Egypt in the sixties and seventies for the Salem family was a balance between keeping Islamic tradition at home and attending the secular system of public schools; which would provide us with the best of opportunities; and form us into what my parents considered model Muslims. Both traditional Islamic practice and a breadth of scholarship were to be revered; in line with the great Islamic thinkers that always inspired us like Imam Mohamed Abdu and M. Rashid Reda.1 I was first exposed to other cultures and peoples when I traveled on foot and auto-stop on a forty-day journey to Europe in the summer of 1974. I was only fourteen at the time; but that journey taught me many valuable lessons; including the importance of being independent; self-sufficient; relating to others and understanding between cultures and people. That journey to Europe was followed by three more journeys to Europe and the Middle East for the following three summers; before our family emigrated and settled in California in the late seventies. Having lived in three different countries on three different continents; I have had no choice but to consider many different points of view; not only in my own acclimation from Egyptian to American culture; and then to Indian culture and back to American; but in my desire to understand the Middle East conflict at its root. Many of my relatives and friends still reside in Egypt. Therefore; my interest in solving the conflict is both on an ideological and personal level. My personal and global journey included study at Berkeley and Stanford universities; after which I established myself in a real estate investment business. I then embarked on a trek to the Indian subcontinent; where I spent some time with the pacifist Muslim Tablighi Jamaat movement and experienced again a taste of wandering; joined with outreach to other Muslims and simplicity in living. My passion for solving the conflicts in the Middle East led me to pursue a master’s degree at Yale Divinity School; then a PhD defended at AlAzhar University; Cairo; Egypt; which I was granted in 2015.
#2492656 in Books 2016-09-01Format: IllustratedOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 3 9.25 x 4.75 x 6.19l; #File Name: 09903774661500 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Four StarsBy CustomerVery Good history.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Comprehensive investigation into the origin of lawBy Joan N.Laws are everywhere. Every society has law in some form. Where did law come from? Is there something innate in man or is their a higher source of law? Eidsmoe answers these kinds of questions as a result of his investigating the legal systems of ancient and modern societies.This is a three volume set. The first volume looks at ancient legal systems such as Egypt; India; China; etc. He investigates how their legal systems came to be; whether there are common aspects; and the possible source. He then focuses on the ancient Hebrew system of law and why it is frequently ignored today. He pays particular attention to Greek and Roman law and the Sharia law of Islam in the second volume. He also investigates the rise of the Common Law of the West and its roots. He explores the Reformation in the third volume and how legal philosophers wrote of law in a modern way. He then shows how the Common Law traveled to the Americas and provided the background for the founding documents of the United States.This is an amazingly comprehensive work of over 1;400 pages. It is a tremendous resource for anyone interested in the nature; purpose and source of law. It is not the kind of collection one would read quickly. It may take months to work through the information it contains. A comprehensive index is included at the end of each volume.Readers may find a few surprises; such as Eidsmoe pointing out the fallacy of having an evolutionary concept of the development of law. He offers proof that the United States is unique in its Judeo-Christian heritage; especially in the influence of the ancient law systems; including the Hebrew laws of the Old Testament.I recommend this comprehensive investigation to those readers interested in the origin of our laws and how they developed. Questions for reflection and discussion are included at the end of each chapter.I received a complimentary copy of this title through The Book Club Network. My comments are an independent and honest review.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Well researched; organized; and written; 5 star bookBy N. WilkersonAuthor John Eidsmoe’s "Historical and Theological Foundations of Law " is a set of three hardback books that total 1500 pages. These religious history law books are definitely not light reading but full of information. Author Eidsmoe has done a vast amount of research and study in preparing these three volumes.This collection is divided into three books according to eras. The first is Ancient Wisdom; followed by Classical and Medieval; and ending with Reformation and Colonial. The author has a concise; orderly effective way of writing. His collection is well organized and well researched. He has given information on a subject that is much needed and relevant today: history; religion; and our laws.In a clear; level headed; fair minded way the author provides evidence and discusses the proof of God's existence by examining the way "the people of the ancient world possessed such sophisticated knowledge of building construction; writing; medical skills; and so many other forms of knowledge; is it not possible; is it not likely; that they possessed sophisticated systems of law as well? In fact; would not a sophisticated system of law and government be a prerequisite for the other achievements? If so; then modern Darwinian theories that law evolved from the simple to the complex; definitely need to be re-examined.â€Noting that every society has laws; the author examines and discusses why. Where did this idea come from? How did man know what laws to propose? Was this instilled by God? Readers will learn so much in this multi book set. Information is given on different cultures; countries; and years. There is so much information to absorb that it took me months to get through and it is still swirling through my mind.I recommend this comprehensive collection to those readers interested in the origin of our laws and how God is involved. These are definitely great reference books. They would make a wonderful learning group book. Questions for reflection and discussion are included at the end of each chapter. I rated it a 5 out of 5 stars. I was given the book by Book Fun (The Book Club Network) and this is my honest review.
