Philosophy & Religion
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by Garth Fowden (Get the Book)
Islam emerged amid flourishing Christian and Jewish cultures, yet students of Antiquity and the Middle Ages mostly ignore it. Despite intensive study of late Antiquity over the last fifty years, even generous definitions of this period have reached only the eighth century, whereas Islam did not mature sufficiently to compare with Christianity or rabbinic Judaism until the tenth century. "Before and After Muhammad" suggests a new way of thinking about the historical relationship between the scriptural monotheisms, integrating Islam into European and West Asian history. Garth Fowden identifies the whole of the First Millennium--from Augustus and Christ to the formation of a recognizably Islamic worldview by the time of the philosopher Avicenna--as the proper chronological unit of analysis for understanding the emergence and maturation of the three monotheistic faiths across Eurasia. Fowden proposes not just a chronological expansion of late Antiquity but also an eastward shift in the geographical frame to embrace Iran. In "Before and After Muhammad," Fowden looks at Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alongside other important developments in Greek philosophy and Roman law, to reveal how the First Millennium was bound together by diverse exegetical traditions that nurtured communities and often stimulated each other. (Summary)
by Thomas Moore (Get the Book)
The author, whose bestselling Care of the Soul (1992) helped define an era of therapeutic spirituality, reprises many of the themes and preoccupations that he has written about in a dozen books: contemplation, eros, and intuition ought to play formative influences in a rich spiritual life. Moore updates his argument by considering it in the context that writings such as his helped to develop: the world of the secular, populated by those untutored in religion or critical of its institutions but interested in authentic living. For these he urges: pay attention to your dreams, desires, intuitions, and deep drives, and use religious traditions as resources in developing the titular religion of one's own. Moore's own spiritual formation is deeply Catholic. When he is read closely, his depth is apparent, but his heterodox syncretism makes him a natural target for less well-read enforcers of traditional religion. There's not much new here for those who have followed him for two decades, but he stands to make some new converts to the noninstitutional ranks of spirituality. --Publishers Weekly
by Luc Ferry (Get the Book)
This comprehensive analysis of Greek myth seeks to uncover the basic worldview that lies behind such varied and disparate stories, and allusions such as "a Herculean task" and "Pandora's box." In this, Ferry (A Brief History of Thought), a professor of philosophy at the Sorbonne, is surprisingly successful: time and again he proves that "wisdom consists of finding our natural place in a divine and everlasting order." Those who fight to uphold this divine order-Theseus, Heracles-are rewarded with a heroic legacy. But those who go against the natural order-even unwittingly, like Oedipus-are swiftly and brutally struck down. Ferry excuses much of what modern readers might perceive as injustice on the part of the gods. When Apollo flays a satyr who challenges him to a musical contest, for example, it is not vanity but the literal triumph of harmony over discord. Despite his claim that "I recount the legends as if to an audience of children," Ferry's narration proves long-winded and repetitive. However, he never loses sight of his central argument, and despite the pedantic tone, the breadth of evidence will sway most readers. --Publishers Weekly
by Margaret M. McGuinness (Get the Book)
Religious sisters have helped shape the history of the United States in important ways, with prayer and without fanfare, through the schools, hospitals, orphanages, and other institutions they established. McGuinness (religion, LaSalle Univ., Neighbors and Missionaries: A History of the Sisters of Our Lady of Christian Doctrine)Ã…culls wide-ranging historicalÃ…evidence,Ã…examinesÃ…European roots, andÃ…bringsÃ…contributions to greater light and perspective with her collective storyÃ…of many communities across the United States, beginning with the Ursuline sisters in New Orleans in 1727. She draws on histories covering earlier decades (e.g., George C. Stewart Jr.'s Marvels of Charity; Carol Coburn's Spirited Lives) and blends stories buried in academic and archival sources not readily available. The book covers the post-Vatican II returns to tradition,Ã…as well asÃ…contemporary service involving peace and justice issues, the environment, immigration, and even martyrdom. The text might have been enhanced by maps but includes black-and-white photos. -VERDICTÃ…This is a comprehensive, objective, and readable contribution to a subject of growing interest despite fewer numbers of sisters. Recommended for both general and academic readership. --Library Journal
