African Religions: Beliefs and Practices Through History
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Dictionary of Classical Mythology
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The Encyclopedia of Women in World Religions: Faith and Culture across History
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Great Events in Religion: An Encyclopedia of Pivotal Events in Religious History
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The Four Horsemen: The Conversation That Sparked an Atheist Revolution
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In Defence of Universal Human Rights
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Islam in America: Exploring the Issues
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A valuable resource for readers interested in the role of Islam in contemporary U. S. politics and society, this first-of-its kind reference synthesizes Islamic teachings, the example of Prophet Muhammad, and the vision of the Founding Fathers. Islam is the most misunderstood and misrepresented religious tradition in the United States, depicted as an oppressive and violent political system and its followers as backward and "un-American." The stereotypes about Islam and Muslims in the U.S. calls for a new sociological understanding that confronts the menacing bigotry and racism rising in the U.S. today. Through an overview essay, chronology, and roughly 50 alphabetically arranged entries, this reference explores the intersection of Islam, Muslims, and American national identity. The primary focus is contemporary issues and developments relating to Islam in the U.S., but the entries also incorporate a fuller picture of Islam in general and Muslims worldwide. Included are entries on history, race and ethnicity, interfaith commonalities, politics, discrimination and hate, and national identity. The entries cite works for further reading, and the book closes with an annotated bibliography of the most important resources. Summarizes the role of Islam in contemporary U.S. politics and society via overview essays Uses a chronology to identify the most important events related to Islam in the U.S. Includes roughly 50 alphabetically arranged reference entries for key topics related to Islam in American religion and politics Features bibliographies and an end-of-work annotated bibliography to direct the reader to additional sources of information
Queer Cinema in America: an Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Films, Characters, and Stories
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This reference helps readers navigate the perilous odyssey those of an LGBTQ orientation had to face in an age less enlightened than our own, when an attraction to members of the same gender could lead to horrendous abuse. Just as American society has changed dramatically from decade to decade, so has queer cinema. Taking us from a time when LGBTQ characters were often represented as either caricatures or figures of farce, this lively yet authoritative reference explores the sea change ushered in by such stars as Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich in the 1930s and '40s, androgynous figures such as Montgomery Clift, James Dean, and Marlon Brando in the '50s, and closeted gay men such as Rock Hudson and Liberace, whose double lives were exposed by the scourge of AIDS. Included are alphabetically arranged entries on stars, directors, films, themes, and other topics related to queer cinema in America, including films and persons from outside the U.S. who nonetheless figured prominently in America popular culture. Entries cite works for further reading, sidebars provide snippets of interesting trivia, a timeline highlights key events, and a selected, general, end-of-work bibliography cites the most important major works on the topic. A timeline highlights key events in LGBTQ cinema history. An introduction overviews the history of queer cinema in America. Alphabetically arranged reference entries provide fundamental and critical information about films, directors, actors, themes, and other topics related to queer cinema in America. Fascinating anecdotes bring LGBTQ cinema history to life. Sidebars provide interesting trivia. Entry bibliographies direct readers to additional sources of information.
Screening Reality
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"A towering achievement, and a volume I know I'll be consulting on a regular basis."-Leonard Maltin"Authoritative, accessible, and elegantly written, Screening Reality is the history of American documentary film we have been waiting for." --Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times film criticFrom Edison to IMAX, Ken Burns to virtual environments, the first comprehensive history of American documentary film and the remarkable men and women who changed the way we view the world.Amidst claims of a new "post-truth" era, documentary filmmaking has experienced a golden age. Today, more documentaries are made and widely viewed than ever before, illuminating our increasingly fraught relationship with what's true in politics and culture. For most of our history, Americans have depended on motion pictures to bring the realities of the world into view. And yet the richly complex, ever-evolving relationship between nonfiction movies and American history is virtually unexplored. Screening Reality is a widescreen view of how American "truth" has been discovered, defined, projected, televised, and streamed during more than one hundred years of dramatic change, through World Wars I and II, the dawn of mass media, the social and political turmoil of the sixties and seventies, and the communications revolution that led to a twenty-first century of empowered yet divided Americans. In the telling, professional filmmaker Jon Wilkman draws on his own experience, as well as the stories of inventors, adventurers, journalists, entrepreneurs, artists, and activists who framed and filtered the world to inform, persuade, awe, and entertain. Interweaving American and motion picture history, and an inquiry into the nature of truth on screen, Screening Reality is essential and fascinating reading for anyone looking to expand an understanding of the American experience and today's truth-challenged times.