The Talmud's Red Fence explores how rituals and beliefs concerning menstruation in the Babylonian Talmud and neighboring Sasanian religious texts were animated by difference and differentiation. It argues that the practice and development of menstrual rituals in Babylonian Judaism was a product of the religious terrain of the Sasanian Empire, where groups like Syriac Christians, Mandaeans, Zoroastrians, and Jews defined themselves in part based on how they approached menstrual impurity. It demonstrates that menstruation was highly charged in Babylonian Judaism and Sasanian Zoroastrian, where menstrual discharge was conceived of as highly productive female seed yet at the same time as stemming from either primordial sin (Eve eating from the tree) or evil (Ahrimen's kiss). It argues that competition between rabbis and Zoroastrians concerning menstrual purity put pressure on the Talmudic system, for instance in the unusual development of an expert diagnostic system of discharges. It shows how Babylonian rabbis seriously considered removing women from the home during the menstrual period, as Mandaeans and Zoroastrians did, yet in the end deemed this possibility too "heretical." Finally, it examines three cases of Babylonian Jewish women initiating menstrual practices that carved out autonomous female space. One of these, the extension of menstrual impurity beyond the biblically mandated seven days, is paralleled in both Zoroastrian Middle Persian and Mandaic texts. Ultimately, Talmudic menstrual purity is shown to be driven by difference in its binary structure of pure and impure; in gendered terms; on a social axis between Jews and Sasanian non-Jewish communities; and textually in the way the Palestinian and Babylonian Talmuds took shape in late antiquity.

Muslims are required to pray five times a day, but for too many of us these are little more than physical movements devoid of any spirit or divine connection? In contrast, the Prophet characterised prayer as “the spiritual ascent (mi'raj) of the believer.” In a modern world of constant distraction, how are we to achieve the communion with the Divine that prayer is supposed to be? How can we reach the state of the Prophet who would ask his Companion Bilal to give the call to prayer with the expression: “Give us repose through it, O Bilal.”

The present short but valuable work provides us with the answer. Dr Bassam Saeh, a scholar of the Arabic language, casts a refreshing new perspective on prayer in the modern context. With practical examples, and in contemporary idiom, he charts a path for the seeker of God’s pleasure to attain a deeper sense of consciousness and devotion in prayer. The short chapters of this work are designed to be read and reread as constant reminders for us to renew our commitment to the Divine in our prayer.

This book argues that religion can and must be reconciled with science. Combining adaptive and cognitive approaches, it is a comprehensive analysis of religion's evolutionary significance, and its inextricable interdependence with language. It is also a detailed study of religion's main component, ritual, which constructs the conceptions that we take to be religious and therefore central in the making of humanity's adaptation. The text amounts to a manual for effective ritual, illustrated by examples drawn from a range of disciplines.

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.

Among the duties God imposes upon every Muslim capable of doing so is a pilgrimage to the holy places in and around Mecca in Arabia. Not only is it a religious ritual filled with blessings for the millions who make the journey annually, but it is also a social, political, and commercial experience that for centuries has set in motion a flood of travelers across the world's continents. Whatever its outcome--spiritual enrichment, cultural exchange, financial gain or ruin--the road to Mecca has long been an exhilarating human adventure. By collecting the firsthand accounts of these travelers and shaping their experiences into a richly detailed narrative, F. E. Peters here provides an unparalleled literary history of the central ritual of Islam from its remote pre-Islamic origins to the end of the Hashimite Kingdom of the Hijaz in 1926.

In this rich account of a Muslim society in highland Sumatra, Indonesia, John Bowen describes how men and women debate among themselves ideas of what Islam is and should be--as it pertains to all areas of their lives, from work to worship. Whereas many previous anthropological studies have concentrated on the purely local aspects of culture, this book captures and analyzes the tension between the local and universal in everyday life. Current religious differences among the Gayo stem from debates between "traditionalist" and "modernist" scholars that began in the 1930s, and reveal themselves in the ways Gayo discuss and perform worship, sacrifice, healing, and rites of birth and death, all within an Islamic framework.

Bowen considers the power these debates accord to language, especially in arguments over spells, rites of farming, hunting, and healing. Moreover, he traces in these debates a general conception of transacting with spirits that has shaped Gayo practices of sacrifice, worship, and aiding the dead. Bowen concludes by examining the development of competing religious ideas in the highlands, the alternative ritual forms and ideas they have pro-mulgated, and the implications of this phenomenon for the emergence of an Islamic public sphere.

Want to pray but have no words? InstaPrayer's colorful prompts are perfect to
post on Instagram and other socials: Read. Pray. Snap. Share.

Sometimes the hardest part of having a vibrant prayer life is simply getting started.
To help start that conversation in a quirky and non-threatening way, these prompts
from author/artist Kelly Stanley open the door to creativity and are perfect for sharing
on Instagram and other socials. With fun and colorful meme-like images, you will be
encouraged to ask God to shelter someone who is going through a storm, pray for
someone who is full of hot air, pray for the last person who texted you, and more.

Each prayer prompt is designed to get attention on digital and paper pages alike.

InstaPrayers includes these prayer prompts:

• Pray for someone who crosses paths with you regularly.
• Thank God for a mistake you learned from.
• Pray for someone with an amazing brain.
• Give praise to someone who is doing a great job.
• Pray for someone who seems to have the perfect Instagram life.

• Bite-sized prayer prompts to reignite your prayer life
• Full-color interior design using fun and vibrant colors
• Presentation page for personalization
• Perfect gift for hashtag-loving friend

In his probing study of the role of death rites in the making of Islamic society, Leor Halevi imaginatively plays prescriptive texts against material culture and advances new ways of interpreting highly contested sources. His original research reveals that religious scholars of the early Islamic period produced codes of funerary law not only to define the handling of a Muslim corpse but also to transform everyday urban practices. Relying on oral traditions, these scholars established new social patterns in the cities of Arabia, Mesopotamia, and the eastern Mediterranean. They distinguished Islamic rites from Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian rites and changed the way men and women interacted publicly and privately.

In each chapter Halevi explores a different layer of human interaction, following the movement of the corpse from the deathbed to the grave. In the process he analyzes the real and imaginary relationships between husbands and wives, prayer leaders and mourners, and even dreamers and the dead. He describes how Muslims wailed for the deceased, prepared corpses for burial, marched in funerary processions, and prayed for the dead, highlighting the specific economic and political factors involved in these rituals as well as key religious and sexual divisions.

Offering a unique perspective on the making of Islamic social and religious ideals during this early period, Halevi forges a fascinating link between the development of funerary rites and the efforts of an emerging religion to carve out its own, distinct identity. "Muhammad's Grave" is a groundbreaking history of the rise of Islam and the roots of contemporary Muslim attitudes toward the body and society.

• Fresh, accessible, and thought-provoking look at the life and ministry of Jesus • Each day’s entry includes a Scripture text, meditation, and questions for journaling and spiritual growth Lent is a journey of the mind, heart, and spirit from the ashes of humanity to the cross and beyond—to the empty tomb. The central figure in that journey is Jesus. But who was he really? Why did he come and minister among us? How can his teachings enhance our lives? Why did he die? What does his resurrection really mean? These are questions that spur believers of all ages to seek a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Son of Man in their lives. In this collection of fifty-two meditations and additional resources for spiritual growth, Peter Wallace guides readers through the life and ministry, the words and works of Jesus, with the goal of getting to know him in fresh new ways that encourage a stronger faith and a spirited engagement with the world around us.

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.

Find Spiritual Inspiration Through Daily Prayers"This is the best prayer book I have ever seen; simply wonderful. Buy one copy for yourself and one to give to a friend." -Amazon Review In a world that feels increasingly fragile and, at times, fractured, people need specific prayers for struggling. Gain wisdom and inspiration with daily prayers. As recent scientific research shows, the simple act of praying can be emotionally, physically, and even spiritually healing. With Prayers for Hard Times, best-selling author Becca Anderson offers solace in bringing together the wisdom of great thinkers, spiritual leaders and writers who have faced difficulty and learned from it. Find consolation and renewal within yourself. Becca Anderson's collection focuses on prayers for a wide range of life challenges, from the personal to the global. Prayers for Hard Times covers issues facing individuals such as loss of loved ones, illness, anxiety, divorce, depression and addiction, as well as those challenges communities face in natural disasters and violence. The writers in Anderson's devotional address the world at large, as well, with words of hope and help for global poverty, hunger, war and the environmental. Prayers for Hard Times is the book of daily prayers that offers you solace, comfort, and support, drawing from the wisdom of every era, every major faith and tradition, and the important voices of those who have lived through such experiences themselves. Organized in daybook form, Prayers for Hard Times draws from plenty of sacred sources and texts, as well as the encouraging spiritual quotes and writings of: Maya Angelou Harriet Tubman Dave Eggars Martin Luther King Jr. And more! If you loved books like Pocket Prayers, Hope When It Hurts and Prayers for Difficult Times then you'll find Prayers for Hard Times to be the book for you!

A 'Sadhana' is an instrument that leads to a particular goal. In Tantra, it is a technical term denoting worship or spiritual practice. Tantra Sadhana is a collection of related instructional papers designed to aid the aspirant through a foundation Sadhana. Some say effective Sadhana requires an initiation (dekshe) from a qualified guru. This book is designed to act as a taster and to provide a short body of work suitable for the period of about one lunar month. In addition, the author had added several useful appendices - including the previously unpublished Tantrik Knuckle Bone Oracle.

Back by popular demand, the classic JPS holiday anthologies remain essential and relevant in our digital age. Unequaled in-depth compilations of classic and contemporary writings, they have long guided rabbis, cantors, educators, and other readers seeking the origins, meanings, and varied celebrations of the Jewish festivals. The Sukkot and Simhat Torah Anthology offers new insight intothe Festival of Ingathering, celebrating the harvest in the land of our ancestors, and the Festival of Rejoicing in the Law, marking the new cycle of public Torah readings, by elucidating the two festivals' background, historical development, and spiritual truths for Jews and humankind. Mining the Bible, postbiblical literature, Talmud, midrashim, prayers with commentaries, and Hasidic tales, the compendium also showcases humor, art, food, song, dance, essays, stories, and poems-including works by Chaim Weizmann, Elie Wiesel, Herman Wouk, S. Y. Agnon, Sholom Aleichem, H. N. Bialik, and Solomon Schechter-truly a rich harvest for the "Season of Our Rejoicing."

Religious faith is a powerful source of comfort and support for individuals and families facing dementia. Many faith leaders need help in adapting their ministries to address the worship/spiritual needs of this group. A product of Faith United Against Alzheimer's, this handbook by 45 different authors represents diverse faith traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Native American. It provides practical help in developing services and creating dementia friendly faith communities. It gives an understanding of the cognitive, communicative and physical abilities of people with dementia and shows what chaplains, clergy and lay persons can do to engage them through worship. Included are several articles by persons living with dementia.