Social groups: religious groups and communities Books

Book SynopsisThe Islamic finance industry faces the challenging task of attempting to reconcile the risk management demands of business entities with the difficulties posed by the seemingly rigid stance taken by some Shari''ah scholars over hedging practices.Offering a fresh perspective, Sherif Ayoub confronts the challenge by reformulating how we might think about the theorisation of economic matters in the Islamic faith. He also considers the associated perceptions of permissibility that have until now been confined to the legal sphere, with a focus on contractual elements.Ayoub sheds light on the way the Islamic finance industry conceptualises the role of financial instruments. Paying particular attention to derivatives in a market risk management framework that adheres to the objectives of Islamic jurisprudence, readers will come to understand the issues surrounding the avoidance of Riba (usury), Gharar (excessive uncertainty) and Maysir (gambling).Table of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Truth Formation in Mua'amalat; a. The Path to the Truth: The Role of Maslaha, Qiyas, an Igma'a; b. Truth-seeking in the Scripture: The Reality Imposed by Critical Rationalism and Hermeneutics; 3. Market Risks and Their Management; a. Risk and its Management; b. Risk Identification; c. Risk Measurement; d. Risk Strategy; e. Rationale for Hedging; 4. Conventional Derivatives: Theory and Practice; a. Economics of Derivatives; b. Conventional Derivative Instruments; 5. Derivatives in Islamic Finance; a. Resolutions by Standard-setting Bodies in Islamic Jurisprudence; b. Theoretical Shari'a Issues; c. Contractual Shari'a Issues; d. Contemporary Derivatives in Islamic finance; 6. Permissibility of the Underlying Variables and the Recognition of the Contract; a. Permissibility of the Underlying Variables: Interest Rate Benchmarks; b. Permissibility of the Underlying Variables: Currency Benchmarks; c. The Nature of Money in Islam; d. The Recognition of the Derivatives Contract; 7. Maysir, Hedging, Derivatives; a. A Conceptualization of Maysir in Islamic and Western Thought; b. Maysir, Gharar, and the Indeterminacy of the Zero-sum Prohibition; c. Investment, Speculation, and Gambling: The Environment of Risk Management; d. The Role of Financial Intermediaries as Speculators; 8. Conclusion and Ending Remarks.

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Book SynopsisTo what extent are Muslims in Europe integrated?Muslims are increasingly making themselves noticed in the political process of Europe. But what is happening behind the often sensational headlines? This book looks at the processes and realities of Muslim participation in local and national politics in a range of Eastern and Western European countries: voting patterns in local and national assemblies, membership of elected councils and national parliaments, and the tensions between ethnic, political and religious identities. It also asks how political participation and wider integration issues interrelate and considers how Muslims - as ethnic groups, or through specific institutions - seek to locate themselves within European political society.

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Book SynopsisNegotiating Dissidence traces the very beginnings of Arab women making documentaries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), from the 1970s and 1980s in Egypt and Lebanon, to the 1990s and 2000s in Morocco and Syria. Supporting a historical overview of the documentary form in the Arab world with a series of in-depth case studies.

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Book SynopsisFeatures a study of a little known Muslim presence in Europe. This book is suitable for anyone who wants to understand the diversity of Muslim presences across Europe. It provides insights into the dynamics of interaction between Muslims and state and society in one of the least secular societies in Europe.

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Book SynopsisNo crime in the twentieth century has so deeply shocked mankind as the Holocaust. And none has so stubbornly resisted every attempt to explain it. More than six million people were murdered, and countless more endured horrific suffering. Guido Knopp''s disturbing account is the most complete history of the Holocaust to date.It reveals the appalling truth using the most recent historical research, including minutes of daily briefings by Joseph Goebbels, private papers of the SS Einsatzgruppen in charge of mass murder, and East German State Security documents detailing the deportation of Jews. The book relives the agony of the victims and investigates the motives of the perpetrators. Survivors talk for the first time about their horrifying torture and their eventual escape from Nazi persecution. The persecutors now at last confront the atrocities they committed.This is not an attempt to rewrite the history of the Holocaust, but a searing account of the greatest crime of the twentieth century - if not of all time - using the latest research on the subject.

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Book SynopsisThe first Jews settled in Golders Green just before the First World War, and by 1930 the suburb had been recognised for its significant Jewish community. By 1960 the Jewish population of Golders Green had tripled. Golders Green is now the most Jewishly populous neighbourhood in the country.

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Book SynopsisThe first book to tell the complete story of Adolf Eichmann’s plan to deceive the last Jews of EuropeTrade ReviewHale takes the reader through the myriad connections which make this story so compelling. This impressive study is a surefire addition to the literature of contemporary Holocaust History and Memory Studies. -- Dr Paul A. LevineHale offers a compelling mix of micro detail, combing the records, piecing together a shattered narrative, alongside a masterful overview of the Holocaust as a whole … Superb and very chastening. -- Martin Davidson

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Book SynopsisThe sixteenth and seventeenth centuries saw the establishment of the new Safavid regime in Iran. Along with reuniting the Persian lands under one rule, the Safavids initiated the radical transformation of the religious landscape by introducing Imami Shiism as the official state faith and in this as in other ways, laying the foundations of Iran's modern identity. In this book, leading scholars of Iranian history, culture and politics examine the meaning of the idea of Iran in the Safavid period by examining contemporary experiences of both insiders and outsiders, asking how modern scholarship defines the distinctive features of the age. While sometimes viewed as a period of decline from the high points of classical Persian literature and the visual arts of preceding centuries, the chapters of this book demonstrate that the Safavid era was nevertheless a period of great literary and artistic activity in the realms of both secular and theological endeavour. With the establishment of cTable of ContentsIntroduction, Charles Melville 1. The Body Politic and the Rise of the Safavids - Ali Anooshahr, University of California, Davis, USA 2. The Qazvin Period and the Idea of the Safavids - Gregory Aldous, University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg, USA 3. Man of the Pen, Pillar of the State: Hatem Beg Ordubadi and the Safavid Empire - Colin Mitchell, Dalhousie University, Canada 4. The Idea of Iran in the Safavid Period: Dynastic Pre-eminence and Urban Pride - Rudi Matthee, University of Delaware, USA 5. Safavid Town Planning - Sussan Babaie, The Courtauld Institute of Art, UK 6. From Absolute Prince to Despot: The Political Representations of Safavid Iran in Seventeenth-Century France - Aurélie Salesse-Chabrier, Université de Lyon, France 7. The Idea of Baqer al-Majlesi as ‘The Idea of Iran: The Safavid Era’ - Andrew J. Newman, University of Edinburgh, UK 8. Practising Philosophy, Imagining Iran in the Safavid Period- Sajjad Rizvi, University of Exeter, UK 9. Popular Religiosity and Vernacular Turkic: A Qezelbash Catechism from Safavid Iran - Ferenc Csirkés, Sabanci University, Turkey 10. ‘O Muhibbi! You’ve Lit Your Lamp with Khosrow’s Burning Passion’: Persian Poetry as Perceived by Sixteenth-Century Ottoman Authors - Benedek Péri, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary 11. Commercial Relations between Safavid Persia and Western Europe Willem Floor, Independent scholar 12. ‘The World is an Oyster and Iran, the Pearl’: Representations of Iran in Safavid Persian Travel Literature - Maryam Ala Amjadi, Independent scholar 13. Local and Transregional Places in the Works of Safavid Men of Letters - Sunil Sharma, Boston University, USA 14. Shi‘i Rulers, Safavid Alliance and the Religio-Political Landscape of the Deccan - Roy S. Fischel 15. Safavids and Ozbeks - Florian Schwarz, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria 16. The Evolution of the Safavid Policy towards Eastern Georgia - George Sanikidze, Institute of Oriental Studies of the Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia 17. Flora in Safavid Paintings from Shah Tahmasp’s Shahnama and Later Works - Sheila R. Canby, Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA 18. The Making of New Art: From the Khazana to its Audience at the Court of Shah Soleyman - Negar Habibi, Geneva

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Book SynopsisRobina Yasmin is Assistant Professor in the Department of Pakistan Studies at Islamia University Bahawalpur, Pakistan. She previously worked as Assistant Professor at the University of Punjab, Pakistan, where she also received her PhD.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Sikh-Muslim Relations: A Historical Perspective 2. Conquests of Maharaja Ranjit Singh: Treatment of the Fallen Rulers & Population 3. State Policies towards Muslims: Reality or a Farce 4. Sarkar-e-Khalsa: Status and the Role of Hindu, Muslim and European Courtiers 5. Sikh-Muslim Relations in Post Ranjit Singh Period Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisJuan Cole is a public intellectual, prominent blogger and essayist, and the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan, USA. He is the translator of Broken Wings and The Vision by Khalil Gibran.Trade ReviewA bold yet singular addition to the discourse on pacifist streams in Islam where there are resources galore on militant Islam. * The Muslim World Book Review *This collection of essays is a needed book. It mirrors the richness of what goes on in the Muslim world: groundbreaking theological work with clear political implications and peace practices and humanitarian work which are not new and not unknown in the history of Islam. The articles dealing with history, in particular, demonstrate how persons of Muslim faith have made important contributions towards peace – although, like so many others, they have not always succeeded. * Journal of Peace Research *"Peace Movements in Islam: History, Religion and Politics, edited by Juan Cole is a “must read,” an antidote to media and polemicists’ portrayal of Islam as a religion of war and to former President Donald Trump’s declaration that “Islam hates us.” An excellent collection of scholars take the reader on a journey from the time of the Prophet Muhammad to today, underscoring the long tradition of peace that exists in contrast to the rhetoric and actions of militant movements." * John L. Esposito, Georgetown University, USA *Nowhere has the charged topic of Islam and peace been as deftly and broadly addressed as in this collection of essays edited by the maestro of public scholarship on Islam, Juan Cole. From Qur’anic dicta to historical exemplars to modern day perspectives on fundamentalism, women and Trump, the contributors eschew easy platitudes or apologia, providing a kaleidoscope of insight that will attract the general reader as also the academic specialist. * Bruce B. Lawrence, Duke University, USA *This is an especially timely volume given the high levels of Islamophobia and the racialization of Muslims globally that continue to put Muslims at risk through being conceptualized as inherently violent. * Zayn Kassam, John Knox McLean Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, Pomona College, USA *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Between Compassion and Justice: Locating an Islamic Definition of Peace, A. Rashied Omar 2. The Qur’an on doing Good to Enemies, Juan Cole 3. A Different Kind of Striving: Jihad as Peacemaking, Asma Afsaruddin 4. Internal Peace versus Being in Society: Sufi Dilemmas, Alexander D. Knysh 5. Principled Pacifism in Islamic West Africa, Rudolph Ware 6. Rashid Rida and the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, Elizabeth F. Thompson 7. Paradise Bound: Righteous Others in the Writings of Rashid Rida, Mohammad Hassan Khalil 8. Abdul Ghaffar Khan: An Islamic Ghandi, James L. Rowell 9. Islam and Peace: A Muslim Fundamentalist Perspective, Sherman A. Jackson 10. Women, Religion, and Peace Leadership in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zilka Spahic Šiljak 11. Muslim American Activism in the Age of Trump, Grace Yukich Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisWhy Canadians started to walk away from organized Christianity in the 1960s and how that defection became an exodus.Trade Review"Leaving Christianity develops the first coherent historical analysis of the postwar secularization of Canadian society deploying statistical evidence in abundance. It also brings the state of the historiography on Canada in this period up to the levels of Europe and the US. It offers a detailed analysis of a great deal of statistical data with a keen understanding of the trends in demographic, eccliesiastical, and religious change." Callum Brown, University of Glasgow“A major, original, and important contribution to scholarship and a groundbreaking and important contribution to our understanding of the evolution of Canadian identity.” David Seljak, University of Waterloo"This book is a must-read for anyone interested in religion in Canada, and brings much to the table. First and foremost, the authors are part of only a very small handful of researchers analyzing the extensive quantitative data on church membership, Sunday School participation, rites of passage, and more collected and archived by Canadian churches. This data has been severely underutilized by those studying religious trends in the country, and nowhere will you find a more comprehensive analysis of this data spanning eight decades and over a dozen denominations and groups than in Leaving Christianity." Reading Religion"Leaving Christianity is a book long overdue. Rather than dealing in fantasies of Christian revival, Brian Clarke and Stuart Macdonald take a detailed and realistic look at statistical data from a range of sources to analyze the present status of Christia"A serious, no-holds-barred report on the eclipse of the Christian churches in Canada, plummeting enrollments and institutional marginalization ... ." Literary Review of Canada

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Book SynopsisDemonstrates how circumcision - the fetishized signifier of Jewish difference and source of knowledge about Jewish identity - is central to Freud's construction of psychoanalysis. This work depicts Freud as an ordinary Viennese Jew making extraordinary attempts to mitigate the trauma of everyday antisemitism.Trade Review"In a series of quite stunning essays Geller pursues an important train of thought regarding the question of how Freud's analysis was materially generated out of the context of European anti-semitism." -- -Daniel Boyarin University of California, Berkeley "Jay Geller's study of Freud's Jewish body provides a range of extraordinary insights into being Jewish in Freud's Vienna - it is a solid and innovative introduction to the situation of being Jewish or being imagined to be Jewish in Freud's intellectual and psychological world." -- -Sander L. Gilman Emory University "Meticulously researched and elegantly written, Freud's Jewish Body uncovers the corporealization of identity in, beneath, and through Freud's texts. Focusing on circumcision, castration, and the nose, Geller exposes both body and culture in a brilliant analysis of the psychoanalytic corpus. This is an insightful, original, and important new reading of Jewishness, gender, sexuality, and psychoanalysis in fln de siecle Vienna." -- -Diane Jonte-Pace Santa Clara University "[The Other Jewish Question] portrays how Jewish-identified individuals moved beyond introjection and disavowal to appropriate and transform this epidemic of signification to make sense of their worlds and our modernity," -The Wesleyan Connection "A long-awaited and vital contribution to Jewish Cultural Studies, the history of psychoanalysis, and critical studies of religion." -- -Ann Pellegrini New York University "The fruit of a quarter century's worth of careful research and (self-)reflection, it [i.e., On Freud's Jewish Body] offers a wealth of unusually perceptive and ingenious close readings of Freud texts and easily the most sophisticated discussion of Freud's 'Jewish identity' to date. By showing 'how Jewish identity is thoroughly interwoven with sexual, gender, corporeal, ethnic, and racial identities,' Geller not only helps 'bring our understanding of Freud the Jew more in line with other contemporary understandings of identity construction' (42) but also makes an extremely important contribution to our general understanding of Jewish identity formation and the complex dynamics at play between the Non-Jewish Question and various other "Jewish Questions." -The Journal of Modern History "Geller has written a compelling study of the meaning of Jewishness and the Jewish body in the context of the Freudian psychoanalytic tradition." -Choice

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Book SynopsisAs al-Qa'ida enters its third decade, journalist Abdel Bari Atwan investigates how it has survived all attempts to destroy it; evolving, instead, into a global actor with a rapidly expanding portfolio of franchises and a variety of, sometimes unexpected, alliances.Trade ReviewOne of the sharpest commentators about al-Qa'ida and the Middle East - Atwan's sobering assessment deserves a wide audience.' Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt: from 9/11 to Abbottabad, The Ten-Year Search for Osama bin Laden 'Atwan captures the essence of Osama bin Laden, the man, his leadership, and why we will never be free of the legacy he left behind. Intelligent and fascinatingly readable' Pat Lancaster, Editor-in-Chief, Middle East Magazine 'An extraordinarily gifted, experienced and knowledgeable analyst of Arab affairs - this is essential reading.' Dame Ann Leslie DBE Thank heavens that we have Arab writers such as Abdel Bari Atwan - who knew the real Bin Laden better than any other journalist - with his volume After Bin Laden: Al-Qa'ida, the Next Generation.' Robert Fisk, The IndependentTable of ContentsContents Abbreviations 7 Introduction: After bin Laden 9 The Arab Spring and al-Qa'ida 35 Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula 76 Somalia's al-Shabaab 102 The Taliban - al-Qa'ida nexus: Afghanistan 123 The Taliban - al-Qa'ida Nexus: Pakistan 145 Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and the Sahel 163 Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb: Libya 190 Ongoing and New Alliances 208 The Digital Battleground 234 Conclusion: The Next Generation 253 Notes 267 Select Bibliography 281

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Book SynopsisOffers an overview of the evolution of Shi'i opposition in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, from the Iranian Revolution in 1979 to the ascension of Abdullah to the throne in August 2005. This book also assesses the Shi'i leaders' efforts to formulate a fresh discourse, participating in activities aimed at bringing about political change.

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Book SynopsisRepair of the Soul examines transformation from the perspective of Jewish mysticism and psychoanalysis, addressing the question of how one achieves self-understanding that leads not only to insight but also to meaningful change. In this beautifully written and thought-provoking book, Karen Starr draws upon a contemporary relational approach to psychoanalysis to explore the spiritual dimension of psychic change within the context of the psychoanalytic relationship. Influenced by the work of Lewis Aron, Steven Mitchell and other relational theorists, and drawing upon contemporary scholarship in the field of Jewish studies, Starr brings the ideas of the Kabbalah, the ancient Jewish mystical tradition, into dialogue with modern psychoanalytic thought. Repair of the Soul provides a scholarly integration of several kabbalistic and psychoanalytic themes relating to transformation, including faith, surrender, authenticity, and mutuality, as well as a unique exploration of the relationship of the individual to the universal. Starr uses the Kabbalahâs metaphors as a vivid framework with which to illuminate the experience of transformation in psychoanalytic process, and to explore the evolving view of the psychoanalytic relationship as one in which both parties - the analyst as well as the patient - are transformed.Trade Review"In Repair of the Soul, Karen Starr has provided us with a sophisticated and well-informed discussion of the ways in which kabbalistic metaphors of transformation can be related to the work of psychic change in psychoanalysis. Writing with intelligence, passion, and a rigorously imaginative grasp of her two fields of discourse, she succeeds in delineating areas of vital conversation between them. Not the least of her achievements is a writing style in which the kabbalistic and the analytic encounter each other without strain. Starr's book makes a valuable contribution to the contemporary awareness of issues of faith, of the ineffable other, and of the 'transcendent Third,' in analytic work." - Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, Ph.D., author, The Beginning of Desire: Reflections on Genesis"An exciting interaction of sparks between psychoanalysis and Kabbalah, showing how fruitful it is when diverse dimensions of psyche and spirit meet."- Michael Eigen, Ph.D., author, Feeling Matters"Repair of the Soul marks a milestone in the ongoing and often troubled dialogue between psychoanalysis and religion. Karen Starr offers a deep and serious reading of both Kabbalah and psychoanalytic thought. Her consideration of the roles of faith, interpretation, and multi-leveled truth in both traditions will open many doors for the therapeutic community, to whom her work is primarily addressed. Thoughtful therapists should find both challenge and inspiration in this most interesting and truly barrier-breaking work."- Rabbi Arthur Green, Ph.D., Hebrew College"This is a challenging interdisciplinary dialogue, which is likely to be meaningful for specialists."- David J. Zucker, Journal of Pastoral Theology"Starr repositions one of the most essential psychological considerations: How do people change? A beautifully written and thought-provoking book providing a vivid framework for exploring the relationship of the individual to the universal. By bringing the esoteric principles of the ancient Kabbalah into dialogue with contemporary psychoanalytic theory - in particular, the relational model - Starr examines the question of how one may achieve transformation that leads not only to insight but also to meaningful change." - Sirreadalot.org, July 2009, Issue # 123Table of ContentsAron, Foreword. Introduction: The Kabbalah. Transformation. The Interpretive Encounter. Faith as the Fulcrum of Change. The Transformation of Evil. Epilogue: Jacob's Ladder

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Book SynopsisFEW BRITISH EXPLORERS IN ARABIA have produced books whose importance as travelogues is trans-cended by their literary quality. One such is The Holy Cities of Arabia, published to critical acclaim in 1928, with its author hailed as a worthy successor to Burckhardt, Burton and Doughty. Unrivalled among works by Western travellers to Islam's holy cities, this account of a pilgrimage to Makkah in 192526 is made all the more remark-able by its author's timing. In 1925 Abd al-Aziz Ibn Saud brought to an end centuries of rule over the Hijaz by the Hashimite sharifs and their Ottoman overlords. Rutter, living as a learned Muslim Arab in a Makkan household, had a ringside seat as Riyadh imposed its writ on Islam's holy cities. As striking as his account of life in Makkah before modernization are his interviews with Ibn Saud, and his journeys to al-Ta'if and to the City of the Prophet, al-Madinah. The Holy Cities of Arabia proved to be its author's only full-length work. After a brief career a

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Book SynopsisThis major works collection surveys the nature of Muslim Diasporas in the west from a sociological perspective, exploring the issues of migration, integration, identity, politics, Islamophobia and radicalisation.This four-volume collected works is the state of the art on the research and scholarship on Muslim Diasporas in the West. From canonical works to the latest trends in research, these volumes added to the understanding of ethnicity, equality and diversity in relation to Muslims in the west. The articles explore the philosophies of multiculturalism, integration and interculturalism. They also analyse issues of identity politics, Islamophobia and radicalisation. This major works collection suitably captures the significance of past research and its importance for further scholarship in relation to Muslims and Islam across Europe, North America and Australia.

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Book SynopsisA Story of YHWH investigates the ancient Israelite expression of their deity, and tracks why variation occurred in that expression, from the early Iron Age to the Persian period. Through this text, readers will gain a better appreciation for the complexities and contexts in the development of YHWH, from its earliest origins to the Persian period. Two interpretive frameworkscultural translation and subversive receptionare offered for filtering through the textual data and contexts. Comparative study with ancient Near Eastern deities and select biblical texts lead readers through early YHWHism, YHWH's original outsider status, and the eventual impact of urbanization on the expression. Perceived and real pressures then challenge urbanite YHWHism and invite new directions for forming a unique expression of divinity in the ancient world. This book is intended for those interested in the study of ancient divinity broadly as well as those who study anciTable of ContentsAcknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Chapter 1: Purpose and scope; Chapter 2: Competing narratives of early origins; Chapter 3: The rise of YHWH and Jerusalem on the international stage; Chapter 4: YHWH as Israel’s only God: YHWH in the exilic period; Chapter 5: Persian period: the afterlives of YHWHism; Chapter 6: Conclusion and assessment; Bibliography; Index

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Book SynopsisIn Understanding Religion through Artificial Intelligence, Justin E. Lane looks at the reasons why humans feel they are part of a religious group, despite often being removed from other group members by vast distances or multiple generations. To achieve this, Lane offers a new perspective that integrates religious studies with psychology, anthropology, and data science, as well as with research at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence (AI).After providing a critical analysis of approaches to religion and social cohesion, Lane proposes a new model for religious studies, which he calls the Information Identity System. This model focuses on the idea of conceptual ties: links between an individual's self-concept and the ancient beliefs of their religious group. Lane explores this idea through real-world examples, ranging from the rise in global Pentecostalism, to religious extremism and self-radicalization, to the effect of 9/11 on sermons. Lane uses this lens to show how we can Trade ReviewThroughout the book … Lane provides directions for future research … This book has significant inter-disciplinary implications as it widens the scope of the social sciences … it enriches the study of religion by reframing how the subject is approached scientifically and intrigues non-academic minds on how AI could facilitate our understanding of human religiosity. * Reading Religion *If you study religion, Justin E. Lane’s book will explain how AI is changing what’s possible in that endeavor. If you work in AI and computer simulation, you’ll discover how those tools can be deployed to deepen our understanding of religion. Either way, you’ve been warned: you’ll never look at AI or religion the same way again. * Wesley J Wildman, Professor of Philosophy, Theology, and Ethics, Boston University, USA *Justin E. Lane’s new book is the most comprehensive and clear introduction to the use of artificial intelligence in the computational science of religion currently available. Both lay readers and experts will benefit from his careful explanations of the various methodologies at work in this rapidly growing field, and his vivid descriptions of the ways in which they are informing our understanding of phenomena such as religious extremism and conflict. * F. LeRon Shults, Director, Social Simulation Research Group, University of Agder, Norway *Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Religions Old and New 3. Bonding and Belief 4. Identity and Extremism 5. Artificial Intelligence and Religions in silico 6. From AI in silico, to AI in situ: Creating AI gurus, Birds eye views of Christianity, and using MAAI to study Social Stability 7. Schisms and Sacred Values 8. The Future of Religion References Index

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Book SynopsisIn her groundbreaking ethnography The Asian Gang, published in 2000, Claire Alexander explored the creation of Asian Muslim masculinities in South London. Set against the backdrop of the moral panic over Asian gangs' in the mid-1990s, and based on 5 years of ethnographic fieldwork, the book explored the idea of the gang', friendships, and the role of brothers' in the formation, performance and negotiation of ethnic, religious and gendered identities.The Asian Gang Revisited picks up the story of the Asian gang' over the subsequent two decades, examining the changing identities of the original participants as they transition into adulthood in the context of increased public and political concerns over Muslim masculinities, spanning the War on Terror, grooming gangs' and increased Islamophobia. Building on her ongoing relationships with the men over 25 years, the book explores education, employment, friendship, marriage and fatherhood, and religious identity, andTrade ReviewLike her original text published in 2000, Alexander’s approach and sensitivity toward the endeavour of research permeates this book. With rich and nuanced analysis, the reader is asked to engage with a framing of the key issues that continue to have impact on racialized groups. -- Yunis Alam, Head of Sociology and Criminology, University of Bradford, UKThis book makes an important scholarly contribution to the growing literature on British Muslim Studies. It is one of the few books to use ethnography to offer great insights into the political events surrounding the Muslim Question. And it is the only book which builds on a longitudinal study of British Muslims. -- Shamim Miah, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education and Community Studies, University of Huddersfield, UKTable of ContentsIntroduction Participant Bios 1. The Context of the Study 2. Leaving School 3. Work 4. Friendship 5. Marriage and Fatherhood 6. Religion Conclusion and Updates References Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the vivid threads that binds this collection together has to do with the erasures of history. Here, however we are faced with compelling evidence that in the major centers of interwar Central Europe, Jews were in the vanguard of the new urbanism and contributed to the remaking of these historical cities at an astounding level that has not yet been given the recognition it deserves. The conclusion we can draw from this is that for almost a century our understanding of European architectural modernism has been narrow, racist, and impoverished; this book is a bugle call for change. * Journal of Design History *For anyone interested in Jewish cultural identity in Central Europe in the interwar period as well as anyone interested in Modernist architecture and style, this book is a must-read. The wealth and breadth of the contributions … bring new and refreshing revelations about the architectural landscape of urban Central Europe that was significantly influenced by Jewish architects and designers. * Journal of Austrian Studies *Designing Transformation presents a wealth of new research on the multi-faceted involvement of Jewish architects, designers, writers and patrons in Central European Modernism. Wide ranging and thoughtfully framed, the collection demonstrates the centrality and complexity of Jewish production and co-production of the modern city, home and collective consciousness. And it offers a provocative challenge to understand and mark the importance of this contribution to the contemporary European city. -- Leslie Topp, Professor of Architectural History, Birkbeck, University of London, UKElana Shapira’s Designing Transformation breaks new ground in its intricate and nuanced examination of the Jewishness of Central European modernism. Its essays reveal how the negotiation of Jewish difference, visibility, and belonging, how processes of Jewish acculturation and mobility imprinted the urban landscapes of the former Habsburg empire in the interwar period and global sites of forced emigration in the 1930s and 40s. The volume encompasses a wide range of well-known and obscure figures who responded to twentieth-century crises and opportunities with artistic innovation and dazzling creativity. -- Paul Lerner, Professor of History and Director of the Max Kade Institute for Austrian-German-Swiss Studies, University of Southern California, USAThis volume offers an array of expertly-researched, insightful essays on a breathtaking number of Central European Jewish designers, architects, artisans and artists. It is a vital resource for anyone seeking to expand their knowledge of Jews’ participation in the built environment and visual culture in the modern era. -- Lisa Silverman, Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USAThis important volume complicates our understanding of modernism by shedding light on a significant but overlooked period of production through the lens of identity. Rather than a single view, this lens offers multiple visions and rich, complex accounts about both known and little-known works and designers. Particularly welcome are the authors’ even-handed treatments of modernism in all its permutations from the most rigorously functionalist to those informed by tradition and folk-culture. -- Timothy M. Rohan, Associate Professor, American and European Architecture, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USAThis volume is the first to comprehensively examine the productive role of modern Jewish designers and architects in Central Europe within the horizon of emancipation, participation and dislocation. Elana Shapira has succeeded in bringing together distinguished authors from different disciplines and geographies. Designing Transformation thus formulates multiple perspectives and presents an impressive tableau of topics and approaches. -- Burcu Dogramaci, Professor of Art History, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, GermanyDesigning Transformation marks a highly important stage in the overdue acknowledgement of Jewish architects, designers and patrons in shaping Central European Modernism. Through ground-breaking research, the collected essays offer ways to understand the diverse circumstances of Jews, how their Modernism was far from homogenous, and that their negotiation of cultural authorship was central to their status, identity and survival. -- Jeremy Aynsley, Professor of Design History, University of Brighton, UKTable of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Figures Contributors Introduction: Jews and Cultural Identity in Central European Modernism, Elana Shapira (University of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria) Part I: Designing Their Homes in Central Europe 1. The ‘Bauhaus Shtetl’: Opposing Conservatism in New Leopold Town in Budapest, Rudolf Klein (Óbuda University, Hungary) 2. Shaping Modern Bratislava: The Role of Architect Friedrich Weinwurm and his Jewish Clients in Designing the Slovak Capital, Henrieta Moravciková (Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Slovakia) 3. Adolf Sommerfeld Co-Producing Modern Architecture and Urban Design in Berlin, Celina Kress (Technical University of Berlin, Germany) 4. Entangled Histories: The Contribution of Jewish Architects to Modernism in Croatia, Jasna Galjer (University of Zagreb, Croatia) 5. An International Style Synagogue in Brno: Otto Eisler’s Synagogue Agudas Achim (1936), Zuzana Güllendi-Cimprichová (University of Bamberg, Germany) 6. Identity and Gender as Obstacles? A Comparison of Two Biographies of Jewish Architects from Krakow, Kamila Twardowska (Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland) Part II: Outsiders/Insiders – Cultural Authorship and Strategies of Inclusion 7. Lajos Kozma, ‘Judapest,’ and Central European Modernism, Juliet Kinchin (Independent Design Historian, Scotland) 8. Refuge and Respite: Oskar Wlach, Max Eisler, and the Culture of the Modern Jewish Interior, Christopher Long (University of Texas at Austin, USA) 9. The Art and Design of Anna Lesznai: Adaptation and Transformation, Rebecca Houze (Northern Illinois University, USA) 10. The Art of Survival: Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and Children’s Art at the Theresienstadt Ghetto, Megan Brandow-Faller (City University of New York, Kingsborough, USA) Part III: Survival Through Design - Projecting Transformative Designs onto the Future 11. Flights of Fancy: Willy de Majo and the Youthful Foundations of a Lifelong Design Practice, Lesley Whitworth (University of Brighton, UK) 12. Sustaining Independence: Marie Frommer’s Networks and Architectural Practices in Berlin and in New York, Tanja Poppelreuter (University of Salford, UK) 13. ‘Memory’s instruments and its very medium’: the Archival Practices of Émigré Designers, Sue Breakell (University of Brighton, UK) 14. Facing the Sun: German-Speaking Émigrés and the Roots of Israeli Climatic Building Design, Or Aleksandrowicz (Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa) Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFeaturing contributions from anthropologists, historians and scholars of religion, this book explores the passionate, divided and evolving field of Islamic Studies in Europe and North America, past and present covering topics from secularism and gender to pop music and modern science.

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Book SynopsisContains editions and commentaries of hitherto un-edited manuscripts from the various strands of the Shi?ite tradition of Islamic thought (Zaydi, Isma?ili and Twelver). A careful side-by-side reading of these texts and commentaries helps identify themes peculiar to the Shi?ite family of legal theories.

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Book SynopsisLatino Protestantism is growing rapidly in the United States. Researchers estimate that by 2030 half of all Latinos in America will be Protestant. This remarkable growth is not just about numbers. The rise of Latino Protestants will impact the changing nature of American politics, economics, and religion. Latino Protestants in America takes readers inside the numbers to highlight the many reasons Latino Protestants are growing as well as the diversity of this group.The book brings together the best existing scholarship on this group with original research to offer a nuanced picture of Latino Protestants in America, from worship practices to political engagement. The narrative helps readers move beyond misconceptions about Latino religion and offers a window into the diverse ways that religion plays out in real life. Latino Protestants in America is an essential resource for anyone interested in the beliefs and practices of this group, as well as the implications for its growth and areaTrade ReviewMulder, professor of sociology at Calvin College; Ramos, assistant professor of sociology at George Fox University; and Marti, professor of sociology at Davidson College, have teamed up as part of the Latino Protestant Congregation Project, a joint endeavor of Davidson College and Calvin College, to create this cooperative study. By 2030, they write, it is estimated that half of all Latinos in the United States—who currently make up 17% of the population—will be Protestant. The 'Latino Reformation,' as Time named it, has remained largely invisible to the general public, fellow Protestants, and social scientists, in part because few dedicated researchers speak Spanish. But now the Latino Protestant Congregation Project has released its initial substantive and complex findings, examining styles of worship, values, congregation demographics, leadership structures, and sociopolitical perspectives. The fine mix of fresh quantitative data and engaging qualitative case studies gives a rich feel for the diversity of Latino Protestant communities, from a Dutch-Latino Reformed church in Iowa to the non-denominational church in Los Angeles that encourages members to 'transcend' ethnicity. Additionally, the chapter on Latino Protestants’ political and social engagement is required reading for anyone interested in likely Latino voting patterns in 2018 and beyond. * Publishers Weekly *Mulder, Aida I. Ramos, and Gerardo Martí present a revealing and surprising glimpse into Latino religious subcultures in the United States. The authors contend that Latino Protestantism is an important yet neglected area of study. Not only is the Latino demographic growing, but Latino Protestants are running against the trend of a general decline of affiliation in organized religion. Based on information from the qualitative study the Latino Protestant Congregation (LPC) Project as well as other critical investigations that considered a number of U.S. congregations, the authors present these groups as dynamic, diverse, and as conflicted as other religious denominations, highlighting their distinctive features. The authors state that their goal here is to offer a road map for future study. Indeed, this provides fascinating detail that gives way to further research. VERDICT General sociologists and sociologists of religion will find this study beneficial, and even nonexperts will discover something new in this informative read. * Library Journal *In this welcome study, sociologists Mulder (Calvin College), Ramos (George Fox University), and Marti (Davidson College) summarize recent survey research on Latinos in the US with special attention to ethnographic findings from the Latino Protestant Congregation (LPC) Project funded by the Lilly Foundation. It is estimated that by 2030, one-third of the US population will be Latino and that half of all Latinos in the US will be Protestants. Chapter 1 documents the growth and dispersion of Latinos in the US, and chapter 2 examines the decline of foreign-born Latinos and the rise of US-born Latinos. Chapter 2 also provides valuable information on Latino living arrangements, language, socioeconomic status, and health care. Chapters 4 and 5 address religious conversion. Though a majority of Latinos in the US are Catholics, the longer Latino families reside in the US, the more likely they are to become Protestant. Chapter 4 focuses on issues of identity among Protestant Latinos. What does being a non-Catholic Latino mean? Chapter 6 addresses social issues. The authors found that Protestant Latinos are overwhelmingly conservative and opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage. This well-researched book contributes greatly to the understanding of the changing face of Latino Protestantism in the US. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Most levels/libraries. * CHOICE *With Latinos being among the fastest growing racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., the study of Latino Protestants will only increase in importance. Latino Protestants in America is on the cutting edge of this trend, and offers one of the first social scientific introductions to the topic. Full of rich analyses and careful to emphasize the complexity and nuances of these religious groups, this book belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in understanding the shifting demographics of American religion and the future of U.S. religion and politics. * Politics and Religion *This volume takes readers inside the numbers to highlight the many reasons Latino Protestants are growing as well as the diversity of this group. It offers a nuanced picture of Latino Protestants in America, from worship practices to political engagement. The narrative helps readers move beyond misconceptions about Latino religion and offers a window into the diverse ways that religion plays out in real life. * Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology *An ambitious, comprehensive, and nuanced exploration of Latino Protestantism in the United States, this book draws on survey data and extensive qualitative fieldwork to demonstrate the variety of Latino Protestant identities and communities. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand this fast-growing portion of the American religious landscape and how it is reconfiguring the American Latino community. -- Penny Edgell, University of MinnesotaWeaving together a rich array of sources, these authors demonstrate that Protestant churches in the United States function as increasingly important sites for the production of Latino identity, even as they show that this identity cannot be reduced to any singular definition. In its extensive reach across the country and through its interdisciplinary approach, Latino Protestants in America captures the nuances of religious faith as an everyday practice that also has the power to redefine the political and economic forces that shape our lives. -- Jane Juffer, Cornell UniversityGrowing, diverse, and little understood—Latino Protestants receive here a thorough and much-needed examination. Drawing together existing historical, survey, and ethnographic data, the authors add systematic new observations from a team of research fellows. The result is a book that will be the go-to reference in the years ahead. -- Nancy Ammerman, Boston UniversityIn this landmark study, the authors unpack the complexity of Latino Protestants, drawing on a variety of empirical studies, including surveys and ethnographic description. The book makes a major contribution to our understanding of the changing face of Protestantism, the conversion of Latinos from Catholicism, and the demographics of immigrants from Latin America. -- Donald E. Miller, University of Southern CaliforniaTable of ContentsPreface 1 Latino Protestants Are More Than “Not Catholic” 2 The Early History of Indigenous and Immigrant Latino Protestants 3 The Latino Reformation Today 4 Ethnic Identity and Varieties of Latino Protestant Churches 5 The Centrality of “Doing Church” among Latino Protestants 6 Latino Protestants and Their Political and Social Engagement 7 Latino Protestants and the Future of American Christianity Appendix: Qualitative Sources and Research Methodology

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Book SynopsisDespite numerous warnings from intelligence services, ISIS'' rise to power has left countries around the world floundering for solutions. Today, we face a threat that is more violent, powerful and financially stronger than ever before. In this book, journalist Benjamin Hall will provide insights by answering the basic questions we still don''t have the answers to: Who are they? Where did they come from? How are they so successful, so quickly? How can they be stopped? By embedding himself behind enemy lines, Hall provides a riveting narrative based on firsthand experience and personal interviews. He goes beyond the vicious jihadis to reveal a generation of chaos and uncover a volatile region engulfed in turmoil. Hall reveals why ISIS is a problem that will define the Middle East - and the West - for decades to come.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the settlement and development of Muslim communities in Scotland, highlighting the ongoing changes in their structure and the move towards a Scottish experience of being Muslim.

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Book SynopsisThis beautifully illustrated volume looks at the spaces created by and for Jews in areas under the political or religious control of Muslims. Covering regions as diverse as Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Spain, it asks how the architecture of synagogues responded to contextual issues and traditions.Table of ContentsIntroduction, Mohammad Gharipour; 1. Architecture of Synagogues in the Islamic World: History and the Dilemma of Identity, Mohammad Gharipour; 2. Prologue: Historic Relations Between Muslims and Jews, Reuven Firestone; I. Synagogue and the Urban Context; 3. Shrines of the Prophets and Jewish Communities: Ancient Synagogues and Tombs in Medieval Iraq, Sara Ethel Wolper; 4. The Synagogues of Herat: A Jewish World of Religious Diversity and Pluralism in the Muslim World, Ulrike-Christiane Lintz; 5. Synagogues of the Fez mellah: Constructing Sacred Spaces in 19th Century Morocco, Michelle Craig; 6. Emotional Architecture: Cairo's Sha'ar Hashamayim Synagogue and Iconography's Global Reach, Ann Shafer; II. Synagogue and the Cultural Context; 7. The Prevalence of Islamic Art amongst Jews of Christian Iberia: Two Fourteenth-Century Castilian Synagogues in Andalusian Attire, Daniel Munoz Garrido; 8. The Ottoman Jews of the 19th-century Istanbul and the Socio-cultural Foundations of theYuksek Kaldirim Ashkenazi Synagogue, Meltem Ozkan Altinoz; 9. The Architecture and Decor of the Nahon and Bendrihen Synagogues of Tangier: Modernization and Internationalization of the Jewish Community, M. Mitchell Serels; 10. Synagogues and Sacred Rituals inTehran: An Ethnographic Analysis of Judeo-Persian Identities and Spaces, Arlene Dallalfar; III. Architecture and Interior Design; 11. Decorating Synagogues in the Western Islamic World: The Role of Sephardi Traditionalism, Vivian Mann; 12. Djerbian Culture and Climate As Expressed in A Historic Landmark: The Case of El Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia, Nesrine Mansour and Anat Geva; 13. Synagogue Architecture in Kerala, India: Design Roots, Precedents, Tectonics, and Inspirations, Jay A. Waronker; 14. Immigrants Sacred Architecture: The Rabi Meir Baal-Hanes Synagogue in Eilat, Israel, Anat Geva; 15. Epilogue: Sensitive Ruins: On the Preservation of Jewish Religious Sites in the Muslim World - Susan Miller; Appendix 1: Captions; Appendix 2: Bibliographies; Appendix 3: Biographies

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Book SynopsisProvides an overview of the history and current trends in Muslim communities in 21 post-Communist Eastern European countries.

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Book SynopsisThis book engages critically with the different models and approaches for managing religion adopted in Europe, Asia and Oceania. A truly intercontinental volume, this collection brings together high level scholarship from renowned scholars and rising stars in the fields of political theory, Islamic studies, sociology and law.

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Book SynopsisThis illustrated book aims to provide a fresh insight into medieval Islamic art through the prism of Chinese elements in Iranian art under the Mongols.

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Book SynopsisAddressing the contested nature of Ottoman Sunnism from the 14th to the early 20th century, this book draws on diverse perspectives across the empire.

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Book SynopsisAddressing the contested nature of Ottoman Sunnism from the 14th to the early 20th century, this book draws on diverse perspectives across the empire.

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Book SynopsisThis book looks at how Islamic law was practiced in Russia from the conquest of the empire's first Muslim territories in the mid-1500s to the Russian Revolution of 1917, when the empire's Muslim population had exceeded 20 million.

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Book SynopsisRamon Harvey revisits the Muslim theologian Ab Manr al-Mturd (d. 333/944) from Samarqand and puts his system, and that of the Mturd school, into lively dialogue with modern thought to show that a contemporary Muslim philosophical theology (kalm jadd) can provide original and constructive answers to perennial theological questions.

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Book SynopsisFollowing a period of rapid political change, both globally and in relation to the Middle East and South Asia, this collection sets new terms of reference for an analysis of the intersections between global, state, non-state and popular actors and their contradictory effects on the politics of gender.

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