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The Politics of Ritual
by Molly FarnethAn illuminating look at the transformative role that rituals play in our political livesThe Politics of Ritual is a major new account of the political power of rituals. In this incisive and wide-ranging book, Molly Farneth argues that rituals are social practices in which people create, maintain, and transform themselves and their societies. Far from mere scripts or mechanical routines, rituals are dynamic activities bound up in processes of continuity and change. Emphasizing the significance of rituals in democratic engagement, Farneth shows how people adapt their rituals to redraw the boundaries of their communities, reallocate goods and power within them, and cultivate the habits of citizenship.Transforming our understanding of rituals and their vital role in the political conflicts and social movements of our time, The Politics of Ritual examines a broad range of rituals enacted to just and democratic ends, including border Eucharists, candlelight vigils, and rituals of mourning. This timely book makes a persuasive case for an innovative democratic ritual life that can enable people to create and sustain communities that are more just, inclusive, and participatory than those in which they find themselves.
The Politics of Secularism in International Relations (Princeton Studies in International History and Politics #105)
by Elizabeth Shakman HurdConflicts involving religion have returned to the forefront of international relations. And yet political scientists and policymakers have continued to assume that religion has long been privatized in the West. This secularist assumption ignores the contestation surrounding the category of the "secular" in international politics. The Politics of Secularism in International Relations shows why this thinking is flawed, and provides a powerful alternative. Elizabeth Shakman Hurd argues that secularist divisions between religion and politics are not fixed, as commonly assumed, but socially and historically constructed. Examining the philosophical and historical legacy of the secularist traditions that shape European and American approaches to global politics, she shows why this matters for contemporary international relations, and in particular for two critical relationships: the United States and Iran, and the European Union and Turkey. The Politics of Secularism in International Relations develops a new approach to religion and international relations that challenges realist, liberal, and constructivist assumptions that religion has been excluded from politics in the West. The first book to consider secularism as a form of political authority in its own right, it describes two forms of secularism and their far-reaching global consequences.
The Politics of Shari’a Law
by Michael BuehlerThe Islamization of politics in Indonesia after 1998 presents an underexplored puzzle: why has there been a rise in the number of shari'a laws despite the electoral decline of Islamist parties? Michael Buehler presents an analysis of the conditions under which Islamist activists situated outside formal party politics may capture and exert influence in Muslim-majority countries facing democratization. His analysis shows that introducing competitive elections creates new pressures for entrenched elites to mobilize and structure the electorate, thereby opening up new opportunities for Islamist activists to influence politics. Buehler's analysis of changing state-religion relations in formerly authoritarian Islamic countries illuminates broader theoretical debates on Islamization in the context of democratization. This timely text is essential reading for students, scholars, and government analysts.
The Politics of Spirit: Phenomenology, Genealogy, Religion (SUNY series, Issues in the Study of Religion)
by Tim MurphyA penetrating critique of the dominant approach to the study of religion, The Politics of Spirit explores the historical and philosophical scaffolding of the phenomenology of religion. Although this approach purports to give a value-free, neutral description of religious data, it actually imposes a set of metaphysical and evaluative concepts on that data. A very harmful ethnocentrism has resulted, which plagues the academic study of religion to this day. Analysis of the history, core texts, and discursive structure of phenomenology of religion reveals how this ethnocentrism is embedded within its assumptions. Of particular interest is the revelation of the extent to which Hegel's ideas—over those of Husserl—contributed to the tenets that became standard in the study of religion.Tim Murphy argues that the poststructuralist concept of genealogy, as derived from Nietzsche, can both describe religion better than the phenomenological approach and avoid the political pitfalls of ethnocentrism by replacing its core categories with the categories of difference, contingency, and otherness. Ultimately, Murphy argues that postmodern genealogy should replace phenomenology as the paradigm for understanding both religion and the study of religion.
The Politics of the Cross: A Christian Alternative to Partisanship
by Daniel K. WilliamsWhere do Christians fit in a two-party political system? The partisan divide that is rending the nation is now tearing apart American churches. On one side are Christian Right activists and other conservatives who believe that a vote for a Democratic presidential candidate is a vote for abortion, sexual immorality, gender confusion, and the loss of religious liberty for Christians. On the other side are politically progressive Christians who are considering leaving the institutional church because of white evangelicalism&’s alliance with a Republican Party that they believe is racist, hateful toward immigrants, scornful of the poor, and directly opposed to the principles that Jesus taught. Even while sharing the same pew, these two sides often see the views of the other as hopelessly wrongheaded—even evil. Is there a way to transcend this deep-seated division?The Politics of the Cross draws on history, policy analysis, and biblically grounded theology to show how Christians can protect the unborn, advocate for traditional marriage, promote racial justice, care for the poor, and, above all, honor the gospel by adopting a cross-centered ethic instead of the idolatrous politics of power, fear, or partisanship. As Daniel K. Williams illustrates, both the Republican and Democratic parties are rooted in Christian principles, but both have distorted those principles and mixed them with assumptions that are antithetical to biblical truth. Williams explains how Christians can renounce partisanship and pursue policies that show love for our neighbors to achieve a biblical vision of justice. Nuanced, detailed, and even-handed, The Politics of the Cross tackles the thorny issues that divide Christians politically and offers a path forward with innovative, biblically minded political approaches that might surprise Christians on both the left and the right.
The Politics of the Hajj from a Comparative Perspective: States, Entrepreneurs, and Pilgrims (Palgrave Studies in Religion, Politics, and Policy)
by Muriel Gomez-Perez Cédric Jourde Marie BrossierThis book analyzes the contemporary politics of the Hajj in countries of Africa, the Near East, and Southeast Asia. States must organize the mobility of approximately two million pilgrims every year. States also manage the flow of vast amounts of financial resources related to the Hajj, as well as the transmission of religious and political ideas about how the world ought to be governed. The contributions in this volume investigate how states attempt to manage the Hajj and the power relations they develop with pilgrims, religious leaders, and entrepreneurs of various types. They also examine the Hajj organization from the viewpoint of pilgrims: how they make sense of the bureaucratic apparatus they encounter, how they navigate the constraints imposed upon them, and how they seize opportunities to fulfill their religious, economic, and social aspirations. The Politics of the Hajj from a Comparative Perspective closely analyzes political interactions between states, pilgrims, religious actors and entrepreneurs, and the extent to which they have evolved over time.
The Politics of the Headscarf in the United States
by Bozena C. Welborne Aubrey L. Westfall Özge Çelik Russell Sarah A. TobinThe Politics of the Headscarf in the United States investigates the social and political effects of the practice of Muslim-American women wearing the headscarf (hijab) in a non-Muslim state. The authors find the act of head covering is not politically motivated in the US setting, but rather it accentuates and engages Muslim identity in uniquely American ways.Transcending contemporary political debates on the issue of Islamic head covering, The Politics of the Headscarf in the United States addresses concerns beyond the simple, particular phenomenon of wearing the headscarf itself, with the authors confronting broader issues of lasting import. These issues include the questions of safeguarding individual and collective identity in a diverse democracy, exploring the ways in which identities inform and shape political practices, and sourcing the meaning of citizenship and belonging in the United States through the voices of Muslim-American women themselves.The Politics of the Headscarf in the United States superbly melds quantitative data with qualitative assessment, and the authors smoothly integrate the results of nearly two thousand survey responses from Muslim-American women across forty-nine states. Seventy-two in-depth interviews with Muslim women living in the United States bolster the arguments put forward by the authors to provide an incredibly well-rounded approach to this fascinating topic.Ultimately, the authors argue, women's experiences with identity and boundary construction through their head-covering practices carry important political consequences that may well shed light on the future of the United States as a model of democratic pluralism.
Politics of the Oberammergau Passion Play: Tradition as Trademark (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Jan Mohr Julia StenzelThis collection provides a comprehensive overview of the Oberammergau Passion play and its history from the 19th century onwards. Specialists in theatre and performance studies, comparative literature, theology, political studies, history, and ethnology initiate an interdisciplinary discussion of how Oberammergau has built a trademark from tradition. A typological and historical outline of this development is followed by detailed analyses of the blending of spaces, temporalities, and cultures, through which Oberammergau as an institution is stabilized while at the same time remaining open to the dynamics of historical change. The authors comprise the formation of a theatrical public sphere, literary imaginations, and layers of authenticity in modern practices of distributed communication that culminate in the notion of tradition as trademark. This collection is analysed from a wide spectrum of cultural historical perspectives, ranging from literary studies, theatre and performance studies to theology, political studies, and ethnology.
Politics of Tranquility: The Material and Mundane Lives of Buddhist Nuns in Post-Mao Tibet
by Yasmin ChoPolitics of Tranquility concerns the Tibetan Buddhist revival in China, illustrating the lives of Tibetan Buddhist nuns and exploring the political effects that arise from their nonpolitical daily engagements in the remote, mega-sized Tibetan Buddhist encampment of Yachen Gar. Yasmin Cho's book challenges two assumptions about Tibetan Buddhist communities in China. First, against the assumption that a Buddhist monastic community is best understood in terms of its esoteric qualities, Cho focuses on the material and mundane daily practices that are indispensable to the existence and persistence of such a community and shows how deeply gendered these practices are. Second, against the assumption that Tibetan politics toward the Chinese state is best understood as rebellious, incendiary, and centered upon Tibetan victimhood, the nuns demonstrate how it can be otherwise. Tibetan politics can be unassuming, calm, and self-contained and yet still have substantial political effects. As Politics of Tranquility shows, the nuns in Yachen Gar have called forth an alternative way of living and expressing themselves as Tibetans and as female monastics despite a repressive context.
The Politics of Vulnerability: How to Heal Muslim-Christian Relations in a Post-Christian America: Today's Threat to Religion and Religious Freedom
by Asma T. UddinA religious liberty lawyer and acclaimed author reveals the root of America's polarization inside the Muslim and evangelical Christian divide—and how it can be healed.Despite the dire consequences of America's cultural, political, and religious divisiveness, from increasing incivility to discrimination and outright violence, few have been able to get to the core cause of this conflict. Even fewer have offered measures for reconcilliation. Now, in The Politics of Vulnerability, Asma Uddin, American-Muslim public intellectual, religious-liberties attorney, and activist, provides a unique perspective on the complex political and social factors contributing to the Muslim-Christian divide. Unlike other analysts, Uddin asks what underlying drivers cause otherwise good people to do—or believe—bad things? Why do people who value faith support of measures that limit others, especially of Muslims&’, religious freedom and other rights?&’ Uddin humanizes a contentious relationship by fully embracing both sides as individuals driven by very human fears and anxieties. Many conservative Christians fear that the Left is dismantling traditional &“Christian America&” to replace it with an Islamized America, a conspiratorial theory that has given rise to an &“evangelical persecution complex,&” a politicized vulnerability. Uddin reveals that Islamophobia and other aspects of the conservative Christian movement are interconnected. Where does hate come from and how can it be conquered? Only by addressing the underlying factors of this politics of vulnerability can we begin to heal the divide.
The Politics of Women's Rights in Iran
by Arzoo OsanlooIn The Politics of Women's Rights in Iran, Arzoo Osanloo explores how Iranian women understand their rights. After the 1979 revolution, Iranian leaders transformed the state into an Islamic republic. At that time, the country's leaders used a renewed discourse of women's rights to symbolize a shift away from the excesses of Western liberalism. Osanloo reveals that the postrevolutionary republic blended practices of a liberal republic with Islamic principles of equality. Her ethnographic study illustrates how women's claims of rights emerge from a hybrid discourse that draws on both liberal individualism and Islamic ideals. Osanloo takes the reader on a journey through numerous sites where rights are being produced--including Qur'anic reading groups, Tehran's family court, and law offices--as she sheds light on the fluid and constructed nature of women's perceptions of rights. In doing so, Osanloo unravels simplistic dichotomies between so-called liberal, universal rights and insular, local culture. The Politics of Women's Rights in Iran casts light on a contemporary non-Western understanding of the meaning behind liberal rights, and raises questions about the misunderstood relationship between modernity and Islam.
Politics, Religion, and Culture in an Anxious Age
by John BuellAmerican politics is increasingly driven by apocalyptic rhetoric. Highlighting possible adverse consequences of such politics for our freedom and quality of life, the book suggests alternative policy agendas, religious and philosophical discourses, cultural framing and modes of daily living
Politics, Religion and Gender: Framing and Regulating the Veil (Routledge Studies in Religion and Politics)
by Sieglinde Rosenberger and Birgit SauerHeated debates about Muslim women's veiling practices have regularly attracted the attention of European policymakers over the last decade. The headscarf has been both vehemently contested by national and/or regional governments, political parties and public intellectuals and passionately defended by veil wearing women and their supporters. Systematically applying a comparative perspective, this book addresses the question of why the headscarf tantalises and causes such controversy over issues about religious pluralism, secularism, neutrality of the state, gender oppression, citizenship, migration, and multiculturalism. Seeking also to establish why the issue has become part of the disciplinary practices of some European countries but not of others, this work brings together an important collection of interpretative research regarding the current debates on the veil in Europe, offering an interdisciplinary scope and European-wide setting. Brought together through a common research methodology, the contributors focus on the different religious, political and cultural meanings of the veiling issue across eight countries and develop a comparative explanation of veiling regimes. This work will be of great interest to students and scholars of religion & politics, gender studies and multiculturalism.
Politics, Religion and Political Theology
by C. Allen Speight Michael ZankThis new volume gives discursive shape to several key facets of the relationship among politics, theology and religious thought. Powerfully relevant to a wealth of further academic disciplines including history, law and the humanities, it sharpens the contours of our understanding in a live and evolving field. It charts the mechanisms by which, contrary to the avowed secularism of many of today's polities, theology and religion have often, and sometimes profoundly, shaped political discourse. By augmenting this broader analysis with a selection of authoritative papers focusing on the prominent sub-field of political theology, the anthology offsets a startling academic lacuna. Alongside focused analysis of subjects such as conscience, secularism and religious tolerance, the discussion of political theology examines the tradition's critical moments, including developments during the post-World War I Weimar republic in Germany and the epistemological imprint the theory has left behind in works by political thinkers influenced by the three major monotheistic traditions.
Politics, Religion and the Song of Songs in Seventeenth-Century England
by Elizabeth ClarkeThe Song of Songs , with its highly sexual imagery, was very popular in seventeenth-century England in commentary and paraphrase. This book charts the fascination with the mystical marriage, its implication in the various political conflicts of the seventeenth century, and its appeal to seventeenth-century writers, particularly women.
Politik und Gesellschaft im Mittleren Osten: Eine Region im Spannungsfeld politischer und gesellschaftlicher Transformation (Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft im Spannungsverhältnis der Regionen Südosteuropa und Mittlerer Osten)
by Christian Johannes HenrichIn diesem Sammelband werden die historischen, politischen und gesellschaftlichen Facetten der politischen Systeme der einzelnen Länder des Mittleren Ostens analysiert. Auch die Transformationsprozesse in den Gesellschaften im Kontext des Arabischen Frühlings, des Krieges in Syrien, des Bürgerkriegs in Libyen oder des Putsches in Ägypten spielen eine zentrale Rolle. Ebenfalls wird Israel beleuchtet, das als unvollständige Demokratie der einzige Hoffnungsschimmer im Umfeld zahlreicher autoritärer und totalitärer Systeme ist. Die Region ist zudem aufgrund der energiepolitischen Abhängigkeit sehr wichtig für die Europäische Union.
Polity, Practice, and the Mission of the United Methodist Church 2006
by Thomas Edward Frank"Commissioned by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for use in United Methodist doctrine/polity/history courses. " This in-depth analysis of the connection between United Methodist polity and theology addresses ways in which historical developments have shaped--and continue to shape--the organization of the church. This revised edition incorporates the actions of The United Methodist General Conference, 2004. The book discusses continuing reforms of the church's plan for baptism and church membership, as well as the emergence of deacon's orders and other changes to ordained ministry procedures. The text is now cross-referenced to the Book of Discipline, 2004, including the revised order of disciplinary chapters and paragraph numbering. Denominational statistics are updated, along with references to recent works on The United Methodist Church and American religious life.
Polity, Practice, and the Mission of The United Methodist Church: 2006 Edition
by Thomas E. Frank"Commissioned by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry for use in United Methodist doctrine/polity/history courses." This in-depth analysis of the connection between United Methodist polity and theology addresses ways in which historical developments have shaped--and continue to shape--the organization of the church.This revised edition incorporates the actions of The United Methodist General Conference, 2004. The book discusses continuing reforms of the church's plan for baptism and church membership, as well as the emergence of deacon's orders and other changes to ordained ministry procedures. The text is now cross-referenced to the Book of Discipline, 2004, including the revised order of disciplinary chapters and paragraph numbering. Denominational statistics are updated, along with references to recent works on The United Methodist Church and American religious life.
Polly (Ellie's People Ser. #7)
by Mary Borntrager"Polly Miller is confused. Why is her family moving to Texas? Will she have friends there? This great-granddaughter of Ellie (Ellie's People, book 1) belongs to a close-knit Amish family and community in Ohio. Her dad says they can earn more money in Texas to pay off their farm in Ohio. But he doesn't understand Polly's need for companionship. Polly finds a friend in Rose Ann, an englisch girl her age. Then she secretly sneaks out with Tom Dawson, a cowboy and rodeo performer. Tragedy stalks her. Will she find her way back to her Amish roots?" Look for this engrossing series about the lives of young people growing up, working, playing, falling in love and living according to the Amish and Mennonite religions of their families and friends. Look for #1 Ellie, #2 Rebecca, #3 Rachael, #4 Daniel, #5. Reuben, #6. Andy, #8. Sarah, #9. Mandy and #10. Annie.
Polly Brown: A Modern-Day Oliver With a Twist
by Tricia BennettPolly Brown is a young orphan girl, who struggles to cope with life in the harsh environment of a children&’s home. The story is set in a genteel English country town. One day a mysterious stranger knocks at the door and invites her on a roller-coaster, whirlwind adventure that changes her life forever. She begins a voyage of self-discovery, where she finds out that dreams can come true if you pursue them with all your heart.Polly Brown is an authentic story that walks readers through hardship and joys. Young adults will sympathize with Polly's difficult and authentic journey from negativity to faith in God's guiding over her life. Her struggles are not glossed over, nor are they treated with a "just believe" attitude. Through Polly's honest talks with God, readers will learn how to pray and cultivate a real, relevant relationship with their Creator.
Poltergeist Over England: Three Centuries Of Mischievous Ghosts (The Paranormal)
by Harry PriceAn extensive study of poltergeist phenomena which covers many historical cases researched from Price's own extensive occult library such as the Tedworth Drummer, Hinton Ampner, Willington Mill and the Bealings Bells as well as featuring cases with which Harry Price had personal involvement, namely Stella C, Eleonore Zungun, the Battersea poltergeist house & Borley Rectory.Harry Price begins by introducing readers to poltergeists, explaining what poltergeists actually are, the historical background around poltegeists, and what they do, before discussing specific poltergeist cases. With 12 photographs and accompanying explanatory commentaries, showing various places of poltergeist sightings, as well as a photograph of a poltergeist subject, this ebook will leave you full of knowledge and intrigue surrounding poltergeist phenomena.The Paranormal, the new ebook series from F&W Media International Ltd, resurrecting rare titles, classic publications and out-of-print texts, as well as new ebook titles on the supernatural - other-worldly books for the digital age. The series includes a range of paranormal subjects from angels, fairies and UFOs to near-death experiences, vampires, ghosts and witchcraft.
The Poltergeist Prince of London: The Remarkable True Story of the Battersea Poltergeist
by James Clark Shirley HitchingsIt began with a key. One afternoon in 1956, in the home of the Hitchings family in Battersea, south London, a small silver key appeared on Shirley Hitchings’ bed. This seemingly insignificant event heralded the beginning of one of the most terrifying, incredible and mysterious hauntings in British history. The spirit, who quickly became known as ‘Donald’, began to communicate, initially via tapping sounds, but over time - and with the encouragement of psychical researcher Harold Chibbett, whose case-files appear here – by learning to write. Soon, the spirit had begun to make simply incredible claims about his identity, insisting that he was one of the most famous figures in world history – but what was the truth? Here, for the first time, is the full story, told by the woman right at the heart of it all – Shirley herself.
Poltergeist! A Study in Destructive Haunting
by Colin WilsonA summary of various cases of unexplained phenomena in the occult world
Poltergeists: True Encounters With The World Beyond (True Encounters with the World Beyond #8)
by Hans HolzerParanormal expert Hanz Holzer investigates some of the most famous poltergeists in history Poltergeist is a German term that translates simply to “noisy ghost.” One of the main characteristics of a poltergeist is its high level of activity; it often manifests itself by moving or even throwing objects. Professor Hans Holzer reexamines these most menacing of hauntings, including the famous case of the Bell Witch of Tennessee, a nineteenth-century spirit, and the Millbrae Poltergeist, which crashes around a suburban home.
Polycentric Missiology: 21st-Century Mission from Everyone to Everywhere
by Allen YehThe Edinburgh 1910 World Missionary Conference was the most famous missions conference in modern church history. A century later, five conferences on five continents displayed the landscape of global mission at the dawn of the third millennium: Tokyo 2010, Edinburgh 2010, Cape Town 2010, 2010Boston, and CLADE V (San José, 2012). These five events provide a window into the state of world Christianity and contemporary missiology. Missiologist Allen Yeh, the only person to attend all five conferences, chronicles the recent history of world mission through the lenses of these landmark events. He assesses the legacy of Edinburgh 1910 and the development of world Christianity in the following century. Whereas Edinburgh 1910 symbolized Christendom's mission "from the West to the rest," the conferences of 2010-12 demonstrate the new realities of polycentric and polydirectional mission—from everyone to everywhere. Yeh's accounts of the conferences highlight the crucial missiological issues of our era: evangelism, frontier missions, ecumenism, unengaged and post-Christian populations, reconciliation, postmodernities, contextualization, postcolonialism, migration, and more. What emerges is a portrait of a contemporary global Christian mission that encompasses every continent, embodying good news for all nations.