Focusing on the pedagogical aspects of pilgrimage, jihad, and prophecy, this book examines knowledge and education in Islam during the period of 800-1500 CE. It highlights how these theological concepts can inform educational practices and compares them to John Dewey's educational theories. The work aims to provide insights and tools for intercultural and interreligious learning, fostering a deeper understanding of Islamic education within a broader philosophical context.
Schleiermacher maintained that «to make proselytes out of unbelievers is deeply engrained in the character of religion.» But why do religions proselytize? Do all religions seek conversions? How are religions adapting their proclamations in a deeply plural world? This book provides a detailed analysis of the missionary impulse as it is manifested across a range of religious and irreligious traditions. World Religions and Their Missions systematically compares the motives and methods of the «missions» of Atheism, the Bahá'í Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Mormonism. The text also develops innovative frameworks for interreligious encounters and comparative mission studies.
John Dewey's fame as an educational theorist is matched by his infamy as a critic of traditional religion. This interdisciplinary work explores Dewey's philosophy of education in correlation with Christian theology, proposing that we see «theology as education». In conversation with Friedrich Schleiermacher (the father of modern theology), St. Benedict (the founder of Western monasticism), and Rowan Williams (the renowned archbishop of Canterbury), this innovative and accessible book develops a distinctive «Deweyan theology». John Dewey among the Theologians will be welcomed by readers interested in interdisciplinary theology, educational theory, religious education, and pragmatism.