A remarkable collection of essays written by an international team of contributors explores different aspects of religion in Japan. Subjects discussed include new religions in postwar Japan, beliefs about fox-possession in the Heian period, and the religious life of the first shogunate in the late twelfth century. The essays offer fresh insights into the rich religious traditions of Japan, many of which have been previously neglected in the English-language writing on Japan.

In a cultural history that considers the transformation of southern Indian institutions under British colonial rule, Price focuses on the two former "little kingdoms" of Ramnad and Sivaganga, which came under colonial governance as revenue estates. She demonstrates how rivalries among the royal families and the disintegration of indigenous institutions contributed to the development of nationalism. The author also shows how religious symbols and practices going back to the seventeenth century were reformulated and acquired a new significance in the colonial context.

This broad-ranging examination of Chinese state and court ritual from 1000 BC to AD 1750 represents the first modern account of the subject in any language. The essays, written by some of the most distinguished scholars in the field, demonstrate how and why ritual has played such a fundamental and often controversial role in the practice of Chinese politics. The book will be of interest to students of Chinese history and religion, as well as those seeking to understand the legacy of that history in the context of modern China.

Judith Hadley deploys recent archaeological discoveries, alongside biblical material and nonbiblical inscriptions, to examine the evidence for the worship of Asherah as the partner of God in the Bible. She asks how Israelites construed the relationship between "Yahweh and his Asherah," and whether in fact the term referred to an object of worship rather than a female deity. This is a well-crafted study that promises to make a significant contribution to the debate about the exact nature of Asherah and her significance in pre-exilic Israel and Judah.

David Thomas edits and translates Ab DEGREESD-u DEGREESD-I DEGREESD-sa al-Warr DEGREESD-aqs Against the Incarnation, the second and last part of his Refutation of the Three Christian Denominations. The book contains an edition of the Arabic text alongside the English translation, together with explanatory notes. Dr. Thomas' comprehensive introduction outlines the pluralist and multifaith society of medieval Baghdad, placing Ab DEGREESD-u DEGREESD-I DEGREESD-sa in the context of both Muslim theological argument and Christian-Muslim discussions. Thus he succeeds in demonstrating the author's...

This examination of the interaction between state and society greatly contributes to our understanding of medieval India. The Mughal empire, one of the most powerful states in pre-British India with an impressive administrative structure and an aristocratic high culture, has long held a fascination for historians. Exploring the Mughal State on the basis of extant local documents not previously treated by historians, this book demonstrates that the state was deeply entangled with social forces.

Love may be a universal feeling, but culture and language play a crucial role in defining it. Idioms of love have a long history, and within every society there is always more than one discourse, be it prescriptive, religious, or gender-specific, available at any given time. This book explores the idioms of love that have developed in South Asia, those words, conceptual clusters, images and stories which have interlocked and grown into repertoires. Including essays by literary scholars, historians, anthropologists, film historians and political theorists, the collection unravels the...

The Pukhtuns are numerically and politically one of the most significant ethno-linguistic groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan. This important study of Pukhtun society concentrates on the lives, thoughts and gham-khadi (funerals-weddings) ceremonies of the women, especially of the elite, wealthy and educated women (Bibiane) who have largely been overlooked in previous studies. Contesting their conventional representation as idle, it illustrates their commitment to various forms of work within familial and social contexts. It challenges the commonly assumed models of contemporary Pakistan...

Nizami Ganjavi is one of the foremost figures in Persian poetry, living in Azerbaijan in the second half of the twelfth century. One of the oldest Western poets in Persian literature, he is acclaimed for his five masnavis which are assembled to form the Khamsa (Quintet). His reputation is that of a difficult and refined poet, who introduced into his verse vocabulary, expressions and allusions to the then-known sciences. This study considers all his verses containing allusions to trees and their fruit. The scientific contents of these allusions are then checked with the help of Arabic and...

In the ancient Near East the God of Israel stands unique; he is the central character of the Old Testament. The collection of essays in this volume presents the historical background against which belief in him developed and discusses aspects of the topic that remain unresolved or largely unaddressed. What was he like? How does he differ from other gods of the ancient world? And what difference does the worship of this god make, both in the world of the Bible and now? The papers presented contribute to the continuing discussion about the God of Israel and other deities in the ancient Near...