The Many Faces of Islam

The Many Faces of Islam PDF Author: Nissim Rejwan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813018072
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 282

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Book Description
"An evenhanded introduction to the questions and dilemmas facing Islam in the modern world. A wealth of source-texts by the best writers on the subject, Moslem and Western alike."--Sasson Somekh, Tel Aviv University Written in a style easily accessible to both students and general readers, The Many Faces of Islam offers a wide range of perspectives on modern Islamic culture and religious practice. Seeking to dispel the perception that Islamic fundamentalism and extremism represent Islam in its entirety, Nissim Rejwan surveys the issues and provides numerous excerpts from modern writers and scholars, Muslim and non-Muslim, summarizing the many problems and dilemmas facing contemporary Muslims. Rejwan argues that to view Islam as uniform and all of a piece invites confusion and miscomprehension. The rich sampling of readings amplifies the summary discussion and demonstrates the surprising variety of Islamic concepts and practices. Issues include the uniqueness of Islam, the decline of the Islamic establishment, the impact of modernity, misunderstandings of Islam, Islam and the Dhimmis, the fundamentalist revival, and more. With a novel, topical approach to his subject, Rejwan widens the view of Islam from radicalism to the culture as a whole. His combination of topical summary and illuminating, balanced texts will provide a useful resource for students of Islamic culture and, for general readers, an insightful, balanced, and engaging introduction to a poorly understood but increasingly important civilization. Nissim Rejwan is a Research Fellow at the Harry S Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Among his nine previous books are Arabs Face the Modern World: Religious, Cultural, and Political Responses to the West (UPF, 1998) and Israel's Place in the Middle East: A Pluralist Perspective (UPF, 1998), winner of the 1998 National Jewish Book Award in Israel studies. He is currently writing his memoirs of Baghdad, where he was born and grew up.

The Many Faces of Islam

The Many Faces of Islam PDF Author: Nissim Rejwan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813018072
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 282

Get Book Here

Book Description
"An evenhanded introduction to the questions and dilemmas facing Islam in the modern world. A wealth of source-texts by the best writers on the subject, Moslem and Western alike."--Sasson Somekh, Tel Aviv University Written in a style easily accessible to both students and general readers, The Many Faces of Islam offers a wide range of perspectives on modern Islamic culture and religious practice. Seeking to dispel the perception that Islamic fundamentalism and extremism represent Islam in its entirety, Nissim Rejwan surveys the issues and provides numerous excerpts from modern writers and scholars, Muslim and non-Muslim, summarizing the many problems and dilemmas facing contemporary Muslims. Rejwan argues that to view Islam as uniform and all of a piece invites confusion and miscomprehension. The rich sampling of readings amplifies the summary discussion and demonstrates the surprising variety of Islamic concepts and practices. Issues include the uniqueness of Islam, the decline of the Islamic establishment, the impact of modernity, misunderstandings of Islam, Islam and the Dhimmis, the fundamentalist revival, and more. With a novel, topical approach to his subject, Rejwan widens the view of Islam from radicalism to the culture as a whole. His combination of topical summary and illuminating, balanced texts will provide a useful resource for students of Islamic culture and, for general readers, an insightful, balanced, and engaging introduction to a poorly understood but increasingly important civilization. Nissim Rejwan is a Research Fellow at the Harry S Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Among his nine previous books are Arabs Face the Modern World: Religious, Cultural, and Political Responses to the West (UPF, 1998) and Israel's Place in the Middle East: A Pluralist Perspective (UPF, 1998), winner of the 1998 National Jewish Book Award in Israel studies. He is currently writing his memoirs of Baghdad, where he was born and grew up.

The Many Faces of Political Islam

The Many Faces of Political Islam PDF Author: Mohammed Ayoob
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0472025384
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
Analysts and pundits from across the American political spectrum describe Islamic fundamentalism as one of the greatest threats to modern, Western-style democracy. Yet very few non-Muslims would be able to venture an accurate definition of political Islam. Mohammed Ayoob's The Many Faces of Political Islam thoroughly describes the myriad manifestations of this rising ideology and analyzes its impact on global relations. "In this beautifully crafted and utterly compelling book, Mohammed Ayoob accomplishes admirably the difficult task of offering a readily accessible yet nuanced and comprehensive analysis of an issue of enormous political importance. Both students and specialists will learn a great deal from this absolutely first-rate book." ---Peter J. Katzenstein, Walter S. Carpenter, Jr. Professor of International Studies and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Teaching Fellow, Cornell University "Dr. Ayoob addresses the nuances and complexities of political Islam---be it mainstream, radical, or militant---and offers a road map of the pivotal players and issues that define the movement. There is no one as qualified as Mohammed Ayoob to write a synthesis of various manifestations of political Islam. His complex narrative highlights the changes and shifts that have taken place within the Islamist universe and their implications for internal Muslim politics and relations between the world of Islam and the Christian world." ---Fawaz A. Gerges, Carnegie Scholar, and holds the Christian A. Johnson Chair in International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies, Sarah Lawrence College "Let's hope that many readers---not only academics but policymakers as well---will use this invaluable book." ---François Burgat, Director, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Institute for Research and Study on the Arab and Muslim World (IREMAM), Aix-en-Provence, France "This is a wonderful, concise book by an accomplished and sophisticated political scientist who nonetheless manages to convey his interpretation of complex issues and movements to even those who have little background on the subject. It is impressive in its clarity, providing a badly needed text on political Islam that's accessible to college students and the general public alike." ---Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development, University of Maryland, and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution Mohammed Ayoob is University Distinguished Professor of International Relations with a joint appointment in James Madison College and the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University. He is also Coordinator of the Muslim Studies Program at Michigan State University.

The Many Faces of Political Islam, Second Edition

The Many Faces of Political Islam, Second Edition PDF Author: Mohammed Ayoob
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 047203765X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
Analysts and pundits from across the American political spectrum describe Islamic fundamentalism as one of the greatest threats to modern, Western-style democracy. Yet very few non-Muslims would be able to venture an accurate definition of political Islam. Fully revised and updated, The Many Faces of Political Islam thoroughly analyzes the many facets of this political ideology and shows its impact on global relations.

Faces of Muhammad

Faces of Muhammad PDF Author: John Tolan
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691270988
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 328

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Book Description
Heretic and impostor or reformer and statesman? The contradictory Western visions of Muhammad In European culture, Muhammad has been vilified as a heretic, an impostor, and a pagan idol. But these aren’t the only images of the Prophet of Islam that emerge from Western history. Commentators have also portrayed Muhammad as a visionary reformer and an inspirational leader, statesman, and lawgiver. In Faces of Muhammad, John Tolan provides a comprehensive history of these changing, complex, and contradictory visions. Starting from the earliest calls to the faithful to join the Crusades against the “Saracens,” he traces the evolution of Western conceptions of Muhammad through the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and up to the present day. Faces of Muhammad reveals a lengthy tradition of positive portrayals of Muhammad that many will find surprising. To Reformation polemicists, the spread of Islam attested to the corruption of the established Church, and prompted them to depict Muhammad as a champion of reform. In revolutionary England, writers on both sides of the conflict drew parallels between Muhammad and Oliver Cromwell, asking whether the prophet was a rebel against legitimate authority or the bringer of a new and just order. Voltaire first saw Muhammad as an archetypal religious fanatic but later claimed him as an enemy of superstition. To Napoleon, he was simply a role model: a brilliant general, orator, and leader. The book shows that Muhammad wears so many faces in the West because he has always acted as a mirror for its writers, their portrayals revealing more about their own concerns than the historical realities of the founder of Islam.

The Many Faces of Faith

The Many Faces of Faith PDF Author: Richard R. Losch
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
ISBN: 9780802805218
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 204

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Book Description
Designed to introduce general readers to the great diversity of religion that exists today, this fascinating and very useful book provides short descriptions of the beliefs and practices of the world religions and the denominational branches, of Christianity. Now in paperback.

The Many Faces of Adam and Eve

The Many Faces of Adam and Eve PDF Author: Bernard F. Batto
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1666711640
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
Contrary to popular opinion, the story of Adam and Eve is not confined to the book of Genesis. It has roots in prebiblical myth and continued to evolve long after the Bible was completed. Bernard F. Batto traces the development of the Adam and Eve story from its origins in Mesopotamian myth to its reformulation in Genesis and beyond--including its expansion in Jewish epigraphs such as 1 Enoch and the Life of Adam and Eve, and its place in Christian innovations such as the apostle Paul's thesis that Christ is a second Adam, and in the thinking of church fathers such as Irenaeus, who held that Christ recapitulates all humankind in himself, and Augustine, whose doctrine of original sin interprets the Adam and Eve story. Batto also examines gnostic teachings about a heavenly Adam and an earthly Adam, and surveys rabbinical attempts from the Talmudic period to find hidden meanings in the Genesis story. Islam's emphasis on Satan's role in seducing Adam and Eve is also discussed, and the book concludes with Milton's unforgettable retelling of the Adam and Eve story in Paradise Lost. Batto's goal is not only to reveal the many faces given Adam and Eve throughout history, but also to understand the divergent cultural and theological factors powering this long, evolving tradition.

Rabi'a From Narrative to Myth

Rabi'a From Narrative to Myth PDF Author: Rkia Elaroui Cornell
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1786075229
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 483

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Book Description
Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyya is a figure shrouded in myth. Certainly a woman by this name was born in Basra, Iraq, in the eighth century, but her life remains recorded only in legends, stories, poems and hagiographies. The various depictions of her – as a deeply spiritual ascetic, an existentialist rebel and a romantic lover – seem impossible to reconcile, and yet Rabi‘a has transcended these narratives to become a global symbol of both Sufi and modern secular culture. In this groundbreaking study, Rkia Elaroui Cornell traces the development of these diverse narratives and provides a history of the iconic Rabi‘a’s construction as a Sufi saint. Combining medieval and modern sources, including evidence never before examined, in novel ways, Rabi‘a From Narrative to Myth is the most significant work to emerge on this quintessential figure in Islam for more than seventy years.

Post-Islamism

Post-Islamism PDF Author: Asef Bayat
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199990018
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 368

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Book Description
At least since the Islamic revolution of 1979 in Iran, political Islam or Islamism has been the focus of attention among scholars, policymakers, and the general public. Much has been said about Islamism as a political and moral/ethical trend, but scant attention is paid to its ongoing development. There is now a growing acknowledgment within the scholarly and policy communities that Islamism is in the throes of transformation, but little is known about the nature and direction of these changes. The essays of Post-Islamism bring together young and established scholars and activists from different parts of the Muslim World and the West to discuss their research on the changing discourses and practices of Islamist movements and Islamic states largely in the Muslim majority countries. The changes in these movements can be termed 'post-Islamism,' defined both as a condition and a project characterized by the fusion of religiosity and rights, faith and freedom, Islam and liberty. Post-Islamism emphasizes rights rather than merely obligation, plurality instead of singular authoritative voice, historicity rather than fixed scriptures, and the future instead of the past.

The Many Faces of Christ

The Many Faces of Christ PDF Author: Michele Bacci
Publisher: Reaktion Books
ISBN: 1780233205
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 392

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Book Description
Thanks to current portrayals of Jesus of Nazareth, we are apt to think of him as having long hair and a short beard. But, the holy scriptures do not describe Christ’s physiognomy, and his representations are inconsistent in early Christian and medieval arts. How did this long-haired archetype come to be accepted in the late ninth century as the standard iconography of the Son of God? To answer this question, The Many Faces of Christ examines the complex historical and cultural dynamics underlying the making and final establishment of Christ’s image between late antiquity and the early Renaissance. Taking into account a broad spectrum of iconographic and textual sources, Michele Bacci describes the process of creating Christ’s image against the backdrop of ancient and biblical conceptions of beauty and physicality as indicators of moral, ascetic, or messianic qualities. He investigates the increasingly dominant role played by visual experience in Christian religious practice, which promoted belief in the existence of ancient documents depicting Christ’s appearance, and he shows how this resulted in the shaping of portrait-like images that were said to be true to life. With glances at analogous progressions in the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Taoist traditions, this beautifully illustrated book will be of interest to specialists of Late Antique, Byzantine, and medieval studies, as well as anyone interested in the shifting, controversial conceptions of the historical figure of Jesus Christ.

The Future of Islam

The Future of Islam PDF Author: John L. Esposito
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019974596X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
John L. Esposito is one of America's leading authorities on Islam. Now, in this brilliant portrait of Islam today--and tomorrow--he draws on a lifetime of thought and research to sweep away the negative stereotypes and provide an accurate, richly nuanced, and revelatory account of the fastest growing religion in the world. Here Esposito explores the major questions and issues that face Islam in the 21st century and that will deeply affect global politics. Are Islam and the West locked in a deadly clash of civilizations? Is Islam compatible with democracy and human rights? Will religious fundamentalism block the development of modern societies in the Islamic world? Will Islam overwhelm the Western societies in which so many Muslim immigrants now reside? Will Europe become Eurabia or will the Muslims assimilate? Which Muslim thinkers will be most influential in the years to come? To answer this last question he introduces the reader to a new generation of Muslim thinkers--Tariq Ramadan, Timothy Winter, Mustafa Ceric, Amina Wadud, and others--a diverse collection of Muslim men and women, both the "Martin Luthers" and the "Billy Grahams" of Islam. We meet religious leaders who condemn suicide bombing and who see the killing of unarmed men, women, and children as "worse than murder," who preach toleration and pluralism, who advocate for women's rights. The book often underscores the unexpected similarities between the Islamic world and the West and at times turns the mirror on the US, revealing how we appear to Muslims, all to highlight the crucial point that there is nothing exceptional about the Muslim faith. Recent decades have brought extraordinary changes in the Muslim world, and in addressing all of these issues, Esposito paints a complex picture of Islam in all its diversity--a picture of urgent importance as we face the challenges of the coming century.