This landmark book probes Muslims' attitudes toward Jews and Judaism as a special case of their view of other religious minorities in predominantly Muslim societies. With authority; sympathy and wit; Bernard Lewis demolishes two competing stereotypes: the Islamophobic picture of the fanatical Muslim warrior; sword in one hand and Qur'Än in the other; and the overly romanticized depiction of Muslim societies as interfaith utopias.Featuring a new introduction by Mark R. Cohen; this Princeton Classics edition sets the Judaeo-Islamic tradition against a vivid background of Jewish and Islamic history. For those wishing a concise overview of the long period of Jewish-Muslim relations; The Jews of Islam remains an essential starting point.
#385257 in Books imusti 2016-10-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.70 x 1.10 x 4.60l; 1.47 #File Name: 0691152209272 pagesPrinceton University Press
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A good textual historyBy C. D. VarnI have been a fan of the scholarship of Donald S. Lopez Jr. for a long time: His "Prisoner's of Shangri-la" and "Tibetan Religion in Context" shattered a lot of myths I had held on the topic and that permeated popular culture both within and outside convert Buddhist circles. Although he has two books on myths about Buddhism and the Buddha that go into little known elements of Theravada history; Lopez tends to focus on myths of Mahayana buddhism and the critical studies around it; and particularly on Vajrayana variants. This was different in that he was dealing with a text; although he did a treatment on the "Tibetan Book of the Dead;" and a text; while important to Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism; is foundational for Tendei; Shin; Shingon; and most dramatically Nichiren Buddhism.Lopez starts with the texts seem origins in the Sanskrit literature of the Indo-Greek world of Bactria. There is some speculations on the exact nature of the shift here. The secret doctrine elements of the text set it apart from the other two famous Mahayana sutras readily found in English; the Heart Sutra (which isn't really even a Sutra) and the Diamond Sutra (foundational for Chan/Seon/Zen). Lopez then talks us through the reception in China; the development of Chinese esoteric Buddhism; the shift to Japan; Japanese devotional and esoteric Buddhism(s); the develop of Nichiren Buddhism in particular; the reception of the Lotus Sutra in French and American scholarship; the Development of the modern Nichiren sects; their consolidation in the Meiji restoration at the same time as French-English scholarship on the Lotus sutra begins; and then the post-war development of Nichiren outside of Japan.Fascinating and brings up many of the problems of the history of Buddhism and the Mahayana developments outside of India and outside of their original Sanskrit context. Easily readable despite the obscurity of a lot of the topic; and offers a good history of Mahayana developments in both Japan and America in particular through the lens of the Lotus Sutra's reception.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great Primer...By Rod OlsonBefore I start to study the Lotus Sutra; I wanted a background; a primer; so to speak; before I began. Very easy reading and now; am even more excited to jump into the actual Sutra. Highly recommend!7 of 9 people found the following review helpful. An intro to an intro...not a biographyBy MichaelHalf of a book...where is the rest? A good read...I liked it...but I felt that the book missed so much. How bout a chapter concerning metaphysical aspects? The notion that we can attain Buddhahood in our present form; just as we are; is at the heart of contemporary Buddhism. Only the Lotus Sutra...and only the Lotus Sutra taught this idea. The 16th Chapter teaches the eternity of life...the idea of rebirth is implicit. Two huge concepts that were not even mentioned. Buddhism evolves and adapts to suit the environment in which if flourishes...and that my friend; is why we practice Buddhism and not Shakyamunism.
