Considering Comparison

The comparative method is an integral part of religious studies. All the technical terms that scholars of religion use on a daily basis, such as ritual, hagiography, shrine, authority, fundamentalism, hybridity, and, of course, religion, are comparative terms. Yet comparison has been subject to criticism, including postcolonialist and postmodernist critiques. Older approaches are said to have used comparison primarily to confirm preconceptions about religion. More recently, comparison has been criticized as an act of abstraction that does injustice to the particular, neglects differences, and establishes a mostly Western power of definition over the rest of the world. In this book, Oliver Freiberger takes a closer look at how comparison works. Revisiting critical debates and examining reflections in other disciplines, including comparative history, sociology, comparative theology, and anthropology, Freiberger proposes a model of comparison that is based on a thorough epistemological analysis and that takes both the scholar's situatedness and his or her agency seriously. Examining numerous examples of comparative studies, Considering Comparison develops a methodological framework for conducting and evaluating such studies. Freiberger suggests a comparative approach - which he calls discourse comparison - that confronts the omnipresent risks of decontextualization, essentialization, and universalization. This book makes a case for comparison, arguing that it is indispensable for a deeper analytical understanding of what we call religion. The book is intended to enrich the practice of both aspiring and seasoned comparativists, stimulate much-needed further discussions about comparative methodology, and encourage more scholars to produce responsible comparative studies.

The comparative method is an integral part of religious studies. All the technical terms that scholars of religion use on a daily basis, such as ritual, hagiography, shrine, authority, fundamentalism, hybridity, and, of course, religion, are comparative terms. Yet comparison has been subject to criticism, including postcolonialist and postmodernist critiques. Older approaches are said to have used comparison primarily to confirm preconceptions about religion. More recently, comparison has been criticized as an act of abstraction that does injustice to the particular, neglects differences, and establishes a mostly Western power of definition over the rest of the world. In this book, Oliver Freiberger takes a closer look at how comparison works. Revisiting critical debates and examining reflections in other disciplines, including comparative history, sociology, comparative theology, and anthropology, Freiberger proposes a model of comparison that is based on a thorough epistemological analysis and that takes both the scholar's situatedness and his or her agency seriously. Examining numerous examples of comparative studies, Considering Comparison develops a methodological framework for conducting and evaluating such studies. Freiberger suggests a comparative approach - which he calls discourse comparison - that confronts the omnipresent risks of decontextualization, essentialization, and universalization. This book makes a case for comparison, arguing that it is indispensable for a deeper analytical understanding of what we call religion. The book is intended to enrich the practice of both aspiring and seasoned comparativists, stimulate much-needed further discussions about comparative methodology, and encourage more scholars to produce responsible comparative studies.

Considering Pragma-Dialectics honors the monumental contributions of one of the foremost international figures in current argumentation scholarship: Frans van Eemeren. The volume presents the research efforts of his colleagues and addresses how their work relates to the pragma-dialectical theory of argumentation with which van Eemeren’s name is so intimately connected. This tribute serves to highlight the varied approaches to the study of argumentation and is destined to inspire researchers to advance scholarship in the field far into the future. Replete with contributions from highly-esteemed academics in argumentation study, chapters in this volume address such topics as: *Pragma-dialectic versus epistemic theories of arguing and arguments; *Pragma-dialectics and self-advocacy in physician-patient interactions; *The pragma-dialectical analysis of the ad hominem family; *Rhetoric, dialectic, and the functions of argument; and *The semantics of reasonableness. As an exceptional volume and a fitting tribute, this work will be of interest to all argumentation scholars considering the astute insights and scholarly legacy of Frans van Eemeren.

Cannabis is a preference that should involve many considerations. Education and advice is everywhere we turn. Problem is, not all of us are getting Cannabis advice from knowledgeable experts who regularly recommend Cannabis compounds to people. This book covers many topics that often go unspoken, but it does not provide dosage recommendations for any specific medical conditions. This book is designed to provide logical consideration; not medical advice. Life is life and every one of us should have the freedom to home grow Cannabis. In life, all humans are patients who will encounter various forms of deterioration and pain in every stage of their life. With that in mind, Cannabis compounds are always something to consider because we should all expect to encounter pain and potential diseases throughout our life. We all manage our personal pain and diseases according to our personal navigation of life. Many people still think that Cannabis should be avoided completely, but not everyone realizes the list of substances and illnesses that we do avoid when Cannabis is pursued effectively. We should all consider ourselves candidates for Cannabis compounds. Strict religious beliefs are the only excuse not to, but even religious people should no longer deny that consuming Cannabis is extremely beneficial for treating actual diseases and deteriorations throughout the body. Medical professionals should be prescribing Cannabis to most of us. If someone believes psychoactive effects would not be “good” for them, well, not all compounds are psychoactive. There are Cannabis compounds that are considered non-psychoactive and those specific compounds can be used to provide targeted benefits to any system in the body. Cannabis might not cure every condition completely, but it can effectively prevent, cure or improve most pains and deterioration that we will be likely to encounter somewhere between our early stages of development and old age. People of all ages and cultures have confirmed that medical benefits exist whether Cannabis is recreational, medical or totally criminalized. Knowledgeable medical professionals do NOT provide anti-Cannabis advice to anyone unless there is a very specific need to do so. Projecting known lies about Cannabis is manipulative, corrupt and sometimes intentionally ignored completely. Once you recognize the reality of Cannabis, it should become very easy to recognize that people providing anti-Cannabis advice become instantly invalid the moment they begin to discredit the reality of Cannabis for people who have received guidance from medical professionals. Anti-Cannabis advice is typically based on religious ideology; not logic. This book is a great solution for helping us better understand our own pursuits of Cannabis. This book is also a great option for medical professionals to share with their patients who would benefit by Considering Cannabis during their existence. I look forward to learning what follow-up Cannabis advice I might provide in the future, but for now, I am extremely optimistic for the potential impact of this book.

In Considering Emma Goldman Clare Hemmings examines the significance of the anarchist activist and thinker for contemporary feminist politics. Rather than attempting to resolve the tensions and problems that Goldman's thinking about race, gender, and sexuality pose for feminist thought, Hemmings embraces them, finding them to be helpful in formulating a new queer feminist praxis. Mining three overlapping archives—Goldman's own writings, her historical and theoretical legacy, and an imaginative archive that responds creatively to gaps in those archives —Hemmings shows how serious engagement with Goldman's political ambivalences opens up larger questions surrounding feminist historiography, affect, fantasy, and knowledge production. Moreover, she explores her personal affinity for Goldman to illuminate the role that affective investment plays in shaping feminist storytelling. By considering Goldman in all her contradictions and complexity, Hemmings presents a queer feminist response to the ambivalences that also saturate contemporary queer feminist race theories.

This collection brings together recent research on the influences between first and additional languages with a focus on the development of multilingual lexicons. Featuring work from an international group of scholars, the volume examines the complex dynamics underpinning vocabulary in second and third languages and the role first languages play within this process. The book is organized around three different facets of research in this area – lexical recognition, processing, and knowledge; the effects of first languages on second language reading and writing, collocations, and translation skills; and, vocabulary testing – drawing on examples from a variety of languages, including European languages, Arabic, and Japanese. Setting the stage for further research on the interplay between first languages and multilingual lexicons, this volume is key reading for students and researchers in applied linguistics, language learning and teaching, bilingualism, second language acquisition, and translation studies.

The papers in this volume view Bronze Age objects through the lens of creativity in order to offer fresh insights into the interaction between people and the world, as well as the individual and cultural processes that lie behind creative expression.