Schleiermacher maintained that "to make proselytes out of unbelievers is deeply engrained in the character of religion." But why do religions proselytize? Do all religions seek conversions? How are religions adapting their proclamations in a deeply plural world? This book provides a detailed analysis of the missionary impulse as it is manifested across a range of religious and irreligious traditions. World Religions and Their Missions systematically compares the motives and methods of the "missions" of Atheism, the Baha'i Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Mormonism. The text also develops innovative frameworks for interreligious encounters and comparative mission studies.

A world religions textbook spotlighting global missionary activity This comparative introduction explores the mission obligation as it is expressed across seven traditions: the Baha'i Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Mormonism, and nonreligion. In a structure that facilitates side-by-side comparison and contrast, the book examines the philosophies, practices, and texts that inspire the worldwide propagation of a plurality of religious and nonreligious teachings. Topics explored include proselytization, conversion, translation, religious education, colonialism, cultural adaptation, humanitarianism, interfaith encounter, secularism, and transnational growth. The first edition of World Religions and their Missions was fundamental in establishing comparative mission studies. This revised second edition features expanded chapters, updated data, and entirely new chapters.

John Dewey's fame as an educational theorist is matched by his infamy as a critic of traditional religion. This interdisciplinary work explores Dewey's philosophy of education in correlation with Christian theology, proposing that we see "theology as education". In conversation with Friedrich Schleiermacher (the father of modern theology), St. Benedict (the founder of Western monasticism), and Rowan Williams (the renowned archbishop of Canterbury), this innovative and accessible book develops a distinctive "Deweyan theology". John Dewey among the Theologians will be welcomed by readers interested in interdisciplinary theology, educational theory, religious education, and pragmatism.

Motivated by the intellectual historian Shahab Ahmed's observation that "the history of Islamic paideia has yet to be written," Islam as Education explores multiple forms that the search for knowledge and the transmission of wisdom have taken in Islam, focusing on the classical period (800-1500 CE). Ghiloni draws on a wide range of Islamic primary source material, ranging from sacred texts and parables to neglected pedagogical literature and paintings. He depicts three Islamic religious practices-pilgrimage, prophecy, and jihad-as modes of pedagogy: embodied ways of defining, defusing, and defending sacred knowledge. Islam as Education's educational heuristic not only aids in understanding Islam, but also provides guidance for intercultural and interreligious relations. Ghiloni argues that Islam's grand 'ilm (knowledge) tradition serves as a bridge between Muslims and non-Muslims, and compares it with the educational theory of John Dewey, the celebrated American pragmatist. Based on this discussion, a final chapter develops practical tools for learning from cultural and religious difference.