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Mary Manjikian's Apocalypse and Post-Politics: The Romance of the End advances the thesis that only those who feel the most safe and whose lives are least precarious can engage in the sort of storytelling which envisions erasing civilization. Apocalypse-themed novels of contemporary America and historic Britain, then, are affirmed as a creative luxury of development. Manjikian examines a number of such novels using the lens of an international relations theorist, identifying faults in the logic of the American exceptionalists who would argue that America is uniquely endowed with resources and a place in the world, both of which make continued growth and expansion simultaneously desirable and inevitable. In contrast, Manjikian shows, apocalyptic narratives explore America as merely one nation among many, whose trajectory is neither unique nor destined for success. Apocalypse and Post-Politics ultimately argues that the apocalyptic narrative provides both a counterpoint and a corrective to the narrative of exceptionalism. Apocalyptic concepts provide a way for contemporary Americans to view the international system from below: from the perspective of those who are powerless rather than those who are powerful. This sort of theorizing is also useful for intelligence analysts who question how it all will end, and whether America's decline can be predicted or prevented.

At the age of six, Phillip Adams stopped believing in God. A lonesome traveler for decades, he has found that atheism is suddenly fashionable and the ranks of disbelievers are swelling. Picking up where Adams vs. God left off, Adams has collected his best essays on God and godlessness in this irreverent, Bible-thumping book. Guided by a sceptic's curiosity, he has travelled the highways of Catholicism, Islam and creationism and delved into a cosmos of multiple big bangs and religious quackery. In all, he's found little to recommend in either the missionary position or in a globalised God. Adams vs. God: The Rematch is a book for our times. From George W Bush to Kevin Rudd, from the deep north of Queensland to the deep south of the USA, Phillip Adams exposes the links between religion and politics and the fanaticism of ideologies as causes of conflict in the world.

En Abime explores listening and reading as creative and critical activities driven by memory and return, reshaped into the present. It introduces an idea of aural landscape as a historically defined cultural experience, and contributes with previously unexplored references to the emerging area of listening as artistic practice, adopting an expansive approach across poetry, visual art and literature.…poetic, incisive, grounded in politics and history yet continually pushing at the edges of what we now consider to be sound. She interrogates notions of music and the shifting experience that is silence with a freshness and coherence that is inspiring David Toop, Author of Ocean of Sound, Haunted Weather and Sinister Resonance… compulsive and fast, rushing with you through textual territories that seem spoken, direct and contemporary while being nostalgic - invoking a past that creates the present tense. Salomé Voegelin, author of Listening to Noise and Silence: Towards a Philosophy of Sound Art,

Jesus instructed his followers to'love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you'(Luke 6:27-28). Not only has this theme long been among the Church's most oft-repeated messages, but in everything from sermons to articles in the Catholic press, it has been consistently emphasized that the commandment extends to all humanity. Yet, on numerous occasions in the twentieth century, Catholics have established alliances with nationalist groups promoting ethnic exclusivity, anti-Semitism, and the use of any means necessary in an imagined'struggle for survival.'While some might describe this as mere hypocrisy, Faith and Fatherland analyzes how Catholicism and nationalism have been blended together in Poland, from Nazi occupation and Communist rule to the election of Pope John Paul II and beyond. It is usually taken for granted that Poland is a Catholic nation, but in fact the country's apparent homogeneity is a relatively recent development, supported as much by ideology as demography. To fully contextualize the fusion between faith and fatherland, Brian Porter-cs-concepts like sin, the Church, the nation, and the Virgin Mary-ultimately showing how these ideas were assembled to create a powerful but hotly contested form of religious nationalism. By no means was this outcome inevitable, and it certainly did not constitute the only way of being Catholic in modern Poland. Nonetheless, the Church's ongoing struggle to find a place within an increasingly secular European modernity made this ideological formation possible and gave many Poles a vocabulary for social criticism that helped make sense of grievances and injustices.

Think it through! Your thoughts mold your lifestyle and shape your mental, physical, relational, and emotional health. What shape are you in?What Was I Thinking? reveals marvelous links between the functions of the human brain, the Commandments of God, and your physical and emotional health. Presented in a reader-friendly discussion style, a strong case is made that people must choose whether to follow the path of stress (fear) or the path of faith. Understanding these links brings new insight to help you achieve healthier lifestyle results, including emotional and physical healing, freedom, and greater effectiveness for Christ.Filled with relevant Scripture passages, exciting personal testimonies, well-defined anatomical terms, and Points to Ponder, this book provides much spiritually enriched food for thought for all believers.Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. (Proverbs 16:3 KJV) Major themes that will intrigue and entice you include: the direct link between thoughts and physical and spiritual health; brain functions; the importance of forgiveness; exhortations to obey the Word; and a variety of wrong concepts that keep many Christians from choosing health and joy over bondage.We believe this teaching with practical application is the key to winning back what the enemy has stolen your mind so that you can be restored to health and go and do all that God has called you to do! Caspar McCloud and Linda Lange

This work examines Stephen King's position in popular literary circles and then considers the contributions of his family to the landscape of contemporary fiction. Though they have to a degree been eclipsed by Stephen King's popularity, his wife, Tabitha King, and sons, Owen King and Joe Hill, have found varying levels of success in their own right. The three have traveled their own writing paths, from supernatural fiction to contemporary literary fiction. This is the first extended exploration of the works of three authors who have too long been overshadowed by their proximity to'the King of Horror.'

This interdisciplinary collection of 19 essays addresses violence on the American stage. Topics include the revolutionary period and the role of violence in establishing national identity, violence by and against ethnic groups, and females as perpetrators and victims, as well as state and psychological violence and violence within the family. The book works to assess whether representing violence may cause its cessation, or whether it generates further destruction. Featured playwrights include Susan Glaspell, Sophie Treadwell, Tennessee Williams, William Inge, Amiri Baraka, Luis Valdes, Cherrie Moraga, Sam Shepard, Tony Kushner, Neil LaBute, John Guare, Rebecca Gilman, and Heather MacDonald.

Distinguished scholars discuss Calvin and his surprisingly up to date relevance addressing three central current issues: faith, ecumenism and public responsibility.

This wonderful collection of 140 original prayers -- published here for the first time -- is suitable for anyone who leads public prayers, or is looking for a resource to enrich private devotions. Covering a wide variety of subjects, the prayers are grouped under broad headings: Through the year; Church and ministry; Pastoral prayers; Community; Government and justice; Home and family life; Food and hospitality, and Devotional prayers. A comprehensive index is provided to guide you quickly to exactly what you need.

In the American Indian belief, it is said that we never really know who we are until we find our totem, and once we do, then everything falls into place, even in the midst of chaos. Lion Eyes is the exciting true story of Jan Milburn, who came face-to-face with his totem - and was transformed. As a love-deprived young child, he got lost in a snowstorm in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California, and a huge mountain lion led him safely home... setting him on a course for a miraculous life. Acclaimed bestselling author Victor Villaseñor gives voice to Jan's thrilling tale, full of danger, clashes between light and darkness, romance and healing miracles.Against the backdrop of the'60s - a time of love and war, a time of turmoil and social upheaval, a time of young people's exuberant exploration while the establishment tried to hold on to the past - Jan Milburn chose an unusual calling... becoming the youngest minister ever ordained by the state of California.Jan's spiritual path, incredibly, led him from San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District of the'60s to Mexico, and into the darkness of the drug world. Hunted by a notorious assassin, he stared down death and encountered the very depths of depravity and violence - but ultimately awakened to his magical Spirit Guides and the Kingdom of God within each of us that transcends religion and'of-the-body'limitations.It was at this time that Mireya, a beautiful young Indian girl, saw in Jan the noble heart of a lion and the vision of an eagle. Nothing could get in the way of her love and admiration for this man. It was written in the stars, she said. Eventually, Mireya and Jan married and were instrumental in helping to return more than two million acres of stolen land to the Tarahumara Indians of Chihuahua, Mexico.Lion Eyes is a mystical, heartfelt, soul-inspiring love story of timeless relevance. It shows us that our global future lies not just in our politics and religious beliefs, but also in our unwavering love and our forgotten native wisdom that once we find our totem, everything falls into place, even amidst chaos... illustrated by one man's incredible life, which can become the norm for all of humanity!

Unearthing Franco's Legacy: Mass Graves and the Recovery of Historical Memory in Spain addresses the political, cultural, and historical debate that has ensued in Spain as a result of the recent discovery and exhumation of mass graves dating from the years during and after the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). The victor, General Francisco Franco, ruled as a dictator for thirty-six years, during which time he and his supporters had thousands of political dissidents or suspects and their families systematically killed and buried in anonymous mass graves. Although Spaniards living near the burial sites realized what was happening, the conspiracy of silence imposed by the Franco regime continued for many years after his death in 1975 and after the establishment of a democratic government. While the people of Germany, France, and Italy have confronted the legacies of the repressive regimes that came to power in those countries during the 1920s,'30s, and'40s, the unearthing of the anonymous dead in Spain has focused attention on how Spaniards have only recently begun to revisit their past and publicly confront Franco's legacy. The essays by historians, anthropologists, literary scholars, journalists, and cultural analysts gathered here represent the first interdisciplinary analysis of how present-day Spain has sought to come to terms with the violence of Franco's regime. Their contributions comprise an important example of how a culture critiques itself while mining its collective memory.

First published in Rome in 1535, Leone Ebreo's Dialogues of Love is one of the most important texts of the European Renaissance. Well known in the Italian academies of the sixteenth century, its popularity quickly spread throughout Europe, with numerous reprintings and translations into French, Latin Spanish, and Hebrew. It attracted a diverse audience that included noblemen, courtesans, artists, poets, intellectuals, and philosophers. More than just a bestseller, the work exerted a deep influence over the centuries on figures as diverse as Giordano Bruno, John Donne, Miguelde Cervantes, and Baruch Spinoza. Leone's Dialogues consists of three conversations -'On Love and Desire,''On the Universality of Love,'and'Onthe Origin of Love'- that take place over a period of three subsequent days.They are organized in a dialogic format, much like a theatrical representation, of a conversation between a man, Philo, who plays the role of the lover andteacher, and a woman, Sophia, the beloved and pupil. The discussion covers a wide range of topics that have as their common denominator the idea of Love. Through the dialogue, the author explores many different points of view and complex philosophical ideas. Grounded in a distinctly Jewish tradition, and drawing on Neoplatonic philosophical structures and Arabic sources, the work offers a useful compendium of classical and contemporary thought, yet was not incompatible with Christian doctrine. Despite the unfinished state and somewhat controversial, enigmatic nature of Ebreo's famous text, it remains one of the most significant and influential works in the history of Western thought. This new, expertly translated and annotated English edition takes into account the latest scholarship and provides aninvaluable resource for today's readers.

Its mysterious symbols and rituals had been used in secret for centuries before Freemasonry revealed itself in London in 1717. Once known, Freemasonry spread throughout the world and attracted kings, emperors, and statesmen to take its sacred oaths. But where had this powerful organization come from? Why was Freemasonry attacked with such intense hatred by the Roman Catholic church? Based on years of meticulous research, this detective story answers those questions and more, solving the last remaining mysteries of the Masons.

More than at any time in the past, today's evangelicals struggle to understand what the essence of the Christian faith really is. The basic teachings of Jesus Christ have been lost in many pulpits and have been replaced with feel good doctrines foreign to God's Word. Christians who want to defend their faith must first have a basic understanding of what it is and how to support it with Scriptural proofs. This book assembles the fundamentals of the Christian religion in an easy-to-read, question-and-answer format. Whether you are continuing your pursuit of biblical knowledge or just beginning, this little instructional book will go a long way toward achieving your goal.

Political biography of Barack Obama, b. 1961, president of United States.

Barack Obama, b. 1961, elected president of United States.

'As always when Israel needs to be defended... Alan Dershowitz speaks with great passion and personal courage.'--Elie Wiesel.'This is a compelling book that unmasks the dangerous revisionism that distorts the real Israel

Covering all the key concepts of Nietzsche's work, Starting with Nietzsche provides an accessible introduction to the development of and motivation behind the ideas that are embodied in his key works. Thematically structured, the book encourages the reader to engage with Nietzsche's thought, leading him or her to a more thorough understanding of the roots of his philosophical concerns and the enormous influence of his ideas. Covering the full range of Nietzsche's writings, the book shows that, despite Nietzsche's notoriously anti-systematic approach, his philosophy in fact constitutes a coherent and unified system of thought. Crucially, the book introduces the major motivations and influences behind Nietzsche's work, clarifies his idea of the role of the philosopher and demonstrates the impact his work has had on a huge range of topics in contemporary scholarship.

The New York Times bestselling author of The Case for Israel takes on the greatest threats faced by Israel todayIn addition to Hamas, which provoked the recent war and Gaza with its rocket attacks on Israeli civilians, Alan Dershowtiz argues that Israel's most dangerous enemies include Jimmy Carter and other western leaders who would delegitimize Israel as an apartheid regime subject to the same fate as white South Africans; Israel's academic enemies, led by professors Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, who would accuse supporters of Israel of dual loyalty and indeed disloyalty to America; and Iran, led by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which threatens Israel by its development of nuclear weapons, which it has publicly threatened to use against the Jewish state.Persuasively argues that Jimmy Carter and other enemies of Israel are also enemies of peace, imperiling not only Israel but the rest of the worldSparks controversy and lively discussion across the entire spectrum of opinion on the Middle EastPassionate and outspoken:'As always when Israel needs to be defended... Alan Dershowitz speaks with great passion and personal courage.'-Elie WieselAlan Dershowitz is at his outspoken, thought-provoking best in The Case Against Israel's Enemies, changing both the tone and the focus of the debate about Israel's adversaries at a time when the future existence of Israel is increasingly imperiled.

Bob Dylan is one of the most important songwriters of our time. His lyrics provided inspiration to countless performers and pointed the popular song in a new direction. With some justification he has been celebrated as a poet, philosopher or seer; his wordplay is the subject of repeated study and analysis. Yet, his lyrics are sung. His songs are music. In this concise profile Keith Negus presents Bob Dylan primarily as musician, focusing on the qualities of his songs that have received little attention, such as melody, rhythm, instrumental texture, and his performing voice. He also explores the way Dylan's musical sensibility has been shaped by the blues and folk ballad traditions and highlights how he has frequently created unique musical identities by personalizing borrowed phrases, tunes or riffs. In tracing the various phases of a career that has lasted almost half a century, Negus stresses the centrality of performance to Dylan's life as a musician and songwriter, as well as detailing the way he has treated his songs as continually open to change and rearrangement in concert. Through listening to Dylan's words as sounds, rhythms and tunes in the air rather than reading them as prose on a page, we can gain an insight into one of the most enigmatic, enthralling, yet unpredictable, of contemporary popular musicians.

From one of today's top-selling commentary series comes volume two of the Gospel of John. MacArthur gives verse-by-verse analysis in context and provides points of application for passages, illuminating the biblical text in practical and relevant ways. The series has been praised for its accessibility to lay leaders, and is a must-have for every pastor's library.

Friedrich-Martin Balzer's publications have attained attention at home and abroad and found their way into many libraries and scientific works worldwide. Worldcat.org lists more than 70 publications, 13 of which are catalogued in the Library of Congress. Konrad Jarausch, teaching at Chapel Hill in North Carolina, in his book'After Hitler. Recivilizing Germans. 1945-1995 (Oxford University Press 2006), chooses a shocking speech by the 19 year-old Balzer in 1960 as a convincing example of restoring the civil liberty destroyed by the Nazis. Eric Hobsbawm, in connection with Balzer's publication'Blick in den Abgrund'(Bonn 2002), speaks of a'significant contribution to the history of Germany in the years of transition to Hitler'. To Hobsbawm'Blick in den Abgrund'represents'not only an important contemporary testimony of the time when Hitler rose to power, but also something which is too often forgotten - the radical leftwing element in German Protestantism in the Weimar Republic'. In his introduction to the first publication of the written judgement in the Frankfurt Auschwitz-Trial (Bonn 2004) Balzer reminds the reading public of the very few theologians who strongly warned and protested against the rising fascism.'After 1945, the role of the churches during the Third Reich was depicted by the survivors as a heroic struggle to maintain their institutional autonomy and ideological integrity in the face of Nazi persecution or theological perversion. [...], as more documentation became available, younger historians have adopted a more sceptical stance, and a certain amount of overdue'demythologization'has taken place. Left-wing critics especially have pointed out that the Church Struggle was never in fact against the Nazi state as such, and that the majority of churchmen, whether Catholic or Protestant, remained throughout in favour of Hitler's nationalist, and even his anti-Semitic objectives. The silence of the churches on such occasions as the notorious and very public Crystal Night pogrom in 1938, or their chorus of praise for Germany's victories in 1940, are evidence of their real political stance.'(John S. Conway) In German Studies, Balzer is seen by John S. Conway from the University of British Columbia as an example of this'revisionist'point of view.'Not only does he demonstrate that the German Protestant churches were, and have remained, bastions of a conservative political consensus, but he suggests that their leaders'sermons and speeches were primarily prompted by the desire to provide theological justifications for such reactionary views. True Christianity, he believes, consists in supporting a democratic, or better still a'socialist'political order. [...] More positively, he seeks to rescue from oblivion the history of the few pioneers of a'religious Socialism', particularly in the 1920s, such as Erwin Eckert, a radical preacher whose adherence to the Communist Party [after his exclusion from the Social Democratic Party] made him an outcast to the majority of his colleagues. [...] Balzer's achievement is, however, to show that there were alternatives in the German churches to the majority's antidemocratic, patriarchal, and authoritarian attitudes. Only a tiny minority upheld the antinationalist, anti-imperialist causes of democracy or of peace, and frequently they paid a heavy penalty. As such they deserve to be remembered [...]'With'And the cock crowed again'a selection of Balzer's essays is presented here in an English translation for the first time.

The Catholic Church and the Jews, Argentina, 1933-1945 considers the images of Jews presented in standard Catholic teaching of that era, the attitudes of the lower clergy and faithful toward the country's Jewish citizens, and the response of the politically influential Church hierarchy to the national debate on accepting Jewish refugees from Europe. The issue was complicated by such factors as the position taken by the Vatican, Argentina's unstable political situation, and the sizeable number of citizens of German origin who were Nazi sympathizers eager to promote German interests.

The Judas Brief challenges the fundamental Gospel concept that at least some leading Jews played a key role in having Jesus executed. Author Gary Greenberg provides a detailed examination of all Gospel accounts of hostile interaction between Jesus and the Jews, with special attention to the Gospel accounts of the Jewish and Roman trials of Jesus. He then compares these Gospel reports with the historical evidence and reaches some surprising and controversial conclusions, including that: - there was never any organized Jewish hostility to Jesus - the only significant opposition came from Roman authorities - Judas was a close ally of Jesus and represented him in negotiations with the High Priest - the High Priest tried to protect Jesus and his followers from a Roman initiated massacre - Jesus willingly agreed to surrender himself to Pilate as a hostage to insure that his followers remained passive during the holiday - Judas and Caiaphas had expected that Jesus would be released after the holiday - Pilate broke his word and had Jesus executed - Judas committed suicide in grief over the unexpected death of Jesus and the role he had played'The Judas Brief'is a comprehensive and clearly written account of the many Gospel portrayals of interaction between Jesus and the Jews. It may well provide modern Christian scholars and exegetes with some of the tools necessary to challenge the anti-Semitic reactions that flow from the Gospel accounts of Jewish hostility to Jesus.

From Cecil B. DeMille's production of King of Kings in 1927, to Mel Gibson's recent The Passion of the Christ, films that discuss the meaning of Jesus have provoked interest, discussion, and reevaluation on a large scale. Hollywood films that deal with this subject have consistently managed to augment their inherent power by commenting simultaneously on political and cultural matters, and drawing from alternative cultural and mythological sources. The Greatest Story Ever Told, for instance, uses a landscape similar to that of the American West, while The Last Temptation of Christ deals with themes related to modern American notions of sexuality and sin. This timely examination considers the life of Jesus as it has been portrayed in such films as King of Kings, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Jesus of Nazareth, The Last Temptation of Christ, and The Passion of the Christ, as well as the more allusive and implicit use of Christ-related themes in Spartacus, Shane, and The Matrix. It looks at the diverse content and often-surprising impact of these and other films, and reveals how these depictions have helped determine, and been determined by, particularly American notions of who Jesus was, how he lived and died, and what he means for both our religious and secular cultures.Through an objective consideration of these movies, the emergent religious culture of mainstream American film becomes apparent as a central element in Hollywood movies—and in American popular culture at large.

This package includes the complete two-volume set of the Gospel of John from the MacArthur New Testament Commentary series: John 1-11 and John 12-21. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary series continues to be one of today's top-selling commentary series. In the volume one and two of the Gospel of John, MacArthur gives verse-by-verse analysis in context and provides points of application for passages, illuminating the biblical text in practical and relevant ways. The series has been praised for its accessibility to lay leaders, and is a must-have for every pastor's library.

Written with the same graceful narrative voice that made his bestselling National Book Award finalist The Big House such a success, George Howe Colt's November of the Soul is a compassionate, compelling, thought-provoking, and exhaustive investigation into the subject of suicide. Drawing on hundreds of in-depth interviews and a fascinating survey of current knowledge, Colt provides moving case studies to offer insight into all aspects of suicide -- its cultural history, the latest biological and psychological research, the possibilities of prevention, the complexities of the right-to-die movement, and the effects on suicide's survivors. Presented with deep compassion and humanity, November of the Soul is an invaluable contribution not only to our understanding of suicide but also of the human condition.

Imprisoned and eventually executed for his opposition to Hitler's regime, the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer continues to fascinate and inspire Christians across the world. His life epitomizes authenticity, commitment, and sacrifice. Devine writes, “When a man willingly exposes himself to suffering and death for his faith and for others, we take notice and with good reason. While martyrdom neither proves nor produces a spiritual giant, the possibility does arise, and this piques a distinctive longing common to followers of Jesus Christ.”This book is published to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's birth in 1906. It allows Bonhoeffer to speak to today's believer in the following areas: knowing and doing the will of God, the importance and role of the Church, the call to witness, and the role of suffering and the path to hope.

The first serious journalistic investigation of the highly secretive, controversial organization Opus Dei provides unique insight about the wild rumors surrounding it and discloses its significant influence in the Vatican and on the politics of the Catholic Church.Opus Dei (literally “the work of God”) is an international association of Catholics often labeled as conservative who seek personal Christian perfection and strive to implement Christian ideals in their jobs and in society as a whole. Founded in Spain in 1928, it now has 84,000 members (1,600 of whom are priests) in eighty countries. But far from running bingo nights at local parishes, Opus Dei has become a center of controversy and suspicion both within and outside the Church. It has been accused of promoting a right-wing political agenda and of cultlike practices, aggressive recruiting, brainwashing new recruits, and isolating members from their families. Its notoriety escalated with the publication of the runaway bestseller The Da Vinci Code (Opus Dei plays an important and sinister role in the novel) and with the previous pope's much-debated canonization of its founder (often linked with Francisco Franco's facist regime) and the discovery that convicted FBI spy Robert Hanson was a member of Opus Dei.With the expert eye of a longtime trusted observer of the Vatican and the skill of an investigative reporter intent on uncovering closely guarded secrets, John Allen finally separates the myths from the facts in Opus Dei. Granted unlimited access to the prelate who heads the organization and to Opus Dei centers throughout the world, Allen draws on a wealth of interviews with current members, as well as with highly critical ex-members, to create an unprecedented portrait of the activities, practices, and intentions behind its veil of secrecy. Allen reveals the remarkable power that Opus Dei commands in shaping Vatican policy and presents a detailed look at the full extent of its network, which includes people in key positions in politics, banking, academia, and other influential arenas. He even describes the arcane rituals—including self-flagellation—performed to preserve and promote a spiritual tradition strange and unsettling to modern sensibilities. For years, Opus Dei has been the subject of conspiracy theories and dark, uninformed speculation. Opus Dei sets the record straight.

Bob Dylan has had a profound influence on the shape of modern pop music (folk, rock, blues) and as a modern literary figure. He has also attracted enormous attention from both professional and amateur'interpreters'. In this book Gilmour offers a thorough study of Dylan's reading of scriptures. He explores the ways in which Dylan transforms biblical images and concepts when he incorporates them into his literary world; it is an attempt to listen to the echoes of scripture in his published works. Gilmour closely reads Dylan's poems and songs and provides commentaries on several themes found in Dylan's work: the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus; apocalypse, justice and judgement; oppressive religion and religious irony. Through these readings, Gilmour calls attention to the various ways Dylan uses scripture both in an explicit and an implicit manner.

For the church fathers the Gospels did not serve as resources for individual analysis and academic study. They were read and heard and interpreted within the worshiping community. They served as sources for pastoral counsel and admonition for those who were committed to the Way. Although Matthew and John were generally the preferred Gospels, Luke, because of his particular interests and unique contributions, took pride of place during the Christmas season as well as during Easter and other major feasts.During the early patristic period, the tradition of continuous reading (lectio continua) through the Gospels developed, such that over a course of time a complete Gospel was read in sections, and sermons were preached on the readings either at weekly or midweek worship and Communion liturgies or during morning and evening prayer services. Among such sermons that have survived, this commentary includes selections from Origen and Cyril of Alexandria. Aside from sermons, we find that the fathers addressed exegetical issues in theological treatises, pastoral letters and catechetical lectures. Among these, as in other ACCS volumes, readers will find materials ranging from East to West and from the first to the eighth centuries. Among well-known fathers cited are Ambrose, Athanasius, Augustine, the Cappadocians, John Chrysostom, John of Damascus and Bede the Venerable. Among lesser-known fathers are John Cassian, Philoxenus of Mabbug and Theophylact.This volume, edited by Arthur A. Just, opens up a treasure house of ancient wisdom that allows these faithful witnesses, some appearing here in English translation for the first time, to speak with eloquence and intellectual acumen to the church today.

The Economics of Sin examines the definition and evolution of sin from the perspective of rational choice economics, yet is conscious of the limitations of such an approach. The author argues that because engaging in activities deemed to be sinful is an act of choice, it can therefore be subject to the logic of choice in the economic model. The book considers the formation of religions, including the new age revival of'wicca', as regulators of the quasi-market in sins, and goes on to appraise the role of specific sins such as lying, envy, jealousy, greed, lust, sloth, and waste in individual markets and in macroeconomic activity. Empirical evidence on issues such as cannibalism, capital punishment, addiction, adultery and prostitution is also explored. Samuel Cameron concludes that a large percentage of economic activity is intimately connected with forms of sin which are in some circumstances highly beneficial to the functioning of markets, particularly in the presence of market failure.This innovative, interdisciplinary study of the institution of sin will be of enormous interest to a wide-ranging readership, including researchers and teachers of economics, sociology and theology. It will also be of importance for anthropologists and philosophers.

After the Islamic revolution in Iran, revolutionary leaders had to compromise their ideology. The Iranian ship of state continues to drift in search of an equilibrium between revolutionary convictions and the demands of governance, between religion and state, and Islam and the West.

The “monumental” New York Times bestseller in which a Catholic explores the problem of anti-Semitism through Church history (The Washington Post).A Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year and a New York Times Notable BookIn this “masterly history” (Time), National Book Award-winning author James Carroll maps the profoundly troubling two-thousand-year course of the Church's battle against Judaism and faces the crisis of faith it has provoked in his own life as a Catholic.More than a chronicle of religion, this dark history is the central tragedy of Western civilization, its fault lines reaching deep into our culture. The Church's failure to protest the Holocaust — the infamous “silence” of Pius XII — is only part of the story: the death camps, Carroll shows, are the culmination of a long, entrenched tradition of anti-Judaism. From Gospel accounts of the death of Jesus on the cross, to Constantine's transformation of the cross into a sword, to the rise of blood libels, scapegoating, and modern anti-Semitism, Carroll reconstructs the dramatic story of the Church's conflict not only with Jews but with itself. Yet in tracing the arc of this narrative, he implicitly affirms that it did not necessarily have to be so. There were roads not taken, heroes forgotten; new roads can be taken yet. Demanding that the Church finally face this past in full, Carroll calls for a fundamental rethinking of the deepest questions of Christian faith. Only then can Christians, Jews, and all who carry the burden of this history begin to forge a new future.“Carroll discusses the history of Christian-Jewish relations honestly, touchingly, and personally…Carroll investigates his own prejudices as a believing Christian, a former Catholic priest, and a long-time civil rights activist. As he unearths history (using all the best sources), he also encounters emotions he didn't realize he had and shows how his historical journey was also a personal pilgrimage of faith.”—Booklist “A triumph.”—Atlantic Monthly

In their studies of social Christianity, scholars of American religion have devoted critical attention to a group of theologically liberal pastors, primarily in the Northeast. Gary Scott Smith attempts to paint a more complete picture of the movement. Smith''s ambitious and thorough study amply demonstrates how social Christianity—which included blacks, women, Southerners, and Westerners—worked to solve industrial, political, and urban problems; reduce racial discrimination; increase the status of women; curb drunkenness and prostitution; strengthen the family; upgrade public schools; and raise the quality of public health. In his analysis of the available scholarship and case studies of individuals, organizations, and campaigns central to the movement, Smith makes a convincing case that social Christianity was the most widespread, long-lasting, and influential religious social reform movement in American history.