Impurity and Gender in the Hebrew Bible explores the role of female blood in the Hebrew Bible and considers its theological implications for future understandings of purity and impurity in the Jewish religion. Influenced by the work of Jonathan Klawans (Sin and Impurity in Ancient Judaism), and using the categories of ritual and moral impurities, this book analyzes the way in which these categories intersect with women and with the impurity of female blood, and reads the biblical foundations of purity and blood taboos with a feminist lens. Ultimately, the purpose of this book is to understand the intersection between impurity and gender, figuratively and non-figuratively, in the Hebrew Bible. Goldstein traces this intersection from the years 1000 BCE-250 BCE and ends with a consideration of female impurity in the literature of Qumran.

Prayer is a central aspect of religion. Even amongst those who have abandoned organized religion levels of prayer remain high. Yet the most basic questions remain unaddressed: What exactly is prayer? How does it vary? Why do people pray and in what situations and settings? Does prayer imply a god, and if so, what sort? A Sociology of Prayer addresses these fundamental questions and opens up important new debates. Drawing from religion, sociology of religion, anthropology, and historical perspectives, the contributors focus on prayer as a social as well as a personal matter and situate prayer in the conditions of complex late modern societies worldwide. Presenting fresh empirical data in relation to original theorising, the volume also examines the material aspects of prayer, including the objects, bodies, symbols, and spaces with which it may be integrally connected.

Although research on contemporary pilgrimage has expanded considerably since the early 1990s, the conversation has largely been dominated by Anglophone researchers in anthropology, ethnology, sociology, and religious studies from the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Northern Europe. This volume challenges the hegemony of Anglophone scholarship by considering what can be learned from different national, linguistic, religious and disciplinary traditions, with the aim of fostering a global exchange of ideas. The chapters outline contributions made to the study of pilgrimage from a variety of international and methodological contexts and discuss what the 'metropolis' can learn from these diverse perspectives. While the Anglophone study of pilgrimage has largely been centred on and located within anthropological contexts, in many other linguistic and academic traditions, areas such as folk studies, ethnology and economics have been highly influential. Contributors show that in many traditions the study of 'folk' beliefs and practices (often marginalized within the Anglophone world) has been regarded as an important and central area which contributes widely to the understanding of religion in general, and pilgrimage, specifically. As several chapters in this book indicate, 'folk' based studies have played an important role in developing different methodological orientations in Poland, Germany, Japan, Hungary, Italy, Ireland and England. With a highly international focus, this interdisciplinary volume aims to introduce new approaches to the study of pilgrimage and to transcend the boundary between center and periphery in this emerging discipline.

This is the first-ever guide to provide detailed information about a variety of meditation methods from many of the world's cultivation schools. These methods are designed to help the meditator attain samadhi, the crux of spiritual development. Most masters teach only one or two cultivation methods, however Bodri and Lee include a healthy list of 25 different techniques, including: the Drinking of Life methods practiced by the first Indian Zen master; the White-Boned Skeleton visualization; the bardo yogas and dream yoga practice of Tibetan Tantra; the classical Hatha Yoga method of Pranayama breath cessation; and the "left hand" sexual yoga practices of Taoism. Each cultivation method is explained thoroughly in terms relative to the overall goals of the cultivation paths, and in reference to the terminology of various schools in order to show the interrelationship between the different paths to enlightenment. Buddhist techniques can be explained through Taoist principles, Christian techniques through Hindu principles, and so on. No single book has ever discussed so many techniques, as well as how they fit into the overall stages of the cultivation path.

The authors give the scientific basis behind the samadhi techniques, as well as their potentional stages of accomplishment and an extensive list of recommended references. This is an excellent book for individuals who want to find an appropriate meditation technique. Teachers can use it to make sense of the seemingly conflicting information that is present regarding the path to spiritual enlightenment.

"The Goodly Word: Al-Kalim al-Tayyib"-written by the renowned fourteenth century jurist, Ahmad Ibn Taymiyya-is one of the most referred to works on prayer and the merits of prayer. Exclusively based on what the Prophet Muhammad himself said and did, "The Goodly Word" includes prayers for every moment of the Muslim's life. It is presented in a bi-lingual edition so that the exact prayers of the Prophet can be read in the original Arabic. "The Goodly Word" has been translated into English by the late Ezzeddin Ibrahim and Denys Johnson-Davies, two distinguished scholars who have also translated "An-Nawawi's Forty Hadith" and "Forty Hadith Qudsi", both published by the Islamic Texts Society.

This book highlights the history of Islamic popular devotional art and visual culture in 20th-century India, weaving the personal narrative of the author's journey through his understanding of the faith. It begins with an introductory exploration of how the basic and universal image of Mecca and Medina may have been imported into Indian popular print culture and what variants it resulted in here. Besides providing a historical context of the pre-print culture of popular Muslim visuality, the book also explores the impact the 1947 Partition of India may have made on the calendar art in South Asia. A significant portion of the book focuses on the contemporary prints of different localised images found in India and what role these play in the users' lives, especially in the augmentation of their popular faith and cultural practices. The volume also compares the images published in India with some of those available in Pakistan to reflect different socio-political trajectories. Finally, it discusses why such a vibrant visual culture continues to thrive among South Asian Muslims despite the questions raised by the orthodoxy on its legitimacy in Islam, and why images and popular visual cultures are inevitable for popular piety despite the orthodox Muslims' increasing dissociation from them. This work is one of the first books on Indian Muslim poster art, with rare images and simple narratives, anecdotes about rituals, ceremonies and cultural traditions running parallel to research findings. This second edition contains a new Afterword that discusses challenges to religious plurality arising on account of changing political landscapes, economic liberalisation, technology and new media, and socio-religious developments. It will appeal to the lay reader as well as the specialist and will be especially useful to researchers and scholars in popular culture, media and cultural studies, visual art and performance studies, and sociology and social anthropology.

Exploring the distinctive nature and role of local pilgrimage traditions among Muslims and Catholics, Muslim and Catholic Pilgrimage Practices draws particularly on south central Java, Indonesia. In this area, the hybrid local Muslim pilgrimage culture is shaped by traditional Islam, the Javano-Islamic sultanates, and the Javanese culture with its strong Hindu-Buddhist heritage. This region is also home to a vibrant Catholic community whose identity formation has occurred in a way that involves complex engagements with Islam as well as Javanese culture. In this respect, local pilgrimage tradition presents itself as a rich milieu in which these complex engagements have been taking place between Islam, Catholicism, and Javanese culture. Employing a comparative theological and phenomenological analysis, this book reveals the deeper religio-cultural and theological import of pilgrimage practice in the identity formation and interaction among Muslims and Catholics in south central Java. In a wider context, it also sheds light on the larger dynamics of the complex encounter between Islam, Christianity and local cultures.

Whilst Contemporary Worship Music arose out of a desire to relate the music of the church to the music of everyday life, this function can quickly be called into question by the diversity of musical lives present in contemporary society. Mark Porter examines the relationship between individuals' musical lives away from a Contemporary Worship Music environment and their diverse experiences of music within it, presenting important insights into the complex and sometimes contradictory relationships between congregants' musical lives within and outside of religious worship. Through detailed ethnographic investigation Porter challenges common evangelical ideals of musical neutrality, suggesting the importance of considering musical tastes and preferences through an ethical lens. He employs cosmopolitanism as an interpretative framework for understanding the dynamics of diverse musical communities, positioning it as a stronger alternative to common assimilationist and multiculturalist models.

Although there is an obvious association between pilgrimage and place, relatively little research has centred directly on the role of architecture. Architecture and Pilgrimage, 1000-1500: Southern Europe and Beyond synthesizes the work of a distinguished international group of scholars. It takes a broad view of architecture, to include cities, routes, ritual topographies and human interaction with the natural environment, as well as specific buildings and shrines, and considers how these were perceived, represented and remembered. The essays explore both the ways in which the physical embodiment of pilgrimage cultures is shared, and what we can learn from the differences. The chosen period reflects the flowering of medieval and early modern pilgrimage. The perspective is that of the pilgrim journeying within - or embarking from - Southern Europe, with a particular emphasis on Italy. The book pursues the connections between pilgrimage and architecture through the investigation of such issues as theology, liturgy, patronage, miracles and healing, relics, and individual and communal memory. Moreover, it explores how pilgrimage may be regarded on various levels, from a physical journey towards a holy site to a more symbolic and internalized idea of pilgrimage of the soul.

Everyone prays. But no one finds it easy. We all need a little help. Pete Greig has been teaching on prayer - and leading a non-stop prayer movement - for twenty years. Now, for the first time, he puts his life's work into a response to the question everybody ultimately asks: how do I pray? This down-to-earth introduction to life's greatest adventure will guide you deeper in your relationship with God, helping you to become more centred and still, clearer in discerning God's voice, more able to make sense of your disappointments and more expectant for miraculous breakthroughs too. It's full of honest, hard-won wisdom interspersed with real-life stories - some humorous, others moving - to equip and inspire your prayer life. Journeying through the Lord's Prayer, and accompanied by online videos from The Prayer Course, which has been used by more than a million people, it unpacks nine essential aspects of prayer: stillness, adoration, petition, intercession, perseverance, contemplation, listening, confession and spiritual authority. From one of today's most visionary communicators, for those who've been praying for years as well as those who want to pray but don't know where to begin, How to Pray is the simple, life-changing guide you've been waiting for.

A window into the meaning of Jewish rituals throughout history and today
written especially for Christians.

Ritual moments and opportunities guide the daily life of practicing Jews. These spiritual practices give expression to Jewish identity and reflect Judaism s core beliefs and values. But what can they mean to Christians seeking to understand their own faith? In this special book, Rabbis Olitzky and Judson guide you through the whys and hows of nine specific areas of Jewish ritual. Observing the Sabbath Keeping Kosher Putting on Tefillin (Prayer Boxes) Wrapping the Tallit (Prayer Shawl) Covering the Head Studying Torah Praying Daily Saying Blessings throughout the Day Going to the Ritual Bath

Providing you with the biblical and historical background of each practice, insight into its contemporary use and significance including the often divergent approaches of different Jewish movements and personal stories from rabbis and lay people, this easy-to-understand guide illustrates the deep meaning these rituals have in the Jewish relationship with God. Linking these practices to familiar rituals in the Christian tradition, Olitzky and Judson help you better understand the roots of Christianity and how the fundamentals of Judaism relate to and reflect your own spiritual foundation.

A soulful collection of illuminating essays and interviews that explore Black people's spiritual and scientific connection to the land, waters, and climate, curated by the acclaimed author of Farming While Black Author of Farming While Black and co-founder of Soul Fire Farm, Leah Penniman reminds us that ecological humility is an intrinsic part of Black cultural heritage. While racial capitalism has attempted to sever our connection to the sacred earth for 400 years, Black people have long seen the land and water as family and understood the intrinsic value of nature. This thought-provoking anthology brings together today's most respected and influential Black environmentalist voices -leaders who have cultivated the skill of listening to the Earth -to share the lessons they have learned. These varied and distinguished experts include Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Alice Walker; the first Queen Mother and official spokesperson for the Gullah/Geechee Nation, Queen Quet; marine biologist, policy expert, and founder and president of Ocean Collectiv, Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson; and the Executive Director of the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers, Land Loss Prevention Project, Savi Horne. In Black Earth Wisdom, they address the essential connection between nature and our survival and how runaway consumption and corporate insatiability are harming the earth and every facet of American society, engendering racial violence, food apartheid, and climate injustice. Those whose skin is the color of soil are reviving their ancestral and ancient practice of listening to the earth for guidance. Penniman makes clear that the fight for racial and environmental justice demands that people put our planet first and defer to nature as our ultimate teacher. Contributors include: Alice Walker * adrienne maree brown * Dr. Ross Gay * Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson * Rue Mapp * Dr. Carolyn Finney * Audrey Peterman * Awise Agbaye Wande Abimbola * Ibrahim Abdul-Matin * Kendra Pierre-Louis * Latria Graham * Dr. Lauret Savoy *Ira Wallace * Savi Horne * Dr. Claudia Ford * Dr. J. Drew Lanham * Dr. Leni Sorensen * Queen Quet * Toshi Reagon * Yeye Luisah Teish * Yonnette Fleming * Naima Penniman * Angelou Ezeilo * James Edward Mills * Teresa Baker * Pandora Thomas * Toi Scott * Aleya Fraser * Chris Bolden-Newsome * Dr. Joshua Bennett * B. Anderson * Chris Hill * Greg Watson * T. Morgan Dixon * Dr. Dorceta Taylor * Colette Pichon Battle * Dillon Bernard * Sharon Lavigne * Steve Curwood * and Babalawo Enroue Halfkenny

National Parks America s Best Idea were from the first seen as sacred sites embodying the God-given specialness of American people and American land, and from the first they were also marked as tourist attractions. The inherent tensions between these two realities ensured the parks would be stages where the country s conflicting values would be performed and contested. As pilgrimage sites embody the values and beliefs of those who are drawn to them, so Americans could travel to these sacred places to honor, experience, and be restored by the powers that had created the American land and the American enterprise.

This book explores the importance of the discourse of nature in American culture, arguing that the attributes and symbolic power that had first been associated with the new world and then the frontier were embodied in the National Parks. Author Ross-Bryant focuses on National Parks as pilgrimage sites around which a discourse of nature developed and argues the centrality of religion in understanding the dynamics of both the language and the ritual manifestations related to National Parks. Beyond the specific contribution to a richer analysis of the National Parks and their role in understanding nature and religion in the U.S., this volume contributes to the emerging field of religion and the environment, larger issues in the study of religion (e.g. cultural events and the spatial element in meaning-making), and the study of non-institutional religion.

Hinduism is practised by nearly eighty per cent of India's population, and by some seventy million people outside India. In this Very Short Introduction, Kim Knott offers a succinct and authoritative overview of this major religion, and analyses the challenges facing it in the twenty-first century. She discusses key preoccupations of Hinduism such as the centrality of the Veda as religious texts, the role of Brahmins, gurus, and storytellers in the transmission of divine truths, and the cultural and moral importance of epics such as the Ramayana. In this second edition Knott considers the impact of changes in technology and the flourishing of social media on Hinduism, and looks at the presence of Hinduism in popular culture, considering pieces such as Sita Sings the Blues. She also analyses recent developments in India, and the impact issues such as Hindu nationalism and the politicization of Hinduism have on Hindus worldwide. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Japanese Buddhist Pilgrimage explores the ritual practice of "circulatory pilgrimages" - the visiting of many temples in a numbered sequence. Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travel such temple routes, seeking peace of mind, health and wellbeing for themselves and others as the benefits of such meritorious endeavour. This form of pilgrimage appears to be unique to Japan. The practice began centuries ago and involved visiting 33 temples devoted to the Bodhisattva Kannon, spread widely over western Japan. Soon afterwards the equally famous pilgrimage to 88 temples on Japan's fourth island of Shikoku came into prominence. This is the first comprehensive study of all the major and many of the minor routes, The book also examines how the practice of circulatory pilgrimage developed among the shrines and temples for the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, and beyond them to the rather different world of Shinto. The varying significance of the different pilgrimages is also explored. In addition to all the information about the routes, the book includes numerous illustrations and examples of the short Buddhist texts chanted by the pilgrims on their rounds.