean world, from the age of Tartessos and the Phoenicians to our own era and the Union for the Mediterranean. The cutting-edge essays in this volume examine what it means for medieval and early modern Iberia and its people to be considered as part of the Mediterranean.

Read more less