28 research outputs found
Nigerian Christians vs. Nigerian Muslims: Secularism, Violence, and The Rhetoric of Blame
No full textIn this thesis I will be discussing in detail the conflict between the Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. I started my research originally in London conducting\ud
interviews and talking to many Nigerian Christians and Nigerian Muslims about the\ud
conflict between these two religious groups. While there I got a great perspective on how these Nigerians felt about the conflict first hand, but I was still left with many questions.\ud
The majority of the Nigerians I interviewed were Christian, but I wanted to know which religious group was truly responsible for the violence? What were the underlying issues revolved around the conflict? What could be done to solve the conflict? While reading and researching, I came across a series Studies in Christian-Muslims\ud
Relations by a Christian author Jan H. Boer. Boer had spent over thirty\ud
years studying in Nigeria about Christians and Muslims, and considered himself an\ud
expert on colonialism. In this nine volume series, Boer answered some of these same questions I had about which religious group was to blame and what the\ud
underlying issues around the violence in Nigeria were. Boer's goal was to end the violence in Nigeria by establishing parameters for each religious group to follow so there could be peaceful coexistence, he believed the only way for his goal to be achieved was for the Christians to become more\ud
holistic, and the Muslims to have an open mind toward pluralism.\ud
In my thesis, I will be doing an in depth analysis of Boer's argument and his rhetorical structures of blame. He starts out with a claim about the negativity of\ud
secularism, which is a major point to this argument. Boer believes that secularism is the underlying issue of the conflict because it derails Christian biblical thought, and\ud
goes against the Muslim Sharia Law. Boer showcases many rhetorical structures of blame, but they are related to his belief that Muslims are the essential religious group to blame for the violence in Nigeria. Some of these rhetorical structures of blame Boer discusses include the\ud
Sharia Law, the Muslim dominant nature, and the teaching of justified Muslim violence. In the end, Boer leaves some unanswered questions on the table, especially\ud
about the positive and negative intentions of secularism, but overall, these rhetorical structures of blame exist and have been focused around the Muslims. Boer's series goes from identifying who is responsible for the conflict, to what the\ud
issues are behind the violence, and finally what can be done to stop it and bring peace for the future. I also offer my own advice about what can be done for the\ud
Christians and Muslims to live together peacefully in Nigeria
[Thesis]
No full text"Amputation is not Sex": Competing Visions of Marriage and Mahr in Classical Islamic LawThe predominant understanding of mahr and other monetary exchanges related to marriage in classical Islamic law among contemporary scholars is that the mahr represents the husband's symbolic purchase of his wife. Moreover, contemporary scholars hold that, with the transfer of the mahr, the wife comes under the dominion of her husband, who gains control of her sexual and reproductive capacities. This thesis shows that, while this was one way in which mahr and marriage were understood in the classical legal tradition, it was only one among many ways in which mahr was imagined in the legal tradition. There was in fact a plurality of ways in which classical jurists conceptualized and described the mahr, including those who explicitly resisted the marriage-sale analogy. Many of these jurists used language such as "affection" and "nobility" to refer to the mahr, while others even considered the mahr to be an act of worship. I explore how the idea of mahr being an act of worship brings the mahr into the realm of God's rights, reflective of a theocentric ethics that goes beyond interpersonal relationships and transactions. My thesis also demonstrates that there was an internal logic to why consummation was so important in discussions of mahr--consummation was considered the "seal" of Islamic marriage, without which the marriage was not actually complete. Thus, we should not assume that because consummation and mahr are closely connected in the juridical texts, it is simply because mahr is payment for a wife's "sexual service.
The Evolution of Religion in Bosnia: How the 2013 Census Thwarts Religious Identities
No full textEthnic identities in and\ud
after conflict are often\ud
viewed as kinship\ud
relationships between\ud
members because of attitudes and traditions of belief towards\ud
biological features and\ud
territorial location.\ud
Religion often plays a\ud
crucial role in ethnic\ud
definition, as many of the\ud
quarreling nationalist\ud
groups are too similar in\ud
ethno-linguistic features\ud
to be separated by criteria other than\ud
religious affiliation.\ud
In the conflict in Bosnia,\ud
religion played a crucial\ud
role in the formation\ud
of nationalist identity,\ud
with the Orthodox Serbs, Catholic Croats, and Muslim Bosniaks. These\ud
identities were formed\ud
during the war and then\ud
reinforced by the Dayton\ud
Peace Accords. All of a\ud
sudden, being Bosniak\ud
meant being Muslim; being\ud
Croat meant being Catholic; and being Serb\ud
meant being Orthodox.\ud
It is widely accepted that\ud
religion is one of the core aspects of identity in Bosnia. While religion\ud
is not the only basis of\ud
identity, it has been used\ud
jointly with nationalism\ud
and ethnicity as a marker\ud
of identity and as a way to differentiate between\ud
social groups. The role of\ud
religion in Bosnian society has become\ud
increasingly more apparent\ud
in light of the 2013 Bosnian census debate.\ud
The mandatory census has\ud
become a serious point of\ud
contention between the\ud
political and religious\ud
leaders and everyday Bosnian citizens. The\ud
challenges presented by the census explain a shift\ud
in the mindset of Bosnians\ud
and how they conceive of\ud
religion in their society.\ud
As religion is used as a\ud
marker of difference between ethnic groups, some Bosnians are pushing\ud
back against the labels\ud
that have been forced upon\ud
them for so many years.\ud
These Bosnians are\ud
fighting for the ability\ud
to identify freely on the\ud
census, which is a strong\ud
move in a country where the state has already\ud
predetermined a person's\ud
identity to fit into one\ud
of the three majority groups that were given\ud
power at the end of the war. Because religion plays such a crucial role\ud
in the identity of Bosnian\ud
people, the campaigns that\ud
push back against census\ud
express a growing opinion\ud
of how religion should be\ud
thought of in Bosnia today. This paper examines\ud
the evolution of religion\ud
from pre-war Bosnia to\ud
present day. This\ud
transformation is\ud
examined through the lens\ud
of the most recent census\ud
and two case studies of\ud
Bosnians, as citizens are\ud
beginning to shape and\ud
express their own religious and ethnic\ud
identity that counters the preexisting labels that structure Bosnian\ud
society
Hezbollah's Rhetorical Construction of a Divine Resistance: God, Satan, and the Will to Die
No full textIn this thesis, I will identify and explicate the rhetorical methods used by Hezbollah's leadership to justify its uniquely Islamic resistance posture, one pitted against "imperialist invaders" and a "tyrannical, arrogant world." Using familiar Islamic tropes, the movement's leaders unflinchingly align its struggle with religious\ud
ideology. This thesis will argue that Hezbollah's rhetoric, steeped in Islamic symbolism, is completely dependent upon this divine narrative and the perpetuation of an evil enemy to legitimize its violent struggle.\ud
In making this argument, this thesis is divided into three chapters, each covering a\ud
different element of the architecture behind Hezbollah's divine resistance posture.\ud
Chapter one examines Hezbollah's self-defined divine origins, which place its struggle on\ud
the side of God. In so doing, the movement's aims are immediately justified. God's cause is synonymous with the cause of Islam, and, therefore, Hezbollah's aims take on global implications. In the second chapter I investigate the process by which the enemy is demonized, thus ensuring popular support for an uncompromising resistance\ud
movement. In this sense, not only does its association with what is right and just justify\ud
Hezbollah's struggle but so does its stark opposition to what is considered evil and\ud
wrong. Reliant upon this dichotomization, the movement's leaders espouse and celebrate\ud
its "firm ideological, religious, and political stance." In the third chapter, I delineate how prominent Muslim and specifically Shi'i symbols of past and present support the\ud
divine narrative and both help legitimize and condone a violent struggle epitomized by a\ud
culture of martyrdom. This thesis concludes with a discussion of Hezbollah's 2009\ud
manifesto known as the 'Rebirth' of Hezbollah. Despite assertions made regarding the\ud
politically and pragmatically oriented transformation of Hezbollah, a brief examination of this document will once again showcase Hezbollah's persistent portrayal of its resistance posture within a divine narrative
And the Spirit of Sabbatai Zevi Moved Upon the Waters: Modes of Authority and the Development of the Donme Sects
No full textThe conversion of the purported Jewish messiah Sabbatai Zevi to Islam in 1666 created a crisis among his followers. Many returned to mainstream Judaism; others remained secret\ud
Sabbateans. However, a small group in Salonika followed their master into apostasy, converting\ud
to Islam in imitation of Sabbatai Zevi. This group, known as the Donme, was very homogenous at the beginning; its members were few in number, knew each other well, and tended to be related to one another. However, shortly after the death of Sabbatai Zevi they split into three\ud
factions (a fourth, the Frankists, arose later in Europe), who differed greatly from each other in organization, ritual, and theology. This thesis examines two main distinctions between the groups that led to their divergent outcomes. First, I examine the differences in modes of authority between the groups. In order to\ud
do this, I conceptualize two models of authority, the mundane and the charismatic (loosely based on Bruce Lincoln and Max Weber’s theories of authority). The four groups are compared and\ud
contrasted based on the degree to which they rely on each of the modes of authority.\ud
I also examine the ways in which each group linked itself to Sabbatai Zevi and\ud
legitimated itself as the rightful successors to his legacy. In this case this thesis distinguishes among legitimacies conveyed by the body of the messiah, the soul of the messiah, and the ideas and teachings of the messiah. Each of these pathways was claimed by one of the major groups,\ud
with major implications for the sect’s theology and ideology
The Ahmadi Jesus: Ghulam Ahmad's Interpretive Methodology of Jesus' (Non)Ascent
No full textThis thesis finds that Ghulam Ahmad's interpretive methodology of arguing against the\ud
prevalent Muslim belief in Jesus' physical ascent to heaven is deeply rooted in his use of Islamic texts and resources. This thesis demonstrates that Ahmad builds an interpretive methodology using the Qur'an, the Arabic language, and the ahadith corpus to declare Jesus' (non)ascent and to\ud
subsequently substantiate his claims to messianic status. Ahmad can only proclaim messianic status if he rejects Jesus' heavenly ascent and demonstrates that Jesus will not descend bodily from\ud
heaven as the messiah. As such, Ahmad develops a general hermeneutics of authority, derived\ud
from his application of these authoritative Islamic resources, which allow him to substantiate his claims to messianic status. In establishing this argument, this thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter outlines the manner in which Muslim scholars have prevalently interpreted ambiguous Qur'anic\ud
verses concerning Jesus' heavenly ascent, specifically Q.4:158, Q.3:56, and Q.5:118, to substantiate their belief in Jesus' heavenly ascent. The second chapter addresses Ahmad's use of the Qur'an, the Arabic language, and the ahadith corpus to interpret the aforementioned ambiguous verses to invalidate the possibility of Jesus' heavenly ascent and bodily descent thereof, thus substantiating\ud
Ahmad's messianic claims. The third chapter offers an examination of the hermeneutics of\ud
authority that Ahmad derives from his use of these authoritative Muslim resources, thus giving him the authority to confirm his own messianic status by way of Jesus' (non)ascent. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the need for comprehensive research and clearer understanding of\ud
Ahmad's literature and claims, especially in the current wake of religious fanaticism and\ud
persecution of Ahmad's followers
I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death: how art Thou with Me? Considerations of the Religiosity of the Modern Hospice Movement
No full textThis thesis will investigate the importance of religion in the structure and mission\ud
of hospice programs of the twentieth century. Hospice's reintroduction to the modern\ud
health care system resulted from the work of Dr. Cicely Saunders and her monumental\ud
progress refocusing attention on the particularities of caring for terminally ill patients.\ud
The foundation of St. Christopher's Hospice in London, under Saunders' jurisdiction,\ud
marked the initiation of the modern hospice movement, and a reconsideration of the\ud
treatment of terminal patients in a health care setting. Saunders demonstrates the\ud
complexity of hospice as a plural institution through her anxiety regarding the religious\ud
foundation of St. Christopher's hospice. Saunders, through her personal and professional\ud
work, develops a nuanced understanding of the meaning of Jesus' death on the cross for\ud
the suffering of man; this conception dictates the mission of St. Christopher's hospice,\ud
despite its interdenominational character. St. Christopher's hospice explicates a model of\ud
care founded strongly in a particular religious conception of the appeasement of\ud
suffering. The United States replicated Saunders' reorientation of terminal care in Britain,\ud
initiating the first American hospice program of the modern hospice movement. Converse\ud
to St. Christopher's model, U.S. hospice programs developed actively devoid of any\ud
religious foundation, to better serve a multi-religious cohort of terminal patients. A\ud
consideration of these differing models of hospice care ultimately demonstrates that\ud
religion is extraneous to the structure and foundation of hospice, barring individual and\ud
consistent attention is paid to personal religiosity in the experience of dying
The Interfaith Movement: The Words, The Truths, and the Ways
No full textIn this thesis I analyze the languages used by individuals active within the Interfaith Movement in order to gain an understanding of "Interfaith" as a concept in action. I investigate how language both facilitates and limits interfaith action. I begin\ud
with an overview of how interfaith has changed the current religious landscape. I\ud
investigate which institutions and persons have been seminal within this movement. I\ud
follow by addressing how people within interfaith approach talking about interfaith. This\ud
includes the major voices, such as, Diana Eck, Hans Kϋng, Leonard Swidler, and Karen\ud
Armstrong. These scholars all develop and use an interfaith language to define and to think about interfaith. These scholars use language I deconstruct and analyze in order to better interpret the language of interfaith individuals who participate in the movement. This information is drawn from interviews I have conducted with members of major interfaith institutions. The project will focus on speculation of what is happening in the interfaith movement in terms of the facilitation of interfaith action and dialogue according to these individuals. What are their understandings and motivations? Finally, I will synthesize my research to come up with a working conception of "interfaith" as a\ud
branded but fluid concept. Interfaith can best be appreciated as an attitude of open-mindedness that fosters a larger engagement within a community
Saint Paul, the Ismāʻīlīs, and the end of the world : new visions of the religious law
No full textHasan Salah, a 13th-century exponent of the Isma'ili qiyamat doctrine, and Saint Paul the Apostle, the author of much of the New Testament, believed that during their lifetimes, a Messiah had come. The arrival of the Messiah triggered the end time; in this new time of sacredness, both authors believed that it was impossible---and even counterproductive---to gain salvation by following the traditional religious law. This thesis juxtaposes both authors' conceptions of the religious law, highlighting how each author reinterprets scripture to argue that the law simply cannot bring salvation in this new time. It then discusses how, in place of the law, both authors advocate a new, more individual soteriology structured around the Messianic figure. This thesis then discusses the seven shared structural features of both eschatologically based theologies, strengthening the corpus of evidence suggesting that Isma'ili thinkers often incorporate specifically Christian elements into their theology
Taʾwīl of an Apocalyptic Transcript I: The Book of Unveiling
No full textThis chapter examines the apocalyptic symbolism of one of the first works of taʾwīl attributed to the Fatimids, the Kitāb al-kashf, or Book of Unveiling. After a brief introduction to the apocalyptic elements of the Quran, the chapter shows how the author of the Kitāb al-kashf interpreted the text to argue that the Quran’s descriptions of the end of time in actuality referred to the coming of the awaited eschatological figure, the mahdi. The chapter argues that the Kitāb al-kashf’s taʾwīl of the Quran’s eschatological and apocalyptic imagery created a new transcript whose soteriological structure was centred around belief in and support for the mahdi and his cause.</p
