For some, the idea of an Islamic state serves to fulfill aspirations for cultural sovereignty and new forms of ethical political practice. For others, it violates the proper domains of both religion and politics. Yet, while there has been much discussion of the idea and ideals of the Islamic state, its possibilities and impossibilities, surprisingly little has been written about how this political formation is lived. For Love of the Prophet looks at the Republic of Sudan's twenty-five-year experiment with Islamic statehood. Focusing not on state institutions, but rather on the daily life that goes on in their shadows, Noah Salomon's careful ethnography examines the lasting effects of state Islamization on Sudanese society through a study of the individuals and organizations working in its midst. Salomon investigates Sudan at a crucial moment in its history--balanced between unity and partition, secular and religious politics, peace and war--when those who desired an Islamic state were rethinking the political form under which they had lived for nearly a generation. Countering the dominant discourse, Salomon depicts contemporary Islamic politics not as a response to secularism and Westernization but as a node in a much longer conversation within Islamic thought, augmented and reappropriated as state projects of Islamic reform became objects of debate and controversy. Among the first books to delve into the making of the modern Islamic state, For Love of the Prophet reveals both novel political ideals and new articulations of Islam as it is rethought through the lens of the nation.

Pope Benedict XVI continues his exploration of the greatest teachers and role models in the history of the Church with these sketches of twenty-six men and women from the Middle Ages and beyond. From the start of his pontificate, the Pope has used his Wednesday audiences to present the timeless wisdom that has been expressed in the writings and lives of holy men and women down through the ages. He began with the Apostles and then moved to the Fathers of the Church. Next he presented the great Christian teachers of the late Roman Empire and the early Middle Ages. In this volume, he picks up the thread in the high Middle Ages with the inspirational St. Francis and St. Dominic, followed by some of the men and women they profoundly influenced, such as Clare, Bonaventure, and Thomas Aquinas. The collection goes beyond the Middle Ages and includes some Counter-Reformation saints, for example, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and Robert Bellarmine. It concludes with a very popular saint closer to our own times who was made a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II: Therese of Lisieux. The theme that unites these men and women across time is the constant need of the Church for renewal. In every generation, God raises up holy ones who challenge Christians to live as they ought--as true disciples of Christ.

Hinduism is practised by nearly eighty per cent of India's population, and by some seventy million people outside India. In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott offers a succinct and authoritative overview of this major religion, and analyses the challenges facing it in the twenty-first century. She discusses key preoccupations of Hinduism such as the centrality of the Veda as religious texts, the role of Brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the cultural and moral importance of epics such as the Ramayana. In this second edition Knott considers the impact of changes in technology and the flourishing of social media on Hinduism, and looks at the presence of Hinduism in popular culture, considering pieces such as Sita Sings the Blues. She also analyses recent developments in India, and the impact issues such as Hindu nationalism and the politicization of Hinduism have on Hindus worldwide. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

This is an authoritative, uncompromising, altogether real guide to spiritual practice. Rohini Ralby spent eight years as head of security, appointments secretary, and personal assistant to the great Swami Muktananda, and in their many hours alone together, this world-renowned guru taught her, one on one, the essence of spiritual practice. In Walking Home with Baba, an expert guide to spiritual practice, Rohini draws on that experience and her subsequent study and work as a spiritual director to convey, in clear and concise terms, what spiritual practice truly is: walking home, and retracing our way back to God -- to Absolute Truth, Absolute Consciousness, and Absolute Bliss. Walking Home with Baba combines intimate stories about Ms Ralby's own experiences with Muktananda and others with chapters explaining the actual work of spiritual practice. She provides tools that she has developed for freeing ourselves from misery. One chapter is perhaps the most masterfully clear and concise companion to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali available today. Readers will learn not only about Ms Ralby's experience of travelling the path and being the close disciple of a great Guru; they will gain practical guidance in walking that path themselves.

El autor John Mason lanza nuevamente un ataque supremo contra la mediocridad con esta secuela a su famoso libro titulado Un enemigo llamado promedio. Dividido en 52 segmentos de verdad, Conquiste al enemigo llamado promedio es una fuente de sabiduria divina, motivacion biblica y principios practicos.

El autor nacional de exitos de libreria, John Mason, le muestra como quitarle la tapa a su vida y capturar en sus manos el impetu del exito. En este libro usted aprendera como: Vencer los temores y hallar el exito Ir mas alla del horizonte Usar lo que tiene en este momento para subir a un nivel superior Hacer que su problema se convierta en su impulso

Conozca sus limites, y luego ignorelos es un libro impactante que le ayudara a vivir una vida de realizacion completa.

No pagueis a nadie mal por mal (Romanos 12.17). Es mas facil decirlo que hacerlo, Verdad? Pero eso es exactamente lo que John Bevere recomienda en Como responder ante el maltrato. Todos estamos sujetos a alguna autoridad, y aquellos que estan en liderazgo muy frecuentemente dan un mal uso de su poder y lastiman a otros. Pero nosotros como cristianos somos llamados a honrar y someternos a las autoridades, aun cuando esto signifique aceptar un trato injusto.

Mia es la venganza, yo pagare dice el Senor (Romanos 12.19). La justicia de Dios muy frecuentemente se tarda mas de lo que esperamos, pero siempre llega. Y nuestra obediencia en aceptar el sufrimiento engrandece su obra en las vidas de los demas. En ultima instancia, nuestro modelo para responder ante un trato injusto es Jesus. Y al soportar el sufrimiento tal como El lo hizo, nos hacemos mas como El.

In this book, Masooda Bano presents an in-depth analysis of a new movement that is transforming the way that young Muslims engage with their religion. Led by a network of Islamic scholars in the West, this movement seeks to revive the tradition of Islamic rationalism. Bano explains how, during the period of colonial rule, the exit of Muslim elites from madrasas, the Islamic scholarly establishments, resulted in a stagnation of Islamic scholarship. This trend is now being reversed. Exploring the threefold focus on logic, metaphysics, and deep mysticism, Bano shows how Islamic rationalism is consistent with Sunni orthodoxy and why it is so popular among young, elite, educated Muslims, who are now engaging with classical Islamic texts. One of the most tangible results of this revival is that Islamic rationalism - rather than jihadism - is emerging as one of the most influential movements in the contemporary Muslim world.

By combining the spirit of fiction with the fabulism of Indian mythology and in-depth academic research, Vanessa R. Sasson shares the evocative story of the Buddha from the perspective of a forgotten woman: Yasodhara, the Buddha's wife. Although often marginalized, Yasodhara's narrative here comes to life. Written with a strong feminist voice, we encounter Yasodhara as a fiercely independent, passionate and resilient individual. We witness her joys and sorrows, her expectations and frustrations, her fairy-tale wedding, and her overwhelming devastation at the departure of her beloved. It is through her eyes that we witness Siddhattha's slow transformation, from a sheltered prince to a deeply sensitive young man. On the way, we see how the gods watch over the future Buddha from the clouds, how the king and his ministers try to keep the suffering of the world from him and how he eventually renounces the throne, his wife and newly-born son to seek enlightenment. Along with a foreword from Wendy Doniger, the book includes a scholarly introduction to Yasodhara's narrative and offers extensive notes along with study questions, to help readers navigate the traditional literature in a new way, making this an essential book for anyone wanting to learn about Buddhist narratives.

This book explains the role of the madrasa in the cultural, intellectual and religious experience of Muslims. The prospects for peace in Afghanistan, dialogue between Washington and Tehran, the UN's bid to stabilise nuclear armed Pakistan, understanding the largest Muslim minority in the world's largest democracy in India, or the largest Muslim population in the world in Indonesia - all require some knowledge of the traditional religious sectors in these countries and of what connection traditional religious schooling has (or not) to their geopolitical situations. This unique and engaging introduction will help readers understand the history, place and function of the madrasa in today's Muslim religious, cultural and political world. Structured clearly around the role and function of the madrasa in the past and the present; infuses history, tradition and everyday practice with concrete examples of how the institutions function; provides a view of the madrasa from within - the author studied in leading Indian madrasas for 6 years; treats madrasas worldwide, with a special focus on those in South Asia and includes a glossary of key non English terms used in the book.

The Dalai Lama's message in this book is as renowned as he is himself: that compassion is essential for individuals and for the world. This is very much his subject for, when we think of His Holiness, we immediately think of the compassion he embodies, and to which he has devoted his entire life. He suggests we pay close attention to the way we respond to everyone and to everything around us, and explains how caring for others can be a profound source of happiness on an individual level, which can then be extended outward in wider and wider circles. From here, he goes on to describe basic mistakes (such as hatred towards others) that lead us into personal turmoil and interpersonal disruption. Then he asks us to examine the nature of consciousness so we understand how the transformation of our attitude is possible. Finally, in typically practical fashion, he suggests how we can implement compassion in our daily lives, and go on to live with greater care and concern for all beings.

The runaway New York Times bestseller that became a cornerstone of Christian nonfiction, Blue Like Jazz is a fresh and original perspective on life, love, and redemption. "I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve...Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way. I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." Donald Miller was raised in a strict Texas denomination where he was only vaguely familiar with a distant God. When he grew older, he ran all the way to the least-religious university in the US: Rice College in Portland, Oregon. Still, God pursued him. When he came to know Jesus, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. However, within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, non-judgmental, and soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey with and back to the infinitely loving God, helping you... discover how the Christian faith is still relevant in a postmodern culture; learn how to have a genuine encounter with a God who is real; and enjoy a renewed sense of passion for your life. Blue Like Jazz is a gentle, honest resource for those curious about the Christian faith, or new to it, and offers a fresh and original perspective on life, love, and redemption.