Books From University Presses

If history fascinates you, especially tales of resilience and cultural integration, "The Huguenots in America" should be on your reading list. Jon Butler provides a fascinating window into how a refugee community shaped, and was shaped by, the New World. You'll journey through their struggles and adaptations in societies as varied as Boston, New York, and South Carolina, gaining insights into the complexities of immigration and assimilation. It's a nuanced exploration that will enrich your understanding of the American fabric.

If you're drawn to the mystical and spiritual depths of human experience, Rumi's Mathnawi will resonate with you. It's like a key unlocking profound insights through enchanting poetry. Perfect for seekers and lovers of timeless wisdom, this volume continues to inspire countless readers with its blend of rich emotional tapestry and spiritual transcendence.

Souled Out could be a good read for someone who is interested in exploring the intersection of faith and politics. This book provides a fresh perspective on the decline of the Religious Right and offers insightful portraits of contemporary religious figures. It emphasizes the message of hope that religions have always preached, making it a thought-provoking and inspiring read for those seeking a new perspective on reclaiming faith and politics in a changing world.

If you're intrigued by the complexity of medieval history, this book offers a full dive into the Crusades with rich illustrations to guide you. It's a vivid retelling that marries educational depth with visual storytelling, giving you both a scholar's overview and a tourist's experience right from your armchair.

Whether you're a seasoned reader of mystical literature or just dipping your toes into the spiritual waters, Rumi's Mathnawi is a journey worth taking. Its rich allegories and profound insights into human nature and spirituality will offer you a pathway to reflection, potentially altering your perspective on the everyday. The critical edition ensures historical fidelity, offering a connection to both the past and to timeless wisdom.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in unraveling the profound influence of the Book of Exodus on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jan Assmann skillfully delves into the intricate layers of this ancient scripture, revealing how it shaped the very foundations of monotheistic faiths. With a keen focus on themes of revelation, covenant, and the relationship between God and humanity, this book illuminates the enduring significance of the Exodus narrative and its impact on religious belief and practice. Prepare to be captivated by the remarkable insights and thought-provoking revelations within these pages.

"The Soul In The Brain" is a fascinating read for anyone intrigued by where art, language, and belief intersect with neuroscience. It's particularly compelling if you've ever wondered about the scientific explanations for why we're moved by music, inspired by poetry, or connected to our spiritual beliefs. Dr. Trimble uses real patient experiences to delve into these profound questions, offering a rare glimpse at the nuanced relationship between brain function and the essence of human creativity and spirituality.

The terms Wahhabi or Salafi are seen as interchangeable and frequently misunderstood by outsiders. However, as Madawi al-Rasheed explains in a fascinating exploration of Saudi Arabia in the twenty-first century, even Saudis do not agree on their meaning. Under the influence of mass education, printing, new communication technology, and global media, they are forming their own conclusions and debating religion and politics in traditional and novel venues, often violating official taboos and the conservative values of the Saudi society. Drawing on classical religious sources, contemporary readings and interviews, Al-Rasheed presents an ethnography of consent and contest, exploring the fluidity of the boundaries between the religious and political. Bridging the gap between text and context, the author also examines how states and citizens manipulate religious discourse for purely political ends, and how this manipulation generates unpredictable reactions whose control escapes those who initiated them.

This book would be a great read for individuals interested in the intersection of religion and culture in Southeast Asia. The author provides a detailed examination of the historical context and case studies from Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, showcasing how Muslim individuals and societies have fostered mutual respect and tolerance between Muslims and non-Muslims. By highlighting the rise of the network society in the region up until the early 21st century, the book offers readers a unique perspective on the practices, outlook, and visions of Muslim cosmopolitanism in the region.

The whole destiny of America is contained in the first Puritans who landed on these shores, wrote de Tocqueville. These newcomers, and the range of their intellectual achievements and failures, are vividly depicted in The Puritans in America . Exiled from England, the Puritans settled in what Cromwell called “a poor, cold, and useless” place―where they created a body of ideas and aspirations that were essential in the shaping of American religion, politics, and culture.In a felicitous blend of documents and narrative Alan Heimert and Andrew Delbanco recapture the sweep and restless change of Puritan thought from its incipient Americanism through its dominance in New England society to its fragmentation in the face of dissent from within and without. A general introduction sketches the Puritan environment, and shorter introductions open each of the six sections of the collection. Thirty-eight writers are included―among these Cotton, Bradford, Bradstreet, Winthrop, Rowlandson, Taylor, and the Mathers―as well as the testimony of Anne Hutchinson and documents illustrating the witchcraft crisis. The works, several of which are published here for the first time since the seventeenth century, are presented in modern spelling and punctuation.Despite numerous scholarly probings, Puritanism remains resistant to categories, whether those of Perry Miller, Max Weber, or Christopher Hill. This new anthology―the first major interpretive collection in nearly fifty years―reveals the beauty and power of Puritan literature as it emerged from the pursuit of self-knowledge in the New World.

Marco Politi takes us deep inside the power struggle roiling the Roman Curia and the Catholic Church worldwide, beginning with Benedict XVI, the pope who famously resigned in 2013, and intensifying with the contested and unexpected election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, now known as Pope Francis. Politi's account balances the perspectives of Pope Francis's supporters, Benedict's sympathizers, and those disappointed members of the Catholic laity who feel alienated by the institution's secrecy, financial corruption, and refusal to modernize.Politi dramatically recounts the sexual scandals that have rocked the church and the accusations of money laundering and other financial misdeeds swirling around the Vatican and the Italian Catholic establishment. Pope Francis has tried to shine a light on these crimes, but his work has been met with resistance from entrenched factions. Politi writes of the decline in church attendance and vocations to the priesthood throughout the world as the church continues to prohibit divorced and remarried Catholics from receiving the communion wafer. He visits European parishes where women now perform the functions of missing male priests--and where the remaining parishioners would welcome the admission of women to the priesthood, if the church would allow it.Pope Francis's emphasis on pastoral compassion for all who struggle with the burden of family life has also provoked the ire of traditionalists in the Roman Curia and elsewhere. He knows from personal experience what life is like for the poor in Buenos Aires and other metropolises of the globalized world, and highlights the contrast between the vital, vibrant faith of these parishioners and the disillusionment of European Catholics. Pope Francis and his supporters are locked in a battle with the defenders of the traditional hard line and with ecclesiastical corruption. In this conflict, the future of Catholicism is at stake--and it is far from certain Francis will succeed in saving the institution from decline.

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