Is religion inherently predisposed to violence? Or has religion been taken hostage by a politics of aggression? The years since the end of the Cold War have shown a noticeable shift in patterns of religious extremism; accentuating the uncomfortable; complex; and oft-misunderstood relationship between religion and violence. The essays in this succinct new volume examine that relationship by offering a well-rounded look at violence as it appears in the world's most prominent religious traditions; exploring Hindu; Buddhist; Chinese; Sikh; Jewish; Christian; Islamic; African; and Pacific Island texts and practices. The essays in Violence and the World's Religious Traditions explore the ways in which specific religions have justified acts of destruction; in history; in scripture; and in the contemporary world. But the collection also offers an investigation of religious symbols and practices; shedding new light on the very nature of religion and confronting the question of how deeply intertwined are violence and faith.
#642228 in Books Schrad Mark Lawrence 2016-09-01 2016-09-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.10 x 1.00 x 9.20l; .0 #File Name: 0190468815528 pagesVodka Politics Alcohol Autocracy and the Secret History of the Russian State
Review
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Brilliant; original; riveting!By Paul GelmanSometimes you may have to wait quite a long time in order to read such a masterful book like Professor's Schrad gripping book. It is about the way in which vodka and other spirits have influenced the long; rich and arduous history of Russia.His main thesis is that since the days of the Vladimir the Great of Kiev; alcohol has been used to make the Russians happy. The traditional drinks of Russia were naturally fermented beers; ales; meads and kvas. The imposition of the more potent artificial; distilled spirits came only with the imposition of the modern autocratic state; which used vodka to siphon off society's wealth into the treasury; making this drink the central pillar of Russian autocratic statecraft. Vodka; corruption and autocracy have been intertwined in Russia ever since.Its secondary thesis is that; in a way; Russian rules conducted a kind of controlled schizophrenic policy vis-av-vis vodka: on the oned hand there were those who encouraged the masses to drink(Stalin being one of them) and on the other hand there were those who were against it(Lenin who was really paranoic about it; and Gorbachev). The reason: vodka was a powerful tool to control the masses and also served as a principal source of income for the state.What is great about this book is the vivid style of writing; demonstrating again that only some people belonging to the academia can also write not only for their peers but also for the history buff as well. The author demonstrates that since its inception; Russia was drenched in alcohol. This fact created the tragic consequences for the Russian society. It hastened the demise of the Soviet Union itself and caused what Professor Schrad calls "the literal demodernization of a twentieth century country".Just to give you an example: after Gorbachev announced a crackdown on the sales or production of vodka; which claimed the lives of tens of millions (mind you; this is no mistake); the most hard of drinkers turned to alcohol surrogates; from mouthwash; eau-de-cologne and perfumed to gasoline; cockroach poison; brake fluid; medical adhesives and even shoe polish on a slice of bread.Another example: "Soldiers in the Soviet Army would offer their last piece of bread to their comrades in order to get vodka and they drank everything just as during the Civil War: aftershave lotions; medicines and liquids containing poisons".Alcoholism runs like a red thread throughout Dostoyevsky's novel "Crime and Punishment" and Marmeladov is only the first noteworthy drunkard. Tolstoy suggested that it was alcohol that clouded Raskolnikov's judgment and led to his inhuman axe murders. The pervasive drunkenness of the Russian soldiers contributed to the military defeat of Russia in the Crimean War during the nineteenth century. Forty-four percent of all military deaths were attributable to alcohol. One can conclude that the chief contributory cause of the Bolshevik Revolution was the prohibition in 1914 of the sale of spiritous liquors.As stated by its author; this book does not pretend to say that vodka was/is everything in Russian history; thus it it not a monocausal explanation of Russian history and culture; but "vodka politics means a lot and it is an alternative lens through which Russia's complex politics and development is seen".By using newly dicovered documents hitherto classified and by integrating them with an in-depth examination of secondary sources; by incorporating studies from many fields such as sociology; political science; literature; memories and various diaries; anthropology; letters as well as demographic studies; Professor Schrad has managed to write a book of twenty-four chapters (overpacked with many details and anecdotes in addition to excellent analyses) which is both a masterpiece and will definitely become a classic of its kind. This book is more than highly recommended for anyone who would like to enjoy reading about an original idea; examined almost microscopically; leaving no stone unturned . And in addition; it is also a great read!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This is a crazy awesome book; and makes the Russian autocracy very easy ...By Jessica S.This is a crazy awesome book; and makes the Russian autocracy very easy to understand. The history is excellent and the topic showing the correlation between Vodka and the control it had over Russia is incredible. Got to meet the Author in my class at Widener University after our class read the book and he was super intelligent and knew his book in and out!!!!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very interestingBy Audrey SkrupskelisValuable information for those who are researching this historical era.
