Manufacturing Religion
Manufacturing Religion

Author: Russell T. McCutcheon

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 1997-06-19

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 0195355687

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In this new book, author Russell McCutcheon offers a powerful critique of traditional scholarship on religion, focusing on multiple interrelated targets. Most prominent among these are the History of Religions as a discipline; Mircea Eliade, one of the founders of the modern discipline; recent scholarship on Eliade's life and politics; contemporary textbooks on world religions; and the oft-repeated bromide that "religion" is a sui generis phenomenon. McCutcheon skillfully analyzes the ideological basis for and service of the sui generis argument, demonstrating that it has been used to constitute the field's object of study in a form that is ahistoric, apolitical, fetishized, and sacrosanct. As such, he charges, it has helped to create departments, jobs, and publication outlets for those who are comfortable with such a suspect construction, while establishing a disciplinary ethos of astounding theoretical naivete and a body of scholarship to match. Surveying the textbooks available for introductory courses in comparative religion, the author finds that they uniformly adopt the sui generis line and all that comes with it. As a result, he argues, they are not just uncritical (which helps keep them popular among the audiences for which they are intended, but badly disserve), but actively inhibit the emergence of critical perspectives and capacities. And on the geo-political scale, he contends, the study of religion as an ahistorical category participates in a larger system of political domination and economic and cultural imperialism.

An Introduction to Religion and Politics
An Introduction to Religion and Politics

Author: Jonathan Fox

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-05-07

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1136206914

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An Introduction to Religion and Politics offers a comprehensive overview of the many theories of religion and politics, and provides students with an accessible but in-depth account of the most significant debates, issues and methodologies. Fox examines the ways in which religion influences politics, analyses the current key issues and provides a state of the art account of religion and politics, highlighting the diversity in state religion policies around the world. Topics covered include: Secularism and secularization Religious identity Religious worldviews, beliefs, doctrines and theologies Religious legitimacy Religious institutions and mobilization Rational and functional religion Religious fundamentalism Conflict, violence and terror This work combines theoretical analysis with data on the religion policies of 177 governments, showing that while most of the world's government support religion and many restrict it; true neutrality on the issue of religion is extremely rare. Religion is becoming an inescapable issue in politics. This work will be essential reading for all students of religion and politics, and will also be of great interest to those studying related subjects such as comparative politics, international relations and war and conflict studies.

Development on Purpose
Development on Purpose

Author: Lisa Hosack

Publisher:

Published: 2019-06-30

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780989758154

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Development on Purpose: Faith and Human Behavior in the Social Environment provides both students and seasoned professionals with a coherent framework for considering HBSE from a Christian perspective.Courses in human behavior and the social environment (HBSE) raise important questions about the nature of persons and our multi-layered social world. The Christian faith offers answers to these deep questions about human nature and our relationships with one another and the world. Also, Christianity provides a compelling purpose for human development. As social workers, this grand purpose can rightly inform the trajectory of our own lives and sustain our work on behalf of those at risk in the world. The first half of Development on Purpose outlines a purpose for human development, examining biological, psychological, and social theories through the lens of faith. This includes chapters on: Biblical Themes to Ground Us A Theological Model for Understanding Human Behavior in the Social Environment (HBSE) The Perspectives of Social Work from the Lens of FaithThe Biological DimensionThe Psychological DimensionThe Social Dimension The second half of Development on Purpose then uses detailed case examples to illuminate the way that faith can relate to work with persons across the lifespan. This includes chapters on:Infancy: Early Growth toward God and OthersChildhood: Playing and Learning (ages 3-12)Adolescence: Leaning into Identity (ages 13-18)Emerging Adulthood: Feeling In-BetweenMiddle Adulthood: At the Intersection of Growth and DeclineOlder Adulthood: Finishing WellIn showing how a Christian understanding of humans can inform the study and practice of social work, the book's chapters can be used interchangeably, making this an excellent companion text for Human Behavior in the Social Environment and related courses in faith-based social work programs. Development On Purpose ccontains 12 chapters and more than 225 pages.

Practicing the Faith
Practicing the Faith

Author: Martin Lindhardt

Publisher: Berghahn Books

Published: 2011-04-01

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 0857450484

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Over the past decades, Pentecostal-charismatic Christianity has arguably become the fastest growing religious movement in the world. Distinguishing features of this variant of Christianity include formal ritual activities as well as informal, experiential, and ecstatic forms of worship. This book examines Pentecostal-charismatic ritual practice in different parts of the world, highlighting, among other things, the crucial role of ritual in creating religious communities and identities.

Multireligious Society
Multireligious Society

Author: Francisco Colom Gonzalez

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2016-10-04

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 1315407574

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New forms of religious diversity have emerged that demand specific policies from the state, putting pressure on the established practices of religious governance. European societies have been a testing ground for many of these changes, but for decades Canada has been pioneering the management of diversity, thus offering interesting similarities and contrasts with the former. This book deals with the diverging routes of political secularization in Europe and Canada, the patterns of religious governance, the practices for accommodating the demands of religious minorities concerning their legal regulation, the management of public institutions, and the provision of social services.

The Sacred Gaze
The Sacred Gaze

Author: David Morgan

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 2023-09-01

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 0520938305

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"Sacred gaze" denotes any way of seeing that invests its object—an image, a person, a time, a place—with spiritual significance. Drawing from many different fields, David Morgan investigates key aspects of vision and imagery in a variety of religious traditions. His lively, innovative book explores how viewers absorb and process religious imagery and how their experience contributes to the social, intellectual, and perceptual construction of reality. Ranging widely from thirteenth-century Japan and eighteenth-century Tibet to contemporary America, Thailand, and Africa, The Sacred Gaze discusses the religious functions of images and the tools viewers use to interpret them. Morgan questions how fear and disgust of images relate to one another and explains how scholars study the long and evolving histories of images as they pass from culture to culture. An intriguing strand of the narrative details how images have helped to shape popular conceptions of gender and masculinity. The opening chapter considers definitions of "visual culture" and how these relate to the traditional practice of art history. Amply illustrated with more than seventy images from diverse religious traditions, this masterful interdisciplinary study provides a comprehensive and accessible resource for everyone interested in how religious images and visual practice order space and time, communicate with the transcendent, and embody forms of communion with the divine. The Sacred Gaze is a vital introduction to the study of the visual culture of religions.

Bridging Theory and Practice in Children's Spirituality
Bridging Theory and Practice in Children's Spirituality

Author: Zondervan,

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: 2020-04-21

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0310104939

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Bridging Theory and Practice in Children's Spirituality explores the different contexts, methods, and situations that influence and foster a child's spirituality and faith development. Through a blend of theoretical understanding held in tension with practical application, it equips those who are in, or being prepared for, the varied contexts where children are spiritually formed. It represents a broad range of Christian expression writing from a Christ-centered perspective that furthers the conversation about the next steps in children's spirituality and faith development. Moving beyond the basics of faith nurture and what makes for effective ministry, this resource deepens our understanding of the practices in children's lives by bringing together the best of theory and practice and includes contributions from: Dr. Scottie May (Wheaton College) Dr. Kevin Lawson (Biola University) Dr. Erik Carter (Vanderbilt University) John Roberto (Vibrant Faith) Dr. Dana Kennamer Pemberton (Abilene Christian University) Dr. Shirley Morganthaler (Concordia University - Chicago) Dr. Holly Catterton Allen (Lipscomb University) Dr. Robert Keeley (Calvin College and Calvin Seminary) Dr. Mimi Larson (Wheaton College) Lacy Finn Borgo ( Renovaré Institute) and others. Pastors, professors, seminary students and children's ministry leaders and practitioners all believe that nurturing a child's spiritual development is important. Yet often they are unsure about which current trends should be embraced. This book will help equip these people with the grounding needed to evaluate trends and with specific suggestions for moving forward. With short, accessibly written chapters it helps pastors and leaders stay up to date with current trends and is an excellent resource for teaching in college and seminary classrooms.

Missional Life in Practice and Theory
Missional Life in Practice and Theory

Author: Christopher L. Flanders

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2024-01-19

Total Pages: 183

ISBN-13: 1666792853

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Few missiologists have impacted mission theory and practice among Churches of Christ as significantly as has Dr. Gailyn Van Rheenen, yet his global missiological influence has extended far beyond the boundaries of his denominational heritage. This Festschrift, in honor of Gailyn Van Rheenen, contains original missiological contributions from colleagues and former students. Most chapters were presentations at the inaugural Gailyn Van Rheenen Sessions in Mission and World Christianity at the 2021 Christian Scholars’ Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The volume is organized to parallel the phases of Van Rheenen’s career—Africa, academic missiology, and Mission Alive, a North American church-planting organization. His legacy is one that wonderfully embodies critical theory and robust practice.

Re-thinking Religious Pluralism
Re-thinking Religious Pluralism

Author: Bindu Puri

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-12-16

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 9811595402

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This book combines the mainstream liberal arguments for religious tolerance with arguments from religious traditions in India to offer insights into appropriate attitudes toward religious ‘others’ from the perspective of the devout. The respective chapters address the relationship between religions from a comparative perspective, helping readers understand the meaning of religion and the opportunities for interreligious dialogue in the works of contemporary Indian philosophers such as Gandhi and Ramakrishna Paramhansa. It also examines various religious traditions from a philosophical viewpoint in order to reassess religious discussions on how to respond to differing and different religious others. Given its comprehensive coverage, the book is of interest to scholars working in the areas of anthropology, philosophy, cultural and religious diversity, and history of religion.