History of religion Books

Book SynopsisA classic of medieval studies, this book traces ideas of death and resurrection in early and medieval Christianity. Caroline Walker Bynum explores problems of the body and identity in devotional and theological literature, suggesting that medieval attitudes toward the body still shape modern notions of the individual.Trade ReviewThere are few historians of whom one can say that they have actually shifted some of the landscape of the writing of history in their own generation, but Bynum is one of them. New Republic [A] fascinating and wide-ranging account that tells us a lot about medieval thinking and practice. New York Times Book Review A masterful work of intellectual history. Publishers WeeklyTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsIntroduction to the 2017 Edition: What’s New about the Medieval?Preface to the 1995 Edition: Acknowledgments and Methodological MusingsIntroduction to the 1995 Edition: Seed Images, Ancient and ModernPart I. The Patristic Background1. Resurrection and Martyrdom: The Decades Around 2002. Resurrection, Relic Cult, and Asceticism: The Debates of 400 and Their BackgroundPart II. The Twelfth Century3. Reassemblage and Regurgitation: Ideas of Bodily Resurrection in Early Scholasticism4. Psychosomatic Persons and Reclothed Skeletons: Images of Resurrection in Spiritual Writingand Iconography5. Resurrection, Heresy, and Burial ad Sanctos: The Twelfth-Century ContextPart III. The Decades Around 13006. Resurrection, Hylomorphism, and Abundantia: Scholastic Debates in the Thirteenth Century7. Somatomorphic Soul and Visio Dei: The Beatific Vision Controversy and Its Background8. Fragmentation and Ecstasy: The Thirteenth-Century ContextAfterword: Why All the Fuss about the Body? A Medievalist’s PerspectiveIllustration CreditsGeneral IndexIndex of Secondary Authors

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Choice Reviews' Outstanding Academic Titles of 2018""A genuinely fascinating and innovative book that proposes a radically new way of thinking about individual religious experience in the Roman world."---Peter Thonemann, Wall Street Journal"[Rüpke] digs deep into the meaning of 'lived religion' for Romans, and his book gives a lucid and cogent historical overview."---Marina Warner, New York Review of Books"The author brilliantly contextualizes the data and weaves it into an innovative and persuasive narrative that makes a major contribution to understanding Roman religion."---J. R. Asher, Choice"Rüpke presents not a model, or portrait, of Roman religion, but rather a narrative of Roman religion."---Aisla Hunt, Journal of Church and State"A very comprehensive work."---Horace McKinley, Church Review"A particular strength of Rüpke’s book is its focus on how change was accommodated in religious terms and on how religious activities might themselves be drivers of change."---Catharine Edwards, Literary Review"The book is the work of a learned author, with a good knowledge of specialized literature from which he selects the most relevant, authorized and recent titles to illustrate particular aspects or to settle interpretative dilemmas."---Sorin Nemeti, Classica et Christiana"A monumental work."---Csaba Szabó, Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Jordan Schnitzer Book Award in Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History and Culture, Association for Jewish Studies""Winner of the 2017 National Jewish Book Award in Women’s Studies (Barbara Dobkin Award)""Finalist for the Dionisius A. Agius Book Prize, Society for the Medieval Mediterranean""Finalist for the 2017 National Jewish Book Award in Scholarship (Nahum Sarna Memorial Award)""Honorable Mention for the 2018 AAR Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion: Historical Studies, American Academy of Religion""One of Choice Reviews' Outstanding Academic Titles of 2018""Eve Krakowski’s masterful new book . . . presents an impressive cascade of new insights regarding the Jewish community in old Cairo—their concerns, negotiations, and accommodations with the dominant Fatimid society."---Amit Gvaryahu, Marginalia"Coming of Age in Medieval Egypt is an excellent book based on solid research and replete with brilliant insights. It marks a new, groundbreaking phase in the historical study of the Geniza society and constitutes a major contribution to the social and legal history of Islamicate cultures as well as to gender studies more generally."---Miriam Frenkel, Al-Masāq

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Book SynopsisHave you ever wanted accessible introductions to key figures and periods of Christian history? Augustine and His World Augustine is one of the giants of the Christian church. From his birth in North Africa and his days as a relatively permissive young man, through his midlife conversion to Christianity and career as bishop of Hippo, his story has intrigued and inspired every generation for over 1,600 years. As a thinker, teacher, writer and debater, Augustine's greatness lay in his ability to relate the philosophies of Ancient Greece and Rome to the precepts of the Christian faith. Augustine also saved the church itself from disintegrating into rival factions by forging sound doctrine in the fires of controversy. This immersive account of Augustine's life helps readers understand the world he came from and the enormous contribution he made to the church, both of his day and of the future. Francis of Assisi and His World Francis of Assisi is one of the world's most popular religious figures, and also one of the most misrepresented. In this lively and engaging account of Francis's story - from his hedonistic youth to his emergence as a Christian leader of great charisma and intensity - Mark Galli attempts to strip away the modern gloss in order to discover the real man and the world in which he lived. The saint revealed here is not the romantic free spirit of popular imagination, but a contentious figure who combined a deep mysticism with radical commitment and, above all, sought to glorify God, the creator.

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Book SynopsisStarting in the 1530s with John Bale, English reformers found in the apocalyptic mysteries of the Book of Revelation a framework for reinterpreting the history of Christianity and explaining the break from the Roman Catholic Church. Identifying the papacy with antichrist and the Roman Catholic Church with Babylon, they pictured the reformation as a departure from the false church that derived its jurisdiction from the devil. Those who took the initiative in throwing off the Roman yoke acted as instruments of God in the cosmic warfare against the power of evil that raged in the latter days of the world. The reformation ushered in the beginning of the end as prophesied by St. John.Reformers and Babylon examines the English apocalyptic tradition as developed in the works of religious thinkers both within and without the Established Church and distinguishes the various streams into which the tradition split. By the middle of Elizabeth's reign the mainstream apocalypt

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Book SynopsisBest-selling author Kevin DeYoung equips Christians to clearly define grace by looking at the Canons of Dort, exploring the historical context, theological implications, and practical applications of this important document in the Reformed tradition.

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Book SynopsisNo modern, well-versed literature lover can call their education complete without having read Augustine’s Confessions. One of the most original works of world literature, it is the first autobiography ever written, influencing writers from Montaigne to Rousseau, Virginia Woolf to Stephen Greenblatt. It is here that we learn how one of the greatest saints in Christendom overcame a wild and reckless past. Yet English translators have emphasised the ecclesiastical virtues of this masterpiece, at the expense of its passion and literary vigour. Restoring the lyricism of Augustine’s original language, Peter Constantine offers a masterful and elegant translation of Confessions.

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Book SynopsisA dialogue that focuses on messianism, on the relation of the Pythagorean system to the Kabbalah, and on the 'practical Kabbalah'.

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Book SynopsisFor too long certain scholars have been content to portray Irenaeus of Lyons as a well-meaning churchman but incompetent theologian. By offering a careful reading of Irenaeus'' polemical and constructive arguments, God and Christ in Irenaeus contradicts these claims by showing that he was highly educated, trained in the rhetorical arts, aware of general philosophical positions, and able to use both rhetorical and philosophical theories and methods in his argumentation. Moreover, the theological account laid down by his pen was original and sophisticated, supremely so for one of the second century.In contrast to readings that minimize the metaphysical dimension of Irenaeus'' theology, Anthony Briggman establishes as pillars of Irenaeus'' polemical argumentation and constructive theology his conception of the divine being as infinite and simple, the reciprocal immanence of the Word-Son and God the Father, divine generation, the union of the divine Word-Son and human nature in the person Trade ReviewBriggman's volume is a strong contribution to Irenaeus studies and is a must have for all researchers of early Christianity. * Don W. Springer, Sioux Falls Seminary, South Dakota, Journal of Ecclesiastical History *a fascinating work... Briggman... sets out to do what hasn't been dne namely, to describe the metaphysical dimension in Irenaeus - his understanding of the divine being, his account of the Word/Son relation to the Father and his conception of the humanity of Christ. ... recommended. * Rev. E. T. Kirkland, English Churchman *Table of ContentsAbbreviations Introduction 1: Prolegomena 2: God 3: Word-Son 4: Christological Union 5: Christ and his Work Conclusion Bibliography Index Locorum General Index

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Book SynopsisImagining the divine as female is rareeven controversialin most religions. Hinduism, by contrast, preserves a rich and continuous tradition of goddess worship. A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses conveys the diversity of this tradition by bringing together a fresh array of captivating and largely overlooked Hindu goddess tales from different regions. As the first such anthology of goddess narratives in translation, this collection highlights a range of sources from ancient myths to modern lore. The goddesses featured here battle demons, perform miracles, and grant rare Tantric visions to their devotees. Each translation is paired with a short essay that explains the goddess's historical and social context, elucidating the ways religion adapts to changing times.Trade Review"The volume offers impactful contributions to discussions of religion, culture, history, literature, and gender. The artful translations and studies remain accessible to the lay audience for which the work is intended (though perhaps slightly challenging in the more academic sections), while also offering unique content that will appeal to specialists in the field." * Religion *"A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses is a welcome supplement to the crowded subfield of studies on Hindu goddesses. It is certain to adorn syllabi and reading lists of both undergraduate classes on Hinduism and more advanced seminars on female divinities. Its contributors deserve many garlands and accolades for being part of this fine work." * Reading Religion *"A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses is a resplendent work on lesser explored goddess traditions that, through these English translations, are rendered accessible to a larger audience. It is laudable for reading the diverse traditions in their own light. . . . a valuable source to students, scholars, and readers of the Indian goddess traditions, South Asian studies, Indology, and Hindu studies." * Asian Affairs *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Part One. Demons and Battle 1. Bhadrakālī: Slaying the Demon in the Backwaters Noor van Brussel 2. Cāmundi and Uttanahalli: Sisters of the Mysuru Hills Caleb Simmons 3. Kauśikī: The Virgin Demon Slayer Judit Törzsök 4. The Seven Mothers: Origin Tales from Two Early Medieval Purānas Shaman Hatley Part Two. Miracles and Devotees 5. Svasthānī: Goddess of One’s Own Place Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz 6. Kailā Devī: The Great Goddess as Local Avatar of Miracles R. Jeremy Saul 7. Bahucarā Mātā: She Who Roams Widely Darry Dinnell 8. Rāstrasenā: Hawk Goddess of the Mewar Mountains Adam Newman Part Three. Tantras and Magic 9. Rangda in the Calon Arang: A Tale of Magic Thomas M. Hunter and Ni Wayan Pasek Ariati 10. Tvaritā: The Swift Goddess Michael Slouber 11. Kāmeśvarī: Visualizing the Goddess of Desire Anna A. Golovkova 12. Avyapadeśyā: Indefinable Kālī Olga Serbaeva Glossary List of Deities and Characters Primary Sources References List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisHow did a group of scared peasants from a backwater of the Roman empire – followers of an executed criminal – form the largest religion on the planet? The story of Christianity, its transformation from an illegal sect to the religion of emperors, kings and presidents, and its spread across the globe, is an endlessly fascinating one. The History of Christianity gives readers an overview of these extraordinary 2,000 years. It is a history not only of how Christianity has changed the world, but also of how the world has changed Christianity. The nine chapters that constitute this volume are arranged almost chronologically and take us from the first Christians to Christian Rome, the Byzantine period, and the spread of Christianity in Russia and in Europe right up to the Reformation. Boxed features throughout the volume highlight especially important figures or themes from eachof these periods. The History of Christianity: The Early Church to the Reformation will be welcomed by all those wanting a lively and engaging presentation of the people, events, places, and plain curiosities that have formed the Christian story.Table of ContentsCONTENTSTimeline of Christian History 9Introduction 171. Christian Beginnings 19The Setting 19The Roman Empire 19Palestine 20Judaism 21The First Christians 26The Resurrection 26Jesus (Peter Walker) 27Pentecost 30The Christian Community 31Divisions and Disagreements 33A theology of mission: Paul(Jonathan Hill) 35Christian Writings 38The Faith of the Christians 39Living in the Last Days 39Faith in Christ 40The ‘New Israel’ 44Life in the Church 46The Christian Rites 46Leading the Community 48The Spread of Christianity 50Church and Synagogue 50Christianity in the Empire 53Beyond the Empire 55 2. The Young Church 58The Roman Empire 58Christianity in the Empire 60Becoming a Christian 60Leading the Community 62The Christian Life 66Ignatius of Antioch (Thomas Weinandy) 67The Catacombs 70The Christian Problem 71Hellenistic Culture 76Hellenistic Philosophy 77Hellenistic Religion 77Other Religions in the Empire 78The Hellenizing of Christianity 80The Decline of Jewish Christianity 80Institutions and Rites 82Hellenistic Theology 83Heresy, Orthodoxy and the Birth of Theology 84The New Prophecy 84Ebionism 85Gnosticism 85The Foundation of Orthodoxy 87A Christian philosophy: Origen (John McGuckin) 89The Role of Scripture 91 3. Christian Rome 96The Conversion of Constantine 96Christians in a Christian Empire 98The Arian Conflict 102Arius 102The Council of Nicaea 103The Crisis Deepens 105Athanasius, Hilary and Gregory of Nazianzus (Andrew Louth) 106The Crisis Resolved 109The Monks 111Antony of Egypt 111The Desert Fathers 112The Monastic Ideal 114New Disputes 115Jovinianism 116Pelagianism 116Augustine (Andrew Knowles) 118Schism 120The Empire Crumbles 121The Christological Controversy 126Cyril of Alexandria (Thomas Weinandy) 128 4. Africa, the Middle East andthe Missions East 131The Monophysite Movement and the Byzantine Empire 131Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (Paul Rorem) 135The Monophysites and the Middle Eastern Wars 136Monophysitism Outside the Empire 138The Armenian Church 138Ethiopia 139The Nubian Kingdoms 141The Church of the East 143A Nestorian Church? 144Eastern Spirituality, from Ephraim the Syrian to Isaac of Nineveh (John Healey) 147Missions to the East 148Central Asia 149The Early Chinese Church 150The Mongols and the Yuan Dynasty 151The Malabar Church 152Nestorians in Indonesia 154The Coming of Islam 155The Church of the East under Islam 157Nubia in the Age of Islam 161Ethiopia in the Age of Islam 164New Dynasties, New Wars 165The Sabbatarian Controversy 166 5. The Byzantine Empire 168Byzantium and the Orthodox Church 168Emperors, Churches and Heaven on Earth 168The Monasteries 174Christ on Earth and Christ in Paint: The Controversies 176The Three Chapters 176Monotheletism 177From Monotheletism to Iconoclasm 179The Isaurians 179The Female Emperor and the Second Council of Nicaea 182The Final Phase 183Other Nations, Other Churches 185Rome 185Avars, Slavs, Bulgars and Magyars 186The Filioque (Thomas Graumann) 187Missions to Eastern Europe 189A Dwindling Empire 192New Heresies 193New Enemies, New Defeats 195The Last Days 197Gregory Palamas (Constantine Scouteris) 201 6. A New Europe 204Europe After the Empire 204Italy under the Ostrogoths 205Spain under the Visigoths 207The Franks 208Celtic Christianity 209The Conversion of Ireland 210A Monastic Church 210The development of the monasteries (Thomas O’Loughlin) 212The Celtic Missions 214The Rise of the Papacy 215The Bishops of Imperial Rome 215The Papacy and the Barbarians 217Mission and the Spread of Papal Power 219The church in England (Stephen Platten) 220Christianity and paganism (Lesley Abrams) 223Christianity in the Vice: The Late Dark Ages 224Al-Andalus and the Mozarebs 225The Carolingians 226The Age of Charlemagne 227The Carolingian Renaissance 229Tradition and innovation in ninth-century theology (Elina Screen) 231Hungary: The Eastern Border 232The Vikings 233 7. The High Middle Ages 237Medieval Europe 237The Emergence of Nations 237The Feudal System 238Feudalism and the Church 239Spirituality, Reform and the Papacy 240The Cluniac Movement 240Corruption and Reform 241Medieval religious life (Justin Clegg) 243Carthusians and Cistercians 247Innocent III and the Fourth Lateran Council 249The Friars 251Francis and Clare (Michael Robson) 253The World of Faith and Reason 255Early Scholasticism 255Scholasticism Develops 257The Flowering of Scholasticism 258Thomas Aquinas (Richard Cross) 260Buildings and Beauty 262Christendom and Its Neighbours 263Relations with the Byzantine Church 264The Crusades 266The Crusades and Europe 268Heresy and Orthodoxy 271The Waldensians 271The Cathars 273The Inquisition (Edward Peters) 275The Decline of the Middle Ages 277The Avignon Captivity and the Great Schism 278Critics and Reformers 280 8. Russia: The Heir of Byzantium 283The Conversion of the Russians 283Vladimir and the Links to Byzantium 284Christianity Becomes Established 285The Third Rome 286The Church under the Tatars 286Christianizing the Russians Paul Steeves) 287The Threat from the West 289The Rise of Moscow 291Art, Architecture and Christian Culture 293Ivan ‘The Terrible’ 294Ivan IV, the Hundred Chapters Council and a new state church (Paul Steeves) 295Monasticism and Spirituality 297The Russian Monasteries 297Russian Mysticism 300The Holy Fools 301Early Modern Russia 302The Time of Troubles 303The Great Sovereign 303Sects and Schismatics 304 9. The Reformation 306The Renaissance 306New Economies, New Societies 306Back to Basics 307Humanism and the cult of the ‘text’ (Kenneth Austin) 308Mysticism and Science 309The condemnation of Galileo (David Lindberg) 310Backlashes 314The Renaissance Papacy 315The Early Reformation 318Martin Luther and the 95 Theses 318The New Churches 322The Swiss Reformation 324The Radical Reformation 326The Church of England 327The Catholic Response 331The Council of Trent 332A new spirituality: The Carmelite mystics (Edward Howells) 333The Jesuits 336The Later Reformation 339John Calvin and the Reformed Tradition 339The Protestant Rome (Carl Trueman) 341Europe Divided 343Baptists and Quakers 347Witch hunting (Allison Coudert) 349The Wars of Religion 351Glossary 355Contributors 365Bibliography 367

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Book SynopsisThis is an edition of the presumed editio princeps of the printed Roman Missal, in the Ambrosian Library, Milan, S.Q.N. 11.14. The collation with other copies and the indices are vol. 33 of this series.

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Book SynopsisIn 1917 Annie Besant (1847-1933), a white Englishwoman, was elected president of the Indian National Congress, the body which, under the guidance of Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948), would later lead India to independence. Besant - in her earlier career an active atheist and a socialist journalist - was from 1907 till her death the president of the Theosophical Society, an international spiritual movement whose headquarters' location in Madras symbolized its belief in India as the world's spiritual heart. This book deals with the contribution of the Theosophical Society to the rise of Indian nationalism and seeks to restore it to its proper place in the history of ideas, both with regard to its spiritual doctrine and the sources on which it drew, as well as its role in giving rise to the New Age movement of the 20th century. The book is the first to show how 19th century Orientalist study dramatically affected the rise of the Theosophical ideology, and specifically demonstrate the impact of the work of the Anglo-German scholar, Friedrich Max Muller (1833-1900) on Mme Blavatsky (1831-1891), the founder of the Theosophical Society.Table of ContentsChapter 1: In the Footsteps of the Orientalists Chapter 2: Friedrich Max Muller Chapter 3: The Theosophical Society Chapter 4: The Theosophical Doctrine Chapter 5: The Sources of the Theosophical Doctrine Chapter 6. Annie Besant - Her Pre-Theosophical Career Chapter 7. The Struggle Over the Leadership of the Theosophical Society Chapter 8. The Struggle for the Leadership of the Indian National Congress Chapter 9. Krishnamurti - Theosophy and the World Teacher Postscript

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Book SynopsisLiving with the Law explores the marital disputes of Jews in medieval Islamic Egypt (1000–1250), relating medieval gossip, marital woes, and the voices of men and women of a world long gone. Probing the rich documents of the Cairo Geniza, a unique repository of discarded paper discovered in a Cairo synagogue, the book recovers the life stories of Jewish women and men working through their marital problems at home, with their families, in the streets of old Cairo, and in Jewish and Muslim courts. Despite a voluminous literature on Jewish law, the everyday practice of Jewish courts has only recently begun to be investigated systematically. The experiences of those at a legal, social, and cultural disadvantage allow us to go beyond the image propagated by legal institutions and offer a view “from below” of Jewish communal life and Jewish law as it was lived. Examining the interactions between gender and law in medieval Jewish communities under Islamic rule, Oded Zinger considers how women experienced Jewish courts and the pressure they faced to relinquish their monetary rights. The tactics with which women countered this pressure—ranging from exploiting family ties to appealing to Muslim courts—expose the complex relationship between individual agency, gendered expectations, and communal authority. Zinger concludes that, more than money, education, or lineage, it was the maintenance of a supportive network of social relations with men that protected women at different stages of their lives.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A compact and serious academic work. With ten pages of bibliography and extensive footnotes, Farneth offers readers a wide-ranging survey of contemporary thinking on social theory and the nature and history of rituals."---Emily Soloff, The Christian Century "A welcome contribution to ritual studies and to the study of religion and politics by offering a nuanced and compelling account of ritual activities and their public/political role. . . . Farneth’s combination of theoretical acuity, lucid writing and argumentation, and frequent use of examples make this text a valuable resource. - Nicholas Buck, Reading Religion "

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Book SynopsisKnown for speaking with the birds, for professing poverty, receiving the stigmata and for initiating the Franciscan order, Francis of Assisi is one of the most radical and inspiring figures in Christianity.In this outstanding and celebrated biography, the distinguished medievalist Jacques Le Goff paints a fascinating picture of the life of Francis of Assisi. Locating Francis in the feudal world of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and exploring the social and political changes taking place at the time, Le Goff assess the dramatic influence of the saint on the medieval church and celebrates his role in the spiritual revival of the Catholic Church.This Routledge Classics edition includes a new Foreword by Sean L. Field.Trade Review'Le Goff transformed views of the Middle Ages from a dark and backward time to a period that laid the foundations for modern western civilisation.' - The Guardian'The richness, imaginativeness and sheer learning of Le Goff's work... demand to be experienced.' - Times Literary Supplement'Le Goff is one of the most distinguished of the French medieval historians of his generation' - New York Review of Books'Le Goff seems to have presaged so many of the new ways of making history: exploring religious cultures, paying attention to the period’s fantasies and fears, reflecting on time and sound. Above all, he inspired as a teacher, communicator and writer.' - History Today'Praise for this work on its first appearance was unstinting, and that it should now be available in an excellent translation by Christine Rhone should inspire similar reactions among a wider audience. ... a short, powerful and rewarding study of one of the most striking of medieval figures.' - Church TimesTable of ContentsForeword to the Routledge Classics Editon Sean L. Field List of Plates Preface to the French Edition Chronology Selected Writings of Saint Francis of Assisi 1. Francis of Assisi Between the Renewal and Restraints of Feudal Society 2. In Search of the True Saint Francis 3. The Vocabulary of Social Categories in Saint Francis of Assisi and his Thirteenth-Century Biographers 4. Franciscanism and Cultural Models of the Thirteenth Century. Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn Chronos, a leading French historian ranges from Western antiquity to the Anthropocene, pinpointing the crucial turning points in our relationship to time. François Hartog considers the genealogy of Western temporalities, examining the order of times and the divisions of time into epochs.Trade ReviewWith characteristic elegance, wit, and erudition, Hartog, the master thinker of historical time, offers a panoramic view of the past to show how a temporal order (re)fashioned by Christianity endures to this day and shapes our crisis-ridden sense of the present. This is a longue-durée perspective on the Anthropocene that only someone with Hartog's learning and brilliance could have provided. An indispensable guide to the present. -- Dipesh Chakrabarty, author of Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought and Historical DifferenceChronos is a magisterial book, breathtaking in scope and precision. I cannot think of another historian who could have written this book in this way. François Hartog uniquely possesses the intellectual expertise and range to lead the reader through a sweeping history of the concept of time in the “West,” beginning with the Greeks in antiquity and ending with our current periodization of the Anthropocene. It is an important work on one of the most pressing topics of our day. -- Ethan Kleinberg, author of Haunting History: For a Deconstructive Approach to the PastThis book, masterfully translated by S. R. Gilbert, will undoubtedly become a classic. A Christian “revolution in time” led from Greek Chronos, to Augustine’s self, to modern change, and to the Anthropocene. Beautifully written, this is a book for everyone who wants to know why our time is what it is. -- Nitzan Lebovic, Apter Chair of Holocaust Studies and Ethical Values, Lehigh UniversityIn this brilliant, original, and profound book, François Hartog takes further his critical analyses of the sources and legacies of modern Western assumptions about time. He brings to light their urgent relevance to us today as we face challenges such as climate change, the Anthropocene, and potential global geopolitical catastrophe. -- Sir Geoffrey Lloyd, University of CambridgeMagisterial yet accessible, Chronos can make the rare claim to encompass all of recorded time in a relatively slim [book]. * New York Sun *Hartog's book offers necessary elucidation of how Westerners’ relationships with time brought us to this current moment. * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *For those seeking insight into past conceptions of time or questioning how we arrived at our current presentist temporality, Chronos serves as a clear and concise starting point. * H-Sci-Med-Tech, H-Net Reviews *Hartog is a superbly gifted writer who wears his learning lightly and without recourse to jargon, and translator S .R. Gilbert has served his author’s conversational style well in rendering it into eloquent English. . . . An enjoyable tour and a welcome synthesis of current thought on the human experience of temporality. * The Philosopher *Table of ContentsTo Readers of the English EditionPreface: The Undeducible PresentIntroduction: From the Greeks to the Christians1. The Christian Regime of Historicity: Chronos Between Kairos and Krisis2. The Christian Order of Time and Its Spread3. Negotiating with Chronos4. Dissonance and Fissures5. In the Thrall of Chronos6. Chronos Destituted, Chronos RestoredConclusion: The Anthropocene and HistoryNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran are adherents of the last surviving Gnostic tradition from the period of Late Antiquity, and the Book of Kings is the capstone to one of their most sacred scriptures. A universal history in four parts, it concisely outlines the entire 480,000 year span of the material world, from its creation to its destruction in the maw of the great Leviathan, with details including a succession of antediluvian cataclysms that have previously wiped out all human life, the reigns of the kings who have reigned over humanity and are still yet to reign, a lament on the end of pagan antiquity under the reign of the Arabs, and the apocalyptic drama attending those who have the misfortune to live at the end of the world era. For the first time ever, this work appears in English in its entirety, complete and unabridged, and directly translated from original Mandaic manuscripts, with the events mentioned within it coordinated with our calendar. It also includes an extensive commentary illustrating its relationship to contemporary historical writing and with the sacred literature of Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, and other neighbouring religious communities living under Sasanian rule.Trade Review‘[The book] offers interesting insights into a Middle Eastern community during the era of the Byzantine and Sasanid empires. It is useful for those wanting to compare religious beliefs between cultures.’ Medievalists.net

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Book SynopsisFrom the divine messengers of Western traditions to the devas of Eastern traditions to the maleks and spirit beings found along the Silk Road, angels are one of the unifying themes of theology worldwide. But what is an angel, and why do they contact us, believers and non-believers alike? In this in-depth study into the mystery and purpose of angels, Normandi Ellis looks at the angelic dimensions of spiritual traditions around the world from the ancient past to present day. She explores well-known angels from Judeo-Christian and Islamic faiths, the Hindu Devata and Buddhist spirit beings, the neteru of ancient Egypt, the Peacock Angel of Yezidism, and the yazatas of Zoroastrianism. She compares angelic visions from medieval Christians like Thomas Aquinas and John of Damascus with what Theosophists, Kabbalists, Sufi masters, Eastern gurus, and modern mystics like Edgar Cayce have recounted about angels. She looks at dark and fallen angels and their role in the grand cosmological plan. Quoting from sacred traditions, narrative myth, and contemporary angelic encounters, including her own personal interactions with angels, the author clarifies the divergent aspects of angelic beliefs but also reveals the common points shared by all traditions. Ellis shows how, in whatever guise they appear, angels are messengers. Sharing a wealth of evidence from both Western and Eastern holy texts as well as modern accounts, she explains that angels are beings of light consciousness, part of the universal life force that connects all beings. And not only are angels actively helping in our planet’s cosmic evolution, they also help us see our own place in the cosmic plan.Trade Review“Normandi Ellis is a masterful storyteller. She unfolds her understanding of the angelic realm not just from a profound scholarship but also from her personal perspective, and it is this rare blend that brings the subject to life for the reader. This is a wonderful and beautiful book carrying a message of hope at a forlorn time. Her words and stories uplift the spirit by showing that angelic messengers belong to all times and all traditions. This book feeds the mind with its scholarship, feeds the soul with an inspired vision of existence beyond the human sphere, and nourishes the heart with the certain knowing that angelic guidance is not limited to the past. No matter whether you come to this book from a faith tradition or from none, these words will open a window into possibility.” * Naomi Ozaniec, author of Becoming a Garment of Isis *“A fascinating account of angels. This comprehensive study detailing angels throughout the ages and in different traditions is engaging and incredibly uplifting. It’s a powerful book for today’s world.” * Robbie Holz, author of Angels in Waiting *“Normandi Ellis’s book The Ancient Tradition of Angels is a rare pearl and a welcome and inspired addition to human consciousness of who angels are, what their purpose is, and above all the unifying nature of angels, present in the contexts of all faiths and cultures (whether they are known by that name or another). Ellis’s clarity allows for an ecumenical view of this divine assistance, ready to help all who are open to receive. The book begins with beautiful portraits from cultures around the planet, including depictions of the sacred, the divine, and the angelic. Highly recommended for angel newcomers as well as those who walk with angels already!” * Kathryn Hudson, author of Inviting Angels into Your Life *“Weaving a tapestry between scholarship and personal experiences, The Ancient Tradition of Angels introduces the reader to the universal concept of divine messengers, from ancient Egypt to modern times. The common human experience of rescue by spiritual beings is captured in a treasury of vivid stories, along with beautiful full-color illustrations of icons by a selection of wonderful artists. Normandi Ellis’s reflections about what all of these mysterious resemblances may mean is a journey through the universe of divine intervention.” * Tamra Lucid, author of Making the Ordinary Extraordinary *“In her extraordinarily well-documented book The Ancient Tradition of Angels, Normandi Ellis once again shows us her skills as a wordsmith and scholar, capable of navigating the reader through the mysteries, historical foundations, and grace of angels. She opens doorways for the reader to consider this topic from every conceivable angle—mystical, esoteric, cultural, spiritual, chronicled, even within the field of physics. If angels serve the concept of God’s powerful messengers, then with this book Ellis serves the purpose of authenticating those messengers.” * Sandra Corcoran, author of Shamanic Awakening *“With a sense of wonder we are introduced to the worldwide history of angels in Normandi Ellis’s tour de force of storytelling informed by serious scholarship and a lifetime of revelations. A gorgeously illustrated book that will fascinate devotees of all religions.” * Ronnie Pontiac, author of American Metaphysical Religion *“I found Normandi’s book to be exhaustively researched, incredibly beautiful, and inspiring. What’s that—you say you don’t believe in angels? Normandi would invite you to consider the words of poet Mary Oliver: ‘Only if there are angels in your head will you ever, possibly, see one.’” * Ray Grasse, author of The Waking Dream and When the Stars Align *Table of ContentsFOREWORDby Jean Houston, Ph.D.FOREWORDby Lynn Andrews PREFACE Living GratitudeINTRODUCTION Answering the Call My Own Experience of AngelsThe Function of Angels The Nature of Angels Angels and ReligionGuidance from Unseen Angels1 Western Traditions Judeo-Christian AngelsIslamic Angels Jacob and His Angel 2 Eastern Traditions Hindu DevataBuddhist Spirit Beings3 Silk Road TraditionsZoroastrian Angels Yezidi Angels4 Dark AngelsAngels of Death Fallen Angels5 Human and Angelic Interactions CONCLUSIONI Am That I Am The Quanta Question

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Book Synopsis''A brilliant new take'' Janina Ramirez, author of Femina''A masterpiece of the historian''s art'' Peter Brown, author of Augustine of HippoThe powerful and surprising story of the four remarkable women who changed Augustine''s life - and history - forever.While many know of St Augustine and the Confessions, few know of the women whose hopes and dreams shaped his early life: his mother, Monnica of Thagaste; his lover; his fiancée; and Justina, the troubled empress of ancient Rome. Drawing upon their depictions in the Confessions, historian Kate Cooper skilfully reconstructs their lives against the backdrop of the late Roman Empire to paint a vivid portrait of the turbulent society they and Augustine moved through. She shows how despite their often precarious position, these women tried in their different ways to influence the world around them and argues that Augustine did not end his engagement because he was Trade ReviewFascinating and well-written, Queens of a Fallen World raises vital questions about the role of women in the founding centuries of Christianity, piecing together a rich backdrop to Augustine's life that has rarely emerged before. Cooper convinces us that these women can be recovered, and that through his words and thoughts, their lives shaped the future of a fledgling religion. A brilliant new take -- Janina Ramirez, author of FEMINA: A NEW HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE AGES, THROUGH THE WOMEN WRITTEN OUT OF ITA masterpiece of the historian's art. With a rare balance of state-of-the-art erudition and felicitous hypotheses, Kate Cooper has brought the hidden women in Augustine's early life into the light. Governed throughout by a humane sense of the texture of a distant late Roman society, she captures women's voices which we would not otherwise have heard -- Peter Brown, author of AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO: A BIOGRAPHYWhat an invigorating book! Cooper asks a haunting question: how different would our world be had this man married either his concubine - who was the loyal mother of his child - or the young heiress he was betrothed to, instead of withdrawing from sexual relationships altogether? -- Sarah Ruden, translator of Augustine’s CONFESSIONSA marvelous achievement . . . Cooper sketches an evocative landscape of the late Roman world in Milan and North Africa . . . Above all, her's is a world of human beings suffering heartache and loneliness while trying to reconcile the pull of the heart with the lure of ambition -- Susanna Elm, Sidney H. Ehrman Professor of European History, University of California, BerkeleyAn enchanting tour de force of sensitive and probing historical writing . . . Cooper's enquiry into the influence of women on Augustine - whether empress, mother, lover, saint, or slave - enriches his legacy -- Adrienne Mayor, author of THE AMAZONS: LIVES AND LEGENDS OF WARRIOR WOMEN ACROSS THE ANCIENT WORLDA bold and imaginative venture into challenging territory. Cooper casts new light onto the women of the ancient world - and one of the founders of Western thought -- Sarah Gristwood, author of THE TUDORS IN LOVE: PASSION AND POLITICS IN THE AGE OF ENGLAND'S MOST FAMOUS DYNASTY

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Book SynopsisThis fresh study from an internationally respected scholar of the Reformation and post-Reformation eras shows how the Reformers and their successors analyzed and reconciled the concepts of divine sovereignty and human freedom. Richard Muller argues that traditional Reformed theology supported a robust theory of an omnipotent divine will and human free choice and drew on a tradition of Western theological and philosophical discussion. The book provides historical perspective on a topic of current interest and debate and offers a corrective to recent discussions.Table of ContentsContentsPart I: Freedom and Necessity in Reformed Thought: The Contemporary Debate1. Introduction: The Present State of the Question2. Reformed Thought and Synchronic Contingency: Logical and Historical IssuesPart II: Philosophical and Theological Backgrounds: Aristotle, Aquinas, and Duns Scotus3. Aristotle and Aquinas on Necessity and Contingency4. Duns Scotus and Late Medieval Perspectives on FreedomPart III: Early Modern Reformed Perspectives: Contingency, Necessity, and Freedom in the Real Order of Being5. Necessity, Contingency, and Freedom: Reformed Understandings6. Scholastic Approaches to Necessity, Contingency, and Freedom: Early Modern Reformed Perspectives7. Divine Power, Possibility, and Actuality8. Divine Concurrence and Contingency9. Conclusions

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Book SynopsisWhat can we know about the everyday experiences of Christians during the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries? How did non-elite men and women, enslaved, freed, and free persons, who did not renounce sex or choose voluntary poverty become Christian? They neither led a religious community nor did they live in entirely Christian settings. In this period, an age marked by “extraordinary” Christians—wonderworking saints, household ascetics, hermits, monks, nuns, pious aristocrats, pilgrims, and bishops—ordinary Christians went about their daily lives, in various occupations, raising families, sharing households, kitchens, and baths in religiously diverse cities. Occasionally they attended church liturgies, sought out local healers, and visited martyrs’ shrines. Barely and rarely mentioned in ancient texts, common Christians remain nameless and undifferentiated. Unfinished Christians explores the sensory and affective dimensions of ordinary Christians who assembled for rituals. With precious few first-person accounts by common Christians, it relies on written sources not typically associated with lived religion: sermons, liturgical instruction books, and festal hymns. All three genres of writing are composed by clergy for use in ritual settings. Yet they may also provide glimpses of everyday Christians’ lives and experiences. This book investigates the habits, objects, behaviors, and movements of ordinary Christians by mining festal preaching by John Chrysostom, Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory of Nyssa, and Romanos the Melodist, among others. It also mines liturgical instructions to explore the psalms and other songs performed on various feast days. “Unfinished,” then, connotes the creativity and agency of unremarkable Christians who engaged in making religious experiences: the “Christian-in-progress” who learns to work with material and bring something into being; the artisans who attended sermons; and, more widely, the bearers of embodied knowing.Trade Review"In Unfinished Christians, Georgia Frank seeks the sensory and affective experiences of non-elite Christians in late antiquity. She finds them in workshops, nighttime prayer, songs, and processions, and she comprehends them through the metaphor of craft...Frank’s lyrical prose, sensitive insights, transdisciplinary reading, and deep endnotes make this a joyous and enriching contribution to early Christian studies. But Unfinished Christians is also a model for readers in other subfields of the humanities who seek to integrate text, material, and sensation in understanding the formation of religious practices and subjectivities." * Material Religion *

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Book SynopsisIndigenous Religious Traditions in Five Minutes aims to answer many of the questions that come to mind when we think about the religious lives of Native and Indigenous peoples of the world. Scholars from many fields answer dozens of questions about a wide variety of specific Indigenous religious traditions and an array of the ideas, practices, and beliefs many people associate with them. Do Native peoples have creator Gods? What is shamanism? Why are there so many spellings of voodoo? Is Paganism considered an Indigenous religious tradition? We also interrogate the concept of Indigenous religious traditions, by asking what the phrase means in relation to the larger fields of Native American and Indigenous Studies and Religious Studies, whether all religions were at some point indigenous, and what the value of studying Indigenous religious traditions is today. Specialists respond to questions like these and many others in easily accessible language and provide references for further exploration, making this volume useful for personal study or classroom use.Table of ContentsPreface Molly Bassett and Natalie Avalos Indigeneity and Religion Why does the title of this book use the phrase “Indigenous Religious Traditions” rather than “Indigenous Religions?” Tisa Wenger, Yale University What makes a religion an ‘Indigenous religion’? Graham Harvey, The Open University Were all religions at one time ‘Indigenous’? Tyler Tully, University of Oxford Are Indigenous religions only those practiced by Indigenous people? Angela Puca, Leeds Trinity University Why is "religion" a problematic category for understanding Indigenous traditions? Philip Arnold, Syracuse University How do ideas about race shape understandings of Native American religious life? Sarah Dees, Iowa State University Why Are Indigenous African and Afro-Diasporic Religions Relevant to You? Ayodeji Ogunnaike, Bowdoin College, & Oludamini Ogunnaike, University of Virginia What makes Vodou an Indigenous tradition? James Padilioni, Jr., Swarthmore College What’s the difference between Vodou, Voudou, and Voodoo? Emily Clark, Gonzaga University Is Adivasi religion the same as Hinduism? William Elison, University of California Is Neo-Paganism an Indigenous religious tradition? Abel R. Gomez, University of Oklahoma The Study of Indigenous Religious Traditions What moral responsibilities do scholars and students have in studying Indigenous religions? Afe Adogame, Princeton Theological Seminary Why is repatriation a religious issue for many Native communities? Greg Johnson, University of California Is an academic approach to Indigenous religions innately colonizing? Afe Adogame What is animism? Graham Harvey How do archaeologists study religion in the Indigenous past? Mallory Matsumoto, University of Texas What’s the deal with cultural appropriation? Gregory Alles, McDaniel College Was the Washington R*dskins cultural appropriation? Matt Sheedy, Universität Bonn Indigenous Religious Traditions What is a Land-based religious tradition? Dana Lloyd, Villanova University Do Indigenous Peoples believe plants, animals, and waters have personhood? Meaghan Weatherdon, University of San Diego What does it mean when Indigenous peoples say animals are sacred? Kelsey Dayle John, University of Arizona What role does pilgrimage play in Indigenous religious life? Paul Gareau & Jeanine LeBlanc, both at University of Alberta Are Indigenous peoples inherently environmentalists? Dennis Kelley, University of Missouri Why is the public expression of Indigenous Religion political? Stacie Swain, University of Victoria What are Native American foodways, and how are they religious? Andrea McComb Sanchez, University of Arizona What do Indigenous religious traditions in the Americas have in common? Inés Hernandez-Avila, University of California What are ancestor spirits, and what role do they play in Hawaiian religious life? Marie Alohalani Brown, University of Hawai'i What is the Ghost Dance? Tiffany Hale, Barnard College, Columbia University How are Indigenous narratives and oral traditions like “texts?” Dennis Kelley What do trickster tales tell us about human beings, and why are they important in Indigenous cultures? Davíd Carrasco, Harvard University How do Indigenous religions approach disability? Zara Surratt, University of North Carolina Are Indigenous religious traditions patriarchal? Donnie Begay, University of Divinity, Australia Did Indigenous people really honor LGBT/Two-Spirit people? Lisa Poirier, DePaul University Indigenous Futurity Indigenous futurism … is that like science fiction? Matt Sheedy

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Book SynopsisThe origins of modern Daoism can be traced to the Church of the Heavenly Master (Tianshidao), reputedly established by the formidable Zhang Daoling. In 142 CE, according to Daoist tradition, Zhang was visited by the Lord on High, who named him his vicar on Earth with the title Heavenly Master. The dispensation articulated an eschatological vision of saving initiates—the pure, those destined to become immortals— by enforcing a strict moral code. Under evolving forms, Tianshidao has remained central to Chinese society, and Daoist priests have upheld their spiritual allegiance to Zhang, their now divinized founder. This book tells the story of the longue durée evolution of the Heavenly Master leadership and institution.Later hagiography credits Zhang Daoling's great?grandson, putatively the fourth Heavenly Master, with settling the family at Longhushan (Dragon and Tiger Mountain); in time his descendants—down to the present contested sixty?fifth Heavenly Master living in Taiwan— made the extraordinary claim of being able to transmit hereditarily the function of the Heavenly Master and the power to grant salvation. Over the next twelve centuries, the Zhangs turned Longhushan into a major holy site and a household name in the Chinese world, and constructed a large administrative center for the bureaucratic management of Chinese society. They gradually built the Heavenly Master institution, which included a sacred site; a patriarchal line of successive Heavenly Masters wielding vast monopolistic powers to ordain humans and gods; a Zhang lineage that nurtured talent and accumulated wealth; and a bureaucratic apparatus comprised of temples, training centers, and a clerical hierarchy. So well?designed was this institution that it remained stable for more than a millennium, far outlasting the longest dynasties, and had ramifications for every city and village in imperial China.In this ambitious work, Vincent Goossaert traces the Heavenly Master bureaucracy from medieval times to the modern Chinese nation?state as well as its expansion. His in?depth portraits of influential Heavenly Masters are skillfully embedded in a large?scale analysis of the institution and its rules, ideology, and vision of society.Trade ReviewAlthough the Heavenly Masters' claim to represent an unbroken tradition almost as old as the papacy is open to question, the Zhangs of Longhushan certainly are heirs to a family legacy comparable to that of the best noble lineages of Europe, and they have exercised a distinctive religious office for more than a millennium. Fragments of their remarkable story have been told before, but now Vincent Goossaert has pieced together the entire narrative, adding another extraordinary first to his many achievements. He has already done much to illuminate change in the history of Chinese religion; in this volume he spectacularly demonstrates its simultaneous capacity for continuity." —T. H. Barrett, SOAS, University of London "This book is a tour de force, providing the first synthesis in any Western language of the rise of the institution of the Heavenly Master, its many interactions with the Chinese state, its role in the performance of ordination and the distribution of registers, and its economic basis. It makes use of a wide range of primary sources, including manuscripts, gazetteers, notebooks, and archival material. It also carefully includes the best and most recent secondary research in Chinese, Japanese, and Western languages. By reasserting the primacy of the Heavenly Master tradition, this path?breaking work will set a new standard for the study of Daoism in Late Imperial China." —Terry Kleeman, University of Colorado, BoulderTable of Contents Series Editors' Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Abbreviations xiii Introduction 1 Chapter One Inventing the Founding Ancestor: The Lives of Zhang Daoling 13 Chapter Two The Rise of Longhushan 33 Chapter Three The Heavenly Masters in the History of Daoist Ordinations 53 Chapter Four New Rituals and the Longhushan Synthesis of Modern Daoism 91 Chapter Five The Mature Institution: Longhushan during the Song?Yuan Period 129 Chapter Six The Most Powerful Heavenly Master Ever? The Lives of Zhang Yuchu 157 Chapter Seven The Institution under the Ming and the Qing 185 Chapter Eight The Heavenly Masters and Late Imperial Chinese Society 219 Chapter Nine The Predicaments of Modernity: The Heavenly Masters since the 1850s 265 Conclusion 289 Appendix 1: List of the Heavenly Masters 299 Appendix 2: The Different Versions of the Tiantan yuge 303 Notes 305 Bibliography 375 Index 409

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Book SynopsisDismantling the myths that divide Islam and the West, this cutting-edge work of critical thinking proposes new ways to reread Islamic and world histories. Extending from the front-page news coverage of our daily lives back into the deepest and most revelatory histories of the last two hundred years and earlier, Hamid Dabashi's The End of Two Illusions is a daring, provocative, and groundbreaking work that dismantles the most dangerous delusions manufactured between two vastly fetishized abstractions: Islam and the West. With this book, Dabashi shows how the civilizational divides imagined between these two cosmic binaries have defined their entanglementin ways that have nothing to do with the lived experiences of either Muslims or the diverse and changing communities scarcely held together by the myth of the West. Through detailed historical and contemporary analysis, The End of Two Illusions untangles the motivations that produced this global fiction. Dabashi demonstrates how the WTrade Review"Dabashi makes a compelling claim in the epistemic violence created by “The West and Islam” that fits suitably in the ongoing work of decolonial scholarship." * Reading Religion *"The precise and thoughtful interdisciplinary approach in The End of Two Illusions offers a vital contribution to perspectives on international relations, conflict, and dialogue. This text should be read by anyone involved or interested in understanding the reality of global political and cultural relationships in the twenty-first century." * Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies *Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Introduction The Future of Two Illusions I · The Colonial Catalyst 1 Islam in the World 2 “The West” Groundwork for the Metaphysics of an Illusion 3 The West and the Rest Condition of Coloniality II · The Return of the Repressed 4 What’s in a Name? 5 The Monologue of Civilizations III · Where the Twain Have Met 6 Gendering the Difference From Metaphoric to Metamorphic 7 De-racing Civilizations 8 Nations beyond Borders Conclusion “The Inverted Consciousness of the World” Epilogue 2021: After Gaza and Afghanistan Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA rich and rare approach to the mystical and the miraculous', the strange but real parts of a life that ?oat between earth and heaven, mud and glory Beautifully achieved with a subtle beauty, music and growing intensity that makes a fruitful vine of the whole. John F. DeaneSt Columba, or Columcille, and the island of Iona are the inspiration for James Harpur in this book of delicate lyric poems. Delving into the stories of the saint including visions of angels, struggles with Picts, and various miracles Harpur mingles his own poetic imagination with the spirit of Columba and the landscape of Iona: the result is poetry full of spiritual freedom and redolent of an age of wonder in which the natural world and the elements were perceived to be in harmony with the divine. James Harpur has published seven books of poetry and won a number of awards, including the Michael Hartnett Poetry Prize and the UK National Poetry Competition. He is a member of Aosdána, the Irish academy of the arts, and lives in the wilds of West Cork. www.jamesharpur.com

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Book SynopsisFollows the human person's journey to union with God in the theologies of Saint Bonaventure and Saint Thomas Aquinas. The book argues that these seminal thinkers of the 13th Century emphasize scriptural notions of divine rewards as ordering principles for the graced movement of human viators to eternal life.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A brilliant overview of how the legacy of the Roman empire continued to shape the Mediterranean world."---Rowan Williams, New Humanist"Herrin’s Christendom is an obvious candidate for the Princeton Classics series. Here one can savour the clarity and originality of her account of such dauntingly named theological upheavals as the Monothelite controversy (over the psychology of Christ’s divinity versus his humanity) of the seventh century, or the struggles over the use of icons in Christian worship that came close to ripping the Byzantine empire apart in the eighth and ninth."---Diarmaid MacCulloch, Times Literary Supplement ​​​​​​​"It will no longer be possible to hop from pagan antiquity to Carolingian Europe as if nothing had happened in between. Judith Herrin has laid her sheet of paper over the map of that 'dark' age and rubbed and rubbed until the rich web of connections and cracks has shown through."---Marina Warner, The Independent"An ambitious, learned, lucid, and instructive book."---Alexander Murray, Times Literary Supplement"Herrin's scholarship is unerring, her scope is wide and her style fluent. . . . The treatment of the so-called iconoclastic controversy, the dispute over the veneration of images in Christian worship which convulsed the Byzantine world in the eighth century, is sparkling. . . . Debate about where modern Europe came from . . . will be enriched by this civilized and accomplished book." * The Economist *"Herrin follows some magnificent themes with the lucid dispassion of a good detective."---Thomas D'Evelyn, Christian Science Monitor"It is [the] binding together of distant past and immediate present which makes Judith Herrin's scholarship so exciting: she can convince the reader that the roots of Western distinctiveness really do lead all the way to forgotten episcopal meetings in small towns in Asia Minor in the fourth century."---Michael Ignatieff, The Observer"A learned, challenging, and gracefully written interpretation of the transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages."---Robert L. Wilken, Commonweal"A serious and powerful book. . . . A grand synthesis on a scale few people would dare now to attempt, ranging across diverse societies with considerable assurance."---Christopher J. Wickham, International History Review

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Book SynopsisEven during his lifetime, Ralph Waldo Emerson was called the Sage of Concord, a fitting title for this leader of the American Transcendentalist movement. Everything that Emerson said and wrote directly addressed the conduct of life, and in his view, spiritual truth and understanding were the essence of religion. Unsurprisingly, he sought to rescue spirituality from decay, eschewing dry preaching and rote rituals.Unitarian minister Barry Andrews has spent years studying Emerson, finding wisdom and guidance in his teachings and practices, and witnessing how the spiritual lives of others are enriched when they grasp the many meanings in his work. In American Sage, Andrews explores Emerson's writings, including his journals and letters, and makes them accessible to today's spiritual seekers. Written in everyday language and based on scholarship grounded in historical detail, this enlightening book considers the nineteenth-century religious and intellectual crosscurrents that shaped Emerson's worldview to reveal how his spiritual teachings remain timeless and modern, universal and uniquely American.

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Book SynopsisFrom the rise of Christian monasticism in Egypt and Syria to present day, Christians have argued fiercely about whether monks should work to support themselves. Peter Brown shifts attention from Western to Eastern Christianity, introducing us to this smoldering debate that took place across the entire Middle East from the Euphrates to the Nile.Trade ReviewOne of the most familiar phrases in the New Testament is Jesus's exhortation to forget about earthly riches and instead store up 'treasure in heaven.' Here, Peter Brown uses the phrase to pry open ancient attitudes about the relationship between work, leisure, and piety, and the way Christianity both reflected and threatened long-standing tensions. Treasure in Heaven is wide-ranging, accessible, and highly readable. Someday Brown will write a book that does not stimulate new thinking. But this is not that day, nor is this that book."" — H. A. Drake, University of California, Santa Barbara, author of Constantine and the Bishops""The poor were a special focus of early Christianity, but who were they? And what made them so deserving? These questions have preoccupied Peter Brown for more than a decade. After Poverty and Leadership in the Later Roman Empire and Through the Eye of a Needle, he turns here to the eastern edges of the Roman Empire and to the ‘holy poor,’ those men and women who deliberately chose poverty in order to be closer to God, and who must therefore be supported by the rest of society. With his accustomed virtuosity Brown reveals hitherto unsuspected tensions between the ‘real poor’ and the ‘holy poor,’ and the anxious questions asked about the value of work, the impact of wealth, and the nature of the ‘angelic life.’ Above all, what did ‘treasure in heaven’ really mean? In the third book of his trilogy, Brown lays bare in vivid and arresting detail the legacies of Syria and Egypt, the variety and contradictions within Christianity, and the intense self-questioning of Christians in the early centuries.""— Dame Averil Cameron, University of Oxford

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Book SynopsisSaints' cults flourished in the medieval world, and the phenomenon is examined here in a series of studies. The way in which saints' cults operated across and beyond political, ethnic and linguistic boundaries in the medieval British Isles and Ireland, from the sixth to the sixteenth centuries, is the subject of this book. In a series of case studies, the contributions highlight the factors that allowed particular cults to prosper in, or that made them relevant to, a variety of cultural contexts. The collection has a particular emphasis on northern Britain, andthe role of devotional interests in connecting or shaping a number of polities and cultural identities (Pictish, Scottish, Northumbrian, Irish, Welsh and English) in a world of fluid political and territorial boundaries. Althoughthe bulk of the studies are concerned with the significance of cults in the insular context, many of the articles also touch on the development of pan-European devotions (such as the cults of St Brendan, The Three Kings or St George). Contributors: James E. Fraser, Thomas Owen Clancy, Fiona Edmonds, John Reuben Davies, Karen Jankulak, Sally Crumplin, Joanna Huntington, Steve Boardman, Eila Williamson, Jonathan WoodingTrade ReviewIn attempting to bridge large gaps of knowledge across the Celtic world and among those who study it, this edited volume succeeds admirably. . . . This volume would greatly benefit scholars in both religious studies and medieval studies. * JOURNAL OF FOLKLORE RESEARCH *A diverse and challenging set of essays. Collectively, they illuminate little-known cults across the geographical area known as the Celtic world, contribute to existing debates about more renowned saints, show how hagiography can be combined with other types of evidence to reveal successive stages of devotion, and place the Celtic world firmly in the context of wider European movements. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *Offers something for everyone, from the specialist in Irish naming practices to the student interested in connections between the continent and the Celtic world. [It] offers many interesting insights into the Celtic world in the central middle ages. * THE MEDIEVAL REVIEW *Table of ContentsEditors' Preface Rochester, Hexham and Cennrígmonaid: the movements of St Andrew in Britain, 604-707 - James E. Fraser The cults of Saints Patrick and Palladius in early medieval Scotland - Thomas O Clancy Names and the cult of Patrick in eleventh-century Strathclyde and Northumbria - Fiona Edmonds Bishop Kentigern among the Britons - John Reuben Davies Adjacent saints' dedications and early Celtic History - Karen Jankulak Cuthbert the cross-border saint in the twelfth century - Sally Crumplin David of Scotland: Virum tam necessarium mundo - Joanna Huntington The cult of St George in Scotland - Steven Boardman The cult of the Three Kings of Cologne in Scotland - Eila Williamson The medieval and early modern cult of St Brendan - Jonathan M Wooding

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Book Synopsis'Whether souls have returned in physical incarnations as Platonists, as Aristotelians, as pupils of Chartres, as members of the Dominican Order, as Templars, as Cathars, or whether these souls accompany us as spiritual beings, a stream of spiritual continuity that begins in the Middle Ages flows through human history.'- Manfred Schmidt-Brabant. Why do people today look back to the Middle Ages with such interest? Do those times have anything to do with the present? In this enlightening series of lectures, Manfred Schmidt-Brabant and Virginia Sease suggest that our sense of selfhood depends on whether we can create a true relationship to the present age. But to do this we need to understand the spiritual roots of our time. These roots, they indicate, are present in the Middle Ages.The impulses that originate from that time continue to stream into modern times, helping to determine our thinking, feeling and actions. Even the biography of Europe is largely determined by what people of the Middle Ages thought, endured, believed and fought over. All of this emerges today in the consciousness of the individual and in the fabric of our communities. To aid our comprehension of this critical period, the authors embark on a broad historical survey of the culture and history - both exoteric and esoteric - of the Middle Ages. Their journey takes in King Arthur and the Celtic Mysteries; Francis of Assisi, the Franciscans and the School of Chartres; Thomas Aquinas, Averroes and the Dominicans; Cabbala and Jewish Mysticism; heretics and the Cathars; Templar secrets; spiritual Alchemy and Gothic architecture; Columbus and the Mysteries of America; and, the Consciousness Soul and the historical Figure of Faust.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“One could not wish for a more engaging introduction to the history of the Prayer Book. . . . [A] triumph of compression and lucidity.”—David Martin, Church Times“Elegant and authoritative.”—Willy Maley, Times Higher Education“[A] gem.”—Peter J. Leithart, First Things“A beautifully lucid introduction to the origins and use of one of the most significant religious texts in the English-speaking world. Alan Jacobs helps us to understand not only the book but also the Christian sensibility of the whole Anglican tradition and the culture it nourished.”—Dr. Rowan Williams, Magdalene College, University of Cambridge“The Book of Common Prayer, often thought of as a source of Anglican stability, has led an interesting life of many changes. Jacobs tracks them all like a shrewd detective.”—Garry Wills, author of What the Gospels Meant

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Book SynopsisA sweeping history of American Catholicism from the arrival of the first Spanish missionaries to the presentTentler does justice to James Joyce's quip that Catholicism means here comes everybody.' This is the story of everybodylay people, sisters, priestswho was part of the church in the United States, a story insightfully analyzed and admirably told. A definitive synthesis.James M. O'Toole, author of The Faithful This comprehensive survey of Catholic history in what became the United States spans nearly five hundred years, from the arrival of the first Spanish missionaries to the present. Distinguished historian Leslie Tentler explores lay religious practice and the impact of clergy on Catholic life and culture as she seeks to answer the question, What did it mean to be a good Catholic at particular times and in particular places? In its focus on Catholics' participation in American politics and Catholic intellectual life, this book includes in-depth discussions of Catholics, race, Trade ReviewCHOICE Outstanding Academic Title, 2020“Tentler does justice to James Joyce’s quip that Catholicism means ‘here comes everybody.’ This is the story of everybody—lay people, sisters, priests—who was part of the church in the United States, a story insightfully analyzed and admirably told. A definitive synthesis.”—James M. O’Toole, author of The Faithful“Tentler’s talents as a historian and writer are on abundant display in this beautifully crafted chronicle of almost five centuries of Catholics’ experience in America. Readers will appreciate Tentler’s candor about the myriad challenges facing the church, while many will find comfort in her cautious optimism that the same elements that enriched the Catholic past may yet redeem its future.”—Kathleen Sprows Cummings, author of A Saint of Our Own“American Catholics is a masterful study of U.S. Catholicism that will immediately engage readers. This meticulously researched, comprehensive history captures the rich diversity and complexity of a church and its people that have played an important role in the broader history of the United States.”—Margaret M. McGuinness, author of Called to Serve: A History of Nuns in America“Elegantly written, American Catholics is a thrilling achievement. No better introduction to the current fraught moment in American Catholic history exists and none could be more necessary.”—John T. McGreevy, author of American Jesuits and the World“Whether unpacking the intricacies of the colonial age or the era of the sex abuse crisis, American Catholics is resplendent with insight. This is the finest, most-up to-date and sophisticated treatment available. It will be the go-to volume for a generation of readers.”— James P. McCartin, author of Prayers of the Faithful

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Book SynopsisPublished for the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's landing, this ambitious new history of the Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony will become the new standard work on the Plymouth Colony (Thomas Kidd) Informative, accessible, and compelling. . . . Awelcome invitation to rediscover the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony.Daniel M. Gullotta, Christianity Today[An] excellent new history. . . . [Turner] asserts that the Pilgrims matter for more than their legend, and he deftly uses the history of Plymouth to explore ideas of liberty in the American colonies.Nathanael Blake, National Review In 1620, separatists from the Church of England set sail across the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower. Understanding themselves as spiritual pilgrims, they left to preserve their liberty to worship God in accordance with their understanding of the Bible. There exists, however, an alternative, more dispiriting version of their story. In it, the Pilgrims are religious zealots who persecutedTrade Review“John G. Turner’s superbly detailed new history of the colony looks at what Turner calls the ‘contest for American liberty.’”—Rebecca Fraser, Times Literary Supplement“[An] excellent new history of the colony. . . . While validating some criticisms, [Turner] asserts that the Pilgrims matter for more than their legend, and he deftly uses the history of Plymouth to explore ideas of liberty in the American colonies.”—Nathanael Blake, National Review“What Turner achieves, in what will surely become the definitive history of the Plymouth Colony, is a double perspective. . . . He is excellent at exploring the paradoxes of Calvinist determinism . . . and deftly untangles knotty concepts such as Arminianism and the Halfway Covenant. He allows us to admire the Pilgrims’ persistence, endeavour and energy . . . while giving a clear-eyed assessment of their intolerance and occasional inhumanity.”—Richard Francis, Spectator“They Knew They Were Pilgrims tells this story anew through an even-keeled and extensive history.”—James Panero, New Criterion“Compellingly written and centering the testimonies of formerly enslaved people, this award-winning book is an important contribution to both historiography and contemporary politics.”—Ben Marguiles, LSE Review of Books“Turner has given us the history we need to understand what really mattered about Plymouth.”—Evan Haefeli, Journal of Religious History“In the twentieth century few academic historians have revisited the political, social and religious history of the colony, a void that John Turner has filled with a skilfully written, archive-based history that extends from start (1620) to finish (1691), when the government of William III incorporated it into Massachusetts.”—David D. Hall, Journal of Ecclesiastical HistoryReceived the Christianity Today Award of Merit for the history/biography category, sponsored by Christianity TodayFinalist for The Gospel Coalition 2020 History Book Prize, sponsored by The Gospel CoalitionShortlisted for the New England Society Book Award, sponsored by the New England Society in the City of New York“This highly important book will become the new standard work on the Plymouth Colony.”—Thomas Kidd, author of Who Is an Evangelical?“They Knew They were Pilgrims is a deeply-researched must-read for anyone interested in the Pilgrims and in the history of 17th-century Plymouth Colony.”—Michael P. Winship, author of Hot Protestants“Turner takes readers deep into the complex world the Pilgrims inhabited, giving an old familiar story remarkable new life and power. The story he tells is at once entertaining, erudite, and wonderfully human.”—Margaret Bendroth, author of The Last Puritans“Precisely crafted and far-ranging, They Knew They Were Pilgrims resets Plymouth’s significance in a rapidly evolving colonial world and deftly probes the Pilgrims’ complex relationship to liberty.”—Donna D. Curtin, Pilgrim Hall Museum“On this 400thanniversary of Plymouth Colony, John G. Turner offers a masterful narrative that reassesses the ‘Thanksgiving Story,’ detailing a poignant yet complicated legacy that resonates in our time of social and political turmoil.”—Walter L. Powell, General Society of Mayflower Descendants

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Book SynopsisJohn Julius Norwich expertly examines the history of the oldest continuing institution in the world, tracing the papal line down the centuries from St Peter to the presentOf the 280-odd holders of the supreme office, some have unquestionably been saints; others have wallowed in unspeakable immorality. One was said to have been a woman, her sex being revealed only when she improvidently gave birth to a baby during a papal procession. Almost as shocking was Formosus whose murdered corpse was exhumed, clothed in pontifical vestments, propped up on a throne and subjected to trial. From the glories of Byzantium to the decay of Rome, from the Albigensian Heresy to controversy within the Church today, The Popes is superbly written, witty and revealing. Charming and learned...The prose is elegant, the witticisms are plentiful, and the volume''s enthusiasm is addictive.' Jonathan Wright, BBC History MagazineTrade Review"The stories are glorious...stuffed with monsters, absurdities, wonders and politics... the parade is endlessly interesting" Scotsman "Norwich certainly has an eye for the tiny detail that illuminates a whole character" Mail on Sunday "A highly readable book" Sunday Times "One of the most bizarre and enjoyable history books I've ever read" Daily Express "[John Julius Norwich] approaches his vast canvas with broad brush strokes, dashing off profile after profile with aplomb, flashes of wit and a formidable accumulation of detail" Financial Times

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Book SynopsisFrom the second century AD to the conversion of the first Christian emperor, Constantine, Robin Lane Fox''s Pagans and Christians in the Mediterranean World gives a fascinating new perspective on an extraordinary era. The transition from pagan to Christian in the ancient Mediterranean world was a process whose effects we still live with today. How did this monumental conversion come about? How did Christianity compare and compete with the pagan gods in the Roman Empire? This scholarly work, from award-winning historian Robin Lane Fox, places Christians and pagans side by side in the context of civic life and contrasts their religious experiences, visions, cults and oracles. Leading up to the time of the first Christian emperor, Constantine, the book aims to enlarge and confirm the value of contemporary evidence, some of which has only recently been discovered. ''This brilliant book is a wholly unexpected and central contribution to its subje

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