By Amanda Udis-Kessler

The United Methodist Church has been in conflict over lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender inclusion issues since 1972. That year, in response to the gay liberation and gay rights movements, wording was added to the UMC Book of Discipline (the compilation of denominational policies and doctrines) characterizing homosexuality as "incompatible with Christian teaching." Since then, United Methodist ministers have been forbidden to perform same-sex commitment ceremonies (and United Methodist churches forbidden to host them), a rule has been passed that non-heterosexual United Methodist ministers must be celibate, and the UMC has forbidden the funding of any program or organization "supporting" homosexuality. These policies have been met with significant resistance by those fighting for GLBT inclusion. In this groundbreaking book, Udis-Kessler examines this struggle, analyzing both sides of this divisive debate among one of the most prominent religious organizations in the United States.

ISBN: 9780415962490

Published May 13 2008 by Routledge.

By Malory Nye

ISBN: 9780415449472

Published May 09 2008 by Routledge.

A Comparative Study of Muhammad ‘Abduh and ‘Abdul-Baha ‘Abbas

By Oliver Scharbrodt

Muhammad ‘Abduh (1849-1905) was one of the key thinkers and reformers of modern Islam who has influenced both liberal and fundamentalist Muslims today. ‘Abdul-Baha (1844-1921) was the son of Baha’ullah (1817-1892), the founder of the Baha’i Faith; a new religion which began as a messianic movement in Shii Islam, before it departed from Islam.

Oliver Scharbrodt offers an innovative and radically new perspective on the lives of these two major religious reformers in 19^th century Middle East by placing both figures into unfamiliar terrain. While one would classify ‘Abdul-Baha, leader of a messianic movement which claims to depart from Islam, as an exponent of heresy in Islam, ‘Abduh is perceived as an orthodox Sunni reformer. This book, however, argues against the assumption that both represent two extremely opposite expressions of Islamic religiosity. It shows that both were influenced by similar intellectual and religious traditions of Islam and that both participated in the same discussions on the reform of Islam in the 19^th century.

Islam and the Baha'i Faith provides new insights into the Islamic background of the Baha’i Faith and into ‘Abduh’s own association with so-called heretical movements in Islam.

ISBN: 9780415774413

Published April 25 2008 by Routledge.

Eutychus, or the Future of the Pulpit Apella or the Future of the Jews Vicisti, Galilaee? Perseus, of Dragons

By Reviewer, Powley, Stokes, Holtby

Eutychus

Or the Future of the Pulpit

Winifred Holtby

Originally published in 1928

"Few wittier or wiser books have appeared in this stimulating series." Spectator

"…delicious fun." Guardian

A dialogue between Archbishop Fénelon, who stands for the great ecclesiastical tradition of preaching, Anthony, who stands for the more superficial intellectual movements in England and Eutychus, the ordinary man, investigates the nature of the pulpit.

134pp

Apella or the Future of the Jews

A Quarterly Reviewer

Originally published in 1925

"Cogent, because of brevity and magnificent prose style…It should not be missed." Spectator

"…his arguments are a provocation to fruitful thinking." Morning Post

This volume attempts to foresee the future of the Jews across the world, in the light of their previous history, the situation in Russia and the modern developments of Zionism. Inter-marriage, Jewish nationalism, Jewish religion and reform movements are among the subjects discussed.

90pp

Vicisti, Galilaee?

Or Religion in England: A Survey and a Forecast

Edward B Powley

Originally published in 1929

"…a book to be read, thought over, and discussed by all Christians who are not afraid to take the shutters down." Guardian

Who was Jesus? How did Christianity begin, become orthodox, receive recognition as the state religion of the Roman Empire? What has been the history of Christianity in England? This volume discusses these questions and surveys of state of English churches in the early 20^th century.

114pp

Perseus, of Dragons

H F Scott Stokes

Originally published in 1924

"A diverting little book…both quaint and various." Morning Post

This volume gives an account of the dragon in history: in ancient Greece, in early Christendom and in modern Europe and explains how the dragon-story originated from the myths and customs of pre-historic Egypt. The author then maintains that in twentieth century England the dragon is not dead, that the characteristics of respectability, bigotry and cant represent the modern day dragon.

70pp

ISBN: 9780415463430

Published April 11 2008 by Routledge.

Today and Tomorrow

By Various

Examining the establishment of Christianity as a major world religion, Jewish nationalism and the myths and customs of pre-historic Egypt, the volumes in this mini-set, originally published between 1924 and 1929 include work by Winifred Holtby, Edward B Powley and H F Scott Stokes.

ISBN: 9780415463454

Published April 11 2008 by Routledge.

By Michael J. Almeida

ISBN: 9780415962933

Published April 03 2008 by Routledge.

Religious Studies Perspectives

Edited by Bryan Rennie, Philip L. Tite

September 11 and the subsequent War on Terror continues to cast a long shadow over the world. Religion, Terror and Violence brings together a group of distinguished scholars from a range of backgrounds and disciplines to explore the claim that acts of violence – most spectacularly the attack of September 11, 2001 and the international reaction to it – were intimately linked to cultural and social authorizing processes that could be called 'religious.'

This book provides a nuanced but incisive insight into the reaction of the discipline of religious studies to the post 9/11 world.

ISBN: 9780415442305

Published April 02 2008 by Routledge.

From Soil to God

By Chris Wilson

Ethno-religious violence in Indonesia illustrates in detail how and why previously peaceful religious communities can descend into violent conflict.

From 1999 until 2000, the conflict in North Maluku, Indonesia, saw the most intense communal violence of Indonesia’s period of democratization. For almost a year, militias waged a brutal religious war which claimed the lives of almost four thousand lives. The conflict culminated in ethnic cleansing along lines of religious identity, with approximately three hundred thousand people fleeing their homes.

Based on detailed research, this book provides an in depth picture of all aspects of this devastating and brutal conflict. It also provides numerous examples of how different conflict theories can be applied in the analysis of real situations of tensions and violence, illustrating the mutually reinforcing nature of mass level sentiment and elite agency, and the rational and emotive influences on those involved.

This book will be of interest to researchers in Asian Studies, conflict resolution and religious violence.

ISBN: 9780415453806

Published March 31 2008 by Routledge.

Edited by Nile Green, Mary Searle-Chatterjee

Religion, Language and Power shows that the language of ‘religion’ is far from neutral, and that the packaging and naming of what English speakers call ‘religious’ groups or identities is imbued with the play of power. Religious Studies has all too often served to amplify voices from other centers of power, whether scripturalist or otherwise normative and dominant. This book’s de-centering of English classifications goes beyond the remit of most postcolonial studies in that it explores the classifications used in a range of languages — including Arabic, Sanskrit, Chinese, Greek and English — to achieve a comparative survey of the roles of language and power in the making of ‘religion’ . In contextualizing these uses of language, the ten contributors explore how labels are either imposed or emerge interactively through discursive struggles between dominant and marginal groups. In dealing with the interplay of religion, language and power, there is no other book with the breadth of this volume.

ISBN: 9780415963688

Published March 26 2008 by Routledge.

The End of the Law

By David S. Cunningham

Christian Ethics provides a biblical, historical, philosophical and theological guide to the field of Christian ethics. Prominent theologian David S. Cunningham explores the tradition of ‘virtue ethics’ in this creative and lively text, which includes literary and musical references as well as key contemporary theological texts and figures.

Three parts examine:

• the nature of human action and the people of God as the ‘interpretative community’ within which ethical discourse arises
• the development of a ‘virtue ethics’ approach, and places this in its Christian context
• significant issues in contemporary Christian ethics, including the ethics of business and economics, politics, the environment, medicine and sex.

This is the essential text for students of all ethics courses in theology, religious studies and philosophy.

ISBN: 9780415375993

Published March 26 2008 by Routledge.