Leonard Grob - Böcker

In an age when "collisions of faith" among the Abrahamic traditions continue to produce strife and violence that threatens the well-being of individuals and communities worldwide, the contributors to Encountering the Stranger--six Jewish, six Christian, and six Muslim scholars--takes responsibility to examine their traditions' understandings of the stranger, the "other," and to identify ways that can bridge divisions and create greater harmony.

In an age when "collisions of faith" among the Abrahamic traditions continue to produce strife and violence that threatens the well-being of individuals and communities worldwide, the contributors to Encountering the Stranger--six Jewish, six Christian, and six Muslim scholars--takes responsibility to examine their traditions' understandings of the stranger, the "other," and to identify ways that can bridge divisions and create greater harmony.

In July 1943, the Gestapo arrested an obscure member of the resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Belgium. When his torture-inflicting interrogators determined he was no use to them and that he was a Jew, he was deported to Auschwitz. Liberated in 1945, Jean Améry went on to write a series of essays about his experience. No reflections on torture are more compelling.Améry declared that the victims of torture lose trust in the world at the “very first blow.” The contributors to this volume use their expertise in Holocaust studies to reflect on ethical, religious, and legal aspects of torture then and now. Their inquiry grapples with the euphemistic language often used to disguise torture and with the question of whether torture ever constitutes a “necessary evil.” Differences of opinion reverberate, raising deeper questions: Can trust be restored? What steps can we as individuals and as a society take to move closer to a world in which torture is unthinkable?

In July 1943, the Gestapo arrested an obscure member of the resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Belgium. When his torture-inflicting interrogators determined he was no use to them and that he was a Jew, he was deported to Auschwitz. Liberated in 1945, Jean Améry went on to write a series of essays about his experience. No reflections on torture are more compelling.Améry declared that the victims of torture lose trust in the world at the “very first blow.” The contributors to this volume use their expertise in Holocaust studies to reflect on ethical, religious, and legal aspects of torture then and now. Their inquiry grapples with the euphemistic language often used to disguise torture and with the question of whether torture ever constitutes a “necessary evil.” Differences of opinion reverberate, raising deeper questions: Can trust be restored? What steps can we as individuals and as a society take to move closer to a world in which torture is unthinkable?

This collection of spiritual testimonies is committed to the idea that genuine dialogue between men and women that acknowledges the essential fully-gendered human aspect of each is the foundation for achieving true liberation of the sexes. This study looks to the traditions of the five major religions of the world for guidance. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism are examined by five women who, drawing on their own personal experiences, individually address how the issues of justice and equality are manifested in their respective religions, and search for teachings within those traditions that would promote meaningful dialogue.Of central concern to the text is the concept that both sexes have responsibility for extracting the core lessons from their own particular cultural and religious framework, and the inclusion of writings by men as partners in this pursuit evidences the work's dialogical approach. Hopeful that men and women will witness the essential equality that is the heart of our belief systems, the work concludes with an outline of educational methods designed to encourage the kind of dialogue that can promote authentic freedom.

A peaceful, long-lasting resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict may never be found until both sides learn to see each other, not as "the enemy", but as fellow human beings. "Teen Voices from the Holy Land" takes a creative approach toward reaching greater understanding between two peoples who have known little but mutual hostility and suspicion for over fifty years. Based on interviews of thirty-four Palestinian and Israeli teenagers, this uplifting book presents candid, first-person narratives of their day-to-day lives. These young people describe their ordinary lives, including their interests, facts about their families, friendships, and neighbourhoods, as well as their spiritual concerns and dreams for the future. Photographs of the youngsters accompany the narratives, and together both picture and story offer a revealing glimpse into the common humanity that Palestinians and Israelis share. A striking aspect of these stories is the depth of understanding and the brutal honesty exhibited. One teen exclaims, "If children had been in charge of managing their countries, things would not have happened the way they did.Children know how to get along with one another, despite everything." Another says, "A person should be loyal to his principles, but there's something more important which he has to do: He must be ready to criticise his own views." Everyone interviewed expresses the hope that they will someday live in peace with others in the region. The voices that speak movingly from these pages offer many insights into the perceptions and feelings of young people in this strife-torn area of the world. They hold out the hope that the shared dream of peace may eventually overcome the differences that now divide the two sides.