Religious Propaganda is a pivotal concept for the Hellenistic and Roman epochs in the History of Religions. The term refers to the various competing religious and philosophical movements and currents during those periods. Renowned scholars (H. Attridge, K. Baltzer, J. Collins, A. Dewey, H. Koester, A.T. Kraabel, D. Luhrmann, J. Robinson, W. Schottroff, E. Schussler Fiorenza, A. Yarbro Collins and others) interpret Pagan, Jewish, and Christian sources with a view toward elucidating the confrontation of Jewish and Christian groups with their respective social, economic, religious, and...

This book gives a critique of the contemporary global capitalist system and the adverse consequences suffered by the developing countries as a result of their 'integration' into this system. The current neoliberal paradigm of capitalist development as the only or the best alternative for the economic, social and political development of the developing countries is rejected. The authors search for more human and ecologically sustainable alternatives, focusing on Latin America, Asia and women. Contributors are David Barkijn, Robert N. Gwynne, Richard L. Harris, Cristobal Kay, Jorge Nef,...

Scholars of practical theology are increasingly regarding the discipline as one whose scope extends beyond the bounds of an applied theology. The concept of action, or practice, plays a central role in this new understanding. At the base of theological reflections by scholars of practical theology are the practices, and these are analyzed empirically. The aim of the discipline is to transform these practices and develop a hermeneutical action theory or a hermeneutical-empirical approach to human actions. As a result of its focus on practices, practical theology is closely linked to the social...

This collection of essays in honour of Heikki Raisanen, New Testament professor at the University of Helsinki, consists of 22 essays written by his colleagues and students on Jesus, the gospels, Paul, early Christianity, and biblical interpretation. Raisanen's own research has been characterized by methodological awareness combined with a keen interest in ethical issues. Both these aspects come to expression in his insistence on "fair play" as a correct scholarly attitude involving an honest dialogue, a real encounter, and a recognition of diverging opinions. In this spirit, most of the...

The essays in this collection reveal that the social and political development of post-apartheid South Africa depends to an important degree on the evolving cultural, social and political identities of its diverse population and on the role of the media of mass communications in the country's new multicultural democracy. The popular struggle against the country's former apartheid regime and the on-going democratisation of South African politics have generated enormous creativity and inspiration as well as many contradictions and unfulfilled expectations. In the present period of social...

This book, prepared under the auspices of the IPSA Research Committee on Political Elites, focuses on the interpenetration between various types of elites: politicians, owners of capital, corporate managers, higher state administrators, directors of public enterprises, controllers of media, military officers and the civic-cultural establishment. The contributions to this book reveal contrasting patterns of recruitment and selection in terms of career paths, visibility, influence, and power of different elite circles. This diversity of national elite configurations challenges the C. Wright...

When examining how the social sciences have dealt with ideology, one's first impression is often one of considerable confusion. Sociology in particular is the scene of heated debates about ideology. These debates go sometimes so far as to echo doubts of participants with regard to their opponents' scientific endeavor, even straightforward denials of their scientific status. This volume brings together a series of articles that throw light on selected aspects of this intricate matter by well-known sociologists Boudon, Wittrock, Arnason, Touraine, Smolicz, Secombe, Wieviorka, Ben-Rafael and...

Culture explains much of the behavioral and institutional differences around the globe. In social science there are many ways of framing cultural diversities. This book brings together authors with a classic status in the field of comparative cultural studies on one overarching theme: what are the relevant differences and similarities of contemporary cultural dimensions with which countries, organizations, and people can be compared? This book is the first publication available in which the cultural divisions of the world are compared and confronted. In the first part of the book classic...

This study, done within the comprehensive Weberian framework, focuses on religion and social change in Bangladesh through an imaginative use of qualitative as well as quantitative methods of modern social research. It first provides a sociological interpretation of the origin and development of Islam in Bangal using historical and literary works on Bengal. The main contribution is based on two sample surveys conducted by Mrs Banu in 20 villages of Bangladesh and in three areas in the metropolitan Dhaka City. Using these survey data, she gives a sociological analysis of Islamic religious...