Christianity Books
HarperCollins Publishers Inc God Is Red
Book SynopsisIn God is Red, Chinese dissident journalist and poet Liao Yiwu—once lauded, later imprisoned, and now celebrated author of For a Song and a Hundred Songs and The Corpse Walker—profiles the extraordinary lives of dozens of Chinese Christians, providing a rare glimpse into the underground world of belief that is taking hold within the officially atheistic state of Communist China. Liao felt a kinship with Chinese Christians in their unwavering commitment to the freedom of expression and to finding meaning in a tumultuous society, even though he is not a Christian himself. This is a fascinating tale of otherwise unknown personalities thriving against all odds. God is Red will resonate with readers of Phillip Jenkins' The Lost History of Christianity and Peter Hessler's Country Driving.
£14.24
Penguin Books Ltd The Cistercian World
Book SynopsisThe Cistercian Order was born in Burgundy at the start of the twelfth century as a movement of radical renewal - an Order that survives to this day with the greater part of its written heritage preserved. This volume brings together a selection of its finest works, which speak powerfully across the centuries to modern readers. Writings by St Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153) - including his letters, The Life of Malachy the Irishman, sermons on the Song of Songs and the sharply satirical Apologia for Abbot William - reveal him to be a highly individual and influential writer of the Middle Ages. Also included here are a charming description of Clairvaux, biographies of abbots and a series of exemplary stories, all drawing on the Scriptures to express intensely personal forms of monastic theology.Table of ContentsCiteAuX: the early years: The Little Exord; The Admonition of Stephen Harding. Bernard of Clairvaux: From "The Vita Prima" by William of St Thierry, Arnald of Bonneval and Geoffrey of Auxerre; From "An Apologia for Abbot William"; From "The Life of Malachy the Irishman"; Three Sermons on the Song of Songs; From "On Consideration"; Nine Letters. William of St Thierry: Three Meditations. Guerric of Igny: Three Sermons. Amedeus of Lausanne: From the Fourth Homily on Mary, the Virgin Mother. Aelred of Rievaulx: From "The Life of Aelred" by Walter Daniel; From "On Spiritual Friendship"; From "The Mirror of Charity"; Pastoral Prayer. Isaac of Stella: Two Sermons. Gilbert of Hoyland: Two Sermons; Two Letters. John of Ford: From "The Life of Wtqric of Haselbury". Adam of Perseigne: Two Letters. A description of Clairvaux: A Description of Clairvaux. Through memory's door: Eight Stories from Exemplum Collections.
£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Prayers and Meditations of St. Anselm with
Book SynopsisMostly written between 1070 and 1080, before he became Archbishop of Canterbury, the prayers and meditations of Anselm of Aosta created a tradition of intimate, intensely personal devotional works written in subtle and theologically daring prose. While the Prayer to God is based on the Lord's Prayer, the Prayer to Christ is inspired by ardent private emotion and other prayers invest saints with individual attributes, with John the Baptist as the friend, Peter as the shepherd and Mary Magdalene as the forgiving lover, among many others. The meditations include a searching exploration of the state of the soul and a lament on the loss of purity, and the Proslogion discusses the mysteries of faith. With their bright imagery, beautiful language and highly original thought, the works of Anselm have secured a lasting place in both religious and secular literature.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. WiTable of ContentsThe Prayers and Meditations of Saint Anselm with the Proslogion ForewordPrefaceAbbreviationsIntroduction1. Background to the Prayers and Meditations1. The Liturgy: The Divine Office, The Kalendar and the Mass2. The "Preces Privatae"3. "Meditari aut legere"4. John of Fécamp2. The Prayers and Meditations1. The Anselmian Pattern of Prayer: "In cubiculum meum," "Excite Mentem," "Compunctio Cordis," "In Caelis"2. The Content of the Prayers3. The Prayers4. Meditations 1 and 25. Meditation on Human Redemption and Proslogion6. ConclusionNotesThe Prayers and MeditationsPrefaceLetters to the Countess Mathilda1. Prayer to God2. Prayer to Christ3. Prayer before Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ4. Prayer to Holy CrossA Letter to Gundolf5. Prayer to St. Mary (1)6. Prayer to St. Mary (2)7. Prayer to St. Mary (3)8. Prayer to St. John the Baptist9. Prayer to St. Peter10. Prayer to St. Paul11. Prayer to St. John the Evangelist (1)12. Prayer to St. John the Evangelist (2)13. Prayer to St. StephenA Letter to Prior Baldric14. Prayer to St. Nicholas15. Prayer to St. Benedict16. Prayer to St. Mary Magdalene17. Prayer by a Bishop or Abbot to the Patron Saint of his Church18. Prayer for Friends19. Prayer for EnemiesA Letter from DurandusMeditation 1Meditation 2Meditation on Human RedemptionProslogionNotesAppendix - The Development of the Prayers1. The Circulation and Influence of the Prayers2. Early Additions to the Collection: Ralph of Battle, Elmer of CanterburyNotes to the Appendix
£12.34
Penguin Books Ltd Jesus
Book SynopsisThe Nativity, Passion and Resurrection are the three defining episodes in the life of Jesus, forming the foundations of the Christian tradition. But what is the truth behind these epoch-making events?Geza Vermes is one of the world''s most respected bibilical historians. Bringing together his three acclaimed works on the life of Jesus in one volume, this book examines the circumstances surrounding the miraculous birth of Jesus, from the prophetic star to Herod''s murderous decree; looks afresh at the arrest, trial and execution of this Jewish charismatic; and finally analyses Jesus'' crucifixion and the subsequent sightings of him by his disciples. Drawing on the New Testament, Jewish documents and sources from classical literature and history, these works separate myth from fact to penetrate the deeper meanings of the story of Christ.Trade ReviewThe world's leading Gospel scholar * The Times *Not only do I find Geza Vermes's Jesus plausible, but I have come to feel that there is an obvious kinship between kindly, humorous, anti-dogmatic Vermes and the Galilean prophet whom he has so frequently brought to life for us -- A. N. Wilson
£15.29
Oxford University Press Abject Joy
Book SynopsisNo extant text gives so vivid a glimpse into the experience of an ancient prisoner as Paul''s letter to the Philippians. As a letter from prison, however, it is not what one would expect. For although it is true that Paul, like some other ancient prisoners, speaks in Philippians of his yearning for death, what he expresses most conspicuously is contentment and even joy. Setting aside pious banalities that contrast true joy with happiness, and leaving behind too heroic depictions that take their cue from Acts, Abject Joy offers a reading of Paul''s letter as both a means and an artifact of his provisional attempt to make do. By outlining the uses of punitive custody in the administration of Rome''s eastern provinces and describing the prison''s complex place in the social and moral imagination of the Greek and Roman world, Ryan Schellenberg provides a richly drawn account of Paul''s nonelite social context, where bodies and their affects were shaped by acute contingency and habitual susTrade ReviewAmong the most exciting scholarly monographs about the new testament in recent years * Christophr Zeichmann, The Bible & Criticak Theory *This remarkable book, learned and elegantly written, will open up new horizons to anyone interested in the emotional experience of Paul and of others of the social underclasses in the harsh and violent world that was ancient Rome. * David Konstan, Emotions: History, Culture, Society *Schellenberg's analysis of the prison setting out of which Paul writes his letter to the Philippian Christ assembly is striking in its creativity and provocative in its audacity. . .In every one of Schellenberg's five chapters, rich (and shocking) insights emerge about the horrific somatic experience of imprisoned individuals (both ancient and modern), which he then brings to bear on Paul's depiction of himself in Philippians. * Isaac D. Blois, Journal of Theological Studies *Abject Joy is among the most exciting scholarly monographs about the New Testament in recent years. . .Schellenberg has provided a considerable service in making an accessible, interesting, and innovative point of entry for those less familiar with theory-driven scholarship into the complexities of emotion and affect. * Christopher B. Zeichmann, The Bible & Critical Theory *As a truly interdisciplinary work, the implications of this study are beyond New Testament studies and theological discourses, and it can contribute to classics, especially Roman legal studies, and historical considerations of emotions. . .It also leads to ethical considerations about the relationship between contemporary Christianity and incarceration. * Jeremy L. Williams, Review of Biblical Literature *After Schellenberg's book, the US church can no longer comfortably distance the incarcerated Paul from incarcerated people today, or the conditions of ancient prisons from the reality of prisons today. An honest assessment shows that the economic and racial biases behind who gets repeatedly locked up today look a lot like what happened to Paul-and this challenges Christians to engage in the same sort of resourcing, re-narration, and risk that marked the church at Philippi. * Sarah Jobe, Christian Century *This study presents a historical and literary exploration of Paul's humanity by exploring his physical experience as a prisoner, his real joy, and his deep relationship with his friends...Abject Joy first reexamines Paul's social station in light of his own reports of multiple imprisonments and instances of corporal punishment...Schellenberg immerses the reader in Paul's experience as a human being under duress while challenging more idealized readings of Paul and offering nuances to the scholarly conversation. * Julia Lambert Fogg, California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, California, Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 77 *It is a seal of quality of the book that it provides numerous and always well-founded insights into Paul's imprisonment, but also opens perspectives for further studies. * Hans-Georg Gradl, Theologische Revue 119 *Table of ContentsTable of Contents Preface Translations and Abbreviations Introduction: Paul, Prison, and the Social History of Emotions Prison and the Pauline Legend Prison Letters and Pauline Incomparability "The Characteristic Emotion of the Sage" The Body of Paul and the History of Emotions Outline, and a Note on Comparison 1. Far More Imprisonments: Punitive Custody in the Letters of Paul Paul and Other Imprisoned Apostles Magistrates and Jurisdictions Paul in Local Custody Writing in Chains Plausible Accusations Conclusion 2. To Die Is Gain: Subjection, Glory, and Paul's Wish for Death Prison before the Prison Everyday Violence Confinement and Subjugation A Noble Death? To Depart and Be with Christ To Die Is Gain Conclusion 3. Speaking with All Boldness: Prison in the Roman Social Imagination Prisoners of War Ill-Fated Aristocrats Nonelite Malefactors Philosophers, Astrologers, and Other Divine Heralds For the Defense of the Gospel Conclusion 4. I Have Learned to Be Content: Performing the Autarkic Self You Can't Always Get What You Want Thanks Anyway Agency and Abasement Performing Indifference Conclusion 5. Rejoice with Me: The Epistolary Cultivation of Collective Emotion Paul Unaffected My Joy and Crown Joy, Hardship, and Solidarity Socioaffective Emotion Regulation Conclusion Conclusion: The Body of Our Humiliation Bibliography
£999.99
Oxford University Press Inc Augustine Martyrdom and Classical Rhetoric
Book SynopsisEarly Christian martyr accounts were less about recounting history than about constructing theology. As such, many historians of late antique Christianity call them rhetorical. But what does this mean for early Christian theology of martyrdom? And what rhetorical techniques are actually being used for such theological construction? To answer these questions, Adam Ployd looks to Augustine of Hippo. He places Augustine''s martyr theology within its classical rhetorical context, drawing upon the theoretical foundations of Cicero, Quintilian, and others. Ployd investigates all of Augustine''s major controversies as well as his work as a bishop and preacher cultivating a particular vision of the Christian life. Ployd uncovers the rich rhetorical roots of Augustine''s martyr theology, roots that delve beyond ornamentation and into the depths of inventio and the techniques of rhetorical argumentation. What emerges from this investigation is a vision of Augustine''s martyr discourse that is coTrade ReviewUsing an extensive literature and suggesting a re-visitation of the work of Saint Augustine, one of the most important Christian writers of all time, Adam Ployd's book entitled Augustine, Martyrdom and Classical Rhetoric,...succeeds not only as a work of theological research useful for scholars which suggests a new way of understanding his ideas, his influences and how he came to develop the preceding tradition of the Church, how he sought continuity with it, but is also useful reading for any reader aiming to find out more about the history of Christianity in its earliest centuries, to understand why martyrdom was so important for it and even created a specific rhetoric in the discourse, and how Saint Augustine managed to use this aspect of the life of the Church and to develop an original way of thinking based on it. * Iuliu-Marius Morariu, The Recensiones *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1: The Context of the Martyrs Chapter 2: The Example of the Martyrs Chapter 3: The Time of the Martyrs Chapter 4: The Court of the Martyrs Chapter 5: The Rhetoric of the Martyrs Conclusion Bibliography
£999.99
Oxford University Press Augustine
Book SynopsisBy his writings, the surviving bulk of which exceeds that of any other ancient author, Augustine came to influence not only his contemporaries but also the West since his time. This Very Short Introduction traces the development of Augustine''s thought, discussing his reaction to the thinkers before him, and themes such as freedom, creation, and the trinity.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Reviewmagisterial and highly readable. * Bookseller *Table of ContentsList of illustrations ; 1. The formation of Augustine's mind: Cicero, Mani, Plato, Christ ; 2. Liberal arts ; 3. Free choice ; 4. A philosophical society ; 5. Vocation ; 6. Confessions ; 7. Unity and division ; 8. Creation and the Trinity ; 9. City of God ; 10. Nature and grace ; Further reading ; Index
£9.49
Oxford University Press John Williamson Nevin
Book SynopsisThis study of the life and thought of John Williamson Nevin (1803-1886) offers a revised interpretation of an important nineteenth-century religious thinker. Along with the historian, Phillip Schaff, Nevin was a leading exponent of what became known as the Mercersburg Movement, named for the college and theological seminary of the German Reformed Church located in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. The story is a neglected aspect of American studies. Wentz provides a kind of post-modern perspective on Nevin, presenting him as a distinctively American thinker, rather than as a reactionary romantic. Although influenced by German philosophy, historical studies, and theology, Nevin''s thought was a profound response to the American public context of his day. He was, in many respects, a public theologian, judging the prevailing development of American Christianity as a new religion that was fashioning its own disintegration and that of American culture at large. Nevin''s reinterpretation of catholTrade ReviewA thoughtful, scholarly reinterpretation....Wentz's work should be read by today's theologians whose penchant for relevance needs the correction of Nevin, who reminds us that our own great traditions, rightly understood and intelligently appropriated, can be just as revelant as the issues of today's world. * Religious Studies Review *
£999.99
Oxford University Press Inc Fundamentalism and American Culture
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of Christianity Today's 100 Books of the CenturySuperb...to be recommended to all students of early twentieth-century culture and religion. * American Historical Review *Scholarship at its best. * Religious Studies Review *Marsden reveals a great deal of history, showing the origins, development and growth of evangelicalism and fundamentalism. His is a focused yet broad scholarly work that has stood the test of time, a worthwhile history resource on fundamentalism in America. * Congregational Libraries Today *Table of ContentsPreface to the Third Edition Introduction Part One Before Fundamentalism I. Evangelical America at the Brink of Crisis II. The Paths Diverge III. D. L. Moody and a New American Evangelism Part Two The Shaping of a Coalition This Age and the Millennium IV. Prologue: The Paradox of Revivalist Fundamentalism V. Two Revisions of Millennialism VI. Dispensationalism and the Baconian Ideal VII. History, Society, and the Church Holiness VIII. The Victorious Life IX. The Social Dimensions of Holiness X.
£24.32
Oxford University Press Inc He Will Save You from the Deadly Pestilence The
Book SynopsisIn He Will Save You From the Deadly Pestilence, acclaimed religious scholar Philip Jenkins illustrates how the evolving uses of Psalm 91 allow us to map developing ideas about religion and the supernatural, theology and politics, medicine and mysticism.Trade ReviewJenkins is a pre-eminent religious historian in the tradition of the great Jaroslav Pelikan, and He Will Save You from the Deadly Pestilence is an erudite, sweeping account in the manner of Pelikan's wide ranging Jesus through the Centuries. * Timothy Larsen, Times Literary Supplement *With a gentle and lucid style, offering just enough data to demonstrate the substantial scholarship that underlies this study, Jenkins succeeds in reintroducing Psalm 91 to readers through many fresh lenses. This is historical interpretation at its best: erudite without being overbearing. Overall, this is a delightful read that will appeal to both the historically minded and the biblically curious. * Robert C. Fennell, Christian Century *With a gentle and lucid style, offering just enough data to demonstrate the substantial scholarship that underlies this study, Jenkins succeeds in reintroducing Psalm 91 to readers through many fresh lenses. * Robert C. Fennell, Robert C. Fennell teaches at the Atlantic School of Theology., The Christian Century *Early Christians 'thought in psalms', writes Philip Jenkins. Few psalms were as important for them and their Jewish contemporaries as Psalm 91, and it has remained central to both Jews and Christians. This study of the psalm's use down to the present day is a model of how to present the reception history of biblical texts. * John Barton, Emeritus Oriel & Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture, University of Oxford, and Senior Research Fellow of Campion Hall, Oxford *This remarkably informative 'biography' of Psalm 91 describes the many communities of Jews and Christians who have found solace, encouragement, challenge, inspiration, and more from this one biblical text. Jenkins moves rapidly from the psalm's use before the Common Era to the help believers have found in it during catastrophes of the twenty-first century, but always with insightful attention to the circumstances in which it has been read (and prayed). It is a book of unusual encouragement. * Mark Noll, author of America's Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794-1911 *Is Psalm 91 an encouragement for peace or military action? Are its words a comfort during a pandemic or incantations against an enemy? Is it a central part of monastic prayer or designed for occult practice? Philip Jenkins helps us to see this psalm as a many-sided jewel, skilfully highlighting its multiple refractions as a 'prayer of protection'. * The Revd. Canon Susan Gillingham, Emeritus Professor of the Hebrew Bible, University of Oxford *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Note on Usage 1. Under The Shadow Of The Almighty Discovering Psalm 91 2. A Thousand Shall Fall At Thy Side How A Plague Prayer Became A Song Against Evil Spirits 3. Lest You Dash Your Foot Against A Stone Finding Christ in the Psalm 4. The Terror By Night A World Full Of Demons And Enchanters 5. Tread Upon The Lion And Adder The Psalm as a Manifesto of Christendom 6. My Refuge And My Fortress The Psalm Divides Christendom 7. Neither Shall Any Plague Come Nigh Thy Dwelling The Plague Psalm, Once More 8. There Shall No Evil Befall Thee? Modernity and Reaction 9. But It Shall Not Come Nigh Thee Demons and Plagues Persist 10. Under His Wings Shalt Thou Trust Global South Readings of Psalm 91 11. To Keep Thee In All Thy Ways How Can We Pray Psalm 91?
£999.99
Oxford University Press Inc The Gospel of Church
Book SynopsisIn 1908, Unitarian pastor Bertrand Thompson observed the momentous growth of the labor movement with alarm. Socialism, he wrote, has become a distinct substitute for the church. He was not wrong.In the generation after the Civil War, few of the migrants who moved North and West to take jobs in factories and mines had any association with traditional Protestant denominations. In the place of church, workers built a labor movement around a shared commitment to a Christian commonwealth. They demanded an expanded local, state and federal infrastructure which supported collective bargaining for better pay, shorter work-days, and an array of municipal services. Protestant clergy worried that if the labor movement kept growing in momentum and cultural influence, socialist policies would displace the need for churches and their many ministries to the poor. Even worse, they feared that the labor movement would render the largest Protestant denominations a relic of the nineteenth century.In The Trade ReviewWith astonishing archival findings and narrative lucidity, The Gospel of Church supplies a beautiful primer on the religious debates that originate the modern labor movement. Janine Drake exposes how Christian leaders turned against union organizing to preserve their universalizing hold on the moral order. This is a book appears just as socialism experiences a revitalized presence in public conversation and Christian nationalism is on the rise. Required reading for activists, agitators, educators, and historians who want to understand when and why so many American Christians got scared of strikes. * Kathryn Lofton, author of Consuming Religion *Janine Giordano Drake's revelatory book will lead readers to a new understanding of the church as a site of political contest in the early 20th century. A feat of research and scholarship, her account of religion, class, and politics will help scholars gain a deeper understanding of Christianity as a social force- one that has reshaped the political landscape with implications reaching to the present day. * Kimberly Kather Phillips-Fein, author of Invisible Hands: The Businessmen's Crusade Against the New Deal *Janine Giordano Drake skillfully and effectively tells the story of how protestant ministers, organized into the Federal Council of Churches and motivated by wider Social Gospel commitments, suppressed working class movements in support of socialism and industrial unions. Her well-documented argument shows how Protestant ministers and the FCC, between 1908 and 1920, used notions of Christian justice to strengthen their own power and public presence while weakening unions and voices on the working-class religious left. Her work bridges scholarship in the fields of labor and religious history and speaks to important political developments that reverberate to this day. * Randi Storch, author of Red Chicago: American Communism at Its Grassroots, 1928-35 *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Gilded Age Churches and the Vacuum of Denominational Authority Chapter 2: Christianity and the American Commonwealth Chapter 3: Planting the Church of Social Democracy: Socialism and Christian Socialism in the Socialist Party of America Chapter 4: Between Religion and Politics: Christian Socialists and the Socialist Party Chapter 5: Socialism and the Limits of American Protestantism Chapter 6: Reframing the Moral Lessons of the Labor Movement Chapter 7: Charles Stelzle's Labor Temple and the Constested Boundaries of American Religion Chapter 8: The Great War and the Victory of White Protestant Clergy Chapter 9: The Interchurch World Movement and the Christening of the Open Shop Afterword: On the Heroic Narrative of Christian Social Service
£22.99
Oxford University Press English Wycliffite Sermons Volume I
Book SynopsisThe complete sermon cycle of which this is the first volume is the most extensively preserved vernacular text (apart from the Bible translation) produced by the followers of Wyclif. This first volume contains the sermons on the dominical gospels and epistles.
£187.62
Oxford University Press, USA The Preaching of the Friars Sermons Diffused from
Book SynopsisThe Preaching of the Friars Sermons diffused from Paris before 1300Trade Review`Most readers will be impressed by his breadth of knowledge and by the good judgement which informs his assessment of difficult sources. This is a very good book indeed, and it will influence in an important way our approach to the cultural and religious changes of the early thirteenth century.' The English Historical Review
£199.16
OUP Oxford The Oxford Handbook of Kierkegaard
Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of Kierkegaard brings together an outstanding selection of contemporary specialists and uniquely combines work on the background and context of Kierkegaard's writings, exposition of his key ideas, and a survey of his influence and heritage.Trade ReviewThe volume is impressive both for its range and the quality of its contributions. * Thomas P. Miles, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsI: CONTEXTS AND SOURCES; II: SOME MAJOR TOPICS IN THE AUTHORSHIP; III: KIERKEGAARD AFTER KIERKEGAARD
£999.99
Oxford University Press The Oxford Handbook of the Trinity
Book SynopsisThis handbook examines the history of Trinitarian theology and reveals the Nicene unity still at work among Christians today despite ecumenical differences and the variety of theological perspectives. The forty-three chapters are organized into the following seven parts: the Trinity in Scripture, Patristic witnesses to the Trinitarian faith, Medieval appropriations of the Trinitarian faith, the Reformation through to the 20th Century, Trinitarian Dogmatics, the Trinity and Christian life, and Dialogues (addressing ecumenical, interreligious, and cultural interactions). The phrase ''Trinitarian faith'' can hardly be understood outside of reference to the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople and to their reception: the doctrine of the Trinity is indissociably connected to the reading of Scripture through the ecclesial and theological traditions. The modern period is characterized especially by the arrival of history, under two principal aspects: ''historical theology'' and ''philosophieTrade ReviewThe Oxford Handbook of the Trinity serves as an exemplary resource for specialists and nonspecialists alike. The considerable breadth of the volume is a major strength in this respect. * David Luy, Trinity Journal *a valuable reference work, providing a trustworthy guide to central topics in trinitarian theology * Amy Plantinga Pauw, Scottish Journal of Theology *Table of ContentsPART I: THE TRINITY IN SCRIPTURE; PART II: PATRISTIC WITNESSES TO THE TRINITARIAN FAITH; PART III: MEDIEVAL APPROPRIATIONS OF THE TRINITARIAN FAITH; PART IV: THE REFORMATION TO THE 20TH CENTURY; PART V: TRINITARIAN DOGMATICS; PART VI: THE TRINITY AND CHRISTIAN LIFE; PART VII: DIALOGUES
£34.99
Oxford University Press In Defence of War
Book SynopsisPacifism is popular. Many hold that war is unnecessary, since peaceful means of resolving conflict are always available, if only we had the will to look for them. Or they believe that war is wicked, essentially involving hatred of the enemy and carelessness of human life. Or they posit the absolute right of innocent individuals not to be deliberately killed, making it impossible to justify war in practice. Peace, however, is not simple. Peace for some can leave others at peace to perpetrate mass atrocity. What was peace for the West in 1994 was not peace for the Tutsis of Rwanda. Therefore, against the virus of wishful thinking, anti-military caricature, and the domination of moral deliberation by rights-talk In Defence of War asserts that belligerency can be morally justified, even though tragic and morally flawed.Trade ReviewThere is a serious disconnect between scholars exploring just war theory and those engaging the Christian just war tradition. The language of religion is foreign to many in the secular camp thereby leaving us bereft of a rich and sometimes compelling perspective. Provocatively titled, In Defence of War brings this tradition to the fore. It is well worth the read. * Michael L. Gross, Mind *In Defence of War is an excellent book ... Combining deep understanding of the just-war tradition with impressive knowledge of military history, this book makes a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate. I highly recommend it * James Anderson, Expository Times *Nigel Biggars In Defence of War is, in my judgment, the best contemporary theological exploration of the ethics of war since the work of Paul Ramsey ... A robust book like In Defence of War, which has its own internal dialogues among different ethical frames, is a contribution that should be respected and taken seriously across the range of all who address military ethics * James Turner Johnson, Journal of Military Ethics *a well argued and worthy read ... [Biggar] has a forensic eye for detail and argues persuasively, yet, given the emotions that are triggered during any debate on war, this book will, as any good book should, divide opinion. * Daniel Fiott, Politics and Governance *This is a significant book. It provides a defense and clarification of just war theory within the Christian tradition through a series of extended engagements with Christian and secular critics of that theory. Biggar makes a clear and important case, and does so with impressive learning and literary style * Kenneth R. Himes, Theological Studies *In Defence of War is a searching, challenging book. It deserves much discussion * John Kelsay, Studies in Christian Ethics *There are many fine books on the morality of war, but every so often a book comes along that really distinguishes itself in the field. Paul Ramsey's The Just War (1968) was certainly one. Appearing as it did in the midst of the Vietnam conflict, it served as a kind of bellwether of Christian moral reflection on a host of complex issues surrounding a controversial war. Nigel Biggar's new book is the same sort of text that comes to us in the aftermath of another very controversial conflict, the invasion of Iraq by the United States and Britain. Biggar's book is a veritable tour de force in Christian ethical reflection on war and surely the best such text that has appeared since Ramsey's work. * Darrell Cole, Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Passionately provocative and meticulously researched ... a special and splendid read ....[t]his is a significant volume that by its scope and depth moves beyond many recent publications and in so doing shows the utility of a properly constituted just-war tradition in today's uncertain and volatile world. * The Journal of Theological Studies *Combining deep understanding of the just-war tradition with impressive knowledge of military history, this book makes a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate. I highly recommend it. * James Anderson, The Expository Times *Its detailed elaboration of just war theory and the application to recent international conflicts make it very useful reading for anyone interested in the ethics of war. It is also provocative, which in applied ethics is a virtue rather than a vice. * Goran Collste, Philosophical Quarterly *This is a book that everyone interested in peace should read. * Dr Peter Howson, Methodist Recorder *This is a major contribution to the literature on the morality of war, written in two voices, one argumentative, the other reflective and open to other perspectives... a rich reflection on a wealth of literature, historical and contemporary, addressing the justifications for making war. * George Wilkes, Scottish Journal of Theology *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Against the Virus of Wishful Thinking ; 1. Against Christian Pacifism ; 2. Love in War ; 3. The Principle of Double Effect: Can it Survive Combat? ; 4. Proportionality: Lessons from the Somme and the First World War ; 5. Against Legal Positivism and Liberal Individualism ; 6. On Not Always Giving the Devil Benefit of Law: Legality, Morality, and Kosovo ; 7. Constructing Judgement: The Case of Iraq ; Conclusion ; Bibliography
£31.49
Oxford University Press Unlocking the Church
Book SynopsisThe Victorians built tens of thousands of churches in the hundred years between 1800 and 1900. Wherever you might be in the English-speaking world, you will be close to a Victorian built or remodelled ecclesiastical building. Contemporary experience of church buildings is almost entirely down to the zeal of Victorians such as John Henry Newman, Henry Wilberforce and Augustus Pugin, and their ideas about the role of architecture in our spiritual life and well-being. In Unlocking the Church, William Whyte explores a forgotten revolution in social and architectural history and in the history of the Church. He details the architectural and theological debates of the day, explaining how the Tractarians of Oxford and the Ecclesiologists of Cambridge were embroiled in the aesthetics of architecture, and how the Victorians profoundly changed the ways in which buildings were understood and experienced. No longer mere receptacles for worship, churches became active agents in their own rights, caTrade ReviewScholarly, witty and thought-provoking. * Stella Fletcher, The Times Literary Supplement *Unlocking the Church of St Martin-within-Ludgate, daily, is an evocative experience...This is a gem of a book and should be read by the broadest of audiences, and certainly well beyond the sheltered halls of the academy. * Stephen Platten, Ludgate, London, Theology *Unlocking the Church is an impressive work of historical scholarship, but it is remarkable as well for its serious consideration of a contemporary dilemma that crosses sociological boundaries. * KevinJ. Gardner, Baylor University, Anglican and Episcopal History *Unlocking the Church deserves to be considered not only by historians of church buildings, but more widely as a refreshing model of architectural history writing that dispenses with dry technicalities and connoisseurship in favour of an engaging and lucidly historical approach. * Robert Proctor, Architectural History *In this engaging, eloquently written book, the distinguished historian William Whyte explores the symbolism and sacred space that informed the large-scale movement of church building and restoration in Victorian Britain. * Stewart Brown, The Expository Times *Impeccably researched, thoroughly explored, and expertly argued... the depth of the research and attention to detail make Unlocking the Church an invaluable resource. * Derek R. Davenport, Reviews in Religion and Theology *With a dazzling and witty range of reference to the literature of Victorian religion, be it sermons, controversial pamphlets or three-decker novels , [Whyte] retells the story of the rebirth of the church building as sacred object from J.H. Newmans St Mary, Littlemore, onwards. * Andrew Saint, Burlington Magazine *Whyte is a genial guide and writes with wit and humour... One of the great virtues of the book is that it encourages further reflection... We may not look for answers in the same place as the Victorians did, but we may at least now learn from them, thanks to this book, to face the challenge with the same seriousness of purpose. * Colin Thompson, Oxford Magazine *A thoroughly engrossing book [which cites] a wonderful range of sermons, clerical literature and polemical writing. * Simon Bradley, History Today *I found Whyte's appreciation of the sight-lines and acoustics necessary in a preaching house and explanations of the Victorian rediscovery of the symbolism of mediaeval churches both fascinating and useful. His perspectives reach back before Victorian times and project forward to the challenge and questions of church design today. * The Rev John D Walker, Methodist Recorder *There is much to learn and enjoy in this book. * Peter Howell, Art Newspaper *Fascinating and meticulously-researched. * Andrew Kleissner, Baptist Times *A very important book that deserves careful consideration. * Paul Richardson, Church of England Newspaper *An eloquent plea for an understanding of the past through built fabric ... William Whyte has raised important issues, with much on which to ponder regarding the future of ecclesiastical buildings. * James Stevens Curl, Times Higher Education *A revealing way of looking at Victorian churches... Unlocking the Church is a necessary corrective to the tendency to look at Victorian churches in purely architectural terms. * Philip Wilkinson, English Buildings *This accessible page-turner... is essential reading for anyone who ever looked at a Victorian spire and wondered how it got there, or what it meant to those who paid for it, and the worshippers across a century and a half who have called it their spiritual home. * Ayla Lepine, Church Times *Masterful... fascinating and useful. * Methodist Recorder *The polymathic verve and spry wit of William Whytes Unlocking the Church: The lost secrets of Victorian space (Oxford) is an exemplary model of a short, comprehensible history covering diverse, delicate and complex themes. * Times Literary Supplement, TLS Books of the Year 2017 *Alarmingly learned and constantly entertaining. * Peter Mullen, Catholic Herald *A country mile distant from the heavy prose of the Victorian churchmen, Whyte writes nimbly and wittily about the resacralisation of Britain through the vast church building of the 19th century. * Oxford Today *Whyte does an excellent job of bringing to the fore the disproportionate focus that today's architectural historians (much like Victorian antiquaries) place on form rather than religious function. * Kristi W. Bain, Marginalia Review *This is an engaging book, written in a lively, accessible and sometimes humorous way.This beautifully written book is an erudite yet very accessible and entertaining study of the relationship between Victorian church architecture and faith. The Victorians built and restored tens of thousands of churches. Understanding more about them and, through them, the faith that inspired them, is to gain invaluable insights into our national history and identity. This book enables just that. * The Rt Reverend Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester *In this erudite, engaging and witty book, William Whyte gives us a brilliantly original account of how the Victorians profoundly reshaped church buildings and their use, and demonstrates how much the Victorians continue to influence our ideas about churches today - often in surprising ways. * Jane Shaw, Professor of Religious Studies, Stanford University *You will never look at your local church in the same way again. With an eye for the telling detail, William Whyte has become a master at reading church buildings. Elegantly written, it must be impossible to read this book without pleasure or profit. * Canon Dr Giles Fraser *Table of ContentsPreface Contents List of Illustrations Introduction 1: Seeing 2: Feeling 3: Visiting 4: Analysing 5: Revisiting Afterword: Seeing for Yourself Index
£16.40
Oxford University Press The Oxford Handbook of Christology
Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of Christology brings together 40 authoritative essays considering the theological study of the nature and role of Jesus Christ. This collection offers dynamic perspectives within the study of Christology and provides rigorous discussion of inter-confessional theology, which would not have been possible even 60 years ago. The first of the seven parts considers Jesus Christ in the Bible. Rather than focusing solely on the New Testament, this section begins with discussion of the modes of God''s self-communication to us and suggests that Christ''s most original incarnation is in the language of the Hebrew Bible. The second section considers Patristics Christology. These essays explore the formation of the doctrines of the person of Christ and the atonement between the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and the eve of the Second Council of Nicaea. The next section looks at Mediaeval theology and tackles the development of the understanding of who Christ was and of his atonTrade ReviewThe Oxford Handbook of Christology is a must-have for students of the Bible and theology desiring an update in the main defining area of Christian faith and scholarship. * Tomas Bokedal, Journal for the Study of the New Testament *This is indeed a beautiful book, which reflects the beauty of Christ himself. * Gerald O'Collins, Journal of Theological Studies *I found this book most helpful. There is plenty of material for those with a theological interest in Christology. * Dr Pravin Thevathasan, Christendom Awake *Table of ContentsList of Contributors Francesca Aran Murphy: Introduction Section I: The Bible 1: Paul Mankowski, S.J.: Language, Truth, and Logos 2: Olivier-Thomas Venard, O.P.: Christology from the Old Testament to the New 3: Gregory Glazov: Jewish Suffering and Christology in Pauline and Recent Papal Thought 4: Richard Bauckham: The Gospels as Testimony to Jesus Christ: A Contemporary View of their Historical Value 5: Michael J. Gorman: The Work of Christ in the New Testament 6: Markus Bockmuehl: The Gospels on the Presence of Jesus Section II: Patristic Christology 7: Khaled Anatolios: Christology in the Fourth Century 8: Brian E. Daley, S.J.: Antioch and Alexandria: Christology as Reflection on God's Presence in History 9: Andrew Louth: Christology in the East from the Council of Chalcedon to John Damascene 10: Norman Russell: The Work of Christ in Patristic Theology Section III: Mediaeval Christology 11: Aidan Nichols, O.P.: Image Christology in the Age of the Second Council of Nicaea (787) 12: Gabriel Said Reynolds: The Islamic Christ 13: David S. Hogg: Christology: The Cur Deus Homo 14: Alison Milbank: Seeing Double: The Crucified Christ in Western Medieval Art 15: Joseph Wawrykow: The Christology of Thomas Aquinas in its Scholastic Context 16: Rik van Nieuwenhove: Late Mediaeval Atonement Theologies Section IV: Reformation and Christology 17: Brian Lugioyo: Martin Luther's Eucharistic Christology 18: Randall C. Zachman: The Christology of John Calvin 19: Mark W. Elliott: Christology in the Seventeenth Century 20: Kevin Hector: Christology after Kant 21: Philip G. Ziegler: The Historical Jesus and Christology from David Friedrich Strauss to Ksemann Section V: Modern and Postmodern Christology 22: Troy A. Stefano: Christology from Lessing to Schleiermacher 23: Troy A. Stefano: Christology after Schleiermacher: Three Twentieth-Century Christologists 24: Raymond Gawronski: Knowing about Jesus, Knowing Jesus: Christology and Spirituality 25: K. K. Yeo: Chinese Christologies: Images of Christ and Chinese Cultures 26: Michele M. Schumacher: Feminist Christologies 27: Diane B. Stinton: Jesus Christ, Living Water in Africa Today 28: Bruce McCormack: Kenoticism in Modern Christology Section VI: Imagining the Son of God in Modernity 29: Calvin Stapert: Images of Christ in Post-Enlightenment Oratorios 30: Robert Barron: Christ in Cinema: The Evangelical Power of the Beautiful 31: Rowan Williams: Imaging Christ in Literature 32: Laurence S. Cunningham: Christ in Art from the Baroque to the Present Section VII: The Grammar of Christology: Christological Norms 33: Robert J. Wo'zniak: The Christological Prism: Christology as Methodological Principle 34: Simon Gathercole: The Christ of the Canonical Gospels and the Christs of the Apocryphal Gospels 35: Thomas G. Weinandy, O. F. M., Cap.: The Doctrinal Significance of The Councils of Nicea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon 36: Kenneth Oakes: Normative Protestant Christology 37: Gilbert Narcisse: What Makes a Christology Catholic? 38: Gavin D'Costa: Christology and World religions: A Systematic Perspective 39: John Webster: The Place of Christology in Systematic Theology 40: Francesca Aran Murphy: Afterword: The Breadth of Christology: The Beautiful Work of Christ
£40.99
Oxford University Press Rethinking Augustines Early Theology
Book SynopsisCarol Harrison counters the assumption that Augustine of Hippo''s (354-430) theology underwent a revolutionary transformation around the time he was consecrated Bishop in 396. Instead, she argues that there is a fundamental continuity in his thought and practice from the moment of his conversion in 386. The book thereby challenges the general scholarly trend to begin reading Augustine with his Confessions (396), which were begun ten years after his conversion, and refocuses attention on his earlier works, which undergird his whole theological system.Trade ReviewI would cordially recommend reading this study...Seldom I have read such a fierce defence of Augustine in recent literature. Harrison offers the reader a brilliant anthology of the early Augustine and is as such a valuable thematic introduction in the writing and thinking og Augustine before 396. But the monograph is much more, it is a meritorious overview of the several key elements in the continuity and a lesson in understanding how the central features of Augustine's conversion remain fruiytfully present in his thinking. * Anthony Dupont Ars Disputandi *...sheds a helpful light on the entirety of Augustine's writing ... lucid and cogently argued study of some of Augustine's least-known works. * Edward Dowler, New Directions *this is a seminal work, the best of Harrison's three distinguished volumes on the architect of Western Christendom. * Mark Edwards, Church Times *a valuable corrective ... her re-assertion of elements of continuity is welcome. * The Tablet *Table of ContentsPART I ; PART II
£159.12
Oxford University Press Biblical Natural Law
Book SynopsisNatural law theory is controversial today because it presumes that there is a stable ''human nature'' that is subject to a ''law.'' How do we know that ''human nature'' is stable and not ever-evolving? How can we expect ''law'' not to constrict human freedom and potential? Furthermore if there is a ''law,'' there must be a lawgiver. Matthew Levering argues that natural law theory makes sense only within a broader worldview, and that the Bible sketches both such a persuasive worldview and an account of natural law that offers an exciting portrait of the moral life. To establish the relevance of biblical readings to the wider philosophical debate on natural law, this study offers an overview of modern natural law theories from Cicero to Nietzsche, which reverse the biblical portrait by placing human beings at the center of the moral universe. Whereas the biblical portrait of natural law is other-directed, ordered to self-giving love, the modern accounts turn inward upon the self. DrawingTrade ReviewMatthew Levering brings his customary high level of research and insight to an entangled and prickly topic...a clearly thought-out consideration of an important, practical subject that will serve its readers well. * Mark McDowell, Themelios *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Bible and Natural Law ; 2. Anthropocentric Natural Law ; 3. Natural Law and Natural Inclinations ; 4. Natural Law and the Order of Charity ; Conclusion
£166.25
Oxford University Press The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian
Book SynopsisBased on the highly acclaimed Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, this is an indispensable guide for both students and the general reader. Over 6,000 entries provide authoritative coverage of theology, patristic scholarship, churches and denominations across the world, canon law, and the church calendar, as well as entries on theologians, philosophers, artists, musicians, and mystics.The third edition has been updated to reflect recent changes in the Church. Over 100 new entries cover topics such as the Antonian Movement, dispensationalism, Heilsgeschichte, Alvin Plantinga, Garima Gospels, and Intelligent Design. It also includes a new appendix listing the Archbishops of Canterbury and a web links appendix providing online resources that are listed and regularly updated on a dedicated companion website.This handy, concise volume is essential reading for anyone with an interest in Christianity.Trade Review"Concise" is an apt and accurate description, given the admirable clarity of expression throughout the dictionary. * Methodist Recorder *opens up the whole of Christian history, now with a wider vision than ever * Robert Runcie, former Archbishop of Canterbury *an astonishing achievement ... an indispensable, abundant and compulsively readable book * The Times *remains absolutely central in its field and will do so for many years to come. * TLS *the authoritative standard reference book on the Christian Church * Christianity *
£999.99
Oxford University Press The Blue Sapphire of the Mind Notes for a
Book Synopsis''There are no unsacred places,'' the poet Wendell Berry has written. ''There are only sacred places and desecrated places.''What might it mean to behold the world with such depth and feeling that it is no longer possible to imagine it as something separate from ourselves, or to live without regard for its well-being? To understand the work of seeing things as an utterly involving moral and spiritual act? Such questions have long occupied the center of contemplative spiritual traditions. In The Blue Sapphire of the Mind, Douglas E. Christie proposes a distinctively contemplative approach to ecological thought and practice that can help restore our sense of the earth as a sacred place. Drawing on the insights of the early Christian monastics as well as the ecological writings of Henry David Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, Annie Dillard, and many others, Christie argues that, at the most basic level, it is the quality of our attention to the natural world that must change if we are to learn how to live in a sustainable relationship with other living organisms and with one another. He notes that in this uniquely challenging historical moment, there is a deep and pervasive hunger for a less fragmented and more integrated way of apprehending and inhabiting the living world-and for a way of responding to the ecological crisis that expresses our deepest moral and spiritual values. Christie explores how the wisdom of ancient and modern contemplative traditions can inspire both an honest reckoning with the destructive patterns of thought and behavior that have contributed so much to our current crisis, and a greater sense of care and responsibility for all living beings. These traditions can help us cultivate the simple, spacious awareness of the enduring beauty and wholeness of the natural world that will be necessary if we are to live with greater purpose and meaning, and with less harm, to our planet.Trade ReviewThose who desire to live in touch with and to participate in the restoration of this luminous and possibly numinous earth will deeply appreciate The Blue Sapphire of the Mind * Paul T. Corrigan, Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and the Environment *Douglas Christie has written a book that is at once beautiful and scholarly, both lyrical in its prose and impressive in its erudition. ... This text is highly recommended for use in a graduate courses in contemporary spirituality and/or ecotheology. * Colleen Mary Carpenter, Journal of the American Academy of Religion *Douglas Christie offers us a long and scholarly book that I have found both inspiring and challenging. * Peter Reason, Resurgence & Ecologist *In this remarkable book, Douglas Christie, a theologian and academic, sets out to explore the concept of contemplative ecology ... The writing is sparse and deep, clear and beckoning. * Jules Pretty, Times Higher Education *Table of ContentsCh. 1. Immersion in the Larger Whole: Toward a Contemplative Ecology ; Ch. 2. Contact, or the Blue Sapphire of the Mind ; Ch. 3. Penthos: The Gift of Tears ; Ch. 4. Topos: The Work of Place-Making ; Ch. 5. Prosoche: The Art of Attention ; Ch. 6. Logos: The Song of the World ; Ch. 7. Eros: Exchange, Intimacy, Reciprocity ; Ch. 8. Kenosis: Empty, Emptied ; Ch. 9. Telos: The Practice of Paradise
£40.84
The University of Chicago Press Seeking the Straight and Narrow
Book SynopsisDrawing on fieldwork at First Place, a popular Christian weight-loss program, and Exodus International, a network of ex-gay ministries, this title explores why some Christians feel that being fat or gay offends God, what exactly they do to lose weight or go straight, and how they make sense of the program's results - or, frequently, their lack.Trade Review"Seeking the Straight and Narrow explores with sensitivity, respect, and nuance the ways participants focus on the problems of the body and its unruly desires. A thoroughly original book, it absolutely enriches our understanding of the significance of the straight body - in both senses of that term - in American Christian culture." (Amy Farrell, Dickinson College)"
£91.20
The University of Chicago Press Continuing the Reformation Essays on Modern
Book SynopsisIn these twelve essays, written or published in the 1980s, a historical theologian examines the changes that occurred as the Catholic tradition gave way to the Reformation and an interest in the phenomenon of believing replaced adherence to unchanging dogma.
£76.95
The University of Chicago Press Abraham Geiger the Jewish Jesus Chicago Studies
Book SynopsisWas Jesus the founder of Christianity or a teacher of Judaism? When he argued the latter, Abraham Geiger ignited an intense debate in 19th-century Germany. In this study, Susannah Heschel traces the genesis of Geiger's argument and examines the reaction to it within Christian theology.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Reversing the Gaze Ch. 1: The Creation of a Historical Theologian Ch. 2: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Prelude of Revisionist Configurations Ch. 3: Reconceiving Early Judaism Ch. 4: D. F. Strauss, the Tubingen School, and Albrecht Ritschl Ch. 5: The Jewish Jesus and the Protestant Flight from the Historical Jesus Ch. 6: From Jesus to Christianity: Geiger on the Postapostolic Era Ch. 7: Fixing the Theological Gaze: The Reception of Geiger's Work Conclusion Notes Index
£76.00
The University of Chicago Press Prophets in Their Own Country
Book SynopsisIn this original study of the making of saintly reputations, Aviad M. Kleinberg shows how sainthood, though frequently seen as a personal trait, is actually the product of negotiations between particular individuals and their communities. Employing the methods of history, anthropology, and textual criticism, Kleinberg examines the mechanics of sainthood in daily interactions between putative saints and their audiences. This book will interest historians, anthropologists, sociologists, medievalists, and those interested in the study of religion. [A] fascinating and sometimes iconoclastic view of saints in the medieval period. --Sandra R. O'Neal, Theological Studies [An] important new book...[And] an excellent piece of scholarship. --Diane L. Mockridge, Method & Theory in the Study of Religion [Kleinberg's] style is clear and accessible and his observations insightful; the book is a pleasure to read. --Veronica Lawrence, Theological Book Review Original and interesting...[Kleinberg] has made a major contribution. --Anne L. Clark, American Historical Review Kleinberg's concern is not just with perceptions of sanctity, but, refreshingly, with what actually happened: and he is especially good on the conflict of the two...[This] is not just a book but a way of thought, and one that promises interesting conversations at all levels from the church porch to the tutorial and the academic conference. --Helen Cooper, Times Literary SupplementTable of ContentsPreface I: Saints and Saintly Situations II: Negotiating Sainthood III: Wide-Eyed Witnesses and Partial Observers IV: The Passion of Christina of Stommeln V: The Making of Lukardis and the Dissolution of Douceline VI: St. Francis of Assisi and the Burden of Example VII: The Blind See and the Lame Walk VIII: Epilogue Abbreviations Select Bibliography Index
£76.00
The University of Chicago Press With the World at Heart Studies in the Secular
Book Synopsis
£66.30
The University of Chicago Press The Atheists Bible
Book SynopsisTrade Review“I can’t speak enthusiastically enough for Minois’s excellent book. The Atheists’s Bible is more scholarly than Stephen Greenblatt’s The Swerve and less playful than the philological detective work that Robert K. Merton displayed in On the Shoulders of Giants, but it offers comparable intellectual pleasure. Lys Ann Weiss’s translation, moreover, reads beautifully.” -- Michael Dirda * Bookforum *“Just as in Umberto Eco’s novel The Prague Cemetery, if you create false evidence in order to discredit your enemies—be they Jews or Jesuits, Carbonari or Bolsheviks, Masons or the Vatican—you will soon find people eager not only to believe you but also to serve the cause you have been trying to undermine. The text that is the object of Georges Minois’ study, the Treatise of the Three Impostors, provides a perfect illustration of this peculiar dynamics of deceit, credulity and paranoia." * Times Higher Education *“Georges Minois’s timely and elegant study The Atheist’s Bible is a landmark addition to both the history of ideas and the history of the book. The Treatise of the Three Impostors set a record for advance publicity—before it was finally published, intellectuals accused one another of writing it for nearly half a millennium. Its real author was not any single thinker but the cumulative, nervous imagination of the entire European intelligentsia. Like a Freudian id, it exposed the repressed, traumatic thought that all religion was a hoax: centuries before avowed atheism became possible, accusations that someone else had written the Treatise of the Three Impostors explored the particulars and possibilities of irreligion. Readers who are intrigued or scandalized by the diatribes of Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens will discover in The Atheist’s Bible that, as that other Bible says, there is nothing new under the sun.” -- Walter Stephens, author of Demon Lovers: Witchcraft, Sex, and the Crisis of Beli“The Treatise of the Three Impostors is a book that enjoyed centuries of notorious nonexistence until (as Voltaire would say) it became necessary to invent it. Georges Minois writes with empathy, erudition, and a novelist’s sense of buildup and timing, weaving in the parallel story of Europe’s courageous freethinkers. In the face of today’s social and even legal pressures against criticizing religion, it is good to see an honorable French tradition asserting itself.”—Joscelyn Godwin, author of The Pagan Dream of the Renaissance -- Joscelyn Godwin, author of The Pagan Dream of the RenaissanceTable of ContentsTranslator’s NotePreface to the English-Language Edition (2011)Preface (2009)1. The Origin of a Mythical Theme: The Prehistory of the Three Impostors (Up to the Thirteenth Century) The First to Be Accused: Frederick II and Pierre des Vignes (1239) The Precursors of Imposture: Zalmoxis and Numa Pompilius Celsus: Moses the Impostor Celsus and the Talmud: Jesus the Impostor Mahomet the Impostor in Christian Literature (Ninth to Twelfth Century) Politico-Religious Imposture in the Middle Ages The Arabic Origins of the Theme of the Three Impostors (Tenth Century) The First Mention in Christianity (Twelfth Century)2. The Hunt for the Author of a Mythical Treatise (Fourteenth to Sixteenth Century) A Culture of Imposture The Rumors of the Late Middle Ages The Renaissance: A Receptive Context for the Idea of Imposture Moses the Machiavellian Appeals to the Holy Union of Religions Italy and the Specter of the Three Impostors The Obsession Spreads Geneva, Birthplace of the Three Impostors? Three Impostors or Three Prophets? (Guillaume Postel) Who Actually Saw the Treatise?3. The European Elites and Religious Imposture (Seventeenth Century) On the Trail of De tribus around the Baltic Sea Holland and England: Heterodox Contexts The French Trail: Learned Libertines and Religious Imposture4. Debates on the Origin of Religions (Second Half of the Seventeenth Century) Hobbes and Spinoza Holland and the Birth of the Radical Enlightenment Rumors of the De tribus in England5. From the De tribus to the Trois imposteurs: Discovery or Invention of the Treatise? (1680–1721) Sources of the De tribus: Kiel, 1688 The Intervention of Leibniz and of Baron von Hohendorf The De tribus: A German Affair Preliminary Polemic: Does the Trois imposteurs Exist? (1715–1716) The Reference Edition: The Hague, 1719 The Birth of L’Esprit de Spinoza and of the Trois imposteurs (1700–1721) A Franco-Dutch Commercial Imposture? Erroneous Attributions: Henri de Boulainvillier (1658–1722) and John Toland (1670–1722)6. The Treatise of the Three Impostors: The Contents of a Blasphemy The De tribus: A Slapdash Work? The Atheism of the Traité The End of Religions The Soul and Demons: Subtle Chimeras Moses the Impostor: Magic and Persecution Jesus the Impostor: A Merchant of Absurd Dreams Mahomet the Impostor: The Senses and the SwordEpilogue: The Three Impostors in the Antireligious Literature of the Eighteenth CenturyAppendixesNotes GlossaryIndex of Names
£22.80
The University of Chicago Press Lands of Likeness
Book SynopsisAn original and profound exploration of contemplation from philosopher, theologian, and poet Kevin Hart. In Lands of Likeness, Kevin Hart develops a new hermeneutics of contemplation through a meditation on Christian thought and secular philosophy. Drawing on Kant, Schopenhauer, Coleridge, and Husserl, Hart first charts the emergence of contemplation in and beyond the Romantic era. Next, Hart shows this hermeneutic at work in poetry by Gerard Manley Hopkins, Marianne Moore, Wallace Stevens, and others. Delivered in its original form as the prestigious Gifford Lectures, Lands of Likeness is a revelatory meditation on contemplation for the modern world.Trade Review“Lands of Likeness is one of the deepest accounts of poetry’s cognitive dimensions ever written. What Hart does in the book is explore models of poetic reflection that conform to the models of neither discursive philosophical argumentation nor full-fledged religious contemplation, yet inhabit a meditative domain that is both conceptual and spiritual. I know of no other book that explores this terrain as thoroughly as this one does." -- John Koethe, University of Wisconsin–Madison“In this learned and comprehensive book on the poetic legacy of contemplation, Hart guides us from the early church fathers to the Romantics, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and many major twentieth-century poets who looked on nature in light of its likeness to spirit. A distinguished poet himself, Hart has much to say to readers and writers of poetry. Indeed, this book will interest anyone who has felt the power of leaving some things unsaid as well as the elation of those ‘hovering thoughts’ that are the book’s focus.” -- Susan Stewart, Princeton UniversityTable of ContentsNote on Citations and Conventions Introduction 1: From Templum to Contemplation 2: The Sabbath of the Idea 3: Hermeneutic of Contemplation 4: Contemplation with Kestrel 5: Fascination 6: Consideration 7: From Supreme Being to Supreme Fiction 8: Contemplation with Noisy Birds 9: Contemplating "the True Mystery" 10: "On Course but Destinationless" 11: Mystère and Mystique 12: "To Contemplate the Radical Soul" Afterword: Poem as Templum Acknowledgments Glossary Notes Index
£28.50
University of Chicago Press American Congregations Volume 1 Portraits of Twelve Religious Communities
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£76.00
James Clarke & Co Ltd In the Shadow of Death
Book SynopsisIn this, the first biography of Archibald Campbell Tait since his son-in-law, Randall Davidson''s in 1891, John Witheridge tells the story of how a Scottish outsider became Queen Victoria''s favourite Archbishop of Canterbury, and the most powerful since Laud in the seventeenth century. Following his childhood in Edinburgh and education at Glasgow University and Balliol College, Oxford, Witheridge describes how Tait''s life was shaped by faith, duty and diligence, as well as by harrowing experiences of illness and death. Tait was never content to be an ecclesiastical dignitary, but was ready to intervene and give a lead in the many conflicts, theological and political, that defined his fourteen years at Lambeth. While not always successful, Tait''s leadership of the Church during a period of controversy at home and challenge overseas, bravely accomplished against a background of personal tragedy, makes him a landmark figure in the history of the Church of England.Trade ReviewIn the Shadow of Death presents a sympathetic portrait of Queen Victoria's favourite archbishop, whose life and career were overshadowed by a series of personal tragedies. Witheridge draws on Tait's prolific correspondence and extensive personal diaries to shed new light on his approach to controversies within the Church (and wider Anglican Communion) and his judicious handling of disputes. The strength of this first modern biography of the archbishop, however, lies in its sensitive depiction of a whole family haunted by bereavement. Sarah Foot, Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History, University of Oxford John Witheridge's biography of Dean Stanley of Westminster is now followed by this brilliant study of Archbishop AC Tait. Both his subjects were liberal-leaning Balliol Men, favoured by the Queen and very influential. However, Tait was the greater, a Scot without aristocratic connections who laboured under immense personal burdens. Witheridge's book is an excellent example of biographical scholarship that is both readable and accurate. Anyone interested in Victorian Christianity, education or politics should read it. John Jones, Emeritus Fellow & sometime Fellow-Archivist of Balliol College, Oxford Recurring poor health; chronic overwork; an extraordinary series of personal tragedies; a sturdy faith - all are reflected in the title of this very accessible biography of Queen Victoria's favourite Archbishop of Canterbury. Witheridge presents a vivid account of this generous, principled courageous cleric grappling with the great ecclesiastical and theological controversies of his day, and gives frequent insights into nineteenth-century social history, not least in Carlisle. James Newcome, Bishop of Carlisle If you enjoyed Owen Chadwick's The Victorian Church, you will certainly enjoy In the Shadow of Death, John Witheridge's sympathetic biography of Archibald Campbell Tait (1811-82), Archbishop of Canterbury 1868-82... In the Shadow of Death is a well-researched and highly readable book. John Witheridge has rescued Archbishop Tait's reputation from obscurity. One might not always agree with Tait's views or methods, but In the Shadow of Death reveals him to have been a devout, hard-working and conscientious archbishop. Robert Beaken, New Directions, September 2022 Witheridge's book is a useful addition to the literature and a reliable guide to a time when the Church was at the forefront of national political life. For good or ill, Tait's world, like the intellectual bishop, has almost completely disappeared. Mark Chapman, Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford, InModern Believing 64.4 Autumn, October Issue, pp.449-451, 2023Table of Contents1. Scottish Inheritance 2. A Baliol Man 3. Discreet and Learned Minister 4. Dr Arnold's Successor 5. In Death's Dark Vale 6. The Greatest Diocese in the World 7. New Disputes and New Fears 8. Primate of All England 9. Wrangles and Judgments 10. Lambeth Conference
£999.99
James Clarke & Co. Ltd Discovering John PB
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewReading this book is a moving experience. Equally, however, one comes away from having done so with a head brimming with new ideas and perspectives to return to the Gospel and see it again in a fresh light. John Ashton was a gifted exegete, who brought phenomenal scholarship, literary sensibility and insight, and a seasoning of delicious humour, to the task of interpreting the work of the gifted author of the Gospel of John. Wendy E.S. North, Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religion, University of Durham This volume provides a feast of ideas on John's Gospel from the latter career of John Ashton, a colossus of international Johannine scholarship. Particularly remarkable for its detailed and moving autobiographical account of his fifty-year engagement with the Fourth Gospel, its essays amplify and develop the insights, and exhibit the exegetical sensitivity, of Ashton's magisterial Understanding the Fourth Gospel. Every serious student of John's Gospel should read this book and absorb its wisdom. Philip F. Esler, Portland Chair in New Testament Studies, Director of the International Centre for Biblical Interpretation, University of GloucestershireTable of ContentsIntroduction by Christopher Rowland and Catrin H. Williams vii 1. Discovering the Gospel of John: A Fifty-Year Journey of Exploration 1 2. Really a Prologue? 64 3. John and the Johannine Literature: The Woman at the Well 84 4. Riddles and Mysteries 101 5. "Mystery" in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Fourth Gospel 113 6. The Johannine Son of Man: A New Proposal 131 7. Reflections on a Footnote 156 8. Browning on Feuerbach and Renan 170 John Ashton (13 June 1931 - 3 February 2016) by Christopher Rowland 182 Bibliography 187
£999.99
James Clarke & Co. Ltd Jewish Christians in Puritan England
Book SynopsisA new analysis of the phenomenon of Judaizing Christianity in seventeenth-century EnglandTrade ReviewAn original and innovative contribution to our understanding of a neglected tendency within Puritanism. A compelling work that has implications that go well beyond its subject matter and opens up new ways of thinking about Christian interpretations and appropriations of Judaism. Justin Meggitt, Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion, University of Cambridge, and Visiting Researcher, Stockholm University Aidan Cottrell-Boyce takes his readers on a fascinating journey, exploring the significance of 'Judaizing' trends among English Puritans. Operating at the intersection of theological and sociological analysis, he presents an innovative and convincing account in which the adoption of 'Jewish' practices enabled individuals to take on a stance of distinctiveness and separation from the surrounding culture of the dominant majority. The book's argument has implications beyond its seventeenth-century focus, illuminating a broader historical pattern of scripturally shaped resistance-identity that can be traced through early Christianity, rabbinic Judaism, the rise of Protestantism, and the Radical Reformation. Daniel H. Weiss, Polonsky-Coexist Senior Lecturer in Jewish Studies, University of CambridgeTable of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Singularity and Puritanism Chapter 2: Judaizing and Singularity Chapter 3: 'A Jewish Faccion': Anti-Legalism, Judaizing, and the Traskites Chapter 4: Thomas Totney, Judaizing, and England's Exodus Chapter 5: The Tillamites, Judaizing, and the 'Gospel Work of Separation' Conclusion Bibliography Index
£26.12
James Clarke & Co. Ltd Enlightenment Prelate Benjamin Hoadly 16761761
Book SynopsisA revisionist study of Benjamin Hoadly in the context of church, national and international politics in the eighteenth century.Trade ReviewWilliam Gibson's Benjamin Hoadly set a new standard for ecclesiastical biography on its first publication in 2004 and rescued its subject from caricature. This welcome second edition, taking account of the most recent scholarship, restates the convincing case for Hoadly's enduring influence and his centrality to theological debate for most of the eighteenth century. Nigel Aston, Honorary Fellow in History, University of Leicester, and Research Associate, University of YorkTable of ContentsForeword by James E. Bradley Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Hero and Villain 2. Early Life, 1676-1701 3. Political Apprenticeship in a London Pulpit, 1701-1710 4. Sacheverell, Adversity and Triumph, 1710-1717 5. The Years of the Bangorian Controversy, 1717-21 6. Hereford and Salisbury, 1721-1734 7. Hoadly at Winchester, 1734-1761 Conclusion Appendix: Hoadly in Poetry References Bibliography Index
£74.10
James Clarke & Co Ltd The New Testament Concept of Atonement
Book SynopsisFor the Christian faith, questions relating to God can essentially be viewed as centred on the person of Jesus Christ. In The New Testament Concept of Atonement, H.D. McDonald uses this key insight to examine mankind''s redemption, focussing on Christ''s atoning act as crucial in shaping God''s relation to humanity and the world. McDonald analyses elements which hold vital meanings and messages for the Christian doctrine of salvation. In the first six chapters he investigates single terms within the New Testament, such as ''tree'' or ''blood'' whose metonymical association with Christ''s redeeming act has often become obscured over time. Then, various biblical interpretations of the Calvary event are studied. In the final section, he analyses the importance of the findings in previous chapters and their implications for Christology. Detailed research underpins the text, in the tradition of Reformed biblical scholarship, with care taken to suggest further reading and trace sources.Trade Review"McDonald draws the reader back to the biblical concepts and understanding of the death of Christ thus avoiding the debates of today that have decided what God is like before listening to the apostles." Matthew D. Jensen, From the ForewordTable of ContentsForeword by Matthew D. Jensen Explanatory Preface Introduction: The Cruciality of the Cross Note on the Outline Chapter 1. The Cross Chapter 2. The Tree Chapter 3. The Cup Chapter 4. The Death Chapter 5. The Blood Chapter 6. The Body Chapter 7. A Lamb Slain Chapter 8. As a Passover Celebrated Chapter 9. As a Covenant Made Chapter 10. A Sacrifice Rendered Chapter 11. A Ransom Paid Chapter 12. A Propitiation Offered Chapter 13. A Reconciliation Effected Chapter 14. Actual Realisation Chapter 15. Christological Implications Bibliography Index of Biblical References
£999.99
James Clarke & Co Ltd Desert Wilderness Wasteland and Word
Book SynopsisAn English translation of a recently discovered Jacques Ellul essay that considers the theology of the desert.
£999.99
James Clarke & Co Ltd Fratelli Tutti
Book SynopsisThe first truly global commentary on a papal encyclical.
£999.99
James Clarke & Co Ltd What Were the Early Rabbis
Book Synopsis
£999.99
James Clarke & Co Ltd The The Misunderstanding of the Church
Book Synopsis
£16.62
Tellwell Talent Restoring the Broken Foundations Being the Church
Book Synopsis
£11.24
Palgrave MacMillan Us Winckelmann and the Vaticans First Profane Museum
£80.99
Palgrave Macmillan Jewish Ethics in a PostMadoff World A Case for
Book SynopsisThe number and magnitude of the ethics failures reported on a nearly daily basis in newspapers and on blogs are seemingly unprecedented. The castle is on fire, to borrow a rabbinic metaphor, and each one of us is faced with the question: Is there anything we can do about it? In this book, Moses Pava explores new and alternative ways of relating to Jewish texts and concepts. In doing so, he invents a nuanced, flexible, and sufficiently sensitive vocabulary to conduct productive ethical dialogues, both within and between communities.Trade Review"At a time when the Jewish world is reeling from a series of scandalous swindles, violations of human dignity and animal rights, rabbinic criminal activities, etc., Moses Pava has stepped forward to give us new hope for a relevant, powerful Jewish ethic. This book combines fresh thinking, playful and profound imagination, wide reading, and unusually sophisticated analysis. It gives us not a cut-and-dried set of rules and laws but a creative, life-embracing,courageous method of living ethically while dealing with moral challenges as they come. There are no easy answers in this book; instead,there are complex cases that stretch us and make us grow. While this book will touch modern Orthodox Jews most deeply, it will enrich anyone who who wants to live more ethically." - Rabbi YitzGreenberg "Ethical issues today are serious and the temptation is to find a simple answer to them.Paradoxically, one way to address them is through some playfulness and through a commitment to ongoing, complex discussion.Pava's approach elucidates some basic ways to deal with a complex world that is deeply satisfying." - Timothy Fort, The Lindner-Gambal Professor of Business Ethics, School of Business, George Washington University "This fresh and courageous book confronts failures in business ethics both within and beyond the Jewish community.Itexplores an unusually broadarray of traditional Jewish texts, faces contemporary social issues, and suggests innovative approaches in a way that urges the reader into dialogue.This is a valuable,accessible, and engaging contribution to Jewish ethics." - Rabbi David Teutsch, The Louis and Myra Wiener Professor of Contemporary Jewish Civilization; Chair, Department of Contemporary Jewish Civilization; and Director, Levin-Lieber Program in Jewish Ethics, Reconstructionist Rabbinical CollegeTable of ContentsPART I: OVERVIEW Jewish Ethics in a New Key Temptations of Tradition Sacred Compromise Renewing Jewish Ethics PART II: ON THE GROUND Learning to Speak about the Elephant in the Room The Art of Moral Criticism Deal Breaker and the Money Laundering Rabbis Loving the Stranger and the Fall of the Agriprocessors The Problem with Income and Wealth Inequalities PART III: FRONTIERS 'The Exaltation of the Possible' - Ethics and Play An Optimistic Case for the Future of Jewish Ethics In a Post-Madoff World
£33.74
Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd Love Bade Me Welcome
Book SynopsisIn this new edition, the author draws on the teaching of Julian of Norwich, and maintains that we project our own anger on to our image of God, whereas His compassionate love is acting at all times to abate and dispel the wrath within ourselves. Once this deficient image of God is corrected the scene is set for an authentic prayer life.
£999.99
Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd Lord Have Mercy
Book SynopsisScott Hahn has brought a deep understanding of the scriptural roots of the Church's teaching and a new verve and freshness of language to mainstream Catholic theology. His bestselling books on the Mass, on marriage and the family, and on Mary have stimulated a dialogue with Christians of every spiritual tradition. In Lord, Have Mercy Hahn turns to the Catholic Church's teaching on confession and forgiveness. He argues that the sacrament of confession is the key to spiritual growth, more relevant than ever in these times of anxiety and uncertainty. Once again, Hahn reveals the scriptural heart of a traditional teaching, in a way that is both wholly original, and wholly orthodox.
£11.66
Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd Crossshattered Christ
Book SynopsisReflects on the meaning of the passion and death of Jesus.
£9.45
Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd Born to Fly
Book SynopsisSometimes, it can feel as though we are living in the worst of times a world of chaos, uncertainty and breakdown. But could this also be the best of times a crucible of change in which a wiser and more spiritually mature future is being forged? The stars are most clearly visible in the deepest darkness. The butterfly emerges out of the worst meltdown of the chrysalis.In Born to Fly, Margaret Silf helps us to explore what it would mean for each of us to be such an emerging butterfly to be an agent of spiritual transformation in our own lives and in the world around us. What kind of future do we desire for ourselves, for those who follow after us, and for the whole of creation? And, if the choices we make today are shaping that future, how might we learn to make those choices more wisely?The second part of the book takes us on a gentle journey in five stages through the process of transformation mapped out for us by the caterpillar as it changes from a pesky garden grub, taking what i
£11.69
Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd The Glorious Journey
Book Synopsis** Suitable for online learning and study **At its heart, the Oscar and BAFTA-nominated film The Two Popes is not about Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI. It is about two men, who happen to be religious figures, exploring a number of themes that are at the heart of being human, of faith and belief: the journey', listening, change, mercy, loneliness and love.The Glorious Journey provides an opportunity to watch The Two Popes with such themes in mind; to read, reflect and discuss what we can learn from it about human nature and values.Liam Kelly opens each of the six chapters with a suggestion of a short clip from the film to watch, then provides thought-provoking reflections, including questions to prompt your own response. Each chapter ends with a prayer.The Glorious Journey is designed to be used individually or as part of a regular group discussion. It could be adapted for use as the basis of a seasonal course for Lent or Advent.
£8.50
University of Notre Dame Press Versions of Election
Book SynopsisConcepts of predestination and reprobation were central issues in the Protestant Reformation, especially within Calvinist churches, and thus have often been studied primarily in the historical context of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In Versions of Election: From Langland and Aquinas to Calvin and Milton, David Aers takes a longer view of these key issues in Christian theology. With meticulous attention to the texts of medieval and early modern theologians, poets, and popular writers, this book argues that we can understand the full complexity of the history of various teachings on the doctrine of election only through a detailed diachronic study that takes account of multiple periods and disciplines. Throughout this wide-ranging study, Aers examines how various versions of predestination and reprobation emerge and re-emerge in Christian tradition from the Middle Ages through the seventeenth century. Starting with incisive readings of medieval works by figures suchTrade Review“This is a marvelous and original monograph, both deeply learned and eloquently written. I have no doubt that Versions of Election will be of interest to a wide range of scholars and students of religious history and thought, both in the medieval and early modern periods.” —Nicolette Zeeman, author of The Arts of Disruption"While Langland, Aquinas, Calvin, and Milton are the major figures in the chapters devoted to them, Aers's reach extends to many more thinkers.... Versions of Election serves as a solid primer for the entirety of predestination theology over the period." —Milton Quarterly"Aers has spent his career exploring soteriological questions of election and his expertise shines on every page through detailed and sophisticated readings of complex doctrinal texts." —Sixteenth Century Journal
£33.25
