Paul Gwynne – författare

This cool, clear-sighted comparative study has no theological axe to grind. It offers a trusty thematic guide to the figureheads of three of the largest religions in the world. The comparative approach is descriptive and even-handed, highlighting both similarities and differences across a range of major areas.The thematic chapters cover: early life, followers, the core message, political attitudes, relations with women, and death.The engaging writing and descriptive approach make this an ideal text for students, instructors and general readers.

This cool, clear-sighted comparative study has no theological axe to grind. It offers a trusty thematic guide to the figureheads of three of the largest religions in the world. The comparative approach is descriptive and even-handed, highlighting both similarities and differences across a range of major areas.The thematic chapters cover: early life, followers, the core message, political attitudes, relations with women, and death.The engaging writing and descriptive approach make this an ideal text for students, instructors and general readers.

A new and expanded edition of a highly successful textbook on world religions with a comparative approach which explores how six major religions are lived and expressed through their customs, rituals and everyday practices. A new edition of this major textbook, exploring the world's great religions through their customs, rituals and everyday practices by focusing on the 'lived experience' This comparative study is enriched and broadened with the inclusion of a sixth religion, DaoismTakes a thematic, comparative and practical approach; each chapter explores a series of key themes including birth, death, ethics, and worship across all six religions at each timeBroadens students' understanding by offering an impartial discussion of the similarities and differences between each religionIncludes an increased range of student-friendly features, designed to allow students to engage with each religion and extend their understanding

A groundbreaking cross-sectional study of the forms and extent of gender inequality in the "Big Five" religions of the world Sexism in Major Religions: A Comparative Introduction provides clear and accessible analyses of the complex forms of androcentrism and patriarchy in five of the world’s major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. With a unique comparative-thematic methodology, this student-friendly textbook bridges the gap between Religious Studies and courses in Gender and Sexuality Studies, Feminist Studies, Religion and Society, and more. Following a brief introduction to each religious system covered, Sexism in Major Religions defines important terms and concepts in modern religious feminism, including sex and gender, androcentrism and patriarchy, and revolutionary and reform feminisms. Each remaining chapter focuses on one of seven themes representing the main sources and manifestations of religious discrimination against women, such as the gender of the deity, the duties of the mother, and the status of the wife within marriage. Throughout the text, author Paul Gwynne discusses the formal gender-biased teachings and practices, distinctive features, intersecting areas, and core arguments of conservative defenders and feminist critics of each religion. Provides students with deep comparative insight into the similarities and differences between major religions on issues of gender equalityOffers a fresh and original approach to exploring the forms of sexism across seven distinct themesPresents a timely and accurate account of the "landscape of sexism" in five of the world's largest religionsIncludes a dedicated chapter examining the status of intersex and transgender persons in religious systemsDesigned to broaden students' understanding of religions through systematic and impartial discussion, Sexism in Major Religions: A Comparative Introduction is an ideal textbook for undergraduate courses in Religious Studies and Social Sciences programs, as well as an invaluable resource for general readers interested in understanding and reforming sexist features within religious traditions.

World Religions in Practice introduces five of the world's great religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – and explores how they are lived and expressed in custom, ritual, and symbol. A major new textbook exploring the world's great religions through their customs, rituals and everyday practices – by focusing on this 'lived experience' it goes beyond many traditional introductions to religious studiesAdopts a directly comparative approach to develop a greater understanding of the nature of religionEach chapter engages with an individual theme, such as birth, death, food, pilgrimage and ethics, to illustrate how religious practices are expressedBroadens students' understanding by offering an impartial discussion of the similarities and differences between each religionIncludes chapter-by-chapter opening themes and summaries, and will be accompanied by a website at www.blackwellpublishing.com/gwynne featuring additional resources and study questions.

This book is also available as a set, together with Volume II. Please visit www.peterlang.com/view/product/84550Patterns of Patronage in Renaissance Rome is the first full-length study of the life and works of Francesco Sperulo of Camerino (1463–1531). In a remarkable career during which the poet progressed from serving as a soldier of fortune in the service of Cesare Borgia to an Italian bishopric, Sperulo produced a significant body of Latin poetry, here presented in a critical edition for the first time. An impressive array of contemporary figures including Leonardo da Vinci, Isabella d’Este, Raphael and Baldassare Castiglione appear in his verse. By placing his work within the larger historical, literary, political and social context, this study, published in two volumes, sheds light on the role played by neo-Latin poetry at the papal court and documents the impact of classical culture in Rome during the period usually referred to as «the High Renaissance».Volume I reconstructs Sperulo’s life and circle of contacts by placing the poet’s works in chronological order and setting them within the political and social circumstances of their composition. Archival documents scattered across Italy, penitentiary records from the Vatican Archives and a voluminous correspondence with the Duke of Urbino and members of the Varano family of Camerino show that Sperulo was intimately involved in papal politics and intrigue; indeed, he was almost assassinated for his involvement. A selection of this correspondence is included here to supplement the poet’s biography.