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Book SynopsisThe earliest Christians believed Jesus was an ancient celestial being who put on a bodysuit of flesh, died at the hands of dark forces, and then rose from the dead and ascended back into the heavens. But the writing we have today from that first generation of Christians never says where they thought he landed, where he lived, or where he died. The idea that Jesus toured Galilee and visited Jerusalem arose only a lifetime later, in unsourced legends written in a foreign land and language. Many sources repeat those legends, but none corroborate them. Why? What exactly was the original belief about Jesus, and how did this belief change over time? In Jesus from Outer Space, noted philosopher and historian Richard Carrier summarizes for a popular audience the scholarly research on these and related questions, revealing in turn how modern attempts to conceal, misrepresent, or avoid the actual evidence calls into question the entire field of Jesus studies--and present-day beliefs about how Christianity began.Trade Review"It helps if you are omniscient, and Richard Carrier appears to be! The arguments and data supplied on behalf of Jesus Mythicism in his new book are astonishing -- even if you thought you knew the debate pretty well!" -- Robert M Price, New Testament scholar and editor of the Journal of Higher Criticism"Carrier's best, most engaging, and readable work yet. Don't let the hilarious title fool you; this book is all business. Putting all the historical evidence for Jesus in the crucible, he burns away every apologetic argument and cuts through centuries of special pleading and pious fraud to demonstrate that the 'Real Jesus' is an unreal one." -- David Fitzgerald, author of Nailed and Jesus: Mything in Action

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Book SynopsisEmet le-Ya‘akov comprises a collection of essays celebrating the career and achievements of Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, who has served the American and international Jewish community with distinction in his roles as a synagogue rabbi, university professor, and public intellectual. These articles, like the honoree, recognize the importance of both history and memory, emphasize the necessity of accuracy in historiography, and do not shy away from inconvenient truths. They are divided into three categories that help frame the discussion around “facing the truths of history”: Textual Traditions, Memory and Making of Meaning, and (Re)Creating a Usable Past. The volume also includes a brief sketch of Schacter’s life and work and a bibliography of his publications.Table of Contents“For Truth Is More Precious than Anything Else” Zev Eleff and Shaul Seidler-FellerBibliography of the Writings of Jacob J. SchacterMenachem ButlerTextual Traditions1. Maimonides’s Mishneh Torah on the Messianic Age: Reactions and Controversies through the AgesDavid Berger2. A New Paradigm of the Jew/Gentile Relationship: Maimonides’s Analysis of the Miẓvah le-HaḥayotoAri Berman3. In the Ecumenical Footsteps of Rabbi Jacob Emden: The Curious Case of Pinchas LapideMark Gottlieb4. Rationalizing Kerei u-Ketiv: Radak’s Methodology in His Biblical CommentariesNaomi Grunhaus5. “The Law Follows the Lenient View in Mourning”: The History and Reconsideration of a Talmudic PrincipleShmuel Hain6. A Community for the Sake of Heaven: Emden’s Understandings of Christianity and IslamSusannah Heschel7. Tosafist Collections in the Writings of Ḥayyim Joseph David Azulai (Ḥida): The Case of Tosefot ShittahEphraim Kanarfogel8. Grandfather and Grandson: Teachers and Interpreters in Hebrew Ben Sira and Greek SirachAri Lamm9. Rabbi Jacob Joshua Falk’s Final Salvo in the Emden-Eibeschuetz Controversy: Ḥarvot ẒurimShnayer Leiman10. The Taboo against “Next Year in Jerusalem” in the American Haggadah (1837–1942)Jonathan D. Sarna11. Twentieth-Century American Orthodox Responses to Living in a Malkhut shel ḤesedElana Stein Hain12. Reception of Malachi’s Temple Critique in JudaismShlomo Zuckier Memory and the Making of Meaning13. The Last Trial of Jacob Emden: Community, Memory, AuthorityElisheva Carlebach14. Papering Over an Era of American Orthodox Pragmatism: The Case of CollegeZev Eleff and Menachem Butler15. Cultural Memory, Spiritual Critique, and PiyyutMichael Fishbane16. “A Faithful Home in Israel”? Jewish Dis/Connections in Contemporary American Jewish LiteratureSylvia Barack Fishman17. Who Is Not a Jew? Notes on the Reception of the Principle “Though He Sinned, He Remains an Israelite”Matt Goldish18. New York Jewish History and Memory: Opportunities and ChallengesJeffrey S. Gurock19. Inscribing Communal Memory: Memorbücher in Early Modern and Modern EuropeDebra Kaplan20. Pilgrims’ Progress? Ḥakham Ẓevi and the History of Visitors to Israel Observing One Day of Yom TovYosie Levine21. Herschel Schacter’s Encounter with Mordecai KaplanRafael Medoff(Re)Creating a Usable Past22. Remember, Research, Commemorate: The (Re)Making of a Holocaust Research InstituteJudith Tydor Baumel-Schwartz23. Prayer in a Time of Pandemic: Loneliness, Liturgy, and Virtual CommunityLois C. Dubin24. Or Nogah and the Uses of History: Blidstein, Petuchowski, and the Diverse Readings of a Nineteenth-Century Reform Halakhic TextDavid Ellenson25. From Rabbiner Doktor to Rabbanit Doctor: Academic Education and the Evolution of Israeli Religious LeadershipAdam S. Ferziger26. Why Was Titus Killed by a Gnat? Reflections on a Rabbinic LegendSteven Fine27. Anchor to Springboard: Uses and Revaluations of Masorah in Medieval AshkenazTalya Fishman28. Ḥasdai Crescas, Royal Courtier: A ReappraisalBenjamin R. Gampel29. The Slifkin Affair: Contexts, Texts, and Subtexts of Israeli and American Orthodox ResponsesBenjamin J. Samuels30. A Guide for Today’s Perplexed? The Changing Face of Maimonidean ScholarshipDavid Shatz31. The Image of the Gra in the Writings of Rabbi Joseph B. SoloveitchikJeffrey R. WoolfContributors

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Book SynopsisAn important and respected voice for liberal American Christianity for the past twenty years, Bishop John Shelby Spong integrates his often controversial stands on the Bible, Jesus, theism, and morality into an intelligible creed that speaks to today''s thinking Christian. In this compelling and heartfelt book, he sounds a rousing call for a Christianity based on critical thought rather than blind faith, on love rather than judgment, and that focuses on life more than religion.

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Book SynopsisThe Hindu Temple and Its Sacred Landscape explores Hinduism as it was practised in temples across the Indian subcontinent throughout history, highlighting the temple’s significance as a marker of cultural identity.The Hindu Temple and Its Sacred Landscape illustrates how careful attention to the Hindu temple, its social history, and cultural landscape allows us to better appreciate how Hinduism has been practised and lived throughout history. The Hindu temple was not merely a place of worship or a static indicator of royal generosity but an institution that involved the active participation of the community for its establishment, maintenance, and survival. Rather than studying temples as isolated structures, The Hindu Temple and Its Sacred Landscape thus suggests that we need to examine them in the context of their social base and the sacred microcosms of which they form a part. Through a combination of textual study, archaeological evidence, and insights from contemporary anthropology, the book explores the diverse ways in which devotees, patrons, and visitors have engaged with temples, shrines, and their wider surroundings. Drawing attention to the vibrancy of the Hindu temple in different locales, The Hindu Temple and Its Sacred Landscape traces the ways in which Hindu notions of sanctity and sacredness were defined and redefined throughout history through the diversity of temple audiences, deities, and rituals. The book thus allows us to form a more accurate picture of Hindu religious life in the past and the central role the temple has played in consolidating Hindu identity. EXPERT ANALYSIS: Author Himanshu Prabha Ray provides authoritative analysis of the Hindu temple, drawing on her expertise as an award-winning Sanskrit scholar, historian, and archeologist. SUPPLEMENTAL STUDY: The Hindu Temple and Its Sacred Landscape provides a breadth of educational knowledge as a supplement to both academic coursework and the independent study of Hinduism. With the integration of discussion questions, suggested further reading, a glossary of key terms, and images throughout, The Hindu Temple and Its Sacred Landscape offers an accessible introduction to studying the history and significance of Hindu temples. EXPLORE THE SERIES: The Hindu Temple and Its Sacred Landscape expands the collection of academic texts developed by the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies Publishing Series offers authoritative yet accessible introductions to a wide range of subjects in Hindu Studies. Each book in the series aims to present its subject matter in a form that is engaging and readily comprehensible to persons of all backgrounds - academic or otherwise - without compromising scholarly rigour. The series thus bridges the divide between academic and popular writing by preserving and utilising the best elements of both. Women in the Hindu World and The Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation and Study Guide are also available in the series.

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Book SynopsisSt Paul is known throughout the world as the first Christian writer, authoring fourteen of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament. But as Karen Armstrong demonstrates in St Paul: The Misunderstood Apostle, he also exerted a more significant influence on the spread of Christianity throughout the world than any other figure in history. It was Paul who established the first Christian churches in Europe and Asia in the first century, Paul who transformed a minor sect into the largest religion produced by Western civilization, and Paul who advanced the revolutionary idea that Christ could serve as a model for the possibility of transcendence. While we know little about some aspects of the life of St Paul - his upbringing, the details of his death - his dramatic vision of God on the road to Damascus is one of the most powerful stories in the history of Christianity, and the life that followed forever changed the course of history.Trade ReviewArmstrong rescues her subject from two-dimensional caricature and helps us see just why generations have needed Paul to "think with", not just about God, but about the possible shapes of human community in the face of unthinking conformism and the powerful stupidity of empires. -- Rowan Williams * New Statesman *A compelling interpretation of the importance of this most prominent of early Christian figures... Absorbing and informative * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisContrary to popular opinion, the bulk of Islamic law does not come from the Quran but from hadith, first-hand reports of the Prophet Muhammad’s words and deeds, passed from generation to generation. However, with varying accounts often only committed to paper a century after the death of Muhammad, Islamic scholars, past and present, have been faced with complex questions of historical authenticity. In this wide-ranging introduction, Jonathan A. C. Brown explores the collection and criticism of hadith, and the controversy surrounding its role in modern Islam. This edition, revised and updated with additional case studies and attention to the very latest scholarship, also features a new chapter on how hadiths have been used politically, both historically and in the Arab Spring and its aftermath. Informative and accessible, it is perfectly suited to students, scholars and general readers interested in this critical element of Islam.Trade Review‘Both erudite and highly readable… Jonathan Brown’s remarkably learned, engaging, and wide-ranging book will certainly find favor with students of all levels, but it is also accessible to educated lay readers and offers a fruitful read for specialists.’ * International Journal of Middle East Studies *‘It is impossible to understand the Islamic tradition without getting some knowledge of the sciences of hadith. In this fascinating introduction, Jonathan A. C. Brown provides the reader with the necessary means to navigate between the traditional framework and contemporary issues. A brilliant essay written by a widely-acknowledged scholar in the field.’ -- Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies, University of Oxford‘Far surpasses all previous introductory surveys. It is especially distinguished by its attention to hadith scholarship throughout the Middle Ages, not just the age of the great collectors.’ -- Christopher Melchert, Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Oxford‘A must read and a great read. The combination of impeccable, critical scholarship with a storyteller’s style has produced an introductory volume that is both substantive and remarkably engaging.’ -- John L. Esposito, Founding Director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University‘A comprehensive study of the scholarship throughout Islamic history dealing with the traditions of the Prophet. A combination of critical analysis and informed understanding that presents a significant new perspective on a much-debated subject.’ -- John O. Voll, Professor Emeritus of Islamic History, Georgetown University‘This work is, in my opinion, without parallel in the English language. Stunning in its scope, it enables one to grasp a highly complex subject in well-written and clear prose. The knowledge of Islam is of utmost importance today, and this book bridges a yawning gap in our access to that knowledge in English. It’s essential reading for any serious student of Islam limited by language.’ -- Hamza Yusuf Hanson, president and co-founder, Zaytuna CollegeTable of ContentsPreface to the Revised Edition Preface Acknowledgments Conventions, Abbreviations, and Transliteration 1 The Prophet’s Words Then and Now: Hadith and Its Terminology 2 The Transmission and Collection of Prophetic Traditions 3 The Methods and History of Hadith Criticism 4 Prophetic Traditions in Shiite Islam 5 The Function of Prophetic Traditions in Islamic Law and Legal Theory 6 The Function of Prophetic Traditions in Theology 7 The Function of Prophetic Traditions in Sufism 8 The Function of Prophetic Traditions in Politics 9 The Authenticity Question: Western Debates over the Historical Reliability of Prophetic Traditions 10 Debates over Prophetic Traditions in the Modern Muslim World 11 Conclusion Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTraces the evolution of a Hebrew microcosm that models the interaction of human and divine bodies at the heart of both kabbalah and some forms of Western sex magic. Focuses on Jewish esoteric and medical sources from the fifth to the twelfth century from Byzantium, Persia, Iberia, and southern France.Trade Review“Segol makes a groundbreaking contribution to the history of kabbalah, Jewish studies, and the history of religion, opening up innovative perspectives for our understanding of sex magic and its reception.”—Nicole Maria Bauer Religious Studies Review“This study is an interesting, knowledgeable examination of an intriguing aspect of the Jewish mystical tradition: sex magic.”—S. T. Katz Choice

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Book SynopsisNicholas of Cusa (14011464), a student of canon law who became a Catholic cardinal, was widely considered the most important original philosopher of the Renaissance. He wrote principally on theology, philosophy, and church politics. This volume makes most of Nicholas's other writings on Church and reform available in English for the first time.

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Book SynopsisThis book offers an illuminating discussion of recent scholarly debates over the concept of 'Gnosticism' and the nature of early Christian diversity.Trade ReviewNot since Elaine Pagels's ground-breaking and best-selling The Gnostic Gospels (1979) has there been a work that communicates so clearly the content and significance of the "Gnostics" for our understanding of early Christian history. The public and the academy need The Gnostics. -- Denise Buell, Williams CollegeA model for how to engage in careful social historical reconstruction. -- Stephen Davis, Yale UniversityBrakke has a growing reputation for his studies on the history and literature of ancient Christianity, and he moves easily among the sources, making good sense of the sometimes scanty evidence...The Gnostics is a book to be warmly commended to those who have an interest in the development of Christianity. -- Nicholas King, SJ * Times Literary Supplement *Perhaps the finest aspect of this book is the way that Brakke successfully nuances the conflict models of early Christian history that remain current in most introductory texts. Rather than merely keying students to the varieties of early Christianity, Brakke introduces beginners to a more open narrative that has emerged recently. This model focuses on the agonistic production of orthodox and heterodox identities through processes of textual production, interpretation, ritual, and so forth. Brakke accomplishes this through a style that is lucid without falling into oversimplification. -- J. Schott * Choice *

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Book SynopsisAnonymous Old English Lives of Saints includes narratives from the eleventh and twelfth centuries about locally venerated saints like the abbess Seaxburh, as well as familiar ones like Nicholas and Michael the Archangel. This volume presents new Old English editions and modern English translations of twenty-two unattributed saints’ Lives.Trade ReviewA welcome addition to the field…It will surely become the standard edition for anyone studying anonymous Old English saints’ lives. -- Brandon W. Hawk * Speculum *

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Book SynopsisThe Old English Pastoral Care, a ninth-century translation from Latin of Pope Gregory the Great’s guide for aspiring bishops that advises on what sort of spiritual guidance bishops should provide, was aimed at revitalizing the English Church. This new edition and translation into modern English is the first to appear in a century and a half.Trade ReviewFulk’s new translation of the Pastoral Care renders this often-overlooked text far more accessible for a whole range of readers…It is to be hoped that students, teachers, and researchers use Fulk’s new edition to go beyond the prefaces and epilogues, and turn their meticulous attention to the main text of this important and understudied Old English translation. -- Amy Faulkner * Medieval Review *

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Book SynopsisWhite retraces the strange and circuitous journey of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra from its ancient origins to today, bringing to life the improbable cast of characters whose interpretations and misappropriations led to its revered place in contemporary popular culture.Trade Review"Wildly entertaining."—Matthew Remski, Reality Sandwich"Engaging, challenging, myth-busting, and completely au courant."—Sean Feit, Nadalila.org"A lively account of this sutra's unlikely history and how it has variously been interpreted, reinterpreted, ignored, and hailed."—Shambhala Sun"An exhaustive, scholarly history of the titular work of ancient Indian philosophy, lightened by author David Gordon White's provocative wit."—Max Zahn, Tricycle"A rich and elegant account."—Peter Valdina, Journal of Hindu Studies

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Choice Reviews' Outstanding Academic Titles of 2018"

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Book SynopsisIn Three Centuries of Girls'' Education, Mary Anne O''Neil offers both an examination and the first English translation of Les Règlemens des religieuses Ursulines de la Congrégation de Paris. Published in 1705, Regulations is the first pedagogical system explicitly designed for the education of girls. It is also one of the few surviving documents describing the day-to-day operations of early Ursuline schools. O''Neil traces the history of the document from the writings of the Italian foundress of the Ursulines, to the establishment of the religious order in Paris in 1612, to the changes in the organization of Ursuline schools in nineteenth-century France, and, finally, to Mother Marie de St. Jean Martin''s spirited defense of the traditional French Ursuline method after World War II. In the eighteenth century, New Orleans Ursulines used the Regulations as a guide to establish their schools and teaching methods. Overall, O''Neil''s history and transl

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Book SynopsisEssays provide evidence for the vigour and involvement of religious orders in the years immediately prior to the reformation.It continues to be assumed in some quarters that England's monasteries and mendicant convents fell into a headlong decline - pursuing high living and low morals - long before Henry VIII set out to destroy them at the Dissolution.The essays in this book add to the growing body of scholarly enquiry which challenges this view. Drawing on some of the most recent research by British and American scholars, they offer a wide-ranging reassessment of the religiousorders on the eve of the Reformation. They consider not only the condition of their communities and the character of life within them, but also their wider contribution - spiritual, intellectual and economic - to English societyat large. What emerges is the impression that the years leading up to the Dissolution were neither as dark nor as difficult for the regular religious as many earlier histories have led us to believe. It was a period of institutional and religious reform, and, for the Benedictines at least, a period of marked intellectual revival. Many religious houses also continued to enjoy close relations with the lay communities living beyond their precinct walls. Whiletheir role in the devotions of many ordinary lay folk may have diminished, they still had a significant part to play in the local economy, in education and in a wide range of social and cultural activities. Contributors:JEREMY CATTO, JAMES G. CLARK, GLYN COPPACK, CLAIRE CROSS, PETER CUNICH, VINCENT GILLESPIE, JOAN GREATEX, BARBARA HARVEY, F. DONALD LOGAN, MARILYN OLIVA, MICHAEL ROBSON, R.N. SWANSON, BENJAMIN THOMPSON.Trade ReviewIn their variety of subjects and approaches [these essays] provide revealing insights into the current directions of scholarly thinking about the last century of the religious orders in medieval England....The impression left is of the vitality of current research. * CATHOLIC HISTORICAL REVIEW *I recommend this book. It helps shed light on one of the greatest social changes that occurred in England during the 16th century. But, by the same token, it reminds us how much more work needs to be done before one can even begin to understand the origins of the modern world in which we live. * COLLOQUIUM *A highly valuable contribution to a debate which still deserves further attention. * SOUTHERN HISTORY 25 *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Religious Orders in Pre-Reformation England - James G. Clark After Knowles: Recent Perspectives in Monastic History - Joan Greatrex A Novice's Life at Westminster Abbey in the Century before the Dissolution - Barbara Harvey Syon and the New Learning - Vincent Gillespie Franciscan Learning, 1450-1540 - Jeremy Catto The Friars Minor in York, 1450-1540 - Michael Robson Mendicants and Confraternity - Robert N Swanson Yorkshire Nunneries in the Early Tudor Period - Claire Cross Patterns of Patronage to Female Monasteries in the Late Middle Ages - Marilyn Oliva Monasteries, Society and Reform in Late Medieval England - Benjamin Thompson The Planning of Cistercian Monasteries in the Later Middle Ages: the evidence from Fountains, Rievaulx, Sawley and Rushen - Glyn Coppack Departure from the Religious Life During the Royal Visitation of the Monasteries, 1535-36 - F. Donald Logan The Ex-Religious in Post-Dissolution Society: Symptoms of Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder? - Peter Cunich

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Book SynopsisText with facing English translation provides fascinating insights into medieval religious life.JOINT WINNER: 2023 BRITISH RECORD ASSOCIATION HARLEY PRIZEIn 1397 the bishop of Hereford toured his diocese asking questions about its churches and people. The answers he received were written into a slim paper book, which survives in the cathedral archives today. This important medieval document offers unparalleled insight into social life, sexual behaviour, religious belief and practice, and gender relations during a period of religious and political turmoil, revealing how the clergy were disciplined, how English- and Welsh-speakers interacted, and how the congregation experienced worship. It is also a major early source for Welsh naming practices, and a treasure trove of information about local churches and parishes before the Reformation.This volume provides a complete scholarly edition, accompanied by a full facing-page translation, introduction and notes; it will be invaluable for experienced researchers and students alike.Trade ReviewThe Visitation of Hereford Diocese in 1397 will be of great interest to people researching medieval religion and everyday life. The decision to publish this visitation's record in both languages is especially laudable as this renders the book particularly useful to anyone wanting to improve their medieval Latin. -- LOCAL HISTORIAN[T]his volume presents the Latin text on one page with a facing English translation. The decision to publish the record of this visitation in both languages is especially laudable. * The Newsletter of the Ranulf Higden Society *Table of ContentsIntroduction Editorial Method Text and translation Index of place names Index of personal name Index of subjects

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Book SynopsisWas Plato a Platonist? While ancient disciples of Plato would have answered this question in the affirmative, modern scholars have generally denied that Plato's own philosophy was in substantial agreement with that of the Platonists of succeeding centuries. In From Plato to Platonism, Lloyd P. Gerson argues that the ancients were correct in their assessment. He arrives at this conclusion in an especially ingenious manner, challenging fundamental assumptions about how Plato's teachings have come to be understood. Through deft readings of the philosophical principles found in Plato''s dialogues and in the Platonic tradition beginning with Aristotle, he shows that Platonism, broadly conceived, is the polar opposite of naturalism and that the history of philosophy from Plato until the seventeenth century was the history of various efforts to find the most consistent and complete version of anti-naturalism.Gerson contends that the philosophical position of PlatoPlato's own PlatoniTrade Review..the book is an important achievement. It is full of precious observations and suggestions. Even if someone is not fully convinced by the application of such an historical set of criteria he will find the book a highly rewarding reading. -- Péter Lautner * The International Journal of the Platonic Tradition *Gerson's book is a highly valuable, well-written contribution to Plato nism research. It persuasively makes a case for understanding Plato's philosophy as a coherent system that has an intricate and meaningful relation to later Platonistic philosophical positions. From this point, Plato appears as a Platonist indeed. -- Claas Lattman * CLASSICAL JOURNAL *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Part 1. Plato and His Readers 1. Was Plato a Platonist? Plato and Platonism Ur-Platonism From Plato to Platonism 2. Socrates and Platonism The 'Socratic Problem' Gregory Vlastos Terry Penner Christopher Rowe 3. Reading the Dialogues Platonically Plato and Developmentalism Plato the Artist, Plato the Philosopher Plato’s Self-Testimony 4. Aristotle on Plato and Platonism Aristotle and Ur-Platonism Aristotle’s Testimony on the Mathematization of Forms Aristotle’s Criticism of the Mathematization of Forms Part 2. The Continuing Creation of Platonism 5. The Old Academy Speusippus and First Principles Speusippean Knowledge Xenocrates 6. The Academic Skeptics What Is Academic Skepticism? Skepticism, Rationalism, and Platonism 7. Platonism in the ‘Middle’ Antiochus of Ascalon Plutarch of Chaeronea Alcinous 8. Numenius of Apamea On the Good Part 3. Plotinus: "Exegete of the Platonic Revelation" 9. Platonism as a System The First Principle of All Intellect Soul Matter 10. Plotinus as Interpreter of Plato (1) Matter in the Platonic System Substance and Becoming Categories in the Intelligible World The One and the Indefinite Dyad The Good Is Eros 11. Plotinus as Interpreter of Plato (2) Human and Person Assimilation to the Divine Moral Responsibility Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisDid Christ assume a fallen human nature? "What is not assumed is not healed." So goes the Chalcedonian maxim articulated by Gregory of Nazianzus regarding the nature and extent of Christ's work in assuming a human nature. But what is the nature of that assumption? If Christ is to stand in solidarity with us, must he have assumed not merely a human nature, but specifically a fallen human nature? In Sinless Flesh: A Critique of Karl Barth's Fallen Christ, Rafael Bello argues against the assertion made by Karl Barth, T. F. Torrance, and those who follow them that Christ assumed a fallen nature. Through retrieval of patristic, medieval, and Reformed orthodox theologians, Bello argues that a proper understanding of human nature, trinitarian inseparable operations, and the habitual grace-grace of union distinction leads to the conclusion that the assertion that Christ assumed a fallen human nature is at odds with faithful theological and historical understandings of the incarnation. Readers interested in theological retrieval for issues in contemporary theology will find a faithful model and way forward for a thorny issue in modern dogmatics.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a new annotated translation of Orosius’s Seven Books of History against the Pagans. Orosius’s History, which begins with the creation and continues to his own day, was an immensely popular and standard work of reference on antiquity throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. Its importance lay in the fact that Orosius was the first Christian author to write not a church history, but rather a history of the secular world interpreted from a Christian perspective. This approach gave new relevance to Roman history in the medieval period and allowed Rome’s past to become a valued part of the medieval intellectual world. The structure of history and methodology deployed by Orosius formed the dominant template for the writing of history in the medieval period, being followed, for example, by such writers as Otto of Freising and Ranulph Higden. Orosius’s work is therefore crucial for an understanding of early Christian approaches to history, the development of universal history, and the intellectual life of the Middle Ages, for which it was both an important reference work and also a defining model for the writing of history.Trade Review... this new edition does an excellent job in introducing the world of Orosius to those who are inclined to read him. Through the introduction Fear is able to illustrate the importance of the text and the unique contribution it makes to an understanding of early Christian historiography, without overstating the case. A fresh perspective is brought to the text and much deserved attention is directed to Orosius and the early fifth century... * Journal of Late Antique Religion and Culture, Vol 4 *..as a translation it achieves its aims: this fine rendering of Orosius, especially in combination with the notes, will provide a very useful, new access to the Seven books of History against the Pagans, and thus allow future readers to discover this historian for themselves. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review.05.36 *Andrew Fear's is the first translation into English of the complete work since 1936, and presents Orosius' sometimes convoluted Latin in very readable English, making this crucial work easily accessible to students and scholars lacking Latin; the extensive annotation will be valuable also for those capable of reading the original. * Medium Aevum, Vol. LXXX *Table of Contents Acknowledgements Abbreviations INTRODUCTION 1. Life 2. The Histories 3. Intentions 4. Secular Religious History 5. Sources 6. Structure 7. Chronological Systems and the Ordering of Time 8. Notes of Caution 9. Orosius’s Clash with Augustine 10. Legacy NOTE ON TRANSLATION SYNOPSIS SEVEN BOOKS Of HISTORY AGAINST THE PAGANS Book One Book Two Book Three Book Four Book Five Book Six Book Seven Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA reinterpretation of the history of Sokoto that provides a new assessment of its leaders and their visions for the Muslim state. Sokoto was the largest and longest lasting of West Africa's nineteenth-century Muslim empires. Its intellectual and political elite left behind a vast written record, including over 300 Arabic texts authored by the jihad's leaders: Usman dan Fodio, his brother Abdullahi and his son, Muhammad Bello (known collectively as the Fodiawa). Sokoto's early years are one of the most documented periods of pre-colonial African history, yet current narratives pay little attention to the formative role these texts played in the creation of Sokoto, and the complex scholarly world from which they originated. Far from being unified around a single concept of Muslim statecraft, this book demonstrates how divided the Fodiawa were about what Sokoto could and should be, and the various discursive strategies they used to enrol local societies into their vision. Based on a close analysis of the sources (some appearing in English translation for the first time) and an effort to date their intellectual production, the book restores agency to Sokoto's leaders as individuals with different goals, characters and methods. More generally, it shows how revolutionary religious movements gain legitimacy, and how the kind of legitimacy they claim changes as they move from rebels to rulers.Trade ReviewThis is the most important new book on northern Nigeria's precolonial past that has come out for some years. -- Journal of African HistoryNaylor's study has bought some new dimensions to understanding the Sokoto empire through the texts written by its founders. The study not only allows one to understand the Sahelian territory but also helps to better map out the geographical, linguistic, cultural, and socio-political make-up of greater Africa. Naylor's study has reasonably succeeded in making accessible to the public a very specific part of Africa's history, which otherwise would have remained inaccessible. ... Paul Naylor must be congratulated for his contribution and bringing to light this much-needed volume. * Islamic Literary Society *Table of ContentsIntroduction The Arabic Writings of the Fodiawa in their Context A History of the Historiography Approaching Legitimacy 1. Sources of Legitimacy in the Nineteenth-Century Sahel Fiqh Kashf Nasab Conclusion 2. Discourses of Dissent and Moderation Laying Claims to Legitimacy: Usman's Writings in the 1790s A Discourse of Dissent (c.1804-1810) A Discourse of Moderation (1810-1812) The Intellectual Challenge of Abdullahi dan Fodio (c.1812-1817) Conclusion: from Ijtihad to Taqlid 3. 'Lesser of two evils': The Succession of Muhammad Bello Defending the Succession (1817) A Second Jihad (1817-1821) 'Fear them not, but fear me': Enforcing Obedience to Bello's Rule Creating a Caliphate: Bello's Exchanges with Ahmad Lobbo Conclusion 4. 'God has subjugated this land for me': Bello's Rule of Sokoto 1821-1837 Policies of Integration: The Hausa Policies of Enslavement Policies of Exclusion: The Tuareg Policies of Sedentarisation: The Fulani Meanwhile, in Gwandu... Conclusion Appendix: Sokoto Chronology Bibliography

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis''This is a brilliant, shocking book ... also witty, painfully self-critical and humane ... it is a work of great literature'' Tim Whitmarsh, Guardian ''The Kingdom, already a huge bestseller in France, is thrilling, magnificent and strange'' Bryan Appleyard, Sunday TimesThe sensational international bestseller from one of France''s most fêted writers - an epic novel telling the story of Christianity as it has never been told before, and one man''s crisis of faith.Corinth, ancient Greece, two thousand years ago. An itinerant preacher, poor, wracked by illness, tells the story of a prophet who was crucified in Judea, who came back from the dead, and whose return is a sign of something enormous. Like a contagion, the story will spread over the city, the country and, eventually, the world. Emmanuel Carrère''s astonishing historical epic tells the story of the mysterious beginnings of Christianity, bringing to life a distant, primTrade ReviewBrilliant, shocking... also witty, painfully self-critical and humane... it is a work of great literature -- Tim Whitmarsh * Guardian *Emmanuel Carrère is said by many to be one of the best writers in France, if not Europe... The Kingdom, a huge bestseller in France, is thrilling, magnificent and strange -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *An utterly brilliant book... Carrère is a vivid guide and a knowledgeable one -- Catherine Nixey * The Times *A novelised memoir that vividly captures the drama of the Christian experience... A celebration of religious imagination - Catholic, French, Judaic, Hellenic - The Kingdom has been a runaway bestseller in France. In Britain, it may succeed as a relief and an antidote -- John Cornwell * Financial Times *There are few great writers in France today, and Emmanuel Carrère is one of them * Paris Review *

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis“Gretchen Starr-LeBeau’s Seven Myths of the Spanish Inquisition provides an excellent introduction to Habsburg Spain’s most reviled and misunderstood institution. Drawn from archival sources and modern scholarship, this concise study presents the long and tortured history of the Spanish Inquisition in an accessible format for readers interested in the intersection of religion and jurisprudence. Addressing common misconceptions about the procedures, effectiveness, and reach of the Inquisition, this work argues convincingly for an updated assessment encompassing change over time and variations across Spain and its empire. Students of the early modern period will benefit from the volume’s logical organization, glossary of terms, and suggestions for further reading.” —Benjamin Ehlers, University of GeorgiaTrade Review“Gretchen Starr-LeBeau has given us a deeply researched, wide-ranging correction of the various myths attached to the Spanish Inquisition. Her ability to track and explain the development of those myths over time is remarkable. The volume is wonderfully written and consistently accessible for a student audience. I learned a great deal from it and look forward to assigning it in my classes.” —Lu Ann Homza, William and Mary

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Book SynopsisGospel-Centered Theology for TodayEvangelical Theology, Second Edition helps today''s readers understand and practice the doctrines of the Christian faith by presenting a gospel-centered theology that is accessible, rigorous, and balanced. According author Michael Bird the gospel is the fulcrum of Christian doctrine; the gospel is where God meets us and where we introduce the world to God. And as such, an authentically evangelical theology is the working out of the gospel in the various doctrines of Christian theology.The text helps readers learn the essentials of Christian theology through several key features, including: A What to Take Home section at end of every part that gives readers a run-down on all the important things they need to know. Tables, sidebars, and questions for discussion to help reinforce key ideas and concepts A Comic Belief section, since reading theology can often be dry and cerebral, so thatTrade Review'Evangelical Theology is a gift to God's people. The revised edition offers the biblical foundations and extensive historical perspectives of its original publication, along with a more substantive incorporation of theologians from the global south. This robust theological exposition produces the intellectual, moral, and spiritual growth that fuels the personal and public witness of the church.' * WALTER R. STRICKLAND II, associate vice president for kingdom diversity initiatives and assistant professor of systematic and contextual theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary *'For years, I have frequently and enthusiastically recommended this book to students for its comprehensive and fair treatment of key issues in Christian doctrine and practice. Now with more diverse dialogue partners and even more robust treatments of key issues in the ever developing world of theology, I have even more reasons to do so. Bird simply keeps readers' attention on the gospel, as he exhaustively equips us to learn it well so we can live it well.' * AMY PEELER, associate professor of New Testament, Wheaton College *'I warmly welcome this second edition of Mike Bird's Evangelical Theology. The gospel both generates and governs Christian faith, but systematic theologies sometimes smother it under the weight of conceptual schemes, confessional traditions, or social agendas. Not on Bird's watch. The gospel is front and center in all eight parts of this thoroughly revised, wiser, wider, and wittier work. With its persistent focus on the meaning and significance of the gospel of Jesus Christ, this book may be the tonic we need to rescue the term evangelical from being either drained of meaning altogether or linked to something less than the cause of Jesus and his coming kingdom.' * KEVIN VANHOOZER, research professor of systematic theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School *'Michael Bird seeks to place evangelical theology on surer footing by engaging with the best in the Christian tradition, and he succeeds admirably. This new edition incorporates conversations with the global church. Its conversational style makes it highly readable and unique for a systematic theology. I will not hesitate to recommend it as a course textbook.' * SIMON CHAN, Trinity Theological College, Singapore *'Mike Bird's second edition of the already potent Evangelical Theology has gained impressive horsepower. With the first edition I had at last found a text that could engage and excite the theologically apathetic. I'm even more enthusiastic for students to dive into the second edition. The updated sources strengthen an already well-researched text in Bird's always engaging style. His treatment of theological method provides long-overdue correctives for evangelicals. As he then models that method, he demonstrates how a gospel-driven approach to theology unleashes the power of theology across the loci. This text will benefit thoughtful Christians in both congregation and classroom, anchoring theological novices while stretching those whose theology has become domesticated.' * DON J. PAYNE, associate professor of theology, Denver Seminary *'My friend Michael Bird is a gift to the evangelical church. His sheer brilliance and witty humor is breath of fresh air. Reading Evangelical Theology is an adventure. It's really, really good. I believe it is so because Bird-man writes, 'I unabashedly believe that the good news of Jesus Christ is the most important doctrine.' This book must be in your theological library. You will return to it again and again.' * DERWIN L. GRAY, founding and lead pastor of Transformation Church, author of The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches about Finding True Happiness *'Students of evangelical theology should welcome this second, revised-and-expanded version of Michael Bird's widely read text. In his inimitable style, with wide-ranging engagement with sources old and new, as well as impressive clarity and verve, Bird here offers a fetching and substantive account of Christian theology. Those looking to find their way through the thickets of contemporary evangelical teaching will be well-served by Bird's guidance.' * PHILIP G. ZIEGLER, professor of Christian dogmatics, University of Aberdeen *'This second edition is a timely, thorough, and accessible text for students and for all who desire to deepen their understanding of the Christian faith. Without losing theological rigor, Bird navigates a host of pressing contemporary questions with precision and care. This new edition engages a wide variety of conversation partners and offers opportunities for sustained conversation.' * JUSTIN MCLENDON, associate professor of theology, Grand Canyon University, managing editor, Journal of Biblical and Theological Studies *'You need this ecumenical systematic theology on your bookshelf--one that begins at, centers on, and ends with the gospel. This is the lens that both laypeople and academics need to bring into focus what God is revealing to us in his Word. Not only does Mike Bird give that, but he makes it both fun and challenging to read as he humbly interacts with theologians past and present on the content of our faith. He is the fun uncle that has crashed the stodgy family party, showing what is real and exciting about our heritage in Christ.' * AIMEE BYRD, author of Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and Why Can’t We Be Friends? *

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Book SynopsisHistorical works by Bede (672 or 673–735) include his Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Lives of the Abbots of Bede’s monastery, accounts of Cuthbert, and the Letter to Egbert, Bede’s pupil.

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Book SynopsisThe transformation of the Roman world from polytheistic to Christian is one of the most sweeping ideological changes of premodern history. At the center was sex. Kyle Harper examines how Christianity changed the ethics of sexual behavior from shame to sin, and shows how the roots of modern sexuality are grounded in an ancient religious revolution.Trade ReviewOnly in the last generation have we realized the sheer, tingling drop of the canyon that lies between us and a world that we had previously tended to take for granted as directly available to our own categories of understanding. ‘Revealing Antiquity,’ the Harvard University Press series edited by Glen Bowersock, has played its part in instilling in us all a healthy sense of dizziness as we peer over the edge into a fascinating but deeply strange world. Kyle Harper’s book From Shame to Sin: The Christian Transformation of Sexual Morality in Late Antiquity is a scintillating contribution to this series. Not only does it measure the exact nature of the tension between the familiar and the deeply unfamiliar that lies behind our image of the sexual morality of Greeks and Romans of the Roman Empire of the classical period. It also goes on to evoke the sheer, unexpected strangeness of the very different sexual code elaborated in early Christian circles, and its sudden, largely unforeseen undermining of a very ancient social equilibrium in the two centuries that followed the conversion of Constantine to Christianity in 312… What Harper has done with this peremptory material is remarkable. He has imposed a firm narrative structure, based on the progress of the laws, on the history of sex in late antiquity… I wish that I had had a book as clear, as cogent, and as intellectually responsible as Harper’s From Shame to Sin before me when I began to write on similar topics in the early 1980s, some third of a century ago. One can only envy the good fortune of those who can now embark on their own work with such a book in hand. -- Peter Brown * New York Review of Books *[A] remarkably rich book… Harper traces the revolution in sexual morality from the class-ridden, exploitative ethic of the pagan Roman empire, to the claims of equal dignity and the promise of redemption in early Christianity. -- Matthew J. Franck * First Things *Kyle Harper’s examination of the traditional narrative of the Christian prudish revolution of late antiquity is a compellingly written book about sex and shame… His interest lies both in undermining various popular and academic stereotypes; that Christianity restrained and confined human sexuality with ponderous religiosity or that the Romans were consummate prudes—and in shaping a new understanding of the course of this sexual transformation. -- Candida R. Moss * Times Higher Education *Harper brings a classicist’s expertise to this rich, provocative account of early Christian attempts to transform Roman sexual culture and the understandings of the body, property, sexuality, and the cosmos that formed its basis. This important contribution contextualizes Christian Scripture in a more exhaustive and extensive way than most theological and biblical studies treatments do. The author shows how Christian preaching and teaching responded to social customs and understandings. He indicates the ways in which Christians both borrowed and transformed notions of fate, fortune, and self-control found in classical novels and other Christian literature. Harper also traces the arc of development of Christian sexual ethics into the first few centuries of the church, showing that not only Paul but other Christian writers and theologians as well were deeply shaped by cultural debates over the sexual role of slaves and the value of virginity. Students of classics, Christian ethics, and the New Testament will find this outstanding book indispensable. -- A. W. Klink * Choice *Harper puts together materials in ways that highlight some of the important changes in sexual morality that Christianity wrought. In particular, he challenges the tendency set in motion by Veyne, Foucault, and followers that emphasized the similarities between the ‘restraint’ and ‘moderation’ counseled by Roman-era philosophers (‘gloomy Stoics’) and literary men, and the more drastic renunciation preached by (some) Christians. -- Elizabeth Clark, Duke University

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Book SynopsisMonasticism is a major theme in early Christian studies and there was no greater early monastic theologian than Evagrius Ponticus. His work survives in numerous ancient languages and this book provides a vibrant synthesis of those writings. Ideal for students of early Christian theology, patristics, heresy and ancient philosophy.Trade Review'This is the most revolutionary book on Evagrius in decades … our understanding of Evagrius will be greatly advanced by this book.' Ian Gerdon, Religion Studies ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Evagrius' life and his contemporaries; 2. Evagrius' writings; 3. Evagrius' reputation; 4. The fellowship of Evagrius; 5. The interpretation and enactment of Scriptures; 6. Prayer - the fountainhead of Evagrius' theology; 7. Christ, the face of God and the face of man; 8. The Trinity and ultimate blessedness; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe landmark study of world myth and cultureDraws on myths, rituals, totems and taboos of ancient European and primitive cultures throughout the world. The third edition of this monumental study of folklore, magic, and religion was abridged by the authour into this single volume in 1922.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Outcast from the Islands: Frazer, The Golden Bough and Modern AnthropologyPreface to the 1922 abridgementI. The King of the Wood1. Diana and Virbius2. Artemis and Hippolytus3. RecapitulationII. Priestly KingsIII. Sympathetic Magic1. The Principles of Magic2. Homoeopathic or Imitative Magic3. Contagious Magic4. The Magician's ProgressIV. Magic and ReligionV. The Magical Control of the Weather1. The Public Magician2. The Magical Control of Rain3. The Magical Control of the Sun4. The Magical Control of the WindVI. Magicians as KingsVII. Incarnate Human GodsVIII. Departmental Kings of NatureIX. The Worship of Trees1. Tree-spirits2. Beneficent Powers of Tree-spiritsX. Relics of Tree-worship in Modern EuropeXI. The Influence of the Sexes on VegetationXII. The Sacred Marriage1. Diana as a Goddess of Fertility2. The Marriage of the GodsXIII. The Kings of Rome and Alba1. Numa and Egeria2. The King as JupiterXIV. The Succession to the Kingdom in Ancient LatiumXV. The Worship of the OakXVI.Dianus and DianaXVII. The Burden of Royalty1. Royal and Priestly Taboos2. Divorce of the Spiritual from the Temporal PowerXVIII. The Perils of the Soul1. The Soul as a Mannikin2. Absence and Recall of the Soul3. The Soul as a Shadow and a ReflectionXIX. Tabooed Acts1. Taboos on Intercourse with Strangers2. Taboos on Eating and Drinking3. Taboos on Showing the Face4. Taboos on Quitting the House5. Taboos on Leaving Food OverXX. Tabooed Persons1. Chiefs and Kings Tabooed2. Mourners Tabooed3. Women Tabooed at Menstruation and Childbirth4. Warriors Tabooed5. Manslayers Tabooed6. Hunters and Fishers TabooedXXI. Tabooed Things1. The Meaning of Taboo2. Iron Tabooed3. Sharp Weapons Tabooed4. Blood Tabooed5. The Head Tabooed6. Hair Tabooed7. Ceremonies at Hair-cutting8. Disposal of Cut Hair and Nails9. Spittle Tabooed10. Foods Tabooed11. Knots and Rings TabooedXXII. Tabooed Words1. Personal Names Tabooed2. Names of Relations Tabooed3. Names of the Dead Tabooed4. Names of Kings and Other Sacred Persons Tabooed5. Names of Gods TabooedXXIII. Our Debt to the SavageXXIV. The Killing of the Divine King1. The Mortality of the Gods2. Kings Killed When Their Strength Fails3. Kings Killed at the End of a Fixed TermXXV. Temporary KingsXXVI. Sacrifice of the King's SonXXVII. Succession to the SoulXXVIII. The Killing of the Tree-spirit1. The Whitsuntide Mummers2. Burying the Carnival3. Carrying out Death4. Bringing in Summer5. Battle of Summer and Winter6. Death and Resurrection of Kostrubonko7. Death and Revival of Vegetation8. Analogous Rites in India9. The Magic SpringXXIX. The Myth of AdonisXXX. Adonis in SyriaXXXI. Adonis in CyprusXXXII. The Ritual of AdonisXXXIII. The Gardens of AdonisXXXIV. The Myth and Ritual of AttisXXXV. Attis as a God of VegetationXXXVI. Human Representatives of AttisXXXVII. Oriental Religions in the WestXXXVIII. The Myth of OsirisXXXIX. The Ritual of Osiris1. The Popular Rites2. The Official RitesXL. The Nature of Osiris1. Osiris a Corn-god2. Osiris a Tree-spirit3. Osiris a God of Fertility4. Osiris a God of the DeadXLI. IsisXLII. Osiris and the SunXLIII. DionysusXLIV. Demeter and PersephoneXLV. The Corn-mother and the Corn-maiden in Northern EuropeXLVI. The Corn-mother in Many Lands1. The Corn-mother in America2. The Rice-mother in the East Indies3. The Spirit of the Corn Embodied in Human Beings4. The Double Personification of the Corn as Mother and DaughterXLVII. Lityerses1. Songs of the Corn-reapers2. Killing the Corn-spirit3. Human Sacrifices for the Crops4. The Corn-spirit Slain in his Human RepresentativesXLVIII. The Corn-spirit as an Animal1. Animal Embodiments of the Corn-spirit2. The Corn-spirit as a Wolf or a Dog3. The Corn-spirit as a Cock4. The Corn-spirit as a Hare5. The Corn-spirit as a Cat6. The Corn-spirit as a Goat7. The Corn-spirit as a Bull, Cow, or Ox8. The Corn-spirit as a Horse or Mare9. The Corn-spirit as a Pig (Boar or Sow)10. On the Animal Embodiments of the Corn-spiritXLIX. Ancient Deities of Vegetation as Animals1. Dionysus, the Goat and the Bull2. Demeter, the Pig and the Horse3. Attis, Adonis, and the Pig4. Osiris, the Pig and the Bull5. Virbius and the HorseL. Eating the God1. The Sacrament of First-fruits2. Eating the God among the Aztecs3. Many Manii at AriciaLI. Homoeopathic Magic of a Flesh DietLII. Killing the Divine Animal1. Killing the Sacred Buzzard2. Killing the Sacred Ram3. Killing the Sacred Serpent4. Killing the Sacred Turtles5. Killing the Sacred BearLIII. The Propitiation of Wild Animals by HuntersLIV. Types of Animal Sacrament1. The Egyptian and the Aino Types of Sacrament2. Processions with Sacred AnimalsLV. The Transference of Evil1. The Transference to Inanimate Objects2. The Transference to Animals3. The Transference to Men4. The Transference of Evil in EuropeLVI. The Public Expulsion of Evils1. The Omnipresence of Demons2. The Occasional Expulsion of Evils3. The Periodic Expulsion of EvilsLVII. Public Scapegoats1. The Expulsion of Embodied Evils2. The Occasional Expulsion of Evils in a Material Vehicle3. The Periodic Expulsion of Evils in a Material Vehicle4. On Scapegoats in GeneralLVIII. Human Scapegoats in Classical Antiquity1. The Human Scapegoat in Ancient Rome2. The Human Scapegoat in Ancient Greece3. The Roman SaturnaliaLIX. Killing the God in MexicoLX. Between Heaven and Earth1. Not to Touch the Earth2. Not to See the Sun3. The Seclusion of Girls at Puberty4. Reasons for the Seclusion of Girls at PubertyLXI. The Myth of BalderLXII. The Fire-festivals of Europe1. The Fire-festivals in General2. The Lenten Fires3. The Easter Fires4. The Beltane Fires5. The Midsummer Fires6. The Hallowe'en Fires7. The Midwinter Fires8. The Need-fireLXIII. The Interpretation of the Fire-festivals1. On the Fire-festivals in General2. The Solar Theory of the Fire-festivals3. The Purifactory Theory of the Fire-festivalsLXIV. The Burning of Human Beings in the Fires1. The Burning of Effigies in the Fires2. The Burning of Men and Animals in the FiresLXV. Balder and the MistletoeLXVI. The External Soul in Folk-talesLXVII. The External Soul in Folk-custom1. The External Soul in Inanimate Things2. The External Soul in Plants3. The External Soul in Animals4. The Ritual of Death and ResurrectionLXVIII. The Golden BoughLXIX. Farewell to NemiIndex

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Book SynopsisHistorical works by Bede (672 or 673–735) include his Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Lives of the Abbots of Bede’s monastery, accounts of Cuthbert, and the Letter to Egbert, Bede’s pupil.

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Book SynopsisIn The Story of Christianity: Volume 1, Justo L. González, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought, presents a narrative history of Christianity, from the Early Church to the Dawn of the Protestant Reformation. From Jesus’ faithful apostles to the early reformist John Wycliffe, González skillfully traces core theological issues and developments within the various traditions of the church, including major events outside of Europe, such as the Spanish and Portuguese conquest of the New World. This updated and expanded edition incorporates recent archaeological discoveries about the life of Early Christian Communities, as well as important contemporary research revealing the significant role of women throughout the history of the church. With lively storytelling, The Story of Christianity provides a fascinating and panoramic history of the dramatic events, colorful characters, and revolutionary ideas that shaped the first fifteen centuries of the church.

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Book SynopsisThis book tells the story of pivotal turning points in the expansion of Christianity, enabling readers to grasp the big picture of missional trends and critical developments.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction1. Embracing Ethnic Diversity: The Jerusalem Council (49)2. Pushing beyond the Boundaries of Empire: Patrick and the Conversion of Ireland (ca. 450)3. Expanding Eastward: The East Syrian Mission to China (635)4. Confronting Pagan Gods: Boniface and the Oak of Thor (723)5. Accommodating Culture: Jesuits and the Chinese Rites Controversy (1707)6. Pioneering a Global Outreach: Zinzendorf and Moravian Missions (1732)7. Launching a Mission Movement: William Carey and the Baptist Missionary Society (1792)8. Breaking the Chains of Sin and Slavery: British Abolitionism and Mission to Africa (1807)9. Empowering Indigenous Churches: Henry Venn and Three-Self Theory (1841)10. Converting the Lost in the Era of Imperialism: The Scramble for Africa (1880)11. Debating the Meaning of Mission: The Edinburgh World Missionary Conference (1910)12. Reaching Missional Maturity: Lausanne '74 and Majority World Missions (1974)ConclusionIndexIndex

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Book SynopsisThis Companion provides a comprehensive overview of American Catholicism''s historical development and distinctive features. The essays - all specially commissioned for this volume - highlight the inner diversity of American Catholicism and trace the impact of American Catholics on all aspects of society, including education, social welfare, politics, and intellectual life. The volume also addresses topics of contemporary concern, such as gender and sexuality, arts and culture, social activism, and the experiences of Black, Latinx, Asian-American, and cultural Catholics. Taken together, the essays in this Companion provide context for understanding American Catholicism as it is currently experienced, and help to situate present-day developments and debates within their longer trajectory.Trade Review'… an outstanding overview of the US's distinctive Catholic history … Recommended.' R. A. Boisclair, Choice ConnectTable of ContentsPart I. Historical Overview: 1. American Catholicism's early foundations Maura Jane Farrelly; 2. The immigrant church, 1820-1908 Steven M. Avella; 3. The Catholic century James M. O'Toole; Part II. Catholic Life and Culture: 4. Catholic worship Katharine E. Harmon; 5. Catholic intellectual life William L. Portier; 6. Catholic education James T. Carroll; 7. Social welfare and social reform Mary Elizabeth Brown; 8. Women religious Mary Beth Fraser Connolly; 9. Catholics and politics Lawrence J. McAndrews; 10. Arts and culture Debra Campbell; 11. Anti-Catholicism in the United States Mark Massa, SJ; 12. Gender and sexuality James P. McCartin; 13. American Catholics in a global context Angelyn Dries; Part III. Many Faces of Catholicism: 14. American Catholic laywomen and feminism Paula M. Kane; 15. Black Catholics Cecilia A. Moore; 16. Latinx Catholicism Lauren Guerra and Brett C. Hoover; 17. Asian American Catholics Robert E. Carbonneau; 18. Cultural Catholicism Tom Beaudoin; Conclusion: 19. US Catholicism in the twenty-first century Mary L. Gautier.

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Book SynopsisMichael Rosen shows how the redemptive hope of religion became the redemptive hope of historical progress. This was the heart of German Idealism: purpose lay not in God’s judgment but in worldly projects; freedom required not being subject to arbitrary authority, human or divine. Yet purpose and freedom never shed their theistic structure.Trade ReviewAlthough Kant was not a secular thinker, he still contributed to secularization. This distinction illustrates the sophistication of Rosen’s approach…Rosen challenges much that is taken for granted in modern accounts of [Kant’s] work…Innovative. -- Richard Bourke * Times Literary Supplement *[An] illuminating perspective on contemporary trends that rewards critical engagement…Rosen makes no claim to have definitively unraveled the intellectual origins of our troubled times; but he is surely right that the fundamental need to find our place in the world, the sense of belonging to something larger than ourselves—whether secular or divine will continue to cast a long shadow over our history. -- Paul Dicken * American Conservative *A magisterial achievement…This book will stay with students of German Idealism and of political theory at large for a very long time to come. -- Tae-Yeoun Keum * Review of Politics *Rosen’s argument is original and provocative, and he excels at deciphering the gnarled writings of the German Idealists and making comprehensible their thoughts about free will…and justice…This meticulous examination will appeal to philosophers and historians alike. * Publishers Weekly *Thinkers such as Kant and Hegel, indeed most of the German idealists, conforming to the religious and political orthodoxy of the day, sought to save religion. Rosen argues, however, that the requirement that God and reason should coexist, that theodicy should be rational theodicy, far from saving religion, hastened its decline. -- Julian Young * Society *With great erudition and a characteristic combination of analytic precision and critical imagination, Michael Rosen serves us a dialectical feast: He brings German Idealism back to life by showing how much these thinkers of secularism were steeped in religious forms of thought that live on. This masterpiece is a great example of what Adorno once called solidarity with metaphysics in the moment of its fall. -- Rainer Forst, Goethe University FrankfurtThe discussion about the nature and validity of ethical thinking in the English-speaking world suffers from a too-narrow range of examples. It often seems to come down to a debate between Bentham and secularized versions of Kant. Michael Rosen’s The Shadow of God reexamines the Kantian tradition and opens up a much wider range of crucial issues. His book is clearly and engagingly written and could enliven and transform the debate. It needs to be widely read. -- Charles Taylor, McGill UniversityWritten with both rigor and humor, Michael Rosen’s The Shadow of God offers original interpretations of notoriously difficult philosophical thinkers—Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, and others—while never losing sight of the existential puzzles about agency, history, theodicy, and evil that motivated them and that haunt us still. The book is both invigorating and consoling, and it is a pleasure to read. -- Lydia Moland, Colby CollegeMichael Rosen tells the story of the intellectual movement from Kant to Hegel anew, and he describes it as, at its core, a ‘passage from heaven to history.’ The result is a fascinating book, beautifully written and tightly argued, full of insights and wisdom. -- Eckart Förster, Johns Hopkins UniversityIn this book, Michael Rosen rises above the limitations of sociological approaches to secularization and presents an intellectual-historical account, framed by Nietzsche’s aphorism of ‘the shadow of God.’ Challenging received views across a number of academic fields, Rosen takes our understanding of secularization to a new level, and we are greatly in his debt. -- Shao Kai Tseng, Zhejiang University

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Book SynopsisProviding a synthesis of Byzantine Christian thought, this book offers an understanding of the Byzantine view of man, his destiny of deification, the evolution of Byzantium and its ability to survive under diverse historical circumstances.Trade Review"... a must for libraries at colleges or universities with programs in the history of Christian thought." -Religious Studies Review "No surer, more thorough, or more lucid guide has hitherto been provided." -The Slavonic and East European Review

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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

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