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Michigan Haunts: Public Places, Eerie Spaces (Haunted America)
by Jon Milan Gail OffenA ghostly travel guide to the Great Lakes State. Michigan has two beautiful peninsulas that are connected by stories, legends, and mysteries. This book is the perfect glove compartment companion for exploring those paranormal parts of the Mitten State, as most of these hotels, restaurants, theaters, lighthouses, and other places are open to the public. This road trip to &“the other side,&” filled with hauntings, ghost towns, and bizarre tales of murder and mayhem, draws from more than 300 years of Michigan history—from the notoriously haunted remote lighthouses like Seul Choix in the Upper Peninsula to Eloise, one of the most famous psychiatric asylums in America to the legend of Lover's Leap on Mackinac Island. What Purple Gang member still hangs out in Clare? What spirits lurk at Henry Ford's Greenfield Village? Here is a guide to all that and more, including Houdini&’s Detroit connections, the poisonings at Cass Corridor&’s Alhambra, and paranormal activity at Detroit&’s historic Fort Wayne. Puzzles are still waiting for a solution; Ripley&’s Believe it or Not! once offered $100,000 to anyone who could solve the strange phenomenon of the Paulding Lights near Watersmeet. So, buckle up and prepare to explore the eeriest the Wolverine State has to offer.<
Michigan's Haunted Lighthouses (Haunted America)
by Dianna StampflerTravel Michigan&’s coast—and into the state&’s history—with otherworldly tales of the spirits of those who sought to keep its waters safe. Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, with more than 120 dotting its expansive Great Lakes shoreline. Many of these lighthouses lay claim to haunted happenings. Former keepers like the cigar-smoking Captain Townshend at Seul Choix Point and prankster John Herman at Waugoshance Shoal near Mackinaw City maintain their watch long after death ended their duties. At White River Light Station in Whitehall, Sarah Robinson still keeps a clean and tidy house, and a mysterious young girl at the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse seeks out other children and female companions. Countless spirits remain between Whitefish Point and Point Iroquois in an area well known for its many tragic shipwrecks. Join author and Promote Michigan founder Dianna Stampfler as she recounts the tales from Michigan&’s ghostly beacons. &“Haunting tales of Michigan&’s lighthouses . . . Her stories come from lighthouse museums, friends and family.&”—Great Lakes Echo
Michoacán and Eden: Vasco de Quiroga and the Evangelization of Western Mexico
by Bernardino VerástiqueDon Vasco de Quiroga (1470-1565) was the first bishop of Michoacán in Western Mexico. Driven by the desire to convert the native Purhépecha-Chichimec peoples to a purified form of Christianity, free of the corruptions of European Catholicism, he sought to establish New World Edens in Michoacán by congregating the people into pueblo-hospital communities, where mendicant friars could more easily teach them the fundamental beliefs of Christianity and the values of Spanish culture.<P><P>In this broadly synthetic study, Bernardino Verástique explores Vasco de Quiroga's evangelizing project in its full cultural and historical context. He begins by recreating the complex and not wholly incompatible worldviews of the Purhépecha and the Spaniards at the time of their first encounter in 1521. With Quiroga as a focal point, Verástique then traces the uneasy process of assimilation and resistance that occurred on both sides as the Spaniards established political and religious dominance in Michoacán. He describes the syncretisms, or fusions, between Christianity and indigenous beliefs and practices that arose among the Purhépecha and relates these to similar developments in other regions of Mexico.
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Easter Hunt
by Sheila Sweeny HigginsonGrumpy Pete tries to sneak into a Clubhouse party and accidentally says the wrong magic words that break the Clubhouse apart. It's up to Mickey and the reader to search for the missing pieces to put the Clubhouse back together in time for Easter.
Microaggressions in Ministry: Confronting The Hidden Violence Of Everyday Church
by Cody J. Sanders Angela YarberCarlos—a third-generation U.S. citizen from New Jersey whose family emigrated from Colombia many years before Carlos was born—is often complimented on how articulate he is and asked how long he has been in the United States. <P><P>Deborah, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who is up for election as church treasurer, has her qualifications questioned, debated, and scrutinized by the congregation far more than any of her male predecessors who were elected with a simple vote. <P><P>Lisa, a male-to-female transgender person, attends a Sunday school where her classmates continue to refer to her with masculine pronouns (he, him, his). <P><P>The three examples above portray microaggressions: subtle slights, insults, and indignities expressed to persons of varied minority statuses. Although microaggressions are usually unintentional, they occur on a regular basis in education, the workplace, and daily life. <P><P>This is the first book that addresses the concept of microaggressions in ministry and church life. Drawing from their background as ordained clergy, Sanders and Yarber introduce ministry leaders to the concept of microaggressions and look specifically at microaggressions directed at race, gender, and sexuality in the church. Sanders and Yarber help readers become more aware of these subtle and often unconscious communications, offering realistic examples and guidance for grappling with this issue in preaching, religious education, worship, spirituality, and pastoral care and counseling. Microaggressions in Ministry equips congregations with methods for assessment and tools for action that will ultimately help create stronger, more welcoming faith communities.
Microbes and Other Shamanic Beings
by César E. Giraldo HerreraShamanism is commonly understood through reference to spirits and souls. However, these terms were introduced by Christian missionaries as part of the colonial effort of conversion. So, rather than trying to comprehend shamanism through medieval European concepts, this book examines it through ideas that started developing in the West after encountering Amerindian shamans. Microbes and Other Shamanic Beings develops three major arguments: First, since their earliest accounts Amerindian shamanic notions have had more in common with current microbial ecology than with Christian religious beliefs. Second, the human senses allow the unaided perception of the microbial world; for example, entoptic vision allows one to see microscopic objects flowing through the retina and shamans employ techniques that enhance precisely these kinds of perception. Lastly, the theory that some diseases are produced by living agents acquired through contagion was proposed right after Contact in relation to syphilis, an important subject of pre-Contact Amerindian medicine and mythology, which was treasured and translated by European physicians. Despite these early translations, the West took four centuries to rediscover germs and bring microbiology into mainstream science. Giraldo Herrera reclaims this knowledge and lays the fundaments for an ethnomicrobiology. It will appeal to anyone curious about shamanism and willing to take it seriously and to those enquiring about the microbiome, our relations with microbes and the long history behind them.
Microchakras: InnerTuning for Psychological Well-being
by David Isaacs Sri Shyamji BhatnagarThe first guide to working with microchakras, the channels within each of the 7 major chakras • Identifies 147 microchakras that affect our spiritual evolution and daily well-being • Introduces the new field of Microchakra Psychology and its practical component of InnerTuning, the use of precise sacred sounds that release energy blockages within the chakras Each of the traditional 7 chakras contains 21 microchakras, which enable the chakras to process information related to our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. When the energy flowing in the chakras is blocked, our physical, emotional, and psychological well-being is compromised. Through the unique practice of InnerTuning--a system of precise, potent sounds and mantras--blockages in the microchakras can be released so the subtle body can become realigned and physical and mental health can be restored. Sri Shyamji Bhatnagar developed the InnerTuning technique from his early work with breath and sacred sounds, which began at age 12 with his guru in India. In 1967 his discovery of the 147 microchakras inspired his creation of Microchakra Psychology, a blend of ancient wisdom and contemporary psychology that explains the workings of the subtle body and how openings or blockages in the chakras can either encourage or sabotage psychological health and spiritual development. In this book, Shyamji describes methods for optimizing energy flow in the microchakras using the practice of InnerTuning in order to enhance one’s well-being and promote spiritual growth through the power of sound, breath, and the divine energy that resides within us all.
Micropolitics in Contemporary China: A Technical Unit During And After The Cultural Revolution (Routledge Revivals)
by Marc J. Blecher Gordon WhiteThis title was first published in 1980. One of the most prevalent and significant issues facing socialist countries is the role of intellectuals. In the poorer countries like China, this has presented itself with particular acuity in the relationship of scientists and technicians to the process of socialist economic modernization. Since the Cultural Revolution has come to a close, its impact on China’s intellectual life— especially on scientists, technicians, and the development of scientific and technical work— has been the subject of lively inquiry in China. In turn, this inquiry has provided a major focus for reevaluating the Cultural Revolution as a political movement and as a way of dealing with the inequalities and bureaucratic inefficiencies that have arisen and will continue to arise in the centrally planned Chinese economy during a period when rapid economic growth and modernization have been given the highest priority. This monograph intends to address some of these issues by presenting a detailed case study of a Chinese technical unit over the period from 1966 to 1974.
Mid-Air Zillionaire (AstroKids #9)
by Robert ElmerBook 9 of AstroKids. Miko learns that she's inherited not just a fortune, but an entire planet! Will her new wealth ruin her friendships and happy life on CLEO7? And can she protect her inheritance from a sneaky developer?
Mid-Course Correction: Re-Ordering Your Private World for the Second Half of Life
by Gordon MacdonaldMid-Course Correction is written for those who sense a need for putting order back in their lives again. It offers hope for those who have experienced defeat and disappointment in their lives, but also for those who have been "successful" yet yearn for something more. MacDonald focuses on making choices that lead to personal transformation, significant communal relationships, practical service in the kingdom of God, and a revitalized life of faith and worship. He demonstrates that new significance and meaning are available no matter what your situation has been.
Middle Beyond Extremes: Maitreya's Madhyantavibhaga with Commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham
by Arya Maitreya Jamgon MiphamUnraveling the subtle processes that condition our thinking and experience, Maitreya's teaching reveals a powerful path of compassionate vision and spiritual transformation. Middle Beyond Extremes contains a translation of the Buddhist masterpiece Distinguishing the Middle from Extremes. This famed text, often referred to by its Sanskrit title, Madhyāntavibhāga, is part of a collection known as the Five Maitreya Teachings. Maitreya is held to have entrusted these profound and vast instructions to the master Asaṅga in the heavenly realm of Tuṣita.Distinguishing the Middle from Extremes employs the principle of the three natures to explain the way things seem to be as well as the way they actually are. It is presented here alongside commentaries by two outstanding masters of Tibet&’s nonsectarian Rimé movement, Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham.
Middle Church
by Bob EdgarThe radical religious right has put the wrong issues at the top of the moral agenda for America, says Bob Edgar, the general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA and a former six-term congressman. The moral issues that really matter to America's faithful majority -- to "Middle Church" -- says Edgar, are peace, poverty, and planet Earth. Middle Church is a stirring call to progressive people of faith to take back the moral high ground from the right-wing extremists and make America a better -- not a more divided -- country. The Bible seldom mentions homosexuality, doesn't mention abortion at all, but discusses poverty and peace more than two thousand times. But despite the Bible's emphasis on issues of social justice, the politics of faith have been captured in this country by a radical minority with its narrow and highly divisive agenda emphasizing personal piety above all else. This limited agenda is built around opposition to gay marriage, abortion, and stem-cell research, rather than the timeless and unifying themes of the Bible. In a stunning reversal of the historic role of religion in progressive change, faith has now been co-opted into a force for preemptive war, indifference to the poor, and reckless environmental degradation. In Middle Church, Bob Edgar reclaims faith for the American mainstream. He rebuts the distorted arguments of the far religious right and instead offers progressive solutions grounded in Scripture behind which most Americans can unite. He reminds us that Jesus preached mainly about the poor and that social justice and peace were at the heart of his ministry. Edgar agrees that all Americans have a right to bring the values of their faiths to bear on the policies of our government. But faith, as he shows, should lead to progressive solutions for the defining moral issues of our time: peace, poverty, and planet Earth. Middle Church identifies the common ground on which people of faith -- Christians, Jews, and Muslims -- can unite and shows how this faithful majority can put tolerance, social justice, and love at the top of the political agenda in this country once again.
The Middle East: Past, Present, and Future (World Regional Geography Book Series)
by Keshav Bhattarai Mahmoud YousefThe Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region stands as a remarkable crossroads of tradition and modernity, shaped by millennia of history under empires, colonial powers, and global influences. This book unpacks the intricate dynamics of the region, examining how historical resource exploitation, border manipulation, and cultural impositions have profoundly impacted its languages, traditions, and geopolitical identity. The rich tapestry of Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish, and regional dialects reflects a deep cultural resilience that has resisted globalization, often fueled anti-Western sentiments and prioritized the preservation of heritage over rapid economic development. Central to the region’s geopolitical importance is its vast oil wealth, which has positioned MENA as a cornerstone of the global energy market and a continuous focus of Western interest. This book explores how oil exploitation has economically empowered the region while simultaneously fostering political tension, external interventions, and instability. As the global shift toward green technologies accelerates, the book examines how this transition might redefine MENA’s role in the global energy market, offering both challenges and opportunities for transformation. These dynamics unfold against the backdrop of water scarcity and a scorching, inhospitable climate that further complicates the region’s path forward. Grounded in real-life case studies and an interdisciplinary blend of historical, cultural, and economic analysis, this book offers an unparalleled exploration of the MENA region’s past, present, and future in the context of advanced technological development. Co-authored by a Palestinian native, it brings a unique perspective by dissecting ongoing identity crises through unbiased insights and true-life conversations with individuals who have embraced diverse religious and political ideologies. By intertwining these narratives with the region’s deeply rooted cultural practices, the book presents a compelling human lens to understand MENA's complexities. This rare and thought-provoking study seamlessly balances traditional and modern perspectives, emphasizing the MENA region’s pivotal role at the intersection of Western powers and the Global South. For readers seeking to grasp the intricate dynamics of a region that continues to influence and adapt to an ever-changing global order, this book serves as an indispensable resource.
The Middle East and Islamic World Reader: An Historical Reader For The 21st Century
by Marvin E. Gettleman and Stuart Schaar&“The many facets of Middle Eastern history and politics are admirably represented in this far-ranging anthology.&” —Publishers Weekly In this insightful anthology, historians Marvin E. Gettleman and Stuart Schaar have assembled a broad selection of documents and contemporary scholarship to give a view of the history of the peoples from the core Islamic lands, from the Golden Age of Islam to today. With carefully framed essays beginning each chapter and brief introductory notes accompanying over seventy readings, the anthology reveals the multifaceted societies and political systems of the Islamic world. Selections range from theological texts illuminating the differences between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, to diplomatic exchanges and state papers, to memoirs and literary works, to manifestos of Islamic radicals. This newly revised and expanded edition covers the dramatic changes in the region since 2005, and the popular uprisings that swept from Tunisia in January 2011 through Egypt, Libya, and beyond. The Middle East and Islamic World Reader is a fascinating historical survey of complex societies that—now more than ever—are crucial for us to understand. &“Ambitious . . . A timely work, it focuses mainly on sociopolitical texts dating from the rise of Islam to the debates concerning U.S. foreign policy in the post-9/11 world.&” —Choice
Middle East Christianity: Local Practices, World Societal Entanglements (The Modern Muslim World)
by Stephan Stetter Mitra Moussa NaboDrawing from theories of world society and from historical-sociological theories the book studies the past, present, and future of Middle East Christianity. It focuses on the interplay between local practices and post-colonial entanglements in global modernity. The chapters of this book engage, inspired by these theories, key empirical dynamics that affect Middle East Christianity. This includes a historical overview on the history of Christians in the region, the relationship between Islam and Christianity, as well as case studies on the Maronites in Lebanon, Egypt’s Copts, the role of Protestant missionaries in the 19th century, processes of individualization amongst Middle East Christians, as well as papal diplomacy in the region.
A Middle East Mosaic
by Bernard LewisHarris (political science, U. of Otago, New Zealand) outlines the history of the eastern Mediterranean littoral now occupied by Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey. After setting out its strategic geography, he narrates the periods of Rome, Islam, Byzantium, crusaders, Mamluks, and Ottomans. Then he discusses the 20th century. He includes a glossary without pronunciation guides. Only names are indexed. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
The Middle East Today: Political, Geographical and Cultural Perspectives
by Dona J. StewartThe new edition of The Middle East Today provides an accessible and comprehensive introductory textbook for undergraduate students of Middle East Studies, Middle East politics and geography. This updated and revised edition features a host of pedagogical features to assist students with their learning, including; detailed maps and images, case studies on key issues, boxed sections and suggestions for further reading. The book highlights the current issues facing the Middle East, linking them to the rich political, geographical and cultural history of the region. The author examines the crises and conflicts, both current and potential, likely to dominate the region in coming years. The second edition has been fully updated and revised to include discussion of such recent events as: the effects of the Arab Spring Turkey's growing influence in the region the dramatic increase in Iran's nuclear capabilities Usama bin Laden's death and declining support for violent extremist movements in the Middle East. Further supplemented by a companion website containing sample chapters, a selection of maps formatted for use in presentations, and annotated links to online resources and websites, The Middle East Today is an essential resource for all students of Middle East Studies, Middle East politics and geography.
Middle Eastern Minorities: The Impact of the Arab Spring
by Ibrahim ZabadThis is a comprehensive survey of minorities in the Middle East with a special focus on the post Arab Spring era.Minority communities in the Middle East are the most susceptible to the turbulence engulfing the region; the majority may suffer physical violence and socioeconomic loss, but minorities could potentially vanish. Instead of ushering in democracy and inclusive politics, the revolutionary upheavals have prompted chaos and fear and reinforced the resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism throughout the region. Zabad uses historical sources as well as first-hand interviews to vividly describe the current status of minorities in the Middle East, explaining attitudes towards the revolutionary upheavals as well as the various strategies they used to avail themselves of the opportunities presented and to confront the risks posed. The question of ethnic, sectarian and religious minorities is situated in the context of the broader history of the region in order to explain the underlying institutional and ideological factors that caused their predicament and problematized their relationship with the majority.The book providesa rich trove of information and insights generated from ten case studies that covered the Shī‘a in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon and Egypt, the Druze, the Alawites, Christians and Kurds in Syria, the Copts in Egypt, and the Zaydis in Yemen.
The Middle English Bible: A Reassessment (The Middle Ages Series)
by Henry Ansgar KellyIn the last quarter of the fourteenth century, the complete Old and New Testaments were translated from Latin into English, first very literally, and then revised into a more fluent, less Latinate style. This outstanding achievement, the Middle English Bible, is known by most modern scholars as the "Wycliffite" or "Lollard" Bible, attributing it to followers of the heretic John Wyclif. Prevailing scholarly opinion also holds that this Bible was condemned and banned by the archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Arundel, at the Council of Oxford in 1407, even though it continued to be copied at a great rate. Indeed, Henry Ansgar Kelly notes, it was the most popular work in English of the Middle Ages and was frequently consulted for help in understanding Scripture readings at Sunday Mass.In The Middle English Bible: A Reassessment, Kelly finds the bases for the Wycliffite origins of the Middle English Bible to be mostly illusory. While there were attempts by the Lollard movement to appropriate or coopt it after the fact, the translation project, which appears to have originated at the University of Oxford, was wholly orthodox. Further, the 1407 Council did not ban translations but instead mandated that they be approved by a local bishop. It was only in the early sixteenth century, in the years before the Reformation, that English translations of the Bible would be banned.
Middle Knowledge: Human Freedom in Divine Sovereignty
by John D. LaingMost Christians believe God is in control, but they are unsure of how to reconcile that control with their struggles with sin, the command to evangelize, and the immense suffering in the world and their own lives.Laing offers an introduction to the doctrine of providence based on the theory of middle knowledge, first articulated in the sixteenth century. This view describes how creatures have true free will and God has perfect knowledge of what each creature could and would do in any circumstance. Middle knowledge helps answer the most perplexing theological questions: predestination and salvation, the existence of evil, divine and human authorship of Scripture, and science and the Christian faith. Laing provides extensive biblical support as well as practical applications for this theology.
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (The Teachings of the Buddha)
by Bhikkhu Bodhi Bhikkhu NanamoliThis book offers a complete translation of the Majjhima Nikaya, or Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, one of the major collections of texts in the Pali Canon, the authorized scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. This collection--among the oldest records of the historical Buddha's original teachings--consists of 152 suttas or discourses of middle length, distinguished as such from the longer and shorter suttas of the other collections. The Majjhima Nikaya might be concisely described as the Buddhist scripture that combines the richest variety of contextual settings with the deepest and most comprehensive assortment of teachings. These teachings, which range from basic ethics to instructions in meditation and liberating insight, unfold in a fascinating procession of scenarios that show the Buddha in living dialogue with people from many different strata of ancient Indian society: with kings and princes, priests and ascetics, simple villagers and erudite philosophers. Replete with drama, reasoned argument, and illuminating parable and simile, these discourses exhibit the Buddha in the full glory of his resplendent wisdom, majestic sublimity, and compassionate humanity. The translation is based on an original draft translation left by the English scholar-monk Bhikkhu Nanamoli, which has been edited and revised by the American monk Bhikkhu Bodhi, who provides a long introduction and helpful explanatory notes. Combining lucidity of expression with accuracy, this translation enables the Buddha to speak across twenty-five centuries in language that addresses the most pressing concerns of the contemporary reader seeking clarification of the timeless issues of truth, value, and the proper conduct of life. Winner of the 1995 Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Book Award, and the Tricycle Prize for Excellence in Buddhist Publishing for Dharma Discourse.
The Middle-Length Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment
by TsongkhapaThe first complete English translation of renowned scholar-saint Tsongkhapa's Middle-Length Treatise on the Stages of the Path.Tsongkhapa (1357–1419), the author of the well-known Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment and the teacher of the First Dalai Lama, is renowned as one of the greatest scholar-saints that Tibet has ever produced. A dozen years after writing the Great Treatise, he wrote the Middle-Length Treatise on the Stages of the Path, presented here in its first complete English translation. Half the length of the well-known Great Treatise, this work similarly presents a systematic overview of the Buddhist path. Tsongkhapa begins by abridging the longer work, distilling its explanations for quicker integration. He presents a series of meditations, beginning with recognizing the rarity of our human existence and the great opportunities it affords, followed by reflections on impermanence, suffering, and the promise of liberation from our past actions, until proceeding to the path of bodhisattvas, whose universal compassion seeks to free every being from suffering. Tsongkhapa gives especially detailed instructions on samatha, the deep meditative concentration that is a precondition for the highest insight into the nature of reality. The final and largest section, on that very insight, is unique to this work, particularly Tsongkhapa&’s presentation of conventional truth and ultimate truth. Those new to Tibetan Buddhist teachings will benefit from the approachable style of this classic handbook for enlightenment, and beginners and longtime practitioners alike will cherish the clear guidance from one of Tibet&’s great luminaries.
The Middle Matters: Why That (Extra)Ordinary Life Looks Really Good on You
by Lisa-Jo BakerThe best-selling author of Never Unfriended opens up about midlife and what it feels like to have outgrown those teenage jeans, but finally grown into the shape of our souls.Do you ever wonder how you woke up one day with all the responsibilities of a grown-up who secretly enjoys going to Costco, can no longer recognize the tween celebrities on the magazines at checkout, but is still surprised when a Starbucks Barista calls you "ma'am"--because your inside self is frozen in time from about twenty years ago? So does Lisa-Jo Baker. Welcome to the middle!In these intimate reflections on midlife, Lisa-Jo Baker invites women to get a good look at their middles and gives permission to embrace them--beyond what the media, the mirror, the magazines, or our teenagers say. Through gutsy, beautiful storytelling, she admits out loud what most women are thinking about marriage, parenting, failure, and how badly we all want to buy those matching Magnolia Market mugs. Her delicious stories come from not being afraid of who she is (Your Age is Not a Dirty Word). Because she has finally grown comfortable in her own skin (The Scale is Not the Boss of You). She's not asking you to seize the day, just to make sure you actually see it; for all its wildly ordinary glory (Sobbing in my Minivan Over Honor Roll). Because Lisa-Jo knows that the middle might be the best part of the love story of life, muffin top included.
The Middle Path of Moderation in Islam: The Quranic Principle of Wasatiyyah
by Mohammad KamaliIn The Middle Path of Moderation in Islam, leading Islamic law expert Mohammad Hashim Kamali examines the concept of wasatiyyah, or moderation, arguing that scholars, religious communities, and policy circles alike must have access to this governing principle that drives the silent majority of Muslims, rather than focusing on the extremist fringe. Kamali explores wasatiyyah in both historical/conceptual terms and in contemporary/practical terms. Tracing the definition and scope of the concept from the foundational sources of Islam, the Qu'ran and Hadith, he demonstrates that wasatiyyah has a long and well-developed history in Islamic law and applies the concept to contemporary issues of global policy, such as justice, women's rights, environmental and financial balance, and globalization. <p><p> Framing his work as an open dialogue against a now-decades long formulation of the arguably destructive Huntingtonian "clash of civilizations" thesis as well as the public rhetoric of fear of Muslim extremism since the attacks of September 11, 2001, Kamali connects historical conceptions of wasatiyyah to the themes of state and international law, governance, and cultural maladies in the Muslim world and beyond. Both a descriptive and prescriptive meditation on a key but often neglected principle of Islam, The Middle Path of Moderation in Islam provides insight into an idea that is in the strategic interest of the West both to show and practice for themselves and to recognize in Muslim countries.
Middle School Ministry: A Comprehensive Guide to Working with Early Adolescents
by Mark Oestreicher Scott RubinMany people run scared from the middle school youth room. But (thankfully!) there are people out there who are actually drawn to those young teens. Although often times they’re not equipped to deal with the unique challenges that middle school ministry presents, or they’re just not sure what to do when a room full of young teens (who are “part child, but not quite adult”) are running around the youth room. Finally, there’s a comprehensive guide to middle school ministry, from two veterans of this unchartered territory. Mark Oestreicher and Scott Rubin help youth workers understand the importance of middle school ministry, the development process for young teens and their implications for ministry, and how to best minister to these sometimes misunderstood students. They share their experiences (as middle school pastors and parents of middle schoolers), giving youth workers he encouragement, hope, and training they need to succeed in middle school ministry.