The legend of the Middle Ages : philosophical explorations of medieval Christianity, Judaism, and Islam

 by Remi Brague. Brague (philosophy, Universite Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne; The Law of God) challenges perceptions of the Middle Ages as a period lacking in intellectual sophistication or as a time of interfaith dialog that could serve as a model today. In an initial interview and 16 essays (only three of which have previously appeared in English), Brague focuses on the philosophers of three great religious civilizations, particularly their use of Aristotelian Greek philosophy in ways congruent with their own religions and especially with their differing ideas of revelation as centered in the person of Jesus Christ; as found in God's historical interactions with the Jewish people; or as derived from direct revelation of an infallible word/book, the Koran. Throughout, Brague focuses on comparisons or relationships among three great civilizations and on carefully nuanced but essential difference. Verdict Highly recommended to scholars of the Middle Ages as well as those in philosophy and religion more generally. They will all be enlightened by careful reading of this book. --Library Journal. (Check Catalog)

Reformist voices of Islam : mediating Islam and modernity

edited by Shireen T. Hunter. The premise underlying this edited volume is that the loud roar of Islamic radicals has drowned out moderate and reformist voices in Islam. The collection of articles by nine leading experts on contemporary Islam goes a long way toward restoring that balance, and students will find here a useful starting point for broaching the question, "Where are the alternative voices within Islam?" At the same time, though the comprehensive scope of the various nationally and regionally focused chapters is impressive, the volume suffers from unevenness throughout; some single countries receive nearly twice the space devoted to entire regions, and some chapters offer schematic overviews of a variety of thinkers while others focus on only a few trends or individuals with greater depth. The unevenness is compensated, to some extent, by the editor's effort to draw the reader's attention to important issues addressed across chapters (e.g., democracy, human rights, and women's and minority rights) and the relationship of these issues to central and overarching conceptual questions. The reader is likely to walk away from this volume more convinced of the breadth and diversity of Islamic reformist thinking and movements, but still lacking a comprehensive grasp of the strengths and prospects of modern reform along Islamic lines. --Choice. (Check Catalog)

Beauty

by Roger Scruton. In this short work, Scruton (philosophy, Inst. for the Psychological Sciences; England: An Elegy) uses the writings of Plato and Kant along with specific artistic works to create a philosophical explanation of beauty. According to Scruton, when we say that an object is beautiful, we are making a rational judgment about the object that is based on our contemplation of its appearance. He explains that beauty is not a subjective preference but a universal value, founded on reason and our value system, to which all rational agents should agree. Scruton examines four kinds of beauty-human, natural, everyday, and artistic. He is not concerned with defining the qualities of beauty; he works to show how the experience of beauty is similar to religious experiences in that it allows us to "look with reverence on the world." The book's tone is scholarly, yet it remains highly accessible and offers readers a unique and well-argued approach to the concept of beauty. --Library Journal. (Check catalog)

The only true God : early Christian monotheism in its Jewish context

by James F. McGrath. McGrath (Butler Univ.) examines the meaning of monotheism in the first century CE, establishing the point that belief in one true God had a wide variety of meanings for both Jews and early Christians beyond the basic belief that one worships and sacrifices only to God. He explains his approach to understanding early Jewish and Christian thought about God, and then examines worship and the understanding of Jewish monotheism in the Greco-Roman era. Next, he explicates the concept of monotheism in the letters of Paul, the Gospel of John, and the Book of Revelation. Finally, he sheds new light on the date and reasons for the division between Jewish and Christian monotheism. The author carefully lays out his arguments, accompanying them with extensive endnotes and an excellent bibliography. This is a good book for undergraduates and scholars alike to explore new understandings of ancient concepts by examining their usage in the first century. McGrath stresses throughout that readers should approach these concepts by remaining as free as possible of modern definitions and cultural biases. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-level undergraduates and above; general readers. B. L. Muller University of Tampa --Library Journal. (Check catalog)