Social groups: religious groups and communities Books

Book SynopsisAn investigation of Jewish identity politics and contemporary Jewish ideology using both popular culture and scholarly texts. Jewish identity is tied up with some of the most difficult and contentious issues of today. The purpose in this book is to open up many of these issues for discussion. Since Israel defines itself as the Jewish State, we should ask what the notions of Judaism, Jewishness, Jewish culture and Jewish ideology stand for. Gilad examines the tribal aspects embedded in Jewish secular discourse, both Zionist and anti Zionist; the holocaust religion; the meaning of history and time within the Jewish political discourse; the anti-Gentile ideologies entangled within different forms of secular Jewish political discourse and even within the Jewish left. He questions what it is that leads Diaspora Jews to identify themselves with Israel and affiliate with its politics. The devastating state of our world affairs raises an immediate demand for a conceptual shift in our intellectual and philosophical attitude towards politics, identity politics and history.Trade ReviewIt is a scholarly and truly monumental work, deeply profound and, of course, controversial. (Alan Hart, British Journalist and covert diplomat in Middle East, ITN's News at 10, BBC's Panorama) A seriously funny writer and the wittiest musician since Ronnie Scott. We're lucky Gilad Atzmon is around. (Robert Wyatt, musician and founding member of Soft Machine)

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Book SynopsisThis is the first book to tell the story of the Jews of Lebanon in the twentieth century. It challenges the prevailing view that Jews everywhere in the Middle East were second-class citizens, and were persecuted after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The Jews of Lebanon were just one of Lebanon's 23 minorities with the same rights and privileges, and subject to the same political tensions. The author discusses the Jewish presence in Lebanon under Ottoman Rule; Lebanese Jews under the French mandate; Lebanese Jewish identity after the establishment of the State of Israel; the increase of the community through Syrian refugees; the Jews' position in the first civil war; their involvement in the exfiltration of Syrian Jews; the beginning of their exodus after the 1967 War; the virtual extinction of the Jewish community as a result of the prolonged 1975 second civil war and the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon; and finally the community's memory of their Lebanese past.Trade Review"An outstanding sociopolitical history of the Jewish community of Lebanon. Highly recommended..." -- Choice"Dr Schulze succeeds in placing the Jewish community in the broader context of Lebanese and Middle Eastern politics, and makes a highly significant and substantive contribution to the study on minorities in the Middle East." - From the foreword by Professor Avi Shlaim, St Antonys College, OxfordTable of ContentsForeword by Avi Shlaim; Introduction; Jewish life in the Arab Middle East; Jewish life in Lebanon; A literary survey; A Voyage through History; The historical legacy; Lebanon under Ottoman Rule; The Lebanese Jewish community; Culture, education and religion; Lebanese Jews under the French Mandate: Liberty, Fraternity and Equality; Grand Liban and the mandate; Merchants and financiers; Inter-communal relations and community life; The Lebanese Zionist project and contacts with the Yishuv; The Palestine question; World War II and the Vichy regime; Lebanese and Israeli Independence: Questions of Identity; Lebanese independence and the National Pact; The Jewish community and the political situation, 1943-1948; Two women remember: a privileged life in Lebanon; The establishment of the State of Israel; Jewish refugees and unavoidable changes; Syrian refugees; The First Civil War: Conflict of Identities; Dual loyalties; The Jewish community and the political situation, 1949-1957; Community life, 1943-1958; The first Lebanese civil war; Political and cultural identification; The Beginning of the Exodus; The Chehabist miracle'; Jewish emigration; The Six-Day War and beyond; The Cairo Agreement: the road to disintegration; The second civil war; The Israeli Invasion and Beyond: Renaissance or Decline?; Operation Peace for Galilee; Renaissance in Beirut; The war continues, 1985-1989; The end of the civil war; Conjectures, Considerations, and Conclusions; A Sentimental Journey; The community in history; The Arab-Israeli conflict; A history of Lebanon; Index.

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Book SynopsisI.B.Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies Emerging from a period of long seclusion, the leader of the burgeoning community of Ismaili Shi'i Muslims was declared the first Fatimid Imam-caliph in the year 909. Abd Allah al-Mahdi founded the only sustained Shi'i dynasty (909-1171) to rule over substantial parts of the medieval Muslim world, rivalling both the Umayyads of Spain and the Abbasids. At its peak, the Fatimid Empire extended from the Atlantic shores of North Africa, across the southern Mediterranean and down both sides of the Red Sea, covering also Mecca and Medina. This accessible history, the first of two volumes, tells the story of the birth and expansion of the Fatimid Empire in the 10th century. Drawing upon eyewitness accounts, Shainool Jiwa introduces the first four generations of Fatimid Imam-caliphs -- al-Mahdi, al-Qa'im, al-Mansur, and al-Mu'izz -- as well as the people who served them and those they struggled against. Readers are taken on a journey through the Fatimid capitals of Qayrawan, Mahdiyya, and Mansuriyya and on to the founding of Cairo. In this lively and comprehensive introduction, readers will discover various milestones in Fatimid history and the political and cultural achievements that continue to resonate today.Trade ReviewIn bringing the Fatimids' history to a new audience, Shainool Jiwa's book performs an important service. It should be on the reading list of all serious students of Islamic history. * History Today *

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Book SynopsisA sustained study of music and spirit possession in modern VietnamTrade Review"There is no better study that looks at Vietnamese mediumship music in a thorough, multidisciplinary manner."--Music & Letters"An exciting document of a locally diverse and unique ritual practice of the Viet people and their music. . . . A Vital work."--Asian Ethnology"Essential reading for scholars of Vietnamese religion, women's religion and culture, and spirit possession."--Religious Studies Review"The book is comprehensive in its analysis of cultural practices such as len dong, tracing the history of rituals, music and religion in Vietnam back to the early 20th century. . . . The inclusion of a DVD with video clips of mediums performing the spirit ceremonies and audio clips of the music played at the ceremonies makes turns an interesting book into a fascinating multimedia experience.” --Songlines"This book is at once reflexive, accessible, and consistently theorized. Barley Norton is closely attentive to the political life of performance and to the lived reality of rituals in a shifting socialist landscape. His writing is vivid and exacting, and the book's DVD invites a process of reading, watching, and listening that is wonderfully rewarding."--Deborah Wong, author of Speak It Louder: Asian Americans Making Music"Barley Norton's foundational study provides an indispensable guide to the music that animates Vietnamese mediumship. Choice anecdotes and recordings introduce individual mediums and musicians, demonstrate the musicality of religious experience, and reveal how ritual music is learned, performed, and transformed in Vietnam."--Philip Taylor, editor of Modernity and Re-enchantment: Religion in Post-revolutionary Vietnam"Songs for the Spirits is the first extensive and accurate ethnomusicological study of the chau van possession rituals in contemporary Vietnam. This study is exceptionally interesting, and it demonstrates the vigor of an ethnomusicologist who is remarkably engaged in both fieldwork operation and post-fieldwork analysis."--Phong T. Nguyen, author of From Rice Paddies and Temple Yards: Traditional Music of Vietnam

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The Study Quran could not be more timely. This painstaking work will do much to enlighten and inform the reading strategies of all who seek to understand the Holy Writ of Islam, especially as it relates to the beliefs and practices of Muslims." -- Sherman A. Jackson, King Faisal Chair of Islamic Thought and Practice, The University of Southern California "A huge and significant scholarly undertaking, a major service to Islamic studies. This work solves the perennial problem of how to introduce students to the Quranic text, offering what is perhaps the closest one can get to an ecumenical exegesis of the Quran." -- Jonathan Brown, Associate Director, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding at Georgetown University "Even the non-Arabist will gain an impression of the way specific verses have been understood. By giving attention to a wide range of commentators the editors capture the diversity and depth of the exegetical ideas that have been brought to the Quran-- a useful resource." -- Peter Adamson, Professor of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat in Munich and at King's College London "A truly magisterial and the most comprehensive study of the Quran to date. Highly recommended as an unparalleled reference work for engaging the Quran in its many different aspects." -- Asma Afsaruddin, Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at Indiana University Bloomington "A monument of religious literature in its own right, The Study Quran presents the sacred text in a meticulous new English rendering. One of this ambitious project's greatest strengths is the breadth and variety of exegetical sources and methods that inform the commentary throughout --most impressive." -- John Renard, Professor of Medieval Islam at Saint Louis University "A stupendous achievement. An indispensable handbook. The Study Quran contains everything readers will need. The translation is lucid and eloquent; the extensive commentaries offer continuous insight; the various essays cover virtually every aspect of the Quran. I cannot praise their collective work enough!" -- Eric Ormsby, Formerly Professor of Islamic Philosophy and Theology at McGill University's Institute of Islamic Studies "A major milestone for the study of the Qur'an. Elegantly written, the project is ambitious yet amply fulfills its promise. Invaluable for anyone interested in understanding the Qur'an and essential reading for students of the Qur'an at all levels." -- Dr. Michael Sells, Barrows Professor of the History and Literature of Islam, University of Chicago "This scholarly yet accessible work speaks directly to the tensions and misunderstandings of our gravely polarized world. It should be on the shelves of libraries and universities throughout the English-speaking world." -- Karen Armstrong, author of Fields of Blood "The contributors guide the reader through the intricacies of the sacred text in a way that lays bare the superficiality, selectivity and inaccuracy of some modern interpretations of the Quran at a time when this is sorely needed." -- Karen Armstrong, author of Fields of Blood "This impressive tome-the fruit of a patient collective venture-offers an extraordinary panoptic survey of the history of tafsir: some forty traditional commentaries-ancient and modern, Sunni and Shi'i-have been summoned here... Special mention is due to the translators of the Qur'an for their often remarkable achievement." -- Dr. Michel Chodkiewicz, author of Seal of the Saints and An Ocean Without Shore "A stunningly successful collaboration of scholars who have produced a modern masterpiece of clarity and eloquence. Never before in one place has so much Qur'anic scholarship been made accessible to the intelligent general reader." -- Ingrid Mattson, London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron University College, University of Western Ontario "An extraordinary scholarly achievement, The Study Quran brings the text to life, gently guiding readers into the exciting interpretive worlds of Muslims in all of their rich diversity." -- Zareena A Grewal, PhD, professor of Religious Studies at Yale University "The Study Quran is a well-guided tour. The work of the editors is uniformly meticulous, comprehensive, and erudite. Whether the reader is a novice to the Quranic text, longtime student, or scholar, they will find much to reflect upon in this extraordinarily valuable resource." -- Kristin Zahra Sands, Harlequin Adair Dammann Chair in Islamic Studies, Sarah Lawrence College "The Study Quran represents a breakthrough for bringing the message of the Quran to the English-speaking world. The translation itself is beautiful, but the commentary truly makes this an indispensable resource for anyone -- whether Muslim or non-Muslim -- who wishes to appreciate the Quran's message." -- Mohammad Fadel, Associate Professor of Law, University of Toronto Faculty of Law "The Study Quran is a fascinating and pioneering academic achievement. With analytical depth and clarity, it offers to both specialist and general readers, Muslim and non-Muslim, uniquely learned insights into the reception and interpretation of Islam's sacred scripture within the various Muslim intellectual and spiritual traditions." -- Sebastian Gunther, Professor and Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Gottingen, Germany "This new English translation conveys the music and meaning of the Arabic. That it is accompanied by a learned commentary distilled from the highly varied classical, modern and contemporary exegetical traditions provides unparalleled access to a uniquely influential yet understudied scripture sacred to one out of four human beings." -- Todd Lawson, Professor of Islamic Thought, University of Toronto "A magnificent scholarly achievement, The Study Quran offers an eminently readable, thought-provoking and nuanced understanding of Islam's sacred text that will help both Muslims and non-Muslims appreciate the richness and diversity of understandings of the Quran throughout the ages." -- Shafique N. Virani, Distinguished Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Toronto "The monumental The Study Quran is a truly indispensable reference. As with every sacred scripture, the meanings of the Quran are mediated by a range of interpretive traditions which have long been accessible only to Muslim scholars. Now a team of editors have provided an impressively accessible synthesis." -- James W. Morris, Dept. of Theology and Islamic Civilization and Societies Program, Boston College "An invaluable resource that the general reader and students of Islamic disciplines will benefit from. The wealth of detailed information it contains makes The Study Quran a valuable text in understanding the centrality of the Quran and its role in shaping the spiritual and mundane lives of Muslims." -- Liyakat Takim, Sharjah Chair in Global Islam, McMaster University "The publication of The Study Quran is a joyous occasion for all scripture lovers: a new English translation that celebrates the dignity and formality of sacred discourse, running commentary, and, as a very special signature, compelling and deeply instructive essays by fifteen of today's leading scholars on Islam." -- Peter Ochs, Bronfman Professor of Modern Judaic Studies, University of Virginia "A monumental milestone in the study of the Quran in western academia and a veritable touchstone of authenticity for all who are asking: what does the Quran actually say? With clarity and comprehensiveness, the editors and translators of this magnificent volume have helped distinguish the true spirit of Islamic faith." -- Reza Shah-Kazemi, The Institute of Ismaili Studies "The Study Quran is a treasure trove of insights and information. There is nothing quite like it in English: a single volume comprising an accessible translation, a survey of classical commentaries, essays by prominent scholars, informative appendices, and multiple maps. Indeed a massive, unprecedented undertaking." -- Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Director of the Muslim Studies Program, Michigan State University "The Study Quran is a unique work. It provides a clear, readable translation of the Quran and detailed explanations of Quranic ideas and concepts. Its accessibility is likely to gain a large readership. An indispensable Quranic studies resource for scholar and student." -- Mustansir Mir, Youngstown State University "A work of extraordinary significance, The Study Quran makes accessible in English Islam's sacred scripture along with an array of material necessary to appreciate the nuances of the text. An invaluable and much needed resource for understanding the Quran. A monumental accomplishment." -- Ali Asani, Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures and Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Islamic Studies Program, Harvard University "Never before has the depth of Quranic exegesis been available in a single volume. We can think of few tasks more urgent in the global climate than discovering the universal character of this misunderstood text. We owe the editors our profound gratitude." -- Dr. Waleed El-Ansary, University Chair of Islamic Studies at Xavier University "Seyyed Hossein Nasr has assembled a magnificent team of younger scholars, not only competent in Quranic studies but suffused with Muslim faith as well, to open its reaches in the world today. A prodigious effort of scholarship in the service of faith. " -- David Burrell, Theodore Hesburgh C.S.C. Professor Emeritus in Philosophy and Theology, University of Notre Dame "The Study Quran will remain for many decades to come the key reference work in English for students of Islamic Studies and scholars of religion alike, as well as ordinary readers interested in the spiritual content, historical context and literary monument of the revelation of Islam." -- Dr. Leonard Lewisohn, Senior Lecturer in Persian, University of Exeter, U.K. "The Study Quran is a milestone in Islamic studies. It will become the standard reference for anyone interested in traditional Muslim interpretation of the Quran." -- Carl W. Ernst, William R. Kenan, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "This is perhaps the most important work done on the Islamic faith in the English language to date. We owe a great debt to Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, one of the intellectual giants of our time, and his team for bringing this labor of love to fruition." -- Hamza Yusuf, Co-Founder of Zaytuna College "The Study Quran will be an essential book for every English speaking student of Islam and every Muslim (and every Sufi) for generations to come. It answers every question about the meaning of Quranic verses that the vast majority of readers of the Quran will have." -- Dr. Alan Godlas, Associate Professor , Department of Religion, University of Georgia "An important event in the history of Quranic studies. It will make available the Quranic text along with a clearly written commentary, thus it's much more important than another translation. An extremely useful work, particularly since it will allow readers who are not Arabists to engage easily with the Quran." -- Devin Stewart, Associate Professor at Emory University "Many English translations of the Quran have been ill-suited to foiling extremist ideology or introducing Americans to Islam. Ten years in the making, The Study Quran is an effort to change that." -- Daniel Burke, CNN "The publication of The Study Quran is a landmark. It contains an original translation of the Quran [and] an extensive scholarly apparatus, pointing readers to the ways that Quranic verses have been interpreted, especially during the first several centuries after the life of the Prophet Muhammad." -- Patheos blog "Some of us-particularly those of us who have no particular expertise regarding Islam-should seize the opportunity just now made available to us, The Study Quran. Many have already noted that in a time when ignorance is rampant and violent, this can be a book of great value." -- America magazine "New Study Quran seeks to increase understanding." -- Amanpour, CNN "The Study Quran... will fuel a new understanding of Islam for anyone with a desire to grow beyond their own private religious paradigm." -- Clarion Journal of Spirituality and Justice "The Study Quran, joins the groaning shelves of 'study Bibles' as a resource for Muslims-and for Christians who want to learn more about this closely related sister faith." -- ReadTheSpirit.com "The Study Quran from HarperOne is a historic and ground-breaking work produced by a distinguished team of Islamic Studies scholars." -- Maxwell Institute podcast "What distinguishes The Study Quran is not merely its collective authorship but the scope and scale of its ambition." -- The Muslim World "Happily, the publication of this excellent new Study Quran ... holds out the prospect of a better-informed body of Muslims, Christians and others able to discuss with clarity and precision what Islam is really all about." -- The Tablet "The Study Quran puts this great religious work in historical perspective. It is causing a stir and maybe something of a revolution [and] pissing off the Saudis. This interpretation would seem to challenge extremists and seeks to remedy the previous absence of solid historical discourse." -- The Daily Beast "A stimulating, intelligent volume. This project will appeal not only to Muslim students but also to non-Muslims eager to advance their knowledge and comprehension of the Islamic faith. A refreshingly contemporary interpretation that ... fills a sorely felt gap." -- Abdullah Drury, Islam and Christian Muslim Relations Journal "Much-needed. English-speakers can now gain ready access to authoritative scholarship representing the grand tradition of this massive religion." -- GetReligion.org "A compendious new version...this edition succeeds in presenting eh Qur'an to a general reader in the English-speaking world." -- Quest journal "This Quran is impressive, timely, and necessary, especially for Western audiences debating the nature of Islam in light of attacks made by Islamist groups throughout the Middle East and the West, and increasingly heated presidential campaign debates regarding Muslims in the United States." -- The Diplomat "Nasr and his team have done the English-speaking world an enormous favor with their erudite and profound translation and commentary on the Qur'an combined with essays by some of the most learned scholars on the Qur'an-a timely contribution in a world that has become infected by Islamophobia and intolerance." -- Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl, UCLA School of Law, and author of The Great Theft

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Book SynopsisThe blessed days, nights, and months are each a distinctive sign of Islam. They are celebrated by Muslims all around the world in due respect to their unique worth and sanctity that make them distinct from the rest of the year. Although the worth and sanctity of these special times have essentially been shaped by the Islamic tradition from the seventh century onwards, most of these dates have their origins far back in history.

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Book SynopsisWith a foreword by HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan, this collection of contributions from leading contributors on the teaching of Islam in schools is aimed as a step towards improving intercultural understanding.

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Book SynopsisBetween 1935 and 1938 the celebrated photographer Roman Vishniac explored the cities and villages of Eastern Europe, capturing life in the Jewish shtetlekh of Poland, Romania, Russia, and Hungary. This book is devoted to a subject Vishniac especially loved, and one whose mystery and spontaneity he captured with particular poignancy: children.

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Book SynopsisA History of the Jewish People presents a total vision of Jewish experiences and achievementsreligious, political, social, and economicin both the land of Israel and the diaspora throughout the ages. It has been acclaimed as the most comprehensive and penetrating work yet to have appeared in its field.Trade ReviewThis ambitious history by six Hebrew University scholars seeks to encompass the full range of the Jewish experience in nationhood and exile. It is an impressive work…considering the necessary compression—5,000 years and a scattering of settings virtually worldwide covered in just over 1,100 pages—the work is an achievement of consequence. -- Robert Kirsch * Los Angeles Times *Here is a work that triumphantly makes available the fruits of a wealth of learning and scholarship that will surely establish new standards for the presentation of research. * Times Literary Supplement *This huge collection of essays by ‘leading scholars at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem’ brings to ultimate expression the ‘peoplehood-and-history’ theory of Jewish historiography. -- Jacob Neuser * American Historical Review *Offering a full panorama of Jewish existence from the dim origins of the 2nd millennium B.C.E. to the hard politics of modern Israel, this work breaks new ground for a one-volume history, both in its range and in its authority… The book as a whole is a monument to scholarship and feeling, immersing the reader on every page in the rich texture of the Jewish heritage. -- Chaim Raphael * Commentary *Represents one of the finest compendia on the topic published to date. * Jewish Week *This work is marked throughout by sound judgment, judicious scholarship, disdain for irrelevant trivia, and avoidance of ideology… A remarkable achievement—all in one volume. * Worldview *Table of ContentsPART I Origins and the Formative Period A. Malamat 1. Introduction

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Book SynopsisThese hard-hitting essays by Yeshayahu Leibowitz, the first to be published in English, constitute a comprehensive critique of Israeli society and politics and a probing diagnosis of the malaise that afflicts contemporary Jewish culture.Trade ReviewThe essays are incisive, provocative, fearlessly consistent… No one interested in Israel, Judaism and the nexus of the two can afford complacently to ignore the questions Leibowitz refuses to stop asking. -- Menachem Kellner * New York Times Book Review *The most significant criticism of Israel that Israel has ever been handed by one of its own citizens. [Leibowitz] has a rare moral presence. -- Moshe Halbertal * New Republic *The essays in this fine collection amply reveal Leibowitz’s unswerving consistency… At the same time, though, a close reading of the essays reveals tensions which, although possibly reconcilable, nevertheless point to a certain elasticity in this seemingly inflexible thinker. In the end, Leibowitz’s humanity stands revealed as much in these rare moments of inconsistency as in his fanatic adherence to principle. -- David Biale * Religious Studies Review *Yeshayahu Leibowitz’s significance in contemporary Jewish intellectual life, and in Israel’s political and intellectual life, is comparable to that of figures better known in the United States—Buber, for example, or Scholem. Leibowitz is more locally involved, and he is more openly polemical. But he is never mysterious or evasive, oracular or reticent. He just fights his battles, but the result of all his battles is a remarkably consistent doctrine. It remains lean and elegant—and, even for people who disagree, heartening and enlivening. -- Michael WalzerTable of ContentsIntroduction by Eliezer Goldman PART 1: FAITH 1. Religious Praxis: The Meaning of Halakhah 2. Of Prayer 3. The Reading of Shema 4. Fear of God in the Book of Job 5. Divine Governance: A Maimonidean View 6. Lishmah, and Not-Lishmah 7. The Uniqueness of the Jewish People 8. The Individual and Society in Judaism 9. Ahistorical Thinkers in Judaism 10. The Religious and Moral Significance of the Redemption of Israel 11. Redemption and the Dawn of Redemption 12. The Status of Women: Halakhah and Meta-Halakhah 13. Religion and Science in the Middle Ages and in the Modern Era PART 2: RELIGION, PEOPLE, STATE 14. The Social Order as a Religious Problem 15. The Crisis of Religion in the State of Israel 16. A Call for the Separation of Religion and State 17. After Kibiyeh 18. Jewish Identity and Israeli Silence 19. The Jew in His Community, on His Land, and in the

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Book SynopsisAn anthology that provides the comprehensive overview for understanding the relationship between religion and violence - historically, culturally, and in the contemporary world. It includes original source materials justifying violence from various religious perspectives: Hindu, Chinese, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist.Trade Review"This book is recommended for any person studying the nature of violence in religion and the impact the notion of sacrifice has on expressions of faith."--Wessel, Bentley, Studia Historiae Ecclesiasticae "This collective volume focused quite well on the two main aspects of religious violence, warfare and sacrifice. It is very well structured and informative for both for scholars and the general public. It introduces the reader in the field of religion and violence by leading him to select sources, past and present, and this is quite important because it makes him think about his own close relationship with religion and violence. There is also a useful select bibliography on the issue situated at the end the volume that readers can use as a starting point for further exploring the issue."--Alexandros Sakellariou, Journal of Religion and ViolenceTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction: Why Is Religion Violent and Violence Religious? 1 Part I: Religious Justifications for Violence Introduction to Part I 7 Chapter 1. Kautilya 13 "Forms of Treacherous Fights," the Arthashastra 13 Chapter 2. Sun Tzu 17 "Laying Plans," The Art of War 17 Chapter 3. The Bhagavad Gita 20 The Bhagavad Gita in the Mahabharata 20 Chapter 4. Soho Takuan 25 "Annals of the Sword Taia," The Unfettered Mind 25 Chapter 5. The Hebrew Bible 29 Deuteronomy 20 31 Exodus 23 32 Chapter 6. The Qur'an 35 Surah 2 ("The Cow") 36 Chapter 7. Thomas Aquinas 41 "Whether It Is Always Sinful to Wage War?" Summa Theologica 41 Chapter 8. Reinhold Niebuhr 45 "Why the Christian Church Is Not Pacifist" 45 Chapter 9. Michael Bray 55 "A Time for Revolution?" A Time to Kill 56 Chapter 10. Abd al-Salam Faraj 62 The Neglected Duty 63 Chapter 11. Meir Kahane 69 "War and Peace," The Jewish Idea 69 Chapter 12. Shoko Asahara 75 Declaring Myself the Christ 76 Disaster Comes to the Land of the Rising Sun 77 Chapter 13. 9/11 Conspirator 82 "Last Instructions of 9/11" 83 Part II: Understanding the Religious Role in Violence Introduction to Part II 93 Chapter 14. Emile Durkheim 100 Elementary Forms of the Religious Life 101 Chapter 15. Henri Hubert and Marcel Mauss 108 "Conclusion," Sacrifice: Its Nature and Function 109 Chapter 16. Sigmund Freud 115 Totem and Taboo 116 Chapter 17. Rene Girard 127 "Sacrifice," Violence and the Sacred 128 Chapter 18. Walter Burkert 141 Homo Necans 141 Chapter 19. Maurice Bloch 152 Prey into Hunter 152 Chapter 20. Georges Bataille 167 Theory of Religion 167 Chapter 21. Karl Marx 174 Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right 174 Chapter 22. Nancy Jay 178 "Sacrifice and Descent," Throughout Your Generations Forever 178 Chapter 23. Elaine Scarry 190 The Body in Pain 191 Chapter 24. Jean Baudrillard 201 The Spirit of Terrorism 201 Chapter 25. Ashis Nandy 210 "The Discreet Charm of Indian Terrorism," The Savage Freud and Other Essays 210 Closing Comments: The Connection between War and Sacrifice 217 Selected Bibliography 223 Permissions 229 About the Editors 231 Index 233

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winter has produced a timely and informative history of the Alawis, an important religious minority located in today's Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey... Unlike most existing literature, Winter uses the vast and largely untouched sources from the Ottoman period to show the existence of a normalized rapport between the state and the Alawis."--ChoiceTable of ContentsList of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 Classical Perceptions of 'Alawism, Nomenclaturism, and Dissimulation * Sources and Argument 1 The Nusayris in Medieval Syria: From Religious Sect to Confessional Community (Tenth-Twelfth Centuries CE ) 11 Ghulat Shi'i Origins * The Nusayri (Khasibi) Da'wa * The Conversion of the Syrian Highlands * Between the Ismailis and the Crusaders * Makzun al-Sinjari * Conclusion: The Birth of a Minority 2 Beyond the Mountain Refuge: 'Alawism and the Sunni State (Thirteenth-FFifteenth Centuries) 43 The Defeat of the Ishaqis and the Hululi-Thamina Controversy * Relations with the State Authorities and the Ismailis * Ibn Taymiyya and the Politics of Persecution * The Uprising of 1318 * Mamluk Fiscal Policies toward the 'Alawis * Conclusion: The Persecution Syndrome 3 Survey and Punish: The 'Alawis' Integration into the Ottoman Empire (1516-1645) 74 The Ottoman Conquest * The 'Alawi Rebellion * The Dirhemu'r-Rical and the Tax Districts of the Coastal Highlands * The Province of Jabala under Ottoman Rule * Conclusion: From Rebels to Reaya 4 The Age of Autonomy: 'Alawi Notables as Ottoman Tax Farmers (1667-1808) 119 'Alawi Tribalism, Tribalization, and Gentry * The Shamsins and the Mukataa of Safita * The Bayt al-Shillif * The Rise of Latakia * Population Pressure and Migration toward Antioch * The Townships (Hillas) of Safita and the Barakat and Raslan Families * Saqr ibn Mahfuz * The War with the Ismailis * conclusion: The Economics of Anarchy 5 Imperial Reform and Internal Colonization: 'Alawi Society in the Face of Modernity (1808-1888) 161 The Disappearance of Ottoman Tripoli * Conversion and Sectarianization * Shaykh al-Moghrabi * The Egyptian Occupation, 1831-1841 * A World Restored * The Struggle over Schooling * The Plight of the Minorities * Administrative Modernity * Conclusion: 'Alawi Ottomanism and Compatriotism 6 Not Yet Nationals: Arabism, Kemalism, and the Alaouites (1888-1936) 218 Hamidian Reeducation * Loyalty and Control * The 'Alawi Awakening * Salih al-'Ali and the Guney Cephesi (Southern Front) * Mandate vs. Republic * Conclusion: The Double Disservice Conclusion 269 From the Sectarian to the Local Bibliography 275 Index 295

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Book SynopsisIt is impossible to understand Palestine today without a careful reading of its distant and past. This book offers a detailed interpretation of this critical region's evolution. Starting with the prebiblical and biblical roots of Palestine, it examines the meanings ascribed to the land in the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions.Trade ReviewGudrun Kramer, Winner of the 2010 Gerda Henkel Prize, Gerda Henkel Foundation "The 400 years before the founding of the Jewish state is a historiographical minefield, but Kramer, a professor of Islamic studies at Free University Berlin, manages to produce an illuminating survey of the terrain...Kramer's fluent narrative pairs a much-needed focus on facts--including useful data on contentious issues of population growth and land ownership--with an evenhanded avoidance of partisanship."--Publishers Weekly "We tend not to notice that Palestine existed as a territory before there was an Israel, and before there was a Palestinian national movement. Kramer, professor of Islamic studies at Free University Berlin, goes back to early 19th-century Egyptian rule, and then to the modernization undertaken by the Ottoman Empire, to situate the present in its historical context."--Martin Levin, The Globe and Mail "An excellent source for those desiring an understanding of the background to the present-day unrest in the region."--L. Edward Sizemore, Dallas Morning News "[Kramer] brilliantly contextualizes Arab anti-Semitism by investigating how, for the Palestinian population, the borders between Jew and Zionist gradually became blurred. By making a series of similar investigations, tracing all the defining points of the conflict, she has been able to write a book that stands out as necessary background reading for all scholars intent on investigating the current situation in Palestine."--Jorgen Jensehaugen, Journal of Peace Research "This is a welcome addition to the growing number of studies on this increasingly popular field, and the book will be of much use to those teaching classes on Middle Eastern history, the history of the Ottoman Empire and Israel Studies. It will also prove useful in seminars on the construction of historical narratives, the connection between religion and nationalism, and processes of decolonialization."--Scott Ury, Religious Studies Review "Kramer's is a well-researched and thoroughly referenced work of synthesis offered by a cautious and reflective historian... A History of Palestine is a respectable addition to the synthetic literature in the field. For the non-specialist reader, the book offers a good introduction to the social, political, cultural, and economic history of Palestine and a wealth of statistical information. For specialists, the book is a further reminder of the challenges posed by colonial history and to the importance, in the twenty-first century, of including the voices of the indigenous peoples as well as the colonists."--Abdel Razzaq Takriti, English Historical Review "[T]his is the first serious biography of the mufti to appear in 14 years and only the fourth ever to appear in English. The authors should be encouraged to greatly expand their research for a much larger second edition. The first edition is already valuable for the dark tale it tells."--Marin Sieff, Sunday Times "Gudrun Kramer's book, although its name is not attractive, is a very interesting, well written book, which can enrich even those who know the history of Palestine. For those who will use it as a first book on Palestine, it is a good starting place."--Gideon Biger, Shofar "For anyone seriously interested in the century-old Arab/Jewish struggle for the land they both call holy, you must get acquainted with Gudrun Kramer's A History of Palestine. A professor of Islamic studies at Free University of Berlin, she presents an exhaustive overview of the country's past from the Ottoman conquest to the creation of Israel, albeit with a subtle Arabist slant."--Tim Boxer, 15 Minutes Magazine "[T]his is a comprehensive and readable account which should be useful to both students and scholars. Kramer's insistence on confronting the historiographical dominance of 1882 is a valuable intervention, and her long view of the past gives today's conflict the wider historical context that too many commentators choose to overlook."--Anna Bernard, Modernism/modernityTable of ContentsList of Illustrations vii List of Tables ix Preface xi Abbreviations xiii CHAPTER ONE: Names and Borders 1 CHAPTER TWO: The Holiness of the "Holy Land" 18 CHAPTER THREE: Contrasts: Palestine, 1750-1840 37 CHAPTER FOUR: The Age of Reform, 1840-1914 71 CHAPTER FIVE: Evolving Nationalisms: Zionism and Arabism, 1880-1914 101 CHAPTER SIX: "A Land without a People for a People without a Land"? Population, Settlement, and Cultivation, 1800-1914 128 CHAPTER SEVEN: World War I and the British Mandate 139 CHAPTER EIGHT: Double Standard, or Dual Obligation 164 CHAPTER NINE: "Two Peoples in One Land" 188 CHAPTER TEN: The Mufti and the Wailing Wall 216 CHAPTER ELEVEN: From Unrest to Uprising 238 CHAPTER TWELVE: The Arab Uprising, 1936-39 264 CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Triumph and Catastrophe: From World War II to the State of Israel 296 Bibliography 325 Index 343

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Book SynopsisExploring the tension between Queerness and Islamophobia, and how the elite reinforce the politics of homonationalism.Trade Review'A smart, courageous, and at times unsettling indictment of LGBTQ complicity with xenophobic violence. If you care deeply about social justice, read this brilliant book' -- Julia Chinyere Oparah is Professor of Ethnic Studies at Mills College and co-editor of Activist Scholarship: Antiracism, Feminism and Social Change'A brilliant analysis which shatters the singularity of the universal gay/trans subject to expose hir collusion in the production of the 'homophobic Muslim'. This highly engaging book is a must read for all concerned with issues of justice, demilitarisation and radical transformation in global politics' -- Sunera Thobani, Associate Professor at the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice at the University of British Columbia'This exciting book by one of the most brilliant emerging scholars today brings a novel approach to 'queer gentrification' and a host of new concepts pertaining to space, queer and trans subjects of colour, race, sexuality and violence' -- Paola Bacchetta, Associate Professor of Gender & Women's Studies at University of California, Berkeley'An original and highly impactful contribution to critical race and ethnic studies, gender and sexuality studies and urban studies' -- Dylan Rodríguez, Professor and Chair of the Department of Ethnic Studies at University of California, Riverside'Seamlessly synthesises the relationships between Islamaphobia, racism within Europe and the United States, and how the global war on terror serves to reinforce the politics of homonationalism. Brilliant and fierce, a must-read for all those interesting in imagining new liberatory politics' -- Andrea Smith, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies and Media & Cultural Studies at the University of California, Riverside.A crucial text that does so much work that queer theory desperately needs. Taking urban spaces in Berlin as a primary site, Haritaworn shows how the production of respectable queers emerges against supposedly degenerate non-white others' -- Karma R. Chávez is author of Queer Migration Politics: Activist Rhetoric and Coalitional Possibilities (University of Illinois Press, 2013) and member of the collective, Against Equality'Constitutes a sophisticated masterpiece of decolonial queer/transgender theory' -- Ramón Grosfoguel, Associate Professor, Ethnic Studies Department, University of California, Berkley'A trenchant and unrelenting critical gaze at the tensions between a nascent people of colour consciousness and the swirling turbulence of homophobia and xenophobia in 21st Century Germany. More than just a sensitive portrait of lives, sites, and energies, this book is an incitement to think queerly, to dream otherwise.' -- Martin F. Manalansan IV, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Asian American Studies'In an exemplary intersectional cultural analysis, Haritaworn explores racial and sexual formations in contemporary and historical Berlin.' -- Gloria Wekker is emeritus professor in Gender and Ethnicity at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and author of The Politics of Passion (2006) and White Innocence (forthcoming 2016, Duke University Press).'Shifts critical debates about rights, recognition, diversity, coalition, homonationalism, necropolitics, migration policies, and citizenship in important new directions' -- Eithne Luibheid, Professor of Gender and Women's Studies, University of ArizonaTable of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgements Introduction: Queer Regenerations 1. Setting the Scene 2. Love 3. Hate 4. Queer Nostalgia 5. Conclusion: Kiss Good Morning, Kiss Good Night 6. Epilogue: Beyond the ‘Most Homophobic’ Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAn updated and expanded look at how under the shadow of authoritarian rule, ordinary people can make meaningful change through the practices of everyday life in the Middle East.Trade Review"Asef Bayat has penned a remarkable study. Life as Politics should be a mandatory read for any journalist, scholar or politician who has never been to the Middle East." -- Arab News"Life as Politics offers a brilliant alternative perspective on public life by taking seriously the daily lives and the social agency of ordinary people." -- Middle East Book Reads"When Life as Politics was published..., Asef Bayat's arguments on grassroots dynamism as the harbinger of democratic transformations in the Arab world seemed a utopian hope. Barely a year later, as events of the 2011 Arab Spring continue to unfold, his critical insights on everyday forms and spaces of political activity in the region have become prescient." -- Contemporary Sociology"In Life as Politics Asef Bayat offers up a historically rich, analytically rigorous and conceptually innovative account of Middle East oppositional movements . . . [A] tour de force that will inspire as well as inform scholarship on Middle East social movements—most importantly by moving beyond a preoccupation with 'exceptionalist' tendencies. Above all, this work establishes Asef Bayat as a virtuoso of the sociological imaginary. Specialist and non-specialist readers alike will find themselves transported to the streets of the Middle East and afforded a first-hand view of social and political activism in the making." -- Navid Pourmokhtari * Against the Current *

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Book SynopsisThanks to Thomas Keneally's book Schindler's Ark, and the film based on it, Schindler's List, we have become more aware of the fact that, in the midst of Hitler's extermination of the Jews, courage and humanity could still overcome evil. While 6 million Jews were murdered by the Nazi regime, some were saved through the actions of non-Jews whose consciences would not allow them to pass by on the other side, and many are honoured by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations' for their actions. As a baby, Agnes Grunwald-Spier was herself saved from the horrors of Auschwitz by an unknown official, and is now a trustee of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. She has collected together the stories of thirty individuals who rescued Jews, and these provide a new insight into why these people were prepared to risk so much for their fellow men and women. With a foreword by Sir Martin Gilbert, one of the leading experts on the subject, this is an ultimately uplifting account of hTrade Review'In my lifetime I have read some 300+ books about the Holocaust. I can unequivocally say that Agnes Grunwald-Spier's The Other Schindlers is one of the best Holocaust books I have read in the last few years. Superbly researched, beautifully written, Ms Grunwald-Spier brings vividly to life the stories of some of the people who risked everything to help Jews when everyone else could
seemingly care less. This is a book to cherish and one to be consulted repeatedly in the years to come.' Anthony Anderson, Holocaust Studies Librarian, University of Southern California

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Book SynopsisAn accessible introduction to pre-modern Islam, showcasing the individuals caliphs, law-makers, theologians, poets, mystics and scholars who shaped the course of early Islamic history.Trade Review'A beautifully written set of brief, vividly drawn portraits' - Times Higher EducationTable of Contents1. Islam and Empire 600–850 • 2. The Islamic Commonwealth 850–1050 • 3. The Sunni Synthesis 1050–1250 • 4. Conflict & Change 1250–1550

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Book SynopsisJudaism makes the bold argument that the very concept of a religion of ‘Judaism’ is an invention of the Christian church. The intellectual odyssey of world-renowned Talmud scholar Daniel Boyarin, this book will change the study of Judaism—an essential key word in Jewish Studies—as we understand it today.Trade Review"A brilliant book that marks a fresh beginning for scholarly conversations about Judaism, religion, and even the historical utility of categories." -- Annette Yoshiko Reed * author of Jews, Christians, and the Roman Empire *"A significant and radical contribution." -- Michael Satlow * author of How the Bible Became Holy *"This book offers a reflective, and even-meta reflective discussion of the term 'Judaism.' Boyarin, as always, offers provocative, trail blazing insights to reckon with." -- Dina Stein * author of Textual Mirrors: Reflexivity, Midrash, and the Rabbinic Self *"What Boyarin does in Judaism is offer us a complex map, a detailed topography, of how the term Judaism came to be used to define Jewish 'doings,' and for some, to define Jews....One of the greatest things a scholar of Boyarin’s stature can do is make arguments that create the requisite space for future scholars to do their work. A book of this scope can never, and should never, close a conversation, but rather open one. Judaism is a term we all use reflexively but do not quite know what it actually means. Boyarin’s contribution to that reflexivity is a major contribution to scholarship." * H-Judaic *"Boyarin’s book provide[s] [the reader] to think through some of these theoretical questions, and to continue our ongoing conversation about the ancient individuals, groups, and ideas that continue to resonate down to the present." * Marginalia *" Boyarin’s provocative new book... succeeds at its primary goal: to destabilize the automatic use of 'Judaism' by scholars." * Marginalia *"A wonderfully clever argument that demands we reconsider much of what we write and teach about Judaism." * Marginalia *"Provocative and challenging." * Marginalia *"What we thus have from Boyarin’s philological genealogy is one reading of 'Judaism' that begins as a negative, is turned into a positive, and then becomes irrelevant, except for those who share it with something else....Boyarin’s genealogy teaches us that Judaism can never stand alone or be alone. If Judaism is all there is, then the term 'Judaism' ceases to exist, mostly because it is no longer necessary." * Marginalia *"Brief and powerful." * Marginalia *"Judaism: The Genealogy of a Modern Notion attests once again to Daniel Boyarin’s restlessly inquisitive mind and to his persistent need to challenge commonly held assumptions in a manner meant to be provocative and contrarian." * Marginalia *"How Christians Invented 'Judaism,' According to a Top Talmud Scholar," by Tomer Persico https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-how-christians-invented-judaism-according-to-a-top-talmud-scholar-1.7417536 * Haaretz *"Boyarin has created a very interesting argument." * Histoire sociale/Social History *Table of ContentsContentsPreface What Are We Talking About When We Talk About “Judaism”?Part 1 The Terms of the DebateChapter 1 Debate of the TermsPart 2 The State of the Lexicon: Questioning the ArchiveChapter 2 Jewry without Judaism: The Stakes of the QuestionChapter 3 Getting Medieval YahadutPart 3: A New Dispensation: The Christian Invention of “Judaism”Chapter 4 “Judaism” out of the Entrails of ChristianityChapter 5 From Yiddishkayt to Judentum; From Judentum to Yahadut;, or Philology and the Transformation of a FolkEpilogueBibliography

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Book SynopsisJews in America are in a period of unprecedented status and impact, but for many their identity as Jews--religiously, historically, culturally--is increasingly complicated. Many are becoming Jews without Judaism. It appears success and acceptance will accomplish what even the most virulent anti-Semitism never could---if not the disappearance of Jews themselves, the undermining of what it means to be Jewish.In this thoughtful, personal, deeply-reasoned book, Robert Mnookin explores the conundrums of Jewish identity, faith and community in America by delving deep into Jewish history, law, and custom. He talks to rabbis, scholars, and other Jews of many perspectives to explore the head, heart, and heritage of Judaism and confronts key challenges in the Jewish debate from the issue of intermarriage to the matter of Israeli policies.Mnookin shares provocative stories of the ways American Jews have forged (or disavowed) their Jewish identity over the past half-century, including his own to answer the standing question: How can Jews who have different values, perspectives, and relationships with their faith, keep the community open, vibrant, and thriving?

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive guide to Hindu history and philosophy, its traditions and practices, magnificently illustrated with more than 500 photographs (updated 2024)

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Book SynopsisOver much of its rule, the regime of Hafez al-Asad and his successor Bashar al-Asad deployed violence on a massive scale to maintain its grip on political power. In this book, Salwa Ismail examines the rationalities and mechanisms of governing through violence. In a detailed and compelling account, Ismail shows how the political prison and the massacre, in particular, developed as apparatuses of government, shaping Syrians'' political subjectivities, defining their understanding of the terms of rule and structuring their relations and interactions with the regime and with one another. Examining ordinary citizens'' everyday life experiences and memories of violence across diverse sites, from the internment camp and the massacre to the family and school, The Rule of Violence demonstrates how practices of violence, both in their routine and spectacular forms, fashioned Syrians'' affective life, inciting in them feelings of humiliation and abjection, and infusing their lived environment wiTrade Review'In this highly original, but also deeply disturbing book Salwa Ismail has captured superbly the daily and the spectacular acts of violence that have marked Ba`thist rule in Syria. The cumulative effects of dread, fear and horror on the Syrian subject, conformist as well as resistant, are at the centre of this account, giving a unique insight into the conditions that have torn the country apart.' Charles Tripp, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London'The Rule of Violence offers a sophisticated, innovative and powerful examination of the manifold ways in which violence shaped modern Syria. Ismail's theoretically engaged and richly informed narrative traces the deep impact on Syria's citizens of state violence, from the intimate horrors of prison torture and the mass atrocities of the 1982 devastation of Hama to the brutal wars following the uprising of 2011. Ranging from politics and war to literature and popular culture, it stands as a critical contribution to our understanding of the deep legacies of authoritarian state violence.' Marc Lynch, The George Washington University, and author of The New Arab Wars: Anarchy and Uprising in the Middle East'This is a masterful account of how 'horror' came to be a central mode of governance in Syria under the Asad regime. Salwa Ismail's skilful scholarship expands our understanding of state violence through shifting focus to its affective dimensions in both the spectacular and the everyday. This is a powerful and utterly compelling book, a must read for students of Syria and authoritarianism.' Michelle Obeid, University of ManchesterTable of ContentsPreface; Acknowledgements; Introduction: the government of violence; 1. Violence as a modality of government in Syria; 2. Authoritarian government, the shadow state and political subjectivities; 3. Memories of life under dictatorship: the everyday of Ba'thist Syria; 4. Memories of violence: Hama 1982; 5. The performativity of violence and 'emotionalities of rule' in the Syrian Uprising; Conclusion: the rule of violence – formations of civil war; Postscript; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Perhaps no religion has been more maligned and misrepresented than Vodu, Vodún, Vaudou, or Voodoo. Spirit Service engages the top scholars of Vodún in the world to capture the diversity and vitality of this quintessential African religion in a single volume, while at the same time offering a timely and vigorous counternarrative and testament to the Black religious imagination in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Indeed, Spirit Service is a tour de force in scale and scope, examining themes as important as they are riveting—art, performance, ritual, healing, resistance, funerary rights. Each treatment captures a complexity of the whole that is Vodún—highlighting the profound ways in which this religion has continued to adapt, rebuild, and reclaim all that is African religion. A must-read for students of African studies, history, religious studies, anthropology, and performance studies."—Nwando Achebe, Jack and Margaret Sweet Endowed Professor of History, Michigan State University"The religious systems known as Vodu, Vodún, Vaudou, Voodoo, Gorovodu, and more have never been so thoroughly explored, interpreted, interrogated, and esteemed as by the writers of this lavish collection. The fourteen chapters in this volume provide extraordinarily diverse descriptions and narratives that allow readers to understand in abundant detail how Vodún (etc.) is not a single religion, but rather a vast global proliferation of sacred beliefs and practices that are in many ways related to one another, yet significantly different from place to place and through different historical periods. Readers will appreciate not only the diversity of forms and intentions of spirit service, but also that of the writers' relationships to their subjects, their closeness to the rituals or their more scientific distance, their identification (or not) with the community they study, their attention to performance, passion, aesthetics, rapture; and finally to political issues, class and race, state intervention, colonialism and its violence. This collection is an excellent and necessary addition to anthropology, history, and religious studies courses on Haiti, Voodoo in the U.S., African cultures, world religions, religious ritual and performance, art, and more."—Judy Rosenthal, Professor Anthropology Emeritus, University of Michigan, Flint"An impressive overview of Beninese Vodún and Haitian Vodou, this volume explores their various manifestations on both sides of the Atlantic. The essays in this anthology examine Vodún and Vodou's common history, their integration in their respective communities, their encounter with Christianity and Islam, and their remarkable adaptability to various social and economic changes. The Middle Passage and chattel slavery, and of late the migration of Vodún and Vodou to many parts of the world has transformed their sacred traditions to produce a multiverse of symbolic forms and has altered their beliefs and ritual practices. The authors examine the current forms of Vodún and Vodou as well as their continuity and discontinuity with their past. Vital for historians of religion, anthropologists, sociologists, and political scientists, this book is likely to be an authoritative collection of essays and an important resource for scholarly research for years to come."—Leslie G. Desmangles, Professor Religious Studies Emeritus, Trinity CollegeTable of ContentsIntroduction, by Christian Vannier and Timothy R. LandryPart I: Encounter1. Vodou Genesis: Africans and the Making of a National Religion in Saint-Domingue, by Terry Rey2. Universalism and Syncretism in Beninese Vodún, by Douglas J. Falen3. Crossing Currents: Gorovodu and Yewevodu in Contemporary Togo, by Eric James Montgomery4. A Prayer for a Muslim Spirit: Islam in Gorovodu, by Christian Vannier5. Where Have All the Ounsi Gone?, by Karen Richman6. Sailing between Local and Global: Vodou in the Modern and Contemporary Arts of Haiti, by Natacha Giafferi-DombrePart II: Engagement7. Taking Hold of a Faith, by Jeffrey E. Anderson8. The Physic(s)ality of Vodún and the (Mis)behavior of Matter, by Venise N. Adjibodou9. Vodou Skins: Making Bodily Surfaces Social in Haitian Vodou Infant-Care, by Alissa M. Jordan10. Spirited Forests and the West African Forest Complex, by Timothy R. Landry11. Vodou, an Inclusive Epistemology: Towards A Queer Eco-Theology of Liberation, by Nixon Cleophat12. Necroscape and Diaspora: Making Ancestors in Haitian Vodou, by Elizabeth McAlister13. Conclusion: Global Vodún and Vodou: Encounter and Engagement, by Eric James Montgomery and Timothy R. LandryIndex

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Book SynopsisWhat does the practice of religion look like in Latin American today? In this book, which examines religious practice in three Latin American cities-- Lima, Perú; Córdoba, Argentina; and Montevideo, Uruguay-- Gustavo Morello reveals the influence of modernity on average citizens'' cultural practices. Technological development, the dynamics of capitalism, the specialization of spheres of knowledge-- all these aspects of modernity were thought to diminish the importance of religion. Yet, Morello argues, if we look at religion as ordinary Latin Americans practice it, we discover that modernity has not diminished religion, but transformed it, creating what Morello calls enchanted modernity. In Latin America, there is more religion than secularists expect, but of a different kind than religious leaders would wish. Morello explores how urban, contemporary Latin Americans, both believers and non-believers, from different social classes and religious affiliations, experience transcendence in everyday life. Using semi-structured interviews with 254 individuals in three cities with shifting religious landscapes and different cultural histories, Morello highlights the diversity within Latin America, exploring societies that are understudied and examining a broad array of religious traditions: nones (agnostics, non-affiliated, atheist), Catholics, Evangelicals (including mainstream Protestants, Pentecostals, neo-Evangelicals), and other traditions (including Jews, Muslims, Mormons, African-derived traditions, and Buddhists). Morello emphasizes elements, nuances, and dynamics that have previously been overlooked and that can enrich the study of religion other non-western societies. The book seeks to contribute to a critical theory of contemporary religion-- one that is not centered in the North Atlantic world and that takes seriously the voices of the Latin American people.Trade ReviewPrivileging the voices of the poor, Morello shows us that there is far more religion in their everyday lives than the 'modern' world might expect, even if it is not necessarily the religion the churches might wish. This brilliant exploration of lived religious practices in three Latin American cities - across both private and public life -- is a must read for those who seek to understand the breadth of contemporary religious expression in the world * Nancy T. Ammerman, author of Sacred Stories, Spiritual Tribes: Finding Religion in Everyday Life *Gustavo Morello's engaging book digs deep into the particularities of everyday, lived religious practices in Latin America and in doing so compellingly illuminates the persistent, embodied appeal of the sacred as a dynamic personal and political resource amid the evolving legacy of modernity and the challenges and possibilities it presents. * Michele Dillon, author of Postsecular Catholicism: Relevance and Renewal *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: A Latin American critical sociology perspective on religion Chapter 2: Historical context Chapter 3: Respondents' religious and social landscape Chapter 4: Latin Americans' god Chapter 5: Latin Americans' ways of praying Chapter 6. Religion in Latin America's public sphere Conclusions Bibliography

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Book SynopsisEach generation is called to perform a Passover Seder, a ritual designed to help us imagine personally experiencing the exodus from Egypt. But how can we do this together, when today our tables include people of different backgrounds, knowledge, and beliefs? Let this Passover Haggadah be your guide. Both proudly traditional and blazingly modern, it is a perfect blueprint for remembering the past, living in our present, and imagining the future. Here you’ll find the entirety of the Seder text for those who don’t want to miss a thing—including Hebrew, English, and a newly developed transliteration that makes the Hebrew surprisingly accessible. And, alongside, contemporary questions, illustrations, and meditations on freedom, community, destiny, and other topics that will engage the whole group in a lively and memorable discussion, especially once you’ve started in on those obligatory four cups of wine.

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Book SynopsisIn Religious, Feminist, Activist, Laurel Zwissler investigates the political and religious identities of women who understand their social-justice activism as religiously motivated. Placing these women in historical context as faith-based activists for social change, this book discusses what their activities reveal about the public significance of religion in the pluralistic context of North America and in our increasingly globalized world. Zwissler’s ethnographic interviews with feminist Catholics, Pagans, and United Church Protestants reveal radically different views of religious and political expression and illuminate how individual women and their communities negotiate issues of personal identity, spirituality, and political responsibility. Political activists of faith recount adventurous tales of run-ins with police, agonizing moments of fear and powerlessness in the face of global inequality, touching moments of community support, and successful projects Trade Review"Zwissler's book gives a unique insight into the ways activists of faith create new communities and practices in imagining and bringing about a better world, based on a cosmology of interconnection that goes beyond individualism and recognizes every person's ethical responsibility for the well-being of others. It deserves to be widely read by scholars of religion, politics, and the complex interaction between the two."—Kim Knibbe, Political Theology"Bringing together ideas that are often thought to be incongruent, Zwissler . . . discusses individuals who have deep commitments to religion but also to feminism and activism. . . . Offering a wealth of information, this accessible book is well suited to classroom use as well as secondary reading."—M. M. Veeneman, Choice"Based on their worldview of interconnection, activists come together in communities that provide support, encourage patience and compassion, and connect people. With this ethnography of groups rarely studied with such depth, Zwissler provides an important contribution to scholarship on social movements and feminist and religious studies."—Sharon P. Doetsch-Kidder, Reading Religion"Laurel Zwissler centers her analysis around case studies of three women in Canada from the Catholic, United Church, and Pagan traditions. Both micro perspectives and macro investigation provide readers with insights into important differences among the subjects but equally important commonalities of spirit, politics, and action."—Water Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual"More often than not, the attention given to religious activism focuses on the influence of right-wing evangelical Christians in contemporary North American politics. Less often are we made aware of the ways in which other religious groups (Christian or non-Christian) have advocated for progressive policies that tend to fall on the left side of the political spectrum. The stories told by Laurel Zwissler in her book, Religious, Feminist, Activist: Cosmologies of Interconnection fills this void not only by providing a unique perspective on left-leaning religious activism in North America, but her work is imperative to understand the variety of ways in which religious women actively participate in the public and political spheres."—Stacy Keogh George, Religion and Gender“A valuable window into the complex but important role of religion in many progressive feminist groups. Zwissler’s volume helps us to better reflect on the challenging dance of religion and feminism, within the all-important context of activist work. Focusing on cultural and religious resources, rituals, and discourses that shape and constrain movement activity, this is a beautifully written, thoughtfully argued, and timely contribution.”—Courtney Bender, professor in the Department of Religion at Columbia University“The most effective way to understand activist religion is [through] finely tuned ethnographic work. Laurel Zwissler asks perceptive questions, listens to complex responses, and observes the multiple layers of women engaged in progressive public enactments in Toronto. The result is a convincing, compelling book.”—Ronald L. Grimes, director, Ritual Studies International and professor emeritus of religion and culture at Wilfrid Laurier University“Laurel Zwissler’s comprehensive and up-to-date summary and synthesis of matters pertaining to religious, spiritual, and political uses of ritual, ceremony, and action are critical to every large scale protest movement of our time.”—Mary Keller, assistant academic professional lecturer for the Department of Religious Studies at the University of WyomingTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Changing Rituals, Changing Worlds 2. “The Shrine Was Human Rights”: Pilgrimage and Protest 3. “Spirituality” as Feminist Third Choice: Gendering Religion and the Secular 4. Self, Community, and Social Justice Conclusion Source Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIncluded in the 2018 summer reading list by New York Times BooksA modern-day glimpse into the surprising reality of life in Iran.Iran: A destination that is seldom seen by westerners yet often misunderstood. A country that simultaneously “enchants and enrages” those who visit it. A place where leading a double life has become the norm.In Couchsurfing in Iran, award-winning author Stephan Orth spends sixty-two days on the road in this mysterious Islamic republic to provide a revealing, behind-the-scenes look at life in one of the world’s most closed societies. Through the unsurpassed hospitality of twenty-two hosts, he skips the guidebooks and tourist attractions and travels from Persian carpet to bed to cot, covering more than 8,400 kilometers to recount “this world’s hidden doings.” Experiencing daily what he calls the “two Irans” that coexist side by side—the “theocracy, where people mourn their martyrs” in mausoleums, and the “hide-and-seek-ocracy, where people hold secret parties and seek worldly thrills instead of spiritual bliss”—he learns that Iranians have become experts in navigating around their country’s strict laws.Though couchsurfing is officially prohibited in Iran—the state fears spies would be able to travel undetected through the country—more than a hundred thousand Iranians are registered with online couchsurfing portals. And thanks to these hospitable, English-speaking strangers, Orth gets up close and personal with locals, peering behind closed doors and blank windows to uncover the inner workings of a country where public show and private reality are strikingly opposed.Trade Review"Orth used the internet to launch himself into a fantastical realm that happens to be real."—Liesl Schillinger, New York Times"A breezy narrative that offers a couch-level view of Iran that you won't find in travel guides."—Kirkus Reviews[Orth"] revels in the small details of Iranian life.—Morley Walker, Winnipeg Free Press

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Book SynopsisHow is the new generation of British Muslims navigating relations across three distinct religious and social worlds? This book looks at how they are balancing expectations from traditional Islam imported from their ancestral homeland, expressions of Islam drawn from across the global Muslim community the Ummah and from Britain itself.Trade Review"A timely antidote to the, arguably, twisted characterisation and popular perception of British Muslims in circulation." -- Professor Humayn Ansari, Royal Holloway

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Finalist for the Charles Rufus Morey Book Award, College Art Association""One of the most intriguing works of Ottoman art is an album of calligraphy, paintings and drawings made for Sultan Ahmed by one of his courtiers. As this study shows, it tells us much about patronage, collecting and the interplay of Ottoman and Persian traditions in the 17th century." * Apollo Magazine *"The Album of the World Emperor is a remarkable contribution to the study of the arts of the book, collecting practices, and imperial self-fashioning in the Islamic world. . . . Fetvaci advances a deeply learned argument that places actual and abstract juxtapositions within Ottoman and Perso-Islamic bookmaking and reading/viewing traditions. It rightly presents its material as 'a local manifestation of the interconnected globe.' It promises to traverse some of the seemingly insurmountable boundaries between art historical fields focusing on Europe and the Islamic world. Fetvaci’s exemplary scholarship should therefore inspire Islamic art historians and early modernists interested in contacts and exchanges more broadly."---Sinem A. Casale, Art Bulletin

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Book SynopsisEach of the three volumes of this magisterial work provides a comprehensive picture of the realities of Jewish life in the Polish lands in the period it covers, while also considering the contemporary political, economic, and social context. Volume I: 1350 to 1881 provides a wide-ranging overview down to the mid-eighteenth century, including social, economic, and religious history. The period from 1764 to 1881 is covered in more detail, with attention focused on developments in each country in turn, especially with regard to the politics of emancipation, acculturation, assimilation, and forced integration. Volume II: 1881 to 1914 explores the factors that had a negative impact on Jewish life as well as the political and cultural movements that developed in consequence: Zionism, socialism, autonomism, the emergence of modern Hebrew and Yiddish literature, Jewish urbanization, and the rise of popular Jewish culture. Galicia, Prussian Poland, the Kingdom of Poland, and the tsarist empire are all treated individually, as are the main cities. Volume III: 1914 to 2008 covers the interwar period, the Second World War, and the Holocaust, including Polish–Jewish relations and the Soviet record on the Holocaust. A survey of developments since 1945 concludes with an epilogue on the situation of the Jews since the collapse of communism.Trade Review'Polonsky's sweeping study offers an illuminating, accessible view of Jewish life in eastern Euope since the end of World War II. In elegant prose, the author engages major historiographical issues while analyzing important cultural, religious, social, and political trends among eastern European Jewry. He carefully frames each section with a chapter-long overview of the relevant historical context for the following chapters . . . Throughout, Polonsky masterfully navigates the different realms of a turbulent eastern European Jewish world, conveying both the richness of its history and the tragedy of its destruction. Highly recommended.'J. Haus, Choice'Succeeds admirably. Simply put, these volumes are required reading for anyone with a serious interest in East European history or for anyone looking for a scholarly assessment of a particular feature of Polish or Russian Jewish history. Handsomely produced, with extensive maps and tables, and a glossary . . . will remain a standard work in the field for some time . . . a body of work that, in summarizing the current state of our knowledge, effectively sets the agenda for future scholars. Polonsky is perhaps the scholar most responsible for the growth of Polish Jewish studies in the late twentieth century . . Very few historians could write a series of volumes like this . . . [he] has armed scholars with a formidable tool that will help them dispel stereotypes . . . Just as these volumes are destined to become the starting point for the work of many students, they will be the touchstone for scholars working in the field at all levels.' Sean Martin, European History Quarterly'Combines a masterful grasp of Jewish history with that of eastern Europe. While underlining the unique features and achievements of the Jewish communal experience he authoritatively integrates them into the history of the countries in which Jews lived . . . Incorporating current, ground-breaking scholarship from North America, Israel, and Europe these beautifully narrated volumes should not only be seen as a staple of university courses, but also as a must-read for anyone attempting to understand any aspect of modern Jewish history and religious tradition, wherever it may be playing out . . . With this extremely important book, Antony Polonsky not only writes history but, following the example of his illustrious predecessors, makes it.' Katarzyna Person, European Judaism'We can only commend Antony Polonsky for his massive effort to explain seven centuries of Jewish history in a mere 2,000 pages . . . Polonsky's strength lies in his ability to illuminate intellectual and cultural developments . . . Because of the excellent bibliographies, extensive annotation, and wonderful maps included in each volume, any reader wishing to read in greater detail about Polish and Russian Jewry will have plenty of resources to enable the search.' Alexandra S. Korros, Jewish Quarterly'Magisterial . . . all three volumes, but particularly Volume 3, should be of special interest to Polish Americans and all Americans interested in the history of the Jews in Poland, Lithuania, and Russia.' Anna M. Cienciala, Polish Review'Definitive . . . The scope is immense and the author does an impressive job of synthesizing a vast literature . . . This trilogy will no doubt serve as a standard history of east European Jewry for a long time.' - Shaul Stampfer, Religious Studies Review'Exemplary and formidable . . . Polonsky, as much as anyone else, has created the field of modern Jewish history as a subject to be considered and understood rather than simply a tragic past to be mourned. He is too good a historian to confuse the history of Jewish life with the German policies that brought Jewish death . . . The barely visible commitment in these three wonderful volumes is to rescue a world from polemic, for the sake of history.' - Timothy Snyder, Wall Street Journal‘The first serious, and most successful, effort thus far to summarize the history of the Jews of “Eastern Europe” . . . the first book to synthesize the vast research that has emerged since the seventies . . . comprehensive and multidisciplinary . . . there is no book today that can compare to its scope and to the vast and new materials that he brings forth and analyzes with a broad imagination, an intensive approach, and a moderate style.’ - Moshe Rosman, ZionTable of ContentsList of Maps List of Tables Note on Transliteration Note on Place Names Maps General Introduction I Jewish Life in Poland–Lithuanian to 1750 Introduction 1 Jews and Christians in Early Modern Poland–Lithuania 2 The Structure of Jewish Autonomous Institutions 3 Jewish Places: Royal Towns and Noble Towns 4 Jews in Economic Life 5 Religious and Spiritual Life Conclusion Appendix: The Polish-Lithuanian Background II Attempts to Transform and Integrate the Jews, and the Jewish Response, 1750–1880 Introduction 1 The Last Years of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth 2 The Jews in the Prussian Partition of Poland, 1772–1870 3 The Jews in Galicia to the mid-1870s 4 The Jews in the Duchy of Warsaw and the Kingdom of Poland, 1807–1881 5 The Jews in the Tsarist Empire, 1772–1825 6 Nicholas I and the Jews of Russia, 1825–1855 7 The Reign of Alexander II, 1855–1881 Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisEach of the three volumes of this magisterial work provides a comprehensive picture of the realities of Jewish life in the Polish lands in the period it covers, while also considering the contemporary political, economic, and social context. Volume I: 1350 to 1881 provides a wide-ranging overview down to the mid-eighteenth century, including social, economic, and religious history. The period from 1764 to 1881 is covered in more detail, with attention focused on developments in each country in turn, especially with regard to the politics of emancipation, acculturation, assimilation, and forced integration. Volume II: 1881 to 1914 explores the factors that had a negative impact on Jewish life as well as the political and cultural movements that developed in consequence: Zionism, socialism, autonomism, the emergence of modern Hebrew and Yiddish literature, Jewish urbanization, and the rise of popular Jewish culture. Galicia, Prussian Poland, the Kingdom of Poland, and the tsarist empire are all treated individually, as are the main cities. Volume III: 1914 to 2008 covers the interwar period, the Second World War, and the Holocaust, including Polish–Jewish relations and the Soviet record on the Holocaust. A survey of developments since 1945 concludes with an epilogue on the situation of the Jews since the collapse of communism.Trade Review'A truly landmark study of east European Jewish history for the mid-fourteenth century to the outbreak of World War I. This work is an invaluable synthetic exposition of Jewish civilization in Poland and Russia that pays close attention to the larger historical context in which Jewish history unfolded in these areas. While exhaustive in presenting historical detail and utilizing available sources and data of all types, Polonsky is also masterful in conveying the texture of Jewish life in different regions during each period. His study weaves together numerous aspects of that life—among others, the relationship of Jewish communities to the states in the region and their governance mechanisms; Jewish religious and political movements; the evolving role of the synagogue in communities; the wide variety of Jewish organizations over time and space; cultural changes, including the development of the mass press, modern literature, and theatre; the experiences of Jewish women; and descriptions of the towns and cities in which Jewish history played out. The contribution of Polonsky's study, however, is not only an impressive synthesis of a vast topic and vast amount of information. In integrating all of this material, the author also deftly crafts his own interpretations of trends in the area and the timing of shifts in them. His marshalling of evidence and his own insights add up to a compelling set of arguments about the course of Jewish history. Polonsky addresses Jewish, Polish, and Russian historical developments all with great nuance, and that depth of understanding allows him to present the complexities of these intertwined histories with a subtlety rarely achieved in projects of such ambitious temporal and spatial scope. This study will become a “go to” reference for scholars of east European Jewish history for a long time to come.'From the citation for the 2011 Kulczycki Book Prize for Polish Studies, awarded to Volumes I and II 'This second volume of Polonsky's well-reseached, eloquently written study provides a finely distinct portrait of Jewish life in eastern Europe in the years leading up to the Great War . . . Highly recommended.'- R. K. Byczkiewicz, Choice'Succeeds admirably. Simply put, these volumes are required reading for anyone with a serious interest in East European history or for anyone looking for a scholarly assessment of a particular feature of Polish or Russian Jewish history. Handsomely produced, with extensive maps and tables, and a glossary . . . will remain a standard work in the field for some time . . . a body of work that, in summarizing the current state of our knowledge, effectively sets the agenda for future scholars. Polonsky is perhaps the scholar most responsible for the growth of Polish Jewish studies in the late twentieth century . . Very few historians could write a series of volumes like this . . . [he] has armed scholars with a formidable tool that will help them dispel stereotypes . . . Just as these volumes are destined to become the starting point for the work of many students, they will be the touchstone for scholars working in the field at all levels.'- Sean Martin, European History Quarterly 'Combines a masterful grasp of Jewish history with that of eastern Europe. While underlining the unique features and achievements of the Jewish communal experience he authoritatively integrates them into the history of the countries in which Jews lived . . . Incorporating current, ground-breaking scholarship from North America, Israel, and Europe these beautifully narrated volumes should not only be seen as a staple of university courses, but also as a must-read for anyone attempting to understand any aspect of modern Jewish history and religious tradition, wherever it may be playing out . . . With this extremely important book, Antony Polonsky not only writes history but, following the example of his illustrious predecessors, makes it.'- Katarzyna Person, European Judaism'The first two volumes of Antony Polonsky's magisterial The Jews in Poland and Russia trilogy provide a much-needed addition to the landscape of Jewish historical studies . . . [a] significant achievement in presenting the most modern findings in a clear, readable, comprehensive survey . . . his narrative is grand and his analysis tight . . . an excellent synthesis of this community's history, incorporating much of the groundbreaking scholarship of the last few decades. Repeatedly, the volumes remind us of the many lost opportunities for real reform in the region. They help correct the nostalgic and romanticized portraits of what is sometimes considered a lost civilization, while simultaneously demonstrating the vibrancy and diversity of Jewish life in the region . . . essential reading for those seeking a thorough and balanced understanding of Jewish life in pre-twentieth century Eastern Europe.' - Jeffrey Veidlinger, H-Judaic'For several decades now, Antony Polonsky has been at the forefront of Polish–Jewish studies . . . It is thus fitting that Polosnky, who has nurtured young scholars, especially in Poland itself and North America, should bring together old and new work in this remarkable multi-volume synthesis of Jewish history and culture . . . These volumes will provide the first port of call for any student of east European Jewry.' - Tony Kushner, Jewish Chronicle'We can only commend Antony Polonsky for his massive effort to explain seven centuries of Jewish history in a mere 2,000 pages . . . Polonsky's strength lies in his ability to illuminate intellectual and cultural developments . . . Because of the excellent bibliographies, extensive annotation, and wonderful maps included in each volume, any reader wishing to read in greater detail about Polish and Russian Jewry will have plenty of resources to enable the search.' - Alexandra S. Korros, Jewish Quarterly'An excellent synthesis of recent research on east European Jewish culture and history. As such it fills a definite need for an accessible introduction to the current scholarship and thinking about the Jews of Poland and Russia . . . should be on the reading list of anyone interested in the history and folk cultures of eastern Europe, whether they work specifically with Jewish history and folk culture, or with other regional cultures.'- David Elton Gay, Journal of Folklore Research'Any reader who invests the time and money to read the book . . . will find it very rewarding—and not just because of the wealth of information it contains. What Polonsky's book brings home, in a way that a narrower study could not, is the sheer complexity and vitality of Jewish life in that time and place . . . this broader picture is needed to make sense of the social changes that were accelerating by the late nineteenth century—above all, in the situation of women, the subject of one of Polonsky's best chapters . . . Polonsky's panoramic book, which packs so much vivid detail and statistical information into its 500 pages, helps to show just how rich, and how difficult, that life really was.'- Adam Kirsch, The New Republic and Tablet Magazine'Polonsky's magisterial The Jews in Poland and Russia is one of those rare works that can hope to bridge the gap between specialist and “intelligent general reader”, providing a strong narrative and appealing prose for the latter as well as an up-to-date distilled knowledge of both primary and secondary sources for the former. No one interested in Jewish, Polish, or Russian history can afford to be without these volumes . . . will long remain the standard work on this crucial Jewish community . . . While a survey of this sort requires a goodly bit of politics . . . Polonsky has gone out of his way to include culture, religious life, gender, Jewish mass culture, and social history . . . The books' structure is entirely appropriate for its primary purpose: to provide a basic overview of this Jewish community's history . . . strikingly high level of scholarship . . . [The publisher] is particularly to be commended on its allowing Polonsky to cite at length from the Jewish literary sources he is considering and not begrudging space for a dozen pages of useful statistics (not a small thing in a publishing world where bibliographies are often considered superfluous!) . . . This history, written by a major scholar of both Polish and Jewish history and a person profoundly attached to both communities, is exemplary in its efforts to integrate Jews into Polish history, neither white-washing sources of friction nor painting an overly rosy picture. The most important thing one can say about Antony Polonsky's The Jews in Poland and Russia is: get it and read it!'- Theodore R. Weeks, The Polish Review'This superb and very up-to-date book is very well written, carefully documented, balanced, and will be a standard reference in the field. It has a glossary and a wide-ranging bibliography, very useful maps, and statistical tables, all of which make it a good starting point for any reading on east European Jewry.'- Shaul Stampfer, Religious Studies Review'Exemplary and formidable . . . Polonsky, as much as anyone else, has created the field of modern Jewish history as a subject to be considered and understood rather than simply a tragic past to be mourned. He is too good a historian to confuse the history of Jewish life with the German policies that brought Jewish death . . . The barely visible commitment in these three wonderful volumes is to rescue a world from polemic, for the sake of history.' - Timothy Snyder, Wall Street Journal‘The first serious, and most successful, effort thus far to summarize the history of the Jews of “Eastern Europe” . . . the first book to synthesize the vast research that has emerged since the seventies . . . comprehensive and multidisciplinary . . . there is no book today that can compare to its scope and to the vast and new materials that he brings forth and analyzes with a broad imagination, an intensive approach, and a moderate style.’- Moshe Rosman, ZionTable of ContentsList of MapsList of TablesNote on TransliterationMapsIntroduction1 The Position of the Jews in the Tsarist Empire, 1881-19052 Revolution and Reaction, 1904-19143 The Kingdom of Poland, 1881-19144 Galicia in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century5 Prussian Poland, 1848-19146 Jewish Spaces: Shtetls and Towns in the Nineteenth CenturyStatistical Appendix7 Modern Jewish Literature in the Tsarist Empire and Galicia8 Jewish Religious Life from the Mid-Eightteenth Century to 19149 Women in Jewish Eastern Europe10 The Rise of Jewish Mass Culture: Literature, Press, TheatreConclusionGlossaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisIn 70 CE, the Jews were an agrarian and illiterate people living mostly in the Land of Israel and Mesopotamia. By 1492 the Jewish people had become a small group of literate urbanites specializing in crafts, trade, moneylending, and medicine in hundreds of places across the Old World, from Seville to Mangalore. What caused this radical change? TheTrade ReviewWinner of the 2012 National Jewish Book Award in Scholarship One of Jewish Ideas Daily.com's 40 Best Jewish Books of 2012 "[A]mbitious ... systematically dismantle much of the conventional wisdom about medieval Jewish history."--Jonathan B. Krasner, Forward "[W]here so many have simply taken as a given universal literacy among Jews, [Botticini and Eckstein] find that a majority of Jews actually weren't willing to invest in Jewish education, with the shocking result that more than two-thirds of the Jewish community disappeared toward the end of the first millennium... The astonishing theory presented here has great implications for both the Jewish community and the broader world today."--Steven Weiss, Slate "[E]ventually, The Chosen Few will have changed the course of history in the Middle East ... as part of a broad reinterpretation of the history of the peopling of the world, underway for a century and a half, that has begun gathering force since the 1990s... This may be the first you have heard about The Chosen Few, but I pretty much guarantee you that it will not be the last."--David Warsh, Economic Principals "[P]rovocative."--Choice "Botticini and Eckstein's simple yet sophisticated human capital analysis provides new insights into Jewish history for the fourteen centuries covered in this book... [Their] methodology yields a very convincing Cliometric analysis that we can expect to inform all future economic histories of the Jews between 70 and 1492."--Carmel U. Chiswick, EH.net "I found The Chosen Few, a book on Jewish economic history by Maristella Botticini and Zvi Eckstein, enormously enlightening and relevant to the draft-the-Haredim debate."--Shlomo Maital, Jerusalem Report "If you've ever wondered how the Chosen People survived the vagaries of history, reading The Chosen Few will give you answers you cannot find anywhere else."--Huffington Post "This is a trailblazing, original, illuminating and horizon-broadening book."--Manuel Trajtenberg, HaaretzTable of ContentsList of Illustrations xi List of Tables xiii Preface xv Introduction 1 Chapter 1 70 CE-1492: How Many Jews Were There, and Where and How Did They Live? 11 From Jesus to Muhammad (1 CE-622): A World of Farmers 15 From Muhammad to Hulagu Khan (622-1258): Farmers to Merchants 31 From Hulagu Khan to Tomas de Torquemada (1258-1492): The End of the Golden Age 44 Jewish History, 70 CE-1492: Puzzles 51 Chapter 2 Were the Jews a Persecuted Minority? 52 Restrictions on Jewish Economic Activities 52 Taxation Discrimination 58 Physical versus Portable Human Capital 59 Self-Segregated Religious Minority 61 The Economics of Small Minorities 62 Summary 65 Chapter 3 The People of the Book, 200 BCE-200 CE 66 The Two Pillars of Judaism from Ezra to Hillel (500-50 BCE): The Temple and the Torah 66 The Lever of Judaism: Education as a Religious Norm 69 The Destruction of the Second Temple: From Ritual Sacrifices to Torah Reading and Study 73 The Legacy of Rabbinic Judaism: The Mishna and Universal Primary Education, 10 CE-200 74 Judaism and Education: The Unique Link in the World of the Mishna 78 Chapter 4 The Economics of Hebrew Literacy in a World of Farmers 80 Heterogeneity and the Choices Facing Jewish Farmers circa 200 82 The Economic Theory: Basic Setup 84 The Economic Theory: Predictions 87 Life in a Village in the Galilee circa 200 through the Lens of the Theory 88 Annex 4.A: Formal Model of Education and Conversion of Farmers 89 Chapter 5 Jews in the Talmud Era, 200-650: The Chosen Few 95 An Increasingly Literate Farming Society 96 Conversions of Jewish Farmers 111 Summary 122 Chapter 6 From Farmers to Merchants, 750-1150 124 The Economics of Hebrew Literacy in a World of Merchants 125 The Golden Age of Literate Jews in the Muslim Caliphates 130 Summary 150 Annex 6.A: Formal Model of Education and Conversion of Merchants 150 Chapter 7 Educated Wandering Jews, 800-1250 153 Wandering Jews before Marco Polo 154 Jewish Migration within the Muslim Caliphates 163 Migration of Byzantine Jewry 172 Jewish Migration to and within Christian Europe 173 Migration of the Jewish Religious Center 195 Summary 200 Chapter 8 Segregation or Choice? From Merchants to Moneylenders, 1000-1500 201 The Economics of Money and Credit in Medieval Europe 202 Jewish Prominence in Moneylending: Hypotheses 209 The Dynamics of Jewish Moneylending in Medieval Europe 212 Jewish Moneylending in Medieval Italy: A Detailed Analysis 219 Attitudes toward Moneylending 232 Facts and Competing Hypotheses 237 From Merchants to Moneylenders: Comparative Advantage in Complex Intermediation 241 Annex 8.A: The Charter to the Jews of Vienna 244 Chapter 9 The Mongol Shock: Can Judaism Survive When Trade and Urban Economies Collapse? 248 The Mongol Conquest of the Muslim Middle East 249 Socioeconomic Conditions in the Middle East under the Mongols 252 Jewish Demography under Mongol and Mamluk Rule: An Experiment 254 Why Judaism Cannot Survive When Trade and Urban Economies Collapse 258 Summary 259 Chapter 10 1492 to Today: Open Questions 261 Portrait of World Jewry circa 1492 261 Jewish History, 70 CE-1492: Epilogue 264 Trajectory of the Jewish People over the Past 500 Years 266 Persistence of Jewish Occupational Structure 268 Appendix 274 Bibliography 287 Index 317

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Book SynopsisWhile much current research on political Islam revolves around militant Islamism, the genesis of this ideology remains little understood. A System of Life is a pioneering examination of the earliest attempt at a systematic outline of Islamist ideology, namely that proposed in the 1930s and early 1940s by the renowned Indo-Muslim intellectual Sayyid Abu'l-A'la Mawdudi. Hartung reconstructs his thought in the light of the competing ideologies at play at the time, taking seriously his claim to recast Islam as an all-comprehensive, self-contained and inner-worldly system 'of life.' This analysis is embedded in an understanding of the history of ideas that has assumed an increasingly global dimension in the colonial encounter: by showing how Mawdudi has attempted to align elements of Western philosophical thought with selected traditional Islamic ideas and concepts, he is depicted as a major protagonist of this development, while 'Islamism' is established as an Islamic contribution to a universalistic notion of modernity. Besides offering a detailed portrayal of Mawdudi's system of thought, Hartung also discusses the reception and modification of his ideas in the Middle East, predominantly among intellectuals of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, and among their imitators in postcolonial South AsiaTrade Review'[A System of Life] is a detailed study of [Mawdudi’s] thought and legacy was long overdue, and Hartung’s book certainly fills that gap… the book is clearly based on a deep knowledge of Islamic thought in both pre-modern and modern times. More than that, in placing Mawdudi’s thinking within the wider context of modern political ideologies – Western as well as Muslim – it contributes to a healthy trend of seeing Islamic thought as a fully pledged participant in the global contest of ideas.' -- Asian Affairs Journal

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Book SynopsisFrom birds and trees to insects and the sun, this charming book instructs children about the wisdom in creation by referencing the various Islamic names for God and their manifestations. Enriched with colorful illustrations, these stories are designed to open young minds to ideas of faith in their Creator. Using examples from daily life that children can understand, this book is a valuable source for teaching about God as conceived in the Islamic tradition.

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Book Synopsis

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