Sammenlignende religionsvidenskab

A hidden, heartfelt mystery is unfolding within the pages of Whispers From the Sanctuary. In this book, Conor McCourt invites the reader to explore this spiritual, thirty-day guide bound in contemporary Christian Mysticism. Through prayers, reflections, and meditations, the reader receives subtle messages, allowing them to expand and deepen the roots of their faith. Mystical and spiritual contemplations illuminate a path to a veiled reality, a hidden realm untarnished by egoic concepts. As the heart begins to open and discover its essence through the lens of devotion, the soul's greatest intention, at last, reveals itself.

Is your god my god? Is it possible that we all love, pray to, and believe in merely one God? From my extensive experiences with Muslims, I have found them to be some of the kindest, most generous people I have ever met. I remember a day in Pakistan when a lady and I spoke for hours about religion. It was truly enlightening. At the end of our conversation, she stated, "I love your God like my God. We must love the same God!" I cried tears of joy and admiration. Another time, after teaching several women at a university in Yemen, the students came to my apartment before departing to give me flowers as a thank you for honestly talking to and helping each of them. They were all kind, giving, and as curious about my faith as I was about theirs. My question for a long time has been, "Is the Christian God the same as the Islamic god?" This was one reason for writing this book. Although there are several answers to this question, this book will lead you in a unique direction. While we know both religions share a great deal of common ground, there are also some differences in worldviews. Actually, Christianity and Islam are perhaps two of the most closely linked religions that ever existed. They are many times called "Abrahamic cousins." God, who is revealed in Christ, leads us to interact with Muslims in a way that echoes the first prayerful intercession in the Bible: the cry of our mutual father Abraham who pleaded, "O that Ishmael might live in your sight" (Gen. 17:18). May Muslims who interact with those of us who follow Jesus benefit from meeting us; may they gain a deeper understanding of the Father's heart of our great and loving Creator God. There is no other God than God. May this truth bring the world closer together in peace.

"How, from a theological standpoint, should we make sense of gratitude? This rich interdisciplinary volume is the first concertedly to explore theologies of gratitude from both Christian and Muslim perspectives. While the available literature has tended to rhapsodize gratitude to God and others as both a virtue and an obligation, this book by contrast offers something new by detailing ways in which gratitude is complicated by inequality: even to the point of becoming a vice. Gratitude now emerges as something more than a virtue and other than merely transactional. It can be a burden, bringing about indebtedness and an imbalance of power; but it may also be a resonant source of reconciliation and belonging. Topics discussed cover the personal and political dimensions of gratitude, including such issues as justice, multiculturalism, racism, imperialism, grief, memory and hope. The book assembles, from different traditions, some of the leading theologians of our times"--

This volume offers both theoretical approaches and case studies on the relationship between religion and the secular world. Bringing together contributions from seasoned authors, religious leaders, and brilliant new scholars, it frames the long-standing debate on how to structure a comparative representation of any religion on the one side, and the secular world on the other. Often, the very act of comparing religions exposes them to an assessment of their role in history and politics, and risks leading to some sort of grading and ranking, which is highly unproductive. By candidly discussing the relation between religion and the secular and providing concrete examples from four case studies (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Baha'I'), this book provides an important reference on how this can be achieved in a neutral way, while keeping in mind the normative finality of seeking conciliation to existing fractures, both within and among religions.

Philpott maintains his own deep Christian faith but presents this book in love for the Arabic-speaking Muslim reader to consider aspects of Islam as found in the Qur'an and other traditional texts and practices and compare them to Jesus of the Bible and history.

In this book, the author analyzes myths from around the world to argue for the existence of a dying and rising god archetype. In the process, he draws out interpretive implications of the myths for not only myth studies per se, but also studies in religion, literature, and psychology.

Heaven's Fractal Net explores the uniquely useful geometrical forms found in nature and in cultures of the world. The visual shapes of fractals attract eyes with their fascinating beauty. They appear in images and designs with reiterated patterns whose parts are self-similar to the whole pattern--just as a fern frond is structured with smaller and smaller self-similar branches. The fractal-like imagery in religious architecture has been used to symbolize infinity, consciousness, vertigo, and wonder. In nature fractals serve as dynamic configurations for circulation, including the branching shapes of trees and lungs, rivers and nerves. A wealth of fractal examples is found in arts, symbols, and decorations. Heaven's Fractal Net is a book which explores self-similarities in worldwide cultures, providing a rich background for examining many geometrical shapes used by humanity, exploring processes of creativity in wisdom traditions, and delving into archetypal images in depth psychology. Fractals offer an organizing principle for many different kinds of hierarchies and composites, and in recent years ""fractal"" has become a familiar household word for a new yet ancient geometry.

"David Steindl-Rast advises those looking for a way to God to start by examining their own experience"--

Two unprecedented, striking developments form part of the reality of many Latin Americans. Recent decades have seen the dramatic rise of a new religious pluralism, namely the spread of Pentecostal Christianity - Catholic and Protestant alike - and the growth of indigenous revitalization movements. This study analyzes these major transitions, asking what roles ethnicity and ethnic identities play in the contemporary process of religious pluralism, such as the growth of the Protestant Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal movements, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, and the indigenous Maya movement in Guatemala. This book aims to provide an understanding of the agenda of religious movements, their motivations, and their impact on society. Such a pursuit is urgently needed in Guatemala, a postwar country experiencing acrimonious religious competition and a highly contentious debate on religious pluralism. This volume is relevant to scholars and students of Latin American Studies, Sociology of Religion, Anthropology, Practical Theology, and Political Sciences.