Description: America stands in the throes of an anxiety epidemic, yet Americans live in one of the most religious countries in the world? Shouldn't people with deep spiritual roots be less vulnerable to emotional suffering? Such an enigma stands at the center of this book, but the enigma turns out to be more apparent than real. The overt religiosity so characteristic of modern American society ironically serves to foster the anxiety epidemic by locking people into a disenchanted secular mindset, leaving them cut off from the deep spiritual resources they so desperately need in the face of mounting anxiety. Based on the author's own journey through the darkness of anxiety in conversation with the psychology of Carl Jung, this book argues that transcending religious identity and submitting to the greater wisdom of the cosmic story holds a powerful key to resolving anxiety and creating a more just and sustainable world. Surprisingly, the Islamic tradition may provide one of the best models for how to accomplish this. Endorsements: "" An] erudite, masterful, thought-provoking, penetrating, engaging, honest, and insightful study of the modern epidemic of anxiety and its relationship with superficial religiosity. I am in awe of Shedinger's work. A must-read for both secular and religious folks as well as followers of all religious traditions."" --Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Fiqh Council of North America ""In this cogent critique of the status quo, Shedinger identifies a surprising candidate as the cause of many of our personal and communal woes. His challenge to move beyond the religious identity labels--like 'Christian' and 'Jew'--that we cling to will likely shock some readers and anger others, but it merits careful consideration. This book is a cri de couer that is rendered all the more powerful and persuasive by the way Shedinger links it to key moments in his own journey through life."" --John Kaltner, Rhodes College ""Shedinger offers an absorbing, interdisciplinary examination of one of the preeminent problems of our time: the modern epidemic of anxiety and depression. Drawing upon wide-ranging sources in the study of religion, psychology, and sociology--as well as his own personal experiences with anxiety--Shedinger offers an innovative, bold, and ultimately inspiring analysis of our contemporary condition."" --Jenna Reinbold, Colgate University About the Contributor(s): Robert F. Shedinger is Associate Professor of Religion at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He holds a PhD from Temple University and is the author of Was Jesus a Muslim? (2009) and numerous academic articles. He is a frequent speaker in Islamic Centers around the country.

An intriguing question - Do Muslims understand Jesus in some ways more historically appropriate than Christians do? - leads Robert F. Shedinger into a series of provocative challenges to the disciplines of religious studies and comparative religions. Questioning the convenient distinction between "politics" and "religion" and the isolation of "religion" from wider social and cultural questions, Shedinger offers a proposal for a more accurate and respectful understanding of faith that he argues will improve possibilities for mutual understanding among Christians, Muslims - and others.

It has long been argued that Tatian, in the production of the Diatessaron, made regular reference to the Old Testament Peshitta when he came across Old Testament citations in the Gospels. This book argues on the contrary that Tatian made little or no use of the Old Testament Peshitta, but regularly took over the text of the Old Testament citations as he found them in the Gospel sources out of which he created his harmony. Where they differ from the form of these citations in the standard Greek text tradition of the Gospels, it is because, in the second century, Tatian had access to Gospel sources which may have varied significantly from the text of the later manuscripts on which our modern critical editions are based. Thus, Tatian's Diatessaron becomes a window into an early state of the Gospel texts and supports the idea that a significant amount of textual fluidity characterized the Gospel texts in the first two centuries of their transmission. This study will be of interest to those working in the fields of Diatessaronic studies, New Testament Textual Criticism, and the history of the Syriac Church.