Outline: A Definitive Masterwork from the world's leading Christian Apologist. Throughout his career, Ravi Zacharias has faced some of the most difficult questions ever asked about the Christian faith. The most troublesome question of all, however, came from a Hindu friend. "If this conversion is truly supernatural," he asked, "why is it not more evident in the lives of so many Christians that …
Outline: This accessible text by James P. Ware provides both a concise guide to Paul's theology and a general introduction to the key issues and debates in the contemporary study of Paul. Examining Paul's message in the context of the ancient world, Ware identifies what would have struck Paul's original audience as startling or unique. By comparing Paul's teaching to the other religions and phi…
A religious primer serves as an argument for why religion should become a mandatory subject in American public schools, contending that most Americans are not able to identify basic tenets of their faith and that key political challenges can be better met with faith-based resolutions.
Thoroughly exploring the history of the conflict between Christians and Jews from medieval to modern times, this wide-ranging volume includes newly uncovered material from the recently opened post-Soviet archives. Anna Sapir Abulafia delineates controversial issues of inter-faith confrontation, and a number of eminent scholars from around the globe discuss openly and objectively the dynamics of…
An exploration of the relationship between the rise and development of a mystical element in Islam, known as Sufism, and the mysticism that was already to be found within the Christian Church of the Near and Middle East.
When the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America was added, it was agreed that Congress and government in general would not be actively supporting or participating in the establishment of religion, nor would it be in the business of prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Religious life in our newly formed country would never be the same thereafter. The religious mili…
Religion has influenced human culture since prehistory, shaping everything from the politics of war and peace to notions of morality and issues of sex, reproduction, and family. On an individual level, it has also offered people a sense of meaning, purpose, and comfort, and even today, when science appears to offer answers to many of the world's conundrums, faith persists and many religions--in…
Christians and Muslims have been involved in exchanges over matters of faith and morality since the founding of Islam. Attitudes between the faiths today are deeply coloured by the legacy of past encounters, and often preserve centuries-old negative views. The History of Christian-Muslim Relations, Texts and Studies presents the surviving record of past encounters in authoritative, fully intro…
Shinto is finally receiving the attention it deserves as a fundamental component of Japanese culture. Nevertheless, it remains a remarkably complex and elusive phenomenon to which Western categories of religion do not readily apply. A knowledge of Shinto can only proceed from a basic understanding of Japanese shrines and civilization, for it is closely intermingled with the Japanese way of life…
Showcases the relationship between Kabbalah and Christianity on the one hand and New Age religion on the other. This work provides historical background, ranging from the mystical groups that flourished in ancient Judaism in the East, to the use of kabbalistic ideas in the influential modern Jewish religious movement, Hasidism.
Distinguished scholar of Japanese religions and culture Helen Hardacre offers the first comprehensive history of Shinto, the ancient and vibrant tradition whose colorful rituals are still practiced today.
Presents the fundamental concepts and traditions of Shinto and provides information on its history, worship of "Kami"--"way of the gods," its rituals and festivals that preach harmony and tolerance with nature and people, and its concern with achieving happiness in this life.
Dreaming in the World's Religions provides an authoritative and engaging one-volume resource for the study of dreaming and religion. It tells the story of how dreaming has shaped the religious history of humankind, from the Upanishads of Hinduism to the Qur'an of Islam, from the conception dream of Buddha's mother to the sexually tempting nightmares of St. Augustine, from the Ojibwa vision ques…
This study sheds new light on identity formation and maintenance in the world of the early Christians by drawing on neglected archaeological and epigraphic evidence concerning associations and immigrant groups and by incorporating insights from the social sciences. The study's unique contribution relates, in part, to its interdisciplinary character, standing at the intersection of Christian Ori…
The author's studies led him to a conception of Mythology as a more catholic science, or a more scientific classification of certain knowledge, than it has yet been shown to be in the hands of its cultivators. He explores these views in three treatises: The Progress of Mythology; Christ and Krishna; and finally a survey of The Gospel Myths.
The book explores the rationality of belief in God, as conceived in the Hebrew-Christian tradition. In Part, I, Plantinga examines a number of traditional arguments for God's existence and concludes that none successfully demonstrate God's existence. In Part II, he considers and rejects some major arguments against belief in God, including the problem of evil, the paradox of omnipotence, and ve…
Outline: The similarities and differences between the traditions founded by Shakyamuri, called the Buddha, and Jesus, called the Christ, fascinate both scholars and students of religion. Interest burgeons as encounters between Christians and Buddhists increase, and as the world becomes smaller through technology and travel. By exploring the two religious founders through the lives and views of …
Outline: This reader of 20th-century analyses of Christianity by representative non-Christians gives rare insight into how the Christian faith appears from the outside. Christianity through Non-Christian Eyes provides new perspectives for thinking with theological seriousness and historical sensitivity about the reality and challenges of religious pluralism, by showing the extent to which the p…
Outline: Islam and Christianity often appear at opposite and unabridgeable poles, both committed to world mission. Given the political tension violent acts that have surrounded these two major world religions, it is essential for both sides to understand the other's history, beliefs, traditions, and vision for the future. This invaluable resource from an expert in comparative religious studies …
Outline: This reader offers an overview of anthropological findings about religion that spans 100 years of work. Eighteen new readings are among the fifty-six selections in the Fourth Edition. The selections are organized into nine categories: The Origin and Development of Religion, The Function of Religion in Human Society, The Interpretation of Symbolism, The Analysis of Myth, The Symblic Ana…
Outline: Inside the Community : Understanding Muslims through Their Traditions explores the Hadith, as collected by Abu' Abd Allah Muhammad Al-Bukhari. From the "ashes cure" for bleeding, to regulations on how to keep the fast, to an incredible scene of Moses chasing a boulder which had run away with his clothes, Parshall quotes and comments on the essence of this highly significant body of Mus…
Outline: Building bridges between Christianity and Islam. Muslims and Christians both worship one God. In fact. they have much in common. Although the history between Muslims and Christians has been strained at best, it doesn't have to be that way. There are many areas of common ground between the two faiths, providing ample opportunity to build relationships. Fouad Accad grew up in Lebanon and…
Outline: It is appropriate that the first volume in this new series of interreligious documents is on relations between Christians and Muslims. Together they comprise the world's most populous religious traditions. The many occasions of their good relations have often been eclipsed by memories of rivalry, war and confrontation; and today in Africa, Asia, Europe, and America Christians and Musli…
Outline: This book examines Christian ethnographic writing about the Jews in early modern Europe, offering a systematic historical analysis of this literary genre and arguing its importance for understanding both the period in general and Jewish-Christian relations in particular. The book focuses on nearly 80 texts from Western Europe (mostly German) that describe the customs and ceremonies of …
Outline: In recent decades, a "certainty trap" has sprung up within both Islam and Christianity, resulting in a world struggling with the fallout from extremist and violent interpretations of what "the word of God" might mean. The Certainty Trap asks whether Christians and Muslims - equally - can any longer afford the luxury of fundamentalism. Musk looks at the phenomenon of fundamentalism in C…
Outline: With all of the different religions, sects, denominations, and belief systems out there, it can be difficult to separate fact from mere opinion, especially if we are relying solely on online sources that often have an ideological or political slant. How can we truly understand if we cannot even be sure we are getting the facts straight? In this comprehensive resource, more than seventy…
Outline: Given the unique religious climate of the twenty-first century and the challenges to Christian mission it poses, Christianity Encountering World Religions proposes a new model for interacting with people of other faiths. The authors term this model "giftive mission," since it is based on the metaphor of free gift. They suggest that seeing mission activity as giving the greatest gift po…
Outline: What every Christian should know about Islam's sacred text? Who does the Qur'an teach Jesus is? What does the Qur'an say about salvation? How does the Qur'an describe Christians? A Christian Guide to the Qur'an will prepare Christians to understand the central messages of the Qur'an in simple terms, and illustrates how knowledge of Islam's sacred text can provide bridges to religious u…
Outline: Whether it's terrorists in the Middle East who claim inspiration from Islam and express their hatred for the West, or the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, or the violence done by the religious extremists in the United States, it seems religion too often leads to lethal results. Charles Kimball, the author of When Religion Becomes Evil, builds on his bestselling book …
Outline: Explaining The Trinity to Muslims. This book is a culturally relevant presentation of the truth of the Trinity to the Muslim mindset. Originally it was issued through a Turkish secular publishing house and had a countrywide repercussion, even in Islamic circles. It is a useful presentation for both Muslim and Christian readers, providing fundamental keys for understanding and explainin…
Outline: Asia is the birthplace of many great religions and spiritualities - spiritualities that draw wealth and meaning from the ancient past yet still address contemporary reality. Asian Christian Spirituality explores popular religious traditions in Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and India, emphasizing how these traditions foster a liberative Christian spirituality.…
Outline: Why has the twenty-first century been rocked by a new religious rebellion? From al Qaeda to Christian militias to insurgents in Iraq, a strident new religious activism has seized the imaginations of political rebels around the world. Building on his groundbreaking book, The New Cold War? Religious Nationalism Confronts the Secular State, Mark Juergensmeyer here provides an up-to-date r…
Outline: Millions of Muslims and Christians are neighbors and worship the same God. Yet they seldom witness to each other. In this book a Muslim and a Christian attempt to witness and listen. The issues they deal with are profound. The authors open up the basic questions of the human situation and confront similarities and differences in the Muslim and Christian responses. In recent years Musli…
Outline: Encountering the World of Islam guides you on a journey into the lives of Muslims around the world and in your neighborhood. Through this comprehensive collection, you will learn about Muhammad and the history of Islam, gain insight into today's conflicts, and dispel fears and myths. You will also discover the frustrations and desires of Muslims and learn how to pray for and befriend t…
Outline: Millions of Muslims have migrated to Europe and North America in the last fifty years. Their arrival has ignited fierce public debates on both series of the Atlantic about religious freedom and tolerance, terrorism and security, gender and race, and much more. How can Christians best respond to this situation? In this book theologians and ethicist Matthew Kaemingk offers a thought-prov…
Outline: Since its original publication, C.S. Song's classic Third-Eye Theology has been regarded as a landmark work in unearthing and exemplifying the possibilities of a new kind of Asian Christian theology - one that takes its point of departure from the cultures of Asia. This new edition has been revised and updated, and includes a new preface which provides an overview of current status and…
Outline: From New York Times bestselling author Nabeel Qureshi comes this personal, challenging, and respectful answer to the many questions surrounding jihad, the rise of ISIS, and Islamic terrorism. The mass shooting in San Bernardino was the most lethal terror attack on American soil since 9/11, and it came on the heels of a coordinated assault on Paris. There is no question that innocents h…
Outline: This book explores the interplay between chance and providence in the monotheistic religious traditions, looking at how their interaction has been conceptualized as our understanding of the workings of nature has changed. This lively historical conversation has generated intense ongoing theological debates, and provocative response from science: what are we to make of the history of o…
Outline: Muslims have often heard that Christians worship three gods, or that the Injil, the Christian Scripture, has been corrupted. How can Christians explain their faith in a way that Muslims can understand? In his work with Muslims in central London, the author discovered that many are quite open to talking about matters of faith. In this thoughtful and respectful book, the author explo…
Outline: What would happen if Christians and a Muslim at a university talked and disagreed, but really tried to understand each other? What would they learn? This is the intriguing question the author seeks to answer in these imaginative conversations on issues ranging from prayer and worship to evolution and abortion, from war and politics to the nature of spiritual struggle and spiritual s…
Outline: Yale University religion scholar the author - widely known for the much-publicized course on faith and globalization he coteaches with Tony Blair - places this question at the root of the twenty-first century's most sensitive, and critical, geopolitical concerns. The author reveals how the prevalent belief that these traditions worship different gods is directly linked to increased h…
Overview: In this book, four perspectives are presented by a majo advocate of each: - Normative Pluralism : all ethical religions lead to God (John Hick) - Inclusivism: salvation is universally available, but is established by and leads to Christ (Clark Pinnock) - Salvation in Christ : salvation depends on explicit personal faith in Jesus Christ alone (R. Douglas Geivett and W. Gray Phillip…
Cara kita memandang Yesus ikut ditentukan oleh banyak faktor, di antaranya pandangan tentang Dia dari orang yang pernah menggambarkan Injil kepada kita serta kebudayaan dari bangsa yang menerima pesan Injil. Kedua faktor tersebut saling mempengaruhi, sehingga menghasilkan gambar Yesus yang khas. Demikianlah agama Kristen di Amerika Latin sangat dipengaruhi oleh gambar Kristus, sebagai yang disa…
Berbagai umat beragama di Indonesia sementara ini berhadapan dengan beragam masalah yang sangat peka. Sebagian masalah itu menyangkut kehidupan intern masing-masing umat, orientasi spiritual dan iman serta hubungan antar-aliran yanga berbeda. Sebagian masalah lain berkaitan dengan posisi dan peranan agama-agama dalam masyarakat dan hubungannya dengan pemerintah. Di samping itu, karena umat-umat…