You may have to register before you can download all our books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
Contemporary Islamic theology remains a neglected area in studies on Islam. This work is dedicated to the thought and ideas of Said Nursi (1876–1960), one of the most prominent Muslim theologians of the twentieth century. Nursi inspired a faith movement—the Nur community—that originated in Turkey. It continues to play a key role in the revival of Islam and now numbers several millions of followers worldwide. His legacy and impact deserve therefore to be examined more closely. This volume is the most substantial overview in English of the inspiration of Said Nursi and his masterpiece the Risale-i Nur. In the beginning, the essays provide the reader with Nursi’s historical context and biography. Then Nursi’s theological views, his understanding of society, and ideas on politics are placed under the spotlight. Over the last twenty years, more and more comparative religion specialists in the West have become acquainted with Said Nursi. Nursi studies is now an established discipline, and this volume is a celebration of that reality. As it reveals, Muslims and Christians are grappling with the wisdom of this remarkable, rich thinker.
Set against an ethical-theological-philosophical framework of the role of love in the Abrahamic tradition (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), The Ethics of Hospitality highlights the personal witness of refugee families seeking asylum from the Northern Triangle in Central America to the U.S. Their heart-wrenching stories include why they fled their homelands, their experiences along the arduous overland journey, and their inhospitable reception when they arrived to the U.S. and requested asylum. It includes an overview of the systemic connections between the U.S. and the violence which catapults these families to seek safety. The voices of the families join the witness of interreligious volunteers of greater San Antonio who assist the refugee families in diverse capacities and who testify to the mutual blessing they receive when love of God, expressed as love of neighbor, becomes central to the immigration conversation. Ultimately, the proposal is that the interreligious community has the privilege and responsibility to respond in love with refugees seeking asylum, while also leading the outcry in the public square for their radical welcome.
Sacred Snaps tells the story of a new approach to interfaith engagement. It is an invitation to see and engage religion, diversity, and inclusion through the lens of the mobile phone camera. These days, just about everyone owns a camera equipped cell phone. What if we recruited these cameras for the common good? When religion shows up in everyday life—at work, school, the mall, or the beach—often it is not welcome. At a time when so much of the public discourse is around equity, diversity, and inclusion, religion seems peripheral to the conversation. Many embrace the wisdom that our workplaces, schools, and communities are enhanced when people can bring their whole selves into every aspe...
This official biography tells the compelling story of the Rt. Rev. Mark Dyer—one of the most influential, beloved leaders of the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The legacy of Christian mission seems beyond dispute. Western churches carried imperialist and racist assumptions as they evangelized and encouraged the formation of indigenous churches. Amid those realities a different sensibility took root. As the history of Virginia Theological Seminary illustrates, missionaries who were alumni adapted to contextual circumstances in ways that challenged Western presumptions. Mission encouraged cosmopolitan ties featuring mutuality and reciprocity. The path to such relations was not straight nor always readily taken. Yet, over the seminary's two-hundred-year history, the cosmopolitan direction has become evident on several continents. As missionaries came ...
"This volume, like other Building Bridges Seminar books, presents pairs of lectures by Christians and Muslims which introduce texts for dialogical study, plus the actual text-excerpts themselves. This series is unique in that each volume goes far beyond mere reporting on a dialogical seminar; rather, each provides guidance and materials for constructing a similar dialogical experience on a particular topic. Naming God brings fresh perspective to a topic of great interest in Christian-Muslim understanding. In a sense, Naming God continues the conversation begun in the Seminar's earlier publication, Monotheism and Its Complexities (2018), and employs the same distinctive approach to dialogical close reading a scripture and other source material. The book is vital reading for students (undergraduate and graduate) and congregational leaders"--
There is an alarming trend to disassociate from family, friends, and neighbors with differing and diverse worldviews from one's own. In the absence of dialogue, trust weakens, relationships dissolve, everything humans cherish becomes susceptible to collapse, and societies become more likely to resort to destructive tactics. Everyday Encounters introduces the importance of dialogue to humanize others in healthy ways. Dialogue is a crucial tool in navigating encounters across difference, promoting attentive listening and sensitivity for constructive human engagement in various settings like family, leadership, and the workplace. Hans Gustafson presents dialogue as a versatile and vital tool fo...
Hate is unveiled on our streets. Politics is polarized and the cohesion of communities is under stress and threat. Religious and theological leaders appear compromised or paralyzed. Robert S. Heaney grew up in a Northern Ireland where enmity paraded itself and policed the boundaries between segregated identities and aspirations. Such conflict, with deep historic roots, is inextricably linked to religion and colonization. The theologizing of colonialism, and the ongoing implications of colonialism, cannot be ignored by those who wish to understand the most intractable of human conflicts. Religious adherents and scholars are increasingly seeking to understand colonialism and decolonization in ...
When religious diversity is our reality, radical hospitality to people of other faiths is not a luxury but a necessity. More than necessary for our survival, radical hospitality to religious diversity is necessary if we are to thrive as a global society. By no means does the practice of hospitality in a multifaith world require that we be oblivious of our differences. On the contrary, it demands a respectful embrace of our differences because that's who we are. Neither does radical hospitality require that we water down our commitment, because faithfulness and openness are not contradictory. We must be able to say with burning passion that we are open to the claims of other faiths because we are faithful to our religious heritage. The essays in this book do not offer simply theological exhortations; they offer specific ways of how we can become religiously competent citizens in a multifaith world. Let's take the bold steps of radical openness with this book on our side!
As Jesus went to the highways and byways, he sends us beyond our circles and comfort, to witness to the love, justice, and truth of God with our lips and with our lives. We go to listen with humility and to join God in healing a hurting world. We go to become Beloved Community, a people reconciled in love with God and one another. We seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves. We strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being. With God’s help we cross boundaries, listen deeply, and live like Jesus. This series of seven Little Books of Guidance are designed for you to discover how following certain practices can help you follow Jesus more fully in your daily life.