Social groups: religious groups and communities Books

Trade ReviewJews have long been in the vanguard of the struggle for civil liberties in America. But as this excellent new collection demonstrates, the American Jewish community's reaction to the black civil rights movement was less enthusiastic than many may realize or be willing to accept.... Many of the most provocative points concern northern Jewish ambivalence toward African-Americans and integration.... A carefully crafted and subtle collection that will interest scholars of American Jewish history, black-Jewish relations, and the American civil rights movement. - AJS Review ""This collection is organized around a familiar yet still unsettled question: did Jews in the South resist white supremacy? If so, did they act out of narrow self-interest or a larger humanitarian vision? Was Jewish opposition to white racism the result of a few individuals who happened to be Jews, or a prophetic mission on the part of Jews as a group? The book... offers a more specific and grounded understanding of what life was like for southern rabbis caught between the caution and conservatism of their congregations and the moral imperatives of their faith. In doing so, the book allows us to reposition the question from whether a black-Jewish coalition was genuine or mythical, to how activities of rabbis contributed to changing the racial situation in the South. There [is] a wealth of useful and thought provoking material in these pages."" - Journal of Southern History

Read more less

Book SynopsisAmy Levy has risen to prominence in recent years as one of the most innovative and perplexing writers of her generation.Trade Review“This is a collection that will vastly enhance our understanding of Victorian culture, the nuances of Anglo-Jewish identity, the struggles of Victorian feminism, and the singular achievement of a writer whose complexity is finally coming into focus.”“This splendid collection of essays will contribute to the ongoing reassessment of Amy Levy as a complex and challenging writer…. (A) rich and complex portrait of a writer who … might just be representative rather than marginal, and who certainly complicated her own meditation on what it means to be a minor writer.” * Victorian Studies *“Thoughtful in selection and rigorous in scholarship, this volume introduces new readers to Levy’s life and works, refines and expands on the major themes of extant criticism, and considers entirely new ways of analyzing Levy’s work…. Amy Levy: Critical Essays is a powerful argument for the value of Amy Levy to our understanding of late Victorian literature.” * Nineteenth Century Gender Studies *“Collectively, these essays demonstrate that Levy was fully engaged in dominant discourses around politics, feminism, aesthetics and Jewish identity of her day. For undergraduates and advanced scholars of Levy's work and historical moment, therefore, this volume will prove an invaluable resource.” * New Books on Literature 19 *“Eschewing tragic readings of Levy’s life—she committed suicide at 28—these uniformly strong essays locate Levy in such contexts as late-Victorian feminism, discourses of female professionalism, and evengelicalism. The essays cover the full range of Levy’s work…. Highly recommended.” * Choice *“A great strength of this volume, and the reason why it deserves to find an audience beyond scholars who specialize in Levy’s work, is the care the contributors take to bring the broader historical context into their discussion.” * Shofar Book Reviews *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAmy Levy has risen to prominence in recent years as one of the most innovative and perplexing writers of her generation.Trade Review“This is a collection that will vastly enhance our understanding of Victorian culture, the nuances of Anglo-Jewish identity, the struggles of Victorian feminism, and the singular achievement of a writer whose complexity is finally coming into focus.”“This splendid collection of essays will contribute to the ongoing reassessment of Amy Levy as a complex and challenging writer…. (A) rich and complex portrait of a writer who … might just be representative rather than marginal, and who certainly complicated her own meditation on what it means to be a minor writer.” * Victorian Studies *“Thoughtful in selection and rigorous in scholarship, this volume introduces new readers to Levy’s life and works, refines and expands on the major themes of extant criticism, and considers entirely new ways of analyzing Levy’s work…. Amy Levy: Critical Essays is a powerful argument for the value of Amy Levy to our understanding of late Victorian literature.” * Nineteenth Century Gender Studies *“Collectively, these essays demonstrate that Levy was fully engaged in dominant discourses around politics, feminism, aesthetics and Jewish identity of her day. For undergraduates and advanced scholars of Levy's work and historical moment, therefore, this volume will prove an invaluable resource.” * New Books on Literature 19 *“Eschewing tragic readings of Levy’s life—she committed suicide at 28—these uniformly strong essays locate Levy in such contexts as late-Victorian feminism, discourses of female professionalism, and evengelicalism. The essays cover the full range of Levy’s work…. Highly recommended.” * Choice *“A great strength of this volume, and the reason why it deserves to find an audience beyond scholars who specialize in Levy’s work, is the care the contributors take to bring the broader historical context into their discussion.” * Shofar Book Reviews *

Read more less

Book SynopsisChristianity and Public Culture in Africa takes readers beyond familiar images of religious politicians and populations steeped in spirituality.Trade Review“(Christianity and Public Culture) is a timely and engaging contribution to an important and growing debate on religion’s role in public life, offering a range of fascinating perspectives.” * The Journal of Modern African Studies *“With its emphasis on the public and its well-rounded survey of Christian groups throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Christianity and Public Culture in Africa serves as a valuable contribution to the study of religion in Africa. Each of the ten essays provides an ethnographically and historically vivid overview of a discrete study, and the strength of this work rests on how these scholars' research combines to offer readers new and comprehensive insights into Christianity across sub-Saharan Africa. Scholars of religion and culture in Africa should consider this work essential reading.” * H-Net (H-SAfrica) *“The first myth that (Christianity and Public Culture) scotches is that these churches (African Pentecostal) are all alike. The second myth it debunks is that these churches are under the control of the Americans. The third myth also dispatched is that African Pentecostal churches are politically quietest. Englund’s opening chapter is an excellent account of the diversity of Pentecostalism in Africa, highlighting not only denominational diversity but also differing social and public roles.” * Journal of Church and State *“In their rich empirical work on the multiple ways in which Christians make religion public, the authors particularly highlight the mediating practices of religions, such as the use of books and radio, and agricultural and reproductive techniques.” * Journal of African History *“All in all, this study is a creative and inspiring work that should be read by researchers interested in new directions in the study of African Christianity.” * African Studies Quarterly *“(Christianity and Public Culture in Africa) clearly is a valuable resource for everyone with a scholarly interest in Christianity in contemporary Africa.” * International Bulletin of Missionary Research *This collection advances new ways of thinking about the social and political implications of religion.... The volume will be of significant interest to policymakers and to religious and secular NGOs across the African continent. * author of African Gifts of the Spirit: Pentecostalism and the Rise of a Zimbabwean Transnational Religious Movement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisPresents a dramatic portrait of the wanted terrorist and his extensive brotherhood. This title details how bin Laden became an international emblem of fundamentalist, pan-Islamic, anti-US fervour and the leader of a brotherhood so passionate that devotees who have never met him will act autonomously in his name.Trade Review“This latest entry into the Osama bin Laden publishing sweepstakes stands out for its exhaustive research and prescience . . . . While the story has been told elsewhere, Jacquard brings new details. He’s particularly provocative on bin Laden’s travels during the early 1990s, arguing that he returned to Afghanistan only after quarreling with the Sudanese government. He also effectively details the tentacles of al-Qaeda throughout the world, putting together the most comprehensive description of a broad network in Europe and throughout Asia. Documents translated from Arabic and French give additional evidence and background. . . . [A] balanced, sweeping description of the bin Laden threat.” - Publishers Weekly“Jacquard gives us both a compelling biography of the terrorist leader and a glimpse into the way his network is run. The book, which was originally published in France the same week as the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Pennsylvania attacks, was revised and expanded to take the attacks into account before it was published in the United States. What it provides is a picture of a dangerous, arrogant man with the money and the mind to accomplish horrifying feats.” - Anne Wagner, National Journal“As one of several recent works on Osama bin Laden, Jacquard’s provides the deeper examination of the worldwide structure of Islamic fundamentalism and its associated terrorism. . . . An appendix consisting of 40 documents brings a chilling reality to the narrative. For all libraries.” - Library Journal“A detailed account of groups connected to bin Laden . . . . This excellent journalistic overview for specialists, students, and general readers includes an appendix of 40 documents in English and Arabic.” - R. H. Dekmejian, Choice"The general public, government officials, police departments, other security agencies, diplomats, scholars, and others could learn a lot from this page-turner. Jacquard brings the reader into the murky and menacing three-dimensional-chess world of international terrorists and their hunters. . . . [A]n excellent attempt at explaining a very dangerous, complex, and influential group of people." - Paul Sullivan, Al Jadid*“Bin Laden’s genesis and genius are all chronicled in Jacquard’s sweeping account of the Saudi born terrorist and his brotherhood. The book rightfully brings into focus the role of modern media, especially satellite TV and the Internet, in bin Laden’s cunning wager that he could defeat the U.S. as a world power. A chilling read, a must read for all who continue to grapple with the twin legacy of hatred and hope from September 11.”—Bruce B. Lawrence, author of Shattering the Myth: Islam Beyond Violence“A detailed account of groups connected to bin Laden . . . . This excellent journalistic overview for specialists, students, and general readers includes an appendix of 40 documents in English and Arabic.” -- R. H. Dekmejian * Choice *“As one of several recent works on Osama bin Laden, Jacquard’s provides the deeper examination of the worldwide structure of Islamic fundamentalism and its associated terrorism. . . . An appendix consisting of 40 documents brings a chilling reality to the narrative. For all libraries.” * Library Journal *“Jacquard gives us both a compelling biography of the terrorist leader and a glimpse into the way his network is run. The book, which was originally published in France the same week as the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Pennsylvania attacks, was revised and expanded to take the attacks into account before it was published in the United States. What it provides is a picture of a dangerous, arrogant man with the money and the mind to accomplish horrifying feats.” -- Anne Wagner * National Journal *“This latest entry into the Osama bin Laden publishing sweepstakes stands out for its exhaustive research and prescience . . . . While the story has been told elsewhere, Jacquard brings new details. He’s particularly provocative on bin Laden’s travels during the early 1990s, arguing that he returned to Afghanistan only after quarreling with the Sudanese government. He also effectively details the tentacles of al-Qaeda throughout the world, putting together the most comprehensive description of a broad network in Europe and throughout Asia. Documents translated from Arabic and French give additional evidence and background. . . . [A] balanced, sweeping description of the bin Laden threat.” * Publishers Weekly *"The general public, government officials, police departments, other security agencies, diplomats, scholars, and others could learn a lot from this page-turner. Jacquard brings the reader into the murky and menacing three-dimensional-chess world of international terrorists and their hunters. . . . [A]n excellent attempt at explaining a very dangerous, complex, and influential group of people." -- Paul Sullivan * Al Jadid *Table of ContentsPreface ix Introduction / Samia Serageldin 1 1 A Young Man from a Good Family 11 2 From Riyadh to Peshawar 20 3 Exile in the Sudan 27 4 Among the Taliban 37 5 The Islamic Legion 54 6 The Anti-American Crusade 73 7 Target: Bin Laden 86 8 Osama bin Laden Confronts the Arab World 93 9 The Bin Laden Brotherhood 99 10 Asian Fever 118 11 The Bin Laden Network's Billions 126 12 Drugs and Terrorism 135 13 Jihad's New Weapons 142 Epilogue 158 Afterward / Samia Serageldin 160 Appendix 167 Glossary 274 Notes 276 Index 289

Read more less

Book SynopsisDetails how bin Laden became an international emblem of fundamentalist, pan-Islamic, anti-US fervour and the leader of a brotherhood. This title explains the global character of bin Laden's organisation, elaborating the extent of his sphere of influence in Europe and Asia.Trade Review“This latest entry into the Osama bin Laden publishing sweepstakes stands out for its exhaustive research and prescience . . . . While the story has been told elsewhere, Jacquard brings new details. He’s particularly provocative on bin Laden’s travels during the early 1990s, arguing that he returned to Afghanistan only after quarreling with the Sudanese government. He also effectively details the tentacles of al-Qaeda throughout the world, putting together the most comprehensive description of a broad network in Europe and throughout Asia. Documents translated from Arabic and French give additional evidence and background. . . . [A] balanced, sweeping description of the bin Laden threat.” - Publishers Weekly“Jacquard gives us both a compelling biography of the terrorist leader and a glimpse into the way his network is run. The book, which was originally published in France the same week as the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Pennsylvania attacks, was revised and expanded to take the attacks into account before it was published in the United States. What it provides is a picture of a dangerous, arrogant man with the money and the mind to accomplish horrifying feats.” - Anne Wagner, National Journal“As one of several recent works on Osama bin Laden, Jacquard’s provides the deeper examination of the worldwide structure of Islamic fundamentalism and its associated terrorism. . . . An appendix consisting of 40 documents brings a chilling reality to the narrative. For all libraries.” - Library Journal“A detailed account of groups connected to bin Laden . . . . This excellent journalistic overview for specialists, students, and general readers includes an appendix of 40 documents in English and Arabic.” - R. H. Dekmejian, Choice"The general public, government officials, police departments, other security agencies, diplomats, scholars, and others could learn a lot from this page-turner. Jacquard brings the reader into the murky and menacing three-dimensional-chess world of international terrorists and their hunters. . . . [A]n excellent attempt at explaining a very dangerous, complex, and influential group of people." - Paul Sullivan, Al Jadid*“Bin Laden’s genesis and genius are all chronicled in Jacquard’s sweeping account of the Saudi born terrorist and his brotherhood. The book rightfully brings into focus the role of modern media, especially satellite TV and the Internet, in bin Laden’s cunning wager that he could defeat the U.S. as a world power. A chilling read, a must read for all who continue to grapple with the twin legacy of hatred and hope from September 11.”—Bruce B. Lawrence, author of Shattering the Myth: Islam Beyond Violence“A detailed account of groups connected to bin Laden . . . . This excellent journalistic overview for specialists, students, and general readers includes an appendix of 40 documents in English and Arabic.” -- R. H. Dekmejian * Choice *“As one of several recent works on Osama bin Laden, Jacquard’s provides the deeper examination of the worldwide structure of Islamic fundamentalism and its associated terrorism. . . . An appendix consisting of 40 documents brings a chilling reality to the narrative. For all libraries.” * Library Journal *“Jacquard gives us both a compelling biography of the terrorist leader and a glimpse into the way his network is run. The book, which was originally published in France the same week as the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Pennsylvania attacks, was revised and expanded to take the attacks into account before it was published in the United States. What it provides is a picture of a dangerous, arrogant man with the money and the mind to accomplish horrifying feats.” -- Anne Wagner * National Journal *“This latest entry into the Osama bin Laden publishing sweepstakes stands out for its exhaustive research and prescience . . . . While the story has been told elsewhere, Jacquard brings new details. He’s particularly provocative on bin Laden’s travels during the early 1990s, arguing that he returned to Afghanistan only after quarreling with the Sudanese government. He also effectively details the tentacles of al-Qaeda throughout the world, putting together the most comprehensive description of a broad network in Europe and throughout Asia. Documents translated from Arabic and French give additional evidence and background. . . . [A] balanced, sweeping description of the bin Laden threat.” * Publishers Weekly *"The general public, government officials, police departments, other security agencies, diplomats, scholars, and others could learn a lot from this page-turner. Jacquard brings the reader into the murky and menacing three-dimensional-chess world of international terrorists and their hunters. . . . [A]n excellent attempt at explaining a very dangerous, complex, and influential group of people." -- Paul Sullivan * Al Jadid *Table of ContentsPreface ix Introduction / Samia Serageldin 1 1 A Young Man from a Good Family 11 2 From Riyadh to Peshawar 20 3 Exile in the Sudan 27 4 Among the Taliban 37 5 The Islamic Legion 54 6 The Anti-American Crusade 73 7 Target: Bin Laden 86 8 Osama bin Laden Confronts the Arab World 93 9 The Bin Laden Brotherhood 99 10 Asian Fever 118 11 The Bin Laden Network's Billions 126 12 Drugs and Terrorism 135 13 Jihad's New Weapons 142 Epilogue 158 Afterward / Samia Serageldin 160 Appendix 167 Glossary 274 Notes 276 Index 289

Read more less

Book SynopsisShares the life experiences of the children of 4 siblings who out of eight siblings, parents and grandparents, survived the Holocaust. It explores the ways in which these children from the same socio-cultural background have built diverse lives in GermanTrade Review“The lives of the Kalman family provide the perfect palette from which to understand the conflicts and the compromises and commitments that Jews have had to make to live not only in Germany but in the modern world.”—Sander L. Gilman, author of Jewish Frontiers: Essays on Bodies, Histories, and Identities“These interviews are valuable and frank documents. The experiences of the Kalman family are representative of many Jewish families in the period 1945–2000. Y. Michal Bodemann’s astute questions and obvious intimate acquaintance with the family bring out the problematic aspects of being Jewish in Germany today. He deals not only with questions of anti-Semitism but also with the secularization process of German Jews.”—Jack Zipes, coeditor of Unlikely History: The Changing German–Jewish Symbiosis, 1945–2000“Why did Jews choose to live in postwar Germany? Most scholars have looked for answers to this question in the official institutional history. Y. Michal Bodemann turns our view to the private sphere and thus reveals for the first time a more intimate and at the same time more complex picture of the German Jewish community as mirrored by one family.”—Michael Brenner, author of After the Holocaust: Rebuilding Jewish Lives in Postwar GermanyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xi Introduction: Contemporary German Jewish Life through One Family 1 Prologue: Rita Volkov, Great Aunt in Toronto 37 Part 1. Albert's Family Berthold and His Father 45 Working in the Kalmans' Firm 71 Berthold in His Life 79 Eva, Swiss Mentality, Polish Company 91 Ronnie, in and out of His Father's Shadow 108 Salek, Nordau's Jew 119 Esther, the Zionist Pioneer in Our Family 132 Gabriel, Postmodern Jew 156 Part 2. Ignaz and Dina Ignaz, Dina's Father 179 Dina, from Germany to Israel and Back 187 Johannes Rautenstrauch, A Goy in the House 218 Part 3. Jerry Guterman Jerry and the Fossils 233 Part 4. Jurek's Family Jurek, Benjamin and His Brothers 249 Jonny, a Career in Israel 256 Lilian, Staying at Home 261 Motti, the Sculptor-Rememberer 268 Glossary 279

Read more less

Book SynopsisA collection of twenty-eight of the seminal essays of Robert N. Bellah, a visionary leader in the social study of religion and lead author of the bestselling Habits of the Heart.Trade Review“I believe that Robert Bellah is one of the more incisive religious commentators we’ve had on the American scene in recent times. Drawing on an astounding range of literatures, he has helped us see what otherwise might not be seen. At once sociological theorist, social critic, and serious religious thinker, Bellah has blazed new trails for helping establish work in several disciplines. We are therefore extremely fortunate to have this superb collection of his work as otherwise the interconnectedness of all that Bellah has done might be lost.”—Stanley Hauerwas, Duke University“Is it true, as some claim, that the more modern a society, the weaker our sense of the sacred? Does a sense of the sacred somehow ‘liquefy,’ as Habermas suggests, as society grows ever more ‘rational’? In this collection of brilliant and bold meditations on the works of Durkheim, Weber, Rousseau, Goffman, and others, Robert Bellah arrives at his own nuanced answers. An important and enlightening read.”—Arlie Hochschild, University of California, Berkeley“No other scholar has had a more profound influence on my thinking than Robert Bellah. His has been a strong and challenging voice in the continuing debate about modernity’s effects on America and on the human condition. Having these important essays collected in a single volume is a valuable service. My hope is that the next generation of students and scholars will savor these essays and learn from them what it means to engage in critical reflection about the deepest quandaries of our time.”—Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University“Robert Bellah is without question one of the leaders in the senior generation of sociologists of religion. He embodies informed spiritual inquiry and a mentality I would call ‘expansively catholic’ in the sense of ‘penetrating the dimensions of being.’ He also has a protestant outlook, manifesting an ability to be critical of entities and scholarly works he affirms.”—Martin E. Marty, University of Chicago“The Robert Bellah Reader brings together in a single text a selection of the writings of a thought-provoking scholar whose writings on the social study of religion currently span 55 years and over 250 items. . . . The Robert Bellah Reader constantly provokes the reader into a reflective mode that stimulates new ways of thinking about our contemporary situation,” -- Kay Adamson * Sociology *“The Robert Bellah Reader demonstrates what a serious scholar can accomplish when he perceives a disciplinary identity as secondary to the pursuits of knowledge and of understanding one’s culture and society.” -- Richard C. Collins * Virginia Quarterly Review *“The Robert Bellah Reader is a gift to readers, offering a generous view of the scholar behind the ideas. We meet a wide-ranging thinker whose work addresses social science, historical social change, and what was once called ‘moral philosophy.’” -- D. Michael Lindsay * Commonweal *“Bellah is truly one of today’s most powerful commentators on the social, cultural and religious meaning of modernity, in America and elsewhere. . . . The Robert Bellah Reader is a collection of twenty-eight of Bellah’s most stimulating essays. . . . [I]t is not the breadth of Bellah’s work that is so impressive; it is rather the depth. No one can read Bellah extensively without feeling privileged to read the work of a true scholar, one who is able to combine vast learning with graceful writing.” -- Derek H. Davis * Journal of Law and Religion *Table of ContentsPreface vii Introduction 1 I. Comparative and Theoretical 19 1. Religious Evolution 23 2. The Five Religions of Modern Italy 51 3. To Kill and Survive or to Die and Become 81 4. Stories as Arrows: The Religious Response to Modernity 107 5. Max Weber and World-Denying Love 123 6. Durkheim and Ritual 150 7 Rousseau on Society and the Individual 181 8. The History of Habit 203 II. American Religion 221 9. Civil Religion in America 225 10. Religion and the Legitimation of the American Republic 246 11. The New Religious Consciousness and the Crisis of Modernity 265 12. The Kingdom of God in America: Language of Faith, Language of Nation, Language of Empire 285 13. Citizenship, Diversity, and the Search for the Common Good 303 14. Is There a Common American Culture? 319 15. Flaws in the Protestant Code: Theological Roots of American Individualism 333 16. The New American Empire 350 17. God and King 357 III. University and Society 18. The Ethical Aims of Social Inquiry 381 19. Class Wars and Culture Wars in the University Today 402 20. Freedom, Coercion, and Authority 410 21. The True Scholar 421 22. Education for Justice and the Common Good 434 IV. Sociology and Theology 451 23. On Being Catholic and American 457 24. Religious Pluralism and Religious Truth 474 25. Texts, Sacred and Profane 490 26. Epiphany: “Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit” 504 27. Pentecost: “Beginning in the End of Times” 510 28. All Souls Day: “The Living and the Dead in Communion” 515 Bibliography of Words by Robert N. Bellah 523 Index 542

Read more less

Book SynopsisA collection of twenty-eight of the seminal essays of Robert N. Bellah, a visionary leader in the social study of religion and lead author of the bestselling Habits of the Heart.Trade Review“I believe that Robert Bellah is one of the more incisive religious commentators we’ve had on the American scene in recent times. Drawing on an astounding range of literatures, he has helped us see what otherwise might not be seen. At once sociological theorist, social critic, and serious religious thinker, Bellah has blazed new trails for helping establish work in several disciplines. We are therefore extremely fortunate to have this superb collection of his work as otherwise the interconnectedness of all that Bellah has done might be lost.”—Stanley Hauerwas, Duke University“Is it true, as some claim, that the more modern a society, the weaker our sense of the sacred? Does a sense of the sacred somehow ‘liquefy,’ as Habermas suggests, as society grows ever more ‘rational’? In this collection of brilliant and bold meditations on the works of Durkheim, Weber, Rousseau, Goffman, and others, Robert Bellah arrives at his own nuanced answers. An important and enlightening read.”—Arlie Hochschild, University of California, Berkeley“No other scholar has had a more profound influence on my thinking than Robert Bellah. His has been a strong and challenging voice in the continuing debate about modernity’s effects on America and on the human condition. Having these important essays collected in a single volume is a valuable service. My hope is that the next generation of students and scholars will savor these essays and learn from them what it means to engage in critical reflection about the deepest quandaries of our time.”—Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University“Robert Bellah is without question one of the leaders in the senior generation of sociologists of religion. He embodies informed spiritual inquiry and a mentality I would call ‘expansively catholic’ in the sense of ‘penetrating the dimensions of being.’ He also has a protestant outlook, manifesting an ability to be critical of entities and scholarly works he affirms.”—Martin E. Marty, University of Chicago“The Robert Bellah Reader brings together in a single text a selection of the writings of a thought-provoking scholar whose writings on the social study of religion currently span 55 years and over 250 items. . . . The Robert Bellah Reader constantly provokes the reader into a reflective mode that stimulates new ways of thinking about our contemporary situation,” -- Kay Adamson * Sociology *“The Robert Bellah Reader demonstrates what a serious scholar can accomplish when he perceives a disciplinary identity as secondary to the pursuits of knowledge and of understanding one’s culture and society.” -- Richard C. Collins * Virginia Quarterly Review *“The Robert Bellah Reader is a gift to readers, offering a generous view of the scholar behind the ideas. We meet a wide-ranging thinker whose work addresses social science, historical social change, and what was once called ‘moral philosophy.’” -- D. Michael Lindsay * Commonweal *“Bellah is truly one of today’s most powerful commentators on the social, cultural and religious meaning of modernity, in America and elsewhere. . . . The Robert Bellah Reader is a collection of twenty-eight of Bellah’s most stimulating essays. . . . [I]t is not the breadth of Bellah’s work that is so impressive; it is rather the depth. No one can read Bellah extensively without feeling privileged to read the work of a true scholar, one who is able to combine vast learning with graceful writing.” -- Derek H. Davis * Journal of Law and Religion *Table of ContentsPreface vii Introduction 1 I. Comparative and Theoretical 19 1. Religious Evolution 23 2. The Five Religions of Modern Italy 51 3. To Kill and Survive or to Die and Become 81 4. Stories as Arrows: The Religious Response to Modernity 107 5. Max Weber and World-Denying Love 123 6. Durkheim and Ritual 150 7 Rousseau on Society and the Individual 181 8. The History of Habit 203 II. American Religion 221 9. Civil Religion in America 225 10. Religion and the Legitimation of the American Republic 246 11. The New Religious Consciousness and the Crisis of Modernity 265 12. The Kingdom of God in America: Language of Faith, Language of Nation, Language of Empire 285 13. Citizenship, Diversity, and the Search for the Common Good 303 14. Is There a Common American Culture? 319 15. Flaws in the Protestant Code: Theological Roots of American Individualism 333 16. The New American Empire 350 17. God and King 357 III. University and Society 18. The Ethical Aims of Social Inquiry 381 19. Class Wars and Culture Wars in the University Today 402 20. Freedom, Coercion, and Authority 410 21. The True Scholar 421 22. Education for Justice and the Common Good 434 IV. Sociology and Theology 451 23. On Being Catholic and American 457 24. Religious Pluralism and Religious Truth 474 25. Texts, Sacred and Profane 490 26. Epiphany: “Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit” 504 27. Pentecost: “Beginning in the End of Times” 510 28. All Souls Day: “The Living and the Dead in Communion” 515 Bibliography of Words by Robert N. Bellah 523 Index 542

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen Cuba's centralized system for providing basic social services began to erode in the early 1990s, Christian and Afro-Cuban religious groups took on new social and political responsibilities. This book analysis how the Cuban state and local religious groups collaborate on community-development projects.Trade Review“This is one of the best studies on civil society in Cuba that I have read. Adrian H. Hearn combines first-rate ethnography, theoretical sophistication, and a solid understanding of the complexities of the Cuban political context. By focusing on Afro-Cuban religious communities and international NGOs, Hearn shows how the interpenetration of state and citizen action has shaped civil society in Cuba. The result is a fascinating analysis of the ongoing transformations within the Cuban Revolution.”—Ariel C. Armony, Katz Distinguished Associate Professor of Government, Colby College“This volume reveals the complexity of Cuban society through remarkable ethnographic research. Based on years of research in Cuba, the work documents the inner workings of communities that use deeply held religious beliefs to promote development projects aimed at securing basic needs. Through skillful analysis, Adrian H. Hearn reveals the realities of life for ordinary Cubans. This book is a major contribution to our understanding of contemporary Cuba, as well as an exemplar for all those interested in how religion and community development can intersect.”—Margaret Crahan, author of Religion, Culture, and Society: The Case of CubaTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Introduction: Structure and Spirit 1 Chapter 1. Spirits in Motion: Folklore and Function 31 Chapter 2. State Decentraliation and the Collaborative Spirit 67 Chapter 3. Sustainable Sovereignty: International NGOs and Civil Society in Cuba 103 Chapter 4. Patriotic Spirits: Religious Welfare Programs and Politics of Syncretism 135 Conclusion: Development and Dialogue 181 Notes 191 References 195 Index 213

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"The Republic Unsettled is thick, sophisticated thinking, which should unsettle the comfortable certainties of French and American secularism and monoculturalism. . . . Anthropologists like Fernando comprehend the situation most fully, and we owe it to our fellow citizens and our own societies to get the message out as widely and loudly as possible." -- Jack David Eller * Anthropology Review Database *"The Republic Unsettled is invaluable not only for anthropologists and ethnographers but also for scholars wanting to deepen their understanding of how contemporary secularism functions as a theory of politics and society, including through its contradictions, tensions, inconsistencies, anxieties, and instabilities." -- Roshan A. Jahangeer * ReOrient *“By taking the debate away from the well-worn lines of whether or not ‘Muslims’ can be or are ‘integrated’ (in other words, whether or not Muslims are an unsettling presence or not in the republic), and by instead underlining how the republic itself is inherently ‘unsettled’, this book will no doubt rile many French secular republicans and become a key point of reference in future studies of the French Republic, laı¨cite´, and ‘non-normative’ identities.” -- Natalya Vince * French Studies *“The Republic Unsettled is a crucial and stimulating read for any scholar thinking about secularism and secularity, difference politics, contemporary France and Europe, and/or Western liberalism(s) and liberal (in)tolerance. The book (and especially its vivid, emotional, and purposeful introduction) can easily find resonance across a variety of social science, religion, and history disciplines.” -- Carol Ferrara * Journal of Church and State *“That her book ends with a legitimate comparison between William Connolly's notions of critical responsiveness and agonistic respect and the way in which her Muslim French interlocutors think shows that the history of colonization, immigration and the creation of diasporas does not have to lead to a conflict of civilizations or economically reductive globalization but can produce rich and complex hybrids or mouvements aberrants that can genuinely contribute to human progress. What The Republic Unsettled manages to convey is that those who seem marginal to the present could be central to a better future, and that is indeed a very remarkable achievement.” -- Nardina Kaur * Radical Philosophy *“The Republic Unsettled is a dense, but extremely well written book that exposes and 'unsettles,' as the title indicates, secular republicanism by laying bare its numerous inconsistences and paradoxes. … In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo shootings, which has issued in an uncritically and self-gratulatory reinvigoration of secular republicanism in France, accompanied by a dramatic increase in anti-Muslim violence, Mayanthi Fernando’s book is more timely and urgent than ever.” -- Jeanette S. Jouili * Journal of the Society for Contemporary Thought and the Islamicate World *"Because Fernando makes a lucid argument based on extended ethnography and sophisticated reading in political theory, The Republic Unsettled will surely be read widely by all those engaged in thinking about the politics of diversity in Europe." -- John R. Bowen * American Ethnologist *"I offer the highest praise for The Republic Unsettled: it is a beautifully written book that readers will be eager to continue discussing long after they finish it." -- Jennifer Fredette * Anthropos *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Introduction 1 Field Notes I: "Vive la Republique Plurielle" 29 1. "The Republic Is Mine" 33 2. Indifference, or the Right to Citizenship 69 Field Notes II: Friday Prayers 101 3. "A Memorial to the Future" 105 4. Reconfiguring Freedom 145 Field Notes III: A Tale of Two Manifestos 181 5. Of Mimicry and Woman 185 6. Asymmetries of Tolerance 221 Epilogue 261 Notes 267 References 285 Index 305

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this poignant memoir Jane Lazarre tells the fascinating history of her father Bill, a radical activist who, as part of his tireless efforts to create a better world for his family, held leadership positions in the American Communist Party, fought in the Spanish Civil War, and organized labor unions.Trade Review"Reflective and intelligent, her narrative not only chronicles the life of a complex man; it also celebrates the power of memory and love. A poignantly lyrical memoir of family and politics." * Kirkus Reviews *"The Communist and the Communist’s Daughter tells the story of a family, of the struggle between old and new homelands, and of a man trying to balance his idealism with a reality that falls short of it." -- Jeff Fleischer * Foreword Reviews *"[A] collection of materials, insights, incidents, and imagery formed into a brilliant whole by Jane Lazarre's skill and patience. It ought to be a classic of twentieth century American life." -- Meredith Sue Willis * Books for Readers *"This is a memoir rich in intelligent reflection of an aspect of US political history that receives little airing. It's an elegantly written and moving account." -- John Green * Morning Star *"Jane Lazare has written a fascinating, intensely personal book about history, family, and the Communist Party in the United States." -- Esther Cohen * Monthly Review *"Making an account of one's self through memoir is hard enough, why would anyone want to tackle combining their own with that of another's? Lazarre does so to pay tribute to her father, to show herself and the world his noble intentions even though he was a flawed human being, as we all are. Ultimately, she has learned through the writing, he is so much a part of her, and she a part of him, whether that's in their living or their passing on." -- Tomie Anne Bitton * American Book Review *"This is one of those books that deserves many audiences. And for that I am grateful, as I believe its appeal, like that of Lazarre’s earlier memoirs, makes an important contribution to understanding aspects of American history and social consciousness that are not explored nearly enough." -- Emily E. LB. Twarog * Labor *Table of ContentsAuthor's Note ix Acknowledgments xi Prologue 1 Part I. Beginnings Chapter 1 11 Chapter 2 18 Part II. An American Chapter 3 27 Chapter 4 34 Part III. Spain Chapter 5 55 Chapter 6 58 Chapter 7 60 Chapter 8 74 Chapter 9 77 Part IV. A Bad Wind Chapter 10 95 Chapter 11 101 Chapter 12 105 Chapter 13 110 Chapter 14 122 Chapter 15 125 Part V. The Un-Americans Chapter 16 131 Chapter 17 138 Chapter 18 150 Part VI. The Mutilated World Chapter 19 161 Chapter 20 172 Part VII. Endings Chapter 21 189 Chapter 22 196 Chapter 23 202 Epilogue 205 Notes 211

Read more less

Book SynopsisActing as an important historical archive for the Jews of Eastern Europe, The Rise of Modern Yiddish Culture examines the progress of Yiddish culture from its origins in Tsarist and inter-war Poland to its apex with the founding of the Yiddish Scientific Institute in 1925.Trade Review"Fishman's no-nonsense account of modern Yiddish and twentieth-century Jewish schisms... eschews the nostalgia and sentimentality associated with Yiddish, and gives a vivid picture of how Yiddish and Yiddish literature were promoted by even the socialist and anti-Zionist Bundists as a means of preserving Jewishness." - International Jerusalem Post "Yiddish was above all a language of the people... Hebrew was the tongue of traditional Jewish learning... German, Polish and Russian, by contrast, offered the Jews a way from isolation to assimilation, cultural as much as linguistic. These multiple associations are all incisively reconstructed and investigated in Fishman's The Rise of Modern Yiddish Culture.... It gives a vivid sense of a language that flourished in the first decades of the twentieth century." - London Review of Books "This book can be warmly recommended not only to students of East European Jewish history and culture but also to all those interested in the ways in which language intersects with nationalism." - Jews in Russia and East Europe "Fishman has a terrific command of the subject and utilizes a wealth of primary sources to flesh out some of the pivotal turning points in the growth of modern Yiddish culture.... [His] book is a solid and much needed contribution to serious scholarship." - Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies"

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe notion of a weak Messianic power serves as the focal point for this study of theological, materialist, poetic, and post-Freudian psychoanalytic approaches to time and the historical unconscious in the work of Benjamin, Celan and Derrida.Trade Review"The readings in A Weak Messianic Power are subtle and full of unexpected turns, and many are tours de force acts of deconstruction. Levine reads over, almost over the shoulder of, great critical readers, Derrida, Celan, Benjamin, exposing in their writing a wealth of images not apparent to the naked eye. The method is almost astronomical: it brings near the distant contours of a strange temporal figure-a non-homogenous, surprising time. The book offers a strong notion of messianism outside theology, the messianism of the small alteration." -- -Paul North Yale UniversityTable of ContentsList of Figures Acknowledgments 1. A Time to Come: Hunchbacked Theology, Post-Freudian Psychoanalysis, and Historical Materialism 2. The Day the Sun Stood Still: Benjamin's Theses, Celan's Realignments, Trauma, and the Eichmann Trial 3. Pendant: Celan, Buchner, and the Terrible Voice of the Meridian 4. On the Stroke of Circumcision I: Derrida, Celan, and the Covenant of the Word 5. On the Stroke of Circumcision II: Celan, Kafka, and the Wound in the Name 6. Poetry's Demands and Abrahamic Sacrifice: Celan's Poems for Eric Notes Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book demonstrates the inextricable entanglement of Orientalism and anti-Judaism in modern German letters. It shows how historicist narratives posit the Orient as fetish in lieu of absent origins, then appropriate this fetish by applying to the East-West relation the Christian supercessionist typology earlier developed to construe the Jewish-Christian relation.Trade Review"In this sweeping study reaching from Baruch Spinoza to Edward Said, Jeffrey Librett uncovers with superb erudition the driving force of Orientalism: the panicked disavowal of the 'crisis of foundations' in Western modernity. Librett's astute analyses of transcendental-historicist texts from Herder to Schopenhauer are followed by fresh interpretations of critical modernist responses by Kafka and Freud. A groundbreaking critique of Said's critique of Freud and a keen analysis of the vicissitudes of contemporary German Orientalism complement this 'anamnestic journey.' The 19th century historicist appropriation of typology is shown to culminate disastrously in the Semitic/Aryan split, only to be shadowed by the split between the 'good' and the 'bad Semite' - an antagonism that haunts international politics in ruinous ways to this day. Librett's study is of great relevance for scholars of German philosophy and culture, Middle-Eastern Studies, Religious Studies and Psychoanalysis, and for any scholar concerned about the conflict in the Middle-East." -- -Elisabeth Weber University of California, Santa Barbara "This magisterially researched and probingly argued study opens a completely new and potentially groundbreaking perspective on Orientalism. In impeccably executed detail, it demonstrates that what has long been seen as a binary opposition between East and West has in fact relied since its inception on a triangular dynamic between three shifting poles: not simply Occident vs. Orient, but the Occident, the Orient, and the Jew. Orientalism and the Figure of the Jew will be of interest to a wide range of scholars." -- -David Martyn Macalester CollegeTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments Introduction: Orientalism as Typology, or How to Disavow the Modern Abyss 1 Part I. Historicist Orientalism: Transcendental Historiography from Johann Gottfried Herder to Arthur Schopenhauer 1. Ordering Chaos: The Orient in J. G. Herder's Teleological Historicism 2. Figuralizing the Oriental, Literalizing the Jew: From Letter to Spirit in Friedrich Schlegel's On the Language and Wisdom of the Indians 3. Goethe's Orientalizing Moment (I): "Notes and Treatises for the Better Understanding of the West-East Divan" 4. Goethe's Orientalizing Moment (II): The Poetry of the West-East Divan Excursus: Jussuph and the Question of Anti-Semitism in Goethe 5. Thresholds of History: India and the Limits of Europe in Hegel's Lectures on the Philosophy of History Excursus: The History of Panic-Angst und Notgeschrei 6. Taking Up Groundlessness, Fulfilling Fulfillment: Schopenhauer's Orientalist Metaphysics between Indians and Jews Part II. How Not to Appropriate Orientalist Typology: Some Modernist Responses to Historicism 7. Dialectical Development or Partial Construction? Martin Buber and Franz Kafka Excursus on a Brief Excursus-Concerning Babel 8. The Dreamwork of History: Orientalism and Originary Disfiguration in Freud's Moses and Monotheism Excursus: Edward Said and the Identity of the Different, or Freud in Palestine Conclusion: For an Abstract Historiography of the Nonexistent Present Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Marrano Spirit brings together work by major scholars who collectively pursue the reciprocal influence between Jacques Derrida and Hispanism: his reception within intellectual circles in Spain and Latin America, on the one hand, and the Hispanist or marrano inflection of Derrida’s philosophical writings on the other.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Marrano Spirit brings together work by major scholars who collectively pursue the reciprocal influence between Jacques Derrida and Hispanism: his reception within intellectual circles in Spain and Latin America, on the one hand, and the Hispanist or marrano inflection of Derrida’s philosophical writings on the other.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume assesses the role of Jews, as both agents and figures, in the development of critical and literary theory in the twentieth century and beyond. Its topics range from Biblical criticism to the relationship between Derrida and Levinas, from Mizrachi Jews in Israel to the Zionisms of Buber and Scholem.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Jews, Theory, and Ends Shai Ginsburg, Martin Land, and Jonathan Boyarin, 1 1. Leo Lowenthal and the Jewish Renaissance Martin Jay, 27 2. The Palestinian Nakba and the Arab-Jewish Melancholy: An Essay on Sovereignty and Translation Yehouda Shenhav, 48 3. The Ends of Ladino Andrew Bush, 65 4. The Last Jewish Intellectual: Derrida and His Literary Betrayal of Levinas Sarah Hammerschlag, 88 5. Jews, in Theory Sergey Dolgopolski, 108 6. The Jewish Animot: Of Jews as Animals Jay Geller, 142 7. The Off-Modern Turn: Modernist Humanism and Vernacular Cosmopolitanism in Shklovsky and Mandelshtam Svetlana Boym, 164 8. Old Testament Realism in the Writings of Erich Auerbach James I. Porter, 187 9. Buber versus Scholem and the Figure of the Hasidic Jew: A Literary Debate between Two Political Theologies Hannan Hever, 225 10. Against the “Attack on Linking”: Rearticulating the “Jewish Intellectual” for Today Martin Land, 263 11. Recovering Futurity: Theorizing the End and the End of Theory Elliot R. Wolfson, 293 List of Contributors 313 Index 317

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume assesses the role of Jews, as both agents and figures, in the development of critical and literary theory in the twentieth century and beyond. Its topics range from Biblical criticism to the relationship between Derrida and Levinas, from Mizrachi Jews in Israel to the Zionisms of Buber and Scholem.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Jews, Theory, and Ends Shai Ginsburg, Martin Land, and Jonathan Boyarin, 1 1. Leo Lowenthal and the Jewish Renaissance Martin Jay, 27 2. The Palestinian Nakba and the Arab-Jewish Melancholy: An Essay on Sovereignty and Translation Yehouda Shenhav, 48 3. The Ends of Ladino Andrew Bush, 65 4. The Last Jewish Intellectual: Derrida and His Literary Betrayal of Levinas Sarah Hammerschlag, 88 5. Jews, in Theory Sergey Dolgopolski, 108 6. The Jewish Animot: Of Jews as Animals Jay Geller, 142 7. The Off-Modern Turn: Modernist Humanism and Vernacular Cosmopolitanism in Shklovsky and Mandelshtam Svetlana Boym, 164 8. Old Testament Realism in the Writings of Erich Auerbach James I. Porter, 187 9. Buber versus Scholem and the Figure of the Hasidic Jew: A Literary Debate between Two Political Theologies Hannan Hever, 225 10. Against the “Attack on Linking”: Rearticulating the “Jewish Intellectual” for Today Martin Land, 263 11. Recovering Futurity: Theorizing the End and the End of Theory Elliot R. Wolfson, 293 List of Contributors 313 Index 317

Read more less

Book SynopsisA collection of essays examining Catholicism in the United States from a variety of perspectives. The volume is divided into three sections: “'Beyond the Parish,' 'Presence in the World,' and 'Prophetic Catholicism'.” Essay topics include: anti-Catholicism, women religious, Latino/a Catholicism, Catholicism and Popular Culture, and Rural Catholcism.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Writing American Catholic History, 1 Margaret M. McGuinness and James T. Fisher Part I. Beyond the Parish 1. Ambiguous Welcome: The Protestant Response to American Catholics, 21 Patrick Allitt 2. Latino Catholics in the Southwest, 43 Timothy Matovina 3. Left Coast Catholicism: The Tradition of Dissent in the California Church, 63 Jeffrey M. Burns 4. Strangers in Our Midst: Catholics in Rural America, 86 Jeffrey Marlett 5. “An Embassy to a Golf Course?” Conundrums on the Road to the United States’ Diplomatic Representation to the Holy See, 1784–1984, 108 Roy Domenico Part II. Engaging the World 6. American and Catholic and Literature: What Cultural History Helps Reveal, 133 Una M. Cadegan 7. Gospel Zeal: Missionary Citizens Overseas and Armchair Missionaries at Home; American Catholic Missions in China, 1900–1989, 150 Robert E. Carbonneau, C.P. 8. Northern Settlement Houses and Southern Welfare Centers: The Sisters of Our Lady of Christian Doctrine, 1910–1971, 173 Margaret M. McGuinness 9. Pulp Catholicism: Catholics in American Popular Film, 193 Anthony Burke Smith Part III. Prophetic Catholicism 10. American Catholic Social Thought in the Twentieth Century, 219 Christopher Shannon 11. Catholics, Communism, and African Americans, 240 Cecilia A. Moore 12. Praying in the Public Square: Catholic Piety Meets Civil Rights, War, and Abortion, 264 James P. McCartin 13. The Resurrection Project of Mexican Catholic Chicago: Spiritual Activism and Liberating Praxis, 284 Karen Mary Davalos 14. The Church and American Catholics, 304 Chester Gillis Epilogue, 325 Jeffrey M. Burns List of Contributors, 333

Read more less

Book SynopsisA collection of essays examining Catholicism in the United States from a variety of perspectives. The volume is divided into three sections: “'Beyond the Parish,' 'Presence in the World,' and 'Prophetic Catholicism'.” Essay topics include: anti-Catholicism, women religious, Latino/a Catholicism, Catholicism and Popular Culture, and Rural Catholcism.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Writing American Catholic History, 1 Margaret M. McGuinness and James T. Fisher Part I. Beyond the Parish 1. Ambiguous Welcome: The Protestant Response to American Catholics, 21 Patrick Allitt 2. Latino Catholics in the Southwest, 43 Timothy Matovina 3. Left Coast Catholicism: The Tradition of Dissent in the California Church, 63 Jeffrey M. Burns 4. Strangers in Our Midst: Catholics in Rural America, 86 Jeffrey Marlett 5. “An Embassy to a Golf Course?” Conundrums on the Road to the United States’ Diplomatic Representation to the Holy See, 1784–1984, 108 Roy Domenico Part II. Engaging the World 6. American and Catholic and Literature: What Cultural History Helps Reveal, 133 Una M. Cadegan 7. Gospel Zeal: Missionary Citizens Overseas and Armchair Missionaries at Home; American Catholic Missions in China, 1900–1989, 150 Robert E. Carbonneau, C.P. 8. Northern Settlement Houses and Southern Welfare Centers: The Sisters of Our Lady of Christian Doctrine, 1910–1971, 173 Margaret M. McGuinness 9. Pulp Catholicism: Catholics in American Popular Film, 193 Anthony Burke Smith Part III. Prophetic Catholicism 10. American Catholic Social Thought in the Twentieth Century, 219 Christopher Shannon 11. Catholics, Communism, and African Americans, 240 Cecilia A. Moore 12. Praying in the Public Square: Catholic Piety Meets Civil Rights, War, and Abortion, 264 James P. McCartin 13. The Resurrection Project of Mexican Catholic Chicago: Spiritual Activism and Liberating Praxis, 284 Karen Mary Davalos 14. The Church and American Catholics, 304 Chester Gillis Epilogue, 325 Jeffrey M. Burns List of Contributors, 333

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Problem of Mathematics in Critical Theory, 1 1. The Trouble with Logical Positivism: Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, and the Origins of Critical Theory, 25 2. The Philosophy of Mathematics: Privation and Representation in Gershom Scholem’s Negative Aesthetics, 65 3. Infinitesimal Calculus: Subjectivity, Motion, and Franz Rosenzweig’s Messianism, 104 4. Geometry: Projection and Space in Siegfried Kracauer’s Aesthetics of Theory, 145 Conclusion: Who’s Afraid of Mathematics? Critical Theory in the Digital Age, 187 Acknowledgments 201 Notes 205 Bibliography 245 Index 269

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Problem of Mathematics in Critical Theory, 1 1. The Trouble with Logical Positivism: Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, and the Origins of Critical Theory, 25 2. The Philosophy of Mathematics: Privation and Representation in Gershom Scholem’s Negative Aesthetics, 65 3. Infinitesimal Calculus: Subjectivity, Motion, and Franz Rosenzweig’s Messianism, 104 4. Geometry: Projection and Space in Siegfried Kracauer’s Aesthetics of Theory, 145 Conclusion: Who’s Afraid of Mathematics? Critical Theory in the Digital Age, 187 Acknowledgments 201 Notes 205 Bibliography 245 Index 269

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book seeks to harness the possibilities offered by the evolving collection of forces by which Jewish Studies is constituted and practiced in order to open, refashion, and exemplify possibilities for a humanities to come.Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments | ix Introduction | 1 Interchapter I: JS Davka | 30 1. Jewish Studies as Lever | 35 Interchapter II: The Dialectics of Ownership | 55 2. Jewish Studies and the Pitchfork | 60 Interchapter III: “Past its own aim, out to another side” | 83 3. Mochlos or Makhlokes: JS and the Humanities | 87 Interchapter IV: Speaking of JS; and Its Vicissitudes | 123 4. Bildungsheld or Pícaro, Canon and List: A Heterotopology for JS | 127 Interchapter V: Bildung and Built-ins | 161 5. Ventilating the Tradition: Rashbam and the Coen Brothers | 165 Epilogue: Knotted thread, middle game: an envoi | 191 Notes | 201 Works Cited | 239 Index | 273

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book seeks to harness the possibilities offered by the evolving collection of forces by which Jewish Studies is constituted and practiced in order to open, refashion, and exemplify possibilities for a humanities to come.Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments | ix Introduction | 1 Interchapter I: JS Davka | 30 1. Jewish Studies as Lever | 35 Interchapter II: The Dialectics of Ownership | 55 2. Jewish Studies and the Pitchfork | 60 Interchapter III: “Past its own aim, out to another side” | 83 3. Mochlos or Makhlokes: JS and the Humanities | 87 Interchapter IV: Speaking of JS; and Its Vicissitudes | 123 4. Bildungsheld or Pícaro, Canon and List: A Heterotopology for JS | 127 Interchapter V: Bildung and Built-ins | 161 5. Ventilating the Tradition: Rashbam and the Coen Brothers | 165 Epilogue: Knotted thread, middle game: an envoi | 191 Notes | 201 Works Cited | 239 Index | 273

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe novel, the literary adage has it, reflects a world abandoned by God. Yet the possibilities of novelistic form and literary exegesis exceed the secularizing tendencies of contemporary criticism. Showing how the Qurʾan invites critical reading, this account of Arabophone and Francophone Maghrebi literature develops a Qurʾanic model of narratology.Table of ContentsNote on Translations and Transliterations | ix Acknowledgments | xi Preface: The Ethics of Reading | xv Introduction. The Quʾran as (Inter)text: Embodiment, Praxis, Critique | 1 Part I: Poetics of Piety 1. Existential Poiesis in Maḥmūd al-Masʿadī’s Mawlid al-nisyān | 37 2. Carnivals of Heterodoxy in Abdelwahab Meddeb’s Talismano | 58 Part II: Ethics of Embodiment 3. Apocalyptic Aftershocks in al-Ṭāhir Waṭṭār’s Al-zilzāl | 83 4. The Polyphonic Hermeneutics of Assia Djebar’s L’amour, la fantasia | 100 Part III: Genealogies of Transmission 5. Tense Eruptions in Driss Chraïbi’s Le passé simple | 119 6. Threads of Transmission in Muḥammad Barrāda’s Luʿbat al-nisyān | 141 Epilogue: Poetics, Politics, Piety | 159 Glossary | 167 Notes | 171 Bibliography | 213 Index | 231

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe novel, the literary adage has it, reflects a world abandoned by God. Yet the possibilities of novelistic form and literary exegesis exceed the secularizing tendencies of contemporary criticism. Showing how the Qurʾan invites critical reading, this account of Arabophone and Francophone Maghrebi literature develops a Qurʾanic model of narratology.Table of ContentsNote on Translations and Transliterations | ix Acknowledgments | xi Preface: The Ethics of Reading | xv Introduction. The Quʾran as (Inter)text: Embodiment, Praxis, Critique | 1 Part I: Poetics of Piety 1. Existential Poiesis in Maḥmūd al-Masʿadī’s Mawlid al-nisyān | 37 2. Carnivals of Heterodoxy in Abdelwahab Meddeb’s Talismano | 58 Part II: Ethics of Embodiment 3. Apocalyptic Aftershocks in al-Ṭāhir Waṭṭār’s Al-zilzāl | 83 4. The Polyphonic Hermeneutics of Assia Djebar’s L’amour, la fantasia | 100 Part III: Genealogies of Transmission 5. Tense Eruptions in Driss Chraïbi’s Le passé simple | 119 6. Threads of Transmission in Muḥammad Barrāda’s Luʿbat al-nisyān | 141 Epilogue: Poetics, Politics, Piety | 159 Glossary | 167 Notes | 171 Bibliography | 213 Index | 231

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction: Orientalist Decadence | 1 Part I: (Dis)integrating Semitism: French and Arabic in the Twilight of the Ottoman Empire 1. French Decadence, Arab Awakenings: Figures of Decay in the Nahda | 31 2. Al-Shidyaq’s Decadent Carnival | 52 3. From Dreyfus in the Colony to Céline’s Anti-Semitic Style | 68 Part II: Working Through Postcolonial Decadence 4. Resurrecting Colonial Decadence in Independent Algeria | 97 5. Algerian Women and the Invention of Literary Mourning | 118 6. Virtual Secularization: Abdelwahab Meddeb’s “Walking Cure” and the Immigrant Body in France | 136 Conclusion: Toward a Contrapuntal Double Critique of Colonial Modernity | 159 Acknowledgments | 173 Notes | 177 Select Bibliography | 203 Index | 215

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction: Orientalist Decadence | 1 Part I: (Dis)integrating Semitism: French and Arabic in the Twilight of the Ottoman Empire 1. French Decadence, Arab Awakenings: Figures of Decay in the Nahda | 31 2. Al-Shidyaq’s Decadent Carnival | 52 3. From Dreyfus in the Colony to Céline’s Anti-Semitic Style | 68 Part II: Working Through Postcolonial Decadence 4. Resurrecting Colonial Decadence in Independent Algeria | 97 5. Algerian Women and the Invention of Literary Mourning | 118 6. Virtual Secularization: Abdelwahab Meddeb’s “Walking Cure” and the Immigrant Body in France | 136 Conclusion: Toward a Contrapuntal Double Critique of Colonial Modernity | 159 Acknowledgments | 173 Notes | 177 Select Bibliography | 203 Index | 215

Read more less

Book SynopsisA gripping, funny, joyful account of how the books you read shape your own life in surprising and profound ways.Bookworms know what scholars of literature are trained to forget: that when they devour a work of literary fiction, whatever else they may be doing, they are reading about themselves. Read Shakespeare, and you become Cleopatra, Hamlet, or Bottom. Or at the very least, you experience the plays as if you are in a small room alone with them, and they are speaking to your life, your sensibility.Drawing on fifty years as a Shakespearean, Leonard Barkan has produced a captivating book that asks us to reconsider what it means to read. Barkan violates the rule of distance he was taught and has always taught his students. He asks: Where does this brilliantly contrived fiction actually touch me? Where is Shakespeare in effect telling the story of my life?King Lear, for Barkan, raises unanswerable questions about what exactly a father does afterTable of ContentsPreface | ix 1 Father Uncertain. King Lear | 1 2 Athens Scrambled. A Midsummer Night’s Dream | 33 3 Mothers and Sons. Coriolanus, All’s Well That Ends Well, Macbeth, Hamlet | 73 4 Faith Awakened. The Winter’s Tale | 109 5 Queer. As You Like It, the Sonnets, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night | 149 6 The Royal and the Real. Richard II | 176 Readings | 207 Acknowledgments | 213 Index | 215 Photographs follow page 104

Read more less

Book SynopsisMoving beyond the entrenched categories that can hamper our understanding of other views, this book demonstrates the real-life connections between the ""religious"" and the ""psychological."" It shows how such beliefs and practices are used, sometimes strategically, in people's constructions of themselves, and in their attempts at social positioning.

Read more less

Book SynopsisExamines the progressive drives by religious groups to contest standard conceptions of modernity and forge a heavenly kingdom on the Korean peninsula to relieve people from fierce ruptures in their everyday lives. The results of this study will reconfigure the debates on colonial modernity, the origins of faith-based socialactivism in Korea, and the role of religion in a modern world.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisJewish identity and magical realism are the themes of the tales of adventure and cultural alienation collected here by the leading authority on Jewish Latin American literature. First published in 1994 as Tropical Synagogues: Short Stories by Jewish-Latin American Writers, Ilan Stavans's classic anthology is expanded and updated in this new edition.Trade ReviewWriters from Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Guatemala, Mexico, and other countries represent an ethnically diverse culture with roots in eastern Europe as well as Spain. . . . The anthology includes tales by such masters as Alberto Gerchunoff . . . and Germán Rozenmacher, a large number of innovative women writers, and some authors more familiar to English-speaking readers."" - Library Journal""Reminds us that society south of the border is just as multicultural as in the US, and that Jews have played an important role in it since the time of the Spanish conquest."" - Publishers Weekly

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this collection of essays, we encounter a scholar passionately concerned with the cultural and spiritual renaissance of the Jewish people in its own land, a scholar whose concerns encompass issues of the cultural life, language, the meaning of scholarship, and the religious quest.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSuitable for Jewish learners and educators alike, this title provides a framework for exploring our thinking about God, prayer, and ritual, as well as social issues, such as charity, friendship, and justice.Trade Review"Especially recommended for adult Jewish learners, educators, and any individual questioning the intersection of holy writings, traditional practice, and the demands of daily life."—Wisconsin Bookwatch

Read more less

Book SynopsisA dictionary that contains 1,200 entries derived from Yiddish, Hebrew, Aramaic, and English. It includes words for and associated with Jewish holidays and life-cycle events, culture, history, the Bible and other sacred texts, worship, and more.Trade Review“Highly recommended.”—Choice

Read more less

Book SynopsisPresents a holiday book that takes us through the joys, spirit, and meaning of the seasons. This title focuses on our personal connections to each holiday and our home observance. It features readings that teach us about the history of each holiday, as well as its theological, ethical, agricultural, and seasonal importance and interpretation.Trade Review“[Steinberg’s] careful, thorough and reasoned explanations will deepen understanding of each holiday’s history and tradition, allowing celebrations to become, in fact, more celebratory.”—Publishers Weekly “Organized with much thoughtfulness, [the author] includes a richness of materials for each holiday. . . . There’s much good and inspiring writing here.”—Jewish Week “Those looking for one book to help them understand the fall holiday season would do well to read Celebrating the Jewish Year.”—The Reporter “A superb addition to personal, family, school and community library Judaic Studies reference collections, Celebrating the Jewish Year is very highly recommended and informative reading that will help the reader to create a memorable holiday experience for themselves and their loved ones that will be enhanced in both meaning and spirit.”—Midwest Book Review “This is the kind of book where a reviewer says ‘every family should own one.’ All three volumes will make excellent contributions to the celebrations of our Jewish holidays.”—Sybil Kaplan, National Jewish Post and Opinion

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe ancient Israelites believed things that the writers of the Bible wanted them to forget: myths and legends from a pre-biblical world that the new monotheist order needed to bury, hide, or reinterpret. Ancient Israel was rich in such literary traditions. Written in clear and accessible language, this volume presents thirty such traditions.Trade Review“Shinan and Zakovitch approach 30 specific Bible stories (e.g., Was Goliath really slain by a young boy named David?) as literary archaeologists. . . . Their thoughtful and sympathetic exegesis uncovers possible explanations why the biblical authors saw their interpretations of these stories as best suited to instruct a nation. Most important, they introduce the oral and literary traditions of ancient Israel with breathtaking clarity and ease.”—Christopher McConnell, Booklist“A meticulously researched primer on the Hebrew Bible’s role as part of an evolving theological and political discourse. . . . Shinan and Zakovitch paint a richly nuanced portrait of the biblical literature as an interlocutor in the debates of its day. . . . An illuminating, challenging look at the original significance of many of the Bible’s stories.”—Kirkus"This was a well researched book and shares some strong arguments on how we have come to be where we are today."—Christopher Lewis, Dad of Divas’ Reviews"This book is wonderful, not just for its scholarship or for its many fascinating themes, but also because it is, simply, a joy to read."—Bob Rickard, Fortean Times"Readers interested in the legends of ancient Israelites or examining the possibilities of the biblical text from a different viewpoint will enjoy exploring the lessons of From Gods to God."—Rabbi Rachel Esserman, Reporter"This book will open readers' eyes to a whole new way of reading our sacred texts. It could forever change the way its readers will approach the subject. The term "must read" may be overused, but I believe it is appropriate in describing this book."—Stuart Lewis, Jewish ChronicleTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsTranslator's NoteIntroduction: When God Fought the Sea DragonsPart 1. The World of Myth1. Eden's Winged Serpent2. When Gods Seduced Women3. Moses or God? Who Split the Sea of Reeds?4. What Is Manna?5. The Hero Who Stopped the SunPart 2. Cult and Sacred Geography6. The Wandering Gate of Heaven7. Seeing and Weeping: Managing the Story of a Divine Defeat8. Where Were Rachel and Jacob Buried?9. Where in the Wilderness Did Israel Receive the Torah?10. Some More Reasons for Eating Matzah11. Was Worshiping the Golden Calf a Sin?12. Where Was the Law Given? In the Wilderness or in the Land of Israel?13. When and How Was the City of Dan Sanctified?Part 3. Biblical Heroes and Their Biographies14. What Did Ham Do to His Father?15. Out of the Fire: Recovering the Story of Abraham's Origins16. The Reinterpretation of a Name: Jacob's In Utero Activities17. Were the Israelites Never in Egypt? A Peculiar Tradition about Ephraim18. Moses's Most Miraculous Birth19. Moses's African Romance20. Moses's Necessary Death21. Son of God? The Suspicious Story of Samson's Birth22. A Cinderella Tale: Clues to David's Lost Birth Story23. Finding the Real Killer of Goliath24. How a Savior Became a Villain: Jeroboam and the ExodusPart 4. Relations between Men and Women25. Sister or Not: Sarah's Adventures with Pharaoh26. The Story of Rebekah and the Servant on the Road from Haran27. Reuben, Bilhah, and a Silent Jacob28. Seduction before Murder: The Case of Jael29. No Innocent Death: David, Abigail, and Nabal30. Not Just Riddles: Solomon and the Queen of ShebaIn ClosingGlossary of Extra-Biblical SourcesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe most common English translations of the Bible often sound like a single, somewhat archaic voice. Using historic, linguistic, anthropological, and theological sources, this title helps us distinguish between the Jewish Bible's voices - the mythic, the historical, the prophetic, the theological, and the legal.Trade Review"[Carasik's] prose is easy to read and he has no political or theological agenda other than to help readers appreciate the richness and depth of the biblical material. The Bible's Many Voices would be perfect for an adult education class or a multi-month discussion at a book club, although anyone interested in the Bible might want to add this work to their shelves."—Rabbi Rachel Esserman, The Reporter“A good addition to any nonfiction collection that includes Bible study.”—Association of Jewish Libraries"Carasik leads us gently through the texts. . . . The Bible gains a new vibrancy as we encounter more complexity and nuance."—Rabbi Louis A. Rieser, Congregational Libraries Today"This is an interesting book that will open up a whole new way of reading the Bible."—Simcha Ro Senberg, Jewish Bible Quarterly“An engaging presentation of the most current scholarship about the Jewish Bible. Carasik’s description of the numerous voices, which speak in its pages, illumines their teachings, illustrates their origin, and clarifies their relationships with each other and the world from which they emerged.”—Frederick E. Greenspahn, Gimelstob Eminent Scholar of Judaic Studies, Florida Atlantic University. Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsRead Me FirstWhose Bible Is It?1. The Sound of the Biblical Voices2. Historical Voices3. Theological Voices4. Legal Voices5. Prophetic Voices6. Women’s Voices7. Voices of the Wise8. Foreign Voices9. Voices of Song and Legend10. Echoes and ReverberationsIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow did bar mitzvah develop over the centuries from an obscure legal ritual into a core component of Judaism? How did it capture the imagination of even non-Jewish youth? This title explores the origins and development of the most important coming-of-age milestone in Judaism.Trade Review"Rabbi Michael Hilton has sought out every reference to bar mitzvah in the Bible, the Talmud, and numerous other Jewish texts spanning several centuries, extracting a fascinating miscellany of information, stories, and commentary."—Jewish Book Council Weekly"Michael Hilton sets out to answer the question of precisely when, where, and how bar mitzvah became a child-centered ceremony: from a blessing recited by a father freeing him from filial responsibility for the sins of his son, to a ritual in which the son, rather than the father, reached an educational and coming-of-age milestone. . . . Readers interested in the history of Jewish education will find much to appreciate in Hilton's investigation of the sources, and of his weighing of the evidence for external Christian educational practices as influential upon the repositioning of bar mitzvah from a paternal ritual to an educational milestone."—Laura Yares, Journal of Jewish Education“Michael Hilton’s book combines a thorough grounding in the primary sources and scholarly literature about the history of bar mitzvah with the experience of an established congregational rabbi. For anyone seeking insight into the origins, development, and significance of this major Jewish lifecycle event, this is the book to consult.”—Marc Saperstein, professor of Jewish history and homiletics at Leo Baeck College “Bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah are contemporary Judaism’s best-known and least understood observances. Michael Hilton does a wonderful job of assembling the lore, laws, and customs regarding bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah in a way that is easily accessible to scholars, educators, and laypeople. Highly recommended!”—Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin, author of Putting God on the Guest List: How to Reclaim the Spiritual Meaning of Your Child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. How Bar Mitzvah Began2. How Bar Mitzvah Became Popular3. The Spread and Regulation of Bar Mitzvah4. Jewish Confirmation5. Bat Mitzvah6. Into the Modern Age7. Current Issues and Trends8. The Evidence AssessedNotesGlossaryBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers a window into some of the liveliest and most colorful stories in the Talmud. This title includes tales as richly imagined fictions, drawing us into the lives of such characters as the woman who risks author's life for a sister suspected of adultery; and a humble schoolteacher who rescues his village from drought.Trade Review"A Bride for One Night highlights Ruth Calderon's remarkable skill in bridging the cultural gap between the rabbis and contemporary readers and the significant contribution she has made to demonstrating the relevance of rabbinic legends in the 21st century."—David C. Jacobson, Jewish Review of Books"Dr. Calderon's A Bride for One Night takes seventeen short sugyot (sections) of Talmudic texts, translates them and comments on them from the standpoint of a teacher and scholar. What makes this book so useful to a beginner, is that Calderon then writes an imaginative retelling of the text, a reflection that gets at the subtext of the tale and the issues that are driving it. One could not ask for a better introduction to Talmud study."—Beth Kissileff, Wisdom Daily"A welcome step in encouraging Jews of all stripes to engage with texts that hold values we wish to live by, and to find those values there."—Beth Kissileff, Tablet Magazine"Calderon has indeed realized her goal to teach and to promulgate the creative cultural traditions of the Talmud."—CJ magazine"Calderon's interpretation of classic Talmudic literature is like a breath of fresh spring air clearing out the cobwebs and is sure to be enjoyed by scholars and anyone interested in learning more about the rich Jewish heritage."—Sandy Amazeen, Monsters & Critics"Heartfelt, philosophical, imaginative, and religious, these stories offer new ways to read text."—Sharon Elswit, Jewish Book Council"A Bride for One Night is a book that lovers of Talmud must buy."—Jay Michaelson, Jewish Daily ForwardTable of ContentsIntroduction The Imaginative Map The Fishpond Sisters The Other Side Beloved Rabbi Libertina Return A Bride for One Night Nazir Lamp The Matron The Goblet The Knife He and His Son Sorrow in the Cave Elisha The Beruria Incident Yishmael, My Son, Bless Me NotesSelected Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisIs laughter essential to Jewish identity? Do Jews possess special radar for recognising members of the tribe? Since Jews live longer and make love more often, why don't more people join the tribe? “More deli than deity” writer Nancy Kalikow Maxwell poses many such questions in eight chapters exploring what it means to be “typically Jewish”.Trade Review"A spirited examination of the essence of Jewishness."—Kirkus Reviews"Typically Jewish is a wise and witty cornucopia of Jewish likes and dislikes, customs, humor, and tribal tastes and treasures. Over the centuries and across the globe, Jews have built a vast library of books devoted to every imaginable topic of concern and interest to the Jewish people. Typically Jewish is a charming addition to that large and inclusive library."—World Religion News"I can't imagine a more accessible or fun book for a Jewish book club to discuss than this one."—Jordana Horn, Lilith"Nancy Kalikow Maxwell's Typically Jewish (Jewish Publication Society) provides an original, down-to-earth, earnest look at pressing questions about identity and culture faced by the Jewish community, looking at the way Jews live their lives."—Jewish News"Readers will enjoy learning about how Jews feel, think, act, love, and live. They'll also schmooze as they use the book’s 'Typically Jewish, Atypically Fun Discussion Guide.'"—Jewish Book World“As Maxwell takes readers on a humorous safari to observe Jews in their natural habitat, even Jews who have never set foot in a synagogue or JCC will recognize themselves with wondrous insight. And Jews who love learning—in other words, all of us—will delight in learning a lot from Typically Jewish. I definitely did.”—Maggie Anton, author of Rashi’s Daughters and Fifty Shades of Talmud“I’m often asked, What does it mean to be Jewish? Is it a religion? A race? A nationality? A faith? A way of life? Typically Jewish answers these questions—and, like any other great Jewish book, raises many others. Complete with a superb, extremely user-friendly discussion guide, it’s a fantastic source for adult education study sessions. I plan to make it required reading for my Introduction to Judaism students.”—Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn, Temple Israel of Greater Kansas City “I loved this book and look forward to sharing it with my book groups.”—Sharon Curtis, coordinator of Lunch ‘N’ Lit and Ladies of the Night Hadassah book groups“Maxwell took me on a fascinating whirlwind discovery tour of the top historical and modern insights into my Jewish identity, concluding with the “Typically Jewish, Atypical Fun Discussion Guide.” I highly recommend this book for Jewish book clubs, JCCs, organizations, federations, and home conversations where you too may laugh, nosh, and kvell together over your Jewish identities.”—Gail K. Harris, coauthor of Journey from Invisibility to Visibility: A Guide for Women Sixty and Beyond“When you are about to enter Jewish life, wouldn’t it be great to have a friendly, knowledgeable, and down-to-earth tour guide? Typically Jewish is just that: a witty, unpretentious, and comprehensive explanation of the complexities and conundrums in the twenty-first century mostly Ashkenazic American Jewish experience.”—Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan, chief program officer and senior educator, Lehrhaus Judaica Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Why Is This Book Different from All Other Books? 1. Worrying 2. Kvelling 3. Dying 4. Noshing 5. Laughing 6. Detecting 7. Dwelling 8. Joining Conclusion: What It Means to Be Typically Jewish Appendix: Typically Jewish, Atypically Fun Discussion Guide Notes

Read more less