The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Religion and Social Justice brings together a team of distinguished scholars to provide a comprehensive and comparative account of social justice in the major religious traditions.* The first publication to offer a comparative study of social justice for each of the major world religions, exploring viewpoints within Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism* Offers a unique and enlightening volume for those studying religion and social justice - a crucially important subject within the history of religion, and a significant area of academic study in the field* Brings together the beliefs of individual traditions in a comprehensive, explanatory, and informative style* All essays are newly-commissioned and written by eminent scholars in the field* Benefits from a distinctive four-part organization, with sections on major religions; religious movements and themes; indigenous people; and issues of social justice, from colonialism to civil rights, and AIDS through to environmental concerns

Notes on Contributors ixAcknowledgments xixIntroduction 1Part I Major World Religions 13Introduction 151 Buddhism: Historical Setting 17Mavis Fenn2 Buddhism: Contemporary Expressions 30Steven Emmanuel3 Christianity: Historical Setting 46Stanley M. Burgess4 Christianity: Contemporary Expressions 61Curtiss Paul DeYoung5 Confucianism: Historical Setting 77Joseph Chan6 Confucianism: Contemporary Expressions 93Stephen C. Angle7 Hinduism: Historical Setting 110O.P. Dwivedi8 Hinduism: Contemporary Expressions 124Amita Singh9 Islam: Historical Setting 137Hussam S. Timani10 Islam: Contemporary Expressions 153Erin E. Stiles11 Judaism: Historical Setting 170Moshe Hellinger12 Judaism: Contemporary Expressions 190Eliezer SegalPart II Religious Movements and Themes 205Introduction 20713 Baháí Faith 210Christopher Buck14 The Quest for Justice in Revival, a Creole Religion in Jamaica 224William Wedenoja15 The Muhammadiyah: A Muslim Modernist Organization in Contemporary Indonesia 241Florian Pohl16 The Role of the Chief in Asante Society 256Yaw Adu-Gyamfi17 Tibetan Monastics and Social Justice 268Derek F. Maher18 Sangha and Society 280Hiroko Kawanami19 G'meelut Chasadim (Deeds of Kindness) 292W.E. Nunnally20 Hospitality 306Ana María Pineda21 Zakat: Faith and Giving in Muslim Contexts 319Azim Nanji22 Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue 330Barbara Brown ZikmundPart III Indigenous People 345Introduction 34723 Africa: Religion and Social Justice among the Diola of Senegal, Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau 350Robert M. Baum24 Australia: Religion and Social Justice in a Continent of Hunter-Gatherers 361Robert Tonkinson25 Central America: A God for the Poor - Folk Catholicism and Social Justice among the Yucatec Maya 373Christine A. Kray26 Europe: The Roma People of Romania 388Sorin Gog and Maria Roth27 Middle East: The Kurds - Religion and Social Justice of a Stateless Nation 402Charles G. MacDonald28 New Zealand: The Maori People 412Rawinia Higgins29 North America: Ojibwe Culture 425Gregory O. Gagnon30 Southern Asia: The Gonds of India - A Search for Identity and Justice 438Sushma YadavPart IV Social Justice Issues 451Introduction 45331 Colonialism 456Brigid M. Sackey32 Abundant Life or Abundant Poverty? The Challenge for African Christianity 469T. John Padwick33 AIDS, Religion, and the Politics of Social Justice in Sub-Saharan Africa 482Afe Adogame34 Religion, Civil Rights, and Social Justice 496Paul Harvey35 Human Rights: The South African Experience 507Glenda Wildschut36 The "Double-Conscious" Nature of American Evangelicalism's Struggle over Civil Rights during the Progressive Era 519L.B. Gallien, Jr.37 Gender and Sexuality in the Context of Religion and Social Justice 535Mary E. Hunt38 Beginning of Life 547Andrew Lustig39 Death and Dying 561Courtney S. Campbell40 Religion's Infl uence on Social Justice Practices Relating to Those with Disabilities 575Ruth Vassar Burgess41 Ecology and the Environment 591Laurel Kearns42 Christianity and Nonviolent Resistance 607Celia Cook-Huffman43 Building Peace in the Pursuit of Social Justice 620Mohammed Abu-NimerIndex 633