Suchergebnisse

The Quran is a sacred book with profound, and familiar, Old and New Testament resonances. And the message it promulgated, Islam, came of age during an extraordinarily rich era of interaction among monotheists. Jews, Christians, and Muslims not only worshipped the same God, but shared aspirations, operated in the same social and economic environment, and sometimes lived side by side, indistinguishable by language, costume, or manners. Today, of course, little of this commonality is apparent, and Islam is poorly understood by most non-Muslims. Entering Islam through the same biblical door Muhammad did, this book introduces readers with Christian or Jewish backgrounds to one of the world's largest, most active, and - in the West - least understood religions. Frank Peters, one of the world's leading authorities on the monotheistic religions, starts with the central feature of Muslim faith and life: the Quran. Across its pages move Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon, John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary. The Quran contains remarkably familiar accounts of Genesis, the Flood, Exodus, the Virgin Birth, and other biblical events. But Peters also highlights Muhammad's very different use of Scripture and explains those elements of the Quran most alien to Western readers, from its didactic passages to its remarkable poetry. Peters goes on to cogently explain Islam's defining features - including the significance of Mecca, the manner of Muhammad's revelations, and the creation of the unique community of Muslims, all in relation to the Judeo-Christian tradition. He compares Jesus and Muhammad, describes Islamic commandments and rituals, details the structures of Sunni and Shi'ite communities, and lays out central Islamic beliefs on war, women, mysticism, and martyrdom. The result is a crucial and extremely accomplished book that offers Western readers a professional yet highly accessible understanding of Islam, and at a time when we need it most. -- Publisher description

In the light of the escalation of sectarian tensions during and after Mubarak's reign, the predicament of the Arab world's largest religious minority, the Copts, has come to the forefront. This book poses such questions as why there has been a mass exodus of Copts from Egypt, and how this relates to other religious minorities in the Arab region; why it is that sectarian violence increased during and after the 2011 Revolution; and how the new configuration of power has influenced the extent to which a vision of a political order is being based on the principles of inclusive democracy

In our rapidly changing and progressively globalized world, Christians and Muslims are faced with the prospect of directly encountering and responding to people of other faiths and cultures. This has pushed us all to address the vital question of how best to live with, work beside, and love one other as fellow citizens of our planet. Winkler argues that we must continually dialogue with one another - not only about the beliefs and practices held in common between us, but also about the ways in which we are distinctively different

"Flavius Claudius Julianus, or Julian the Apostate, ruled Rome as sole emperor for just a year and a half, from 361 to 363, but during that time he turned the world upside down. Although a nephew of Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor of Rome, Julian fought to return Rome to the old gods who had led his ancestors to build their vast empire. As emperor, Julian set about reforming the administration, conquering new territories, and reviving ancient religions. He was scorned in his time for repudiating Christianity and demonized as an apostate for willfully rejecting Christ. Through the centuries, Julian has been viewed by many as a tragic figure who sought to save Rome from its enemies and the corrupting influence of Christianity. Christian writers and historians have seen Julian much differently: as a traitor to God and violent oppressor of Christians. Had Julian not been killed by a random Persian spear, he might well have changed all of history."--Dust jacket.

"This book links sectarianism in Iraq to the failure of the modern nation-state to resolve tensions between sectarian identities and concepts of unified statehood and uniform citizenry. After a theoretical excursus that recasts the notion of primordial identity as a socially constructed reality, the author sets out to explain the persistence of sectarian affiliations in Iraq since its creation following the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire. Despite the adoption of homogenizing state policies, the uneven sectarian composition of the ruling elites nurtured feelings of political exclusion among marginalized sectarian groups, the Shiites before 2003 and the Sunnis in the post-2003 period. The book then examines how communal discourses in the educational curriculum provoked masked forms of resistance that sharpened sectarian consciousness. Tracing how the anti-Persian streak in the nation-state's Pan-Arab ideology, which camouflaged anti-Shiaism, undermined Iraq's national integration project, Sectarianism in Iraq delves into the country's slide from a totalizing Pan-Arab ideology in the pre-2003 period toward the atomistic impulse of the federalist debate in the post-2003 period. Employing extensive fieldwork, this book sheds light on the dynamics of political life in post-Saddam Iraq and is essential reading for Iraqi and Middle East specialists, as well as those interested in understanding the current heightening of sectarian Sunni-Shicite tensions in the Middle East"--

"Orientalism is the term applied scholarship that reduces Islam and Muslims to stereotypes of ignorance and violence, in need of foreign control. It has been used to rationalize Europe's colonial domination of most of the Muslim world and continued American-led interventions in the post-colonial period. In the past 30 years it has been represented by claims that a monolithic Islam and equally monolithic West are distinct civilizations, sharing nothing in common and, indeed, involved in an inevitable "clash" from which only one can emerge the winner. Most recently, it has appeared in Alt Right rhetoric. Anti-Muslim sentiment, measured in public opinion polls, hate crime statistics, and legislation, is reaching record levels. Since John Esposito published his first book nearly 40 years ago, he has been guiding readers beyond such politically charged stereotypes. This Festschrift highlights the contributions of scholars from a variety of disciplines who, like - and often inspired by - John Esposito, recognize the misleading and politically dangerous nature of Orientalist polarizations. They present Islam as a multi-faceted and dynamic tradition embraced by communities in globally interconnected but substantially diverse contexts over the centuries. The contributors follow Esposito's lead, stressing the profound commonalities among religions and replacing Orientalist discourse with holistic analyses of the complex historical phenomena that affect developments in all societies. In addition to chapters focusing on diversity among Muslims and interfaith relations, this collection includes chapters assessing the secular bias at the root of Orientalist scholarship, and contemporary iterations of Orientalism in the form of Islamophobia"--

The ethical dimensions of historical interpretation: the blood libel as limit case -- Thomas of Monmouth and the juridical discourse of ritual murder -- Moralization and method in Gavin Langmuir's history of antisemitism -- On being implicated: Israel Yuval and the new history of medieval Jewish-Christian relations -- Beyond implication: the Ariel Toaff affair and the question of complicity.

Purpose of the study: This study seeks to show that religious contestation in Jayapura, as apparent through the widespread use of religious symbols in the city, is not only a form of resistance against other faiths but also reflective of historical apprehensiveness. Studies on Muslim-Christian relations tend to deny the historical perspective by giving more attention to economic and political factors. Methodology: As the basis of its analysis, this study uses visual data in the form of photographs. Further data was collected from informants through unstructured interviews. Using a phenomenological approach, data were analyzed to ascertain the meaning of the studied phenomenon. Main Findings: This study shows that religious contestation in Papua, as manifested in public religious symbols, is not only a form of resistance against other faiths but also a continuation of unresolved interfaith tensions. Applications of this study: Knowledge of the interfaith contestation, as manifested through the public display of religious symbols, is of paramount importance in creating a spatial planning policy that accommodates a multiethnic and multireligious society. Novelty/Originality of this study: While previous studies have tended to show the causes of interfaith conflict, often by emphasizing religious differences, this study finds a shared space that offers an opportunity for religious accommodation and the resolution of interfaith tensions.

The successful term "stereotype" was substantiated by the journalist W. Lippman and became firmly established in scientific use. Researchers have studied the processes of stereotypes functioning. This is an important part ofthe collective consciousness, protecting a person from unfamiliar information. Stereotypes help save time and life resources for processing new information. But the negative side of stereotypes lies in the creation of mental templates for the perception of reality. It is easier for a group to simplify information than to waste time understanding the essence of another's otherness. Information that contradicts stereotypical patterns is ignored, simplified, and distorted in terms of content. "We-group" begins to aggressively defend the meanings of its stereotypes from an alternative opinion. The opponent can be subjected to harassment and physical destruction. The structure of stereotypes and scenarios of stereotyping are considered by us from the standpoint of structuralism. "We-group" is socially differentiated. For extras and dominant members of the group, the rules of the social game are written. The meaning of the stereotype can turn into a tool for managing citizens, into a weapon against members of the "they-group". The spontaneous part of the process of stereotyping lies in the routine existence of stereotypes, with the help of which people explain the complex phenomena of life. It is a routine practice of inventing and reinforcing language clichés. The manageable part of stereotyping is the use of these clichés for political gain. "We-group" is always in a state of stereotypical attitude. The group can choose a stereotyping scenario – a scenario of tolerant neighborhood or a scenario of negative solidarity. The first determines the path of development of a tolerant attitude towards non-Christians, the search for new knowledge about the culture of "outsiders", the development of practices of new socio-cultural experience. The second is the way of intensifying intercultural and interfaith tension, leading to armed conflicts. The reason for interfaith conflicts is the use of creeds for personal gain. At the everyday level, conflicts arise due to cultural incompetence, the simplification of knowledge about the culture of "strangers". In Siberia, despite the existence of stereotypes, interfaith relations are peaceful. This is emphasized by the heroes of in-depth interviews representing different confessions. Their perception of non-Christian neighbors is based on an understanding of personal merit, and not on a stereotyped understanding. Spiritual leaders confirm the idea of intercultural rapprochement of Siberians as members of a multi-confessional community. Tolerance is a social practice of neighborhood that develops the spiritual sphere of community life.