Dangerous Religious Ideas

The Deep Roots of Self-Critical Faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Dangerous Religious Ideas
Rachel S Mikva
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NZ$ 38.99
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NZ$ 29.24
Paperback
h229 x 152mm - 264pg
2 Nov 2021 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9780807014769
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Often, in public life, we critique extremist or fundamentalist versions of faith. These versions of a faith tradition, we think, make a mockery of the important moral teachings at their heart. But in a provocative book grounded in close readings of scripture and tradition in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, religious scholar Rachel Mikva corrects this easy assumption- all religious ideas are dangerous, she says, and thus self-critical faith is essential. Mikva then takes her argument one step further, showing us that the Abrahamic religions contain within themselves the seeds of the work necessary to take on dangerous religious ideas and foster self-critical faith. Aware of their tremendous power both to harm and to heal, most religions of the world have transmitted their sacred stories alongside tools for penetrating self-examination. This book demonstrates the self-critical capacities of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam by exploring three themes--Scripture, Election, and Reward & Punishment--identifying their perilous power and positive potential, and investigating how the traditions have historically grappled with them. For instance, while Scripture' s abiding relevance can inspire great goodness, its authority has also been wielded to defend slavery, marginalize LGBTQ-identified individuals, ignore science, and justify violence. Many readers presume their understanding of its meaning is absolute, forgetting how these sacred texts and the history of interpretation have valued multiple perspectives and recognized ongoing rhythms of change. It is not a modern phenomenon to debate the nature of truth, hold space open for doubt, value humility, and question the capacity of human beings to know things--especially about God and God' s will--with certainty. Self-critical faith is the litmus that properly distinguishes contemporary camps--not religious identity or degree of orthodoxy, but the willingness to grapple substantively with the potential harm their ideas may inflict. Traditionally rooted and radically engaged, this book' s collection of religious voices certainly substantiates the dangers of religious ideas. Yet it also initiates a complementary discourse that brings religious wisdom and insight to enhance public discussion in pursuit of the common good.
"This cogent work provides a promising platform for interreligious engagement, particularly for interfaith academics. " --Publishers Weekly"This illuminating book will change the way you think about religious ideas. " --Eboo Patel, author of Interfaith Leadership: A Primer"Theologically informed, politically aware, and ultimately encouraging, the volume honestly names problematic texts and tendencies within the three monotheistic traditions and then provides the resources within those same traditions for self-correction and interreligious engagement. Given the role of religion in the public square, Mikva' s voice is not only helpful; it is also needed. " --Amy-Jill Levine, author of The Misunderstood Jew"Religion has been responsible for profound acts of compassion and unspeakable acts of violence. It has birthed great civilizations and destroyed entire societies. It has fostered the expansion of universal human rights and fomented hatred and bigotry of the other. In Rachel Mikva' s telling, the very things that make religion a force for good are also what makes it so dangerous. As both a scholar and a rabbi, Mikva is unblinking in her self-critical examination of these dangerous religious ideas, offering believers and nonbelievers alike a new way to think about the enduring the power of faith. " --Reza Aslan, author of Zealot: The Life of and Times of Jesus of Nazareth"A crucial contribution to the current struggle over the political uses and abuses of religion, Rachel Mikva' s nuanced and compelling case for self-critical faith examines the paradox of religious ideas that both inspire humility and human flourishing and mandate certainty and oppression. She invites those betrayed by faith and those nourished by faith to engage ultimate questions of meaning and morality as we consider public theologies that lead to a more just society for us all. " --Rita Nakashima Brock, PhD, coauthor of Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire and a senior vice president at Volunteers of America "Dangerous Religious Ideas is engaging, vulnerable, honest, and powerful. If you are not bothered by this book in some way, you have probably not taken it seriously. Mikva' s work is provocative, and you will be a better person--whether of faith or not--for having read it. " --Joel N. Lohr, PhD, president of Hartford Seminary and coauthor of The Hebrew Bible for Beginners
Rachel S. Mikva serves as the Rabbi Herman E. Schaalman Chair and Associate Professor in Jewish Studies, and the Senior Faculty Fellow of the InterReligious Institute at Chicago Theological Seminary. Rabbi Mikva went to teach and earn her Ph. D. at Jewish Theological Seminary, focusing on rabbinic literature and the history of scriptural interpretation. Her courses and research address a range of Jewish and comparative studies, with a special interest in the intersections of scripture, culture and ethics.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9780807014769
Published: 2 Nov 2021
Published In: United States
Imprint: Beacon Press
Publisher: Beacon Press
Format: Paperback
Height: 229mm
Width: 152mm
Pages: 264

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