For some of us, the apostle Paul is intimidating, like a distant and difficult uncle. Maybe not someone you'd like to hang out with at a coffee shop on a rainy day. He'd make a scene, evangelize the barista, and arouse looks across the room.

For a mid-morning latte, we'd prefer Jesus over Paul. But Paul is actually the guy who-from Ephesus to Athens-was the talk of the marketplace, the raconteur of the Parthenon. He knew everyone, founded emerging churches, loved the difficult people, and hel...

Muslim Identities: An Introduction to Islam (Second Edition) presents a fully updated introduction to the religion of Islam and the various social groups who define themselves as Muslim. Unlike other such works, it presents both insider and outsider accounts with the aim of striking a unique balance between overly apologetical and overly Orientalist perspectives. With the first edition described as a “truly outstanding book”, and “the very best introduction currently available in Englis...

In this accessible book, Anthony Thiselton introduces the apostle Paul, sometimes described as the founder of Christianity, to students and the general reader.

The Cambridge Guide to Jewish History, Religion, and Culture is a comprehensive and engaging overview of Jewish life, from its origins in the ancient Near East to its impact on contemporary popular culture. The twenty-one essays, arranged historically and thematically, and written specially for this volume by leading scholars, examine the development of Judaism and the evolution of Jewish history and culture over many centuries and in a range of locales. They emphasize the ongoing diversity a...

A collection of extra-biblical scriptures written by the gnostics, updated with three ancient texts including the recently discovered Gospel of Judas “The one indispensable book for the understanding of Gnosis and Gnosticism.”—Harold Bloom This definitive introduction to the gnostic scriptures provides a crucial look at the theology, religious atmosphere, and literary traditions of ancient Christianity and Hellenistic Judaism. It provides authoritative translations of ancient texts from...

This comprehensive, user-friendly text introduces students to the principal world faiths. This text is cross-referenced to and can be used in conjunction with Markham's World Religions Reader, Second Edition as a complete teaching package for comparative religion courses.

The first systematic overview of the field of comparative theology Meaning and Method in Comparative Theology offers a synthesis of, and a blueprint for, the emerging field of comparative theology. It discusses various approaches to the field, the impact of the views of other religions on the way in which comparative theology is conducted, and the particularities of comparative theological hermeneutics. The text also provides an overview of the types of learning and of the importance of compa...

This accessible introduction to religious ethics focuses on the major forms of moral reasoning encompassing the three 'Abrahamic' religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Draws on a range of moral issues, such as examples arising from friendship, marriage, homosexuality, lying, forgiveness and its limits, the death penalty, the environment, warfare, and the meaning of work, career, and vocationLooks at both ethical reasoning and importantly, how that reasoning reveals insights into a reli...

Special Edition of the famous book by ash-Shaheed Sayyid Qutb.

Continuously read and reprinted down to the present, and translated into most languages, Milestones is arguably the most important Islamic literary piece written in the 20th century.

Few thinkers have had such an influence on the contemporary Islamic thought as ash-shaheed Sayyid Qutb. Since his execution in 1964 in Cairo, his death became the perfect illustration of one of the processes through which a human being becomes part of...

Religions in the Modern World: Traditions and Transformations, Third Edition is the ideal textbook for those coming to the study of religion for the first time, as well as for those who wish to keep up-to-date with the latest perspectives in the field. This third edition contains new and upgraded pedagogic features, including chapter summaries, key terms and definitions, and questions for reflection and discussion. The first part of the book considers the history and modern practices of the m...