This volume studies how the literary elements in the Qur'an function in conveying its religious message effectively. It is divided into three parts. Part one includes studies of the whole Qur'an or large segments of it belonging to one historical period of its revelation; these studies concentrate on the analysis of its language, its style, its structural composition, its aesthetic characteristics, its rhetorical devices, its imagery, and the impact of these elements and their significance. Part two includes studies on individual suras of the Qur'an, each of which focuses on the sura's literary elements and how they produce meaning; each also explores the structure of this meaning and the coherence of its effect. Part three includes studies on Muslim appreciations of the literary aspects of the Qur'an in past generations and shows how modern linguistic, semantic, semiotic, and literary scholarship can add to their contributions.

Over the centuries, theological studies have grappled with the comprehension of Truth and Goodness. However, theology, unlike philosophy, has neglected serious scrutiny of the study of Beauty or Aesthetics. Jo Ann Davidson's Toward a Theology of Beauty investigates this omission. Why should aesthetic dimensions be ignored in theology's quest for ultimate truth? Davidson convincingly states that these would contribute to the ongoing search for a more comprehensive perception of the divine. This book contends that theology is incomplete and impoverished without fundamental deliberations within aesthetic values. A survey of the literature up to the present currently reveals that theological studies, by and large, do not yet realize the extent to which it might be enriched by the biblical aesthetic. God's own nature, His Word in both Testaments including narratives, poetry, literary structures, and vocabulary are all embedded in aesthetic expressions. A systematic study of the biblical aesthetic is one that calls for attention and this book offers a solid and thought-provoking beginning.

Holy War, Just War explores the 'dark side' in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism by examining how the concept of ultimate value contributes to religious violence. The book states that religion has within its own conceptual tools the resources to understand its own dark side and that religious people must subject their religion to a moral vision of goodness and constrain those parts that make for violence and hatred.

The only sure thing you can count on when it comes to your kids . . . is that God has got them.

As parents we strategize and agonize. We wish for secret formulas and surefire methods. But somewhere along the way, we discover that what our kids need most is for God to do in their lives what only he can do. The One Year Praying through the Bible for Your Kids is designed to provide you with a daily dose of parenting perspective and hope.

Day by day you’ll find yourself worrying less and praying more as your dreams and desires for your kids are shaped by the Scriptures. Let go of fear, and expect God to work as you pray through the Bible for your kids.

Same-Sex Marriage and Religious Liberty explores the religious freedom implications of defining marriage to include same-sex couples. It represents the only comprehensive, scholarly appraisal to date of the church-state conflicts virtually certain to arise from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. It explores two principal questions. First, exactly what kind of religious freedom conflicts are likely to emerge if society embraces same-sex marriage? A redefinition of marriage would impact a host of laws where marital status affects legal rights-in housing, employment, health-care, education, public accommodations, and property, in addition to family law. These laws, in turn, regulate a host of religious institutions-schools, hospitals, and social service providers, to name a few-that often embrace a different definition of marriage. As a result, church-state conflicts will follow. This volume anticipates where and how these manifold disputes will arise. Second, how might these conflicts be resolved? If the disputes spark litigation under the Free Speech, Free Exercise, or Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment, who will prevail and why? When, if ever, should claims of religious liberty prevail over claims of sexual liberty? Drawing on experience in analogous areas of law, the volume explores whether it is possible to avoid these constitutional conflicts by statutory accommodation, or by separating religious marriage from civil marriage.

KADOC Studies on Religion, Culture and Society 5In the twenty years after the end of World War II, a "Third World" was added to the Cold War concepts of the First and Second worlds, and postwar decolonization ushered in an era of development. For the first time, theories and policies designed to eradicate underdevelopment became prominent on the agenda of the United Nations. This international evolution inevitably had a dramatic impact on socialism and Christian democracy, two major ideologies with their roots in Western Europe. Both became part of the global political dialogues taking place beyond Europe's borders. The result was a sometimes violent clash of Western and non-Western belief systems.In Towards an Era of Development, Peter Van Kemseke explores the questions of whether political ideologies were being used as vehicles for promoting national interests and if socialism and Christian democracy were forced on developing nations or naturally spread to new parts of the globe. Van Kemseke also offers an assessment of the success of these ideologies in their new territories.

From the earliest interactions of Christians with the Roman Empire to today's debates about the separation of church and state, the Christian churches have been in complex relationships with various economic and political systems for centuries. Renowned theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether analyzes the ways the Christian church has historically interacted with powerful systems such as patriarchy, racism, slavery, and environmentalism, while looking critically at how the church shapes these systems today. With a focus on the United States, Christianity and Social Systems provides an introductory analysis of the interactions between the churches and major systems that have shaped western Christian and post-Christian society. Ruether discusses ideologies, such as liberalism and socialism, and includes three country case studies-Nicaragua, South Africa, and North and South Korea-to further illustrate the profound influences Christianity and social systems have with each other. This book is neither an attack on the relationship between Christianity and these systems, nor an apology, but rather a nuanced examination of the interactions between them. By understanding how these interactions have shaped history, we can more fully understand how to make ethical decisions about the role of Christianity in some of today's most pressing social issues, from economic and class disparities to the environmental crisis.

Divided into four parts-Earth, Air, Fire, and Water-this book takes an elemental approach to the study of religion and ecology. It reflects recent theoretical and methodological developments in this field which seek to understand the ways that ideas and matter, minds and bodies exist together within an immanent frame of reference. The Bloomsbury Handbook of Religion and Nature focuses on how these matters materialize in the world around us, thereby addressing key topics in this area of study. The editors provide an extensive introduction to the book, as well as useful introductions to each of its parts. The volume's international contributors are drawn from the USA, South Africa, Netherlands, Norway, Indonesia, and South Korea, and offer a variety of perspectives, voices, cultural settings, and geographical locales. This handbook shows that human concern and engagement with material existence is present in all sectors of the global community, regardless of religious tradition. It challenges the traditional methodological approach of comparative religion, and argues that globalization renders a comparative religious approach to the environment insufficient.

Do you want to discover the riches of Scripture? Do you want to draw closer to God? Based on IVP's bestselling LifeGuide Bible Study series, the Quiet Time Bible Guide helps you dig into Scripture for yourself, developing a deeper and stronger relationship with God in the process. Instead of being told what the Bible says, you'll begin with questions to put you in a worshipful frame of mind. You'll move on to interpretive questions that help you explore what the Bible says, and then consider application questions to help you act on what you learn. Suggestions for personal prayer conclude your time of worship and study--and launch you into the rest of your day. Millions have benefited from the thoughtful experience of Scripture found in IVP's LifeGuide Bible Studies. This material was adapted from those guides and originally published as The NIV Quiet Time Bible. Millions more have since used these devotionals online on IVP's Quiet Time Bible Study website. Now 365 of the studies, leading you through the New Testament and Psalms, have been gathered together in one volume again. Whether you're new to the idea of quiet times or you've enjoyed them for years, theQuiet Time Bible Guide provides you with a fresh opportunity to read all of the New Testament and Psalms in one year--and draw close to God every day.

Do humans have a special capacity designed to foster experiences of God? What role do specific bodily actions or emotions play in the cultivation of a divine experience? Prayer as Divine Experience in 4 Ezra and John's Apocalypse: Emotion, Empathy, and Engagement with God explores these questions in a systematic study of the emotions in two apocalyptic texts. The book of 4 Ezra, an ancient Jewish apocalypse, and the book of Revelation, an ancient Christian Apocalypse written by John, are examined with a focus on the emotional language of the prayers and prayer preludes contained in this literature. Both texts were composed in the first-century of the Common Era, a time when most people exposed to literature heard the content as it was recited. The emotive language in these writings could potentially arouse similar emotions in the readers or hearers of these texts, allowing the person to have access to the divine experiences, which are described by the seer in 4 Ezra and are expressed by the angelic choir in John's Apocalypse. Prior to examining the prayers, Prayer as Divine Experience will describe the neurological processes that cause a person to mirror the emotions expressed by another individual, thereby prompting an imitation of the experience that is perceived.

Temple Mount is believed by some Jews to be the locus of their ancient Temple. Known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary), this site is home to two mosques, one of which is the third most holy shrine in all of Islam. Jewish fundamentalists want to destroy the mosques on Temple Mount and rebuild the Temple. Christian apocalypticists are financing and supporting their efforts. If the mosques are destroyed, Islamic fundamentalists have vowed to destroy Israel, resulting in the possibility of nuclear war. This book addresses the idea that the recent rise of militant Christian, Jewish, and Muslim fundamentalisms and their interaction are endangering peace in the Middle East. It fully examines the thesis that apocalypticist fundamentalists--Christians in America, Jews in Israel and America--are working together to hasten the coming of the Messiah by instigating a Holy War in the Middle East. Several chapters focus on three U.S. political figures--Jerry Falwell, Ronald Reagan, and Pat Robertson--who helped bring Christian fundamentalism into the mainstream of American politics. One chapter tells of Jewish preparations for rebuilding the Temple on Temple Mount. Other chapters document the rise of religious fundamentalism in Israel since 1967, Haram al-Sharif-Temple Mount crises involving Christian-Jewish cooperation, and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. Separate chapters are devoted to Israels nuclear program and political psychology, and the fact that nuclear weapons are leaving Russia and finding their way to Islamic nations and Islamic terrorists.

Among the oldest of India's spiritual texts, the Upanishads are records of intensive question-and-answer sessions given by illumined sages to their students - in ashrams, at family gatherings, in a royal court, and in the kingdom of Death. The sages share flashes of insight, extraordinary visions, the results of their investigation into consciousness itself. The Upanishads have puzzled and inspired wisdom seekers from Yeats to Schopenhauer. In this best-selling translation, Eknath Easwaran makes these challenging texts more accessible by selecting the passages most relevant to readers seeking timeless truths today. This book includes an overview of the cultural and historical setting, with chapter introductions, notes, and a Sanskrit glossary. But it is Easwaran's understanding of the wisdom of the Upanishads that makes this edition truly outstanding. Each sage, each Upanishad, appeals in a different way to the reader's head and heart. For Easwaran, the Upanishads are part of India's precious legacy, not just to Hinduism but to humanity, and in that spirit they are offered here.

Clergy are pillars of local religious communities, and Roman Catholic priests are perhaps the quintessential examples of pastors functioning as political elites. The political science literature demonstrates that priests (indeed, clergy more generally) are well-positioned to influence the faithful, even if this influence is somewhat inconsistent. At their core, priests are opinion leaders and representatives of their church to both the faithful and their local communities. But exactly how Catholic priests determine the political acts and attitudes associated with their elite role remains a puzzle. We suggest it is the product of an interactive institutional, social, and psychological milieu, the complexity of which has not been fully assessed in the extant literature. Though some might prefer to think of priests as profiles in courage operating above the political fray, the institutional and personal realities of priest life often forces them to deal with the political realm. In doing so, priests are variably responsive to different principals, or reference groups, that represent specific dimensions of their professional context. Drawing on a series of randomized experiments on samples of Roman Catholic priests in the US and Ireland, we find that priests cognitively draw on varying professional and personal cues in responding to their employer's institutional preferences. Furthermore, how priests represent their church's political preferences to parishioners appears to be a matter of individual-level discretion.

Bigger represents land we have yet to conquer. It brings on a new understanding of God and the power He holds. It offers deeper intimacy and a supernatural ability to trust what we do not know to the Almighty. Bigger is abundance. It's more of Him, more freedom, more identity, more authority, and more power. Whether he knew it or not, Nehemiah walked this process. He journeyed from brokenness to bigger. He cried hard, prayed hard, worked hard, and in the end he experienced more of God than he ever thought possible. This Bible study is an invitation for you to walk with me from brokenness to bigger. No matter how deep or how shallow the place we start, God always has more in store for us. Too many times we place a Band-Aid over what's broken as a way to avoid pain. Problem is, we were never meant to live with Band-Aids. We were meant to live in wholeness, healing and healing. Because of Band-Aids we have become a culture of settlers. We settle down in the small, when, with a little work, bigger is right on the other side. Can you hear Him calling? He has more for you. He never intended for you to sit in this. He never imagined you would make a home here. Those Band-Aids are ineffective. They will not do for you what He will. Will you take if off? Will you let the wall fall down? Will you trust His plans to rebuild? He's calling you to bigger. Let your journey there start today.

You're not crazy; life is! Life is full of interruptions. Some are irritating disruptions, some come from positive life experiences, and others are tragic. The problem is that very few actually prepare for life's imminent storms and upheavals. Have you ever wondered how to navigate through life's whirlwinds, without losing your faith, or questioned where God is in all of it? Crazy Life offers timeless hope while helping readers recognize God's glorious presence in the center of each struggle.

Marriage can bring the best of times and the worst of times. But open and honest communication makes all times better. Alice and Bob Fryling offer married couples a chance to enhance their marriages. They help readers learn crucial skills such as how to make decisions together and how to resolve conflict. Then they apply these skills to tough marital issues like sex, spiritual growth, disappointment and money. Each chapter contains helpful advice, questions for discussion between husbands and wives, and suggested reading.

First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Studies how the literary elements in the Qur'an function in conveying its religious message effectively. Analyses of language in the Qu'ran, its style, its structural composition, its aesthetic characteristics, its rhetorical devices, its imagery, and the impact of these elements and their significance. Also studies individual suras and Muslim appreciations of the literary aspects of the Qur'an.

Stirring morning and evening reflections for every day of the Lenten season. Handed down for generations, these stirring readings for every day of the Lenten season spring from a pastor's heart. Expanding on the Gospel accounts, they draw the reader into deep contemplation of Christ's suffering, accompanying him in vivid detail on his last journey from Bethany to Golgotha. At every step, from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his last supper with his disciples to his betrayal and crucifixion, they reveal the depth of Christ's love for those he came to save - and the hope this holds for each of us and for the world.

Down through the years, those who have been close to God have met with him daily. The Quiet Time Companion can help you begin and make the most of your own daily meetings with God. Offering a fresh approach to Bible study each week (with eleven different approachs in all), this book will help keep your quiet times stimulating and challenging. You'll learn a variety of Bible study skills that will last a lifetime With The Quiet Time Companion you'll gain a thorough overview of the whole Bible as you move through two years of structured and unstructured meetings with God. Each week you'll find five Bible studies designed to occupy about twenty minutes daily. These include whole book studies overviewing major themes detailed studies of short passages topical studies on important aspects of the Christian life character studies of fascinating people in the Bible word studies of key biblical concepts You'll also find suggestions for activities and projects to give you a change of pace each weekend. Divided into eight sessions of thirteen weeks each, The Quiet Time Companion can also be used easily by small groups and Sunday school classes. Here is a great opportunity to get started meeting with God every day.

At day's end, quiet your mind and unburden your heart. These peaceful reflections offer wisdom to "sleep on." For each night of the year, an inspiring quote from a Jewish source and a personal reflection on it from an insightful spiritual leader help you to focus on your spiritual life and the lessons your day has offered. Contributors include: Yosef I. Abramowitz • Bradley Shavit Artson • Leila Gal Berner • Jonathan Jaffe Bernhard • Tsvi Blanchard • Barry H. Block • Terry A. Bookman • Herbert Bronstein • Ayelet Cohen • Jerome K. Davidson • Avram Davis • Lavey Derby • Malka Drucker • Amy Eilberg • Edward Feinstein • Yehudah Fine • Mordecai Finley • James A. Gibson • Melvin J. Glazer • James Scott Glazier • Edwin C. Goldberg • Elyse Goldstein • James Stone Goodman • Irving Greenberg • Daniel Gropper • Judith HaLevy • Brad Hirschfield • Elana Kanter • Stuart Kelman • Francine Klagsbrun • Peter S. Knobel • Jeffrey Korbman • Jonathan Kraus • Irwin Kula • Neil Kurshan • Mark H. Levin • Levi Meier • Steven Heneson Moskowitz • David Nelson • Vanessa L. Ochs • Nessa Rapoport • Jack Riemer • Jeffrey Salkin • Nigel Savage • Ismar Schorsch • Harold M. Schulweis • Rami Shapiro • Rick Sherwin • Jeffrey Sirkman • Marcia Cohn Spiegel • Liza Stern • Michael Strassfeld • Michael White • Arnold Jacob Wolf • Joel H. Zaiman • Josh Zweiback • Raymond A. Zwerin