A Brief History Of Blasphemy
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A Brief History Of Blasphemy
''A Brief History of Blasphemy: Liberalism, Censorship and the Satanic Verses'' is a 1990 book by Richard Webster, in which the author discusses the controversy over Salman Rushdie's novel ''The Satanic Verses'' (1988). Webster critiques the freedom to blaspheme, and argues against ''The Crime of Blasphemy'' (which advocated the abolition of Britain's blasphemy laws "without replacement"). Summary Webster notes that he named the book after the fourth section of ''The Crime of Blasphemy'', a pamphlet issued by the International Committee for the Defence of Salman Rushdie and his Publishers, and that his work is influenced by Karen Armstrong's ''Holy War'' (1988) and Norman Cohn's books ''The Pursuit of the Millennium'' (1957), ''Warrant for Genocide'' (1967), and '' Europe's Inner Demons'' (1975). He also approvingly cites Muslim writer Shabbir Akhtar's ''Be Careful With Muhammad!'' (1989). Webster describes ''A Brief History of Blasphemy'' as "an attempt to show, without ever ...
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Richard Webster (British Author)
Richard Webster (17 December 1950 – 24 June 2011) was a British author. His five published books deal with subjects such as the controversy over Salman Rushdie's novel ''The Satanic Verses'' (1988), Sigmund Freud and psychoanalysis, and the investigation of sexual abuse in Britain. Born in Newington, Kent, Webster studied English literature at the University of East Anglia and lived in Oxford, England. He became interested in the problem of false allegations partly due to reading the work of historian Norman Cohn. In ''A Brief History of Blasphemy'' (1990), Webster discussed the Muslim response to ''The Satanic Verses'' and argues against unrestricted freedom of speech. The book was praised by Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. In Webster's subsequent book ''Why Freud Was Wrong'' (1995), he argued that Freud became a Messiah figure and that psychoanalysis is a disguised continuation of the Judaeo-Christian tradition. The book was praised by several commentators. In ' ...
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Archbishop Of Canterbury
The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justin Welby, who was enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral on 21 March 2013. Welby is the 105th in a line which goes back more than 1400 years to Augustine of Canterbury, the "Apostle to the English", sent from Rome in the year 597. Welby succeeded Rowan Williams. From the time of Augustine until the 16th century, the archbishops of Canterbury were in full communion with the See of Rome and usually received the pallium from the pope. During the English Reformation, the Church of England broke away from the authority of the pope. Thomas Cranmer became the first holder of the office following the English Reformation in 1533, while Reginald Pole was the last Roman Catholic in the position, serving from 1556 to 1558 during the Counter-Reformation. ...
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Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, (born 14 June 1950) is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet. He was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, a position he held from December 2002 to December 2012. Previously the Bishop of Monmouth and Archbishop of Wales, Williams was the first Archbishop of Canterbury in modern times not to be appointed from within the Church of England. Williams's primacy was marked by speculation that the Anglican Communion (in which the Archbishop of Canterbury is the leading figure) was on the verge of fragmentation over disagreements on contemporary issues such as homosexuality and the ordination of women. Williams worked to keep all sides talking to one another. Notable events during his time as Archbishop of Canterbury include the rejection by a majority of dioceses of his proposed Anglican Covenant and, in the final general synod of his tenure, his unsuccessful attempt to secure a sufficient majority for a measure to allow ...
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Ran07
Ran, RaN and ran may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ran'' (film), a 1985 film directed by Akira Kurosawa * "Ran" (song), a 2013 Japanese song by Luna Sea * '' Ran Online'', a 2004 MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game) *''Ran'', a 1903 Swedish opera on the Nordic myth by Wilhelm Peterson-Berger People * Ran (surname), a Chinese surname * Ran (given name) * Ran Bosilek, Bulgarian children's book author born Gencho Stanchev Negentsov (1886–1958) * RaN, Nissim of Gerona (1320–1376), Rabbi Nissim ben Reuven (RaN, the Hebrew acronym of his name, ר"ן) Fictional or mythological characters * Rán, a goddess of the sea in Norse mythology * Ran (Shugo Chara!), in the manga series ''Shugo Chara!'' * Ran (Urusei Yatsura), in the manga series ''Urusei Yatsura'' * Ran, from the sprite webcomic ''Bob and George'' * Ran Aresu, from ''Inazuma Eleven'' * Ran Kotobuki, in the manga series ''Gals!'' * Ran Kuroki, a character from ''Kamen Rider Fourze'' * Ran Mitake, ...
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Blasphemy Law In The United Kingdom
Laws prohibiting blasphemy and blasphemous libel in the United Kingdom date back to the mediaeval times as common law and in some special cases as enacted legislation. The common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel were formally abolished in England and Wales in 2008 and Scotland in 2021. Equivalent laws remain in Northern Ireland. England and Wales The common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel were abolished in England and Wales by the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008. See also Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006. Ecclesiastical offences The offence of blasphemy was originally part of canon law. In 1378, at the command of Pope Gregory XI, persecution of John Wycliffe and the Lollards was undertaken. However, the only punishment available to the bishops at the time was excommunication. The clergy, dissatisfied with this, forged an Act of parliament, without the assent of the Lords or Commons, enabling the arrest and imprisonment of heretics. ...
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Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm (from Ancient Greek, Greek: grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών, lit=figure, icon, translit=eikṓn, label=none + grc, wikt:κλάω, κλάω, lit=to break, translit=kláō, label=none)From grc, wikt:εἰκών, εἰκών + wikt:κλάω, κλάω, lit=image-breaking. ''Iconoclasm'' may also be considered as a back-formation from ''iconoclast'' (Greek: εἰκοκλάστης). The corresponding Greek word for iconoclasm is εἰκονοκλασία, ''eikonoklasia''. is the social belief in the importance of the destruction of icons and other images or monuments, most frequently for religious or political reasons. People who engage in or support iconoclasm are called iconoclasts, a term that has come to be figuratively applied to any individual who challenges "cherished beliefs or venerated institutions on the grounds that they are erroneous or pernicious." Conversely, one who reveres or venerates religious images is called (by iconoclasts) an ''Iconolatry, ic ...
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