Books published by Oxford University Press Inc

Fourteen centuries of Islamic thought have produced a legacy of interpretive readings of the Qu'ran written almost entirely by men. Now, with Qu'ran and Woman, Amina Wadud provides a first interpretive reading by a woman, a reading which validates the female voice in the Qu'ran and brings it out of the shadows. Muslim progressives have long argued that it is not the religion but patriarchal interpretation and implementation of the Qu'ran that have kept women oppressed. For many, the way to reform is the reexamination and reinterpretation of religious texts. Qu'ran and Woman contributes a gender inclusive reading to one of the most fundamental disciplines in Islamic thought, Qu'ranic exegesis. Wadud breaks down specific texts and key words which have been used to limit women's public and private role, even to justify violence toward Muslim women, revealing that their original meaning and context defy such interpretations. What her analysis clarifies is the lack of gender bias, precedence, or prejudice in the essential language of the Qur'an. Despite much Qu'ranic evidence about the significance of women, gender reform in Muslim society has been stubbornly resisted. Wadud's reading of the Qu'ran confirms womens equality and constitutes legitimate grounds for contesting the unequal treatment that women have experienced historically and continue to experience legally in Muslim communities. The Qu'ran does not prescribe one timeless and unchanging social structure for men and women, Wadud argues lucidly, affirming that the Qu'ran holds greater possibilities for guiding human society to a more fulfilling and productive mutual collaboration between men and women than as yet attained by Muslims or non-Muslims.

The Revised Standard Version dramatically shaped the course of English Bible translation work in the latter half of the Twentieth Century. It is still the translation used in official Church pronouncements, and serves as the basis for the scriptural text used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Creation of Patriarchy is a compelling work by Gerda Lerner, the Robinson-Edwards Professor of History Emerita. Published in 1988, this book delves into the historical aspects of gender roles and power dynamics. Lerner's insightful exploration of the origins and development of patriarchy in society offers readers a thought-provoking journey through time. The book is a significant contribution to the genre of history and gender studies. Published by the renowned Oxford University Press Inc, The Creation of Patriarchy is a must-read for those seeking to understand the historical roots of gender inequality. This book is written in English.

Covering over 1500 singers from the origins of opera to the present day, this book is an essential resource for all serious opera lovers and an indispensable companion to the enormously successful Grove Book of Operas, with more than 40 specially commissioned articles on contemporary singers. The most comprehensive guide to opera singers ever produced.

C. Wright Mills is best remembered for his highly acclaimed work The Sociological Imagination, in which he set forth his views on how social science should be pursued. Hailed upon publication as a cogent and hard-hitting critique, The Sociological Imagination took issue with the ascendant schools of sociology in the United States, calling for a humanist sociology connecting the social, personal, and historical dimensions of our lives. The sociological imagination Mills calls for is a sociological vision, a way of looking at the world that can see links between the apparently private problems of the individual and important social issues. Leading sociologist Todd Gitlin brings this fortieth anniversary edition up to date with a lucid introduction in which he considers the ways social analysis has progressed since Mills first published his study in 1959. A classic in the field, this book still provides rich food for our imagination.

From Iceland to India, from prehistoric cave paintings and fertility figurines to such modern-day 'myths' as the invisible hand, the Oedipal conflict and Schrodinger's cat, the author's treatise on comparative mythology covers a lot of ground.

Famed for their temples, pyramids and great cities, the Maya, Toltec, Aztecs and other ancient civilizations created an intricate and long-lasting mythology about themselves, their world and the afterlife.

Here is a pioneering account of everyday life under Stalin, written by one of the foremost authorities on modern Russian history. Focusing on urban areas, the book is an eye-opening account of day-to-day life in the blighted urban landscape of 1930's Russia

Traditionally used as a mortuary text, to be read or recited in the presence of the dead or dying, this sacred text - which relates the experience of death and rebirth in three intermediate states of being - was originally understood as a guide not only for the dead but also for the living.

For many, AI technology inspires hope for the future-the promise of shared human flourishing and collective liberation from drudgery that defines the "good life," but always seems to elude our species. Yet today's AI technology is forged from human-generated data into immensely powerful but flawed mirrors that endlessly reflect the same errors, biases and failures of wisdom we are striving to escape. To open new futures for ourselves with these tools is as misguided as gazing into a mirror while trying to climb an uncharted mountain. At this crucial juncture for humanity and our planet, we need something new from AI, and more importantly, from ourselves. We need to find new hope-not to surrender our greatest moral and intellectual ambitions to machines that have none, but to renew those ambitions, collectively, for ourselves. Shannon Vallor makes a wide-ranging, prophetic, and philosophical case for what AI could be, and what we can be with it. She calls us to reclaim our human potential for moral and intellectual growth, rather than losing sight of our shared humanity as we gaze dully into our AI mirrors.

In a lively and easy-to-navigate, question-and-answer format, Food Politics carefully examines and explains the most important issues on today's global food landscape.

In The Political Thought of Xi Jinping, Steve Tsang and Olivia Cheung provide an authoritative overview of what "Xi Jinping Thought" is and is not and what it means for both China and the world. Xi Jinping intends to stay the leader of China for life and is working to make "Xi Jinping Thought" China's new state ideology, something that will define what he calls the China Dream of national rejuvenation and the pathway to its fulfilment by 2050. Drawing fromoriginal research of Xi's speeches, writings, and policies, the authors conceptualize Xi's vision independently from interpretations provided by the Chinese Communist Party or other sources. They further show how Xi seeks to transform this vision into reality.

This book is a fascinating and engaging exploration of the interface between near-death experiences, afterlife beliefs, and shamanism in indigenous societies of North America, Africa, and Oceania. Incorporating ideas from anthropology, philosophy, psychology, and cognitive evolutionary science, the book explains the continuum of similarities and differences between these phenomena.

This book, the first ever biography of the father of philosophy, tracks Plato's life from his childhood in war-torn Athens at the end of the fifth century BCE to his founding of the Academy, adventures in Sicily, death, and immense legacy. Throughout, it sheds light on Plato's many timeless works of philosophy.

In local parishes, upper levels of secondary schools, and introductory college classes, the Personal Study Edition provides superb study resources for readers that will open the text of the Bible to new understanding and greater appreciation for all.

This book offers an in-depth introduction to the philosophy and practice of Zen Buddhism. Bret Davis explores the philosophical implications of Zen teachings and koans, comparing and contrasting these with other Asian as well as Western religions and philosophies. He relates traditional Zen teachings and practices to our twenty-first century lives.

This book contains thirty bidirectional exchanges between neuroscientists and philosophers that focus on the most critical questions in the neurophilosophy of free will. It mimics a lively, interdisciplinary conference, where experts answer questions and follow-up questions from the other field, helping each discipline to understand how the other thinks and works. Each chapter is concise and accessible to non-experts-free from disciplinary jargon and highly technicaldetails-but also employs thorough and up-to-date research from experts in the field.

This book provides a history of slavery in Viking Age Scandinavia by examining a multitude of sources, including archaeology, runic inscriptions, Icelandic sagas, early law, DNA analysis, and place names. Viking society was characterized by different dependencies and by fluid transitions between freedom and enslavement. Thraldom surveys, in nuanced ways, the unique role of slavery in medieval Scandinavia.

This inaugural volume in the Munich Lectures in Ethics series presents lectures by noted philosopher Philip Kitcher. In these lectures Kitcher develops further the pragmatist approach to moral philosophy, begun in his book The Ethical Project. He uses three historical examples of moral progress-the abolition of chattel slavery, the expansion of opportunities for women, and the increasing acceptance of same-sex love-to propose methods for moral inquiry. Inhis recommended methodology, Kitcher sees moral progress, for individuals and for societies, through collective discussions that become more inclusive, better informed, and involve participants more inclined to engage with the perspectives of others and aim at actions tolerable by all. The volume isintroduced by Jan-Christoph Heilinger and contains commentaries from distinguished scholars Amia Srinivasan, Susan Neiman, and Rahel Jaeggi, and Kitcher's response to their commentaries.

Rational and reassuring, Uncertainty in Medicine forges a new path for approaching medical uncertainty by arming readers from an array of disciplines with the tools they need to diagnose, treat, and confront its challenges more intentionally and effectively.

This unique book is an exciting global journey into the origins, technologies, and recipes of ancient beer as well as into beer's continued importance today in diet, ritual, and economics.

In this guide to horror movies for the very nervous, author Mathias Clasen delves into the psychological science of horror movies to bust some of the worst myths about the genre and its supposed harms as he shows that horror movies can, in fact, have beneficial effects on their viewers.