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Improving Educational Gender Equality in Religious Societies: Human Rights and Modernization Pre-Arab Spring
by Sumaia A. Al-KohlaniIn this book, Al-Kohlani examines fifty-five Muslim and non-Muslim countries from 1960 to 2010 in response to “religious theory” that associates certain religions with gender inequality and “modernization theory” which downplays the role of religion on gender inequity and associates gender inequality with socioeconomic factors. The author explores both schools of thought and posits that, on average, Muslim countries have lower educational equality in comparison to non-Muslim countries with less religious constitution. An interdisciplinary study drawn from the fields of world politics, public policy in education, and political religion, this book responds not only to debates within academia, but also to larger debates in society about the role of religion in the state, the specific challenges of the relationship of Islam and the public policies, and the relationship between constitution and gender equality.
Improving Educational Gender Equality in Religious Societies: Human Rights and Modernization Pre-Arab Spring
by Sumaia A. Al-KohlaniIn this book, Al-Kohlani examines fifty-five Muslim and non-Muslim countries from 1960 to 2010 in response to “religious theory” that associates certain religions with gender inequality and “modernization theory” which downplays the role of religion on gender inequity and associates gender inequality with socioeconomic factors. The author explores both schools of thought and posits that, on average, Muslim countries have lower educational equality in comparison to non-Muslim countries with less religious constitution. An interdisciplinary study drawn from the fields of world politics, public policy in education, and political religion, this book responds not only to debates within academia, but also to larger debates in society about the role of religion in the state, the specific challenges of the relationship of Islam and the public policies, and the relationship between constitution and gender equality.
Improvisational Islam: Indonesian Youth in a Time of Possibility
by Nur Amali IbrahimImprovisational Islam is about novel and unexpected ways of being Muslim, where religious dispositions are achieved through techniques that have little or no precedent in classical Islamic texts or concepts. Nur Amali Ibrahim foregrounds two distinct autodidactic university student organizations, each trying to envision alternative ways of being Muslim independent from established religious and political authorities. One group draws from methods originating from the business world, like accounting, auditing, and self-help, to promote a puritanical understanding of the religion and spearhead Indonesia’s spiritual rebirth. A second group reads Islamic scriptures alongside the western human sciences. Both groups, he argues, show a great degree of improvisation and creativity in their interpretations of Islam.These experimental forms of religious improvisations and practices have developed in a specific Indonesian political context that has evolved after the deposal of President Suharto’s authoritarian New Order regime in 1998. At the same time, Improvisational Islam suggests that the Indonesian case study brings into sharper relief processes that are happening in ordinary Muslim life everywhere. To be a practitioner of their religion, Muslims draw on and are inspired by not only their holy scriptures, but also the non-traditional ideas and practices that circulate in their society, which importantly include those originating in the West. In the contemporary political discourse where Muslims are often portrayed as uncompromising and adversarial to the West and where bans and walls are deemed necessary to keep them out, this story about flexible and creative Muslims is an important one to tell.
Improvisieren: Material, Interaktion, Haltung und Musik aus soziologischer Perspektive (Wissen, Kommunikation und Gesellschaft)
by Silvana Figueroa-DreherDiese Arbeit untersucht Improvisationsprozesse (creativity in performance) aus einer soziologischen Perspektive unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Dimensionen von Handeln, Interagieren und Wissen. Die Soziologie entwickelte in den letzten Jahren ein zunehmendes Interesse am Phänomen der Improvisation, wobei weniger die Resultate improvisatorischen Handelns im Zentrum standen, als vielmehr die Improvisationsprozesse selbst. Eine solche Fokussierung nimmt auch diese Untersuchung vor. Basierend auf der empirischen, qualitativen und vergleichenden Untersuchung von Free Jazz- und Flamenco-Praktiken sowie in Auseinandersetzung mit der bestehenden Improvisations-, Handlungs-, Interaktions- und Kreativitätsforschung wird hier ein neuartiges Modell des Improvisierens vorgeschlagen, das die diesbezüglichen Handlungs- und Interaktionsprozesse erklärt und die Anschlussfähigkeit für weitere Bereiche der künstlerischen Praxis eröffnet.
Impulse der Reformation: Der zivilgesellschaftliche Diskurs (Bürgergesellschaft und Demokratie)
by Ansgar Klein Olaf ZimmermannDer Band reflektiert die Bedeutung der Reformation für die Zivilgesellschaft. Dabei stehen nicht die religiösen Fragen im Mittelpunkt, sondern anlässlich des Reformationsjubiläums vor allem die Auswirkungen des Reformationsprozesses auf die Entwicklung der Zivilgesellschaft einschließlich aktueller Entwicklungen. In 30 pointierten Beiträgen deckt dieser Reflexionsprozess ein breites Spektrum von Fragestellungen ab und macht die aktuellen Herausforderungen und Orientierungsbedarfe in Politik, Gesellschaft und Wirtschaft deutlich, bei denen sich das Christentum aktuell werteorientiert einbringt.
Impurity and Sin in Ancient Judaism
by Jonathan KlawansThis book examines the ways in which two distinct biblical conceptions of impurity-"ritual" and "moral"-were interpreted in the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, rabbinic literature, and the New Testament. In examining the evolution of ancient Jewish attitudes towards sin and defilement, Klawans sheds light on a fascinating but previously neglected topic.
Impurity and Sin in Ancient Judaism
by Jonathan KlawansThis book examines the ways in which two distinct biblical conceptions of impurity-"ritual" and "moral"-were interpreted in the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, rabbinic literature, and the New Testament. In examining the evolution of ancient Jewish attitudes towards sin and defilement, Klawans sheds light on a fascinating but previously neglected topic.
In a Pure Muslim Land: Shi'ism between Pakistan and the Middle East (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks)
by Simon Wolfgang FuchsCentering Pakistan in a story of transnational Islam stretching from South Asia to the Middle East, Simon Wolfgang Fuchs offers the first in-depth ethnographic history of the intellectual production of Shi'is and their religious competitors in this "Land of the Pure." The notion of Pakistan as the pinnacle of modern global Muslim aspiration forms a crucial component of this story. It has empowered Shi'is, who form about twenty percent of the country's population, to advance alternative conceptions of their religious hierarchy while claiming the support of towering grand ayatollahs in Iran and Iraq. Fuchs shows how popular Pakistani preachers and scholars have boldly tapped into the esoteric potential of Shi'ism, occupying a creative and at times disruptive role as brokers, translators, and self-confident pioneers of contemporary Islamic thought. They have indigenized the Iranian Revolution and formulated their own ideas for fulfilling the original promise of Pakistan. Challenging typical views of Pakistan as a mere Shi'i backwater, Fuchs argues that its complex religious landscape represents how a local, South Asian Islam may open up space for new intellectual contributions to global Islam. Yet religious ideology has also turned Pakistan into a deadly battlefield: sectarian groups since the 1980s have been bent on excluding Shi'is as harmful to their own vision of an exemplary Islamic state.
In Adam's Fall: A Meditation on the Christian Doctrine of Original Sin (Challenges in Contemporary Theology #29)
by Ian A. McFarlandThis engaging and scholarly book offers refreshingly original insights into the contemporary relevance of the Christian doctrine of original sin – one that has inspired fierce debate for the last two millennia. Challenges the many prevailing opinions about the Christian doctrine of original sin, arguing that it is not only theological defensible, but stimulating and productive for a life of faith Shows how it is possible to affirm the universality of sin without losing sight of the distinct ways in which individuals both participate in and suffer the consequences of sinful behavior Balances historic and contemporary criticism with original theological arguments; combining the substance of a traditional Augustinian doctrine of sin with the pastoral and social concerns of contemporary contextual theologies Provides a depth and range of engagement with contemporary criticism of traditional doctrine that is lacking in other recent treatments of the topic
In Adam's Fall: A Meditation on the Christian Doctrine of Original Sin (Challenges in Contemporary Theology #23)
by Ian A. McFarlandThis engaging and scholarly book offers refreshingly original insights into the contemporary relevance of the Christian doctrine of original sin – one that has inspired fierce debate for the last two millennia. Challenges the many prevailing opinions about the Christian doctrine of original sin, arguing that it is not only theological defensible, but stimulating and productive for a life of faith Shows how it is possible to affirm the universality of sin without losing sight of the distinct ways in which individuals both participate in and suffer the consequences of sinful behavior Balances historic and contemporary criticism with original theological arguments; combining the substance of a traditional Augustinian doctrine of sin with the pastoral and social concerns of contemporary contextual theologies Provides a depth and range of engagement with contemporary criticism of traditional doctrine that is lacking in other recent treatments of the topic
In America: Tales from Trump Country
by Caitríona PerryAs RTÉ’s Washington correspondent, Caitríona Perry has earned a reputation as a reliable source of truth as the world tries to make sense of the maelstrom of shocking headlines emanating from Donald Trump’s America. In her first book, she goes beyond the news reports and delves into the American heartland where she witnessed his rise at first hand, while others were blindsided by his victory.Bringing to the table the voices of those who voted for President Trump, the ones whose opinions didn’t coalesce with acceptable mainstream discourse – Hillary Clinton’s so-called ‘basket of deplorables’ – Caitríona Perry reveals just what is really happening in America right nowThis is the story of the American people who were angry and disillusioned by traditional politics. It is the story of the workers of the industrial heartland, of the women of America, of immigrant communities, of the people who viewed a wealthy businessman from the city of New York as ‘one of us’. This is the story of the people who shook the world.‘Spellbindingly good. Journeying across America, Caitríona Perry masterfully takes us into the hearts and minds of those who voted for Donald Trump. A triumph of a book.’ Prof. Gary Murphy, Head of the School of Law and Government, DCU‘From the Mexico border to the Oval Office, Caitríona Perry brings us to the coalface of one of the most tempestuous and extraordinary opening periods of any presidency in modern memory.’ Ryan Tubridy ‘In my visits to Ireland since the 2016 election, the most frequent question I get is “How could that happen?” Caitríona Perry answers it honestly and candidly as only someone who takes the time to understand could.’ Cody Keenan, Chief Speechwriter to President Barack Obama‘Bringing us vivid voices from Trump country, and exploring the emotional landscape in which his campaign took root, this book deepens our understanding of the Trump phenomenon.’ Anne Anderson, Former Irish Ambassador to the US.‘The hopes, contradictions and beliefs of Trump voters brilliantly told – a necessary and insightful book!’ Joe Duffy ‘This entertaining and insightful travelogue, through its attention to detail of both place and people, lays bare both the death and residual power of the American Dream.’ Prof. Liam Kennedy, Clinton Institute for American Studies, UCD‘A genuinely fascinating chance to meet the most and least likely Trump voters and find out why his election was ultimately bound to happen.’ Rick O’Shea
In-Between Worlds: Performing [as] Bauls in an Age of Extremism (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Sukanya ChakrabartiThis book examines the performance of Bauls ‘folk’ performers from Bengal, in the context of a rapidly globalizing Indian economy and against the backdrop of extreme nationalistic discourses. Recognizing their scope beyond the musical and cultural realm, Sukanya Chakrabarti engages in discussing the subversive and transformational potency of Bauls and their performances. In-Between Worlds argues that the Bauls through their musical, spiritual, and cultural performances offer ‘joy’ and ‘spirituality,’ thus making space for what Dr. Ambedkar in his famous 1942 speech had identified as ‘reclamation of human personality’. Chakrabarti destabilizes the category of ‘folk’ as a fixed classification or an origin point, and fractures homogeneous historical representations of the Baul as a ‘folk’ performer and a wandering mendicant exposing the complex heterogeneity that characterizes this group. Establishing ‘folk-ness’ as a performance category, and ‘folk festivals’ as sites of performing ‘folk-ness,’ contributing to a heritage industry that thrives on imagined and recreated nostalgia, Chakrabarti examines different sites that produce varied performative identities of Bauls, probing the limits of such categories while simultaneously advocating for polyvocality and multifocality. While this project has grounded itself firmly in performance studies, it has borrowed extensively from fields of postcolonial studies and subaltern histories, literature, ethnography and ethnomusicology, and cosmopolitan studies.
In-Between Worlds: Performing [as] Bauls in an Age of Extremism (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Sukanya ChakrabartiThis book examines the performance of Bauls ‘folk’ performers from Bengal, in the context of a rapidly globalizing Indian economy and against the backdrop of extreme nationalistic discourses. Recognizing their scope beyond the musical and cultural realm, Sukanya Chakrabarti engages in discussing the subversive and transformational potency of Bauls and their performances. In-Between Worlds argues that the Bauls through their musical, spiritual, and cultural performances offer ‘joy’ and ‘spirituality,’ thus making space for what Dr. Ambedkar in his famous 1942 speech had identified as ‘reclamation of human personality’. Chakrabarti destabilizes the category of ‘folk’ as a fixed classification or an origin point, and fractures homogeneous historical representations of the Baul as a ‘folk’ performer and a wandering mendicant exposing the complex heterogeneity that characterizes this group. Establishing ‘folk-ness’ as a performance category, and ‘folk festivals’ as sites of performing ‘folk-ness,’ contributing to a heritage industry that thrives on imagined and recreated nostalgia, Chakrabarti examines different sites that produce varied performative identities of Bauls, probing the limits of such categories while simultaneously advocating for polyvocality and multifocality. While this project has grounded itself firmly in performance studies, it has borrowed extensively from fields of postcolonial studies and subaltern histories, literature, ethnography and ethnomusicology, and cosmopolitan studies.
In Blood and Ashes: Curse Tablets and Binding Spells in Ancient Greece
by Jessica L. LamontFrom binding spells and incantations to curse-writing rituals, magic pervaded the ancient Greek world. In Blood and Ashes provides the first historical study of the development and dissemination of ritualized curse practice from 750-250 BCE, documenting the cultural pressures that drove the use of curse tablets, charms, spells, and other private rites. This book expands our understanding of daily life in ancient communities, showing how individuals were making sense of the world and coping with conflict, vulnerability, competition, anxiety, desire, and loss, all while conjuring the gods and powers of the Underworld. Bringing together epigraphic, literary, archaeological, and material evidence, Jessica L. Lamont reads between traditional histories of Archaic, Classical, and early Hellenistic Greece, drawing out new voices and new narratives to consider: here are the cooks, tavern keepers, garland weavers, helmsmen, barbers, and other persons who often slip through the cracks of ancient history. The texts and objects presented here offer glimpses of public and private lives across many centuries, illuminating the interplay of ritual and conflict-management strategies among citizens and slaves, men and women, pagans and Christians. Filled with new material and insights, Lamont's volume offers a groundbreaking perspective on ancient Greek social history and religion, highlighting the role of ritual in negotiating life's uncertainties.
In Blood and Ashes: Curse Tablets and Binding Spells in Ancient Greece
by Jessica L. LamontFrom binding spells and incantations to curse-writing rituals, magic pervaded the ancient Greek world. In Blood and Ashes provides the first historical study of the development and dissemination of ritualized curse practice from 750-250 BCE, documenting the cultural pressures that drove the use of curse tablets, charms, spells, and other private rites. This book expands our understanding of daily life in ancient communities, showing how individuals were making sense of the world and coping with conflict, vulnerability, competition, anxiety, desire, and loss, all while conjuring the gods and powers of the Underworld. Bringing together epigraphic, literary, archaeological, and material evidence, Jessica L. Lamont reads between traditional histories of Archaic, Classical, and early Hellenistic Greece, drawing out new voices and new narratives to consider: here are the cooks, tavern keepers, garland weavers, helmsmen, barbers, and other persons who often slip through the cracks of ancient history. The texts and objects presented here offer glimpses of public and private lives across many centuries, illuminating the interplay of ritual and conflict-management strategies among citizens and slaves, men and women, pagans and Christians. Filled with new material and insights, Lamont's volume offers a groundbreaking perspective on ancient Greek social history and religion, highlighting the role of ritual in negotiating life's uncertainties.
In Charge: Finding the Leader Within You
by Myles MunroeInternational motivational speaker and sought-after business consultant Reverend Myles Munroe proves that true leaders empower others to discover their own leadership gifts.
In Christus: Van toeskouer tot spoortrapper
by Callie Roos“God is nie een of ander control freak nie … Hy laat die gelowige self keuses maak en self verantwoordelikheid neem.”Wat beteken dit om vandag ’n Christen to wees? Dit is lankal nie meer genoeg om blindelings net Sondag ná Sondag die erediens by te woon nie, sê die geestelike leier and oudsoldaat Callie Roos. Dit is slegs deur ’n lewe in Christus da tons werklik God se krag in ons kan beleef.Volgens Callie beleef die kerk vandag ’n krisis en georganiseerde godsdiens hou gelowiges gevange in dogma en ’n behoefte aan beheer. Christene moet onstnap uit die geestelike tronk wat hulle inperk en hul bestaande begripsraamwerk bevraagteken.’n Lewe in Christus behels dat jy uitgaan in die wêreld en daadwerklik ’n verskil maak. Wanneer gewone Christen-mense Christus word vir ander, kan hierdie nuwe manier van glo ’n massabeweging word wat die ganse mensdom ten diepste sal aangryp.In Christus beloof om te inspireer en gelowiges nuut oor hul Christenskap te laat dink.
In Conversation with Jonah: Conversation Analysis, Literary Criticism and the Book of Jonah (The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)
by Raymond F. Person Jr.The author analyses the various conversations that occur between the characters in the Jonah narrative and the 'conversation' that occurs between the text and its readers. The study opens with an introduction to the field of conversation analysis, with a focus on one feature of conversation analysis-that a fundamental structure in the organization of language is adjacency pairs (for example, question/answer and invitation/refusal). Person notes how complex the adjacency pairs in the Jonah narrative are, and shows how they contribute to the narrative elements of plot, characterization, atmosphere and tone. He then refines reader-response theory (especially that of Wolfgang Iser) and provides a reader-response commentary on the book. The study ends with an analysis of the history of the interpretation of the book of Jonah, demonstrating how the structures of adjacency pairs in the narrative have been successfully and unsuccessfully interpreted.
In Defense of Conciliar Christology: A Philosophical Essay (Oxford Studies In Analytic Theology)
by Timothy PawlThis work presents a historically informed, systematic exposition of the Christology of the first seven Ecumenical Councils of undivided Christendom, from the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD to the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 AD. Assuming the truth of Conciliar Christology for the sake of argument, Timothy Pawl considers whether there are good philosophical arguments that show a contradiction or incoherence in that doctrine. He presents the definitions of important terms in the debate and a helpful metaphysics for understanding the incarnation. In Defense of Conciliar Christology discusses three types of philosophical objections to Conciliar Christology. Firstly, it highlights the fundamental philosophical problem facing Christologyâhow can one thing be both God and man, when anything deserving to be called "God" must have certain attributes, and yet it seems that nothing that can aptly be called "man" can have those same attributes? It then considers the argument that if the Second Person of the Holy Trinity were immutable or atemporal, as Conciliar Christology requires, then that Person could not become anything, and thus could not become man. Finally, Pawl addresses the objection that if there is a single Christ then there is a single nature or will in Christ. However, if that conditional is true, then Conciliar Christology is false, since it affirms the antecedent of the conditional to be true, but denies the truth of the consequent. Pawl defends Conciliar Christology against these charges, arguing that all three philosophical objections fail to show Conciliar Christology inconsistent or incoherent.
In Defense of Conciliar Christology: A Philosophical Essay (Oxford Studies In Analytic Theology)
by Timothy PawlThis work presents a historically informed, systematic exposition of the Christology of the first seven Ecumenical Councils of undivided Christendom, from the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD to the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 AD. Assuming the truth of Conciliar Christology for the sake of argument, Timothy Pawl considers whether there are good philosophical arguments that show a contradiction or incoherence in that doctrine. He presents the definitions of important terms in the debate and a helpful metaphysics for understanding the incarnation. In Defense of Conciliar Christology discusses three types of philosophical objections to Conciliar Christology. Firstly, it highlights the fundamental philosophical problem facing Christologyâhow can one thing be both God and man, when anything deserving to be called "God" must have certain attributes, and yet it seems that nothing that can aptly be called "man" can have those same attributes? It then considers the argument that if the Second Person of the Holy Trinity were immutable or atemporal, as Conciliar Christology requires, then that Person could not become anything, and thus could not become man. Finally, Pawl addresses the objection that if there is a single Christ then there is a single nature or will in Christ. However, if that conditional is true, then Conciliar Christology is false, since it affirms the antecedent of the conditional to be true, but denies the truth of the consequent. Pawl defends Conciliar Christology against these charges, arguing that all three philosophical objections fail to show Conciliar Christology inconsistent or incoherent.
In Defense of Dharma: Just-War Ideology in Buddhist Sri Lanka (Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism #Vol. 24)
by Tessa J. BartholomeuszThis is the first book to examine war and violence in Sri Lanka through the lens of cross-cultural studies on just-war tradition and theory. In a study that is textual, historical and anthropological, it is argued that the ongoing Sinhala-Tamil conflict is in actual practice often justified by a resort to religious stories that allow for war when Buddhism is in peril. Though Buddhism is commonly assumed to be a religion that never allows for war, this study suggests otherwise, thereby bringing Buddhism into the ethical dialogue on religion and war. Without a realistic consideration of just-war thinking in contemporary Sri Lanka, it will remain impossible to understand the power of religion there to create both peace and war.
In Defense of Dharma: Just-War Ideology in Buddhist Sri Lanka (Routledge Critical Studies in Buddhism)
by Tessa J. BartholomeuszThis is the first book to examine war and violence in Sri Lanka through the lens of cross-cultural studies on just-war tradition and theory. In a study that is textual, historical and anthropological, it is argued that the ongoing Sinhala-Tamil conflict is in actual practice often justified by a resort to religious stories that allow for war when Buddhism is in peril. Though Buddhism is commonly assumed to be a religion that never allows for war, this study suggests otherwise, thereby bringing Buddhism into the ethical dialogue on religion and war. Without a realistic consideration of just-war thinking in contemporary Sri Lanka, it will remain impossible to understand the power of religion there to create both peace and war.
In Defense of Extended Conciliar Christology: A Philosophical Essay (Oxford Studies in Analytic Theology)
by Timothy PawlIn Defense of Extended Conciliar Christology: A Philosophical Essay examines the logical consistency and coherence of Extended Conciliar Christology-the Christological doctrine that results from conjoining Conciliar Christology, the Christology of the first seven ecumenical councils of the Christian Church, with five additional theses. These theses are the claims that multiple incarnations are possible; Christ descended into Hell during his three days of death; Christ's human will was free; Christ was impeccable; and that Christ, via his human intellect, knew all things past, present, and future. These five theses, while not found in the first seven ecumenical councils, are common in the Christian theological tradition. The main question Timothy Pawl asks in this book is whether these five theses, when conjoined with Conciliar Christology, imply a contradiction. This study does not undertake to defend the truth of Extended Conciliar Christology. Rather, it shows that the extant philosophical objections to Extended Conciliar Christology fail.
In Defense of Extended Conciliar Christology: A Philosophical Essay (Oxford Studies in Analytic Theology)
by Timothy PawlIn Defense of Extended Conciliar Christology: A Philosophical Essay examines the logical consistency and coherence of Extended Conciliar Christology-the Christological doctrine that results from conjoining Conciliar Christology, the Christology of the first seven ecumenical councils of the Christian Church, with five additional theses. These theses are the claims that multiple incarnations are possible; Christ descended into Hell during his three days of death; Christ's human will was free; Christ was impeccable; and that Christ, via his human intellect, knew all things past, present, and future. These five theses, while not found in the first seven ecumenical councils, are common in the Christian theological tradition. The main question Timothy Pawl asks in this book is whether these five theses, when conjoined with Conciliar Christology, imply a contradiction. This study does not undertake to defend the truth of Extended Conciliar Christology. Rather, it shows that the extant philosophical objections to Extended Conciliar Christology fail.
In Defense of Married Priesthood: A Sociotheological Investigation of Catholic Clerical Celibacy (Routledge Studies in the Sociology of Religion)
by Vivencio O. BallanoThis book offers an analysis of the sociological, historical, and cultural factors that lie behind mandatory clerical celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church and examines the negative impact of celibacy on the Catholic priesthood in our contemporary age. Drawing on sociological theory and secondary qualitative data, together with Church documents, it contends that married priesthood has always existed in some form in the Catholic Church and that mandatory universal celibacy is the product of cultural and sociological contingencies, rather than sound doctrine. With attention to a range of problems associated with priestly celibacy, including sexual abuse, clerical shortages, loneliness, and spiritual sloth, In Defense of Married Priesthood argues that the Roman Catholic Church should permit marriage to the priesthood in order to respond to the challenges of our age. Presenting a sociologically informed alternative to the popular theological perspectives on clerical celibacy, this book defends the notion of the married priesthood as legitimate means of living the vocation of Catholic priesthood—one which is eminently fitting for the contemporary world. It will therefore appeal to scholars and students of religion, theology, and sociology.