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What is Humanism and Why Does it Matter? (Studies in Humanist Thought and Praxis)
by Anthony B. PinnWe live in a world of social, political, economic, and religious rupture. Ideologies polarise to fuel confrontation within communities, nations and regions of the world. At this point in the twenty-first century, humanism's focus on reason, ethics and justice offers the potential to rethink and re-engage in new ways. "What Is Humanism, and Why Does It Matter?" brings together leading humanist thinkers and activists to examine humanism and how it can work in the world. Humanism is often misunderstood. The movement includes both atheists and agnostics, who seek to make ethical sense of the world based on shared human values and a concern for human welfare, happiness and fulfillment. "What Is Humanism, and Why Does It Matter?" presents an overview and exploration of the meaning and nature of humanism, both as a philosophy and as a way of engaging with the challenges of the world.
What is Hypnosis?
by Tom Fortes MayerThis book debunks the frequent myths of hypnosis as something only done on stage, for entertainment, or as something mysterious and manipulative, instead making plain and simple the power we have to change for the better how we think, feel and behave simply by considering how we use our mind and our language, and the permission (or not) that we give others to influence us. After an insightful introduction about why the subject of Hypnosis is so worth exploring and the many benefits it can bring, each main chapter then addresses a key question: Where did hypnosis come from and how has it developed over time? How does hypnosis really work? Are there different types of hypnosis? How can it change my life? What are the most powerful techniques? How can I bring hypnosis into my daily life? And, finally, what are the wider social benefits of hypnosis and how can it change the consciousness of the world? As such, this book brings readers on an exploratory journey through the world of hypnosis, uncovering its immense therapeutic and healing power, and showing readers how to tap into this power for the purposes of personal transformation, so that we can ?all lead more authentic, connected, contented lives.
What Is Islam?
by Shahab AhmedWhat is Islam? How do we grasp a human and historical phenomenon characterized by such variety and contradiction? What is "Islamic" about Islamic philosophy or Islamic art? Should we speak of Islam or of islams? Should we distinguish the Islamic (the religious) from the Islamicate (the cultural)? Or should we abandon "Islamic" altogether as an analytical term?In What Is Islam?, Shahab Ahmed presents a bold new conceptualization of Islam that challenges dominant understandings grounded in the categories of "religion" and "culture" or those that privilege law and scripture. He argues that these modes of thinking obstruct us from understanding Islam, distorting it, diminishing it, and rendering it incoherent.What Is Islam? formulates a new conceptual language for analyzing Islam. It presents a new paradigm of how Muslims have historically understood divine revelation--one that enables us to understand how and why Muslims through history have embraced values such as exploration, ambiguity, aestheticization, polyvalence, and relativism, as well as practices such as figural art, music, and even wine drinking as Islamic. It also puts forward a new understanding of the historical constitution of Islamic law and its relationship to philosophical ethics and political theory.A book that is certain to provoke debate and significantly alter our understanding of Islam, What Is Islam? reveals how Muslims have historically conceived of and lived with Islam as norms and truths that are at once contradictory yet coherent.
What is Islamic Philosophy?
by Roy JacksonWhat is Islamic Philosophy? offers a broad introduction to Islamic thought, from its origins to the many challenging issues facing Muslims in the contemporary world. The chapters explore early Islamic philosophy and trace its development through key themes and figures up to the twenty-first century. Topics covered include: ethical issues such as just war, abortion, women’s rights, homosexuality and cloning questions in political philosophy regarding what kind of Islamic state could exist and how democratic can (or should) Islam really be the contribution of Islam to ‘big questions’ such as the existence of God, the concept of the soul, and what constitutes truth. This fresh and original book includes a helpful glossary and suggestions for further reading. It is ideal for students coming to the subject for the first time as well as anyone wanting to learn about the philosophical tradition and dilemmas that are part of the Islamic worldview.
What Is Jesus Doing?: God's Activity in the Life and Work of the Church
by Edwin Chr. Van DrielJesus is present here and now, Christians have always affirmed. But how are we to understand his present activity in a challenging, post-Christian context?What Is Jesus Doing?David FergussonDwight J. ZscheileScott J. HagleyCraig BarnesRoger OwensAnthony B. RobinsonWill WillimonAndrew RootJohn D. WitvlietNicholas WolterstorffAngela Dienhart HancockTrygve D. Johnson
What Is Life and How Might It Be Sustained?: Reflections in a Pandemic
by Jim LynchHow did the universe and life begin and what are the threats to people and the environment in a pandemic? This book is for anybody with interest in protecting life on the planet. Studies on the origin of life and scientific contributions to safeguarding the planet are examined in light of current thinking on climate change. A major focus is the spread of microbes, put in the context of environmental assessment and management, including descriptions of microbiomes and a consideration of the risks of genetic modifications. Professor Lynch shows how failure to control disease can lead to the collapse of any biotic population. To avoid this, the ethics of management of disease by biological control and by vaccination are discussed, at the practical level and in a moral theological context.
WHAT IS MAN?: Adam, Alien or Ape?
by Edgar AndrewsIn 1906, American humorist Mark Twain published a sixty-page essay entitled “What is man?” Consisting of an interminable dialogue between a senior citizen (who believes that man is just a machine) and a young man (who believes nothing in particular but is open to persuasion), it wasn’t one of his finest books. But at least he tried. Authors since then seem to have avoided the subject like the plague, often tackling the respective roles of men and women in society but seldom asking deeper questions about what it means to be human. When the psalmist asked, “What is man?” (Psalm 8 v.4) he was, I think, seeking an altogether more profound answer.Avoidance of the subject is all the more strange because there has never been a time like our own when curiosity about human origins and destiny has been greater, or the answers on offer more hotly disputed. It’s a safe bet that any attempt to give the “big picture” on the origin, nature and specialness of mankind will be contentious —which might explain why writers have generally fought shy of it. Yet at heart it is the question most of us really do want answered, because the answer defines that precious thing we call our identity, both personally and as a race.The Psalmist did, of course, offer his own answer three millennia ago. Man, he claimed, was created by God for a clearly defined purpose — to exercise dominion over planet earth and (by implication) to ultimately share something of the glory of the divine nature. The rest, as they say, is history, but it’s not a happy tale. As Mark Twain says in another essay; “I can’t help being disappointed with Adam and Eve”. Not surprisingly, then, a large proportion of humanity today are looking for alternative solutions, accepting the challenge of the Psalmist’s question without embracing the optimism of his answer.In this book we are going to consider the alternative solutions on offer by considering what it means to be human against the backgrounds of cosmology (man’s place in the universe), biology (man’s place in the animal kingdom), and psychology (man’s consciousness and mind). Finally, we return to the biblical context, arguing that the Psalmist got it right after all.Don’t let the science-sounding stuff put you off. Like its popular prequel, “Who made God? Searching for a theory of everything”, this book is written with a light touch in a reader-friendly and often humorous style. It is intended specifically for the non-expert, with homely verbal illustrations designed to explain and unpack the technicalities for the lay-person. As Dr. Paul Copan (Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics, Palm Beach Atlantic University) says, "Edgar Andrews has a way of making the profound accessible. His scholarship informs the reader about key questions of our time, offering wise guidance and illumination."
What Is Meditation?: Buddhism for Everyone
by Ron NairnWhat Is Meditation? explains the Buddhist worldview and the age-old practice it perfected to unfold our innate qualities of compassion, self-acceptance, and inner peace. Rob Nairn gives step-by-step instructions for beginning your own meditation practice, including three simple exercises--"Bare Attention," "Remaining in the Present," and "Meditation Using Sound"--to help get you started.
What is Mormonism?: A Student's Introduction (What is this thing called Religion?)
by Patrick Q. MasonWhat is Mormonism? A Student’s Introduction is an easy-to-read and informative overview of the religion founded by Joseph Smith in 1830. This short and lively book covers Mormonism’s history, core beliefs, rituals, and devotional practices, as well as the impact on the daily lives of its followers. The book focuses on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Salt Lake City-based church that is the largest and best-known expression of Mormonism, whilst also exploring lesser known churches that claim descent from Smith’s original revelations. Designed for undergraduate religious studies and history students, What is Mormonism? provides a reliable and easily digestible introduction to a steadily growing religion that continues to befuddle even learned observers of American religion and culture.
What is My Destiny?: A Guided Journal to Help You Unlock the Secrets of Your Future
by Astrid CarvelThis guided journal contains everything you need to learn the skills of the clairvoyant and decipher messages from the universeThe ability to foresee our future is something we all long for, and with the help of this guided journal you’ll find yourself harnessing your psychic abilities in no time. From naeviology to numerology, tasseography to tarot and everything in between, this book will be your ultimate guide to fortune telling.Discover the fascinating history behind different divination techniques and how to tap into your own magical abilities with step-by-step instructions and thought-provoking questions. Packed with activities, methods and space to log your interpretations and findings, this book will help you develop your psychic gifts and discover your true path.Learn how to:Analyze the lines and formations of your palmCreate your own dowsing rods and master the art of rhabdomancyInterpret the meaning behind your dreamsDecipher your birth chartYour destiny awaits!
What Is A Near Death Experience?
by Dr Penny SartoriDeath is the only certainty in life yet many people shy away from thinking about it until something drastic happens such as the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness, or the sudden death of a loved one, which can throw us into turmoil. Yet, paradoxically, contemplating death and the frequently-experienced phenomenon of near-death experiences (NDEs) - which are so little recognised and supported within the traditional medical environment - can really help alter our relationship with death and release us from the fear that often surrounds it.After an insightful introduction about why the subject of NDEs is so worth exploring, each chapter in this book addresses a key question: What are the Characteristics of an NDE, and are there different types? Are all NDE experiences pleasant, or can some be distressing? Who has NDEs and under what circumstances do they occur? How do they affect the people who have them, and how can this change their lives? How can NDEs be scientifically explained - aren't they just hallucinations? What can we learn from NDEs, and can they change our attitude to life and death? Can a greater understanding of NDEs lead to an evolution in our consciousness and an enhanced sense of spirituality?As such, this book really brings readers on an exploratory journey through the world of NDEs, challenging preconceptions about what they are and the impact they can have, encouraging us to accept and feel empowered by death, rather than living in fear of it, and giving us useful insights about life along the way.From the Trade Paperback edition.
What is Religion?
by Robert CrawfordWe all know what religion is - or do we? Confronted with religious pluralism and cultural diversity, it manifests itself in many forms. What is Religion? serves not only as an introduction to the different belief systems flourishing throughout the modern world, but asks us to consider how the very boundaries of faith might be drawn now and in the future. How might religion interact with political ends, or permeate culture, society and everyday life? Is the post-secular world in thrall to 'religions' of its own kind - materialism, humanism, medicine, science? And what logic separates 'common-sense' or academic knowledge from the immutable but unstable boudaries of faith? Which is the more certain? What does it mean to believe?Combining clear accounts of contemporary global religious practice with an incisive philosophical interrogation of the dynamics and aims of belief, What is Religion? offers a fresh and wide-ranging introduction to the perennial human questions of ritual, faith, ethics and salvation.
What Is Religion?
by Richard CurtisIn this book Richard Curtis argues that religion is a universal human phenomenon regardless of content. In popular culture religion is understood to be belief in supernatural things but specialists in the field usually use a generic definition. Dr. Curtis, here, offers his theory of the nature of religion, which is open as to content (that is compatible with theistic and atheistic positions), based on the latest insights from Philosophy of Mind, the Social Sciences and the Cognitive Sciences.
What is Religion?
by Jeppe Sinding JensenReligious belief is one of the most pervasive and ubiquitous characteristics of human society. Religion has shadowed and illuminated human lives since primitive times, shaping the world views of cultures from isolated tribes to vast empires. Starting from the premise that religion is a concept which can be analysed and compared across time and cultures, What is Religion? brings the most up-to-date scholarship to bear on humankind’s most enduring creation. The book opens with a brief history of the idea of religion, then divides the study of religion into four essential topics - types, representations, practices, and institutions – and concludes with a final, eye-opening chapter on religion today. Packed with case studies from a wide range of religions, past and present, What is Religion? offers a very current, comprehensive, yet intellectually challenging overview of the history, theories, practices, and study of religion. Accessible, wide-ranging, engaging, and short, What is Religion? is written primarily for undergraduate students in the study of religion, but it will also be invaluable for students of anthropology, history, psychology, sociology, and theology as well as anyone interested in how and why humans came and continue to be religious.
What Is Religion?
by Jeppe Sinding JensenStarting from the premise that religion is a human endeavour that can be analysed and compared across time and cultures, What Is Religion? brings the most up-to-date scholarship to bear on humankind’s most enduring creation. Religious belief is one of the most pervasive and ubiquitous characteristics of human society. Religion has influenced human lives since prehistoric times, shaping the world views of cultures from isolated tribes to vast empires. The book opens with a brief history of the idea of religion, then divides the study of religion into four essential topics – types, representations, practices and institutions – and concludes with a final, eye-opening chapter on religion today. Packed with case studies from a wide range of religions, past and present, What Is Religion? offers a very current, comprehensive, yet intellectually challenging, overview of the history, theories, practices and study of religion. Thoroughly updated throughout, this second edition provides an accessible, wide-ranging, engaging and concise book for undergraduate students in the study of religion. It is also invaluable for students of anthropology, history, psychology, sociology and theology as well as anyone interested in how and why humans became and continue to be religious.
What is Religion? (Routledge Revivals)
by Alban G. WidgeryFirst Published in 1953 What is Religion provides an understanding of religious faith which embraces all of the great and enduring religions. In the process it strips off the irrelevant and inconsequential which every religion accumulates in the course of time, and gets in back of rigid formulations of faith to the primary experiences of the single religious man. Through its detailed consideration of world faiths runs an appealing and consistent philosophy of religion for everyman. Alban Widgery’s aim throughout is constructive, with the purpose of showing religion as supreme in life and of defending its beliefs against forms of antireligious thought. He maintains that the view he presents is more true of religion as it has been in history and also to the general conditions of mankind. This book is a must read for scholars and researchers of philosophy of religion and religion in general.
What Is Religious Authority?: Cultivating Islamic Communities in Indonesia (Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics #84)
by Ismail Fajrie AlatasAn anthropologist's groundbreaking account of how Islamic religious authority is assembled through the unceasing labor of community building on the island of JavaThis compelling book draws on Ismail Fajrie Alatas's unique insights as an anthropologist to provide a new understanding of Islamic religious authority, showing how religious leaders unite diverse aspects of life and contest differing Muslim perspectives to create distinctly Muslim communities.Taking readers from the eighteenth century to today, Alatas traces the movements of Muslim saints and scholars from Yemen to Indonesia and looks at how they traversed complex cultural settings while opening new channels for the transmission of Islamic teachings. He describes the rise to prominence of Indonesia's leading Sufi master, Habib Luthfi, and his rivalries with competing religious leaders, revealing why some Muslim voices become authoritative while others don't. Alatas examines how Habib Luthfi has used the infrastructures of the Sufi order and the Indonesian state to build a durable religious community, while deploying genealogy and hagiography to present himself as a successor of the Prophet Muḥammad.Challenging prevailing conceptions of what it means to be Muslim, What Is Religious Authority? demonstrates how the concrete and sustained labors of translation, mobilization, collaboration, and competition are the very dynamics that give Islam its power and diversity.
What is Religious Ethics?: An Introduction (What is this thing called Religion?)
by Irene OhWhat is Religious Ethics? An Introduction is an accessible and informative overview to major themes and methods in religious ethics. This concise and lively book demonstrates the relevance and importance of ethics based in religious traditions and describes how scholars of religious ethics think through moral problems. Combining an issues-based approach with a model of studying ethics religion-by-religion, this volume examines pressing topics through a variety of belief systems—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism—while also importantly spotlighting Indigenous communities. Engaging case studies invite readers to consider the role of religions with regard to issues such as: CRISPR Vegetarianism Nuclear weapons Women’s leadership Reparations for slavery What is Religious Ethics? is a reliable and easily digestible introduction to the field. With chronologically structured chapters, discussion questions, suggestions for further reading, and interviews with scholars of religious ethics, this is an ideal guide to those approaching the study of religious ethics for the first time.
What Is Religious Life? Questions Religious Are Asking
by Fr. Thomas DubayDubay answers questions to help people gain a clearer understanding of the theological dimensions of the religious life
What Is Self?: A Study of the Spiritual Journey in Terms of Consciousness
by Bernadette RobertsThe renowned contemporary mystic and author of The Experience of No-Self presents her philosophical treatise on the nature of Self and God. As a Carmelite nun, Bernadette Roberts pursued a life in union with God. She wrote compellingly about her contemplative spiritual journey in her memoirs The Experience of No-Self and The Path of No-Self. Now she builds on the wisdom she gained, exploring the ultimate consciousness that transcends self and experience. In What Is Self?, Ms. Roberts explains her conceptions of the ego, the self, and the revelations of the contemplative life. Deeply personal and profoundly spiritual, this latest effort puts all of Bernadette&’s insights into clearer and sharper perspective—as though her own journey has grown clearer with distance.
What is Shi'i Islam?: An Introduction (Routledge Persian and Shi'i Studies #3)
by Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi Christian Jambet<p>For the public at large Shi’ism often implies a host of confused representations, suggesting more often than not obscurantism, intolerance, political violence and other ignominies running hot or cold in response to world events. In fact for many people, Shi’ism stands for "radical Islam", or – worse – "Islamic terrorism". In some respects, nothing is more familiar than Shi’ism, and yet nothing is more misunderstood. For some twenty years the media have increased their coverage of the phenomenon. Never, or only rarely, do they formulate the question we ask here: what is Shi’ism? What is this belief that inspires millions of people dispersed throughout the world? <p>This book provides a broad based introduction to Shi’i Islam. It examines what the Shi’i believe, how they see themselves and how they view the world. It includes a thorough examination of doctrine, philosophy, the Shi’i approach to the Qur’an and the historical evolution of Shi’ism as a branch of Islam. Too often, and too quickly, the conclusion is drawn that Shi’ism is a marginal heretical sect, fundamentally alien to the deeper truth of the great religion of Islam, thrust by historical accident onto the political stage. Shi’ism either speaks the truth of Islam, meaning that it is a truth of terror, or it is entirely foreign to Islam and, therefore, merits outright rejection, as Islamic fundamentalists and some individuals repeatedly claim. This book intends to explain why such common misunderstandings of Shi’ism have taken root. <p>Written in an accessible format and providing a thorough overview of Shi’ism, this book will be an essential text for students and scholars of Islamic Studies or Iranian Studies.</p>
What is Systematic Theology?
by Robert Doran, S.J.In his classic work Method in Theology, Bernard Lonergan left many questions unanswered in regard to his treatment of systematics. In What Is Systematic Theology? Robert M. Doran attempts to articulate and respond to these questions. Doran begins by accepting four emphases presented by Lonergan concerning systematics: first, that its principal function is the hypothetical and analogical understanding of the mysteries of faith; second, that it should begin with those mysteries of faith that have received dogmatic status; third, that it must proceed in the 'order of teaching' rather than the 'order of discovery'; and last, that it must be explanatory rather than merely descriptive. He then addresses questions that are raised by each of these emphases. What Is Systematic Theology? is the most thorough attempt undertaken to date to advance Lonergan's program for systematics, fully in the spirit of his work but addressing issues that he left to others. Doran's idea of a core set of meanings for systematics – or a 'unified field structure' – is highly original, as is the integration of the systematic ideal and contemporary historical consciousness.
What Is Talmud?: The Art of Disagreement
by Sergey DolgopolskiTrue disagreements are hard to achieve, and even harder to maintain, for the ghost of final agreement constantly haunts them. The Babylonian Talmud, however, escapes from that ghost of agreement, and provokes unsettling questions: Are there any conditions under which disagreement might constitute a genuine relationship between minds? Are disagreements always only temporary steps toward final agreement? Must a community of disagreement always imply agreement, as in an agreement to disagree? What is Talmud? rethinks the task of philological, literary, historical, and cultural analysis of the Talmud. It introduces an aspect of this task that has best been approximated by the philosophical, anthropological, and ontological interrogation of human being in relationship to the Other-whether animal, divine, or human. In both engagement and disengagement with post-Heideggerian traditions of thought, Sergey Dogopolski complements philological-historical and cultural approaches to the Talmud with a rigorous anthropological, ontological, and Talmudic inquiry. He redefines the place of the Talmud and its study, both traditional and academic, in the intellectual map of the West, arguing that Talmud is a scholarly art of its own and represents a fundamental intellectual discipline, not a mere application of logical, grammatical, or even rhetorical arts for the purpose of textual hermeneutics. In Talmudic intellectual art, disagreement is a fundamental category. What Is Talmud? rediscovers disagreement as the ultimate condition of finite human existence or co-existence.
What Is Tao?
by Alan WattsAlan Watts — noted author and respected authority on Far Eastern thought — studied Taoism extensively, and in his final years moved to a quiet cabin in the mountains and dedicated himself almost exclusively to meditating and writing on the Tao. This new book gives us an opportunity to not only understand the concept of the Tao but to experience the Tao as a personal practice of liberation from the limitations imposed by the common beliefs within our culture. The philosophy of the Tao offers a way to understand the value of ourselves as free-willed individuals enfolded within the ever-changing patterns of nature. The path of the Tao is perhaps the most puzzling way of liberation to come to us from the Far East in the last century. It is both practical and esoteric, and it has a surprisingly comfortable quality of thought that is often overlooked by Western readers who never venture beyond the unfamiliar quality of the word Tao (pronounced "dow"). But those who do soon discover a way of understanding and living with the world that has profound implications for us today in so-called modern societies. The word Tao means the Way — in the sense of a path, a way to go — but it also means nature, in the sense of one's true nature, and the nature of the universe. Often described as the philosophy of nature, we find the origins of Taoism in the shamanic world of pre-Dynastic China. Living close to the earth, one sees the wisdom of not interfering, and letting things go their way. It is the wisdom of swimming with the current, splitting wood along the grain, and seeking to understand human nature instead of changing it. Every creature finds it's way according to the laws of nature, and each of us has our own inner path — or Tao.
What Is the Bible?: How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything
by Rob BellInstant New York Times Bestseller Rob Bell, the beloved author of Love Wins and What We Talk About When We Talk About God, goes deep into the Bible to show how it is more revelatory, revolutionary, and relevant than we ever imagined—and offers a cogent argument for why we need to look at it in a fresh, new way.In Love Wins, Rob Bell confronted the troubling questions that many people of faith were afraid to ask about heaven, hell, fate, and faith. Using the same inspired, inquisitive approach, he now turns to our most sacred book, the Bible. What Is the Bible? provides insights and answers that make clear why the Bible is so revered and what makes it truly inspiring and essential to our lives.Rob takes us deep into actual passages to reveal the humanity behind the Scriptures. You cannot get to the holy without going through the human, Rob tells us. When considering a passage, we shouldn’t ask "Why did God say . . .?" To get to the heart of the Bible’s meaning, we should be asking: "What’s the story that’s unfolding here and why did people find it important to tell it? What was it that moved them to record these words? What was happening in the world at that time? What does this passage/story/poem/verse/book tell us about how people understood who they were and who God was at that time?" In asking these questions, Rob goes beyond the one-dimensional question of "is it true?" to reveal the Bible’s authentic transformative power.Rob addresses the concerns of all those who see the Bible as God’s Word but are troubled by the ethical dilemmas, errors, and inconsistencies in Scripture. With What Is the Bible?, he recaptures the Good Book’s magic and reaffirms its power and inspiration to shape and inspire our lives today.