The Arabic translation of Ian Almond's book Sufism and Deconstruction: A Comparative Study of Derrida and Ibn 'Arabi has been nominated for the Sheikh Zayed Book Award under the 'translation' category.
The award is presented every year to outstanding Arab writers, academics, and publishers, as well as scholarly writings and translations of works in the humanities which have enriched Arab cultural, literary, and social life. Find out more about the award here.
]]>Michael Stausberg is Professor of Religion at the University of Bergen, Norway. He is author of Religion and Tourism: Crossroads, Destinations and Encounters, editor of Contemporary Theories of Religion and European editor of the journal Religion.
Steven Engler is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Mount Royal University, Canada. He is a co-editor of Historicizing "Tradition" in the Study of Religion and North American editor of the journal Religion.
Together, Stausberg and Engler have co-edited The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods on the Study of Religion, the first comprehensive survey in English of research methods in the field of religious studies. Mount Royal University recently conducted an interview with Steven Engler about the book. Read the interview here.
Stausberg and Engler co-edit the journal Religion, which is published by Taylor & Francis.
]]>The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion is the first comprehensive survey in English of research methods in the field of religious studies. It is designed to enable non-specialists and students at upper undergraduate and graduate levels to understand the variety of research methods used in the field. Its aim is to create awareness of the relevant methods currently available and to stimulate an active interest in exploring unfamiliar methods, encouraging their use in research and enabling students and scholars to evaluate academic work with reference to methodological issues.
A distinguished team of contributors cover a broad spectrum of topics, from research ethics, hermeneutics and interviewing, to Internet research and video-analysis. Each chapter covers practical issues and challenges, the theoretical basis of the respective method, and the way it has been used in religious studies (illustrated by case studies).
‘This handbook is the most significant contribution to the field of religious studies that I have seen in many years. For too long our "theory and method" courses have focused almost exclusively on theory and provided little training in research methods. Both the introductory chapters on methodological issues and the chapters on specific methods – some familiar and many that are not – are outstanding. If taken to heart, it will move undergraduate and graduate education in the study of religion to a much higher level of sophistication.’ - Ann Taves, University of California - Santa Barbara, USA
]]>With several of the most significant and widely celebrated religious holidays of the year fast approaching, our thoughts turn to the study of the religions themselves. Why do people study religion? How have they studied it in the past? How do we study religion today? Is the academic study of religion the same as religious education? These and many other questions are addressed in the discipline of Religious Studies.
We have put together a list of our publications on Religious Studies, which we hope you will find useful. To find out more about a particular book, click on it below to be taken directly to that book’s web page.
]]>It is November already! Crazy. The year has really flown by and before long we will be into 2012. We are sure everyone is looking forward to a nice end-of-year rest and a chance to let your hair down. Before it is quite time to break out the New Year's champagne, however, we would like to bring you the brand new 2012 Reference Catalog, hot off the press and available for download today. Look out for all our social media links, divided by subject area, dotted throughout the Catalog. If you use Facebook or Twitter, there could be something for you!
2011 has been a busy year for Routledge Reference. The Routledge Revivals series, which reissues a wide range of out-of-print titles, has grown to include over 350 titles, all of which are available in hardback and as eBooks. And you can now purchase Revivals as subject-specific bundles within Sociology, Philosophy, Literature, Economics and Politics. Is there a bundle that could benefit your library?
We are expecting the next few months to be equally busy. In December we publish our long-awaited Education set, which boasts contributions from some of the greatest educationalists, teaching professionals and policy makers of the twentieth century. You can get the full low down on the 244-volume Education collection by taking a peek at its new dedicated Online Catalog.
And December will also see the publication of the last of our 2012 Europa Regional Surveys of the World. Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2012 and The USA and Canada 2012 will be published on the 8th and 15th December respectively. Again, to make life easier, we have put together a snazzy Online Catalog for this collection. In fact, Online Catalogs have been one of our big projects this year, to avoid sending you too many printed pieces (and saving trees in the process!). In the relevant sections of the Reference Catalog you will find screenshots explaining how you can access all our new Online Catalog. Enjoy!
To download the 2012 Reference Catalog in full, just follow this link. Alternatively, if you would like to receive a print copy of the Catalog, please email us at reference@routledge.com with your name and address and we will happily send you one!
]]>We’ve put together a selection of books on Buddhism below that we hope you will find useful. To view everything we publish on Buddhism, click here.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter for the chance to win free books!
]]>Buddhist Thought serves as an accessible and reliable survey for students wishing to gain familiarity with the basic ideas of Buddhist philosophical and religious thought, and with some of the recent research in the field. It guides readers towards a richer understanding of the central concepts of classical Indian Buddhist thought, from the time of Buddha to the latest scholarly perspectives and controversies. Abstract and complex ideas are made understandable by the authors' clear and engaging style.
The second edition has been fully revised in light of new scholarship, in particular on Mahayana Buddhism and Tantric Buddhism, an often neglected and inadequately understood topic. As well as a detailed bibliography, this edition now includes recommended further reading, study questions, a pronunciation guide and extensive glossary of terms, all aimed at helping students to develop their knowledge and appreciation of Buddhist thought.
Praise for the 1st Edition:
‘I know of no more lucid expositor of Indian or Buddhist philosophy … Though there is no shortage of introductions to Buddhism on the market, I found this one compelling reading … I shall recommend this lively and authoritative volume to all my students.’ - Richard Gombrich, University of Oxford, UK
]]>It is almost November already! Crazy. The year has really flown by and before long we will be into 2012. We are sure everyone is looking forward to a nice end-of-year rest and a chance to let your hair down. Before it is quite time to break out the New Year's champagne, however, we would like to bring you the brand new 2012 Reference Catalogue, hot off the press and available for download today. Look out for all our social media links, divided by subject area, dotted throughout the Catalogue. If you use Facebook or Twitter, there could be something for you!
2011 has been a busy year for Routledge Reference. The Routledge Revivals series, which reissues a wide range of out-of-print titles, has grown to include over 350 titles, all of which are available in hardback and as eBooks. And you can now purchase Revivals as subject-specific bundles within Sociology, Philosophy, Literature, Economics and Politics. Is there a bundle that could benefit your library?
We are expecting the next few months to be equally busy. In December we publish our long-awaited Education set, which boasts contributions from some of the greatest educationalists, teaching professionals and policy makers of the twentieth century. You can get the full low down on the 244-volume Education collection by taking a peek at its new dedicated Online Catalogue.
And December will also see the publication of the last of our 2012 Europa Regional Surveys of the World. Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia 2012 and The USA and Canada 2012 will be published on the 8th and 15th December respectively. Again, to make life easier, we have put together a snazzy Online Catalogue for this collection. In fact, Online Catalogues have been one of our big projects this year, to avoid sending you too many printed pieces (and saving trees in the process!). In the relevant sections of the Reference Catalogue you will find screenshots explaining how you can access all our new Online Catalogues. Enjoy!
To download the 2012 Reference Catalogue in full, just follow this link. Alternatively, if you would like to receive a print copy of the Catalogue, please email us at reference@routledge.com with your name and address and we will happily send you one!
]]>We’ve put together a selection of books below that we hope you will find useful. To view everything we publish on Religion and Science, click here.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter for the chance to win free books!
]]>
Religion and science are arguably the two most powerful social forces in the world today. But where religion and science were once held to be compatible, most people now perceive them to be in conflict.
This unique book provides the best available introduction to the burning debates in this controversial field. Examining the defining questions and controversies, renowned expert Philip Clayton presents the arguments from both sides, asking readers to decide for themselves where they stand.
Viewpoints from a range of world religions and different scientific perspectives are explored, making this book essential reading for all those wishing to come to their own understanding of some of the most important debates of our day.
This book is part of The Basics series.
]]>The field of religion and science is one of the most exciting and dynamic areas of research today. This companion brings together an outstanding team of scholars to explore the ways in which science intersects with the major religions of the world and religious naturalism. The collection provides an overview of the field and also indicates ways in which it is developing. Each topic is presented in a clear readable fashion, ideal for scholars but also useful for upper level undergraduates.
‘This volume is carefully designed and the articles have been imaginatively selected and commissioned. It is especially appealing for people interested in moving beyond the (perhaps tired) categories and debates that dominate extant reference works. Each group of essays contains several that move beyond the dominant framework and push into non-western traditions and even non-religious movements. This is a genuinely useful reference work that could easily serve as a key text in a class on science-religion at the advanced undergraduate college level and even in graduate schools.’ - Wesley J. Wildman, Boston University, USA
This book is part of the Routledge Religion Companions series.
]]>]]>Pregadio assembled an outstanding international team of leading scholars to compose this two-volume set. With a focus on the history and traditions of Taoism, this work effectively challenges romanticized views that reduce the richness of these traditions to the Daode jing (Tao Te Ching) and the Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu). The encyclopedia includes a 196-page overview that could serve as a superb intermediate textbook on Taoism. The rest of the entries are arranged alphabetically, using the pinyin transliteration system. They cover topics of interest to advanced students and experts, including more detailed entries on texts, doctrines, sacred beings and places, the history of Taoism, and religious practices and experiences. The volume includes an excellent topical table of contents and an extensive index. For advanced researchers, the appendixes are gold, offering an extensive bibliography of reference sources, a list of sources in the Taoist canon referenced to the three catalogs of the Daozang, and a 102-page bibliography of scholarly resources including English and French language sources and seminal scholarly works in Chinese and Japanese. Summing Up: Essential. Libraries supporting religious studies or Chinese studies programs; upper-level undergraduates and above.
– G. J. Reece (American University), CHOICE
Combining core source materials with coverage of current scholarship and of recent events in the Islamic world, Andrew Rippin introduces this hugely significant religion in a succinct, challenging and refreshing way.
The improved and expanded fourth edition contains a new chapter on perceptions of Muslims today as well as a new series of text boxes to stimulate students’ thinking about essay topics and research projects. Using a distinctive critical approach that promotes engagement with key issues, from fundamentalism and women’s rights to problems of identity, Islamophobia and modernity, this text is ideal for today’s students.
]]>“Highly recommended. An introduction that stands out due to its comprehensive coverage from a critical historical perspective attuned to the dynamics of constructing religious identities both in the past and present. Just the right amount of challenge for undergraduate students.”
– F. Volker Greifenhagen, University of Regina, Canada
Philosophy and Rabbinic Culture is a study of the great, and curiously underappreciated, engagement of a Medieval European Jewish community with the philosophic tradition. This lucid description of the Languedocian Jewish community's multigenerational cultivation of - and acculturation to - scientific and philosophic teachings into Judaism fulfils a major desideratum in Jewish cultural history.
This book will be of great interest to scholars and students of Religion, of Judaism in particular, and of Philosophy, History and Medieval Europe, as well as those interested in Jewish-Christian relations.
This book is part of our Routledge Jewish Studies series.
]]>Reading Jewish Religious Texts introduces students to a range of significant post-biblical Jewish writing and covers diverse genres such as prayer and liturgical poetry, biblical interpretation, religious law, philosophy, mysticism and works of ethical instruction. Each text is newly translated into English and accompanied by a detailed explanation to help clarify the concepts and arguments. The commentary also situates the work within its broader historical and ideological context, giving readers an enhanced appreciation of its place in the Jewish religious experience.
‘Eliezer Segal seamlessly combines almost 3000 years of Jewish religious texts from the Bible to 19th century CE Hasidism in one volume with new and meaningful English translations and explanations. This is suitable for undergraduates and graduate students alike and could serve as the main textbook for a range of courses in Jewish and biblical studies.’ - Richard A. Freund, University of Hartford, USA
This book is part of our Reading Religious Texts series.
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