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Is There Anything Good About Men?: How Cultures Flourish by Exploiting Men
by Roy F. BaumeisterHave men really been engaged in a centuries-old conspiracy to exploit and oppress women? Have the essential differences between men and women really been erased? Have men now become unnecessary? Are they good for anything at all? In Is There Anything Good About Men?, Roy Baumeister offers provocative answers to these and many other questions about the current state of manhood in America. Baumeister argues that relations between men and women are now and have always been more cooperative than antagonistic, that men and women are different in basic ways, and that successful cultures capitalize on these differences to outperform rival cultures. Amongst our ancestors---as with many other species--only the alpha males were able to reproduce, leading them to take more risks and to exhibit more aggressive and protective behaviors than women, whose evolutionary strategies required a different set of behaviors. Whereas women favor and excel at one-to-one intimate relationships, men compete with one another and build larger organizations and social networks from which culture grows. But cultures in turn exploit men by insisting that their role is to achieve and produce, to provide for others, and if necessary to sacrifice themselves. Baumeister shows that while men have greatly benefited from the culture they have created, they have also suffered because of it. Men may dominate the upper echelons of business and politics, but far more men than women die in work-related accidents, are incarcerated, or are killed in battle--facts nearly always left out of current gender debates. Engagingly written, brilliantly argued, and based on evidence from a wide range of disciplines, Is There Anything Good About Men? offers a new and far more balanced view of gender relations.
Is There Such a Thing as Populism?: 3 Provocations and 5 1/2 Proposals (Conceptualising Comparative Politics)
by Benjamin ArditiIs There Such a Thing as Populism? calls into question our common understanding of populism. Taken on their own, commonplace references to the people, leaders, or elites are more like dog whistles or false positives of populism than part of a serious attempt to address the phenomenon. Scholars asked themselves, “What is populism?” without realizing that this assumed there was such a thing and that we just needed to figure out what it meant. That was a mistake. Benjamin Arditi proposes that we put this certainty on hold and start from a different premise, asking, “Is there such a thing as populism?” This doesn’t rule out its existence or take it for granted.Structured as a set of polemical interventions and theoretical proposals, Arditi addresses key theoretical, methodological, and comparative questions in the study of populism. These include the limitations of formal definitions of populism, the importance of context and the conjuncture, polemics, the situated gaze, and issues concerning strategic relations and governing from below. Five subject experts, Nadia Urbinati, José Luis Villacañas, Carlos de la Torre, Anthoula Malkopoulou, and Anthony Spanakos, react to Arditi’s theses in captivating conversations on how to study populism and the way in which populism has been used in contemporary comparative analysis. Refreshingly different and thought-provoking, Is There Such a Thing as Populism? is the ideal departure for the exploration of this diverse and fascinating political movement.
Is There Such a Thing as Populism?: 3 Provocations and 5 1/2 Proposals (Conceptualising Comparative Politics)
by Benjamin ArditiIs There Such a Thing as Populism? calls into question our common understanding of populism. Taken on their own, commonplace references to the people, leaders, or elites are more like dog whistles or false positives of populism than part of a serious attempt to address the phenomenon. Scholars asked themselves, “What is populism?” without realizing that this assumed there was such a thing and that we just needed to figure out what it meant. That was a mistake. Benjamin Arditi proposes that we put this certainty on hold and start from a different premise, asking, “Is there such a thing as populism?” This doesn’t rule out its existence or take it for granted.Structured as a set of polemical interventions and theoretical proposals, Arditi addresses key theoretical, methodological, and comparative questions in the study of populism. These include the limitations of formal definitions of populism, the importance of context and the conjuncture, polemics, the situated gaze, and issues concerning strategic relations and governing from below. Five subject experts, Nadia Urbinati, José Luis Villacañas, Carlos de la Torre, Anthoula Malkopoulou, and Anthony Spanakos, react to Arditi’s theses in captivating conversations on how to study populism and the way in which populism has been used in contemporary comparative analysis. Refreshingly different and thought-provoking, Is There Such a Thing as Populism? is the ideal departure for the exploration of this diverse and fascinating political movement.
Is William Martinez Not Our Brother?: Twenty Years of the Prison Creative Arts Project (The New Public Scholarship)
by William AlexanderPraise for the Prison Creative Arts Project: "I cannot overstate how profoundly my experience with the Prison Creative Arts Project has shaped my life. It began my engagement with prison issues, developed both my passion and my understanding of them, and I continue to draw on both as I seek to contribute to a more rational, humane and just criminal justice system. PCAP prepared me to adapt to any situation, to take risks, to collaborate with people very different from myself in a manner infused with total respect." ---Jesse Jannetta, researcher, Justice Policy Center, the Urban Institute "PCAP provided me with an emotional education that I would not have received otherwise. PCAP continually opens the doors to the stark reality of our criminal justice system as well as our society's ability to right the wrongs of that system and provide justice to millions of men, women, and children . . . PCAP showed me the power I, and the individuals around me, have to make a difference." ---Anne Bowles, Policy and Outreach Associate, Institute for Higher Education Policy "PCAP looks beyond past mistakes and personal shortcomings to find the beauty and creative energies that help to heal the hurts we've done to others. They have not forgotten that we are human too! . . . Their program has given me a way to reach people that I would otherwise never reach. For that, I owe PCAP everything. They are my lifeline that I cling to." ---Bryan Picken, incarcerated artist Prisons are an invisible, but dominant, part of American society: the United States incarcerates more people than any other nation in the world. In Michigan, the number of prisoners rose from 3,000 in 1970 to more than 50,000 by 2008, a shift that Buzz Alexander witnessed firsthand when he came to teach at the University of Michigan. Is William Martinez Not Our Brother? describes the University of Michigan's Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP), a pioneering program founded in 1990 that provides university courses, a nonprofit organization, and a national network for incarcerated youth and adults in Michigan juvenile facilities and prisons. By giving incarcerated individuals an opportunity to participate in the arts, PCAP enables them to withstand and often overcome the conditions and culture of prison, the policies of an incarcerating state, and the consequences of mass incarceration. Buzz Alexander is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of English Language and Literature, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, at the University of Michigan and was Carnegie National Professor of the Year in 2005. Cover image: Overcrowded by Ronald Rohn
Is Your Work Worth It?: How to Think About Meaningful Work
by Christopher Wong Michaelson Jennifer Tosti-KharasWhat is work that&’s worth doing in a life worth living? A revealing exploration of the questions we ask and the stories we tell about our work. According to recent studies, barely a third of American workers feel &“engaged&” at work, and for many people around the world, happiness is lowest when earning power is highest. After a global pandemic that changed why, how, and what people do for a living, many workers find themselves wondering what makes their daily routine worthwhile. In Is Your Work Worth It?, two professors – a philosopher and organizational psychologist – investigate the purpose of work and its value in our lives. The book explores vital questions, such as: Should you work for love or money? When and how much should you work? What would make life worth living in a world without work? What kind of mark will your work leave on the world? This essential book combines inspiring and harrowing stories of real people with recent scholarship, ancient wisdom, arts, and literature to help us clarify what worthy work looks like, what tradeoffs are acceptable to pursue it, and what our work can contribute to society.
Isaac Aboab da Fonseca: Jewish Leadership in the New World
by Moises OrfaliFrom 1642 to 1654 Isaac Aboab da Fonseca was the hakham (Torah scholar) and spiritual leader of the oldest Jewish community in the New World. As a Hebrew grammarian, a poet, and a mystic, as well as an excellent and very popular preacher, Aboab da Fonseca (born 1605) was not only one of the most interesting Jewish personalities of the seventeenth century, but his writings are an invaluable historical resource with regard to many aspects of Jewish life in Dutch Colonial Brazil, the local attitudes towards Jews, and corroboration of events outlined in contemporary literary sources. His forebears were so-called New Christians, having undergone compulsory conversion to Catholicism in Portugal. In order to be able to live freely as professing Jews, the family moved in about 1612 to Amsterdam. There, Hakham Isaac Uziel of Fez became his Talmud teacher; among his colleagues was Menasseh Ben Israel. In 1638 he was confirmed as one of the four hakhamim of the new congregation Talmud Torah of Amsterdam. In 1641/42 he accepted the nomination for hakham of the growing Jewish community in Recife, Brazil, where he was in charge of all rabbinical functions and gave lectures in Talmud and Hebrew. In the interim he wrote the Hebrew grammar Melekhet ha-Dikduk, published here in translation for the first time. Aboab da Fonseca enjoyed a few prosperous years until the Portuguese rebellion caused the economic ruin of the Jews of Dutch Brazil. His salary much reduced, he nevertheless remained to lead and help his people until the occupation of Recife by Brazilian-Portuguese troops on January 26, 1654. Upon returning to Amsterdam, his inclination toward mysticism made him one of the leading believers in the false messiah Shabbetai Zvi. But his writing and scholarship remained undiminished: In 1646 he wrote Zekher asiti leniflaot El, in which he described events in Dutch Brazil after the outbreak of the war; he also published a Hebrew translation of the Spanish cabbalistic works of Abraham Cohen Herrera, Casa de Dios y Puerta del Cielo, under the title Shaar ha-Shamayim (The Gate of Heaven). This first scholarly monograph on Isaac Aboab da Fonseca and his intellectual and spiritual contributions, includes discussion of his commentary on the Pentateuch entitled Parafrasis Comentada sobre el Pentateuco, as well as a consideration of Aboab's involvement in the ban of Spinoza.
Isaac Aboab da Fonseca: Jewish Leadership in the New World
by Moises OrfaliFrom 1642 to 1654 Isaac Aboab da Fonseca was the hakham (Torah scholar) and spiritual leader of the oldest Jewish community in the New World. As a Hebrew grammarian, a poet, and a mystic, as well as an excellent and very popular preacher, Aboab da Fonseca (born 1605) was not only one of the most interesting Jewish personalities of the seventeenth century, but his writings are an invaluable historical resource with regard to many aspects of Jewish life in Dutch Colonial Brazil, the local attitudes towards Jews, and corroboration of events outlined in contemporary literary sources. His forebears were so-called New Christians, having undergone compulsory conversion to Catholicism in Portugal. In order to be able to live freely as professing Jews, the family moved in about 1612 to Amsterdam. There, Hakham Isaac Uziel of Fez became his Talmud teacher; among his colleagues was Menasseh Ben Israel. In 1638 he was confirmed as one of the four hakhamim of the new congregation Talmud Torah of Amsterdam. In 1641/42 he accepted the nomination for hakham of the growing Jewish community in Recife, Brazil, where he was in charge of all rabbinical functions and gave lectures in Talmud and Hebrew. In the interim he wrote the Hebrew grammar Melekhet ha-Dikduk, published here in translation for the first time. Aboab da Fonseca enjoyed a few prosperous years until the Portuguese rebellion caused the economic ruin of the Jews of Dutch Brazil. His salary much reduced, he nevertheless remained to lead and help his people until the occupation of Recife by Brazilian-Portuguese troops on January 26, 1654. Upon returning to Amsterdam, his inclination toward mysticism made him one of the leading believers in the false messiah Shabbetai Zvi. But his writing and scholarship remained undiminished: In 1646 he wrote Zekher asiti leniflaot El, in which he described events in Dutch Brazil after the outbreak of the war; he also published a Hebrew translation of the Spanish cabbalistic works of Abraham Cohen Herrera, Casa de Dios y Puerta del Cielo, under the title Shaar ha-Shamayim (The Gate of Heaven). This first scholarly monograph on Isaac Aboab da Fonseca and his intellectual and spiritual contributions, includes discussion of his commentary on the Pentateuch entitled Parafrasis Comentada sobre el Pentateuco, as well as a consideration of Aboab's involvement in the ban of Spinoza.
Isaiah Berlin: The Journey of a Jewish Liberal (Palgrave Studies in Cultural and Intellectual History)
by A. DubnovThis study offers an intellectual biography of the philosopher, political thinker, and historian of ideas Sir Isaiah Berlin. It aims to provide the first historically contextualized monographic study of Berlin's formative years and identify different stages in his intellectual development, allowing a reappraisal of his theory of liberalism.
ISDN-Einsatz in einem mittelständischen Handelsunternehmen: Konsequenzen für Organisations- und Kommunikationsstrukturen (Schriftenreihe der ISDN-Forschungskommision des Landes Nordrhein-Westfallen)
by Kurt Monse Josef Brewing Hans-Jürgen BrunsDie Anwendung der ISDN-Techniken bietet Unternehmen bei der Gestaltung ihrer Informations- und Kommunikationsorganisation ein beträchtliches Innovationspotential. Die Option besteht in der elektronischen Übertragung von Daten, Sprache, Text und Bild auf der Basis einer einheitlichen digitalen Infrastruktur. Die Veröffentlichung faßt die wichtigsten Erfahrungen zusammen, die bei der Einführung moderner ISDN-Techniken in einem mittelständischen Handelsunternehmen gemacht wurden. Erfolgspotentiale, aber auch zu überwindende Schwierigkeiten werden detailliert dargestellt. Dabei zeigt sich, daß der Engpaß für eine erfolgreiche Einführung der ISDN-Techniken in den notwendigen organisatorischen Begleitmaßnahmen liegt. "Organisation vor Technik" ist die Leitorientierung, die sich diesem Buch entnehmen läßt.
ISDN in Unternehmen und Verwaltungen: Trends, Chancen und Risiken. Abschlußbericht der ISDN-Forschungskommission des Landes NRW Mai 1989 bis Januar 1995 (Schriftenreihe der ISDN-Forschungskommision des Landes Nordrhein-Westfallen)
by Klaus Grimmer Firoz Kaderali Reinhard Rock Ursula Schumm-Garling Horst Strunz Anette unter BaronDie interdisziplinär zusammengesetzte ISDN-Forschungskommission des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen initiierte in einem Zeitraum von über fünf Jahren sechzehn Studien und Projekte zu dem Einsatz von ISDN in den Bereichen Handel, Dienstleistung, Industrie und Öffentliche Verwaltung. Dieser Abschlußbericht zeigt auf, wo die Potentiale des ISDN - über die Telefonie hinaus - liegen und wie diese neue Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik in organisatorische Zusammenhänge eingebettet werden kann. Mitarbeiterbeteiligung, aber auch das Schaffen von adäquaten Rahmenbedingungen wie Daten-, Verbraucher- und Arbeitnehmerschutz sind für eine erfolgreiche Einführung des ISDN in Unternehmen und Verwaltungen gleichermaßen erforderlich.
Ishtyle: Accenting Gay Indian Nightlife (Triangulations: Lesbian/Gay/Queer Theater/Drama/Performance)
by Kareem KhubchandaniIshtyle follows queer South Asian men across borders into gay neighborhoods, nightclubs, bars, and house parties in Bangalore and Chicago. Bringing the cultural practices they are most familiar with into these spaces, these men accent the aesthetics of nightlife cultures through performance. Kareem Khubchandani develops the notion of “ishtyle” to name this accented style, while also showing how brown bodies inadvertently become accents themselves, ornamental inclusions in the racialized grammar of desire. Ishtyle allows us to reimagine a global class perpetually represented as docile and desexualized workers caught in the web of global capitalism. The book highlights a different kind of labor, the embodied work these men do to feel queer and sexy together. Engaging major themes in queer studies, Khubchandani explains how his interlocutors’ performances stage relationships between: colonial law and public sexuality; film divas and queer fans; and race, caste, and desire. Ultimately, the book demonstrates that the unlikely site of nightlife can be a productive venue for the study of global politics and its institutional hierarchies.
ISIS: Ideology, Symbolics, and Counter Narratives (Routledge Advances in Sociology)
by Masood Ashraf RajaRelying on a thorough understanding of the role of ideology, discourse, and framing, this volume discusses ISIS as an Islamist ideological organization, and examines its philosophical scaffolding within the material conditions produced by neoliberal capital. As Raja asserts, it is this nexus of specifically retrieved Islamic history and the current global economic system that creates the kind of social identity ideally suited for ISIS. The combination of the historical narratives and the contemporary means of communication enables ISIS to frame and spread its message, recruit its adherents, and replicate itself. While many scholarly and journalistic works on ISIS provide a wealth of information, not many elaborate on the terms that are often invoked in these writings. For example, scholars often use the term "Salafi-Jihadi" but they do not provide a comprehensive explanation of such concept within the same text. This book not only provides an explanation of the instructive terms used to explain the ISIS phenomenon, but also asserts that only one school of thought in Islam [The Sunni Wahabis] is likely to be the ideal target for ISIS recruitment. This claim, of course, does not rely on an essentialized pathology of Wahabi Sunnis, but provides an explanation of the Wahabi Islam as a proverbial "slippery slope," as an absolutely necessary first step for an individual's transformation into an ISIS fighter. Written in a clear and direct style, this volume provides scholars and lay readers alike with a deeper understanding of ISIS and its strategies of recruitment and self sustenance.
ISIS: Ideology, Symbolics, and Counter Narratives (Routledge Advances in Sociology)
by Masood Ashraf RajaRelying on a thorough understanding of the role of ideology, discourse, and framing, this volume discusses ISIS as an Islamist ideological organization, and examines its philosophical scaffolding within the material conditions produced by neoliberal capital. As Raja asserts, it is this nexus of specifically retrieved Islamic history and the current global economic system that creates the kind of social identity ideally suited for ISIS. The combination of the historical narratives and the contemporary means of communication enables ISIS to frame and spread its message, recruit its adherents, and replicate itself. While many scholarly and journalistic works on ISIS provide a wealth of information, not many elaborate on the terms that are often invoked in these writings. For example, scholars often use the term "Salafi-Jihadi" but they do not provide a comprehensive explanation of such concept within the same text. This book not only provides an explanation of the instructive terms used to explain the ISIS phenomenon, but also asserts that only one school of thought in Islam [The Sunni Wahabis] is likely to be the ideal target for ISIS recruitment. This claim, of course, does not rely on an essentialized pathology of Wahabi Sunnis, but provides an explanation of the Wahabi Islam as a proverbial "slippery slope," as an absolutely necessary first step for an individual's transformation into an ISIS fighter. Written in a clear and direct style, this volume provides scholars and lay readers alike with a deeper understanding of ISIS and its strategies of recruitment and self sustenance.
ISIS: The Essential Reference Guide
by Brian L. SteedThis illuminating work offers readers a comprehensive overview of ISIS, with more than 100 in-depth articles on a variety of topics related to the notorious terrorist group, and more than a dozen key primary source documents.ISIS formed through a combination of a rise in violent extremist ideologies demonstrated on September 11, 2001; the invasion of Iraq; and the Syrian Civil War. ISIS is possibly the most important conflict group and phenomena of the last half century, and understanding its source and success is crucial to functioning in the world today. This book provides insight into ISIS from its beginnings to the present, through coverage of its people, organizations, and operations.The book begins with an overview of ISIS, which provides context for each of the reference entries that follow. The introductory material also includes entries on the causes and consequences of the conflict between ISIS and the West. The book contains more than 100 reference entries on general and specific topics ranging from key leaders to major terrorist attacks and affiliated organizations. It also includes a carefully curated selection of primary sources that come from a variety of sources including national-level strategy documents, presidential addresses, and ISIS itself. The book concludes with a detailed chronology and annotated bibliography.
ISIS: The Essential Reference Guide
by Brian L. SteedThis illuminating work offers readers a comprehensive overview of ISIS, with more than 100 in-depth articles on a variety of topics related to the notorious terrorist group, and more than a dozen key primary source documents.ISIS formed through a combination of a rise in violent extremist ideologies demonstrated on September 11, 2001; the invasion of Iraq; and the Syrian Civil War. ISIS is possibly the most important conflict group and phenomena of the last half century, and understanding its source and success is crucial to functioning in the world today. This book provides insight into ISIS from its beginnings to the present, through coverage of its people, organizations, and operations.The book begins with an overview of ISIS, which provides context for each of the reference entries that follow. The introductory material also includes entries on the causes and consequences of the conflict between ISIS and the West. The book contains more than 100 reference entries on general and specific topics ranging from key leaders to major terrorist attacks and affiliated organizations. It also includes a carefully curated selection of primary sources that come from a variety of sources including national-level strategy documents, presidential addresses, and ISIS itself. The book concludes with a detailed chronology and annotated bibliography.
ISIS: An Introduction and Guide to the Islamic State
by Brian L. SteedProviding up-to-date information for general readers as well as those well-informed about the Islamic State, this book offers an essential understanding of the rise of ISIS and its current influence in the Middle East as well as worldwide.ISIS—also referred to as ISIL, the Islamic State, or Daesh—began to assert its power and gain recognition for its militant and terroristic activities in April 2013. After the coordinated attacks in Paris on November 13th, 2015, ISIS has captured the full attention of observers in the West. This accessible book explains what ISIS is, what the group's goals are, what their members believe, and why their ranks are growing. Readers will gain an understanding of how ISIS is a unique group—one seeking to be the army of the righteous fighting to defeat the unbelievers and usher in the end of days—but that the extremist views of ISIS are an expression of a growing frustration with life in the Middle East and elsewhere shared by a larger community of non-state and post-state actors.The book provides an introduction that documents the origins of ISIS within the larger Al Qaeda organization during the Iraq War. The following chapters discuss the origins, development, and territorial expansion of ISIS in Syria and Iraq and examine the ideological motivations behind the emergence of ISIS, thereby enabling a nuanced understanding of the importance of ISIS in contemporary history. Other entries discuss individuals, events, and organizations that put ISIS in historical context in terms of contemporary events since the Iraq War into the present and explain the group's position within the complex conflict currently boiling in the Middle East.
ISIS: An Introduction and Guide to the Islamic State
by Brian L. SteedProviding up-to-date information for general readers as well as those well-informed about the Islamic State, this book offers an essential understanding of the rise of ISIS and its current influence in the Middle East as well as worldwide.ISIS—also referred to as ISIL, the Islamic State, or Daesh—began to assert its power and gain recognition for its militant and terroristic activities in April 2013. After the coordinated attacks in Paris on November 13th, 2015, ISIS has captured the full attention of observers in the West. This accessible book explains what ISIS is, what the group's goals are, what their members believe, and why their ranks are growing. Readers will gain an understanding of how ISIS is a unique group—one seeking to be the army of the righteous fighting to defeat the unbelievers and usher in the end of days—but that the extremist views of ISIS are an expression of a growing frustration with life in the Middle East and elsewhere shared by a larger community of non-state and post-state actors.The book provides an introduction that documents the origins of ISIS within the larger Al Qaeda organization during the Iraq War. The following chapters discuss the origins, development, and territorial expansion of ISIS in Syria and Iraq and examine the ideological motivations behind the emergence of ISIS, thereby enabling a nuanced understanding of the importance of ISIS in contemporary history. Other entries discuss individuals, events, and organizations that put ISIS in historical context in terms of contemporary events since the Iraq War into the present and explain the group's position within the complex conflict currently boiling in the Middle East.
Islam: Beliefs and Institutions
by H. LammensFirst Published in 1968. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Islam: Beliefs and Institutions
by H. LammensFirst Published in 1968. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians
by F. E. PetersThe 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.
Islam: A Guide for Jews and Christians
by F. E. PetersThe 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.
Islam: A Concise Introduction
by Neal RobinsonThis user-friendly reference work provides an accessible introduction to Islam for the general reader and student alike. It presents a historical overview, a description of Islam as a living faith along with a discussion of the problems raised by Western perceptions of Islam. Including key dates and simple definitions, the book provides readers with explanations of technical matters such as the structure of Arabic names and the various ways of transliterating Arabic.
Islam: A Concise Introduction
by Neal RobinsonThis user-friendly reference work provides an accessible introduction to Islam for the general reader and student alike. It presents a historical overview, a description of Islam as a living faith along with a discussion of the problems raised by Western perceptions of Islam. Including key dates and simple definitions, the book provides readers with explanations of technical matters such as the structure of Arabic names and the various ways of transliterating Arabic.
Islam: Continuity And Change In The Modern World (Contemporary Issues In The Middle East Ser.)
by John Obert VollThis book goes beyond the headlines to explore the broad dimensions of Islam, looking at the vitality of the main elements of the faith across the centuries and finding the basis of today's Islamic resurgence in the continuing interaction of varying styles of Islam—fundamentalist, conservative, adaptationist, and individualist—and in the way each o
Islam – Meinungsfreiheit – Internet: Staatsrechtliche Aspekte der Religions-, Meinungs- und Medienfreiheit
by Lothar HäberleDas Themenspektrum dieses Buches erscheint weit gespannt. Meinungsfreiheit bildet das Scharnier zwischen Islam und Internet, hat mit beiden gemeinsame Konfliktfelder. In diesem Spannungsfeld erläutern Staatsrechtslehrer wie Udo Steiner, Michael Sachs und Klaus F. Gärditz Aspekte der Meinungsfreiheit wie auch der Religions-, Kunst- und Pressefreiheit. Aber gibt es auch Schnittmengen zwischen Islam und Internet? Die geistige, publizistische und politische Auseinandersetzung um den Islam in Deutschland und Europa findet zu guten Teilen im Internet statt. Dabei wirkt das Internet als Konfliktverstärker: Dessen anonyme Nutzung bewirkt mangelnde Zurechenbarkeit und Verantwortlichkeit für Duktus und Inhalt des eigenen Beitrags. Unsichtbar bleibt auch der Kritisierte. So wirkt das Internet enthemmend. Wie Islamgegner oder -feinde das Internet nutzen, so gleichermaßen Islamisten: zu Propaganda, zur Anwerbung von IS-Sympathisanten oder -Kämpfern, zur Vorbereitung von Anschlägen und anderen Straftaten. Spannen beide Seiten das Internet für ihre gegenläufigen Zwecke ein, verstärken sich die Konflikte erheblich. Das Internet-Phänomen „Echokammer“ (Abkapselung Gleichgesinnter) trägt erheblich bei zu wachsender Sprachlosigkeit zwischen verschiedenen gesellschaftlichen Gruppen. Hate Speech, massive Beleidigungen, Drohungen verschärfen die Gegnerschaft. Zentrifugale Kräfte der Gesellschaft werden verstärkt, nicht nur sichtbarer. In mehreren Beiträgen wird hierbei die Rolle des Internets untersucht, werden Ansatzpunkte möglicher Regulierungen sowie problemgerechte Lösungen aufgezeigt.