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Books > Religion & Spirituality > General
The first textbook to focus on the history of lived Shi'ism in
South Asia Everyday Shi'ism in South Asia is an introduction to the
everyday life and cultural memory of Shi'i women and men, focusing
on the religious worlds of both individuals and communities at
particular historical moments and places in the Indian
subcontinent. Author Karen Ruffle draws upon an array primary
sources, images, and ethnographic data to present topical case
studies offering broad snapshots Shi'i life as well as microscopic
analyses of ritual practices, material objects, architectural and
artistic forms, and more. Focusing exclusively on South Asian
Shi'ism, an area mostly ignored by contemporary scholars who focus
on the Arab lands of Iran and Iraq, the author shifts readers'
analytical focus from the center of Islam to its periphery. Ruffle
provides new perspectives on the diverse ways that the Shi'a
intersect with not only South Asian religious culture and history,
but also the wider Islamic humanistic tradition. Written for an
academic audience, yet accessible to general readers, this unique
resource: Explores Shi'i religious practice and the relationship
between religious normativity and everyday religious life and
material culture Contextualizes Muharram rituals, public
performances, festivals, vow-making, and material objects and
practices of South Asian Shi'a Draws from author's studies and
fieldwork throughout India and Pakistan, featuring numerous color
photographs Places Shi'i religious symbols, cultural values, and
social systems in historical context Includes an extended survey of
scholarship on South Asian Shi'ism from the seventeenth century to
the present Everyday Shi'ism in South Asia is an important resource
for scholars and students in disciplines including Islamic studies,
South Asian studies, religious studies, anthropology, art history,
material culture studies, history, and gender studies, and for
English-speaking members of South Asian Shi'i communities.
The first full, philosophical introduction to Descartes for many
years – competitors are either out of date or considerably higher
in level Descartes is the most important Western philosopher after
Plato and studied by virtually all philosophy students at some
point Explains and assesses Descartes’ most important ideas,
arguments and texts, particularly his Meditations Concerning First
Philosophy Ideal for anyone coming to Descartes for the first time
Additional features include a chronology, a glossary and annotated
further reading
Raider. Conqueror. King. Saint. This is the story of Olav
Haraldsson, the greatest Viking who ever lived. A ruthless Viking
warrior who named his most prized battle weapon after the Norse
goddess of death, Olav Haraldsson and his mercenaries wrought
terror and destruction from the Baltic to Galicia in the early
eleventh century. Thousands were put to the sword, enslaved or
ransomed. In England, Canterbury was sacked, its archbishop
murdered and London Bridge pulled down. The loot amassed from years
of plunder helped Olav win the throne of Norway, and a century
after his death he was proclaimed 'Eternal King' and has been a
national hero there ever since. Despite his bloodthirsty
beginnings, Olav converted to Christianity and, in a personal
vendetta against the old Norse gods, made Norway Christian too,
thereby changing irrevocably the Viking world he was born into.
Told with reference to Norse sagas, early chronicles and the work
of modern scholars, Desmond Seward paints an intensely vivid and
colourful portrait of the life and times of arguably the greatest
Viking of them all.
A fascinating analysis of the evolution of religion from the
internationally renowned evolutionary psychologist When did humans
develop spiritual thought? What is religion's evolutionary purpose?
And in our increasingly secular world, why has it endured? Every
society in the history of humanity has lived with religion. In How
Religion Evolved, evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar
tracks its origins back to what he terms the 'mystical stance' -
the aspect of human psychology that predisposes us to believe in a
transcendent world, and which makes an encounter with the spiritual
possible. As he explores world religions and their many
derivatives, as well as religions of experience practised by
hunter-gatherer societies since time immemorial, Dunbar argues that
this instinct is not a peculiar human quirk, an aberration on our
otherwise efficient evolutionary journey. Rather, religion confers
an advantage: it can benefit our individual health and wellbeing,
but, more importantly, it fosters social bonding at large scale,
helping hold fractious societies together. Dunbar suggests these
dimensions might provide the basis for an overarching theory for
why and how humans are religious, and so help unify the myriad
strands that currently populate this field. Drawing on
path-breaking research, clinical case studies and fieldwork from
around the globe, as well as stories of charismatic cult leaders,
mysterious sects and lost faiths, How Religion Evolved offers a
fascinating and far-reaching analysis of this quintessentially
human impulse - to believe.
Spiritual Healing from Sexual Violence: An Intersectional Guide is
a collection of essays from survivors, scholars, activists,
spiritual leaders, and social justice practitioners that offers
numerous intersectional and culturally competent options for women,
men, and non-binary conforming adults to create their own safe
healing conditions and establish pathways for recovery. These
chapters provide a wide range of survival stories that raise
awareness of the issues involved in healing after sexual assault
and also provide inspiration for reforming negative societal issues
and patterns. In a classroom setting, these chapters deliver both
the culturally grounded knowledge and the skillsets necessary for
recovery. This is a vital guide for students and practitioners in
counseling, social work, theology, and gender studies.
This book presents a new, contemporary introduction to medieval
philosophy as it was practiced in all its variety in Western Europe
and the Near East. It assumes only a minimal familiarity with
philosophy, the sort that an undergraduate introduction to
philosophy might provide, and it is arranged topically around
questions and themes that will appeal to a contemporary audience.
In addition to some of the perennial questions posed by
philosophers, such as "Can we know anything, and if so, what?",
"What is the fundamental nature of reality?", and "What does human
flourishing consist in?", this volume looks at what medieval
thinkers had to say, for instance, about our obligations towards
animals and the environment, freedom of speech, and how best to
organize ourselves politically. The book examines certain aspects
of the thought of several well-known medieval figures, but it also
introduces students to many important, yet underappreciated figures
and traditions. It includes guidance for how to read medieval
texts, provokes reflection through a series of study questions at
the end of each chapter, and gives pointers for where interested
readers can continue their exploration of medieval philosophy and
medieval thought more generally. Key Features Covers the
contributions of women to medieval philosophy, providing students
with a fuller understanding of who did philosophy during the Middle
Ages Includes a focus on certain topics that are usually ignored,
such as animal rights, love, and political philosophy, providing
students with a fuller range of interests that medieval
philosophers had Gives space to non-Aristotelian forms of medieval
thought Includes useful features for student readers like study
questions and suggestions for further reading in each chapter
“In this bold, analytical, and readable book, Miles names names
and dismantles the fallacy of progressive Christianity.” —ERIC
METAXAS, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Host of the
Nationally Syndicated Eric Metaxas Radio Show Today’s social
justice movements call for equality, civil rights, love . . . solid
Christian values, right? What if there is more to social justice
than Christians understand? Even worse: What if we have been duped
into preaching ideas that actually oppose the Kingdom of God? Woke
Jesus uncovers the real dangers to Christianity and America from
the Christian Left, Progressive or Woke Christianity. These radical
alternatives abandon traditional biblical interpretations regarding
marriage, gender, racial equality, justice, original sin, heaven
and hell, and salvation, replacing them within a new fabricated
morality. This fabrication is built around political correctness,
cancel culture, hedonistic values, obsession with public health,
allegiance to the leftist state, universalism, and virtue
signaling. Author Lucas Miles— a pastor and trusted voice in the
American church who has consistently addressed some of the
most challenging topics in religion—not only outlines how the
radical left wing is co-opting Jesus for their own anti-religious
views, but also provides a call to action for Christians to resist
the siren song of social justice and Wokeism. Rather than ignoring
the problems within the church, Miles shows Christians how to grow
in the truth of God’s word by expanding their understanding of
solid orthodox theology. The church’s best days are still
ahead!
This book is designed to introduce readers to the world of
Christian scholarship by way of primary literary sources. It
contains the most notable and instructive primary sources from the
entire sweep of Christian history, along with accessible
introductions, line-by-line annotations, study questions, a
glossary, and suggestions for further reading.
Christianity Today 2018 Book Award Winner Respected New Testament
scholar Cynthia Long Westfall offers a coherent Pauline theology of
gender, which includes fresh perspectives on the most controverted
texts. Westfall interprets passages on women and men together and
places those passages in the context of the Pauline corpus as a
whole. She offers viable alternatives for some notorious
interpretive problems in certain Pauline passages, reframing gender
issues in a way that stimulates thinking, promotes discussion, and
moves the conversation forward. As Westfall explores the
significance of Paul's teaching on both genders, she seeks to
support and equip males and females to serve in their area of
gifting.
The second edition of David Bentley Hart’s critically acclaimed
New Testament translation David Bentley Hart’s
translation of the New Testament, first published in 2017, was
hailed as a “remarkable feat” and as a “strange,
disconcerting, radical version of a strange, disconcerting
manifesto of profoundly radical values.” In this second edition,
which includes a powerful new preface and more than a thousand
changes to the text, Hart’s purpose remains the same: to render
the original Greek texts faithfully, free of doctrine and theology,
awakening readers to the uncanniness that often lies hidden beneath
doctrinal layers. Through his startling translation, with
its raw, unfinished quality, Hart reveals a world conceptually
quite unlike our own. “It was a world,” he writes, “in which
the heavens above were occupied by celestial spiritual potentates
of questionable character, in which angels ruled the nations of the
earth as local gods, in which demons prowled the empty places, . .
. and in which the entire cosmos was for many an eternal divine
order and for many others a darkened prison house.” He challenges
readers to imagine it anew: a God who reigned on high, appearing in
the form of a slave and dying as a criminal, only then to be raised
up and revealed as the Lord of all things.
Six Minor Prophets Through the Centuries is the work of highly
respected biblical scholars, Richard Coggins and Jin H. Han. The
volume explores the rich and complex reception history of the last
six Minor Prophets in Jewish and Christian exegesis, theology,
worship, and arts. This text is the work of two highly respected
biblical scholars It explores the rich and complex reception
history of the last six Minor Prophets in Jewish and Christian
theology and exegesis
Provides an overview of the fundamental history, diverse
approaches, and ideas associated with this exciting and relatively
new field of study. Each chapter features engaging case studies and
ends with summaries and recommendations for further study with
suggested readings. Written by leading academics in the field, this
will be the go-to introduction to digital religion.
How and why did the early church grow in the first four hundred
years despite disincentives, harassment, and occasional
persecution? In this unique historical study, veteran scholar Alan
Kreider delivers the fruit of a lifetime of study as he tells the
amazing story of the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
Challenging traditional understandings, Kreider contends the church
grew because the virtue of patience was of central importance in
the life and witness of the early Christians. They wrote about
patience, not evangelism, and reflected on prayer, catechesis, and
worship, yet the church grew--not by specific strategies but by
patient ferment.
Meeting for long, midnight conversations in Paris, two poets and
prophetic peacemakers -- one an exiled Buddhist monk and Zen
master, the other a Jesuit priest -- explore together the farthest
reaches of truth. East and West flow together in this remarkable
book, transcriptions of their recorded conversations that range
widely over memory, death, and religion; prison and exile; war and
peace; Jesus and Buddha; and communities of faith and resistance.
The Parish Church was the primary site of religious practice
throughout the early modern period. This was particularly so for
the silent majority of the English population, who conformed
outwardly to the successive religious upheavals of the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries. What such public conformity might have
meant has attracted less attention - and, ironically, is sometimes
less well documented - than the non-conformity or semi-conformity
of recusants, church-papists, Puritan conventiclers or separatists.
In this volume, ten leading scholars of early modern religion
explore the experience of parish worship in England during the
Reformation and the century that followed it. As the contributors
argue, parish worship in this period was of critical theological,
cultural and even political importance. The volume's key themes are
the interlocking importance of liturgy, music, the sermon and the
parishioners' own bodies; the ways in which religious change was
received, initiated, negotiated, embraced or subverted in local
contexts; and the dialectic between practice and belief which
helped to make both so contentious. The contributors - historians,
historical theologians and literary scholars - through their
commitment to an interdisciplinary approach to the subject, provide
fruitful and revealing insights into this intersection of private
and public worship. This collection is a sister volume to Martin
and Ryrie (eds), Private and Domestic Devotion in Early Modern
Britain. Together these two volumes focus and drive forward
scholarship on the lived experience of early modern religion, as it
was practised in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Given the turbulence in the international order in recent years,
one of the central concerns among observers of world politics is
the question of China's ultimate goals. As China emerges as a
superpower that rivals the United States, American policymakers
grappling with this century's greatest geopolitical challenge are
looking for answers to a series of critical questions. Does China
have expansive ambitions? Does it have a grand strategy to achieve
them? If so, what is it and what should the United States do about
it? In The Long Game, Rush Doshi draws from a rich base of Chinese
primary sources, including decades worth of party documents, leaked
materials, and memoirs by party leaders, to demonstrate that China
is in fact playing a long, methodical game to replace America as a
regional and global hegemon. He traces the basic evolution of
Chinese strategy, showing how it evolved in response to changes in
US policy and its position in the world order. After charting these
shifts over time, Doshi offers a comprehensive yet "asymmetric"
plan for an effective US response to this challenge: one that
undermines China's ambitions without competing dollar-for-dollar,
ship-for-ship, or loan-for-loan. Ironically, the approach mirrors
China's own current strategy of subtly weakening Chinese leverage
in the region and elsewhere while expanding US leverage over China.
A bold assessment of what the Chinese government's true foreign
policy objectives are, The Long Game offers valuable insight to the
most important rivalry in world politics.
This book describes how anthropologists in the twentieth century
went about documenting the religions of those independent peoples
who still lived beyond the frontiers of the global economy and the
world religions. It begins by examining the enormous popularity of
the newly invented field of anthropology in the nineteenth century
as a site of multiple intellectual developments. Its climax was
Frazer's Golden Bough, which is a pillar of modernity second only
to Darwin's Origin of Species. But its notion of religion was
entirely speculative. When anthropologists went to see for
themselves, they encountered formidable obstacles. How to access a
people's most profound understandings of the world and everything
in it? Holding fast to the premise that ethnographers have no
special powers of seeing inside other people's brains, this book
teaches students to proceed slowly, a step at a time, watching how
people perform rituals great and small, asking questions that seem
stupid to their hosts, and struggling to translate abstract terms
in unrecorded languages. Using a handful of examples from different
continents, the book shows the potential of an anthropological
approach to religion.
Animism' is now an important term for describing ways in which some
people understand and engage respectfully with the
larger-than-human world. Its central theme is our relationship with
our other-than-human neighbours, such as animals, plants, rocks,
and kettles, rooted in the understanding that the term 'person'
includes more than humans. Graham Harvey explores the animist
cultures of Native Americans, Maori, Aboriginal Australians and
eco-Pagans, introducing their diversity and considering the
linguistic, performative, ecological and activist implications of
these different animisms.
'The Seat of the Soul changed the way I see myself. It changed the
way I view the world' Oprah You receive from the world what you
give to the world We are constantly evolving within a changing
climate and yet always seem to return to the same question: is
there more to life? In his iconic bestseller, renowned spiritual
teacher Gary Zukav reveals how to become the authority in your own
life, how to change the way you see the world and how to interact
with others. The Seat of the Soul is the ultimate path to
connecting with your deepest spiritual self.
A comprehensive overview of the latest research in religion and
conflict resolution, this collection of twenty three essays brings
together leading scholars in the field examining the contribution
religious actors have made and are making towards peace and
resolving. The Ashgate Research Companion to Religion and Conflict
Resolution is primarily aimed at readerships with special interest
in conflict resolution, international security, and religion and
international relations, and will also serve as a valuable resource
for policy makers and conflict resolution practitioners. The
collection comprises five thematic sections, each with chapters on
vital and mainly contemporary topics in the field of religion and
conflict resolution. The principal themes include: c
Advances in Contemplative Psychotherapy offers mental health
professionals of all disciplines and orientations the most
comprehensive and rigorous introduction to the art of integrating
contemplative psychology, ethics, and practices, including
mindfulness, compassion, and embodiment techniques. It brings
together clinicians, scholars, and thought leaders of unprecedented
caliber, featuring some of the most eminent pioneers in the rapidly
growing field of contemplative psychotherapy. The new edition
offers an expanded array of effective contemplative interventions,
contemplative psychotherapies, and contemplative approaches to
clinical practice. New chapters discuss how contemplative work can
effect positive psychosocial change at personal, interpersonal, and
collective levels to address racial, gender, and other forms of
systemic oppression. The new edition also explores the
cross-cultural nuances in the integration of Buddhist psychology
and healing practices by Western researchers and clinicians and
includes the voices of leading Tibetan doctors. Advances in
Contemplative Psychotherapy offers a profound and synoptic overview
of one of psychotherapy's most intriguing and promising fields.
Known as the "patron saint of all outsiders," Simone Weil (1909-43)
was one of the twentieth century's most remarkable thinkers, a
philosopher who truly lived by her political and ethical ideals. In
a short life framed by the two world wars, Weil taught philosophy
to lycee students and organized union workers, fought alongside
anarchists during the Spanish Civil War and labored alongside
workers on assembly lines, joined the Free French movement in
London and died in despair because she was not sent to France to
help the Resistance. Though Weil published little during her life,
after her death, thanks largely to the efforts of Albert Camus,
hundreds of pages of her manuscripts were published to critical and
popular acclaim. While many seekers have been attracted to Weil's
religious thought, Robert Zaretsky gives us a different Weil,
exploring her insights into politics and ethics, and showing us a
new side of Weil that balances her contradictions-the rigorous
rationalist who also had her own brand of Catholic mysticism; the
revolutionary with a soft spot for anarchism yet who believed in
the hierarchy of labor; and the humanitarian who emphasized human
needs and obligations over human rights. Reflecting on the
relationship between thought and action in Weil's life, The
Subversive Simone Weil honors the complexity of Weil's thought and
speaks to why it matters and continues to fascinate readers today.
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