Women in Islam
Throughout history, people have inhabited different regions of the world, spoken different languages, experienced different cultures and witnessed different spectacles. However, all people, from all places and times, eventually and ultimately arrived at the same conclusion - physical beauty is only skin deep, while true beauty resides within the heart of an individual.As Muslims, our leader in life, and in the afterlife, is Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) - the pinnacle of perfection from all of Allah Ta'ala's creation who was the very embodiment of both inner and outer beauty. Through following his guidance and his blessed way, we will be able to imbibe those values and qualities that will bring true beauty to our hearts and souls.This book is the second volume in the True Beauty series, and has also been compiled from the stories of pious women posted on the Uswatul Muslimah. Studying the incidents of these Lives of Pious Women personalities and pondering over the lessons learnt from their lives will assist us to reflect over our own lives and inspire us to acquire the TRUE BEAUTY with which they had been blessed.May Allah Ta'ala accept this effort, allow us to follow in the footsteps of these saintly souls and raise us with them on the Day of Qiyaamah, aameen.
Cousin Marriage in Arabs and Islam
Cousin Marriage in Arabs and Islam, is a book that cites the Quran and Sunnah as proof of cousin marriage. The book introduces the reader to the thinking and traditions of Arabs and Muslims, and explains why cousin marriage is so common and celebrated among them. It argues that cousin marriage is proper heterosexuality, and produces innocent children who know God, but marriage between strangers is a lesser form of homosexuality and births children who are clued to sex and are born atheists. "The book is an insightful and extensively researched work on the benefits of cousin marriage within Islamic tradition. The author delves deeply into an often-misunderstood aspect of faith, providing clarity and profound insights that enrich our understanding. The book offers a balanced perspective and thoughtfully highlights the cultural and religious significance of cousin marriages, making it an invaluable resource for anyone seeking a deeper appreciation of Islamic traditions." Jessica Raymond, Editor
Isha Upanishad
Isha Upanishad is one of the shortest Upanishads consisting of only eighteen verses. It is one of the principal Upanishads.The name Isha Upanishad derived from the opening words of the first verse, īśā vāsyam, "enveloped by the Lord". The subject matter of the Upanishad, as of all the Upanishads, is spiritual, profound, and all comprehensive. The text discusses the Atman (Soul, Self) theory of Hinduism, and is referenced by both Dvaita (dualism) and Advaita (non-dualism) sub-schools of Vedanta.It forms the foundation of Vedantic System of thought. It highlights the divinity of man, as well as all manifestations in nature. It tries to convey to us the knowledge of the seers who have had experienced the spiritual solidarity and unity of all existence.
Journal of a Christian Warrior
In "Journal of a Christian Warrior," Warren Houston invites you to embark on a transformative journey through 33 extraordinary spiritual encounters that have defined his walk with God. With unwavering faith, Houston shares real-life miracles, the profound significance of the number 33, and the unmistakable presence of the Holy Spirit and angels in his life. This inspiring memoir celebrates perseverance, divine revelations, and the ways in which God interacts with our everyday lives. Whether you're a devout Christian or exploring spiritual experiences, Houston's story will uplift your spirit and deepen your understanding of faith. Discover the remarkable impact of divine presence through the eyes of a true warrior of faith.
The Jewish Value of Giving
A seventy-seven-page full-color summary of the Jewish perspective on charitable giving, The Jewish Value of Giving draws from a wide array of sources, including rabbinic literature, sociopsychological studies, history, and art, to provide a multi-dimensional and insightful treatment of this most central Jewish precept.Designed to intrigue the layperson and inform the expert, the book answers many questions people have about Jewish giving-why to give, how much to give, priorities in giving, the benefits of giving, when giving is hard, and how to impart the value of giving to the next generation. The Jewish Value of Giving is a full-color, 77-page overview of the Jewish perspective on charitable giving, including overviews, supporting texts, stories, and art. The book is designed to intrigue the layperson and inform the expert, answering many of the questions people have about Jewish giving-why to give, how much to give, priorities in giving, the benefits of giving, when giving is hard, and how to impart the value of giving to the next generation.
Developing a Leadership Training Model for Churches
While many formal theological institutions established and founded by Western missionaries are blessings, their limitations are revealed in the areas of cultural relevancy, including curricular content and medium of instruction.In this study, Dr. Endale G. Ousman skilfully explores the benefits of developing culturally contextualized leadership training programs that are relevant, accessible, and instructed in the mother tongue. Drawing from five decades of experience in such institutions, he details tools for how to evaluate the effectiveness of pre-existing programs through the assessment of whether it fulfils the expectations of the leader, the church, and the wider community. Directed towards formal theological institutions engaged in the training and development of Christian leaders, this work encourages evaluation of the existing Western institution's cultural relevancy and the establishment of Christian leadership values that are biblical and culturally contextualized, redefining "Christian leaders" for following generations. Readers will come away with a greater understanding, appreciation, and enthusiasm for the necessity of cultural contextualization.
Light Within Me
Introduction to Irfan, stages of the spiritual journey, guidance and perfection, Interpretation of Sura al-Hamd, and the Invocation of Sha'baniyah.
Renas B'Nai Yaakov on the Viduy of the Chida
HARAV CHAYIM YOSEF DOVID AZULAI חיים יוסף דוד אזולאי (the anacronym for his name is חידא), as we will discuss in the next chapter, was a great Tzadik and Rabbi. He wrote many sefarim during his complicated life. Unfortunately, some of his sefarim were lost to the ravages of time. In his sefer Kaf Achas chapter 19, he went through the Ashamnu prayer that we say on many occasions and expounded on it. As we will mention shortly, as with many prayers, poems, Tehillim, and more, the Ashamnu is in alphabetical order. As you will find out in this sefer, the Chida took each letter of the Ashamnu and compiled a list of other sins that start with the same letter. If one carefully reads through this list, one can become completely overwhelmed by the enormity of the sins one could have and probably has committed. As I can testify to having seen in tzadikim who have said this expanded viduy, it is enough to bring a person to tears. Both the Ashamnu (אשמנו) and the Al Chait (אל חטא) are in alphabetical order. There are numerous reasons for these following the אלף בית. The most obvious reason is that it makes it easier to remember since it is the most basic order. Our sins have caused destruction to the world that was created by HaShem using the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. By reciting the confessionals in the order of the alphabet, on a spiritual and metaphysical level, we are correcting that which we corrupted by our sins. The same applies to the holy Torah which was written with the same twenty-two letters. Consequently, since we did more sins than just those that are listed in the basic confessionals, it behooves us to add other sins that we have or might have committed. This is one of the many reasons the Chida wrote his special addition to the basic Ashamnu confession. While doing research for this sefer, I found that there are many hidden concepts and meanings in the choice of words that the Chida used in compiling this incredible work.
A Lover of God
One of the so-called ecstatic (or intoxicated) Sufis of Baghdad, Abū Ḥusayn al-Nūrī (d. 907/8) was famous for his quasi-blasphemous utterances and shocking public behavior. He was often enraptured by a passionate love of God that led him to eccentric acts that scandalized both ordinary people and the religious authorities. Besides yielding to divine love and beauty, he would occasionally come near succumbing to bodily temptations and carnal passions. Despite Nūrī's outrageous behavior, Junayd, the moderate or sober Sufi par excellence, held him in high esteem, kept corresponding with him, and commented upon his controversial ecstatic sayings. This book collects Nūrī's literary legacy by surveying the sources for his life-poems, sayings, and comments on the Quran, including an exchange of letters between him and Junayd preserved in the Cairo Genizah-and by discussing the authorship of the Stations of the Hearts, which has been widely attributed to Nūrī.
Siddur HaKohanot
Siddur HaKohanot: A Hebrew Priestess Prayerbook is a Jewish prayerbook with a myriad of possibilities for connecting with the Source of Life. In Siddur HaKohanot, find creative and traditional Jewish rituals and prayers that explore an earth-honoring, feminine-honoring spirituality with deep roots in Jewish tradition. Siddur HaKohanot includes morning, afternoon, and evening services for weekdays, Shabbat and holidays that balance traditional liturgy and creative language and readings.Siddur HaKohanot primarily uses feminine-gendered Hebrew God-language, and also includes non-binary and masculine language. Names for Goddess/Goddexx/God change throughout the siddur as the prayers unfold. This reflections devotion to the Shechinah in Her many guises, and a commitment to the paths through which She is embodied. The siddur also reflects a deep spiritual connection to the four elements / four worlds of Jewish tradition. Siddur HaKohanot is created for people of all genders who wish to honor the Divine feminine.
Jaimini-Srauta-Sutra with Bhavatrata-Vrtti and Srautakarika
This book makes a primary source on ancient South Asia available to research. The Jaimini-Srauta-Sutra is a Sanskrit text composed around the 6th century BCE. The important new contribution of this book is the excellent Sanskrit commentary of Bhavatrata, who lived in the South Indian state of Kerala around 700 CE. The Srauta-Sutras codify the duties of the priests performing the elaborate sacrifices of the Vedic religion, as prescribed less systematically in the earlier Brahmana texts considered to be divine revelation. There are four groups of priests representing the four Vedas: the singer priests chant songs from the collection of songs of the Sama-Veda,
Religion of Love
Religion of Love explores the life and work of the Persian Sufi poet and sage Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār. ʿAṭṭār changed the face of world literature, leaving his impact on all cultures that have valued Persian Sufi writings. Considered for the first time through the lens of religious studies, ʿAṭṭār's oeuvre offers much to contemporary readers. ʿAṭṭār's poems cast a light on the relationship between revelation and the intellect. They also encourage liberation from self-centeredness through the fiery path of love. Thus, Religion of Love considers one of Persian literature's greatest poets as more than just a poet, but also as a thinker and a commentator on moral psychology, ethics, and the intellectual debates of his age, debates that shed light on today's religious complexities.
Covenant Confusion
Why did Yahweh require the death of His Son to atone for humanity's sins? Does the New Covenant truly apply today, or is its inauguration still ahead? In Covenant Confusion, author Jonathan Fluck tackles these and other difficult questions with a fresh, thorough exploration of the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and New Covenants. This book challenges the assumption that we live under the New Covenant, proposing instead that its ultimate fulfillment lies in the Messianic Reign. Through close examination of Scripture, ancient Hebrew traditions, and the original Greek and Hebrew texts, Covenant Confusion uncovers startling truths that may cause readers to rethink everything they know about faith, obedience, and the Covenants of Yahweh. Key questions addressed include: Is the Mosaic Covenant different than the Abrahamic Covenant? Has the "old covenant" been replaced or does it continue to hold relevance on our lives today? How does Yeshua's role align with Yahweh's covenant promises to Abraham? And, regardless of the covenant, are believers still bound to keep the Torah today? With clear, insightful analysis, Covenant Confusion guides readers through the profound truth of Yahweh's covenants. This book is not only a journey through history and Scripture but also a call to consider deeply what it means to walk in faith and obedience. Perfect for readers interested in biblical studies, covenant theology, and uncovering ancient truths, Covenant Confusion offers a bold challenge to prevailing interpretations and encourages believers to reconnect with the foundational promises of Yahweh's Word. Are you ready to confront difficult truths and rediscover the purpose of Yahweh's covenants?
Good and Evil Perspectives to Know
In writing this book, I set out with two main goals: to create an accessible resource for anyone curious about life's big questions, and to satisfy my own quest for answers. While I often find the answers I seek, they frequently lead to more questions-especially on the nature of good and evil. This concept has long intrigued me, and for many, it's a central question about God. Over the past forty years, I've explored these questions across the globe and contemplating the universe's mysteries. While my conclusions may not resonate with everyone, I hope to guide readers in finding answers that bring them peace. Understanding good and evil can be deeply personal, and I believe there's no single "right" answer-what matters is discovering a perspective that aligns with your beliefs. Various perspectives on good and evil emerge from religion, philosophy, and influential thinkers, each offering unique insights. Some overlap, while others diverge significantly. I invite you to consider questions like: What defines good and evil for you? Are they universal or culturally specific? Is there a moral foundation, and, if so, whose morals are they? These reflections can encourage deeper exploration and build empathy. As you read, I hope this book serves not just as information but as a tool for growth. You'll find a thoughtfully curated bibliography at the end to deepen your understanding. May you enjoy the journey, finding both wisdom and perhaps a few surprises along the way. D. G. Reagle D. G. Reagle holds a doctorate degree from Rawlings School of Divinity and is editor and researcher at First Edition Publishing. Reagle's editing portfolio includes works that have included commentary of ancient scholars such as Philo, Maimonides, Gersonides, Gaon, and Hillel. Reagle is also the founding developer of Coram Deo Theology. Keywords - Good and Evil, Morals, Metaphysical, Caodaism, Hitler, Jewish, Christain, Taoism, Voodoo, Tucker, Peterson, Murray, God, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, Nietzsche
Critical Realism and Christianity
This book is an exposition and analysis of Critical Realism, a philosophical approach that is quickly becoming the go-to epistemological position among Christian authors. Author Thomas A. Howe argues that Critical Realism's claims and commitments pose a serious threat to Christian theology and hermeneutics. In recent years, the movement has made significant inroads in the interpretation of Scripture; influential Christian authors argue for Critical Realism as an essential aspect of their hermeneutic methodology; and evangelical scholars claim it has great potential for biblical studies. But as Howe shows, Critical Realism is incompatible with Christian doctrine. By surveying some of the Christian proponents of Critical Realism, this book shows how it conflicts with and subverts orthodox Christian theology and hermeneutics. It also shows how Critical Realism undermines Christian apologetics by blunting the possibility of deciding between the claims of conflicting and contradictory theologies and beliefs. This book is an effort to alert Christian authors to the dangers of adopting Critical Realism as a part of a Christian worldview. It will be of interest to all those seeking to understand the impact of Critical Realism on Christian theology and hermeneutics.
The Formation of Post-Classical Philosophy in Islam
Scholars have come to recognize the importance of classical Islamic philosophy both in its own right and in its preservation of and engagement with Greek philosophical ideas. At the same time, the period immediately following the so-called classical era has been considered a sort of dark age, in which Islamic thought entered a long decline. In this monumental new work, Frank Griffel seeks to overturn this conventional wisdom, arguing that what he calls the "post-classical" period has been unjustly maligned and neglected by previous generations of scholars. The Formation of Post-Classical Philosophy in Islam is a comprehensive study of the far-reaching changes that led to a re-shaping of the philosophical discourse in Islam during the twelfth century. Earlier Western scholars thought that Islam's engagement with the tradition of Greek philosophy ended during that century. More recent analyses suggest that Islamic thinkers instead integrated Greek thought into the genre of rationalist Muslim theology (kalām). Griffel argues that even this new view misses a key point. In addition to the integration of Greek ideas into kalām, Muslim theologians picked up the discourse of classical philosophy in Islam (falsafa) and began to produce books in the tradition of Plato, Aristotle, and Avicenna--a new and oft-misunderstood genre they called "ḥikma"--in which they left aside theological concerns. They wrote in both genres, kalām and ḥikma, and the same writers argued for opposing teachings on the nature of God, the world's creation, and the afterlife depending on the genre in which they were writing. Griffel shows how careful attention to genre demonstrates both the coherence and ambiguity of this new philosophical approach. A work of extraordinary breadth and depth, The Formation of Post-Classical Philosophy in Islam offers a detailed, insightful history of philosophy in Iraq, Iran, and Central Asia during the twelfth century. It will be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of philosophy or the history of Islam.
Let There Be Light
Let There Be Light presents a scripturally based understanding of the Genesis creation narrative that aligns with the findings of modern science. Its transformative thesis is called the Week Within a Week Creation Model which generates a timeline that successfully matches the days of the Genesis creation story with the scientific age of the universe and the natural history of Earth.The creation of life, Adam and Eve, and Noah's Flood are also explained in a plausible, literal manner within the context of science. By reading this book, you can embark on an exciting, faith-building adventure of biblical discovery.
The Lord-Song
The first part of The Lord-Song is a prose translation of the Bhagavadgȋtȃ, the Indian religious classic, from Sanskrit into English.It includes essays describing the context, the philosophy, and additional notes on several subjects pertaining to the Hindu poem.The second part of the book is a development of a recommendation of the Bhagavadgȋtȃ, the pursuit of a coincidence of opposites, or the search for unity.The third part contains a development of author Ignacio L. G繹tz's ideas leading up to the publication of this book. He says, "For many years, as a university teacher, I taught a course on Indian philosophy and religion. More than thirty years ago, I delivered a public lecture on the Bhagavadgȋtȃ, and I spent almost a year translating the text so I could give a copy to the audience. This now forms the core of the present work."(About the Author)Ignacio L. G繹tz grew up in Caracas, Venezuela. "I left home when I was a teenager, traveled to Spain, and thence lived in India for some thirteen years. In India, I traveled with my parents, but mostly I attended college, where I earned two bachelor's degrees. I also studied to be a Catholic priest, and I was ordained in 1962. I exercised my ministry briefly, as I was drawn to teaching and research." He attended Columbia University Teachers College for a master's degree and earned a Ph.D. at New York University in 1968. Dr. G繹tz taught at Hofstra University for thirty-five years and retired in 2001. Since then, he has lived in Point Harbor, North Carolina.
A Kabbalistic Universe
A Kabbalistic Universe is about how and why Existence came into being. It sets out the general scheme of the four Worlds of Emanation, Creation, Formation and Action and heir various archangelic, angelic, demonic and organic inhabitants. Drawing upon ancient, medieval and modern material this book brings the Kabbalistic tradition up to date so that the current generation can perceive what Existence is about and how they might play a conscious part in humanity's role of aiding God to behold God in the Mirror of Existence. This is a revised edition with additional graphics. These make the Divine principles involved more comprehensible. Once the terms and metaphysics are mastered, then new perceptions are possible regarding not only the structure and dynamics of Existence but also the workings of the angelics and demonics, Nature and the process of human evolution and its purpose.
Holistic Philosophical Studies presents COEXIST
There are four philosophical elements within religious\political philosophy: Capitalism, Moralism, Humanism, and Socialism. Between these all-political parties exist: Such as Capitalism + Moralism = Republican Political Philosophy. Socialism + Humanism = Democratic Political Philosophy. Capitalism + Humanism = Libertarian Political Philosophy. But yet there remains a missing element. Socialism + Moralism = Holistic Political Philosophy, also known as the Enlightenment Political Philosophy, which focuses on equality. Not external equality such as gender, race, etc. but an equality of the mind, thoughts, reasons. It is the political philosophy that doesn't seek to divide, but to unite all philosophies and all faiths using love as the bonding agent. COEXIST is your portal to the most undiscussed, under-represented, and unknown of all the philosophies. In Part 1 of this series, dedicated to the Moralist we embrace a God that unites religions and philosophies. Your red pill awaits.
The Sunna and the Hadith Through the Lens of the Qur'an
This book is the second in a series that presents an attempt to understand the Qur'anic revelation-published concurrently with the first and third volumes. It continues on the work presented in the first volume of this series to propose a new interpretation of the Qur'anic revelation that is claimed to constitute a more accurate representation of the revelation.The first three volumes of this series argue that the religion of Islam or rather the numerous interpretations of Islam are unacceptable representations of the Qur'anic revelation. The proposed interpretation of the Qur'anic revelation challenges the standpoints of Traditional Islam on three key issues: inclusiveness, the sources of religious knowledge, and the composition of any acceptable Qur'anic-based interpretation of religion. Each of the first three volumes of this series is dedicated to one of these topics, respectively.In this book the stance of the proposed interpretation of the Qur'anic revelation in regard to the Sunna (teachings of Prophet Muhammad) and the Hadith (reports on the Sunna) is addressed. The proposed interpretation of the Qur'anic revelation recognizes-in reference to the followers of the Qur'an-the Qur'an to be the sole source of religious knowledge. It does not consider the Sunna to represent an independent or complementary source of religious knowledge. Furthermore, it does not consider the Hadith to represent the Sunna, nor does it consider the Hadith a source of religious knowledge.What Islam is the book talking about? Is it one Islam that around one-quarter of the world's population follows? Is the Sunna a source of religious knowledge? Does the Hadith actually report on the Sunna? What of the Hadith is certain in its attribution to Prophet Muhammad? These questions and a multitude of others are addressed in this volume of the series. This book is self-contained. It can be read as part of the series or independently. It does not require the reader to have previous knowledge in any of the topics discussed. The book discusses topics you do not find in your typical book about the Qur'an or Islam. It would interest those who want to learn about the Qur'an, its message, the Sunna and the Hadith. Among this group would be those searching for a reformed understanding of the Qur'an and how it applies today; those interested to learn about the Sunna and the Hadith-what they are and what they are not; and those interested in monotheistic religions in general.
The Journey Home
Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman is widely recognized as a leader in bringing spiritual innovation into modern Jewish life and worship. Now, drawing on a lifetime of study, he explores the Jewish way of being in the world-the Jewish relationship to God and to questions of human purpose that lie just below the surface of biblical and rabbinic literature.
The Goddess Obscured
Recounts the story of the grain protectress, an image that has persisted from the ancient Near East to the classical world and still survives in folksongs and village celebrations today.
The Qur'an and Its Message Versus the Three Major Monotheistic Religions
Both the curious and the believer alike find themselves pondering the same question: What is the Qur'an, and what is so special about the Qur'an that drives almost one-quarter of the world's population to believe in it? The Qur'an is not what one would consider an easy read, whether talking about Arabic speaking peoples reading the Arabic Qur'an or non-Arabic speaking peoples reading translations of the text in other languages. Most people think that reading the Qur'an once or even several times readily enables them to understand what the Qur'an is saying. That surely would be true if one were a native Arabic speaker living in the space-time of the revelation fourteen hundred years ago. However, for us living in other space-time, the present author assures the reader that such is not the case.This book is part of a series. It is the first volume of "The Qur'anic Revelation: A Reformed Understanding"-published concurrently with the second and third volumes. In this book the author argues that the religion of Islam is an unacceptable representation of the Qur'anic revelation. Furthermore, that the religions based on God's revealed scriptures, as we know them today, including but not limited to the religion of Islam, deviate from the essence of God's revelations-mainly bringing Judaism and Christianity into the discussion. The author puts forward his own interpretation of the Qur'anic revelation and, in this volume, primarily addresses its inclusiveness aspect by exploring how the Qur'an understands both inclusiveness and religion.What Islam is the book talking about? Is it one Islam that around one-fourth of the world's population follows? Are all of the commands in the Qur'an of eternal applicability? Did the Qur'an come with a new religion and how did the Qur'an define membership in the religion? What impact did the Qur'an have on the beliefs and practices of those who accepted the revelation from the peoples of previous scriptures in the space-time of the Prophet, yet as argued, who at the same time maintained their religious identities? This volume addresses these questions and a multitude of others.This book is self-contained. It does not require the reader to have previous knowledge in any of the topics discussed. The book discusses topics you do not find in your typical book about the Qur'an or Islam. It would interest those who want to learn about the Qur'an and its message. Among this group would be those searching for a reformed understanding of the Qur'an and how it applies today; those curious to learn how the Qur'anic message affects followers of the previous revealed scriptures; and those interested in monotheistic religions in general.
Blessings of Imperfection
"A beautifully crafted series of meditations on how to live. . . . Stimulating and comforting." --Susan Allen Toth
God’s Phallus
Explores the dilemmas created by the maleness of God for the men of ancient Judaism and for Jewish men today.
Seeing and Believing
Enriched by a cultural studies approach, a deep understanding of religion and history, and a love for the movies, Seeing and Believing explores what popular films of the 1980s and 1990s say about religion and the values by which we live.
The Glory and the Power
A study of fundamentalists examines the social and political influence of world-wide movements.
Messianic Judaism
There are some Jews who believe that the Messiah has already returned. Although these Jews are considered cult members or apostates by many, Carol Harris-Shapiro-herself a rabbi-engages one community of Messianic Jews to see what their presence says about American Jewish identity, religious affiliation, and the emergence of hybrid faiths in a secular society. When first published, Messianic Judaism stirred controversy throughout the country. The first book to critically examine the role of Messianic Jews in American religious life, it traces the history of this faith that that accepts Jesus as the savior from its late nineteenth-century origin in evangelical Christian missions. Reconstructionist Rabbi Carol Harris-Shapiro bases this portrait on her conversations with members of a large Messianic Jewish community. Messianic Judaism adds significant new insights into the nature and varieties of religious experience in United States.
The Sunna and the Hadith Through the Lens of the Qur'an
This book is the second in a series that presents an attempt to understand the Qur'anic revelation-published concurrently with the first and third volumes. It continues on the work presented in the first volume of this series to propose a new interpretation of the Qur'anic revelation that is claimed to constitute a more accurate representation of the revelation.The first three volumes of this series argue that the religion of Islam or rather the numerous interpretations of Islam are unacceptable representations of the Qur'anic revelation. The proposed interpretation of the Qur'anic revelation challenges the standpoints of Traditional Islam on three key issues: inclusiveness, the sources of religious knowledge, and the composition of any acceptable Qur'anic-based interpretation of religion. Each of the first three volumes of this series is dedicated to one of these topics, respectively.In this book the stance of the proposed interpretation of the Qur'anic revelation in regard to the Sunna (teachings of Prophet Muhammad) and the Hadith (reports on the Sunna) is addressed. The proposed interpretation of the Qur'anic revelation recognizes-in reference to the followers of the Qur'an-the Qur'an to be the sole source of religious knowledge. It does not consider the Sunna to represent an independent or complementary source of religious knowledge. Furthermore, it does not consider the Hadith to represent the Sunna, nor does it consider the Hadith a source of religious knowledge.What Islam is the book talking about? Is it one Islam that around one-quarter of the world's population follows? Is the Sunna a source of religious knowledge? Does the Hadith actually report on the Sunna? What of the Hadith is certain in its attribution to Prophet Muhammad? These questions and a multitude of others are addressed in this volume of the series. This book is self-contained. It can be read as part of the series or independently. It does not require the reader to have previous knowledge in any of the topics discussed. The book discusses topics you do not find in your typical book about the Qur'an or Islam. It would interest those who want to learn about the Qur'an, its message, the Sunna and the Hadith. Among this group would be those searching for a reformed understanding of the Qur'an and how it applies today; those interested to learn about the Sunna and the Hadith-what they are and what they are not; and those interested in monotheistic religions in general.
Tales of the Taoist Immortals
As a girl growing up in Hong Kong, Eva Wong heard and memorized many tales told to her by Hong Kong's finest professional storytellers, by actors on the radio, and by her grandmother. These popular tales of the Taoist immortals were also often dramatized in Chinese operas. The stories are of famous characters in Chinese history and myth: a hero's battle with the lords of evil, the founder of the Ming dynasty's treacherous betrayal of his friends, a young girl who saves her town by imitating rooster calls. Entertaining and often provocative, these tales usually include a moral. The immortals are role models in Chinese culture, as well as examples of enlightenment. Some of the immortals were healers, some were social activists, some were aristocrats, and some were entrepreneurs. The tales chosen by Eva Wong here are of the best-known immortals among the Chinese. Their names are household words and their stories are told and retold by one generation to the next.
The Qur'an and Its Message Versus the Three Major Monotheistic Religions
Both the curious and the believer alike find themselves pondering the same question: What is the Qur'an, and what is so special about the Qur'an that drives almost one-quarter of the world's population to believe in it? The Qur'an is not what one would consider an easy read, whether talking about Arabic speaking peoples reading the Arabic Qur'an or non-Arabic speaking peoples reading translations of the text in other languages. Most people think that reading the Qur'an once or even several times readily enables them to understand what the Qur'an is saying. That surely would be true if one were a native Arabic speaker living in the space-time of the revelation fourteen hundred years ago. However, for us living in other space-time, the present author assures the reader that such is not the case.This book is part of a series. It is the first volume of "The Qur'anic Revelation: A Reformed Understanding"-published concurrently with the second and third volumes. In this book the author argues that the religion of Islam is an unacceptable representation of the Qur'anic revelation. Furthermore, that the religions based on God's revealed scriptures, as we know them today, including but not limited to the religion of Islam, deviate from the essence of God's revelations-mainly bringing Judaism and Christianity into the discussion. The author puts forward his own interpretation of the Qur'anic revelation and, in this volume, primarily addresses its inclusiveness aspect by exploring how the Qur'an understands both inclusiveness and religion.What Islam is the book talking about? Is it one Islam that around one-fourth of the world's population follows? Are all of the commands in the Qur'an of eternal applicability? Did the Qur'an come with a new religion and how did the Qur'an define membership in the religion? What impact did the Qur'an have on the beliefs and practices of those who accepted the revelation from the peoples of previous scriptures in the space-time of the Prophet, yet as argued, who at the same time maintained their religious identities? This volume addresses these questions and a multitude of others.This book is self-contained. It does not require the reader to have previous knowledge in any of the topics discussed. The book discusses topics you do not find in your typical book about the Qur'an or Islam. It would interest those who want to learn about the Qur'an and its message. Among this group would be those searching for a reformed understanding of the Qur'an and how it applies today; those curious to learn how the Qur'anic message affects followers of the previous revealed scriptures; and those interested in monotheistic religions in general.
Engendering Judaism
Winner of the National Jewish Book Award for 1998. How can women's full participation transform Jewish law, prayer, sexuality, and marriage? What does it mean to "engender" Jewish tradition? Pioneering theologian Rachel Adler gives this timely and powerful question its first thorough study in a book that bristles with humor, passion, intelligence, and deep knowledge of traditional biblical and rabbinic texts.
Fighting to Become Americans
"Gutsy and imaginative . . . convincingly engages a range of complex issues about how men and women, Jews and gentiles, perceive one another." -Kirkus Reviews "Her exaggerated coiffure, with its imitation curls and soaped curves that stick out at the side of the head like fantastic gargoyles, is an offense to the eye. Her plated gold jewelry with paste stones reveals its cheapness by its very extravagance." This description of a "ghetto girl" was printed in the American Jewish News in 1918, but with slight variation it might easily be mistaken for a description of our current pernicious and pejorative stereotype of Jewish womanhood, the "JAP." What are the origins of these stereotypes? And even more important, why would an American ethnic group use racist terms to describe itself? Riv-Ellen Prell asks these compelling questions as she observes how deeply anti-Semitic stereotypes infuse Jewish men's and women's views of one another in this history of Jewish acculturation in the twentieth century. "While Jews and feminists have over the years repeatedly debated whether the JAP is 'real' or not, Prell's research breaks new ground because she examines the class anxieties underlying the image. . . . [Fighting to Become Americans] will challenge any reader's preconceptions about who is and is not an American and why." -Laura Brahm, The Women's Review of Books "Well-written and lively." -Jewish World "A definitive and fascinating history of the complex relationships between Jewish men and women in the twentieth century." -George Cohen, Booklist "[S]hows how the stereotypes we accept and create about ourselves mirror our anxieties in American society. . . . [Prell's] analyses are telling and original." -Ruth F. Brin, St. Paul Pioneer Press Riv-Ellen Prell is author of Prayer and Community: The Havurah in American Judaism, winner of the National Jewish Book Award. She is currently professor of American studies at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
On to the Sanum獺s: S
On to the Sanumas is a firsthand account of Don and Barb Borgman's forty-year effort and achievement to place the word of God into the hands of the Sanumas, a tribe of the Yanomami people of Brazil. The edited compilation of personal letters, journal entries, and newsletters is a detailed record of their many years with the tribe and the friendships they established among them. It is a story filled with toil, adversity, trials, and even tragedy, yet also one of joy and evidence of God's faithfulness and love. The book provides great insight into the Sanuma people and their way of life as many experienced change from animism and shamanism to faith in Jesus Christ. It is also a historical record of the first contact expeditions to the Yanomami people by missionaries of Unevangelized Fields Mission in the late 1950s and early 1960s. These are all recorded by Borgman. This is an important work in that it chronicles not only the lifework of this missionary couple and family, but also another chapter of the ongoing expansion of God's kingdom to the ends of the earth. It is a valuable read for both academics and laypersons in the church.
Four Centuries of Jewish Women’s Spirituality
Four Centuries of Jewish Women's Spirituality is the first book length exploration of Jewish spirituality as seen through the eyes of women. Drawing on archival material that has not been available to the contemporary reader, as well as including new pieces written specifically for this volume, Ellen M. Umansky and Dianne Ashton have woven together a multiplicity of international voices, revealing the great variety of spiritual paths that modern Jewish women have taken. Contributors include Rebecca Gratz and Emma Lazarus, Amy Eilberg, Marcia Falk, Blu Greenberg, Kadya Molodowsky, and Judith Plaskow, among many others.
Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood
This collection of ancient images of women as goddesses and heroines brings together legends, rituals, and prayers from China, Celtic Europe, South America, Africa, India, North America, Scandinavia, Japan, and elsewhere.
The Market of the Gods
2,000 years ago, Judaism was becoming an attractive product in the market of Mediterraneanreligions. Yet it was Christianity that won the day. Innovation anthropologistDominique Desjeux offers an unexpected solution to this oft-revisited enigma.In the year 70, the Temple of Jerusalem was destroyed. The Jews were in danger ofdisappearing, even though they represented nearly 8% of the empire's population. Tosurvive, the Jews had to make a strategic choice between several controversies: theresurrection of the dead, proselytism, the application of circumcision and dietaryprohibitions.One school of thought proposed refocusing on the purity of rules. This later gave riseto Rabbinical Judaism. Another Jewish current favored globalization. It proposed areligious product that was easier to disseminate. It did away with circumcision andkashrut, included eternal life, which reassured against the uncertainties of the future, and baptism, which simplified the rituals of purification. This current was excludedfrom synagogues. A few centuries later, it gave rise to Christianity. Any resemblanceto today's innovations and crises is not accidental.
Explorations in the Interpretation of Samuel
The series Studies of the Bible and Its Reception (SBR) publishes monographs and collected volumes which explore the reception history of the Bible in a wide variety of academic and cultural contexts. Closely linked to the multi-volume project Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (EBR), this book series is a publication platform for works which cover the broad field of reception history of the Bible in various religious traditions, historical periods, and cultural fields. Volumes in this series aim to present the material of reception processes or to develop methodological discussions in more detail, enabling authors and readers to more deeply engage and understand the dynamics of biblical reception in a wide variety of academic fields. De Gruyter provides you with an array of publications in the area of Bible and biblical Reception: Handbooks of the Bible and Its Reception (HBR) Journal of the Bible and its Reception (JBR) Archaeology of the Biblical Worlds
Rabbinic Scholarship in the Context of Late Antique Scholasticism
Based on an understanding of scholasticism as a cross-cultural phenomenon, undertaken by rabbinic, Graeco-Roman, and Christian scholars in late antiquity, this book examines the development of Palestinian rabbinic compilations from social-historical and literary-historical perspectives. The book focuses on the compilation of the Talmud Yerushalmi in the context of late antique scholarly practice aimed at preserving past knowledge for future generations. This book provides insight into how rabbinic scholarship in the Land of Israel participated in the wider intellectual practices of Roman-Byzantine times. Beginning with the social, educational, and legal contexts that generated rabbinic knowledge. Catherine Hezser goes on to investigate the oral and written transmission of rabbinic traditions to eventually examine the compilation of the Talmud Yerushalmi with a comparative and redaction-historical approach. Integrating Palestinian rabbinic education and scholarship into the context of late antique Graeco-Roman and Byzantine Christian scholarly practices, Catherine Hezser demonstrates how rabbinic compilatory techniques resembled but also differed from.those of Hellenistic, Roman, and Christian scholars. The book highlights how rabbinic compilations are idiosyncratic and create a distinct rabbinic identity. Overall, Hezser argues that rabbinic scholarship was an integral part of late antique intellectual life in the Near Middle East and should be recognized as an Eastern equivalent to Western, paideia-based forms of scholarship in the Roman-Byzantine period and beyond.
Germanic and Slavic Paganisms
Providing an intensive and up-to-date analysis of far-right, ethno-purist and nationalistic currents as well as the inclusive visions for social and ecological change, this book explores the complexities of contemporary Slavic and Germanic Paganisms. This timely volume re-evaluates what we know about contemporary Paganism, particularly addressing the social threat and impact of radicalism. In light of the war in Ukraine, the authors deconstruct heritage narratives that are at the heart of current geopolitical and nationalist social tensions in Central and Eastern Europe including the West versus East problem. With suggestions on how we can mitigate and overcome the potential security threats connected to radical forms of Paganisms, this book shows how minority groups are advancing solutions to global challenges. Exploring multiple perspectives through a diverse blend of contributors, this volume bridges the gap between academia, governmental institutions and Pagan communities, providing a rich resource for all parties. Highlighting broader religious and security issues, this volume is the first to consider the dialogue between ethno-exclusivist and inclusivist positioning within contemporary Slavic and Germanic Paganisms.
Tawātur in Islamic Thought
Tawātur is the concept that information yields certainty if acquired through a sufficient number of independent channels. Tawātur in Islamic Thought is an attempt to unravel the twisted historical threads of the conception and usage of tawātur across diverse Islamic disciplines, in light of both Western academia and debates within Muslim scholarship. In the process, numerous salient questions in Islamic thought are tackled, such as epistemic certitude, scholarly consensus (ijmāʿ), and the rationalism-traditionalism relationship. The study culminates in the question of the extent to which tawātur was used by Muslim scholars to define the boundaries of Islam and of orthodoxy. Tawātur in Islamic Thought shows that the majority voices in Muslim scholarship, across sectarian boundaries, reached a steady-state conception of a two-tiered orthodoxy, corresponding to two tiers of tawātur--an outer tier that includes all who affirm a definitive kernel of Islam and an inner tier that is more exclusive.
Enki and the World Order
"Enki and the World Order," a Sumerian myth from the early second millennium BCE, depicts the god Enki's reconstitution of the Sumerian world after an unspecified catastrophe. The myth ends with a face-off between Enki and the goddess of love and war, Inana, who is dissatisfied with Enki's allotment of functions to the other goddesses. This volume presents a critical edition of the 472-line Sumerian text, with introduction, translation and commentary, based on 25 published and unpublished manuscripts, mostly from Nippur in what is now southern Iraq. All the manuscripts, with one exception, have been collated, and there are many new fragments and joins to previously known tablets.
Sylvester of Antioch
In 1724, Sylvester, a native of the island of Cyprus, was elected Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East. For more than four decades, he endeavored to preserve the legacy of one of the earliest Christian Churches in the Levant. He faced major challenges because of the ever changing balance of power between the Latin Church and its missionaries, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the French and English interests in the Levant, and the central and local Ottoman authorities. In his efforts to provide church books for the Arab Orthodox Christians, Sylvester was helped by rulers of the Romanian Principalities, Moldavia and Wallachia. He printed a number of books in Jassy and Bucharest and opened an Arabic press in Beirut. Alongside his patriarchal duties, Sylvester was also an accomplished icon painter. His works, in the Post-Byzantine Greek style of the 18th century, are preserved in Syrian and Lebanese churches, as well as elsewhere. Their study reveals just another aspect of his complex activity. The book presents for the first time in English the biography and achievements of Sylvester of Antioch, based on a wide range of contemporary Greek, Arabic and Romanian historical sources.
Apocalyptic Conspiracism
In the USA, politically conservative and right-wing apocalyptic evangelicals hold that climate change science and Covid-19 are fabrications governed by manifest evil. How do these groups generate and distribute these truth-claims and why? Using a sociological methodology informed by Bourdieu and Foucault, this book offers tools for scholars and students to better understand the logic of climate denial within the context of American conservative evangelicalism and apocalypticism. Tom Albrecht and Tristan Sturm coin and employ the term apocalyptic conspiracism to analyse the increasingly powerful confluence of apocalyptic and conspiracist discourses. These dialogues create a holistic belief system, which claims that the world will profoundly change for the worse due to a global network of interconnected conspiracies. This book focuses on and expands the literature on the discursive practices of anthropogenic climate change and Covid-19 denialism. Exploring religious, apocalyptic, and conspiracist belief systems, the authors demonstrate how these affect geopolitical imaginations, the perception of global crises, as well as the environmentally relevant behaviour of American Evangelical Christians.
Muslim Mobilities
A translocal ethnography about Tajik migrants' engagement in projects of reform Islamic life in Dubai, the book maps Gulf migration onto larger geographies of Muslim mobility, piety and belonging across places in Eurasia, the Gulf, and wider Middle East. Spatializing the intersection of migration, work and Muslim piety, the book examines how formations of ethical subjectivity are closely tied to the multiple places that shape migrants' travel itineraries and related experiences of dwelling there and crossing them. Situating these spatial biographies in broader transregional fields of Muslim mobility, connectedness and placemaking, the book explores why in the early 2000s young Tajik Muslims pursued spiritual, social and moral progress in the booming religious economy of Dubai's fur coat business sector. The book's spatial approach works threefold: With a focus on abroad, it interrogates the interplay of spatial perceptions of 'the good elsewhere' with migrants' placemaking 'there'. A second focus is on how multiplicity and flexibility of migrant situatedness (spatially, temporally, socially) in Persianate, Russophone and Arab culturescapes shape mobile pious subjectivities and cosmopolitan belongings. The book also develops a situated Tajik perspective on Gulf migration, that grounds in circulating spatial imaginaries, Muslim knowledge repertories, as well as in individual travel modes, paths and migrant experiences resulting from precarious livelihoods and discriminating migrant regimes. Linking anthropology with new area studies approaches, this book seeks to enhance multidisciplinary scholarship about the complex relation between religion, migration and mobile subjectivity in both Central Asian and Gulf studies and in the anthropology of Islam.
