Guardians Of Faith In Modern Times

This collective volume provides an integrative historical and contemporary discussion of Sunni EulamaE3/4 in the Middle East in both an urban and a semi-tribal context. The various chapters reinforce a renewed interest in the position of the EulamaE3/4 in modern times and offer new insights as to their ideological vitality and contribution to the public discourse on moral and sociopolitical issues.

This book situates Australian Muslim experiences of religious authority within the global context of Islam in the modern world. While drawing on examples of Muslim-majority states, new empirical findings indicate the growing diversity of Muslim religious actors in Australia, as well as the contextual realities shaping the way religious authority is legitimised and contested in democratic and authoritarian environments. In particular, the study challenges homogenous articulations of Islamic religious authority in unearthing new voices, epistemologies and socio-political factors shaping Muslim attitudes and experiences of religious authority. The book fills important gaps in the field, such as intra-Muslim relations, female religious authority, digital Islam and the relationship between traditional ulama, reformists and Muslim intellectuals in the West. Dr Shaheen Whyte is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation, Charles Sturt University. He holds a PhD from Deakin University, Australia. His research focuses on Islamic religious authority, Muslim minorities in the West, Islamic law and Middle Eastern politics.

The issue of faith, what it is and how it works, is not only a hot topic, but is of great importance in this day and age. Many claim that true faith is a means to an end, and that end usually has to do with greater health and wealth. It is true one may have great faith, money in the bank and perfect health. On the other hand one may suffer and be poor by the world’s standards, yet still have great faith and be rich in God’s economy. True faith is about a deepening relationship with God. In these pages the author looks at four men of faith in the Old Testament, traces their walk of faith and shows how modern man can expect the same dynamic walk. They went through great trials, suffering pain and setbacks but still held onto God and His plan for their lives. God has a great plan for our lives as well, and we can walk out that plan by applying the same faith. As you read you will become familiar with these four figures. They heard from God and what they heard was tested and proved. They all came out on top because they held on during the storms of life. If your faith has been tested in any way, this book is for you. It will encourage and enlighten you as you do your best in this life to “walk by faith and not by sight.”

Traces the diverse Ulama reactions to late nineteenth and early twentieth century state building and national cohesion in Egypt.

Up-to-date, well-documented, comprehensive coverage of cults, sects, and world religions, from the historical to the contemporary INCLUDES • Well-known groups and world religions, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Islam, and Baha’i • Groups with a significant North American influence, including Santeria, Rastafarians, Haitian Voodo, white supremacy groups, Wicca, and Satanism REVISED, UPDATED, AND EXPANDED TO INCLUDE NEW ENTRIES AND NEW INFORMATION • Updated information on Islam and its global impact • New entries: the Branch Davidians, Native American religions, Heaven’s Gate, Aum Supreme Truth, the Boston Movement, the Masonic Lodge, and many others • Developments in the world of cults and the occult Encyclopedic Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and World Religions is arguably the most significant reference book on the subject to be published. Formerly titled Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions, and the Occult, it provides reliable information on the history and beliefs of nearly every form of religion active today. This extensively revised edition includes new topics, updated information, and a brand-new format for a clearer, more organized approach. The authors evaluate the beliefs and practices of each group from the perspective of the Bible and the historic creeds of the Christian church. You’ll also find group histories, numerous illustrations, charts, current statistics, websites, bibliographies, and other useful information.

This volume is the first major study of the papacy as a managerial structure that has evolved over two thousand years. Special emphasis is placed on the environments in which the Church functioned and in which it had to reach uneasy compromises. The volume is both scholarly and very readable.