i" --> This timely work explores two influential religious traditions that might seem to have little in common: Twelver Shi'i Islam and Roman Catholicism. With the worldwide rise of religious fundamentalism, it is imperative that religious movements such as Christianity and Islam begin working harder to understand one another's history and beliefs. Myths and misunderstandings continue to prevail, and observers tend to focus on the differences between the two faith systems. Without denying these differences, the authors of this book reveal a number of interesting linkages between Roman Catholicism and Twelver Shi'ism. They compare the histories of the two faiths, consider parallels between important figures in each, and highlight the doctrinal, structural, and sociopolitical similarities they share. Balanced in tone and carefully researched, the book helps explain the essence of both traditions while enriching our understanding of each. There are an estimated 140 million Twelver Shi'is in the world today. The highest percentages live in Persian Gulf countries, including Iran and Iraq, and in Azerbaijan, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. Sizable numbers also inhabit Pakistan, India, and Turkey. The largest Christian denomination, Roman Catholicism is present across the globe, though its population of more than one billion people is concentrated in North and South America and in Europe.

An accessible, objective understanding of what the major ‘beliefs’ are about. The major beliefs include: Polytheism, Judaism, Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam, Nationalism, Communism and Environmentalism. All have over 100 million followers and the full structure of faith-determined behavioural guidance.

The most authoritative anthology of Islamist texts This anthology of key primary texts provides an unmatched introduction to Islamist political thought from the early twentieth century to the present, and serves as an invaluable guide through the storm of polemic, fear, and confusion that swirls around Islamism today. Roxanne Euben and Muhammad Qasim Zaman gather a broad selection of texts from influential Islamist thinkers and place these figures and their writings in their multifaceted political and historical contexts. The selections presented here in English translation include writings of Ayatollah Khomeini, Usama bin Laden, Muslim Brotherhood founder Hasan al-Banna, and Moroccan Islamist leader Nadia Yassine, as well as the Hamas charter, an interview with a Taliban commander, and the final testament of 9/11 hijacker Muhammad Ata. Illuminating the content and political appeal of Islamist thought, this anthology brings into sharp relief the commonalities in Islamist arguments about gender, democracy, and violence, but it also reveals significant political and theological disagreements among thinkers too often grouped together and dismissed as extremists or terrorists. No other anthology better illustrates the diversity of Islamist thought, the complexity of its intellectual and political contexts, or the variety of ways in which it relates to other intellectual and religious trends in the contemporary Muslim world.

Compiled with the intention of letting Islam describe itself in its own words, this book is an important source for all students of Muslim culture and world religions. It includes an interpretation of the Qur'an, as well as portions of the Hadith--sayings and actions of the Prophet--Islamic law, mysticism (Sufism), theology, and sectarian writings.

Cavanaugh challenges conventional wisdom by examining how the twin categories of religion and the secular are constructed. He examines how timeless and transcultural categories of 'religion and 'the secular' are used in arguments that religion causes violence.

A look at the developing conflicts in Christian-Muslim relations during late antiquity and the early Islamic era How did the medieval Middle East transform from a majority-Christian world to a majority-Muslim world, and what role did violence play in this process? Christian Martyrs under Islam explains how Christians across the early Islamic caliphate slowly converted to the faith of the Arab conquerors and how small groups of individuals rejected this faith through dramatic acts of resistance, including apostasy and blasphemy. Using previously untapped sources in a range of Middle Eastern languages, Christian Sahner introduces an unknown group of martyrs who were executed at the hands of Muslim officials between the seventh and ninth centuries CE. Found in places as diverse as Syria, Spain, Egypt, and Armenia, they include an alleged descendant of Muhammad who converted to Christianity, high-ranking Christian secretaries of the Muslim state who viciously insulted the Prophet, and the children of mixed marriages between Muslims and Christians. Sahner argues that Christians never experienced systematic persecution under the early caliphs, and indeed, they remained the largest portion of the population in the greater Middle East for centuries after the Arab conquest. Still, episodes of ferocious violence contributed to the spread of Islam within Christian societies, and memories of this bloodshed played a key role in shaping Christian identity in the new Islamic empire. Christian Martyrs under Islam examines how violence against Christians ended the age of porous religious boundaries and laid the foundations for more antagonistic Muslim-Christian relations in the centuries to come.

The Catholic "thing" - the concrete historical reality of Catholicism as a presence in human history - is the richest cultural tradition in the world. It values both faith and reason, and therefore has a great deal to say about politics and economics, war and peace, manners and morals, children and families, careers and vocations, and many other perennial and contemporary questions. In addition, it has inspired some of the greatest art, music, and architecture, while offering unparalleled human solidarity to tens of millions through hospitals, soup kitchens, schools, universities, and relief services. This volume brings together some of the very best commentary on a wide range of recent events and controversies by some of the very best Catholic writers in the English language: Ralph McInerny, Michael Novak, Fr. James V. Schall, Hadley Arkes, Robert Royal, Anthony Esolen, Brad Miner, George Marlin, David Warren, Austin Ruse, Francis Beckwith, and many others. Their contributions cover large Catholic subjects such as philosophy and theology, liturgy and Church dogma, postmodern culture, the Church and modern politics, literature, and music. But they also look into specific contemporary problems such as religious liberty, the role of Catholic officials in public life, growing moral hazards in bio-medical advances, and such like. The Catholic Thing is a virtual encyclopedia of Catholic thought about modern life.

A thought-provoking, original appraisal of the meaning of religion by the host of public radio's On Being Krista Tippett, widely becoming known as the Bill Moyers of radio, is one of the country's most intelligent and insightful commentators on religion, ethics, and the human spirit. With this book, she draws on her own life story and her intimate conversations with both ordinary and famous figures, including Elie Wiesel, Karen Armstrong, and Thich Nhat Hanh, to explore complex subjects like science, love, virtue, and violence within the context of spirituality and everyday life. Her way of speaking about the mysteries of life-and of listening with care to those who endeavor to understand those mysteries--is nothing short of revolutionary.

The Wrong Kind of Muslim is a call to unite those of all faiths and of no faith in the struggle for universal freedom of conscience. Since 9/11, terrorists in Pakistan have killed over 40,000-and counting. Often risking his life, Qasim Rashid journeys into the heart of that terrorism to unearth the untold story of those silenced by Taliban suicide bombings, secret police torture, and state sponsored religious persecution. Rashid exposes the horrifying truth about growing radicalism in Pakistan and its impact on Western security. But most importantly, Rashid uncovers the inspiring untold story of millions fighting back-and winning. EDITORIAL REVIEWS & CRITICAL ACCLAIM "A heartfelt memoir of Muslim-on-Muslim discrimination and oppression. A harrowing yet hopeful story of modern-day religious persecution." - Kirkus Reviews. The Wrong Kind of Muslim is the Recipient of the Kirkus Star, Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit "In his adopted home of America, Qasim Rashid has experienced stereotyping and discrimination as a Pakistani-born Muslim. In his native home of Pakistan, Rashid and his family are subject to persecution because their Ahmadi Muslim faith is considered heretical by many in the Sunni Muslim majority. Rashid's heartfelt story compels admiration for him and a deeper appreciation for America's guarantee of religious freedom." The Honorable TIM KAINE, United States Senator "The Wrong Kind of Muslim is a significant and alarming book. It tells the story of growing religious intolerance in Pakistan, a nation profoundly important to American security, where the acceptable bounds of faith have become ever tighter in recent years. Victims of persecution have included Christians and Hindus, but also Muslim believers whom Islamists deem heretical. The book demands attention as a passionate call for peace and wide-ranging toleration." Baylor University Distinguished Professor of History DR. PHILIP JENKINS, Author of Images of Terror: What We Can And Can't Know About Terrorism and recognized by The Economist as "one of America's best scholars of religion" "The Wrong Kind of Muslim is a young American's personal journey into his heritage and religion as a vehicle into the history and ongoing phenomenon of faith-based persecution and target-killings in Pakistan - starting with a childhood bullying incident in Chicago. A compelling account, often painful, sometimes uplifting, told with honesty and humor. A must-read for anyone who cares about human rights, humanity, freedom of expression, thought and conscience, not just in Pakistan but anywhere in the world." Pakistani Journalist and Film Maker BEENA SARWAR, Former Fellow at Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard "The Wrong Kind of Muslim is an inspiring book that should be in every high school and college classroom around the world. It educates and motivates its readers, whether in the East or in the West, on how to overcome ignorance and extremism peacefully-even in the face of bitter persecution." President & CEO, Silicon Valley Education Foundation, MUHAMMED AHMAD CHAUDHRY, Leading Education Advocate "In one word, heroic." USA President Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association, DR. BILAL RANA, MuslimYouth.org

This timely work explores two influential religious traditions that might seem to have little in common: Twelver Shi'i Islam and Roman Catholicism. With the worldwide rise of religious fundamentalism, it is imperative that religious movements such as Chri