On the surface it may appear that I am quite negative about many things in my church and that I am pessimistic about the church's future. That would, however, be a wrong conclusion. I am not about to give up on my church but I try to take the long view. I believe current clouds can blow away and eventually new winds can begin to blow. The last thing I would want to do is discourage any readers by my analysis of the crisis in Christianity in general, and in Adventism in particular. I would be devastated if my book drove people away from faith and away from their church. On the contrary, I hope with all my heart that it will help at least some readers to take a new 'leap of faith' and then (re)-connect with their church. I have written this book because I deeply care for all those who have ended up 'on the margins.' I do not have the illusion that reading it will make all doubts disappear. I do hope and pray, however, that it will help those who read it to establish priorities in their faith experience and in their ties with the church, and dare to live creatively with their uncertainties and doubts.

This innovative reassessment of ritual murder accusations brings together scholars working in history, folklore, ethnography, and literature. Favoring dynamic explanations of the mechanisms, evolution, popular appeal, and responses to the blood libel, the essays rigorously engage with the larger social and cultural worlds that made these phenomena possible. In doing so, the book helps to explain why blood libel accusations continued to spread in Europe even after modernization seemingly made them obsolete. Drawing on untapped and unconventional historical sources, the collection explores a range of intriguing topics: popular belief and scientific knowledge; the connections between antisemitism, prejudice, and violence; the rule of law versus the power of rumors; the politics of memory; and humanitarian intervention on a global scale.

This is the first study to bring space into conversation with religious competition, conflict and violence in the contemporary world. Lily Kong and Orlando Woods argue that because space is both a medium and an outcome of religious activity, it is integral to understanding processes of religious competition, conflict and violence. The book explores how religious groups make claims to both religious and secular spaces, and examines how such claims are managed, negotiated and contested by the state and by other secular and religious agencies. It also examines how globalisation has given rise to new forms of religious competition, and how religious groups strengthen themselves through the development of social resilience, as well as contribute to resilient societies. Throughout the book, case studies from around the world are used to examine how religious competition and conflict intersect with space. The case studies include topical issues such as competing claims to the Temple Mount/Haram el-Sharif in Jerusalem, opposition to the "Ground Zero mosque" in New York City, and the regulation of religious conversion in India and Sri Lanka. By helping readers develop new perspectives on how religion works in and through space, Religion and Space: Competition, Conflict and Violence in the Contemporary World is an innovative contribution to the study of religion.

This innovative reassessment of ritual murder accusations brings together scholars working in history, folklore, ethnography, and literature. Favoring dynamic explanations of the mechanisms, evolution, popular appeal, and responses to the blood libel, the essays rigorously engage with the larger social and cultural worlds that made these phenomena possible. In doing so, the book helps to explain why blood libel accusations continued to spread in Europe even after modernization seemingly made them obsolete. Drawing on untapped and unconventional historical sources, the collection explores a range of intriguing topics: popular belief and scientific knowledge; the connections between antisemitism, prejudice, and violence; the rule of law versus the power of rumors; the politics of memory; and humanitarian intervention on a global scale.

"Thank you, Father Kim Il Sung" is the first phrase North Korean parents are instructed to teach to their children. From cradle to grave, North Korean citizens are surrounded by the all-encompassing presence of the "Great Leader" and his son, the "Dear Leader" Kim Jong Il. The Kim dynasty is much more than an authoritarian government; it also holds itself out as the ultimate source of power, virtue, spiritual wisdom, and truth for the North Korean people. Heterodoxy and dissent are repressed, quickly and efficiently, with punishments meted out to successive generations of the dissident's family. The study that follows was commissioned by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent, bipartisan U.S. government agency that monitors freedom of religion or belief abroad, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments, and that provides independent policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and the Congress. Forty former North Koreans were interviewed extensively regarding conditions of freedom of religion or belief in the DPRK.

I was told to come alone. I was not to carry any identification, and would have to leave my cell phone, audio recorder, watch, and purse at my hotel ...For her whole life, Souad Mekhennet, a reporter for the Washington Post who was born and educated in Germany, has had to balance the two sides of her upbringing - Muslim and Western. She has also sought to provide a mediating voice between these cultures, which too often misunderstand each other. In this compelling and evocative memoir, we accompany Mekhennet as she journeys behind the lines of jihad, starting in the German neighbourhoods where the 9/11 plotters were radicalised and the Iraqi neighbourhoods where Sunnis and Shia turned against one another, and culminating on the Turkish/Syrian border region where ISIS is a daily presence. In her travels across the Middle East and North Africa, she documents her chilling run-ins with various intelligence services and shows why the Arab Spring never lived up to its promise. She then returns to Europe, first in London, where she uncovers the identity of the notorious ISIS executioner 'Jihadi John', and then in France, Belgium and her native Germany, where terror has come to the heart of Western civilisation. Mekhennet's background has given her unique access to some of the world's most wanted men, who generally refuse to speak to Western journalists. She is not afraid to face personal danger to reach out to individuals in the inner circles of Al Qaeda, the Taliban, ISIS and their affiliates; when she is told to come alone to an interview, she never knows what awaits at her destination. Souad Mekhennet is an ideal guide to introduce us to the human beings behind the ominous headlines, as she shares her transformative journey with us. Hers is a story you will not soon forget.

Although today the region is mostly identified with Islam, it has been home to many other great cultures, and the civilization of the Islamic world is itself indebted to the various peoples that the Arabs subdued in the 7th and 8th centuries. Far from fading away after the Arab conquest, the inhabitants of the Iranian plateau and of Mesopotamia were central players in the lives of their regions. However, the magnitude of their contribution to the emergence of the early Islamic world has hitherto been neglected. In this fascinating and groundbreaking study, Khanbaghi offers a comprehensive discussion of those groups that resisted assimilation to the new Islamic order yet continued to participate actively in the socio-political life of their homeland. He concentrates on Iran, which due to its complex religious history offers unique opportunities for the study of non-Muslim communities, specifically of Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians.Aptin Khanbaghi has written an important and fascinating book which aims to present a thorough evaluation of the historical contributions made by religious minorities - Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians - to the societal and cultural physiognomy of the lands of Iran in pre-modern and early modern times. His general perspective and his broad treatment of the topic are quite new, while his use of sources and of the secondary literature is genuinely impressive. The Fire, the Star and the Cross makes a very significant and original contribution to our knowledge and understanding of Iranian history and civilization during an era when the foundations were laid for the emerging modern Iranian state.'BERT G FRAGNER, Director of the Institute of Iranian Studies, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna

This is an updated and expanded 2015 edition of a classic text on Muslim thinking about war and peace. The new edition includes a new introduction and translations of selected revelatory excerpts from ISIS texts about the treatment of POWs, guidelines on the "management of barbarity," fatwas in opposition to ISIS, and other key topics.

If you love Jesus but distrust religion there is a reason. The reason you feel that way is Jesus came to bring the Light and the Word to lead mankind out of the darkness. You are meant to live in communication with the Father through the Holy Spirit every day of your life. Mankind was created to be a spititual being within a human body. We are being called to an awakening of a New Age fo God that wants us to start living within the spirit as it was intended. Man took the Word and subverted Jesus' intent and created a religion. The seeds of deceit have mislead generations to follow doctrines that are an abomination to the Father. Mans logic and Pagan beliefs have been infiltrated into the churces and God wants you to see the truth. Learn how to hear and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. You can discern the truth for yourself and begin to live in the New Age of true worship. If you seek the truth the Father of us all will stretch forth his hand to lead you, to heal, and to give us signs and wonders. He will bring miracles back to the world ( Acts 4:30). When the Holy Spirit moves, the miracles worked by the Son will be to glorify the Father (Acts 3:13). Isn't it time to start living a miraclous life instead of being at the mercy of a world that could care less about you. The world seeks to keep you distracted but you can begin to live a life of purpose. People have not been taught the truth about worship. Instead they have given you words without intent and a bunch of manmade rules and regulations. You can learn to live in His glory and grace. Put aside the deceits of the world and start seeking the truth for yourself. This book holds the keys to opening your eyes, your heart and how to control the mind. Everyone is struggling, searching and wondering what is missing. Why is this life so difficult? The Doctor cannot write a prescription for what is troubling people. Give me a chance to show you an alternative to the madness of the world. God wants to restore faith to His children. The love of the Father is reaching out to His children. Isn't it time to come back to the truth? Answer the quickening in your spirit and take a step closer to the truth.