England’s israel and the foundations of modern political thought

The foundations of modern political thought, presumed secular, were laid in conversation with theologically motivated politics and in negotiation with Jewish ideasMid-seventeenth-century England was a hotbed in which crucial ideas of modern politics were conceived: Thomas Hobbes presented his soc...

Great muslims of the west

The contributions of some extraordinary Muslims of the West in recent history is surprising, revealing and, most importantly, worth celebrating.

Holy lands

How did the world’s most tolerant region become the least harmonious place on the planet?The news from the Middle East these days is bad. Whatever hopes people may have for the region are being dashed over and over, in country after country. Nicolas Pelham, a veteran correspondent for The Economi...

Grassroots zen

Rooted in a spiritual partnership model based on “power-sharing,” Grassroots Zen emphasizes gender equality and is oriented to social engagement.

The philosophy of the bible as foundation of jewish culture

Like Spinoza in his Theological-Political Treatise, Schweid helps us grasp the potential for seeing radically new messages in this oldest of books, the Bible. The American Founding Fathers realized that the Bible offers strong support for the doctrine of popular sovereignty. Socially, it offers a...

The call

Follows the money to reveal how Saudi Arabia has spread their particular brand of ultraconservative Islam beyond the Middle East.

Conversations in the spirit

The collectors edition of Lex Hixon's interviews with prominent spiritual teachers Ram Dass, Alan Watts, Kalu Rinpoche, Swami Muktandananda, and more.

Faith on trial

“Anyone who has ever been confused by a Supreme Court decision or unsure of how to embody religious freedom in their own life now has a lawyer, and a pastor, they can trust.” —Dan McKanan, author of Prophetic Encounters Books about religion and the law tend to be highly technical or aimed primar...

Zoroastrian women in the united states of america

This book examines how ancient Zoroastrianism is practiced in the US diaspora and how it has evolved dynamically.

The jewish body

An encyclopedic survey of the Jewish body as it has existed and as it has been imagined from biblical times to the presentThat the human body can be the object not only of biological study but also of historical consideration and cultural criticism is now widely accepted. But why, Robert Jütte as...

Time and difference in rabbinic judaism

How the rabbis of late antiquity used time to define the boundaries of Jewish identityThe rabbinic corpus begins with a question–“when?”—and is brimming with discussions about time and the relationship between people, God, and the hour. Time and Difference in Rabbinic Judaism explores the rhythms...

My heart sutra

A cultural and personal journey into the famous sutra that teaches "form is emptiness; and emptiness is form."

The jefferson bible

The life and times of a uniquely American testamentIn his retirement, Thomas Jefferson edited the New Testament with a penknife and glue, removing all mention of miracles and other supernatural events. Inspired by the ideals of the Enlightenment, Jefferson hoped to reconcile Christian tradition w...

The rebellion of the daughters

An in-depth exploration of the flight of young Jewish women from their Orthodox homes during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuriesThe Rebellion of the Daughters investigates the flight of young Jewish women from their Orthodox, mostly Hasidic, homes in Western Galicia (now Poland) in ...

What i wish my christian friends knew about judaism

The basics of Jewish life and customs described for Christians in a spirit of understanding and shared appreciation of common roots. “Masterful overview.”--Publishers Weekly

Thunder in the soul

Like the Hebrew prophets before him, the great American rabbi and civil rights leader reveals God’s concern for this world and each of us.Abraham Joshua Heschel, descended from a long line of Orthodox rabbis, fled Europe to escape the Nazis. He made the insights of traditional Jewish spirituality...

Recovering place

A collage of original artwork, photographs, and ruminations that engage with modern and postmodern society, art, and technology.

The garden and the fire

Islamic conceptions of heaven and hell began in the seventh century as an early doctrinal innovation, but by the twelfth century, these notions had evolved into a highly formalized ideal of perfection. In tracking this transformation, Nerina Rustomji reveals the distinct material culture and aest...

Moral atmospheres

Timothy P. A. Cooper examines the diverse and coexisting moral atmospheres that surround media in Pakistan, tracing public understandings of ethical life and showing how they influence economic behavior.

Religion, expression, and patriotism in russia

This volume presents seven case studies that probe into the politics of religion and culture in today's Russia. The contributions highlight the diversity of Russia's religious communities and cultural practices.

The awakened ones

While a rational consciousness grasps many truths, Gananath Obeyesekere believes an even richer knowledge is possible through a bold confrontation with the stuff of visions and dreams. Spanning both Buddhist and European forms of visionary experience, he fearlessly pursues the symbolic, nonration...

The new crusades

Not since the Crusades of the Middle Ages has Islam evoked the degree of fear, hostility, and ethnic and religious stereotyping that is evident throughout Western culture today. As conflicts continue to proliferate around the globe, the perception of a colossal, unyielding, and unavoidable strugg...

Mind and life

For over a decade, a small group of scientists and philosophers—members of the Mind and Life Institute—have met regularly to explore the intersection between science and the spirit. At one of these meetings, the themes discussed were both fundamental and profound: can physics, chemistry, and biol...

The future of evangelicalism in america

Evangelicalism has outpaced mainline Protestantism to encompass more than a third of American adults and nearly half of all U.S. Christians. This volume offers unique insight into evangelical culture, spirituality, theology, politics, and ethnicity, revealing a vibrant and controversial movement’...

Shinran's gospel of pure grace

The central aim of this study of Shinran's thought is to make a systematic presentation of his cardinal ideas which, though well known in general studies of Buddhism, have not been given the detailed attention they merit. It is therefore hoped that this presentation will fill a need in Buddhist s...

Between a man and a woman?

Through a probing investigation of conservative Christianity and its response to an issue that, according to the statistics of conservative Christian groups, affects only a small number of Americans, Ludger Viefhues-Bailey alights on a profound theological conundrum: in today's conservative Chris...

The faith of biology and the biology of faith

An award-winning biologist presents his moving yet deeply reasoned discussion on the intersection of scientific method and religious faith.

Meditations of a buddhist skeptic

A radical approach to studying the mind.Renowned Buddhist philosopher B. Alan Wallace reasserts the power of shamatha and vipashyana, traditional Buddhist meditations, to clarify the mind's role in the natural world. Raising profound questions about human nature, free will, and experience versus ...

Image and pilgrimage in christian culture

Race and secularism in america

This anthology draws bold comparisons between secularist strategies to contain, privatize, and discipline religion and the treatment of racialized subjects by the American state. Contributors from a range of disciplines expose secularism’s prohibitive practices in all facets of American society a...

Faith in development

This book presents the changes of worldview and meaning-making that people associate with their religious, spiritual, agnostic and atheist identifications.

God and the mathematics of infinity

Drawing on the science and mathematics of infinity, H. Chris Ransford analyzes the traditional concept of godhood and reaches surprising conclusions. He addresses humankind's abiding core debate on the meaning of spirituality and God. Using mathematics, he explores key questions within this debat...

Confucianism and sacred space

This book brings together studies from Chin-shing Huang’s decades-long research into Confucius temples that individually and collectively consider Confucianism as religion. It offers keen insights into Confucius temples and their significance in the intertwined intellectual, political, social, an...

The gathering of intentions

The Gathering of Intentions reads a single Tibetan Buddhist ritual system through the movements of Tibetan history, revealing the social and material dimensions of an ostensibly timeless tradition. By subjecting tantric practice to historical analysis, the book offers new insight into the origins...

Contemplation

This book offers a philosophical introduction to the theory and practice of contemplation. Kevin Hart examines a variety of religious, aesthetic, and philosophical notions, shedding light on the singular qualities of contemplation.

Religion, secularism, and constitutional democracy

Critically engaging with traditional secularism and religious accommodationism, this collection introduces a constitutional secularism that robustly meets contemporary challenges.

Politics and religion in ancient and medieval europe and china

William james and a science of religions

The "science of religion" is an important element in the interpretation of William James's work and in the methodology of the study of religion. An authority on pragmatism and the philosophy of religion, Wayne Proudfoot and a stellar group of contributors from a variety of disciplines including r...

The quakers in america

The Quakers in America is a multifaceted history of the Religious Society of Friends and a fascinating study of its culture and controversies today. Lively vignettes of Conservative, Evangelical, Friends General Conference, and Friends United meetings illuminate basic Quaker theology and reflect ...