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In recent years, the role of religion in the study and conduct of international affairs has become increasingly important. Rethinking Religion and World Affairs seeks to question and remedy the problematic neglect of religion in extant scholarship. Drawing on the work of leading scholars aswell as policy makers and analysts, this volume will form the first comprehensive and authoritative guide to the interconnections of religion and global politics.These essays grapple with puzzles, issues and questions concerning religion and world affairs in six major areas. Contributors critically revisit the "secularization thesis," which proclaimed the steady erosion of religion's public presence as an effect of modernization; explore the relationshipbetween religion, democracy, and the juridico-political discourse of human rights; assess the role of religion in fomenting, ameliorating, and redressing violent conflict; and consider the value of religious beliefs, actors, and institutions to the delivery of humanitarian aid and the fostering ofsocio-economic development. Later chapters address the representation of religion in the expanding global media landscape, the unique place of religion in American foreign policy, and the dilemmas it presents.Rethinking Religion and World Affairs will become an invaluable resource for professional and emerging scholars, journalists, policy makers, diplomats, and others concerned in their personal or professional capacities with religion and international affairs.

Although major New Testament figures - Jesus and Paul, Peter and James, Jesus' mother Mary and Mary Magdalene - were Jews, living in a culture steeped in Jewish history, beliefs, and practices, there has never been an edition of the New Testament that addresses its Jewish background and theculture from which it grew - until now. In The Jewish Annotated New Testament, eminent experts under the general editorship of Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler put these writings back into the context of their original authors and audiences. And they explain how these writings have affected therelations of Jews and Christians over the past two thousand years.An international team of scholars introduces and annotates the Gospels, Acts, Letters, and Revelation from Jewish perspectives, in the New Revised Standard Version translation. They show how Jewish practices and writings, particularly the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, influenced the NewTestament writers. From this perspective, readers gain new insight into the New Testament's meaning and significance. In addition, thirty essays on historical and religious topics - Divine Beings, Jesus in Jewish thought, Parables and Midrash, Mysticism, Jewish Family Life, Messianic Movements, DeadSea Scrolls, questions of the New Testament and anti-Judaism, and others - bring the Jewish context of the New Testament to the fore, enabling all readers to see these writings both in their original contexts and in the history of interpretation. For readers unfamiliar with Christian language andcustoms, there are explanations of such matters as the Eucharist, the significance of baptism, and "original sin."For non-Jewish readers interested in the Jewish roots of Christianity and for Jewish readers who want a New Testament that neither proselytizes for Christianity nor denigrates Judaism, The Jewish Annotated New Testament is an essential volume that places these writings in a context that willenlighten students, professionals, and general readers.

The Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible gathers nearly 5,000 alphabetically ordered articles that thoroughly yet clearly explain all the books, persons, places, and significant terms found in the Bible. The Dictionary also explores the background of each biblical book and related writings and discusses cultural, natural, geographical, and literary phenomena--matters that Bible students at all levels may encounter in reading or discussion. Nearly 600 first-rate Bible authorities have contributed to the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Intended as a tool for practical Bible use, this illustrated dictionary reflects recent archaeological discoveries and the breadth of current biblical scholarship, including insights from critical analysis of literary, historical, sociological, and other methodological issues. The editorial team has also incorporated articles that explore and interpret important focuses of biblical theology, text and transmission, Near Eastern archaeology, extrabiblical writings, and pertinent ecclesiastical traditions--all of which help make the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible the most comprehensive and up-to-date one-volume Bible dictionary on the market today. Features of the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible:   Nearly 5,000 entries explain every book, person, place, significant event, and distinctive term or expression found in the Bible Written by nearly 600 respected authorities in the field of biblical scholarship Includes 112 informative charts and photos and a 12-page section of color maps Supplementary aids include lists of abbreviations, pronunciation guide, transliteration key, and concise bibliographies to guide further research Entries cover the Deuterocanonicals as well as the Hebrew and New Testament scriptures Based on the New Revised Standard version of the Bible, with attention given to alternate readings in other major translations