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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian sacred works & liturgy

Biblical Aramaic and Related Dialects - An Introduction (Paperback, New Ed): Edward Cook Biblical Aramaic and Related Dialects - An Introduction (Paperback, New Ed)
Edward Cook
R1,246 Discovery Miles 12 460 Ships in 9 - 15 working days

Biblical Aramaic and Related Dialects is a comprehensive, introductory-level textbook for the acquisition of the language of the Old Testament and related dialects that were in use from the last few centuries BCE. Based on the latest research, it uses a method that guides students into knowledge of the language inductively, with selections taken from the Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and papyrus discoveries from ancient Egypt. The volume offers a comprehensive view of ancient Aramaic that enables students to progress to advanced levels with a solid grounding in historical grammar. Most up-to-date description of Aramaic in light of modern discoveries and methods. Provides more detail than previous textbooks. Includes comprehensive description of Biblical dialect, along with Aramaic of the Persian period and of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Guided readings begin with primary sources, enabling students learn the language by reading historical texts.

Female Personalities in the Qur'an and Sunna - Examining the Major Sources of Imami Shi'i Islam (Hardcover, New):... Female Personalities in the Qur'an and Sunna - Examining the Major Sources of Imami Shi'i Islam (Hardcover, New)
Rawand Osman
R4,208 Discovery Miles 42 080 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book investigates the manner in which the Qur'an and sunna depict female personalities in their narrative literature. Providing a comprehensive study of all the female personalities mentioned in the Qur'an, the book is selective in the personalities of the sunna, examining the three prominent women of ahl al-bayt; Khadija, Fatima, and Zaynab. Analysing the major sources of Imami Shi'i Islam, including the exegetical compilations of the eminent Shi'i religious authorities of the classical and modern periods, as well as the authoritative books of Shi'i traditions, this book finds that the varieties of female personalities are portrayed as human beings on different stages of the spiritual spectrum. They display feminine qualities, which are often viewed positively and are sometimes commendable traits for men, at least as far as the spiritual domain is concerned. The theory, particularly regarding women's humanity, is then tested against the depiction of womanhood in the hadith literature, with special emphasis on Nahj al-Balagha. Contributing a fresh perspective on classical materials, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of Islamic Studies, Women's Studies and Shi'i Studies.

Ani Tefilla Weekday Siddur - Ashkenaz (Hardcover): Jonathan Sacks Ani Tefilla Weekday Siddur - Ashkenaz (Hardcover)
Jonathan Sacks; Commentary by Jay Goldmintz
R715 R642 Discovery Miles 6 420 Save R73 (10%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Koren Ani Tefilla Weekday Siddur is an engaging and thought-provoking siddur for the inquiring high school student and thoughtful adult. The innovative commentary in this siddur, for beginners and the seasoned alike, has been designed to help the user create their own meaning and connection during the Tefilla experience. Divided into different categories that enable the user to connect to the liturgy in different ways, the commentary provides a variety of approaches to each tefilla, and something meaningful for everyone.

Key innovative features:

-- Commentary divided into four categories: Biur, Iyun, Halakha and Ani Tefilla

-- Unique layout encourages deeper connection to the prayers

-- Appendices include: FAQs on tefilla collected from students and adults, practical guide to enhancing one's kavana, useful bibliography, guide to the Jewish year, stories, and more.

-- Thought-provoking questions, narratives, and quotes help the user think and feel beyond the standardized liturgy

Suffering & Glory - Meditations for Holy Week and Easter (Paperback): Christianity Christianity Today Suffering & Glory - Meditations for Holy Week and Easter (Paperback)
Christianity Christianity Today; Introduction by Leland Ryken; Contributions by Tish Harrison Warren, Nancy Guthrie, Jeremy R. Treat, …
R295 Discovery Miles 2 950 Ships in 12 - 17 working days
Metrical Psalmody in Print and Practice - English 'Singing Psalms' and Scottish 'Psalm Buiks', c. 1547-1640... Metrical Psalmody in Print and Practice - English 'Singing Psalms' and Scottish 'Psalm Buiks', c. 1547-1640 (Hardcover, New Ed)
Timothy Duguid
R3,928 Discovery Miles 39 280 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

During the Reformation, the Book of Psalms became one of the most well-known books of the Bible. This was particularly true in Britain, where people of all ages, social classes and educational abilities memorized and sang poetic versifications of the psalms. Those written by Thomas Sternhold and John Hopkins became the most popular, and the simple tunes developed and used by English and Scottish churches to accompany these texts were carried by soldiers, sailors and colonists throughout the English-speaking world. Among these tunes were a number that are still used today, including 'Old Hundredth', 'Martyrs', and 'French'. This book is the first to consider both English and Scottish metrical psalmody, comparing the two traditions in print and practice. It combines theological literary and musical analysis to reveal new and ground-breaking connections between the psalm texts and their tunes, which it traces in the English and Scottish psalters printed through 1640. Using this new analysis in combination with a more thorough evaluation of extant church records, Duguid contends that Britain developed and maintained two distinct psalm cultures, one in England and the other in Scotland.

Abrogation in the Qur'an and Islamic Law (Paperback): Louay Fatoohi Abrogation in the Qur'an and Islamic Law (Paperback)
Louay Fatoohi
R1,630 Discovery Miles 16 300 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book examines in detail the concept of "abrogation" in the Qur an, which has played a major role in the development of Islamic law and has implications for understanding the history and integrity of the Qur anic text. The term has gained popularity in recent years, as Muslim groups and individuals claim that many passages about tolerance in the Qur an have been abrogated by others that call on Muslims to fight their enemies. Author Louay Fatoohi argues that this could not have been derived from the Qur an, and that its implications contradict Qur anic principles. He also reveals conceptual flaws in the principle of abrogation as well as serious problems with the way it was applied by different scholars.

Abrogation in the Qur an and Islamic Law traces the development of the concept from its most basic form to the complex and multi-faceted doctrine it has become. The book shows what specific problems the three modes of abrogation were introduced to solve, and how this concept has shaped Islamic law. The book also critiques the role of abrogation in rationalizing the view that not all of the Qur anic revelation has survived in the "mushaf," or the written record of the Qur an. This role makes understanding abrogation an essential prerequisite for studying the history of the Qur anic text. "

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Complete 6-Volume Set - Complete and Unabridged (Hardcover): Matthew Henry Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Complete 6-Volume Set - Complete and Unabridged (Hardcover)
Matthew Henry
R5,238 R4,139 Discovery Miles 41 390 Save R1,099 (21%) Ships in 10 - 15 working days

The Most Popular Commentary Ever Written in a Modern, Easy-to-Read Edition.
"First among the mighty (commentaries) for general usefulness we are bound to mention the man whose name is a household word, Matthew Henry. He is the most pious and pithy, sound and sensible, suggestive and sober, terse and trustworthy . . . he is deeply spiritual, heavenly, profitable; finding good matter in every text, and from all deducting the most practical and judicious lessons . . . It is the Christian's companion, suitable to everybody, instructive to all."
--Charles H. Spurgeon
From Genesis to Revelation, Matthew Henry successfully combines practical application, devotional insight, and scholarship on the entire Bible. Henry has profound insights on the content, message and nature of God's divine revelation. Perfect for all readers of the Bible who want a comprehensive commentary.
- Modern easy-to-read modern type with Scripture passages in bold
- Complete and unabridged in 6 volumes
- Includes The Life of Matthew Henry by J. B. Williams
- Entirely faithful to the original

Refractions of the Scriptural - Critical Orientation as Transgression (Paperback): Vincent L. Wimbush Refractions of the Scriptural - Critical Orientation as Transgression (Paperback)
Vincent L. Wimbush
R1,415 Discovery Miles 14 150 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Refractions of the Scriptural is a transdisciplinary collection of essays that seeks to construct a new field of scholarly inquiry with scriptures as a fraught category, analytical wedge, and site for excavation and problematization. The book focuses on the ways in which individual and social bodies manipulate-and are manipulated by- the politics and power encoded in language and formalized canonical knowledge. Scriptures, in this sense, function as complex phenomena that are instrumental to social conservatism as well as social critique and social change. The essays in this volume, written by established and up-and-coming scholars across a wide range of disciplines, seek to locate, engage, and interpret the ways in which the scriptural shapes and reshapes people and the dynamics of identity formation. The chapters are organized around four domains or types of inquiry: the cognitive, the conscientized, the inscriptive, and the formative. It will be of interest to scholars of religion, as well as those interested more broadly in critical social and historical studies.

Children's Siddur - Ashkenaz (Hardcover, Magerman ed.): Rinat Gilboa Children's Siddur - Ashkenaz (Hardcover, Magerman ed.)
Rinat Gilboa; Created by Koren Publishers Jerusalem Ltd
R427 R382 Discovery Miles 3 820 Save R45 (11%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The first in the Magerman Educational Siddur Series, The Koren Children's Siddur created for the early elementary grades, combines stimulating and beautiful illustrations with thought-provoking educational components on each page to provide teachers and parents with an educational resource as much as a conventional siddur. The siddur, for kindergarten, first and second grades, is also accompanied by a comprehensive Teacher and Parents Guide to maximize the educational potential of this beginner's siddur.

Sacred Enigmas - Literary Religion in the Hebrew Bible (Paperback): Stephen Geller Sacred Enigmas - Literary Religion in the Hebrew Bible (Paperback)
Stephen Geller
R1,619 Discovery Miles 16 190 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Sacred Enigmas assesses the religious and intellectual significance of the Hebrew Bible both as a document of its time and as an important step in the development of thought. It presents the major aspects of biblical religion through detailed literary analyses of key texts, presented in English translation to make them accessible to the general reader as well as scholars.

God, Muhammad and the Unbelievers - A Qur'anic Study (Paperback): David Marshall God, Muhammad and the Unbelievers - A Qur'anic Study (Paperback)
David Marshall
R1,620 Discovery Miles 16 200 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This study of the Qur'an arises from an interest in a pressing contemporary issue, the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims ('the Ummah and the Other'). This text explores how the Qur'an comments on this relationship as it changed in the course of Muhammad's ministry. Particular attention is paid to the portrayal in the Meccan 'punishment-narratives' of a fascinating and complex triangular relationship between God, the powerless and persecuted believing community with Muhammad at its centre, and the unbelieving Meccans who rejected Muhammad's preaching.

The text raising questions about the possible contemporary relevance of this analysis, focusing firstly on discussions about the appropriate models for Islamic society today, and secondly on dialogue between Christians and Muslims. This book presents a detailed and illuminating analysis of many important Qur'anic themes and passages, and offers a coherent and original account of significant developments within the thought of the Qur'an as a whole.

New Perspectives on the Qur'an - The Qur'an in its Historical Context 2 (Paperback): Gabriel Reynolds New Perspectives on the Qur'an - The Qur'an in its Historical Context 2 (Paperback)
Gabriel Reynolds
R1,461 Discovery Miles 14 610 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book continues the work of The Qur'an in its Historical Context, in which an international group of scholars address an expanded range of topics on the Qur'an and its origins, looking beyond medieval Islamic traditions to present the Qur'an's own conversation with the religions and literatures of its day. Particular attention is paid to recent debates and controversies in the field, and to uncovering the Qur'an's relationship with Judaism and Christianity. After a foreword by Abdolkarim Soroush, chapters by renowned experts cover: method in Qur'anic Studies analysis of material evidence, including inscriptions and ancient manuscripts, for what they show of the Qur'an's origins the language of the Qur'an and proposed ways to emend our reading of the Qur'an how our knowledge of the religious groups at the time of the Qur'an's emergence might contribute to a better understanding of the text the Qur'an's conversation with Biblical literature and traditions that challenge the standard understanding of the holy book. This debate of recent controversial proposals for new interpretations of the Qur'an will shed new light on the Qur'anic passages that have been shrouded in mystery and debate. As such, it will be a valuable reference for scholars of Islam, the Qur'an, Christian-Muslim relations and the Middle East.

A Comprehensive Commentary on the Quran - Comprising Sale's Translation and Preliminary Discourse: Volume III (Paperback):... A Comprehensive Commentary on the Quran - Comprising Sale's Translation and Preliminary Discourse: Volume III (Paperback)
E.M. Wherry
R1,357 R975 Discovery Miles 9 750 Save R382 (28%) Ships in 12 - 17 working days

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

Mary in the Qur'an - A Literary Reading (Hardcover): Hosn Abboud Mary in the Qur'an - A Literary Reading (Hardcover)
Hosn Abboud
R4,201 Discovery Miles 42 010 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Providing an analysis of the complete story of Mary in its liturgical, narrative and rhetorical contexts, this literary reading is a prerequisite to any textual reading of the Qur'an whether juristic, theological, or otherwise. intertextuality between the Old Testament, New Testament and the Qur'an. The Qur'an is an oral event, linguistic phenomenon and great literature. So the application of modern literary theories is essential to have full comprehension of the history of the development of literary forms from pre-Islamic period such as poetry, story telling, speech-giving to the present. In addition, there is a need, from a feminist perspective, to understand in depth why a Christian mother figure such as Mary was important in early Islam and in the different stages of the development of the Qur'an as a communication process between Muhammad and the early Muslim community. Introducing modern literary theories, gender perspective and feminist criticism into Qur'anic scholarship for the first time, this book will be an invaluable resource for scholars and researchers of Islamic Studies, Qur'anic and New Testament Studies, Comparative Literature and Feminist Theology.

The Sih-Rozag in Zoroastrianism - A Textual and Historico-Religious Analysis (Hardcover): Enrico Raffaelli The Sih-Rozag in Zoroastrianism - A Textual and Historico-Religious Analysis (Hardcover)
Enrico Raffaelli
R4,231 Discovery Miles 42 310 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Focusing on the Avestan and Pahlavi versions of the Sih-rozag, a text worshipping Zoroastrian divine entities, this book explores the spiritual principles and physical realities associated with them. Introducing the book is an overview of the structural, linguistic and historico-religious elements of the Avestan Sih-rozag. This overview, as well as reconstructing its approximate chronology, helps in understanding the original ritual function of the text and its relationship to the other Avestan texts.The book then studies the translation of the text in the Middle Persian language, Pahlavi, which was produced several centuries after its initial composition, when Avestan was no longer understood by the majority of the Zoroastrian community. Addressing the lacuna in literature examining an erstwhile neglected Zoroastrian text, The Sih-Rozag in Zoroastrianism includes a detailed commentary and an English translation of both the Avestan and Pahlavi version of the Sih-rozag and will be of interest to researchers and scholars of Iranian Studies, Religion, and History.

Jewish Women's Torah Study - Orthodox Religious Education and Modernity (Hardcover, New): Ilan Fuchs Jewish Women's Torah Study - Orthodox Religious Education and Modernity (Hardcover, New)
Ilan Fuchs
R4,219 Discovery Miles 42 190 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

One of the cornerstones of the religious Jewish experience in all its variations is Torah study, and this learning is considered a central criterion for leadership. Jewish Women's Torah Study addresses the question of women's integration in the halachic-religious system at this pivotal intersection. The contemporary debate regarding women's Torah study first emerged in the second half of the 19th century. As women's status in general society changed, offering increased legal rights and opportunities for education, a debate on the need to change women's participation in Torah study emerged. Orthodoxy was faced with the question: which parts, if any, of modernity should be integrated into Halacha? Exemplifying the entire array of Orthodox responses to modernity, this book is a valuable addition to the scholarship of Judaism in the modern era and will be of interest to students and scholars of Religion, Gender Studies and Jewish Studies.

Huldah - The Prophet Who Wrote Hebrew Scripture (Paperback): Preston Kavanagh Huldah - The Prophet Who Wrote Hebrew Scripture (Paperback)
Preston Kavanagh
R610 Discovery Miles 6 100 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book reveals- for the first time ever - the extraordinary impact of Huldah the prophet on our Bible. She was both a leader of exilic Jews and a principal author of Hebrew Scripture. She penned the Shema: the ardent, prayerful praise that millions of worshipers repeat twice daily. Moreover, Jesus quoted as his own last words the ones that Huldah had written centuries before - "Into your hand I commit my spirit". Huldah was an extraordinary writer - arguably she ranks among the best in Hebrew Scripture. As such, she added to God's Word a feminine aspect that has inspired numberless believers - men and women alike. This book's new techniques reveal that though subjected to extreme verbal abuse, Huldah surmounted her era's high barriers to women. As elder, queen mother, and war leader during the sixth century BCE, she helped shape Israel's history. And what, then, can this book mean to scholars - both women and men? Feminists need a rallying point and a heroine, and Huldah makes a superb one. In years ahead, experts might well place Huldah alongside the very greatest women of antiquity; indeed, they may even conclude that she is among the most influential people in human history.

The Qur'an in Christian-Muslim Dialogue - Historical and Modern Interpretations (Hardcover, New): Corrie Block The Qur'an in Christian-Muslim Dialogue - Historical and Modern Interpretations (Hardcover, New)
Corrie Block
R4,215 Discovery Miles 42 150 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Offering an analysis of Christian-Muslim dialogue across four centuries, this book highlights those voices of ecumenical tone which have more often used the Qur'an for drawing the two faiths together rather than pushing them apart, and amplifies the voice of the Qur'an itself. Finding that there is tremendous ecumenical ground between Christianity and Islam in the voices of their own scholars, this book ranges from a period of declining ecumenism during the first three centuries of Islam, to a period of resurging ecumenism during the most recent century until now. Among the ecumenical voices in the Christian-Muslim dialogue, this book points out that the Qur'an itself is possibly the strongest of those voices. These findings are cause for, and evidence of, hope for the Christian-Muslim relationship: that although agreement may never be reached, dialogue has led at times to very real mutual understanding and appreciation of the religious other. Providing a tool for those pursuing understanding and mutual appreciation between the Islamic and Christian faiths, this book will be of interest to scholars and students of Islam, the Qur'an and the history of Christian-Muslim relations.

A Comprehensive Commentary on the Quran - Comprising Sale's Translation and Preliminary Discourse: Volume IV (Paperback):... A Comprehensive Commentary on the Quran - Comprising Sale's Translation and Preliminary Discourse: Volume IV (Paperback)
E.M. Wherry
R917 Discovery Miles 9 170 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

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

A Comprehensive Commentary on the Quran - Comprising Sale's Translation and Preliminary Discourse: Volume I (Paperback):... A Comprehensive Commentary on the Quran - Comprising Sale's Translation and Preliminary Discourse: Volume I (Paperback)
E.M. Wherry
R1,357 Discovery Miles 13 570 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

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

Al-Ghazali, Averroes and the Interpretation of the Qur'an - Common Sense and Philosophy in Islam (Paperback): Avital... Al-Ghazali, Averroes and the Interpretation of the Qur'an - Common Sense and Philosophy in Islam (Paperback)
Avital Wohlman; Translated by David Burrell
R1,598 Discovery Miles 15 980 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

This book examines the contrasting interpretations of Islam and the Qur'an by Averroes and Al-Ghazali, as a way of helping us untangle current impasses affecting each Abrahamic faith. This has traditionally been portrayed as a battle between philosophy and theology, but the book shows that Averroes was rather more religious and Al-Ghazali more philosophical than they are usually portrayed. The book traces the interaction between two Muslim thinkers, showing how each is convinced of the existence of a Book in which God is revealed to rational beings, to whom He has given commandments, as well as of the excellence of Islamic society. Yet they differ regarding the proper way to interpret the sacred Book. From this point of view, their discussion does not address the contrast between philosophy and religion, or that between reason and revelation that is so characteristic of the Middle Ages, but rather explores differences at the heart of philosophical discussion in our day: is there a level of discourse which will facilitate mutual comprehension among persons, allowing them to engage in debate? This interpretation of sacred texts illustrates the ways religious practice can shape believers' readings of their sacred texts, and how philosophical interpretations can be modified by religious practice. Moreover, since this sort of inquiry characterizes each Abrahamic tradition, this study can be expected to enhance interfaith conversation and explore religious ways to enhance tolerance between other believers.

A Woman's Ramayana - Candravati's Bengali Epic (Hardcover): Mandakranta Bose, Sarika Bose A Woman's Ramayana - Candravati's Bengali Epic (Hardcover)
Mandakranta Bose, Sarika Bose
R4,350 Discovery Miles 43 500 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Ramayana, an ancient epic of India, with audiences across vast stretches of time and geography, continues to influence numberless readers socially and morally through its many re-tellings. Made available in English for the first time, the 16th century version presented here is by Candravati, a woman poet from Bengal. It is a highly individual rendition as a tale told from a woman's point of view which, instead of celebrating masculine heroism, laments the suffering of women caught in the play of male ego. This book presents a translation and commentary on the text, with an extensive introduction that scrutinizes its social and cultural context and correlates its literary identity with its ideological implications. Taken together, the narrative and the critical study offered here expand the understanding both of the history of women's self-expression in India and the cultural potency of the epic tale. The book is of interest equally to students and researchers of South Asian narratives, Ramayana studies and gender issues.

Interpretations of the Bhagavad-Gita and Images of the Hindu Tradition - The Song of the Lord (Paperback): Catherine A Robinson Interpretations of the Bhagavad-Gita and Images of the Hindu Tradition - The Song of the Lord (Paperback)
Catherine A Robinson
R1,347 Discovery Miles 13 470 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

The Bhagavad-Gita is probably the most popular - and certainly the most frequently quoted and widely studied - work of the Hindu scriptures. This book investigates the relationship between the various interpretations of the Bhagavad-Gita and the Hindu tradition. Taking into account a range of influential Indian and western thinkers to illustrate trends in writing about the Bhagavad-Gita including Western academic; Indian activist; Christian theological; Hindu universalist; perennialist mystical and contemporary experiental accounts. Examining the ideas of such influential figures as F Max Muller, M K Ghandi, Bede Griffiths, Swami Vivekananda, Aldous Huxley and Swami Bhakivedanta, this book demonstrates the inextricable link between different interpretations of the Bhagavad-Gita and images of the Hindu tradition. This accessible book aptly demonstrates the relevance of the Bhagavad-Gita for an understanding of Hinduism as a modern phenomenon.

Schools of Qur'anic Exegesis - Genesis and Development (Paperback): Hussein Abdul-Raof Schools of Qur'anic Exegesis - Genesis and Development (Paperback)
Hussein Abdul-Raof
R1,628 Discovery Miles 16 280 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Qur'anic exegesis has become the battleground of political Islam and theological conflict among various Muslim schools of thought. Using comparative and contrastive methodology, examples from the Qur'an are investigated in the light of various theological views to delineate the birth, development and growth of Qur'anic exegesis. The political status quo, in the past and at present, has impinged upon Qur'anic exegesis more than on any other discipline in Islamic studies. This book illustrates the dichotomy between mainstream and non-mainstream Islam, showing how Qur'anic exegesis reflects the subtle dogmatic differences and political cleavages in Islamic thought. Chapters explore in depth the intrusive views of the compilers of early exegesis manuscripts, the scepticism among Western scholars about the authenticity of early Muslim works of exegesis and of prophetic tradition, and the role of exegesis as a tool to reaffirm the Qur'an as a canon. Written to appeal to those with comparative exegetical interests as well as those focused on Islamic studies in general, this book will be an important reference for research students, scholars, and students of Islamic Studies, Theology, Religious studies and Middle Eastern Studies.

Caitanya Vaisnavas in Bengal - Social Impact and Historical Implications (Paperback): Rembert Lutjeharms Caitanya Vaisnavas in Bengal - Social Impact and Historical Implications (Paperback)
Rembert Lutjeharms; Joseph T. O'Connell
R1,238 Discovery Miles 12 380 Ships in 12 - 17 working days

Within the broad Hindu religious tradition, there have been for millennia many subtraditions generically called Vaisnava, who insist that the most appropriate mode of religious faith and experience is bhakti, or devotion, to the supreme personal deity, Visnu. Caitanya Vaisnavas are a community of Vaisnava devotees who coalesced around Krsna Caitanya (1486-1533), who taught devotion to the name and form of Krsna, especially in conjunction with his divine consort Radha and who also came to be looked upon by many as Krsna himself who had graciously chosen to be born in Bengal to exemplify the ideal mode of loving devotion (prema-bhakti). This book focusses on the relationship between the 'transcendent' intentionality of religious faith of human beings and their 'mundane' socio-cultural ways of living, through a detailed study of the social implications of the Caitanya Vaisnava devotional Hindu tradition in pre-colonial and colonial Bengal. Structured in two parts, the first analyzes the articulation of Krsna-bhakti within the broad Hindu sector of Bengali society. The second section examines Hindu-Muslim relationships in Bengal from the particular vantage point of the Caitanya Vaisnava tradition, and in which the subtle influence of Krsna-bhakti, it is argued, may be detected. In both sections, the bulk of attention is given to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when Bengal was under independent Sultanate or emergent Mughal rule and thus free of the impact of British and European colonial influence. Arguing that the Caitanya Vaisnava devotion contributed to the softening of the potentially alienating socio-cultural divisions of class, caste, sect and religio-political community in Bengal, this book will be of interest to academics in the field of Asian Religion and Hinduism, in particular devotional Hinduism, both premodern and modern, as well as to scholars and students of South Asian social history, Hindu-Muslim relations, and Bengali religious culture.

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