The Straight Path, by John Esposito Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Straight Path, by John Esposito - Essay Example Subsequent chapters deal with various themes, from the political and religious structure of Muslim communities in history, to the theological interpretations and disagreements between the religions's leading jurists, to the nineteenth and twentieth century reformists and neo-reformists and, finally, contemporary issues and trends within the religion. Through a critical analysis of Islam: The Straight Path, this review shall seek to determine whether or not Esposito satisfied his expressed aim in writing this book and if, indeed, he has provided the non-academic, introductory reader with a non-biased and solid understanding of Islam. The first three chapters focus on the earlier historical aspects of Islam, from the rise of the religion to the evolution of divisions within the Muslim community. The first chapter is particularly informative and understandable. Not only does it provide a historical account of the Quranic revelations and the life of Mohammed within that context but it explains the interrelationship between Mohammed and the Quran. ... Interestingly, and in an attempt to make the teachings of the Quran more understandable and accessible to his Western, non-academic audience, Esposito draws upon contrasts between Islam and Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The second and third chapters present an overview of the political, social and sectarian history of Islam. The rise of the Islamic empires, the development of the caliphate system of governance and the spread of the religion beyond Arabia are all discussed within the context of an accessible historical capsule. Primarily dealing with Islam following the death of Mohammed, these chapters also explain the emergence of divisions within Islamic theology, eventually leading to the evolution of various sects, from the Shia to the Mutazila to the Kharijites. In addition, the development of the various schools of theological and legal interpretation is discussed and differences between them are clarified. The second and third chapters, even though they are a continuation of the first, contrast with it in a very important way. In brief, while the first chapter gave readers a sense of Islam as a unifying force and presented it as a religion whose interpretation, as exemplified by Mohammed's lifestyle and words, was relatively clear cut, the second and third chapters indirectly dispute this assumption. The rise of sects and the different schools of theological interpretation lead the reader to believe that the unifying force was the Prophet of Islam, himself and upon his death, unification died as well. This belief is further confirmed by Esposito's statement that the Murjia "position provided a justification for Umayyad legitimacy and rule" (Esposito, 1991, 70). The implication here is that while earlier theological interpretations, as in

Family Conditions And Child Treatment Research Paper

Family Conditions And Child Treatment - Research Paper Example Other than parental monitoring, there are also several other aspects of family functioning that influence the behaviour and thinking of the child and they are family relation characteristics like beliefs, cohesion and organisational structure. Studies have shown that low emotional warmth, lack of proper organisational structure, low beliefs and low cohesion levels are associated with delinquent behaviour (Gorman-Smith, p.170). More often than not, juvenile delinquents are individuals who come from broken home background (Siegel, p.74). These children either reside in single-parent households or in any other household in which their biological parents are not there. Intact family may be defined as a nuclear family arrangement in which both biological parents reside in the household with their biological children (Kierkus & Baer, 2002; cited in Murray, p.88). Two-parent arrangement in which a step parent is present, single-parent arrangements, extended family member arrangements and fo ster family arrangements do not fall under intact family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Association between broken homes and juvenile delinquency was studied as early as 1932 by Shaw and McKay (cited in Murray, p.88). These researchers reviewed literature pertaining to type of homes and delinquents and compared delinquents from intact homes and disrupted homes. In their review they opined that most of the studies pertaining to these had several limitations and that several other factors other than intactness of homes influenced development of juvenile behaviour.... Intact family may be defined as a nuclear family arrangement in which both biological parents reside in the household with their biological children (Kierkus & Baer, 2002; cited in Murray, p.88). Two-parent arrangement in which a step parent is present, single-parent arrangements, extended family member arrangements and foster family arrangements do not fall under intact family. Association between broken homes and juvenile delinquency was studied as early as 1932 by Shaw and McKay (cited in Murray, p.88). These researchers reviewed literature pertaining to type of homes and delinquents and compared delinquents from intact homes and disrupted homes. In their review they opined that most of the studies pertaining to these had several limitations and that several other factors other than intactness of homes influenced development of juvenile behaviour. Research from that period has questioned the influence of family intactness on development of juvenile delinquency. According to a rece nt study by Demuth and Brown (2000, cited in Murray, p.88), though broken homes are strongly associated with juvenile delinquency, the family arrangement are not just the broken home issue. This is because; there is enough evidence to suggest that the risk of juvenile delinquency is higher among teenagers residing with single fathers when compared to those residing in a 2-parent household. This probably is because of the decreased parental involvement in the former case. The researchers opined that the main factors which contributed to delinquency were lack of supervision from parent's side and absence of close relationship between the adolescent and his or her parents. Geismar and Wood (1986;