Living Shi'ism : Instances of Ritualisation Among Islamist Men in Contemporary Iran /
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This book is about Iranian Islamism on grass-roots level. It provides a vivid, near-life portrait of young activist men who uphold this movement through their zealous support of revolutionary ideals and the present regime. It is based on interviews with a group of volunteers in the Iranian home guard movement known as basij during a period of four years. By focusing on beliefs and rituals of individual persons, it gives a unique picture of the shifting motifs behind Islamist engagement in today's Iran. The book contextualises the interviewed individuals within the wider framework of Iranian society and relates their stories to a discussion on ritual, emotion, embodiment and authority. It is of interest to anyone who seeks to understand the multifaceted driving forces behind Shi'ite Islamism today.
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1 online resource. :
9789004409248
9789004153455
Four Kingdom Motifs Before and Beyond the Book of Daniel /
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The four kingdoms motif enabled writers of various cultures, times, and places, to periodize history as the staged succession of empires barrelling towards an utopian age. The motif provided order to lived experiences under empire (the present), in view of ancestral traditions and cultural heritage (the past), and inspired outlooks assuring hope, deliverance, and restoration (the future). Four Kingdoms Motifs Before and Beyond the Book of Daniel includes thirteen essays that explore the reach and redeployment of the motif in classical and ancient Near Eastern writings, Jewish and Christian scriptures, texts among the Dead Sea Scrolls, Apocrypha and pseudepigrapha, depictions in European architecture and cartography, as well as patristic, rabbinic, Islamic, and African writings from antiquity through the Mediaeval eras.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004443280
9789004442795
The Prince and the Sufi : The Judeo-Persian Rendition of the Buddha Biographies /
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The Prince and the Sufi is the literary composition of the seventeenth-century Judeo-Persian poet Elisha ben Shmūel. In The Prince and the Sufi: The Judeo-Persian Rendition of the Buddha Biographies , Dalia Yasharpour provides a thorough analysis of this popular work to show how the Buddha's life story has undergone substantial transformation with the use of Jewish, Judeo-Persian and Persian-Islamic sources. The complete annotated edition of the text and the corresponding English translation are thorough and insightful. This scholarly study makes available to readers an important branch in the genealogical tree of the Buddha Biographies.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004442757
9789004442740
Hathor's alchemy : the ancient Egyptian roots of the hermetic art /
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Ever since alchemy first emerged in Graeco-Roman Egypt, alchemists have said their wisdom came from the pharaonic temples. Yet though the West has had unprecedented access to this hidden knowledge since the decipherment of hieroglyphs, ancient Egypt's connection with alchemy still remains obscure, doubted even by many. Focussing on the beautiful temples at Abu Simbel and Dendara, dedicated to the fiery serpent-eye goddess Hathor, this groundbreaking book explores for the first time the legacy left to alchemists by the pharaohs. It also goes deep into Ramesses VI's extraordinary tomb at Thebes to discover the secrets of growth and renewal guarded by Osiris and vivified by Hathor's copper love. Both metallurgical and mystical, these sacred secrets laid the foundations for the Hermetic art. The transmission initially came through Graeco-Egyptian and Jewish alchemists, then Islamic adepts, many of whom were Sufis belonging to an Akhmim alchemical lineage, until eventually Hathor's alchemy reached medieval Europe to inspire the 'rising dawn' tradition. And with a spiritual vision grounded in nature, it still has vital relevance for our world today.
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336 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 23 cm. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
0952423332
9780952423331
Fritz Meier, Nachgelassene Schriften, Band 1. Bemerkungen zur Mohammedverehrung, Teil 1. Die Segenssprechung über Mohammed /
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The centre of Islamic piety is the Prophet Mohammed whose perfection was eternal from pre-existence and who stands completely within God's grace. For the believers he occupies the most important role of intermediary between themselves and God. The Prophet's intercession is accepted, and through his intercession the believers hope their prayers will be heard and their wishes fulfilled. Invoking blessings on Mohammed is a means for attaining the effective help of the Prophet. Along with expressing thanks for the benefits mankind has received from Mohammed, it constitutes a preliminary to the intercession one hopes for from the Prophet. Fritz Meier, in part one of his Bemerkungen zur Mohammedverehrung Observations on the Veneration of the Prophet , has written a monograph about the tasliya which surveys the use and meaning of invoking blessings on the Prophet in the life of a Muslim.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004491076
9789004121102
The inimitable Qurʾān : some problems in English translations of the Qurʾān with reference to rhetorical features /
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In The Inimitable Qurʾān: Some Problems in English Translations of the Qurʾān with Reference to Rhetorical Features, Khalid Yahya Blankinship examines certain Arabic rhetorical features of the Qurʾān as represented in seven English translations. The author addresses the intersection of two important topics in Qurʾānic studies: the critique of the available English translations and the role of rhetoric in the interpretation of the Qurʾān. He identifies a number of figures characteristic of Qurʾanic style which represent some of the chief stumbling blocks for readers who are used to English in attempting to understand, interpret, and appreciate the text. The book should be useful to all those interested in rhetorical and translation studies and theory as well as Islamic studies.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004417441
Reading Proclus and the Book of causes : Western scholarly networks and debates /
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Reading Proclus and the Book of Causes, published in three volumes, is a fresh, comprehensive understanding of Proclus' legacy in the Hellenic, Byzantine, Islamic, Latin and Hebrew traditions. The history of the Book of Causes, an Islamic adaptation of mainly Proclus' Elements of Theology and Plotinus' Enneads , is reconsidered on the basis of newly discovered manuscripts. This first volume enriches our understanding of the diverse reception of Proclus' Elements of Theology and of the Book of Causes in the Western tradition where universities and religious schools offered unparalleled conditions of diffusion. The volume sheds light on overlooked authors, texts, literary genres and libraries from all major European universities from the 12th to the 16th centuries.
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"The majority of contributions reunited in this volume were first presented during the first of the three sessions of the conference "Les Elements de theologie et le Livre des causes du Ve au XVIIe siecle". It took place at the Ecole pratique des hautes etudes, Paris, on 13-14 November 2015. The second took place on 12-13t February 2016, and the third on 14-15-16 April 2016." :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004395114 :
1871-188x ;
Zar : spirit possession, music, and healing rituals in Egypt /
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"Zar is both a possessing spirit and a set of reconciliation rites between the spirits and their human hosts: living in a parallel yet invisible world, the capricious spirits manifest their anger by causing ailments for their hosts, which require ritual reconciliation, a private sacrificial rite practiced routinely by the afflicted devotees. Originally spread from Ethiopia to the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf through the nineteenth-century slave trade, in Egypt zar has incorporated elements from popular Islamic Sufi practices, including devotion to Christian and Muslim saints. The ceremonies initiate devotees-the majority of whom are Muslim women-into a community centered on a cult leader, a membership that provides them with moral orientation, social support, and a sense of belonging. Practicing zar rituals, dancing to zar songs, and experiencing trance restore their well-being, which had been compromised by gender asymmetry and globalization.This new ethnographic study of zar in Egypt is based on the author's two years of multi-sited fieldwork and firsthand knowledge as a participant, and her collection and analysis of more than three hundred zar songs, allowing her to access levels of meaning that had previously been overlooked. The result is a comprehensive and accessible exposition of the history, culture, and waning practice of zar in a modernizing world"--Front flap of book jacket.
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xi, 180 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations ; 24 cm. :
Includes bibliographical references (pages 161-171) and index. :
9789774166976
Az nuskhahā-yi Istānbūl : Dastnivīshā-ī dar falsafah, kalām, ʿirfān /
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For those working with Islamic manuscripts the libraries of Istanbul have always been a treasure-trove. New discoveries are frequently reported and of many texts, the oldest or only copy is kept in some library in Istanbul. Since the publication of the defters of the Istanbul libraries in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, many more catalogues and handlists have been produced in an effort to render the immense amount of material more accessible. Even if the bulk of this work is done by Turkish specialists, foreign scholars, too, do their part. The present collection of research notes is a case in point. They describe a number of important Arabic and Persian manuscripts in philosophy, theology and mysticism selected for publication by the Written Heritage Research Centre in Tehran. Some of these manuscripts are in the hand of, or contain marginalia by, Naṣīr al-Dīn Ṭūsī (d. 672/1274), Najm al-Dīn Kātibī (d. 675/1276), and others.
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1 online resource. :
9789004406018
9786002030399
The mirage of the Saracen : Christians and nomads in the Sinai Peninsula in late antiquity /
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The Mirage of the Saracen analyzes the growth of monasticism and Christian settlements in the Sinai Peninsula through the early seventh century CE. Walter D. Ward examines the ways in which Christian monks justified occupying the Sinai through creating associations between Biblical narratives and Sinai sites while assigning uncivilized, negative, and oppositional traits to the indigenous nomadic population, whom the Christians pejoratively called "Saracens." By writing edifying tales of hostile nomads and the ensuing martyrdom of the monks, Christians not only reinforced their claims to the spiritual benefits of asceticism but also also provoked the Roman authorities to enhance defense of pilgrimage routes to the Sinai. When Muslim armies later began conquering the Middle East, Christians also labeled these new conquerors as Saracens, connecting Muslims to these pre-Islamic representations. This timely and relevant work builds a historical account of interreligious encounters in the ancient world, showing the Sinai as a crucible for forging long-lasting images of both Christians and Muslims, some of which endure today.'--Provided by publisher.
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xxvii, 193 pages : illustraitons, maps ; 24 cm. :
Includes bibliographical references (pages 155-187) and index. :
9780520283770 :
https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/staffView?searchId=33717&recPointer=0&recCount=25&searchType=0&bibId=18124711
Noura
Manichaeism in Central Asia and China /
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The discovery of genuine Manichaean texts from sites like Turfan and Tun-huang since the beginning of the century has greatly increased our knowledge of the teaching of Manichaeism and of its amazing geographical spread in pre-Islamic times. This volume brings together the contributions by a leading authority on the subject including a long survey article on the history of the discovery of the texts from Central Asia as well as articles focusing on some of these texts and on the incredible history of adaptation and survival of the sect in China proper. The studies include many Chinese texts on Manichaeism made available for the first time in their original scripts and in translation. The volume also contains the first ever working catalogue of all Manichaean texts (in western as well as oriental languages) published up to 1997.
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004439832
9789004104051
Envisioning Magic, A Princeton Seminar and Symposium.
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This collection of twelve articles presents a selection of papers delivered in the course of a seminar 1994-95 and its concluding international symposium at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. The common theme is the interrelation between magic and religion, focussing particularly on the Mediterranean world in Antiquity - Egyptian, Graeco-Roman and Jewish beliefs and customs - but also treating the early modern period in Northern Europe (the Netherlands and Germany) as well as offering more general reflections on elements of magic in language and Jewish mysticism. The volume is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach and the use of varied methodologies, emphasizing the dynamic nature of the often contradictory forces shaping religious beliefs and practices, while dismissing the idea of a linear development from magic to religion or vice versa. The contributors are outstanding scholars in their fields: Ancient, Medieval and Modern History, Religious Studies, Jewish Studies, Classical Studies, Early Christianity, Islamic Studies, Anthropology, Egyptology and Comparative Literature. Without a doubt this re-evaluation of a fascinating age-old subject will stimulate scholarly discussion and appeal to educated non-specialist readers as well.
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1 online resource. :
9789004378971
A Companion to Comparative Theology /
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A Companion to Comparative Theology offers a unique survey of a rapidly developing field of modern theology in 32 chapters coordinated by five editors. Its first part discusses some of the main historical developments in theology and religious studies before 1985 that are relevant for understanding contemporary approaches in comparative theology. The main part of the companion traces developments in five specific areas of comparative research, starting with classical approaches by Christian comparative theologians, and continuing with responses by scholars from Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist and Chinese religious comparative perspectives. The final part of the companion highlights a number of new avenues in comparative theology, discussing new methods, new forms of awareness, new partnerships with other fields of study, and finally some preliminary conclusions. Contributors are: Nadeen Mustafa A Alsulaimi, María Enid Barga, Bede Benjamin Bidlack, André van der Braak, Francis X. Clooney, Catherine Cornille, Jonathan Edelmann, Marianne Farina, James L. Fredericks, Rouyan Gu, Paul Hedges, Holly Hilgardner, Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, Louis Komjathy, Christian S. Krokus, LAI, Pan-chiu, Kristin Johnston Largen, John Makransky, Jerry L. Martin, Vahid Mahdavi Mehr, Marianne Moyaert, Emmanuel Nathan, Robert Cummings Neville, Hugh Nicholson, Jerusha Tanner Rhodes, Devorah Schoenfeld, Klaus von Stosch, Axel Marc Oaks Takacs, Pim Valkenberg, Maureen L. Walsh, Kijin James Wu
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1 online resource :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004388390
9789004388383
Scriptural Interpretation at the Interface between Education and Religion, In Memory of Hans Conzelmann.
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Scriptural Interpretation at the Interface between Education and Religion examines prominent texts from Jewish, Christian, and Islamic communities with a view to determining to what extent education ( Bildung ) represents the precondition, the central feature and/or the aim of the interpretation of 'Holy Scripture' in antiquity. In particular, consideration is given to the exegetical techniques, the hermeneutical convictions and the contexts of intercultural exchange which determine the process of interpretation. The volume contains a methodological reflection as well as investigations of scriptural interpretation in Jewish texts from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C.E., in New Testament writings, and in witnesses from late ancient Christianity and in the Qur'an. Finally, it contains a critical appraisal of the scholarly oeuvre of Hans Conzelmann. This work thus fosters scholarly understanding of the function of scriptural interpretation at the interface between education and religion.
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1 online resource. :
9789004385696
Theory and Practice of Yoga, Essays in Honour of Gerald James Larson.
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This collection of original essays provides fascinating insights into yoga as a historical and pluralistic phenomenon flourishing in a variety of religious and philosophical contexts. They cover a wide variety of traditions and topics related to Yoga: Classical Yoga, Sāṃkhya, Tantric Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, the Guru, Indic Islamic traditions of Yoga, Yoga and asceticism in contemporary India, and the reception of Yoga in the West. The essays are written by eighteen professors in the field of the history of religions, most of them former graduate students of Gerald James Larson, Larson is Rabindranath Tagore Professor Emeritus, Indiana University, Bloomington, Professor Emeritus, Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, an internationally acclaimed scholar on the history of religions and philosophies of India, and one of the world's foremost authorities on the Samkhya and Yoga traditions. The publication is in honour of him.
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1 online resource. :
9789047416333
Later Platonists and their Heirs among Christians, Jews, and Muslims /
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Later Platonists and their Heirs among Christians, Jews and Muslims offers a thought-provoking exploration of the reception of Platonism among communities of faith from early Christianity to the sixteenth century, from the Byzantine East to the Latin West. Rare emphasis is placed on the importance of Platonic thought and its diffusion in late antique and medieval Syria, Armenia, and Georgia but also among Arab and Jewish intellectuals from the seventh century onwards. As such, the volume makes a statement against the separation of Neoplatonic philosophy from Christianity and the other Abrahamic faiths, since all four traditions promoted a life of virtue and goodness despite operating under different divine auspices. The volume seeks to establish paths of transmission and modes of adaptation across times and places.
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1 online resource :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004450264
9789004527850
The European image of God and man : a contribution to the debate on human rights /
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The present volumes unites papers which explore the European image of god and man as the unquestioned basis of the concept which determines what western society defines as human rights and puts it in an intercultural context by comparative essays on chinese, islamic and buddhist thinking. The volume covers issues which range from classical antiquity until contemporary philosophy and science.
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Proceedings of a conference held in July 2009 at the Accademia di studi italodeschi, Meran, Italy. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004193789 :
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