Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world’s leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. This Advanced Introduction sets out the difficulty of defining religion itself and the subsequent impact this has on creating laws which regulate and protect it. Taking a global comparative approach, Frank S. Ravitch guides the reader in how this unique interaction plays out in differing legal systems including in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Providing further context by contrasting specific case studies, the book provides a rounded and coherent exploration of the complexities of law in relation to religion. Key Features: Addresses the many issues surrounding religious exceptions to general laws Considers the extent of separation between government and religion, and the role of courts in deciding religious questions Looks at the ways in which law may govern discrimination by government or by private entities, based on religion or religious concerns Explores the multifaceted interactions between religion and law in many areas, including human rights; public schooling; health and property; tax exemptions; and clergy abuse This foundational book offers a platform for researchers and students in the fields of law, political science, ethics, and religious studies. It also provides valuable insight for lawyers, judges and legislators with a focus on law and religion. .

With the extraordinary growth of Christianity in the global south has come the rise of "reverse missions," in which countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America send missionaries to re-evangelize the West. In The Spirit Moves West, Rebecca Kim focuses on South Korea as a case study of how non-Western missionaries evangelize Americans, particularly white Americans. Known as the "Asian Protestant Superpower," South Korea now sends more missionaries abroad than any country except the United States; there are approximately 22,000 Korean missionaries in over 160 countries. Drawing on four years of in-depth interviews, participant observation, and surveys of South Korea's largest non-denominational missionary-sending agency, University Bible Fellowship, Rebecca Kim gives us an inside look at reverse missions. Conducting her research both in the US and South Korea, she studies the motivations and methods of Korean evangelicals who have sought to "bring the gospel back" to America since the 1970s. She also explores how a mission movement from the global South could evolve over time in the West. The Spirit Moves West is the first empirically-grounded examination of a much-discussed phenomenon, which concludes by considering what the future of non-Western, especially Korean, missions will bring.

This volume, the first in a major new series which will provide authoritative texts of key non-canonical gospel writings, comprises a critical edition, with full translations, of all the extant manuscripts of the Gospel of Mary. In addition, an extended Introduction discusses the key issues involved in the interpretation of the text, as well as locating it in its proper historical context, while a Commentary explicates points of detail. The gospel has been important in many recent discussions of non-canonical gospels, of early Christian Gnosticism, and of discussions of the figure of Mary Magdalene. The present volume will provide a valuable resource for all future discussions of this important early Christian text.

Is jy op soek na vrede? ’n Kalm oomblik te midde van die chaos? Voel dit of selfs één dag sonder bekommernisse eenvoudig buite jou bereik is?

Riekert Botha se raad om ons woeste wêreld te navigeer, is reguit: Fokus op Jesus. Wanneer jou hele lewe op Hom gefokus is, word jou visie helder, jou prioriteite duidelik en onmoontlike situasies hanteerbaar. Jy kan rus in die wete dat Jesus jou krag is en dat Hy al is wat jy nodig het. Hý is jou stilte in die storm.

Wees oor niks besorg nie is ’n treffer-dagboek met 366 dagstukke wat jou sal lei om elke dag daarop te fokus om Jesus, jou Verlosser, beter te leer ken sodat jy kan groei in ’n meer volwasse volgeling wat ook vir die wêreld sal wys hoekom Jesus ook die antwoord op húl soeke na vrede is.

Marc, 'n sensitiewe jong Suid-Afrikaanse kunstenaar, gaan na Jerusalem om sy Joodse ouma te ontmoet en sy eie Joodse wortels na te speur. Hy vind so sterk aanklank by die Joodse geloof dat hy verstrengel raak in 'n geloofstryd. Te midde van geweld en selfmoord-bomaanvalle kry hy Rivkah, die dapper Jodin, lief. Terug in Suid-Afrika moet hy die chaos in sy hart probeer orden: Sien hy kans om sy aan sy met geweld en onrus in Israel te leef? Die is die eerste roman in die gewilde Israel-reeks.

A milestone in the history of popular theology, 'The Screwtape Letters' is an iconic classic on spiritual warfare and the power of the devil. This profound and striking narrative takes the form of a series of letters from Screwtape, a devil high in the Infernal Civil Service, to his nephew Wormwood, a junior colleague engaged in his first mission on earth trying to secure the damnation of a young man who has just become a Christian. Although the young man initially looks to be a willing victim, he changes his ways and is 'lost' to the young devil. Dedicated to Lewis's friend and colleague J.R.R. Tolkien, 'The Screwtape Letters' is a timeless classic on spiritual conflict and the invisible realities which are part of our religious experience.

When difficult or unwanted change enters our lives, it can cause fear, anxiety, and anger to bubble up from within. We want to quiet that simmering stress, but how do we do that, especially when we know our circumstances aren't going to calm down any time soon? By regularly meeting with God and exchanging our worries and fears for his assurances that he is using our difficult change for us, not against us. Easier said than done? Not if you have Kristen Strong alongside you as your understanding guide. Offering thoughtful, humorous anecdotes and powerful prayers to recite, Strong invites you to think and feel differently about change on the inside so you can live and love differently on the outside. As the tender companion she is, Kristen will show you how not to get over difficult change but rather to get through it. She'll help you acknowledge your change, give your anxieties over to God, and abide well in the days to come--no matter what transitions life brings.

Whether you need motivation for a challenging day or comfort during trying times, All That I Need will provide you with promises and hope from God’s Word. Written by well-known evangelist Angus Buchan, these 366 devotions aim to make you aware of God’s presence in your life and that He provides all that you need.

Be encouraged to live out God’s love every day as you take inspiration from the Scriptures and advice and encouragement from Angus Buchan’s signature down-to-earth style.

Pariah Politics breaks new ground in examining the issue of western Islamist extremism from the perspective of government. It links underlying causes to the capacity of governments to respond directly and to influence others. The book contains four main messages.
Focusing on causes, not symptoms. The book identifies four big causal drivers: settled disadvantage, social isolation, grievance and oppositional cultures, and the volatile dynamics of global Islam. Governments can hope to influence the first two, using existing and innovative policy levers. The scope to make big changes in the latter two is severely limited.
The circle of tacit support. Action by government to counter terrorism has relied too heavily on security policy measures to intercept or disrupt men of violence. This emphasis is misplaced. Though important, this fails to address the moral oxygen for violence and confrontation that exists within Muslim communities.
Better focus and better levers. Ministers and officials need to think and act smart. They need to push ahead with social inclusion policies to broaden opportunity. They need to make more use of community-based strategies to isolate extremism. They need to promote civil society actions so that affected communities can take control of their own reputational future. And, they desperately need to avoid making things worse.
Reputations matter. The pariah status of western Muslims has worsened by the fallout from terrorism. Few have anything good to say about western Muslims; still fewer can imagine an optimistic future. Yet earlier demonised groups, such as Jews or Asian refugees, have overcome significant hurdles, moving from pariahs to paragons. A credible willingness to tackle extremism is the most important first step to a reputational turnaround.

Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the Central Himalayan region of Kumaon, Tales of Justice and Rituals of Divine Embodiment from the Central Himalayas explores ideas of justice by drawing on oral and written narratives, stories, testimonies, and rituals told and performed in relation to the 'God of Justice', Goludev, and other regional deities. The book seeks to answer several questions: How is the concept of justice defined in South Asia? Why do devotees seek out Goludev for the resolution of matters of justice instead of using the secular courts? What are the sociological and political consequences of situating divine justice within a secular, democratic, modern context? Moreover, how do human beings locate themselves within the indeterminateness and struggles of their everyday existence? What is the place of language and ritual in creating intimacy and self? How is justice linked to intimacy, truth, and being human? The stories and narratives in this book revolve around Goludev's own story and deeds, as well as hundreds of petitions (manauti) written on paper that devotees hang on his temple walls, and rituals (jagar) that involve spirit possession and the embodiment of the deity through designated mediums. The jagars are powerful, extraordinary experiences, mesmerizing because of their intensity but also because of what they imply in terms of how we conceptualize being being human with the seemingly limitless potential to shift, alter, and transform ourselves through language and ritual practice. The petitions, though silent and absent of the singing, drumming, and choreography that accompany jagars, are equally powerful because of their candid and intimate testimony to the aspirations, breakdowns, struggles, and breakthroughs that circumscribe human existence.

What do you imagine when you think of Shaolin? Ferociously strong warriors flying through the air?

Shaolin is more than just the physical expression of martial arts. Rooted in Zen and Tao philosophy, it also offers a way of reconnecting our minds with our bodies through meditative movement to cultivate the core virtues of discipline and perseverance.

In this book, Shi Heng Yi, founder of Shaolin Temple Europe and lay disciple of the Songshan Shaolin Temple, introduces us to the contemplative practice that underpins Shaolin – a way of life that has existed for over 1,500 years – and shows how it can help us today.

Having experienced the challenges of modern life as a young man, Shi Heng Yi understands the pressures only too well. Here, he highlights twelve key practices to help improve sleep, relationships and decision-making, as much as balance, flexibility and strength, offering a powerful pathway to self-mastery and understanding.

Mini Devotions: Grace for Today features 180 short yet powerful devotions focused on God’s faithfulness and lovingkindness, reflecting on His power, presence and promises.

Kinders vra soms uitdagende vrae, soos: Wie het vir God geskep? Waar is die hemel? Hoekom laat God toe dat virusse oorneem? Kan God enigiets doen? Kan Hy dinosourusse weer laat lewe? As God alles weet, hoekom moet ek bid?

Dit is soms moeilik om te antwoord op eerlike soos dié. Bybelvrae en antwoorde vir kinders is ’n handige hulpmiddel vir saamlees of selflees. Dave Strehler, ’n gerespekteerde skrywer met jare lange ervaring in kinderbediening, gee toepaslike Bybelgebaseerde antwoorde op meer as 80 vrae wat kinders vra oor God, geloof en die Bybel.

Elke vraag bevat genoegsame Skrifverwysings, ʼn kort bespreking asook ʼn interessante veelkeuse-vraag wat kinders self kan antwoord. Twee woordraaisels is ingesluit wat kinders uitdaag om al die name van die boeke in die Ou en Nuwe Testament op te spoor. Daar is ook ’n afdeling met kort opsommings van elke boek van die Bybel, met sleutelverse uit die boek wat gememoriseer kan word.