|
Books > Religion & Spirituality > Non-Christian sacred works & liturgy > Sacred texts
Imperialism and Biblical Prophecy is a radically new interpretation
of prophetic poetry. Using more than thirty new translations from
the Hebrew Bible, it shows that this poetry is inseparable from
imperialism, that each of the three major waves of biblical
prophecy which have survived in the Old Testament occurred in
response to simultaneous waves of imperialist conquest.
As the world becomes increasingly globalised Islam faces some
important choices. Does it seek to "modernise" in line with the
cultures in which it is practised, or does it retain its traditions
even if they are at odds with the surrounding society? This book
utilizes a critical rationalist viewpoint to illuminate many of the
hotly contended issues in modern Islam, and to offer a fresh
analysis. A variety of issues within Islam are discussed in this
book including, Muslims and modernity; Islam, Christianity and
Judaism; approaches to the understanding of the Quran; Muslim
identity and civil society; doctrinal certainty and violent
radicalism. In each case, the author makes use of Karl Popper's
theory of critical rationalism to uncover new aspects of these
issues and to challenge post-modern, relativist, literalist and
justificationist readings of Islam. This is a unique perspective on
contemporary Islam and as such will be of significant interest to
scholars of Religious Studies, Islamic Studies and the Philosophy
of Religion.
In the current political and social climate, there is increasing
demand for a deeper understanding of Muslims, the Qur'an and Islam,
as well as a keen demand among Muslim scholars to explore ways of
engaging with Christians theologically, culturally, and socially.
This book explores the ways in which an awareness of Islam and the
Qur'an can change the way in which the Bible is read. The
contributors come from both Muslim and Christian backgrounds, bring
various levels of commitment to the Qur'an and the Bible as
Scripture, and often have significantly different perspectives. The
first section of the book contains chapters that compare the report
of an event in the Bible with a report of the same event in the
Qur'an. The second section addresses Muslim readings of the Bible
and biblical tradition and looks at how Muslims might regard the
Bible - Can they recognise it as Scripture? If so, what does that
mean, and how does it relate to the Qur'an as Scripture? Similarly,
how might Christian readers regard the Qur'an? The final section
explores different analogies for understanding the Bible in
relation to the Qur'an. The book concludes with a reflection upon
the particular challenges that await Muslim scholars who seek to
respond to Jewish and Christian understandings of the Jewish and
Christian scriptures. A pioneering venture into intertextual
reading, this book has important implications for relationships
between Christians and Muslims. It will be of significant value to
scholars of both Biblical and Qur'anic Studies, as well as any
Muslim seeking to deepen their understanding of the Bible, and any
Christian looking to transform the way in which they read the
Bible.
This book sets out how contemporary Iranian scholars have
approached the Qur'an during recent decades. It particularly aims
to explore the contributions of scholars that have emerged in the
post 1979-revolution era, outlining their primary interpretive
methods and foundational theories regarding the reading of the
Qur'an. Examining issues such as the status of women, democracy,
freedom of religion and human rights, this book analyses the
theoretical contributions of several Iranian scholars, some of
which are new to the English-speaking academy. The hermeneutical
approaches of figures such Abdolkarim Soroush, Muhammad Mojtahed
Shabestari, Mohsen Kadivar, Hasan Yousefi-Eshkevari, Abolqasem
Fanaie and Mostafa Malekian are presented and then analysed to
demonstrate how a contextualist approach to the Qu'ran has been
formed in response to the influence of Western Orientalism. The
effect of this approach to the Qu'ran is then shown to have
wide-ranging effects on Iranian society. This study reveals
Qu'ranic thought that has been largely overlooked by the West. It
will, therefore. Be of great use to academics in Religious, Islamic
and Qur'anic studies as well as those studying the culture of Iran
and the Middle East more generally.
Spurred by a curiosity about Daf Yomi-a study program launched in
the 1920s in which Jews around the world read one page of the
Talmud every day for 2,711 days, or about seven and a half
years-Adam Kirsch approached Tablet magazine to write a weekly
column about his own Daf Yomi experience. An avowedly secular Jew,
Kirsch did not have a religious source for his interest in the
Talmud; rather, as a student of Jewish literature and history, he
came to realize that he couldn't fully explore these subjects
without some knowledge of the Talmud. This book is perfect for
readers who are in a similar position. Most people have little
sense of what the Talmud actually is-how the text moves, its
preoccupations and insights, and its moments of strangeness and
profundity. As a critic and journalist Kirsch has experience in
exploring difficult texts, discussing what he finds there, and why
it matters. His exploration into the Talmud is best described as a
kind of travel writing-a report on what he saw during his
seven-and-a-half-year journey through the Talmud. For readers who
want to travel that same path, there is no better guide.
What is the Bhagavad-Gita? Is it just a religious text? When was it
composed? How relevant is it to the modern world? This book answers
these foundational questions and goes beyond. It critically
examines the Bhagavad-Gita in terms of its liberal, humanist and
inclusive appeal, bringing out its significance for the present
times and novel applicati
Charging Steeds or Maidens Performing Good Deeds: In Search of the
Original Qur'an brings an important contribution to understanding
the development of the Qur'anic corpus. Through a selection of
meaningful case studies, the author convincingly argues for a
different interpretative approach to the Qur'anic text. Taking as a
starting point the consonantal skeleton of the holy text, known as
the 'Uthmanic rasm, and offering a critical reading of the Muslim
interpretive tradition, such an approach produces a clearer
understanding of parts of the Qur'an which have defied Muslim and
non-Muslim scholars since the early days of Islam.
The largely Arabo-centric approach to the academic study of tafsir
has resulted in a lack of literature exploring the diversity of
Qur'anic interpretation in other areas of the Muslim-majority
world. The essays in The Qur'an in the Malay-Indonesian World
resolve this, aiming to expand our knowledge of tafsir and its
history in the Malay-Indonesian world. Highlighting the scope of
Qur'anic interpretation in the Malay world in its various
vernaculars, it also contextualizes this work to reveal its place
as part of the wider Islamic world, especially through its
connections to the Arab world, and demonstrates the strength of
these connections. The volume is divided into three parts written
primarily by scholars from Malaysia and Indonesia. Beginning with a
historical overview, it then moves into chapters with a more
specifically regional focus to conclude with a thematic approach by
looking at topics of some controversy in the broader world.
Presenting new examinations of an under-researched topic, this book
will be of interest to students and scholars of Islamic studies and
Southeast Asian studies.
This book, first published in 1962, is an analysis of the history
of the philosophy of a country that has never distinguished
philosophy from religion. Indian philosophy is not merely
metaphysical speculation, but has its foundation in immediate
perception. This insistence upon immediate perception rather than
abstract reasoning is what distinguishes the Indian philosophy of
religion from philosophy as Western nations know it.
'Hinduism' is a term often used to summarize the aspirations of the
majority of the Indian people. But any simple definition of it is
difficult, if not impossible. This is partly owing to the nuances
of the Sanskrit language, in which many texts are written, and
partly to the too literal interpretation of Hindu imagery and
mythology that often veils its real significance. This book, first
published in 1977, is an essential reference source that goes some
way to clarifying the difficulties of understanding Hinduism.
This book, first published in 1968, is a collection of twenty-five
lectures by Swami Prabhavananda, the outstanding scholar and
translator of Hindu scriptures. They present a direct and pragmatic
approach to spiritual life, and a clear guide to Hinduism.
This book, first published in 1968, comprises five articles on the
immortality of the soul. According to Hindu tradition this
immortality cannot be proved by the scientific method of reasoning
- it is based upon scriptural evidence and on the direct experience
of enlightened souls. These articles examine the Hindu tradition
and provide reasoned support to the scriptures and experiences.
|
You may like...
Questioning God
Timothy Radcliffe, Lukasz Popko
Paperback
R362
Discovery Miles 3 620
|