Den Ausgangspunkt dieser Studie bilden Wesen und Wirkung der Synagoga-Typologie im Kontext neuzeitlicher Antijudaismusforschung. Benannt und gedeutet werden auf psychologisch fundierter Basis judenfeindliche Selbstdefinitionen des Christentums, fächerübergreifend ihre Wege ins christlich-abendländische Kulturgut. Mit Einbezug dieser zumeist über ein diachrones Methodenverfahren gewonnenen Ergebnisse untersucht die Arbeit solidarisches Gedenken in religionspädagogischem und -didaktischem Blickfeld und entfaltet Ziele und Objektivationen erinnerungsgeleiteter Lernprozesse unter kritischer Würdigung bestehender Lehr-Lern-Sequenzen. Es zeigen sich u. a. Gründe hinterfragbarer religiös motivierter Nachrede als Folge einer theologisch unbewältigten Stellung zum Judentum und rezeptionsorientierte Maßnahmen als Akt gegen kulturell vermittelte Feindschaft.

Using the events surrounding "The Satanic Verses" controversy as a starting point, Paul Weller offers an interesting examination of the twenty-first century challenges posed by living with radical difference, freedom of expression, and mutual respect.26th September 2008 marks the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of "The Satanic Verses" controversy - a controversy that in many ways became paradigmatic for the following two decades.Taking as its starting-point the opening two years of the controversy, Paul Weller uses the events and arguments of those years as a lens through which to view what later developed, both in relation to the controversy itself, but also its wider entails, and the incidents and issues through which aspects of the original controversy were reprised. The anniversary of the controversy presents a good opportunity to review the incidents, issues and debates of the time in some historical perspective, while also connecting them with subsequent incidents that have reprised some of the key themes, such as the 'cartoons' controversy, the terror attacks of 9/11 and 7/7, and the killing of the Dutch filmmaker, Theo Van Gogh.The book holds up a mirror for our times that will be of interest to academics, politicians, students, and religious believers, as well as to all who are engaged with the twenty-first century challenges posed by living with radical difference, freedom of expression, and mutual respect, with exploring the relationship between religion and secularity, and with overcoming the threats posed by religiously informed violence. Paul Weller is Professor of Inter-Religious Relations at the University of Derby and Visiting Fellow in the Oxford Centre for Christianity and Culture at Regent's Park College, University of Oxford, UK. He is editor of "Religions in the UK: Directory 2007-10", the 2001 edition of which won the Shap Working Party on World Religions in Education prize for 'an outstanding contribution to the teaching of world religions'.

This is a book for anyone seeking a way out of deadlock in Church conflict situations. In employing a contemplative approach to the conflict in the Anglican Communion, it shows how relationships can be rebuilt with affection leading to trust. The author argues for reconciliation which comes with a renewed awareness of the dynamic activity of the Holy Spirit in the Church's life of communion. The present conflict has blocked this activity, stifling the Church's intellectual life by reducing it to a matter of issue-driven politics which have seriously undermined its relationships. The book offers the Anglican Communion the possibility of renewing its life together in a deeper and more apophatic encounter with God in which the certainties which divide it are set aside while the Church rediscovers the genuine bonds of affection which, until now, have held it together. This, it argues, is the work which needs to be undertaken before a Covenant is put in place if the Anglican Communion is to continue to reveal the Gospel in ways which are meaningful for a constantly changing and fragmented world.

This book demonstrates a number of approaches made by biblical scholars to find a theology of the Christian Scripture. It then considers attempts to bridge the gap between exegesis and dogmatics by appeal to the discipline of 'fundamental theology' and the doctrine of Revelation. It finds that, for all the interesting questions raised, one is forced back to the Bible from where one must form the themes and concepts which have been developed by theologians through the ages, and which with help from biblical historical critics can be made to refresh theology and serve the Church. This is done by examining the role of 'faith' in the two testaments and by considering how the Bible's understanding of that which receives revelation is itself useful for the total enterprise of theology.

Refuting prophecies of an unstoppable increase in secularization, the fascination of religious rituals proofs to be unbroken in the late modern world. This book contests classical paradigms that reduce the rationale of rituals to normativity (Durkheim), intelligibility (Geertz) and dialectics (Turner). Instead, it shows that rituals assert their significance in the post-colonial and globalizing world by successfully negotiating structure and contingency, identity and hybridity, script and embodiment. Its case studies are dealing with a broad variety of ritual genres and expressions, including initiation ceremonies and spirit possession, new harvest ceremonies, cults of ancestors, deities and saints, ceremonial receptions, inaugurations and memorials, ritual theatre, carnival and ritual painting in contemporary Brazil, Germany, France, India, Japan, Taiwan, USA, Vietnam, and Yemen.

As hostilities in Iraq continue to dominate the media, and the US-led coalition's approach to the war and the reconstruction of Iraq increasingly in question, Andrew White's is the voice of authority, always realistic but never without hope. But where is hope now? What is the future for Iraq? This is the fascinating, first-hand account of one man's deepening involvement over seven years with Iraq. As an envoy for peace, the author has dedicated himself to religious and political reconciliation in Iraq and frequently risked his life. In this new edition, Andrew White reflects on what he has seen in Iraq during his ongoing visits since 2005, including the escalating violence, working with the military and the involvement of the Americans. He also assesses what he considers mistakes in the peace process. Among the more dramatic moments are the trial of Saddam, at which Andrew White was present; the abduction of the leaders of St George's church and their presumed death; and hostage crises including the death of colleagues. The author's personal struggle has been very real, but even at the worst moments he does not lose hope. He is remarkable for his capacity to relate to people at both a high and a more ordinary level, and his picture of life on the ground in Iraq is as compelling as his insights into what goes on behind the political censors. Interspersed in this compelling account are reflections on such profound issues as the nature of evil, the necessity sometimes of war and - perhaps the most urgent question - whether religion is part of the problem or the solution.

Beginning with the presupposition that Christians and Muslims will forever be living side-by-side, this work is an attempt to face squarely the question of what Christians can truly say about Islam. Recognizing the differences in doctrinal emphases in Christianity, a critical methodology is that the argument is developed from the point of view of a particular Christian communion, so as to give concreteness to the argument. Such a communion has to be carefully chosen in order to find acceptability across the whole spectrum of the Christian faith. To a large extent the relationship between Christians and Muslims is characterized by mutual ignorance of those things that are essential to their faiths. That ignorance is also reinforced by media depictions of half-truths or untruths. A Formula for Conversation looks at the doctrines that both communities consider non-negotiable. It is the possibility of being able to say something of Islam that the Muslim would be happy to accept and that Christians can identify with that creates a moment for dialogue.

Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali was born to a Muslim mother and a Christian father. He studied theology at Cambridge, going on to become only the second non-white bishop in England and the first diocesan bishop. He is a consultant to the Prime Minister on Muslim affairs. Nazir-Ali sets out fundamental guidelines on the role of religion in society and its relationship to nationalism, ideology and political institutions, and examines Christian-Muslim dialogue with particular relationship to the rise of Arab, Indian and Turkish nationalism. Of particular concern is the relationship of religion to law and the justifiability of armed conflict.

Recent immigration is changing American religion. No longer only a Protestant, Christian, or even Judeo-Christian nation, the United States is increasingly home to religious traditions from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. The history, spirit, and institutions of Protestantism often shape the beliefs and practices of new immigrants and their societies of faith. But immigrants are also creating their own unique religious communities within existing denominations or developing hybrid identities that combine strands of several faiths or traditions. These changes call for new thinking among both scholars of religion and scholars of migration. Immigrant Faiths responds to these changes with fresh thinking from new and established scholars from a variety of disciplines. Covering groups from across the U.S. and a range of religious traditions, Immigrant Faiths provides a needed overview to this expanding subfield. Sponsored by the Social Science Research Council.

David L. Rowe asserts that many Mormons view Christian witnessing as Bible bashing. What Christians need to understand, he suggests, is that Latter-day Saints are an entirely separate ethnic group with their own history, values, and customs. Evangelizing Mormons can be so much more effective if Christians first know, understand, and respect Mormon heritage.
With helpful illustrations and discussions of Mormon values and theology, Rowe calls Christians away from confrontational evangelism and instead suggests active listening and respect as a way to bridge Christian beliefs and Mormon culture. A glossary in the back of the book and discussion questions at the end of each chapter will help readers apply these concepts in their own witnessing experiences. In the end, Christians will be more approachable representatives of Christ.

Conflict Resolution will be of interest to people who deal with disputes - of whatever kind - including through mediation and alternative dispute resolution procedures. Contents What is Conflict? Strategies for Resolving Conflict Approach to the Territory Family Mediation Mediation Between Neighbours Restorative Justice Mediation in Schools Cross-Cultural and Multi-Faith Mediation Environmental Conflict David and Goliath The World of Work Training Academic Study and Research Issues for the Future Author Susan Stewart has taught conflict resolution and mediation and been involved in the development of innovative university courses covering these topics. She has published extensively in the education field, including works on adult learning. In recent years she has been engaged in mediation as a teacher, researcher and community consultant.

From the Crusades to the present day, the interrelationship between Islam and Christianity has been fraught with conflict, both theological and military. Yet events in 20th-century history, particularly the communications revolution, have meant that, after centuries of living in isolation from each other, Christians and Muslims find themselves participating in the same intellectual culture, and are having to review their assumptions about each other. In this work, Zebiri analyzes modern Muslim writings on Christianity and Christian writings on Islam to explore the issues central to Muslim-Christian relations. The literature surveyed is diverse - both popular and scholarly, varying in function, authorship and intended audience. Through its juxtaposition of the mutual perceptions of Muslims and Christians, the book provides an overview of the more important contrasts and similarities between the two religions.

This book is a classic account of inter-religous encounter from a German monk who lived in a holy city of India.

This collection takes a new approach to understanding religious plurality in the Iberian Peninsula and its Mediterranean and northern European contexts. Focusing on polemics-works that attack or refute the beliefs of religious Others-this volume aims to challenge the problematic characterization of Iberian Jews, Muslims, and Christians as homogeneous groups. From the high Middle Ages to the end of the seventeenth century, Christian efforts to convert groups of Jews and Muslims, Muslim efforts to convert Christians and Jews, and the defensive efforts of these communities to keep their members within the faiths led to the production of numerous polemics. This volume brings together a wide variety of case studies that expose how the current historiographical focus on the three religious communities as allegedly homogeneous groups obscures the diversity within the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities as well as the growing ranks of skeptics and outright unbelievers. Featuring contributions from a range of academic disciplines, this paradigm-shifting book sheds new light on the cultural and intellectual dynamics of the conflicts that marked relations among these religious communities in the Iberian Peninsula and beyond. In addition to the editors, the contributors are Antoni Biosca i Bas, Thomas E. Burman, Monica Colominas Aparicio, John Dagenais, Oscar de la Cruz, Borja Franco Llopis, Linda G. Jones, Daniel J. Lasker, Davide Scotto, Teresa Soto, Ryan Szpiech, Pieter Sjoerd van Koningsveld, and Carsten Wilke.

To study the interactions between Muslims and Christians in the medieval period is to observe a history of conflict and co-existence encompassing warfare, piracy, and raiding as well as commerce, intellectual exchanges, and personal relationships that transcended religious differences. With particular focus on the Mediterranean world, this collection of more than 80 readings includes sources from Byzantine, Jewish, Muslim, and Latin Christian authors that explore the conflicts and contacts between Muslims and Christians from the seventh to the fifteenth century. Jarbel Rodriguez has selected geographically diverse readings and multiple sources on the same event or topic so that readers gain a better understanding of the relationship that existed between Muslims and Christians in the Middle Ages.

This book explores the history of Muslim-Christian theological exchanges in Iran during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Focused on the work of the renegade missionary 'Ali Quli Jadid al-Islam (d. 1734), it contributes to ongoing debates on the nature of confessionalism, interreligious encounters, and cultural translation in early modern Muslim empires. By disentangling the connections between polemics and other forms of Islamic learning and by emphasizing the Shi'i character of the case in question, this study accounts for the dynamism of polemics as an ever-evolving genre capable to adapt to different historical contexts.

Young people are doing faith differently. They are redefining community, ministry and ritual for a new era. In the face of planetary crisis, the next generation no longer see faith as a private matter, instead they are integrating it with activism and the need for systemic change. Influenced by the wealth of different teachings and traditions available around them, their identities are increasingly multifaceted and emphatically global. This collection of stories and interviews with young adults and their allies explores this new landscape, reflecting both the energy and inspiration of the next generation and the tremendous challenges they face. It points towards an exciting evolution in the way we are relating to the sacred. With stories from: Adam Bucko, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, Kara Moses, Abbas Zahedi, Camille Barton, Bruna Kadletz, Dekila Chungyalpa, Matt Youde, Amrita Bhohi, Sun Kaur, and many others. With supporting stories from senior leaders including: His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Dr John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Rabbi Laura Janner Klausner, Bhai Sahib Dr Mohinder Singh, and more.

Scholars are seeking to identify how to constructively integrate faith into diplomacy. Proponents of faith-based diplomacy recognise that incorporating faith into peacemaking activities assists in managing identity-based conflict and religiously motivated violence in the contemporary international system. A promising strategy within the scope of faith-based diplomacy is interfaith dialogue. The study and practice of interfaith dialogue has been reinvigorated since the advent of 9/11, and yet the link between interfaith dialogue and diplomacy remains underdeveloped. The cases of Indonesia and the United States present lessons on how states can effectively use interfaith dialogue to achieve policy objectives, while recognising that some policies are detrimental to achieving diplomatic goals. This paper seeks to provide some framework for bringing interfaith dialogue into the scope of diplomacy by illuminating how faith-based diplomacy and interfaith dialogue can be innovative diplomatic perspectives useful in addressing contemporary global issues.

This book is a study of contemporary Buddhist-Christian encounter in Thailand. Case studies, which include a Buddhist nationalist group, a charismatic church movement, and a village community, describe the variety and nature of Buddhist-Christian relations. Arising issues - nationalism, identity, notions of the religious other - are discussed with regard to Thai history and modern society. The book also highlights cultural notions of avoidance and the Buddhist concept of friendship as Thai offerings to the field of interreligious dialogue. The study is based on qualitative research and draws on different academic disciplines, including religious studies, theology, and political studies. It makes a distinctive contribution to the fields of Thai Studies and global Buddhist-Christian Studies.

This title is an introduction to the World's major religions from a Catholic Perspective. There is no single standard textbook that outlines the official Roman Catholic theological position in relation to other religions which then explicates this orientation theologically and phenomenologically in relation to the four main religions of the world and the flowering of new religious movements in the west. The present project will cover this serious gap in the literature. After outlining the teaching of Vatican II and the magisterium since then (chapter one), each subsequent chapter will be divided equally between an exposition of the history and features of the religion or movement being studied; and a serious theological analysis of these features, showing how these religions do have elements in common, as well as how they differ in fundamental ways from Catholicism.

This book offers a topical investigation into Christian-Muslim relations, highlighting the important need for an improved understanding between the two communities in order develop universal peace and justice.For centuries Christians and Muslims have engaged with each other in a variety of ways, peaceful and otherwise.Today, Christians represent an influential body of opinion that largely perceives Islam, post 9/11, as a threat. Yet Muslims represent approximately one third of the world's population. Improved understanding between Christians and Muslims is a crucial foundation for international peace and for common humanitarian action. This book aims to investigate Islam's place in the world, Muslim aspirations vis-a-vis non-Muslims and the realities of how Christians perceive Muslims and Muslims Christians. It covers what has been said and written from the seventh to the present century.Each chapter analyses accessible texts from key thinkers and commentators, broadly split into two camps: confrontational or conciliatory including detailed treatment of Bible and Qur'an. Christian-Muslim relations are set in the wider context of civilizational, geo-political and economic interaction between the Muslim world and the historically Christian West.

Over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic and unprecedented shift in Jewish-Christian relations, including signs of a new, improved Christian attitude towards Jews. "Christianity in Jewish Terms" is a Jewish theological response to the profound changes that have taken place in Christian thought. The book is divided into ten chapters, each of which features a main essay, written by a Jewish scholar, that explores the meaning of a set of Christian beliefs. Following the essay are responses from a second Jewish scholar and a Christian scholar. Designed to generate new conversations within the American Jewish community and between the Jewish and Christian communities, "Christianity in Jewish Terms" lays the foundation for better understanding. It was named a Choice Outstanding Academic Book of 2001.