This title helps Jews understand Islam - a reasoned and candid view. Muslim-Jewish relations in the United States, Israel, and Europe are tenuous. Jews and Muslims struggle to understand one another and know little about each other's traditions and beliefs.Firestone explains the remarkable similarities and profound differences between Judaism and Islam, the complex history of Jihad, the legal and religious positions of Jews in the world of Islam, how various expressions of Islam (Sunni, Shi'a, Sufi, Salafi, etc.) regard Jews, the range of Muslim views about Israel, and much more. He addresses these issues and others with candor and integrity, and he writes with language, symbols, and ideas that make sense to Jews.Exploring these subjects in today's vexed political climate is a delicate undertaking. Firestone draws on the research and writings of generations of Muslim, Jewish, and other scholars, as well as his own considerable expertise in this field. The book's tone is neither disparaging, apologetic, nor triumphal. Firestone provides many original sources in translation, as well as an appendix of additional key sources in context. Most importantly, this book is readable and reasoned, presenting to readers for the first time the complexity of Islam and its relationship toward Jews and Judaism.

In this book eminent Jewish and Christian scholars come together to illuminate the Ten Commandments. Roger Van Harn has arranged the volume so that writers from both traditions dialogue over each of the Ten Words. A Christian or a Jew writes a penetrating essay about one of the commandments, followed by a shorter response from a member of the other tradition ? all done, remarkably, without sacrificing either Jewish or Christian identity.

Unique for its authentic interfaith dialogue on dogmatic matters, The Ten Commandments for Jews, Christians, and Others offers pertinent guidelines for believing Jews and Christians today, with the goal of stimulating deeper conversation between the two groups. As Van Harn says, ???Listening to one another may hold pleasant surprises that open us to new possibilities.???

Contributors: Carl E. Braaten
Roger Brooks
Shalom Carmy
James A. Diamond
Elliot N. Dorff
Jean Bethke Elshtain
Rochelle L. Millen
Richard John Neuhaus
David Novak
Peter W. Ochs
David Patterson
Daniel Polish
Anathea E. Portier-Young
R. R. Reno
John K. Roth
Byron L. Sherwin
Marguerite Shuster
R. Kendall Soulen
Linn Tonstad
Leanne Van Dyk
Calvin P. Van Reken
Allen Verhey
Miroslav Volf
Sue Ann Wasserman

Religious Communities in Byzantine Palestina: The Relationship Between Judaism, Christianity and Islam AD 400-700 Aby Eliya Ribak This study is an archaeological analysis of the relationship between religious communities in Byzantine Palestina (AD 400700), based on a catalogue of excavated Byzantine sites in the region (forming an appendix to the work). After outlining the historical, archaeological and environmental contexts of the study, the identification and dating of excavated synagogues and churches are re-evaluated. This shows that, although there are clear-cut examples of Jewish and Samaritan synagogues and Christian churches, these buildings are often so similar that it is difficult to differentiate between them. It is also shown that Jewish and Christian burial practices were so similar that, unless accompanied inscriptions or symbols, the religious identity of burials is often difficult to recognize. This suggests that different communities shared similar material cultures of religious practice, probably resulting from peaceful inter-communal interaction, and highlights chronological problems in the archaeology of Byzantine Palestina. Spatial analysis of reliably identified religious buildings is then used to show that different religious communities frequently occupied the same landscapes, and even the same settlements. The credibility of using symbols on portable artefacts to indicate religious identity is assessed, and supported, by examining their association with other religious indicators. Spatial analysis of these artefacts supports the patterns already established, strengthening the interpretation that different religious communities lived in close proximity. This evidence is used to argue for closer and more peaceful co-existence between religious communities in Byzantine Palestina than is usually supposed.

"Flawless . . . [Makdisi] reminds us of the critical declarations of secularism which existed in the history of the Middle East."-Robert Fisk, The Independent Today's headlines paint the Middle East as a collection of war-torn countries and extremist groups consumed by sectarian rage. Ussama Makdisi's Age of Coexistence reveals a hidden and hopeful story that counters this cliched portrayal. It shows how a region rich with ethnic and religious diversity created a modern culture of coexistence amid Ottoman reformation, European colonialism, and the emergence of nationalism. Moving from the nineteenth century to the present, this groundbreaking book explores, without denial or equivocation, the politics of pluralism during the Ottoman Empire and in the post-Ottoman Arab world. Rather than judging the Arab world as a place of age-old sectarian animosities, Age of Coexistence describes the forging of a complex system of coexistence, what Makdisi calls the "ecumenical frame." He argues that new forms of antisectarian politics, and some of the most important examples of Muslim-Christian political collaboration, crystallized to make and define the modern Arab world. Despite massive challenges and setbacks, and despite the persistence of colonialism and authoritarianism, this framework for coexistence has endured for nearly a century. It is a reminder that religious diversity does not automatically lead to sectarianism. Instead, as Makdisi demonstrates, people of different faiths, but not necessarily of different political outlooks, have consistently tried to build modern societies that transcend religious and sectarian differences.

The Universal Principles of the Reform Bahai Faith collects many of the early writings of Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha, published in the West, seeking to restore and preserve their vision of the oneness of God, humanity, and all religions. In addition to all of the 1912 Universal Principles of the Bahai Movement, the book includes Baha'u'llah's Hidden Words, selections known as the Spirit of the Age, an address by Abdu'l-Baha at the Friends' Meeting House in London in 1913, and many Bahai prayers for community and individual worship and meditation. Though beginning in 2004, the Reform Bahai Faith traces its origin to the early Bahais Ruth White, Mirza Ahmad Sohrab, and Julie Chanler, who sought to preserve the Teachings of Abdu'l-Baha after his passing in 1921. They and other early American Bahais understood the Bahai Faith was being turned into an oppressive organization, under what the British Museum document expert Dr. C. Ainsworth Mitchell judged to be a fraudulent will and testament. Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Bahai Faith, believed in and taught a moderate, universal religion, grounded in a separation of church and state, not a theocracy, and members of the Reform Bahai Faith seek to recover and renew that saving vision for all humanity. The newcomer to the Bahai Teachings will find here a brief but eloquent and inspiring introduction to the Faith of Baha'u'llah, while people already familiar with it will find a refreshing breeze has returned to revivify and uplift the spirit. This book marks the first publication of the Reform Bahai Press, which will publish several more titles during the next few years.

In a strongly worded notification, in February of 2005, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith denounced Jesuit Roger Haights award-winning, best-selling book Jesus Symbol of God as containing grave doctrinal errors. Like a number of theologians before him-Hans Kung, Charles Curran, Anthony de Mello, Tissa Balasuriya, and Jacques Dupuis-Haight has been banned from teaching as a Catholic theologian. In its overall criticism of the book, the Congregation, still under the direction of the then Cardinal Ratzinger, charged that Haight subordinates the contents of the faith to their plausibility and intelligibility in post-modern culture. For his part, Haight says: I look at American Catholicism with a population more and more educated in the faith. Many college and university students are used to religious pluralism, and are asking how they can square it with the Catholic faith. I try to put critical words to their experience and keep their experience in touch with the tradition. My fear is that educated Catholics will walk out if there isnt space for an open attitude to other religions. The Future of Christology covers much the same ground as Jesus Symbol of God, though in a much more accessible and compact format. The earlier book was written as a textbook; this one, with a wider audience in mind. In the final chapter, Haight responds to the numerous reviews Jesus Symbol of God received, both pro and con.

Islam and Inter-Faith Relations is an insightful inquiry into the relationship of Islam with the World's other religions. Both the current religious diversity and the historical relationships with the major religious traditions are examined here. In this succinct, clarifying volume, five world-renowned Muslim theologians meet with scholars of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism to engage in a vivid dialogue. The Muslim realm once stretched from Spain to China. Islam encountered and connected with a vast spectrum of different cultures and today is obviously an incredibly significant influence across the globe. What can Islam give to and what might Islam receive from other great faiths? What are the major points of conflict and how can these be resolved? Each chapter follows a similar pattern of presenting an Islamic view, followed by the view of another world religion. Then both contributors to each chapter reflect on the shared values as well as the conflicting areas, looking to possible resolutions for the future.

Because of their faith in the crucified Messiah, the Christian nations are indebted to Israel. Yet they have largely marginalized and even rejected God's chosen people. In this volume Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger reflects on a number of subjects and concerns common to both Christians and Jews ? the Ten Commandments, fulfillment of biblical prophecy, Christian anti-Semitism, and more.

As a Jewish-born Roman Catholic priest, Cardinal Lustiger has a unique viewpoint. He became Archbishop of Paris and a cardinal while remaining keenly aware of his indelible Jewish identity and of the vital Jewish roots of Christianity. Aware that his reflections may be controversial ? possibly offending Jewish and Christian readers alike ? he nonetheless boldly shares his perspectives in The Promise, hoping that readers will see him as speaking and writing in good faith, in the service of the Word of God given for the happiness and salvation of all.

Presented by an international team of Catholic biblical scholars, Sacra Pagina is a fresh series of translations and expositions of the books of the New Testament. The volumes provide basic information as well as sound, critical analysis in a highly readable manner -- yet remain sensitive to religious meaning. Each author has adopted a specific methodology while focusing on the issues raised by the New Testament compositions themselves. The expression "Sacra Pagina" ("Sacred Page") refers to the text of Scripture. In the Middle Ages it also described the study of Scripture to which the interpreter brought the tools of grammar, rhetoric, dialectic, and philosophy. Thus, Sacra Pagina encompasses both the text and the act of interpretation.

The "very soul of sacred theology" (Dei Verbum 24). That's how the Second Vatican Council described the study of the "sacred page". These volumes open up the riches of the New Testament and invite all Christians to study seriously the "sacred page".

Matthew wrote his Gospel from his perspective as a Jew. It is with sensitivity to this perspective that Father Harrington undertakes this commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.

The teacher who uses this book in a course... has a great opportunity here to bring history to life and to show nuances concerning religious stereotypes which are not based on historic fact --Tijdschrift voor Theologie, (Journal for Theology) 2008: 48, 117 The SCM Core Text Religious Syncretism provides a persuasive account of the principle that syncretism is an important and widespread expression of religious belief and practice. Each chapter concludes with a useful summary and questions that might be considered for seminar or class discussion.... there is much to commend the book. Those of us who work in education can be accustomed to think of religion in terms of creeds and doctrines and to teach the subject along those lines. Such an approach is to ignore the importance of syncretistic experience as a defining factor in religion. --Elliot Shaw, Senior Lecturer, Religious Education at St. Martin's College, in the journal World Religions in Education, XXVIII, 2007-8. Even a quick scan of today's headlines makes clear that the growth of fundamentalist versions of Islam is having a vast impact on our world. For Americans the rise of Christian fundamentalism, especially the Evangelical movement, is also socially and politically shaping the country, as debates about abortion, stem cell research and other important issues are often driven by fundamentalist notions. In profound ways, orthodox versions of Judaism have altered the fabric of Middle Eastern politics through the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially regarding settlements in Gaza and the West Bank, making peace there all the more difficult, and further destabilizing an already unstable region. The rise of fundamentalism in the three monotheistic faiths is fully examined in this textbook. It is not about fundamentalism however, it is about its opposite trend: religious syncretism. Syncretism describes the phenomenon of one religion borrowing elements from another, and it is part of religion that fundamentalists will seldom acknowledge. This textbook explores Judaism, Christianity and Islam, using compelling examples of how syncretism works and looks, to show how these three religions have adopted customs and conceptions of other religions, most often acquiring practices from pagan predecessors and neighbours. The book shows how these three faiths - despite how modern media would have us believe - have been willing, at various times and places, to borrow.

The apologetical writings of the Jacobite Christian, Ab? R?'i?ah al-Takr?t? (+ c. 835) have remained relatively unknown in Western scholarship. Yet his engagement with Muslim questions about Christianity provides a significant insight into the theological debate between the two communities in the early ?Abb?sid period. Ab? R?'i?ah's treatises take up many of the topics that become standard for Christian-Muslim apologetics: proofs of the true religion, the Trinity, the Incarnation, and Christian practices. In each case, he provides his reader with complex arguments in defense of Christian doctrines that can be used to convince both Muslims and wavering Christians of the truth of Christianity. This new Arabic edition and English translation seeks to contextualize Ab? R?'i?ah's important writings and to make the original texts available to modern scholars interested in all aspects of the early development of Muslim-Christian relations.

Marilyn Salmon's persuasive and practical work helps preachers to identify the ways that Christian preachers perpetuate the long tradition of Christian anti-Judaism. She situates the Gospels precisely as Jewish literature then addresses specific thorny issues that arise in preaching: supersessionism; portrayals of the Law; the Pharisees; the relationship between the Testaments; preaching the Passion; and misrepresentations of Judaism. Using examples from many sermons, she shows how to avoid the pitfalls of misportraying the people of Jesus.

This book reflects a fascinating chapter in a genuinely intercultural dialogue, conducted on an equal footing, at the highest level of intellectual integrity. The texts come out of three Jewish-Christian consultations held in Africa, all aiming at focusing on subjects pointing to a commonality of concerns and purpose. Any topic that could hint at suspicion of superiority, precedence or domination was carefully avoided, and the dialogue was shaped along different lines than those usually followed in similar Jewish-Christian consultations held in Europe and America over the past half-century. In Nairobi, discussions were devoted to ancient wisdom in both cultures and its value for contemporary life; the understanding of scripture; and creation in both cultures. In Johannesburg, debate centred on family, community and tradition as a way to the future and dealt with fundamental questions common to both cultures: the encounter with the age of modernity; preserving traditional family life; sustaining a sense of community; maintaining and reinforcing religious heritage and cultural tradition in the face of disintegration and dissipation.;The third consultation, in Yaounde, looked at shalom and ubuntu, memory and experiences of violence, and the challenge of peace-building. The texts included in this book provide ample food for thought. They will remain of lasting value as a source of inspiration and sound reflection.

Furthering his contribution to the science and religion debate, David Ray Griffin draws upon the cosmology of Alfred North Whitehead and proposes a radical synthesis between two worldviews sometimes thought wholly incompatible. He argues that the traditions designated by the names "scientific naturalism" and "Christian faith" both embody a great truth--a truth of universal validity and importance--but that both of these truths have been distorted, fueling the conflict between the visions of the scientific and Christian communities. Griffin contends, however, that there is no inherent conflict between science, or even the kind of naturalism that it properly presupposes, and the Christian faith, understood in terms of the primary doctrines of the Christian good news.

Can the urban church survive? Are churches relevant to public life? These two questions drive John Atherton's thoughtful, sometimes searing and ultimately optimistic study. In secular Britain and Western Europe, churches seem increasingly marginalized from the processes of public discussion, decision-making and policy formation. That marginalization mirrors their marginalization in people's lives, which is most acute in parts of the city populated by those excluded from the main streams of a society's common or public life. It is John Atherton's genius to bring these two issues together: the marginalization of churches and of particular groups in society. Hence, the future of church and its relevance to public life is to be worked out through active concern and commitment in places where other people and groups are marginalized. John Atherton uses a wide range of disciplines to establish this vision, including political philosophy, economics, feminist ethics and theology. His aim is to reconnect Christianity to people and public life by reformulating theology and church (as examples to other disciplines and institutions facing change). This is a perceptive study of how the urban church could disappear in a few decades, and what the options for change are if it embraces a new strategy. This study draws on John Atherton's forty years of ministry in urban areas and teaching political philosophy in universities, and has an unparalleled overview of urban ministry. 'John Atherton brings together his long experience of ministry in Manchester and his wide reading. He connects the local and the global, the theological and the political, examining with passion the "double whammy" of marginalized churches in marginalized communities. Those engaged in campaigning for the poor, in responding to globalization in its many forms, and in seeking the revitalising of the urban church will all find John Atherton challenging many assumptions and giving them an even stronger and broader set of convictions to lend power to their efforts: Peter Selby, Bishop of Worcester 'John Atherton's new book arises out of disciplined reflection on his own deep grappling with economic and social issues and the role of the churches over several decades. This is a rich, honest and realistic book which examines bravely the challenges of the marginalization of millions in our global village, of the poor and minority groups in affluent societies, and of the church and Christian faith in the West. And Atherton has the courage, in dialogue with the best contemporary social theory, to point a way forward. This book deserves to be widely read and discussed. I commend it very warmly: Duncan B. Forrester, Emeritus Professor of Christian Ethics and Practical Theology, New College, The University of Edinburgh.

William Paden's classic exploration in religious studies, with a new introduction
In the current climate, Interpreting the Sacred provides a fresh, thorough way to consider and compare various religious belief systems. Paden puts forth the idea that our understanding of religion influences our understanding of ourselves and our world. Updated with a new introduction, this book is for anyone who wants to consider and discuss religious beliefs.
"To appreciate the fascinating, forbidding landscape of current religious theory, one needs a clear map annotated by an observant guide. Interpreting the Sacred qualifies on both counts." --Christian Century
William Paden is professor and chair of the department of religion at the University of Vermont.

Pope Pius XII has often been criticized for his silence during the extermination of European Jewry during World War II. In his defense, some have alleged that the pope was doing a great deal to help the Jews but that his efforts were necessarily behind the scenes. This meticulously researched and balanced book examines exactly what the pope, his advisers, and his assistants at the Vatican Secretariat of State did to help the Jews of Italy. It finds that they did very little. The book begins by discussing prewar Vatican and Jesuit publications, in which Zuccotti uncovers a hitherto unsuspected prevalence of anti-Jewish sentiment. These publications, along with archival documents, indicate that Vatican protests against Italian anti-Jewish laws were limited to measures affecting converts and Jews in mixed marriages with Catholics, as was help with emigration; the papal nuncio's visits to foreign Jews in Italian internment camps did not differ from those to non-Jews and in no way eased their material discomfort; and interventions by diplomats of the Holy See for Jews threatened with deportation were rare, always polite, and seldom decisive. Above all, Zuccotti finds no evidence of a papal directive to church institutions to shelter Jews and much evidence to suggest that the pope remained uninvolved. The notion that Pius XII was benevolent and helpful to Jews behind the scenes proves to be a myth.

Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Mormon movement and George J. Adams, one of his least known followers - two Gentile dreamers of Zion - were instrumental in encouraging Jews and Christians to support the restoration of Israel. ... For Joseph Smith, Jewish responsibility for establishing Zion had not been forfeited nor terminated. It was continuous: the Jews would return as Jews; they would rebuild Jerusalem as Jews. In his view, neither the denigration of Jews, so often characteristic of Christianity, nor supersession by the Church, was tenable. According to Joseph's perception of the Scriptures, and his own prophetic insights, there are to be two strategic centers - Zion at historical Jerusalem, and Zion in a New Jerusalem in the heartland of America. He believed that a renewed Israel and a church, restored to its primal purpose, shared a mandate to body forth in society the dream of the Kingdom of God. He called this dream the cause of Zion, which became a major emphasis of the Mormon movement. ... This book explains the rejection by Smith and Adams of "normal" Christian replacement theology and sets out the apologetics by which Smith and Adams promoted courage and conviction in all who joined them in encouraging the ingathering of the Jewish exiles to Jerusalem.

In this text, Hyam Maccoby controversially suggests that Jesus was not only friendly to the Pharisees, but was actually a member of their group. He aims to throw new light on the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist, exploring the political aspect of their movements and their adherence to the Torah. He looks at evidence from the rabbinic sources to show a strong affinity between Jesus and the Pharisees and discusses previously misunderstood or ignored stories about Jesus found in the Talmud. The book rehabilitates the Pharisees and uses the New Testament to show that there is continuity between Pharisaism and rabbinism. It should prove influential in the strategy to combat anti-Semitism.

What does Jesus mean to a Buddhist, or the Buddha to a Christian? What is it about the Buddha that is appealing to a Christian, or unappealing? In this volume 12 scholars, six of them Christian and six of them Buddhists, speak simply and from the heart about their personal relationship to the great religious leader from the other tradition. The diversity of views within each tradition could be a shock to the average Buddhist or Christian on the street. Buddhists argue about Buddha's nature, Buddha veneration, and the role the Buddha plays in human liberation. Christians argue about Jesus' human and divine status, his uniqueness, and the role he plays in human salvation. The contributors celebrate the family likeness between Jesus and the Buddha, but they also acknowledge the differences as well, for it is at the points of difference that potentially there is the most opportunity for growth.>

Drawing on the words of over one hundred theologians and philosophers of religion, this anthology addresses the vital question of how the world faiths relate to one another in a plural society.The readings in this volume are drawn from all the world religions and their key thinkers; they cover the entire spectrum of views from traditional to radical, as well as providing a comprehensive overview of the interfaith debate and all its major themes. All the significant voices are included, including Karl Barth, Mahatma Gandhi, Ingrid Shafer, Ursula King and the Dalai Lama, in a collection that also traces the development of the discipline from the early 20th century to the present day.

Edited by two of the most prominent names in interfaith dialogue, this is an introduction to the complex relationships between Christianity and the other world faiths. Featuring essays from some of the key thinkers in the Christian faith. It covers both Catholic and Protestant approaches, and features all the rival points of view, including the uncompromising absolutism of Karl Barth and Pope John Paul II, the more ecumenical approaches of Karl Rahner and Hans Kung, and the religious pluralism of Wilfred Cantwell Smith and John Hick, among others.

A major issue in nineteenth-century world politics, the question of Christianity's holiest shrines in Jerusalem is covered by a large body of literature. Most of this scholarship, however, concentrates on the period when the question of the Holy Sites has already evolved from a domestic Ottoman problem into an all-European issue. Much less is known about this problem in earlier times, when the Ottoman Empire was still a dominant power able to propose solutions free of foreign interference and outside pressures.
Based on official Ottoman records found in the registers of the kadi's court in Jerusalem as well as the Prime Ministry's Archives in Istanbul, the present study offers a thorough treatment of Ottoman policy with respect to the Holy Sites during the first two centuries of Ottoman rule in Jerusalem. It focuses on three principal issues: (a) The legal status of the Holy Sites under Ottoman rule; (b) The Ottoman state and the inter-church struggle over the Holy Sites; (c) The Holy Sites as a source of income to the Ottoman state.
The discussion of these issues sheds new light on one of the most obscure and controversial chapters in the history of Christianity under Islam in Jerusalem.