Burning the Dead traces the evolution of cremation in India and the South Asian diaspora across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Through interconnected histories of movement, space, identity, and affect, it examines how the so-called traditional practice of Hindu cremation on an open-air funeral pyre was culturally transformed and materially refashioned under British rule, following intense Western hostility, colonial sanitary acceptance, and Indian adaptation. David Arnold examines the critical reception of Hindu cremation abroad, particularly in Britain, where India formed a primary reference point for the cremation debates of the late nineteenth century, and explores the struggle for official recognition of cremation among Hindu and Sikh communities around the globe. Above all, Arnold foregrounds the growing public presence and assertive political use made of Hindu cremation, its increasing social inclusivity, and its close identification with Hindu reform movements and modern Indian nationhood.

'The monk who taught the world mindfulness' Time This is the definitive book on mindfulness from the beloved Zen master and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh. With his signature clarity and warmth, he shares practical exercises and anecdotes to help us arrive at greater self-understanding and peacefulness, whether we are beginners or advanced students. Beautifully written, The Miracle of Mindfulness is the essential guide to welcoming presence in your life and truly living in the moment from the father of mindfulness. 'One of the most influential spiritual leaders of our times' Oprah

In this timely study Gavin D'Costa explores Roman Catholic doctrines after the Second Vatican Council regarding the Jewish people (1965 - 2015). It establishes the emergence of the teaching that God's covenant with the Jewish people is irrevocable. What does this mean for Catholics regarding Jewish religious rituals, the land, and mission? Catholic Doctrines on the Jewish People after Vatican II establishes that the Catholic Church has a new teaching about the Jewish people: the covenant made with God is irrevocable. D'Costa faces head-on three important issues arising from the new teaching. First, previous Catholic teachings seem to claim Jewish rituals are invalid. He argues this is not the case. Earlier teachings allow us positive insights into the modern question. Second, a nuanced case for Catholic minimalist Zionism is advanced, without detriment to the Palestinian cause. This is in keeping with Catholic readings of scripture and the development of the Holy See's attitude to the State of Israel. Third, the painful question of mission is explored. D'Costa shows the new approach safeguards Jewish identity and allows for the possibility of successful witness by Hebrew Catholics who retain their Jewish identity and religious life.

We have been led to believe that rituals are well-behaved and predictable, but they sometimes behave in unpredictable ways, especially when they emerge in unexpected places. However much rites may seem to be at home in churches, temples, mosques, and synagogues, they are not captives of sacred spaces. Rituals appear on television, stare back at the lens in family photographs, slip into university classrooms, haunt the wilds, and attend movies. Rite Out of Place makes provocative discoveries by scouting out some of the unexpected places where ritualizing takes root. Most ritual studies scholarship still focuses on central religious rites. For this reason, Grimes argues, dominant theories, like the data they consider, remain stubbornly conservative. This book issues a challenge to these theories and to popular conceptions of ritual. Grimes writes in an accessible, engaging style, using a broad, interdisciplinary approach. This collection of seminal essays by one of the founders of the discipline appeals to anyone interested in the intersection of ritual and public life.

From handshakes and toasts to chant and genuflection, ritual pervades our social interactions and religious practices. Still, few of us could identify all of our daily and festal ritual behaviors, much less explain them to an outsider. Similarly, because of the variety of activities that qualify as ritual and their many contradictory yet, in many ways, equally legitimate interpretations, ritual seems to elude any systematic historical and comparative scrutiny. In this book, Catherine Bell offers a practical introduction to ritual practice and its study; she surveys the most influential theories of religion and ritual, the major categories of ritual activity, and the key debates that have shaped our understanding of ritualism. Bell refuses to nail down ritual with any one definition or understanding. Instead, her purpose is to reveal how definitions emerge and evolve and to help us become more familiar with the interplay of tradition, exigency, and self- expression that goes into constructing this complex social medium.

One of the oldest monotheistic religions known to humankind, Judaism has withstood the tests of time. So what exactly are the tenets of this ancient faith that have been passed down over the millennia, and how do they apply to our lives in the 21st century? The Basic Beliefs of Judaism gives an updated overview of the belief system on which the Jewish faith is based. Epstein takes a contemporary point of view, looking at how the basic beliefs of Judaism fit into the lives of modern Jews. He does this with an eye toward helping the reader form his/her own understanding of Judaism. The book touches upon beliefs relating to creation, God, and the cosmos, as well as beliefs relating to day-to-day issues of family relations, social interactions, and ethics. Epstein draws from the Torah, the Talmud, Jewish folklore, and Jewish history to give the reader an understanding of how these beliefs were formed and have continued to evolve.

The relationship between secularism, democracy, religion, and gender equality has been a complex one across Western democracies and still remains contested. When we turn to Muslim countries, the situation is even more multifaceted. In the views of many western commentators, the question of Women Rights is the litmus test for Muslim societies in the age of democracy and liberalism. Especially since the Arab Awakening, the issue is usually framed as the opposition between liberal advocates of secular democracy and religious opponents of women's full equality. Islam, Gender, and Democracy in Comparative Perspective critically re-engages this too simple binary opposition by reframing the debate around Islam and women's rights within a broader comparative literature. Bringing together leading scholars from a range of disciplines, it examines the complex and contingent historical relationships between religion, secularism, democracy, law, and gender equality. Part One addresses the nexus of religion, law, gender, and democracy through different disciplinary perspectives (sociology, anthropology, political science, law). Part Two localizes the implementation of this nexus between law, gender, and democracy and provides contextualized responses to questions raised in Part One. The contributors explore the situation of Muslim women's rights in minority conditions to shed light on the gender politics in the modernization of the nation and to ponder on the role of Islam in gender inequality across different Muslim countries.

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The Myth and Ritual Theory" provides the first sourcebook for one of the most influential theories of myth, the theory which connects myth to rituals. Both classic and contemporary readings are brought together in this unique volume. The selections cover the theory from the origin in biblical and classical studies to its spread to the study of religions worldwide and to its extension to literature and the social sciences. Critics as well as exponents of the theory are well represented. In his lucid introduction, Robert A. Segal, a leading authority on the theories of myth, systematically charts the history of the theory from its beginnings to the present.

Your Prayers Are Powerful If God is all-powerful, why does He need us to pray? If we pray and nothing happens, does this mean that God isn't listening? If you've ever felt that your prayers don't count, "Intercessory Prayer" will show you just how vital your prayers are. In this book, pastor and teacher Dutch Sheets explains the nuts and bolts of prayer with wisdom, gentleness, and humor. This book will inspire you, give you the courage to pray for the "impossible," and help you find the persistence to see your prayers to completion. Discover your role as a prayer warrior--it can mean the difference between heaven and hell for someone you know!

Die Herausforderung religionsgeschichtlicher Forschung besteht darin, die Erschliessung von Quellen in ihren Kontexten und ihre theoriegeleitete Erklarung mit einer historisch-kritischen Reflexion der Wissensproduktion selbst zu verknupfen. Die Reihe Religionsgeschichtliche Versuche und Vorarbeiten (RGVV) will dieser Komplementaritat von historischer Kontextualisierung, theoretischer Verdichtung und disziplinarer Positionierung Rechnung tragen. Studien zu kulturspezifischen Sachzusammenhangen stehen neben vergleichenden Arbeiten, in Form von Monographien oder thematisch fokussierten Sammelbanden.

In this study of the Ndembu of Zambia, ritual is examined under two aspects: as a regulator of social relations over time and as a system of symbols. Social life is thereby given direction and meaning. An extended case-study of a series of ritual performances in the life of a single village community is analysed in order to estimate the effects of participation in these symbolic events on its component groups and personalities.

Honorable Mention, 2019 Barbara T. Christian Literary Award, given by the Caribbean Studies Association Winner, 2017 Clifford Geertz Prize in the Anthropology of Religion, presented by the Society for the Anthropology of Religion section of the American Anthropological Association Finalist, 2017 Albert J. Raboteau Prize for the Best Book in Africana Religions presented by the Journal of Africana Religions An examination of the religious importance of food among Caribbean and Latin American communities Before honey can be offered to the Afro-Cuban deity Ochun, it must be tasted, to prove to her that it is good. In African-inspired religions throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States, such gestures instill the attitudes that turn participants into practitioners. Acquiring deep knowledge of the diets of the gods and ancestors constructs adherents' identities; to learn to fix the gods' favorite dishes is to be "seasoned" into their service. In this innovative work, Elizabeth Perez reveals how seemingly trivial "micropractices" such as the preparation of sacred foods, are complex rituals in their own right. Drawing on years of ethnographic research in Chicago among practitioners of Lucumi, the transnational tradition popularly known as Santeria, Perez focuses on the behind-the-scenes work of the primarily women and gay men responsible for feeding the gods. She reveals how cooking and talking around the kitchen table have played vital socializing roles in Black Atlantic religions. Entering the world of divine desires and the varied flavors that speak to them, this volume takes a fresh approach to the anthropology of religion. Its richly textured portrait of a predominantly African-American Lucumi community reconceptualizes race, gender, sexuality, and affect in the formation of religious identity, proposing that every religion coalesces and sustains itself through its own secret recipe of micropractices.

This concise (just 40 pages) and beautiful haggadah contains all the elements for a complete and authentic seder. Its small size (just 6 x 8") and straightforward text, and bright collage art will capture the attention of seder participants and spark lively conversation about social justice, freedom, and history.Ideal for the host or seder leader who wants to run a short and meaningful seder, bring a modern sensibility and fresh language tot he observance, and add beauty to the seder table. Includes blessings and the Four Questions in both Hebrew and transliterated Hebrew, with English translations.

Inspired by prayers said upon waking this book celebrates and expresses gratitude for our active joyful bodies. A positive conscious approach to a stress-free morning routine before the day ahead.--Kirkus Reviews

Discusses the significance and the customs of various Jewish holidays including Sukkot, Purim, and Yom Hashoah. Provides activities and crafts for each holiday.