Ibn Sina - Avicenna in Latin - (980-1037) played a considerable role in the development of both eastern and western philosophy and science. His contributions to the fields of logic, natural science, psychology, metaphysics and theology and even medicine are difficult to overstate. The great Islamic philosopher al-Ghazali thought that if one could show the incoherence of Avicenna's thought, then one would have shown the incoherence of philosophy in general.

No other author is directly cited by...

You'll find everything you need to know about being Jewish in this indispensable, revised and updated guide to the religious traditions, everyday practices, philosophical beliefs, and historical foundations of Judaism. What happens at a synagogue service? What are the rules for keeping kosher? How do I light the Hanukah candles? What is in the Hebrew Bible? What do the Jewish holidays signify? What should I be teaching my children about being Jewish? With the first edition of Essential Judais...

Gives an account of the emergence of progressive religious thinkers and organisations on the 'religious left'. This book offers an analysis of the cultural roots, key ideas and organisational structures of this faith, assessing its significance in the changing moral and religious landscape of contemporary western society.

This leading textbook for world religion is designed to help students in their study and research of the world's religious traditions. Known and valued for its balanced approach and its respected board of consulting editors, this text addresses ways to study religion, provides broad coverage of diverse religions, and offers an arresting layout with rich illustrations. Introductory sections on understanding religion and the religions of antiquity lay the foundation for the study of the numerou...

Keeping Faith in Practice is an addition to SCM's growing Practical and Pastoral Theology list. Most books in this field are written by authors from various Protestant backgrounds. Catholic teachers in this field are frequently asked by colleagues for suggestions of Catholic resources, and find themselves at a loss.

The central subject of this book is an exploration of how theology engages with the dimension of practice in the life of the Church and contemporary society and culture. The book ...

Today's religious violence challenges our understanding of religion. Do we need special notions such as 'cult' and 'fundamentalism' to come to terms with it? Does monotheism, with its claim to exclusivity, necessarily generate intolerance? Kippenberg rejects the idea that violence and religion are inherently connected and instead considers the actions, motives, and self-perceptions of real people. He shows that the violent outcomes of the American tragedies of Jonestown and Waco were not inev...

Happiness comes from within. Can these 'truths' hold the key to a happier, more fulfilled life?In The Happiness Hypothesis, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt examines ten Great Ideas which have been championed across centuries and civilisations and asks: how can we apply these ideas to our twenty-first century lives?

Gedurende de anderhalf jaar dat Janneke Stegeman Theoloog des Vaderlands was, sprak ze vaak over plezier, lichamelijkheid, de noodzaak van verzet tegen racisme en ander onrecht.

Op veler verzoek werkt zij deze onderwerpen in dit pamflet theologisch verder uit. Zelf zegt ze daarbij: “Ik heb geen behoefte om Bijbel of traditie te redden, wel te vernieuwen en relevant te houden. Het gaat mij om waarheid die voortkomt uit de werkelijkheid van je eigen leven. Deze waarheid is fysiek, niet in de...

How can we reconcile the ideal church described by theology with the broken church that we see in the world? In this book Joseph Small argues that the church's true identity is known somewhere in the tension between the two.

Small revisits familiar ecclesiological concepts--people of God, the body of Christ, the communion of the Holy Spirit--but rather than focusing on theological abstractions or worldly cynicism, he carefully evaluates the church in its scriptural, historical, theological, ...

Mohammed werd geboren in 570 na Christus. Gedurende de zestig daarop volgende jaren bouwde hij een bloeiende geloofsgemeenschap, waarbij de basis werd gelegd voor een religie die de loop van de geschiedenis nog steeds op dramatische wijze beïnvloedt. Over zijn leven is meer bekend dan over dat van de stichters van andere belangrijke wereldgodsdiensten, en toch is het onderwerp van veel onbegrip en vergissingen. Tegelijk is Mohammeds levensverhaal relevanter dan ooit, omdat het een cruciaal i...