The author uses the heb-sed, or Sed-festival, an ancient Egyptian religious festival that can be traced to the Archaic period, as the basis for a comparative study for providing insights into the controversial reign of Amenhotep IV - Akhenaten.

In this book readers are led on a powerful and inspiring journey through the inner dimensions of a range of Islamic acts, including prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage.

Consisting of a selection of writings by a great figure in Islamic history, Imam al-Ghazali, this book helps readers realize the benefits of the upliftment of their spiritual, social, and moral qualities.

Al-Ghazali (1058-1111), a towering figure in Islam, was born at Tus, near Mashhad in Iran, in the early Seljuq era. He wrote a large number of works, of which his magnum opus was the "Ihya' Ulum al-Din" compiled during his period of retirement and contemplation.

We Sing We Stay Together: Shabbat Morning Service Prayers is a super user-friendly Sing-Along prayer book for the Shabbat (Saturday) Morning Synagogue Service with TRANSLITERATED ENGLISH TEXT, translation and explanation of the service. Its primary purpose is to make it beyond easy to learn the prayers when listening and singing along to the 64 track music CD album set of the same name; but it also stands, in its own right, as a learning tool explaining the meaning of the words and the service. Our Jewish prayers are beautiful love songs; full of goodness, affection, adoration, hope, kindness and generosity. They are our DNA, even if we do not know them, because these prayers, our religion, have moulded the Jewish people; our way of thinking, education, who we are, and what we represent. Judaism is all about being good and positive for oneself, family, community, the wider world - all out of respect and love for Hashem. It fills me with gratitude, humility, and pride. Our heritage is an intellectual, cultural, spiritual and religious blessing - but we need easy access. I was never able to participate in, let alone enjoy, the Shabbat Morning Service, but I loved those moments when the whole community comes together and sings a few short prayers with moving melodies. There just was not enough of it, we needed more singing, much more! Community is all about family and friends, and we are all friends, it is actually written in one of our prayers. Our prayers are crying out to be sung with great happiness, clearly and harmoniously. Communal prayers are all about belonging, sharing, and that is only possible if we can all join in as equals; and for that we need clearly articulated words that are easy to learn and enjoyable to sing. I dedicate this project of melodizing the Shabbat Morning Service prayers and writing a Sing-Along prayer book to all who love and care for Jewish Continuity, Judaism, Torah, and the Nation-State of the Jewish People, Israel; and so also to all our wonderful friends, the righteous among the nations. Remember to remember that when we sing together, we stay together. AM ISRAEL CHAI - the people of Israel live. With love, and hope for our children, Richard Collis

Christopher Melchert proposes to historicize Islamic renunciant piety (zuhd). As the conquest period wound down in the early eighth century c.e., renunciants set out to maintain the contempt of worldly comfort and loyalty to a greater cause that had characterized the community of Muslims in the seventh century. Instead of reckless endangerment on the battlefield, they cultivated intense fear of the Last Judgement to come. They spent nights weeping, reciting the Qur'an, and performing supererogatory ritual prayers. They stressed other-worldliness to the extent of minimizing good works in this world. Then the decline of tribute from the conquered peoples and conversion to Islam made it increasingly unfeasible for most Muslims to keep up any such regime. Professional differentiation also provoked increasing criticism of austerity. Finally, in the later ninth century, a form of Sufism emerged that would accommodate those willing and able to spend most of their time on religious devotions, those willing and able to spend their time on other religious pursuits such as law and hadith, and those unwilling or unable to do either.

Modern archaeology has amassed considerable evidence for the disposal of the dead through burials, cemeteries and other monuments. Drawing on this body of evidence, this book offers fresh insight into how early human societies conceived of death and the afterlife. The twenty-seven essays in this volume consider the rituals and responses to death in prehistoric societies across the world, from eastern Asia through Europe to the Americas, and from the very earliest times before developed religious beliefs offered scriptural answers to these questions. Compiled and written by leading prehistorians and archaeologists, this volume traces the emergence of death as a concept in early times, as well as a contributing factor to the formation of communities and social hierarchies, and sometimes the creation of divinities.

"Wir Singen Wir Bleiben Zusammen (We Sing We Stay Together) - Gebete zum Morgengottesdienst am Shabbat" ist ein besonders benutzerfreundliches Gebetsbuch zum Mitsingen fur den Morgengottesdienst am Shabbat (Samstag) in der Synagoge, mit TRANSKRIBIERTEM ENGLISCHEM TEXT und einer Transliteration des Gottesdienstes mit Erklarungen. Hauptsachlich will das Werk beim Hoeren und Mitsingen der 64 Titel des gleichnamigen CD-Musikalbums das Erlernen der Gebete ganz besonders erleichtern; doch auch fur sich genommen dient es als Hilfsmittel zum Erlernen der verwendeten Begriffe und der Ablaufe des Gottesdienstes. Unsere judischen Gebete sind wunderschoene Liebeslieder; voller Gute, Warmherzigkeit, Anbetung, Hoffnung, Freundlichkeit und Edelmut. Sie sind uns eingraviert, selbst wenn wir sie nicht kennen, denn diese Gebete, die gleich unserer Religion sind, haben das judische Volk, seine Denkweise und die Ausbildung gepragt und uns zu dem gemacht, was wir sind und fur was wir einstehen. Im Judentum geht es vor allem darum, zu sich selbst, der Familie, der Gemeinde und allen Mitmenschen gut und positiv zu sein - und das aus dem Respekt und der Liebe zu Hashem heraus. Das erfullt mich mit Dankbarkeit, Demut und Stolz. Unser Erbe ist ein intellektueller, kultureller, spiritueller und religioeser Segen - aber wir brauchen jemanden, der uns Zugang dazu gewahrt. Ich konnte nie am Shabbat-Morgengottesdienst teilnehmen, geschweige denn, ihn geniessen, doch ich liebte jene Momente, in denen die ganze Gemeinde zusammenkam und einige kurze Gebete in bewegenden Melodien singt. Man konnte einfach nicht genug davon bekommen, und deshalb brauchen wir mehr Lieder, noch viel mehr! Die Gemeinde sind die Familie und die Freunde, und wir alle sind Freunde - so heisst es sogar in einem unserer Gebete. Unsere Gebete verlangen danach, mit grosser Freude deutlich und harmonisch gesungen zu werden. Das gemeinsame Gebet bringt Zugehoerigkeit und Gemeinschaftsgeist, und das ist nur moeglich, wenn jeder von uns gleich ist. Dazu brauchen wir gut verstandliche Worte, die man leicht lernt und die zu singen Freude macht. Ich widme dieses Projekt der Vertonung von Gebeten zum Shabbat-Morgengottesdienst und der Niederschrift eines Gebetsbuchs zum Mitsingen all denjenigen, die den Fortbestand der Juden, das Judentum, die Thora, und den Nationalstaat des judischen Volks, Israel, lieben und schatzen, und ich widme das Werk unseren wunderbaren Freunden, den Gerechten unter den Voelkern. Denken Sie immer daran: Wenn wir zusammen singen, dann bleiben wir zusammen. AM ISRAEL CHAI- das Volk Israels lebt. Mit Liebe und Hoffnung fur unsere Kinder, Richard Collis

Though ancient rabbinic texts are fundamental to analyzing the history of Judaism, they are also daunting for the novice to read. Rabbinic literature presumes tremendous prior knowledge, and its fascinating twists and turns in logic can be disorienting. Rabbinic Drinking helps learners at every level navigate this brilliant but mystifying terrain by focusing on rabbinic conversations about beverages, such as beer and wine, water, and even breast milk. By studying the contents of a drinking vessel-including the contexts and practices in which they are imbibed-Rabbinic Drinking surveys key themes in rabbinic literature to introduce readers to the main contours of this extensive body of historical documents. Features and Benefits: Contains a broad array of rabbinic passages, accompanied by didactic and rich explanations and contextual discussions, both literary and historical Thematic chapters are organized into sections that include significant and original translations of rabbinic texts Each chapter includes in-text references and concludes with a list of both referenced works and suggested additional readings

Translating Totality in Parts offers an annotated translation of two of preeminent Chinese Tang dynasty monk Chengguan's most revered masterpieces. With this book, Chengguan's Commentaries to the Avatamsaka Sutra and The Meanings Proclaimed in the Subcommentaries Accompanying the Commentaries to the Avatamsaka Sutra are finally brought to contemporary Western audiences. Translating Totality in Parts allows Western readers to experience Chengguan's important contributions to the religious and philosophical theory of the Huayan and Buddhism in China.

Giving to God examines the everyday practices of Islamic giving in post-revolutionary Egypt. From foods prepared in Sufi soup kitchens, to meals distributed by pious volunteers in slums, to almsgiving, these acts are ultimately about giving to God by giving to the poor. Surprisingly, many who practice such giving say that they do not care about the poor, instead framing their actions within a unique non-compassionate ethics of giving. At first, this form of giving may appear deeply selfish, but further consideration reveals that it avoids many of the problems associated with the idea of "charity." Using the Egyptian uprising in 2011 and its call for social justice as a backdrop, this beautifully crafted ethnography suggests that "giving a man a fish" might ultimately be more revolutionary than "teaching a man to fish."

"This is a startling, stunning, and fascinating book about the blend of music, religion, and politics in Haitian culture. McAlister's mastery of many different ways of knowing makes this study an endless source of insight, intrigue, and inspiration. "Rara! succeeds magnificently as an exploration into Rara rituals and Haitian music, but it also presents original and generative insights into every aspect of Haiti's past, present, and future."--George Lipsitz, author of "Dangerous Crossroads

"This is a major contribution to the literature on Vodou, Haiti, popular culture, Caribbean culture and music, transnational immigrant practices, and the corpus of black religions in the Americas. It is an extremely well-written, well researched and argued, and highly readable book."--Lawrence H. Mamiya, co-author of "The Black Church in the African American Experience

"This is a smart and thoughtful book by a very talented ethnographer. Anyone interested in Haiti will appreciate the work of Elizabeth McAlister."--Karen Brown, author of "Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn

"A rare in-depth look at an extremely popular, yet often misunderstood phenomenon. With this book and CD, Elizabeth McAlister, an involved observer, makes an incalculable contribution to our musical and cultural literature."--Edwidge Danticat, author of "The Farming of Bones: A Novel

This book explores the ramifications of being infertile in the medieval Arab-Islamic world by examining legal texts, medical treatises, and works of religious preaching. Sara Verskin illuminates how attitudes toward mixed-gender interactions; legal theories pertaining to marriage, divorce, and inheritance; and scientific theories of reproduction contoured the intellectual and social landscape infertile women had to navigate.

In this book, Mashal Saif explores how contemporary 'ulama, the guardians of religious knowledge and law, engage with the world's most populated Islamic nation-state: Pakistan. In mapping these engagements, she weds rigorous textual analysis with fieldwork and offers insight into some of the most significant and politically charged issues in recent Pakistani history. These include debates over the rights of women; the country's notorious blasphemy laws; the legitimacy of religiously mandated insurrection against the state; sectarian violence; and the place of Shi'as within the Sunni majority nation. These diverse case studies are knit together by the project's most significant contribution: a theoretical framework that understands the 'ulama's complex engagements with their state as a process of both contestation and cultivation of the Islamic Republic by citizen-subjects. This framework provides a new way of assessing state - 'ulama relations not only in contemporary Pakistan but also across the Muslim world.

"Women, the Recited Qur'an, and Islamic Music in Contemporary Indonesia" takes readers to the heart of religious musical praxis in Indonesia, home to the largest Muslim population in the world. Anne K. Rasmussen explores a rich public soundscape, where women recite the divine texts of the Qur'an, and where an extraordinary diversity of Arab-influenced Islamic musical styles and genres, also performed by women, flourishes. Based on unique and revealing ethnographic research beginning at the end of Suharto's "New Order" and continuing into the era of "Reformation," the book considers the powerful role of music in the expression of religious nationalism. In particular, it focuses on musical style, women's roles, and the ideological and aesthetic issues raised by the Indonesian style of recitation.

"This book is a marvelous counterpoint to the rich scholarship that has developed on the 'center' in Southeast Asian societies, providing for the first time an in-depth study of the play of personhood and power--and their historical transformations--on the Indonesian 'periphery.'"--Toby Alice Volkman, Social Science Research Council

"A very important work, not only for the specialists of island Southeast Asia, but also for the general anthropologist. Atkinson accomplishes a number of tasks in fresh and innovative ways."--George E. Marcus, Rice University

"Impressively informed by major theoretical issues, Atkinson's work at the same time brings her readers into the everyday world of the Wana in Sulawesi, Indonesia."--Renato Rosaldo, Stanford University