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An Islam of Her Own: Reconsidering Religion and Secularism in Women’s Islamic Movements
by Sherine HafezAs the world grapples with issues of religious fanaticism, extremist politics, and rampant violence that seek justification in either “religious” or “secular” discourses, women who claim Islam as a vehicle for individual and social change are often either regarded as pious subjects who subscribe to an ideology that denies them many modern freedoms, or as feminist subjects who seek empowerment only through rejecting religion and adopting secularist discourses. Such assumptions emerge from a common trend in the literature to categorize the ‘secular’ and the ‘religious’ as polarizing categories, which in turn mitigates the identities, experiences and actions of women in Islamic societies. Yet in actuality Muslim women whose activism is grounded in Islam draw equally on principles associated with secularism.In An Islam of Her Own, Sherine Hafez focuses on women’s Islamic activism in Egypt to challenge these binary representations of religious versus secular subjectivities. Drawing on six non-consecutive years of ethnographic fieldwork within a women's Islamic movement in Cairo, Hafez analyzes the ways in which women who participate in Islamic activism narrate their selfhood, articulate their desires, and embody discourses in which the boundaries are blurred between the religious and the secular.
An Islamic Model for Stabilization and Growth (Political Economy of Islam)
by Adama DieyeThis book argues that the macroeconomic policy adjustment models recommended by the IMF and the World Bank for implementation in many Muslim countries, with substantial donor financial support, have not been effective. Economic indicators show low economic growth, persistent fiscal and external deficits and limited industrialization. Also, these countries are experiencing increases in unemployment, poverty and substantial growth in income and wealth inequalities. These facts underline an urgent need to produce an alternative to the failed conventional macroeconomic model in order to address the challenge of macroeconomic and social adjustment policies. The project posits and investigates the idea that the Islamic economic model prescribed in the Quran and applied by the Prophet (sawa) could be the ideal model for Muslim as well as non-Muslim countries.
An Islamic Response to Imperialism: Political and Religious Writings of Sayyid Jamal ad-Din "al-Afghani" (Near Eastern Center, UCLA #21)
by Nikki R. Keddie"Keddie has rendered a valuable service ... Afghani merits the attention of Western students of the contemporary international scene and the Muslim renaissance since he made the first significant attempt to answer the modern Western challenge to the Muslim world." ---Eastern World "Sayyid Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani (1838-1897), the well known religious reformer and political activist, led a busy and complex life full of obscure and clandestine ventures. . . . [Keddie] draws on a wide range of primary and secondary sources. In part I an attempt is made to provide an accurate biography and a consistent analysis of Afghani. Part II co ntains translations of some of his most important writings. . . Although Afghani was concerned with the wide ranging need for Islamic reform, he devoted most of his life to the more urgent political problems confronting Muslims--problems arising out of their weakness in dealing with the Western Christian powers. Hence the tide of this book. The picture that emerges here confirms Afghani's long standing reputation as a defender of Muslim interests--not against borrowing European advances in science and technology, but against foreign political, economic, or military encroachment."--Middle East journal "Jamal ad-Din was a mysterious figure and most of the mysteries were of his own making . . . it has been left to Professor Keddie to apply the methods of the critical historian to the matter ... This book shows how successful she has been . . . there has emerged for the first time a credible picture of Jamal ad-Din's life . . . The second part contains translations of works by Jamal ad-Din himself, and these are valuable because most of them were written in Persian and have either not been easily available at all or else have been available only in Arabic translation. This is particularly true of the Refutation of the Materialists. "--International journal of Middle East Studies "For the first time a significant collection of the writings of al-Afghani are now available in English, and so, for the first time, this controversial figure has had more life breathed into him."--American Historical Review
An Islamic Worldview from Turkey: Religion in a Modern, Secular and Democratic State (Palgrave Series in Islamic Theology, Law, and History)
by John Valk Halis Albayrak Mualla SelçukThis book is a journey into the heart of an Islamic worldview. It asks challenging questions of far-reaching consequence, addressing matters such as the Qur'an and revelation; rituals and symbols embraced; nature of God, of humans, and of our knowing; dignity of the human, sacredness of life, and more. It precludes easy, prescribed answers, preferring instead thoughtful reflection on two basic questions: What does it mean to love God? What does it mean to be a good person? Carefully crafted responses are presented by a group of scholars from Qur'an Studies, Worldview Studies, Women's Studies, Cultural Studies and Religious Education. It uncovers a dynamic understanding of Islam; one that meets challenges of the present, counters harsh criticisms, and breathes new life into a rich and longstanding tradition that continues to impact the lives of billions of people around the world.
An Obscure Apostle (Start Classics)
by Eliza OrzeszkoA fantastic 'dramatic story' from Polish novelist Eliza Orzeszkowa, one of several works she wrote about the social conditions of Poland in the late 19th century.
An Observant Wife: A Novel
by Naomi RagenIn this rich and compassionate novel, An Observant Wife, Naomi Ragen continues the love story between newly observant California-girl Leah and ultra-Orthodox widower Yaakov from An Unorthodox Match.From the joy of their wedding day surrounded by supportive friends and family, Yaakov and Leah are soon plunged into the complex reality of their new lives together as Yaakov leaves his beloved yeshiva to work in the city, and Leah confronts the often agonizing restrictions imposed by religious laws governing even the most intimate moments of their married lives. Adding to their difficulties is the hostility of some in the community who continue to view Leah as a dangerous interloper, questioning her sincerity and adherence to religious laws and spreading outrageous rumors. In the midst of their heartfelt attempts to reach a balance between their human needs and their spiritual obligations, the discovery of a secret, forbidden relationship between troubled teenage daughter Shaindele and a local boy precipitates a maelstrom of life-changing consequences for all.
An Ocean of Blessings: Heart Teachings of Drubwang Penor Rinpoche
by Penor Rinpoche Ani Jinba PalmoThe first published collection of essential teachings by Penor Rinpoche, one of the most important Buddhist masters of the 20th century.This inspiring work is the first available collection of teachings by one of the most well-known Nyingmapa masters of the twentieth century, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. Ani Jinba Palmo compiled and translated this valuable collection of Penor Rinpoche’s fundamental instructions for practitioners on the Vajrayana path. Coming straight from the heart and realization of this great master, these honest and clear teachings emphasize the indispensable foundations of loving-kindness, mindfulness, and simplicity needed to become a true yogi. Profound yet accessible, this work serves to remind Buddhist practitioners of the heart of the Tantric and Dzogchen traditions.
An Ocean of the Ultimate Meaning: Teachings on Mahamudra
by Khenchen ThranguIn this new book, Khenchen Thrangu provides an exhaustive commentary on the longest and most comprehensive of the three classic treatises on Mahamudra composed by the sixteenth-century scholar Wangchuk Dorje, the Ninth Karmapa. Khenchen Thrangu's teachings encompass the entire path of Mahamudra, including the preliminaries, the main practice, removing obstacles, and attaining the result of buddhahood--with detailed instruction in tranquility and insight meditation. This is the only available volume that presents Khenchen Thrangu's detailed commentary on this entire text.
An October Bride (A Year of Weddings Novella)
by Katie GanshertWhat if the only way you could make your father&’s last wish come true . . . was to marry the man of your dreams?Emma Tate has just moved on from one fiancé, so when she announces a sudden engagement to her lifelong buddy Jake Sawyer, every busybody in Mayfair goes into high alert. Of course, no one but Jake and Emma know the real reason they&’re getting married—so Emma&’s dying father will have a chance to walk her down the aisle.But while Jake and Emma move forward with their plan—and frantically plan an October wedding—it becomes clear that their agreement has a few complications . . . the biggest being their true feelings for each other.With dubious friends, deliriously thrilled parents, and a town that won&’t keep its nose out of their business, Emma and Jake will have a lot to contend with if they&’re going to pull this off. The real question is: Who wants this wedding more, Emma&’s dad . . . or Emma?
An Odd Cross to Bear: A Biography of Ruth Bell Graham (Library of Religious Biography (LRB))
by Anne Blue WillsThe fascinating life story, told critically but sympathetically, of a paragon of twentieth-century white Christian womanhood—and the wife of evangelist Billy Graham.Ruth Bell Graham&’s legacy is closely associated with that of her husband, whose career placed her in the public eye throughout her life. But, while it&’s true that her identity was significantly shaped by her role in supporting Billy Graham&’s ministry, Ruth carried a strong sense of her own agency and was widely influential in her own right, especially in the image she projected of conservative evangelical womanhood—defined by a faith that was deep, private, and nonpolitical. Beginning prior to Ruth and Billy&’s meeting at Wheaton College, Anne Blue Wills chronicles the many formative experiences of Ruth&’s life—especially the first decade of her childhood living in a community of American medical missionaries in China. Throughout the biography, Wills focuses not on Ruth&’s role in Billy&’s life, but on her own interests, ambitions, and fears—as a devoted mother of five, as the fastidious manager of a household, as a devout and well-read Christian, and as a beloved writer and poet. Dealing honestly with a life of contradictory responsibilities that Ruth Bell Graham herself called &“an odd kind of cross to bear,&” Wills draws from nearly a decade of original research and presents a nuanced portrait of Graham apart from the reverential awe of her admirers and the oversimplified caricatures put forth by her detractors. In telling Graham&’s story, Wills indirectly tells the story of millions of women who emulated Graham as a role model—women who spurned second-wave feminism and willingly submitted to patriarchy while maintaining an undeniable sense of independence and strength of conviction.
An Ode to Joy: Judaism and Happiness in the Thought of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and Beyond
by Erica Brown Shira WeissBefore his rather sudden passing in 2020, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks was one of the most eloquent and influential religious leaders of the generation. As Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth for over two decades, he offered a universal message cultivated from the Jewish and Western cannons he knew so well. One concept that figured prominently in his work was joy. “I think of Judaism as an ode to joy,” he once wrote. “Like Beethoven, Jews have known suffering, isolation, hardship, and rejection, yet they never lacked the religious courage to rejoice.” In this volume, organized by the Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership, academics and writers explore the significance of joy within the Jewish tradition. These essays and reflections discuss traditional Jewish primary sources, including Biblical, Rabbinic and Hebrew literature, Jewish history and philosophy, education, the arts, and positive psychology, and of course, through the prism of Lord Sacks’ work.
An Old English Martyrology: Re-edited from Manuscripts in the Libraries of the British Museum and of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (Routledge Revivals)
by George HerzfeldFirst published in 1900, this Reader uses four manuscripts from the British Museum and Corpus Christi College Cambridge to present a thorough introduction along with a dual-language edition of the text. The original manuscripts, as Herzfeld demonstrates, are of varying qualities and comprise of the Anglian, West Saxon, Kentish and Mercian dialects. The re-edited text is presented alongside historical remarks, criticism of the manuscript, the text’s ultimate date and place of origin and an exploration of its potential sources.
An Old Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach
by Charles Yu Bruce K. WaltkeThe Old Testament is more than a religious history of the nation of Israel. It is more than a portrait gallery of heroes of the faith. It is even more than a theological and prophetic backdrop to the New Testament. Beyond these, the Old Testament is inspired revelation of the very nature, character, and works of God. As renowned Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke writes in the preface of this book, the Old Testament’s every sentence is “fraught with theology, worthy of reflection.” This book is the result of decades of reflection informed by an extensive knowledge of the Hebrew language, the best of critical scholarship, a deep understanding of both the content and spirit of the Old Testament, and a thoroughly evangelical conviction. Taking a narrative, chronological approach to the text, Waltke employs rhetorical criticism to illuminate the theologies of the biblical narrators. Through careful study, he shows that the unifying theme of the Old Testament is the “breaking in of the kingdom of God.” This theme helps the reader better understand not only the Old Testament, but also the New Testament, the continuity of the entire Bible, and ultimately, God himself.
An Old-Fashioned Christmas: Favorite Yuletide Quotes and Traditions
by Jackie CorleyA collection of inspirational, meaningful and fun quotes celebrating the spirit of Christmas.Deck the halls with boughs of jolly and the An Old-Fashioned Christmas. Chock full of holiday sentiments and joyous words, this Christmas quote book is the perfect stocking stuffer book for the season.
An Old-Fashioned Love (This Side of Heaven #2)
by Arlene JamesEVERYDAY MIRACLESTRIPLE TROUBLE!From the start, Wyatt Gilley and his redheaded sons turned Traci Temple's peaceful world upside down.The twins were mischievous, but reformable. Their father was charming-and dangerous.The handsome single dad needed a woman's touch in his life. And Traci longed to bring the light of love and faith back to Wyatt's home.But when Wyatt insisted he'd never marry again, Traci didn't know where to turn. Had she lost her heart to a man she could never call her own?Everyday Miracles: Each day brings new tests for the young Reverend Charles and his congregation. But with faith, they find miracles everywhere!Welcome to Love InspiredTM-stories that will lift your spirits and gladden your heart. Meet men and women facing the challenges of today's world and learning important lessons about life, faith and love.
An Old-fashioned Christmas
by Tracie Peterson Sally Laity Loree Lough Colleen ReeceFour inspirational love stories from Christmases past comprise this collection. Includes 'For the Love of a Child' by Sally Laity, 'Miracle on Kismet Hill' by Loree Lough, 'Christmas Flower' by Colleen L. Reece, and 'God Jul' by Tracie Peterson.
An Onion in My Pocket: My Life with Vegetables
by Deborah MadisonFrom the author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone ("The Queen of Greens," The Washington Post)--a warm, bracingly honest memoir that also gives us an insider's look at the vegetarian movement.Thanks to her beloved cookbooks and groundbreaking work as the chef at Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, Deborah Madison, though not a vegetarian herself, has long been revered as this country's leading authority on vegetables. She profoundly changed the way generations of Americans think about cooking with vegetables, helping to transform "vegetarian" from a dirty word into a mainstream way of eating. But before she became a household name, Madison spent almost twenty years as an ordained Buddhist priest, coming of age in the midst of counterculture San Francisco. In this charmingly intimate and refreshingly frank memoir, she tells her story--and with it the story of the vegetarian movement--for the very first time. From her childhood in Big Ag Northern California to working in the kitchen of the then-new Chez Panisse, and from the birth of food TV to the age of green markets everywhere, An Onion in My Pocket is as much the story of the evolution of American foodways as it is the memoir of the woman at the forefront. It is a deeply personal look at the rise of vegetable-forward cooking, and a manifesto for how to eat well.
An Open Heart
by Harry KrausTheir Messages--From Beyond the Grave--Might Destroy Him They hover between life and death, their hearts stopped on the surgery table. And the messages Dr. Jace Rawlings' open-heart surgery patients bring back from beyond the grave cannot be ignored. For they predict the deaths of people around him, and point a finger of suspicion straight at him. It thrusts Jace into a firestorm of controversy and danger. A maelstrom blown by the darker winds of political intrigue and spiritual warfare. And the forces working against him will do anything to stop him from uncovering a truth they will kill to hide. He'd come to Kenya to establish a heart-surgery program for the poor. But what he will find in that place where he grew up will put everything at risk-his marriage, his career . . . his life.
An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life
by Dalai LamaCompassion -- sympathy for the suffering of others and the desire to free them from it -- is wrestled with in all spiritual traditions. Yet how does one actually become a compassionate person? What are the mechanisms by which a selfish heart is transformed into a generous heart? When His Holiness the Dalai Lama came to New York in 1999, he spoke simply and powerfully on the everyday Buddhist practice of compassion. Weaving together the contents of several sacred texts, he showed that the path to compassion is a series of meditations. An Open Heart lays out this course of meditation, from the simplest to the most challenging, describing the mental training techniques that will enable anyone of any faith to change their minds and open their hearts. In these meditations the deepest and most profound insights of Buddhist practice become part of one's way of knowing and experiencing the world. An Open Heart is a clear and simple introduction to the Buddhist path to enlightenment, by its greatest teacher, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
An Open Heart: Practising Compassion in Everyday Life
by Dalai Lama The Dalai LamaIn the Dalai Lama's own words: 'It is my hope that the reader of this small book will take away a basic understanding of Buddhism and some of the key methods by which Buddhist practitioners have cultivated compassion and wisdom in their lives. The methods discussed have been taken from three sacred texts of Buddhism. I would like to stress at the outset, however, that one doesn't have to be a Buddhist to make use of these meditation techniques. Meditation is merely the process whereby we gain control over the mind and guide it in a more virtuous direction. Meditation may also be thought of as a technique by which we diminish the force of old thought habits and develop new ones. Yet the techniques themselves do not lead to enlightenment or a compassionate and open heart. That is up to you, and the effort and motivation you bring to your spiritual practice.'
An Open Letter to a Jehovah's Witness
by Roy ZuckUnderstanding what Jehovah's Witnesses teach and believe is crucial to counteract their aggressive evangelism campaigns. Roy Zuck offers this letter in the absence of direct, compassionate literature to hand to them to explain Scriptural truth and the difference between their faith and Christianity. In booklet form, it is compassionate while clearly explaining the Deity of Christ and how the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses contradict the Bible.
An Open Letter to a Jehovah's Witness
by Roy ZuckUnderstanding what Jehovah's Witnesses teach and believe is crucial to counteract their aggressive evangelism campaigns. Roy Zuck offers this letter in the absence of direct, compassionate literature to hand to them to explain Scriptural truth and the difference between their faith and Christianity. In booklet form, it is compassionate while clearly explaining the Deity of Christ and how the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses contradict the Bible.
An Open-Hearted Life: Transformative Methods for Compassionate Living from a Clinical Psychologist and a Buddhist Nun
by Thubten Chodron Russell KoltsA life overflowing with compassion. It sounds wonderful in theory, but how do you do it? This guide provides practical methods for living with this wonderful quality, based on traditional Buddhist teachings and on methods from modern psychology--particularly a technique called Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). The methods presented by the two authors--a psychotherapist and a Tibetan Buddhist nun--turn out to have a good deal in common. In fact, they complement each other in wonderful ways. Each of the sixty-four short chapters ends with a reflection or exercise for putting compassion into practice in various life situations.
An Ordered Love
by Louis J. KernAn Ordered Love is the first detailed study of sex roles in the utopian communities that proposed alternatives to monogamous marriage: The Shakers (1779-1890), the Mormons (1843-90), and the Oneida Community (1848-79).The lives of men and women changed substantially when they joined one of the utopian communities. Louis J. Kern challenges the commonly held belief that Mormon polygamy was uniformly downgrading to women and that Oneida pantagamy and Shaker celibacy were liberating for them. Rather, Kern asserts that changes in sexual behavior and roles for women occurred in ideological environments that assumed women were inferior and needed male guidance. An elemental distrust of women denied the Victorian belief in their moral superiority, attacked the sanctity of the maternal role, and institutionalized the dominance of men over women.These utopias accepted the revolutionary idea that the pleasure bond was the essence of marriage. They provided their members with a highly developed theological and ideological position that helped them cope with the ambiguities and anxieties they felt during a difficult transitional stage in social mores.Analysis of the theological doctrines of these communities indicates how pervasive sexual questions were in the minds of the utopians and how closely they were related to both reform (social perfection) and salvation (individual perfection). These communities saw sex as the point at which the demands of individual selfishness and the social requirements of self-sacrifice were in most open conflict. They did not offer their members sexual license, but rather they established ideals of sexual orderliness and moral stability and sought to provide a refuge from the rampant sexual anxieties of Victorian culture.Kern examines the critical importance of considerations of sexuality and sexual behavior in these communities, recognizing their value as indications of larger social and cultural tensions. Using the insights of history, psychology, and sociology, he investigates the relationships between the individual and society, ideology and behavior, and thought and action as expressed in the sexual life of these three communities. Previously unused manuscript sources on the Oneida Community and Shaker journals and daybooks reveal interesting and sometimes startling information on sexual behavior and attitudes.