Recent political and social events as well as advances in science and technology have posed challenges to the traditional Muslim discourse on ethics. In this latest in the series of Occasional Papers produced by the Institute of Ismaili Studies, Amyn B. Sajoo examines these challenges, and through a critical analysis of the implications of emerging initiatives in political pluralism and civic culture, in bio-medicine and environmental conservatism, considers how the contours of public ethics in Islam may be redefined to provide shared conceptions of the good in pluralist societies.

The death and devastation wrought by the tsunami in South Asia, Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Pakistan, the mudslides in the Philippines, the tornadoes in the American Midwest, another earthquake in Indonesia - these are only the most recent "acts of God" to cause people of faith to question God's role in the physical universe. To explore various religious explanations of the tragedies inflicted by nature, the author of this book interviewed 43 prominent religious leaders across the religious spectrum.

The Spirit of Prophecy Defended (originally published in 1713 as The General Delusion of Christians) is a thoroughgoing apology for the miracles, signs, and wonders of the Christian past and of its followers, the so-called French Prophets, a small ecstatic movement in eighteenth-century England that traced its roots to the Montanists of the early church.

This volume investigates the layers of meaning of the Qumran community's liturgical practice as prayer (communication with the divine), ritual (actions that establish and reinforce the social and ideological structures of the community), and speech (containing both verbal and non-verbal communication).

This volume investigates critical practices by which the Qumran community constituted itself as a sectarian society. Key to the formation of the community was the reconstruction of the identity of individual members. In this way the "self" became an important symbolic space for the development of the ideology of the sect. Persons who came to experience themselves in light of the narratives and symbolic structures embedded in the community practices would have developed the dispositions of affinity and estrangement necessary for the constitution of a sectarian society.

Venturing Beyond: Law and Morality in Kabbalistic Mysticism is an investigation of the relationship of the mystical and moral as it is expressed in the particular tradition of Jewish mysticism known as the Kabbalah.

In this clear and informative guide, Momen provides a vibrant introduction to all aspects of this fast-expanding faith, which now has over 5.5 million adherents. From the spiritual development of the individual to the belief in the need for world peace, this gives anyone interested in the contemporary religious landscape an insight into this 150-year old tradition, whose spiritual and social teachings are so much in tune with the concerns of today.

Global Civilization emerged from a series of conversations between two peace advocates of Japanese and Iranian origin. It covers the encounters between Buddhist and Islamic civilizations from the 7th century to the present. The topics discussed in this spirit of dialogue include such diverse subjects as the nature of religious faith today, global ideological terrorism, religious fanaticism, and universal human rights. Ikeda and Tehranian, two important representatives of their respective faiths, propose dialogue as the most effective method of conflict resolution at interpersonal, intra-national, and international levels.

Gary R. Bunt provides a fascinating account of the issues at stake, identifying two radical new concepts: firstly, the emergence of e-jihad ('Electronic Jihad') originating from diverse Muslim perspectives -- this is described in its many forms relating to the different definitions of 'jihad', including on-line activism (ranging from promoting militaristic activities to hacking to co-ordinating peaceful protests) and Muslim expression post 9/11; secondly, he discusses religious authority on the Internet -- including the concept of on-line fatwas and their influence in diverse settings, and the complexities of conflicting notions of religious authority.

The Isma'ilis represent the second largest Shi'i Muslim community after the Twelvers (Ithna'asharis), and are today dispersed as religious minorities throughout more than twenty-five countries of Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America. The second edition of this authoritative book, the product of more than twenty years' research, traces the history and doctrinal development of the Isma'ilis from their origins in the formative period of Islam to the present day, a period of more than twelve centuries.