Lived Religions – serie

Buddhists: Understanding Buddhism through the Lives of Practitioners provides a series of case studies of Asian and modern Western Buddhists, spanning history, gender, and class, whose lives are representative of the ways in which Buddhists throughout time have embodied the tradition. Portrays the foundational principles of Buddhist belief through the lives of believers, illustrating how the religion is put into practice in everyday lifeTakes as its foundation the inherent diversity within Buddhist society, rather than focusing on the spiritual and philosophical elite within BuddhismReveals how individuals have negotiated the choices, tensions, and rewards of living in a Buddhist societyFeatures carefully chosen case studies which cover a range of Asian and modern Western BuddhistsExplores a broad range of possible Buddhist orientations in contemporary and historical contexts

Buddhists: Understanding Buddhism through the Lives of Practitioners provides a series of case studies of Asian and modern Western Buddhists, spanning history, gender, and class, whose lives are representative of the ways in which Buddhists throughout time have embodied the tradition. Portrays the foundational principles of Buddhist belief through the lives of believers, illustrating how the religion is put into practice in everyday lifeTakes as its foundation the inherent diversity within Buddhist society, rather than focusing on the spiritual and philosophical elite within BuddhismReveals how individuals have negotiated the choices, tensions, and rewards of living in a Buddhist societyFeatures carefully chosen case studies which cover a range of Asian and modern Western BuddhistsExplores a broad range of possible Buddhist orientations in contemporary and historical contexts

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most revered religious figure in Mexican Catholicism. Devotion to Guadalupe among Mexicans and Mexican Americans has evolved for nearly five centuries into a deeply rooted, multifaceted tradition. Here, religion scholar Timothy Matovina offers a thorough study of this tradition as it has been lived out by the parishioners of San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas. He shows how the devotion to Guadalupe sustained this congregation through times of political turmoil, war and peace, and ecclesiastical and social changes over San Antonio's long history, from an agricultural settlement on the northern edge of New Spain to a dynamic U.S. metropolis. Engaging recent scholarly analysis of ritual studies, lived religion, Latino theology and history, transnationalism, and ethnicity, Guadalupe and Her Faithful shows how religious traditions shape and are shaped by a faith community's shifting contexts and power dynamics. This fascinating account reveals the potential force-and the potential limitations-of devotion in people's lives and religious imagination.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most revered religious figure in Mexican Catholicism. Devotion to Guadalupe among Mexicans and Mexican Americans has evolved for nearly five centuries into a deeply rooted, multifaceted tradition. Here, religion scholar Timothy Matovina offers a thorough study of this tradition as it has been lived out by the parishioners of San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas. He shows how the devotion to Guadalupe sustained this congregation through times of political turmoil, war and peace, and ecclesiastical and social changes over San Antonio's long history, from an agricultural settlement on the northern edge of New Spain to a dynamic U.S. metropolis. Engaging recent scholarly analysis of ritual studies, lived religion, Latino theology and history, transnationalism, and ethnicity, Guadalupe and Her Faithful shows how religious traditions shape and are shaped by a faith community's shifting contexts and power dynamics. This fascinating account reveals the potential force-and the potential limitations-of devotion in people's lives and religious imagination.

This landmark collection of newly commissioned essays explores how diverse women of African descent have practiced religion as part of the work of their ordinary and sometimes extraordinary lives. By examining women from North America, the Caribbean, Brazil, and Africa, the contributors identify the patterns that emerge as women, religion, and diaspora intersect, mapping fresh approaches to this emergent field of inquiry. The volume focuses on issues of history, tradition, and the authenticity of African-derived spiritual practices in a variety of contexts, including those where memories of suffering remain fresh and powerful. The contributors discuss matters of power and leadership and of religious expressions outside of institutional settings. The essays study women of Christian denominations, African and Afro-Caribbean traditions, and Islam, addressing their roles as spiritual leaders, artists and musicians, preachers, and participants in bible-study groups. This volume's transnational mixture, along with its use of creative analytical approaches, challenges existing paradigms and summons new models for studying women, religions, and diasporic shiftings across time and space.

Over the past century, Branson, Missouri, has attracted tens of millions of tourists. Nestled in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, it offers a rare and refreshing combination of natural beauty and family-friendly recreation - from scenic lakes and rolling hills to theme parks and variety shows. It has boasted of big name celebrities, like Wayne Newton, Andy Williams, and Petula Clark, as well as family entertainers like Mickey Gilley, the Shanghai Magic Troupe, Jim Stafford, and Yakov Smirnoff. But there is more to Branson's fame than just recreation. As Aaron K. Ketchell discovers, a popular variant of Christianity underscores all Branson's tourist attractions and fortifies every consumer success. In this lively and engaging study, Ketchell explores Branson's unique blend of religion and recreation. He explains how the city became a mecca of conservative Christianity - a place for a "spiritual vacation" - and how, through conscious effort, its residents and businesses continuously reinforce its inextricable connection with the divine.Ketchell combines the study of lived religion, popular culture, evangelicalism, and contemporary American history to present an accurate and honest account of a distinctly American phenomenon.

Faith in the Great Physician tells the story of how participants in the evangelical divine healing movement of the late nineteenth century transformed the ways Americans coped with physical affliction and pursued bodily health. Examining the politics of sickness, health, and healing during this period, Heather D. Curtis encourages critical reflection on the theological, cultural, and social forces that come into play when one questions the purpose of suffering and the possibility of healing. Curtis finds that advocates of divine healing worked to revise a deep-seated Christian ethic that linked physical suffering with spiritual holiness. By engaging in devotional disciplines and participating in social reform efforts, proponents of faith cure embraced a model of spiritual experience that endorsed active service, rather than passive endurance, as the proper Christian response to illness and pain. Emphasizing the centrality of religious practices to the enterprise of divine healing, Curtis sheds light on the relationship among Christian faith, medical science, and the changing meanings of suffering and healing in American culture.

The first textbook to focus on the history of lived Shi'ism in South AsiaEveryday Shi'ism in South Asia is an introduction to the everyday life and cultural memory of Shi’i women and men, focusing on the religious worlds of both individuals and communities at particular historical moments and places in the Indian subcontinent. Author Karen Ruffle draws upon an array primary sources, images, and ethnographic data to present topical case studies offering broad snapshots Shi'i life as well as microscopic analyses of ritual practices, material objects, architectural and artistic forms, and more.Focusing exclusively on South Asian Shi'ism, an area mostly ignored by contemporary scholars who focus on the Arab lands of Iran and Iraq, the author shifts readers' analytical focus from the center of Islam to its periphery. Ruffle provides new perspectives on the diverse ways that the Shi'a intersect with not only South Asian religious culture and history, but also the wider Islamic humanistic tradition. Written for an academic audience, yet accessible to general readers, this unique resource: Explores Shi’i religious practice and the relationship between religious normativity and everyday religious life and material cultureContextualizes Muharram rituals, public performances, festivals, vow-making, and material objects and practices of South Asian Shi'aDraws from author's studies and fieldwork throughout India and Pakistan, featuring numerous color photographsPlaces Shi'i religious symbols, cultural values, and social systems in historical contextIncludes an extended survey of scholarship on South Asian Shi’ism from the seventeenth century to the presentEveryday Shi'ism in South Asia is an important resource for scholars and students in disciplines including Islamic studies, South Asian studies, religious studies, anthropology, art history, material culture studies, history, and gender studies, and for English-speaking members of South Asian Shi'i communities.

Invites a new generation of readers to apply ethical reasoning to social justice challenges, accessible to people of faith from a broad range of backgroundsSocial Justice in the Stories of Jesus introduces readers to the parables of the New Testament while exploring how they relate to social justice, ethics, and key issues of modern society. Centering on themes of mercy, justice, and human dignity, this unique volume invites readers to reflect on the meaning of Jesus's parables both in their original setting and in the context of present-day moral and ethical challenges. The author discusses social justice concepts from various traditions to enable readers to engage with the ethical implications of the parables in a range of different contexts.Each chapter focuses on one parable or set of parables, such as the parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, and includes historical background information and an analysis and interpretation of the parable. Throughout the text, the author highlights the connections between Jesus's parables and racism, violence, poverty, the environment, our obligations to one another, and other timely social justice issues. Blends an accessible overview of the parables of Jesus with an introduction to social justice and ethicsExplores New Testament parables as viewed through the lens of contemporary writers, ethicists, and activistsEmphasizes the Jewish roots of the parables and the need to guard against anti-Jewish readings of the parablesHighlights the ways that Jesus's parables challenged his first-century listeners to see their world in new ways and recognize the dignity of every personEngages with seminal thinkers in contemporary social justice, such as James Cone, Howard Thurman, Emilie Townes, Bishop Michael Curry, and Pope FrancisIncludes study and discussion questions for personal and group useRequiring no prior knowledge of the subject, Social Justice in the Stories of Jesus: The Ethical Challenge of the Parables is an ideal textbook for introductory courses on the Bible and New Testament, faith-based courses on ethics, and general Christian readers looking for an excellent resource for personal or congregational study."Gordley's excellent book on the parables of Jesus is utterly unique, focusing largely on their contemporary ethical significance, helpfully using modern Roman Catholic scholarship in crafting this highly recommended text."—David Aune, Walter Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins Emeritus, University of Notre Dame"This book incorporates socially conscious and justice seeking hermeneutics. Grounded in mercy ethics, it reorients biblical scholarship by making explicit the socioethical and praxiological demands embedded in New Testament parables.—Néstor Medina, Associate Professor of Religious Ethics and Culture, Emmanuel College, University of Toronto"Social Justice in the Stories of Jesus is an invitation into an engaging conversation about the Parables of Jesus that is both timeless and timely. Practical applications abound, and discussion questions are provided if the text is used in group settings."—Julia A. Upton, Former Distinguished Professor of Theology, St. John's University

This innovative introductory textbook explores the central practices and beliefs of Hinduism through contemporary, everyday practice. Introduces and contextualizes the rituals, festivals and everyday lived experiences of Hinduism in text and imagesIncludes data from the author’s own extensive ethnographic fieldwork in central India (Chhattisgarh), the Deccan Plateau (Hyderabad), and South India (Tirupati)Features coverage of Hindu diasporas, including a study of the Hindu community in Atlanta, GeorgiaEach chapter includes case study examples of specific topics related to the practice of Hinduism framed by introductory and contextual material

This innovative introductory textbook explores the central practices and beliefs of Hinduism through contemporary, everyday practice. Introduces and contextualizes the rituals, festivals and everyday lived experiences of Hinduism in text and imagesIncludes data from the author’s own extensive ethnographic fieldwork in central India (Chhattisgarh), the Deccan Plateau (Hyderabad), and South India (Tirupati)Features coverage of Hindu diasporas, including a study of the Hindu community in Atlanta, GeorgiaEach chapter includes case study examples of specific topics related to the practice of Hinduism framed by introductory and contextual material

This collection of essays explores the significance of practice in understanding American Protestant life. The authors are historians of American religion, practical theologians, and pastors and were the twelve principal researchers in a three-year collaborative project sponsored by the Lilly Endowment. Profiling practices that range from Puritan devotional writing to twentieth-century prayer, from missionary tactics to African American ritual performance, these essays provide a unique historical perspective on how Protestants have lived their faith within and outside of the church and how practice has formed their identities and beliefs. Each chapter focuses on a different practice within a particular social and cultural context. The essays explore transformations in American religious culture from Puritan to Evangelical and Enlightenment sensibilities in New England, issues of mission, nationalism, and American empire in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, devotional practices in the flux of modern intellectual predicaments, and the claims of late-twentieth-century liberal Protestant pluralism.Breaking new ground in ritual studies and cultural history, Practicing Protestants offers a distinctive history of American Protestant practice.

This collection of essays explores the significance of practice in understanding American Protestant life. The authors are historians of American religion, practical theologians, and pastors and were the twelve principal researchers in a three-year collaborative project sponsored by the Lilly Endowment. Profiling practices that range from Puritan devotional writing to twentieth-century prayer, from missionary tactics to African American ritual performance, these essays provide a unique historical perspective on how Protestants have lived their faith within and outside of the church and how practice has formed their identities and beliefs. Each chapter focuses on a different practice within a particular social and cultural context. The essays explore transformations in American religious culture from Puritan to Evangelical and Enlightenment sensibilities in New England, issues of mission, nationalism, and American empire in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, devotional practices in the flux of modern intellectual predicaments, and the claims of late-twentieth-century liberal Protestant pluralism.Breaking new ground in ritual studies and cultural history, Practicing Protestants offers a distinctive history of American Protestant practice.