Faculty Books

 
Book cover for Differentiating the Pearl from the Fish-Eye: Ouyang Jingwu and the Revival of Scholastic Buddhism

Differentiating the Pearl from the Fish-Eye: Ouyang Jingwu and the Revival of Scholastic Buddhism

August 20, 2020

Eyal Aviv, assistant professor of religion, offers an account of Ouyang Jingwu (1871-1943), a leading intellectual who revived the Buddhist scholastic movement during the early Republican period in China. Ouyang believed that authentic Indian Buddhism was an alternative to the prevalent Chinese Buddhist doctrines of his time. Aviv shows how Ouyang's rhetoric of authenticity won the movement well-known admirers but also influential critics. This debate shaped modern intellectual history in China.

Book cover for "Ethics of War and Peace in Islam: A Shi’a View".

Ethics of War and Peace in Islam: A Shi’a View

May 02, 2019

Professor Mohammad Faghfoory demonstrates that the Shia perception of war and peace is deeply rooted in the Quran and the Tradition of the Prophet and is defensive in nature. His analysis challenges the views of some of the Shia jurists of earlier centuries regarding jihad. It is the first comprehensive study in its kind on this important and timely subject.

Book cover for "Jesus Followers in the Roman Empire".

Jesus Followers in the Roman Empire

November 21, 2017

Professor Paul Duff offers an accessible and informed account of Christian origins, beginning with the teaching of Jesus and moving to the end of the first century. Duff's narrative shows how the rural Jewish movement led by Jesus developed into a largely non-Jewish phenomenon permeating urban centers of the Roman Empire. Paying special attention to social, cultural and religious contexts, this book helps readers cultivate a deeper understanding of the identity, beliefs and practices of early Christ-believers.

Book cover for Religious Zionism, Jewish Law, and the Morality of War.

Religious Zionism, Jewish Law, and the Morality of War

October 02, 2017

Robert Eisen, professor of religion and Judaic studies, examines a dilemma within modern Jewish thought: Although the state of Israel has been plagued by war for much of its existence, Jewish law includes little material on moral issues in times of conflict. He features five prominent rabbis with insight into the key moral questions in war as they create an entire new body of law.

Book cover for "Contesting the Yellow Dragon: Ethnicity, Religion and the State in the Sino-Tibetan Borderland".

Contesting the Yellow Dragon: Ethnicity, Religion and the State in the Sino-Tibetan Borderland

September 12, 2016

Xiaofei Kang, associate professor of East Asian religions and women and gender studies, produced the first long-term study of the Sino-Tibetan borderland. It traces relationships and mutual influence among Tibetans, Chinese, Hui Muslims, Qiang and others over some 600 years, focusing on the old Chinese garrison city of Songpan and the nearby religious center of Huanglong, or Yellow Dragon.