Scholars in International Relations concerned with religion and its relations to world politics are rhetorically constructing a powerful modern myth. A component of this myth is that religion is inherently violent and irrational unless controlled by the secular state, which is inherently rational and only reluctantly violent. Timothy Fitzgerald discusses how, in this modern myth, "religion" appears as a force of nature which either assists or threatens the sacred secular order of things, and how religion is portrayed as a kind of universal essence which takes many forms, its recent most dangerous manifestation being "Islamic terrorism". This book illustrates that the essential distinction between irrational religion and rational secular politics appears as an unquestioned preconception on the basis of which policy is conducted, countries invaded and wars fought. Arguing that this rhetorical construction of religion provides the foundation for faith in the rationality of modern liberal capitalism, Fitzgerald demonstrates how a historically contingent discourse has been transformed into a powerful set of global assumptions.
This book analyses the development of different meanings of the term 'religion' in different contexts and in relation to other categories with shifting and unstable nuances such as the state, politics, economics, and the secular. It traces a major transformation of the category as a function of Euro-American colonialism and capitalism from its traditional meaning of Christian Truth to the modern generic and pluralised category of religions and world religions. Throughout the period under consideration discourses on religion have overlapped significantly with discourses on 'our' civility as opposed to 'their' barbarity, underpinning the superior rationality of the literate male elite of western societies.
In recent years there has been an intensifying debate within the religious studies community about the validity of religion as an analytical category. In this book Fitzgerald sides with those who argue that the concept of religion itself should be abandoned. On the basis of his own research in India and Japan, and through a detailed analysis of the use of religion in a wide range of scholarly texts, the author maintains that the comparative study of religion is really a form of liberal ecumenical theology. By pretending to be a science, religion significantly distorts socio-cultural analysis. He suggest, however, that religious studies can be re-represented in a way which opens up new and productive theoretical connections with anthropology and cultural and literary studies.
Just a decade after Leave It to Beaver, the turbulent 1960s became a time of rioting and unrest. Protests against the Vietnam War in America reached a crescendo as the decade came to a close, and many life-long friendships were forged in the heat of solidarity. The anti-war years bred numerous activist groups across the nation's college campuses. San Jose was a California town dominated by machine politics, bigotry and segregated off-campus housing. The university saw its share of black activists and white anti-war protesters. Wawona Brotherhood: The San Jose State Campus Revolt is a remembrance of that time, giving an account of the civil rights movement in the Bay Area, when SJSU's student body crossed the color line to elect the first black student to lead any campus in State College history. This was a crowning achievement for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and for human rights, without which the story of Barack Obama's victory would be incomplete. Author Tim Fitzgerald, a mountaineer from Yosemite Valley, was one of the students drawn into the radical cause on campus.Together with Cognitive Psychology Movement leader Bob Prentky, liberal cause activist Richard Miner, and Olympic Boycott organizer James Edwards, a new society united by a cause of racial equality and hope for the future soon became a rallying point for young people. Tim Fitzgerald's work reminds all of us that the basic issues which divided our nation then - a questionable war in a foreign land and the fight for equality at home - continue to haunt our society. - Jim Beall Jr., California State Assembly, District 24 Timothy Fitzgerald is an accomplished writer who has also taught social science in community colleges. He graduated from San Jose State University with two bachelor's degrees, in U.S. history and economics. He is now completing a third master's degree in related subjects and is working on his sequel titled, A Diamond in the Rough.
Religion has dominated colonialism since the 16th century. 'Religion and the Secular' critically examines how religion has been used to subject indigenous concepts to the needs of colonial powers. Essays present the colonial relationship from the perspective of colonized cultures - including Mexico, Guatemala, Vietnam, India, Japan, South Africa and Canada - and colonizing powers, namely England, Germany and the United States. The volume offers a historical and ethnographical analysis of the relationship between the sacred and the secular, examining religion in relation to politics, economics and civil power.
Tim Fitzgerald's unusual 'rags to riches' trilogy concludes in this volume, finishing his three volume study of the social history of the working class of the San Francisco Bay Area and the lot of the working poor and disadvantaged throughout the Cold War era of the 20th Century. Reading like historical novels, Fitzgerald plies his craft of creative non-fiction deftly, using detailed description of poverty in America as he knew it. This work turns on an unexpected and clever climax as the author champions four crusades he led in the 90s. Tim Fitzgerald has fought demons for years. His struggles reflect upon the problems with US mental health and legal systems which categorize sick people as criminals who are denied the medical care they deserve. Tim's struggle reflects one man's attempt to find meaning and redemption by self-education. - William Schwent, Songwriter and Poet As Tim knows, I have never agreed with his frequent forays in electoral politics, and I think he greatly overstates the political significance of the California Green Party in this third volume of his memoirs.Despite this, and other tiresome expressions of self-importance, the integrity of his lifelong battle for dignity and justice shines through like a beacon. His emotional honesty is breathtaking. It is truly an important contribution to what he calls a social history of the working class. - Sandy Perry, Outreach Minister, CHAM Deliverance Ministry ...Tim Fitzgerald and I worked fairly closely on our memoirs in Mammoth Lakes, but I couldn't tell...when Tim was often forcibly constrained by mental health services, [just] whose vested interests were at stake...Now, in [Pursuit of the Dragon Fly], Tim reveals the differences between personal problems and bureaucratic self interest. - Peter A. Berardo, PhD, Scientist and Author Tim Fitzgerald was a 'late bloomer' whose contribution to the community did not [truly] begin to shine until he broke from established tradition in the 90s and thereafter... - John Lindauer, Economist Chicago Publisher's website: www.SBPRA.com/TimothyKFitzgerald
For a student of political history or human nature, whether moored to the right or to the left, Tim Fitzgerald's works, culminating in this final volume, are enlightening. They tell the very real story of a man determined to find himself, to be at peace with his own mind, and to make a difference in the world. From his middle-class childhood to his soaring successes scaling the unconquered heights of Yosemite's granite, Fitzgerald captivates the reader with stories of ambitions realized and dreams pursued. - Rico Oller, Former California State Senator Haunted by the judgments of the American medical profession through their regulation of the mentally ill and the autocratic psychiatric professionals in his life, Fitzgerald finds himself face to face with supernatural forces that test both his beliefs in God and his religion. His spiritual juggernaut now takes him on a mythic journey, or 'Quest', in his efforts to master the written and spoken word as a professional author and lecturer.Consumed in this phase of his life with the incredible story of a simple man who turns a listening ear to the still, quiet voice of his spiritual conscience, only to discover it may well be the manifestation of a troubled immortal soul. He finds he as yet has untried gifts that may spell great hope for mankind itself and promise a final successful realization to his pursuit of truth and justice all through his life. Concluding though man may have shaken his faith in the purpose of the creation, God did not let Tim Fitzgerald down-nor, ironically, had his earthly father who raised him. Moreover, though abused at times in life by circumstances of fate, he still insists on seeing the good side of human endeavor, not man's pathological determination to erect his civilization on a foundation of sand. This work stubbornly chronicles his inner world of the soul, and its manifest drive to awaken spiritually, as well as mentally and morally. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/TimothyKFitzgerald
On the night of November 10, 1975, shortly after seven fifteen, the 729-foot long iron ore freighter, Edmund Fitzgerald, nose-dived to the bottom of Great Lake Superior. The end was so sudden and catastrophic that not a single mayday was transmitted. All hands were lost. There weren’t any survivors. Ever since that tragedy took place, countless theories have been advanced as to why this happened. Some were credible; others were absurd. Emotional elements hampered underwater investigations and tied the hands of subsequent explorations. As a result, the truth was prevented from being told—not anymore. In the book Why the Edmund Fitzgerald Sank, brilliant author Timothy J. Thompson has unveiled the reasons behind this entirely avoidable tragedy. Drawing upon both primary and secondary sources, Mr. Thompson retells the incredible story of the Edmund Fitzgerald in the most dynamic way. He vividly describes the questionable hull construction, the constant overloading, the poor maintenance, the industry-wide negligence, and the faulty navigation that all worked in unison to create the perfect recipe for disaster. Once you, the reader, are finished reading this phenomenal book, you will know exactly what caused the loss of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Moreover, you will realize that it was not a mystery as so many others have described it but rather a tragedy just waiting to happen.
A Diamond in the Rough is a continuation of Timothy K. Fitzgerald's trilogy begun with Wawona Brotherhood, outlining student activism during the Vietnam War and his campus' fight for racial equality. In his second historical volume outlining the subsequent redevelopment of downtown San Jose, the real-life characters of volume one enter mainstream society in the '70s and '80s to fight urban renewal. Fitzgerald and his friends join the working class of Silicon Valley to implement low income housing and jobs for the working poor, assisting people who lived in San Jose's inner city for decades. The story follows Fitzgerald's efforts to represent district residents on the San Jose City Council. Tim Fitzgerald participated in the transformation of San Jose from an agricultural market town to the Capital of Silicon Valley ...neighborhood groups transformed city politics by replacing citywide council elections with election by district - in the process defeating the pro-growth political machine.- Terry Christianson, former chair, San Jose State University Political Science Department, and leader of Redistricting of San Jose Fitzgerald is able to 'bring to life' the hidden forces that create economic inequality in big cities in this volume ...how a rapidly growing city's ambitious urban planning policy creates 'economic apartheid.' - Scott Wagers, founder, Student Homeless Alliance, Senior Paster, CHAM Deliverance Ministry About the Author: Timothy Fitzgerald has taught social science at community colleges in California. He graduated from SJSU in the '70s, majoring in U.S. history and economics. He is now completing a third master's degree in philosophy and is working on this series' third volume about his Green Years. Publisher's website: http: //www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/ADiamondInTheRough.html
This book states that God desires to make each instance of blessing us better than before, take us higher and make us greater than we were before and He gives us hope that something better is always coming our way. When we choose His best he gives hope of a joyful future. "I know the plans I have for you, plans for good and not for evil, to give you an expected end." Expect the miraculous! God loves you! However, to receive God's best and miracles we invariably are tested and tried and are put through some form of suffering and in our travels through this life, God wants us to understand that we must endure the suffering life sometimes brings, but the mere suffering is not what's truly important. The important aspect is how we come out of it and what kind of people we become because of it. How do we prove that salvation has really set in? What fruit of the spirit do we bear? Many times when life seem to be going fine and we re focusing on the great plans we have for a victorious future, life can suddenly transform into a parade of battles, trials, and emotional struggles as if to persuade us to give up and turn in another direction, just before the total victory comes. However, when we find warfare and opposition in a situation presenting an obstacle toward something we're trying to accomplish, we must always remember that the best is yet to come if we ll just hold on. Some kind of warfare and opposition always surrounds the birth of a miracle or the fact that God's best blessings are on their way to us.
While the Ottoman conquest of the Mamluk realm in 1516-17 doubtlessly changed the balance of political power in Egypt and Greater Syria, the changes must be seen as a wide-ranging transition process. The present collection of essays provides several case studies on the changing situation during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and explains how the reconfiguration of political power affected both Egypt and Greater Syria. With reference to the first volume (2017), this second volume continues the debate on key issues of the transition period with contributions by scholars from both Mamluk and Ottoman studies. By combining these perspectives, the authors provide a more comprehensive and nuanced picture of the process of transformation from Mamluk to Ottoman rule.
The quiet Eisenhower years followed by the radical anti-war years of the 1960s brought the formation of numerous activist groups across the nation's college campuses. Surrounded by a town dominated by machine politics, red-necked bigotry and segregated off-campus housing, San Jose State University was no exception. The conservative, almost all-white campus was then home campus to Olympic boycotter Tommie Smith - and it had its share of black activists and white anti-war protesters. As students became inexorably drawn into the common cause of campus radicals, a new society fueled by hope for the future became a rallying point for thousands of Bay area youths and their dreams. Author Timothy K. Fitzgerald records this surprising 'coming of age' story set in San Francisco's Bay Area, and his experiences and those of other key figures during this pivotal time in history when color barriers were finally broken and the formation of a new brotherhood of comrades was underway. This is their story. The story of the civil rights and anti-war activism that engulfed San Jose State University during the 1960s is still relevant in today's world. Tim K.Fitzgerald's work reminds all of us that the basic issues which divided our nation then - a questionable war in a foreign land and the fight for equality at home - continue to haunt our society. -Jim Beall, Jr., California State Assembly, District 24 Timothy K. Fitzgerald played an important, one might even say key, role. His account of the changes and of his participation in them is fascinating. -George E. Moore, Former Chair, SJSU Academic Senate, Chair Emeritus History Dept. SJSU Timothy K. Fitzgerald is an accomplished writer and Silicon Valley activist who has taught history, politics, and economics in community colleges in California. He graduated from San Jose State University in 1971 and is now completing a third Master's Degree in related subjects. Tim was also an expert Yosemite rock climber, and likewise includes those adventures herein. This volume is the first of a trilogy of his memoirs - The Quest: Revolution, Revelation, Redemption - relating to America's social history. Tim is currently working on the third installment of his Cold War era memoirs entitled, Pursuit of the Dragon Fly. http: //sbpra.com/TimothyKFitzgeral
On the night of November 10, 1975, shortly after seven fifteen, the 729-foot long iron ore freighter, Edmund Fitzgerald, nose-dived to the bottom of Great Lake Superior. The end was so sudden and catastrophic that not a single mayday was transmitted. All hands were lost. There weren't any survivors. Ever since that tragedy took place, countless theories have been advanced as to why this happened. Some were credible; others were absurd. Emotional elements hampered underwater investigations and tied the hands of subsequent explorations. As a result, the truth was prevented from being told-not anymore. In the book Why the Edmund Fitzgerald Sank, brilliant author Timothy J. Thompson has unveiled the reasons behind this entirely avoidable tragedy. Drawing upon both primary and secondary sources, Mr. Thompson retells the incredible story of the Edmund Fitzgerald in the most dynamic way. He vividly describes the questionable hull construction, the constant overloading, the poor maintenance, the industry-wide negligence, and the faulty navigation that all worked in unison to create the perfect recipe for disaster. Once you, the reader, are finished reading this phenomenal book, you will know exactly what caused the loss of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Moreover, you will realize that it was not a mystery as so many others have described it but rather a tragedy just waiting to happen.
On the night of November 10, 1975, shortly after seven fifteen, the 729-foot long iron ore freighter, Edmund Fitzgerald, nose-dived to the bottom of Great Lake Superior. The end was so sudden and catastrophic that not a single mayday was transmitted. All hands were lost. There weren’t any survivors. Ever since that tragedy took place, countless theories have been advanced as to why this happened. Some were credible; others were absurd. Emotional elements hampered underwater investigations and tied the hands of subsequent explorations. As a result, the truth was prevented from being told—not anymore. In the book Why the Edmund Fitzgerald Sank, brilliant author Timothy J. Thompson has unveiled the reasons behind this entirely avoidable tragedy. Drawing upon both primary and secondary sources, Mr. Thompson retells the incredible story of the Edmund Fitzgerald in the most dynamic way. He vividly describes the questionable hull construction, the constant overloading, the poor maintenance, the industry-wide negligence, and the faulty navigation that all worked in unison to create the perfect recipe for disaster. Once you, the reader, are finished reading this phenomenal book, you will know exactly what caused the loss of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Moreover, you will realize that it was not a mystery as so many others have described it but rather a tragedy just waiting to happen.
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