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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > General
Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful
introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and
law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed
to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys
of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete
subject areas. This Advanced Introduction sets out the difficulty
of defining religion itself and the subsequent impact this has on
creating laws which regulate and protect it. Taking a global
comparative approach, Frank S. Ravitch guides the reader in how
this unique interaction plays out in differing legal systems
including in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Providing further context
by contrasting specific case studies, the book provides a rounded
and coherent exploration of the complexities of law in relation to
religion. Key Features: Addresses the many issues surrounding
religious exceptions to general laws Considers the extent of
separation between government and religion, and the role of courts
in deciding religious questions Looks at the ways in which law may
govern discrimination by government or by private entities, based
on religion or religious concerns Explores the multifaceted
interactions between religion and law in many areas, including
human rights; public schooling; health and property; tax
exemptions; and clergy abuse This foundational book offers a
platform for researchers and students in the fields of law,
political science, ethics, and religious studies. It also provides
valuable insight for lawyers, judges and legislators with a focus
on law and religion. .
A new English translation of the celebrated Poem of the Cloak
(Qasidat al-Burda) by Imam Busiri (may Allah be pleased with him)
is now available. With calligraphy by Betul Krkan and illumination
by Ersan Percem, the beautiful production of this edition reflects
the esteem in which the poem is held, as well of course as its high
purpose, the remembrance and honouring of God's Beloved and Final
Messenger, Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him.Sheikh Abdal Hakim's translation renders the poem in beautiful
and moving English in a parallel text alongside the original
Arabic. In addition, each verse is followed by lines from other
poets - classical and modern, and from many parts of the world -
echoing and amplifying its theme, encouraging the reader to reflect
on its meanings more fully."
This book is a journey through the arts and green architecture and
the history of architecture, spirituality both Christian and
eastern philosophy and poetry.
With 366 days of thought-provoking prompts, this beautiful gilded
journal will help you embark on your spiritual journey. There are
few subjects as satisfying to explore as your spirituality. Whether
you worship in one religion or follow your own set of practices,
this journal will help you examine your beliefs. With daily words
of wisdom from inspiring figures and thought-provoking prompts,
every page offers a chance to discover new insights, grapple with
long-held convictions, or contemplate big questions about the
universe. You will describe how your family shapes your beliefs,
how your spirituality helped during a difficult time, and your
relationship with a higher power. A few minutes every day are all
you need to engage with your spiritual side.
With the extraordinary growth of Christianity in the global south
has come the rise of "reverse missions," in which countries in
Asia, Africa, and Latin America send missionaries to re-evangelize
the West. In The Spirit Moves West, Rebecca Kim focuses on South
Korea as a case study of how non-Western missionaries evangelize
Americans, particularly white Americans. Known as the "Asian
Protestant Superpower," South Korea now sends more missionaries
abroad than any country except the United States; there are
approximately 22,000 Korean missionaries in over 160 countries.
Drawing on four years of in-depth interviews, participant
observation, and surveys of South Korea's largest
non-denominational missionary-sending agency, University Bible
Fellowship, Rebecca Kim gives us an inside look at reverse
missions. Conducting her research both in the US and South Korea,
she studies the motivations and methods of Korean evangelicals who
have sought to "bring the gospel back" to America since the 1970s.
She also explores how a mission movement from the global South
could evolve over time in the West. The Spirit Moves West is the
first empirically-grounded examination of a much-discussed
phenomenon, which concludes by considering what the future of
non-Western, especially Korean, missions will bring.
Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the Central
Himalayan region of Kumaon, Tales of Justice and Rituals of Divine
Embodiment from the Central Himalayas explores ideas of justice by
drawing on oral and written narratives, stories, testimonies, and
rituals told and performed in relation to the 'God of Justice',
Goludev, and other regional deities. The book seeks to answer
several questions: How is the concept of justice defined in South
Asia? Why do devotees seek out Goludev for the resolution of
matters of justice instead of using the secular courts? What are
the sociological and political consequences of situating divine
justice within a secular, democratic, modern context? Moreover, how
do human beings locate themselves within the indeterminateness and
struggles of their everyday existence? What is the place of
language and ritual in creating intimacy and self? How is justice
linked to intimacy, truth, and being human? The stories and
narratives in this book revolve around Goludev's own story and
deeds, as well as hundreds of petitions (manauti) written on paper
that devotees hang on his temple walls, and rituals (jagar) that
involve spirit possession and the embodiment of the deity through
designated mediums. The jagars are powerful, extraordinary
experiences, mesmerizing because of their intensity but also
because of what they imply in terms of how we conceptualize being
being human with the seemingly limitless potential to shift, alter,
and transform ourselves through language and ritual practice. The
petitions, though silent and absent of the singing, drumming, and
choreography that accompany jagars, are equally powerful because of
their candid and intimate testimony to the aspirations, breakdowns,
struggles, and breakthroughs that circumscribe human existence.
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