The Study on Ancient Israel and Its Relevance for Contemporary Politics

When Max Weber began his work on the historical importance of the relationship between the Protestant ethic and modern capitalism, he committed himself to the most enduring of his theoretical interests, the economic ethic of the most important religions. Investigating central issues in Max Weber’s study on ancient Judaism, this chapter points to its relevance for the understanding of contemporary populism. For this purpose, two key aspects of his work are emphasized: this religion’s rationality—inescapable for the understanding of Western modernity—and the charisma of the biblical prophets, based on their social and political position as well as on the affective bond they formed with the masses. Both aspects provide important insights for the assessment of contemporary populist movements.

Kiprah Doktor Yusuf Qardhawi Dalam Dakwah dan Gerakan Islam serta Pemikirannya tentang Etika Ekonomi

The name of Dr. Yusuf Qardhawi is not unfamiliar to the Islamic society as he is a visionary, cosmopolite, and ulema (Ismamic leader) whose thought on religion has been widley used as references.He is quite phenomenal, being a very productive ulema in the universe at the end of the twentieth century up to the beginning of this twenty first century. Therefore, it would be very interesting to conduct an in-depth study on what factors or cross-lines have influenced his productivity, what role he has in the dakwah and Islamic movement, as well as what his thought on economic ethic is. It can be concluded from this discourse that Qardhawi earned his great reputation not only from his individual intellectual capability, but also from an external factor. In this case, the presence of Ikhwanul Muslimin worked as the external factor which has brought him to fame.