Product Description
Product Description
Though voluntary association for the public good is often thought of as a peculiarly Western, even Christian conception, this book demonstrates that there are rich traditions of philanthropy in cultures throughout the world. Rather than search for expressions of Western conceptions of philanthropy, experts in area studies set forth to investigate how a particular culture understood philanthropy and its role in that culture, how people in these cultures attempt to realize the good through giving and serving. These essays study philanthropy in Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu, Jewish, and Native American religious traditions and in cultures from Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa through India, South Asia, China, and Japan.Each essay describes the distinctive form that philanthropy takes in different cultures and in different historical periods, explains the way it worked, why it was formed this way, and its relative importance within the culture and the culture's predominant religious traditions. By focusing on philanthropy as socially and historically conditioned, the essays suggest useful avenues for future cross-cultural discussions of philanthropy.They show how conditions of given societies call forth different philanthropic responses and reveal how modern distinctions such as between public and private may have little relevance for other cultures and other times. They also reveal that philanthropy does not simply reflect a culture but is often a battleground where cultural norms and values are contested, within and sometimes between cultures.By grounding the study of philanthropy and culture in specific times and places, this collection serves to illuminate and expand both our understanding of traditions of giving and the activity of studying them, as it raises new and exciting questions for future research. Contributors: Leona Anderson, Said Arjomand, G. D. Bond, Stephen Feierman, John A. Grim, Ananda W. P. Guruge, Mark Juergensmeyer, Leslie S. Kawamura, Gregory C. Kozlowski, Leilah Landim, Adele Lindenmeyr, Darrin M. McMahon, Derek J. Penslar, Amanda Porterfield, Miroslav Ruzica, Vivienne B. Shue, Joanna F. Handlin Smith, Andres A. Thompson, and Mary Evelyn Tucker.
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