The authors discuss the intricate relationships between interfaith activities and religious identity, nationalism, violence, and peacemaking in four very different settings: Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan. They interview the whole cross-section of local Interfaith Dialogue workers: not only clerics and "dialoguing" professionals but also laypersons, who are often more eloquent than any scholar at expressing the realities, hopes, and frustrations of Interfaith Dialogue within their home countries. They take on the perennial dilemma faced by Interfaith Dialogue proponents: avoid politics and risk irrelevance, or take up the political questions and risk "politicizing" the dialogue, with all the disruptive effects this implies. Above all, this important book demonstrates the desire for interfaith dialogue in these polarized societies, and the extent to which, against strong odds, religious communities are connecting with each other. (Back cover).

‘Who am I?’ The answer to this question is one of the most important issues a human being has to address in life. This is a question about possessing the continuous self, about the internal concept of oneself as an individual. The self-defining process, the discovery of the self takes place in the context of culture and society. The impact of social experience is felt across the whole life-span. Socialization exerted by parents, family and friends, acculturation to stereotypes and limited and limiting roles, inheritance of local identity and cultural myths, acknowledgement of the legacy of history contribute to the formation of poly-identity comprised of personal, racial, national, group or gender identities. Unity in Diversity. Cultural Paradigm and Personal Identity is a collection of essays by scholars of multicultural experience who, by employing different interpretative strategies indicative of their different backgrounds and interests, explore the issues of difference and otherness, inclusion/exclusion and of multiple ethnic, cultural, gender, and national identities. Offering literary, cultural, social, and historical perspectives the collection will be of interest to readers studying contemporary literature, (popular) culture, gender studies, sociology, and history.

Which should have priority: the whole or the individual? The two major aspects of organized entities are represented in this volume under the headings Unity and Diversity: wholes, such as nations, states, and international systems, which integrate human beings; and parts, such as individual persons and groups acting independently. Under Unity, Wolfgang Koerner analyzes the usefulness of general systems theory in thinking about society; Toivo Miljan proposes a new way to conceptualize the world political system; Erik Wang considers the United Nations' definition of aggression and use of force; Hubert Campfens evaluates the contemporary welfare state; and Karl Aun attempts to clarify the concept of nation-state. Under the heading of Diversity, Robert Alexander asks what kinds of rights children should have; Loren Calder gives an account of the impact of Hegelianism on Yuri Samarin, a nineteenth-century Russian Slavophil; Rod Preece reviews John A. Macdonald's contribution to political philosophy; Charles C. Brodeur argues for an approach to knowledge which would integrate the rational and the intuitive; and Josephine Naidoo examines the position of South Asian women in Canadian society.

Muhammad Hedayetullah has spent much of his life and career studying the religions of the world, and he has come to a very simple but informed conclusion: all world religions are basically the same. Certainly, they are spread across separate geographical areas. Yes, the deities of different religions are called by different names. And yet, there is a unity of purpose among them all. Unity and Diversity in Worlds Living Religions is one mans educated journey through the religions of the world. By focusing on the living religions of today, he has derived a conclusive level of similarity underlying every culture known to modern man. From the deities worshipped by Hinduism, to Confucianism and even Christianity, all cultures seek a connection with a higher power for strength, guidance, and love. Hedayetullahs conclusions are remarkable in this day and age, especially with religious wars and prejudices based solely on the adverse beliefs of the so-called enemy. What would the world be like if we were to realize and accept that we are all one people, under one higher power, seeking to worship together? It is not a simple feat, but it starts with a solitary insight: no matter where we are or what we believe, we are one.

The patriarchal approach to leadership in the African context is indeed an enigma, judging from the unpredictable outcomes and the quest for effective leadership. In many ways, the secularized big-man in the public square is no different from the sacralised great-man of God in the church. The Lord Jesus Christ calls his followers to servant leadership. The secular world has also established the efficacy of the servant leadership approach for cutting-edge leadership. This book looks at the nature of evangelical associations in their diversity and what it takes for leaders to build unity and harmony for effectiveness, especially in the African context.