Philosophy of religion Books

Book SynopsisBranching out from his earlier works providing a history and a theory of apophatic thinking, William Franke''s newest book pursues applications across a variety of communicative media, historical periods, geographical regions, and academic disciplinesmoving from the literary humanities and cultural theory and politics to more empirical fields such as historical anthropology, evolutionary biology, and cognitive science. On the Universality of What Is Not: The Apophatic Turn in Critical Thinking is an original philosophical reflection that shows how intransigent deadlocks debated in each of these arenas can be broken through thanks to the uncanny insights of apophatic vision. Leveraging Franke''s distinctive method of philosophical, religious, and literary thinking and practice, On the Universality of What Is Not proposes a radically unsettling approach to answering (or suspending) perennial questions of philosophy and religion, as well as to dealing with some of our mosTrade Review“Most impressive is what has now become William Franke’s hallmark: an erudite interdisciplinarity that moves with seeming ease between various disciplines within the humanities in order to reach a more comprehensive position from which to examine any one issue. On the Universality of What Is Not brings a strong career focused on apophatic thinking to an important high point.” —Andrew W. Hass, author of Hegel and the Art of Negation"Taking his classic work The Philosophy of the Unsayable beyond philosophy, Franke argues that the unsayable can be a universal unground shared by thinking across disciplines, times, and even cultures. What he has to say about what must go unsaid gives both new urgency and new hope to conversations that can reach across boundaries, letting us think together that there is more than thinking can reach." —Karmen MacKendrick, author of Failing Desire"This magister apophaticus guides the reader on a meditation between and beyond academic disciplines, political identities, and religious and irreligious certitudes. There opens a space, an underground Ungrund, of the 'indefinably common.' Its dark luminosity can illumine unexpected possibilities within our most critical current concerns." —Catherine Keller, author of Political Theology of the Earth

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The nineteenth-century Russian theologian-philosopher Vladimir S. Soloviev’s renowned ‘Three Addresses in Memory of Dostoevsky’ leads off a number of masterful and, in the West, little-known essays on aesthetics, philosophy, and literature—all in Professor Wozniuk’s excellent renditions. The Heart of Reality is a supremely rewarding book—an introduction to the mind of one of Russia’s greatest thinkers and to the spirit of Russia itself.” “One of the strengths of The Heart of Reality remains Wozniuk’s Introduction, which contextualizes Soloviev’s writings on aesthetics for the general reader by summarizing the overarching characteristics of Soloviev’s ambitious philosophical, religious, and social project: his commitment to the process he termed all-unity. Wozniuk’s translations of the Russian essays are carefully crafted, paying attention to the nuances of the original and manifesting an awareness of the pitfalls of decoding the linguistic structures of one language and representing them in another. As a result of this attention to detail and awareness of the issues involved in translation, both the poetic and non-poetic aspects of the translation emerge as elegant and readable. Wozniuk’s translation of Soloviev’s essays on beauty, love, and ethics makes a noteworthy contribution to the body of available English translations of Russian religious philosophy and aesthetics. I highly recommend it not only for graduate and undergraduate libraries, but also for undergraduate courses in the humanities on Russian and Western intellectual history.”—Ars Disputandi“Illuminating . . . and immensely informative.”—Slavonic and East European ReviewThis book is a reliable and fascinating introduction to the springs of Soloviev’s own thought, in the Russian culture that was so dear to him. It is important and timely.”—Studies in Christian Ethics“The translations of Soloviev’s texts are in clear, elegant English. One is able to get a grasp here of the genius of this often contradictory, controversial, and, in many ways, overshadowed personality and his thinking.”—Cistercian Studies Quarterly“This collection . . . provides a good introduction to the thinker Berdyaev called Russia’s greatest philosopher. . . . The central essays of this collection focus on beauty in nature, on the meaning of both beauty and of love, and an approach to aesthetics.”—Religious Studies Review“The Heart of Reality is obviously an attempt to help situate Soloviev more clearly in the mainstream of Western religious philosophy and Christian thought. For this, we should be grateful to the editor.”—Contact“Vladimir Wozniuk’s translation and edition of Vladimir Soloviev’s work is a major contribution in Russian thought and theology. What is particularly impressive about this collection is the thoughtfulness with which it is put together.”“Excellently translated. . . . Featuring a useful introduction, endnotes, and index, this book will be valuable for academic and large public libraries.”—Choice“The present anthology is right on target in emphasizing that the centrality of aesthetics and its close interconnection with religion were arguably Soloviev’s most substantial contribution to philosophy and theology . . . The Wozniuk volume . . . is a meritorious increase of our awareness of this significant thinker.”—The Review of Metaphysics“. . . A useful volume for readers who wish to follow up their interest in one of Russia’s key religious thinkers.”—Theological Book Review

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Book SynopsisExamines Albert the Great's reading of The Book of Causes with an eye toward two questions: How does Albert view the relation between faith and reason, so that he can identify creation from nothing with emanation from God? And how does he understand Platonism and Aristotelianism, so that he can avoid the misreadings of his fellow theologians?Trade Review“This relatively short, but amply footnoted, work is written in the light of an exhaustive bibliography, and with a meticulous care in establishing the best provisional text of Albert’s commentary on the Liber de causis.” —Journal of Ecclesiastical History * Journal of Ecclesiastical History *“A study of an ‘Aristotelian paraphrase’ by the 13th-century German Scholastic philosopher and saint Albert Magnus.” —The Chronicle of Higher Education

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Book SynopsisThe Person and the Common Good, originally published in 1947, presents Jacques Maritain''s clearest and most sustained treatment of the person. He asks whether the person is simply the self and nothing more. After more than half a century, Maritain''s question still has great validity, given the current inordinate preoccupation with individualism.Presenting with moving insight the relations between man, as a person and as an individual, and the society of which he is a part, Maritain''s treatment of a lasting topic speaks to this generation as well as those to come.He makes clear the personalism rooted in the doctrine of St. Thomas and separates the social philosophy centered in the dignity of the human person from every social philosophy centered in the primacy of the individual and the private good.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“This book is an original contribution to Weil studies and beyond because it seeks to apply Simone Weil’s thought to twenty-first century issues directly. It is most welcome and valuable for exactly that reason.” —Vance G. Morgan, author of Weaving the World"In these finely crafted and richly illuminating essays, renowned Weil scholar Eric Springsted confirms the continuing relevance of Simone Weil’s work for an age in which serious thought about matters of value—ethical, political, religious, and aesthetic—is becoming increasingly rare. This long-awaited book should be essential reading for anyone interested in this extraordinary French thinker." —Mario von der Ruhr, associate editor of Philosophical Investigations"Springsted explores [Simone Weil's] thought while bringing it into conversation with other philosophers. His discussion of her religious reflections is particularly valuable." —The Irish Catholic“The book is a product of a lifetime of close and thoughtful engagement with Weil’s writings in which, to some extent, Weil’s thought and Springsted’s have become intertwined, such that it becomes hard to tease one out from the other. He is a guide with something to share not only with those new to Weil’s thought, but those who have explored her highways and byways on many occasions.” —Philosophical Investigations"This book proposes taking French philosopher Simone Weil as a polestar to inspire and orient thought in the twenty-first century. . . . [it] seeks a broader readership that need not be well versed in her thought. Weil is recommended as a model for leading a thoughtful life of action exemplifying integrity, discipline, and the exercise of attention." —The Review of Metaphysics"In his book, Simone Weil in the Twenty-First Century, Eric Springsted reveals his thorough knowledge and deep understanding of this French philosopher and mystic. . . . the book does justice to Weil's diverse interests, showing their connections while resisting the temptation to build a system, thus staying true to her own approach." —Theology TodayTable of ContentsPreface Abbreviations for Weil’s Works Acknowledgments A Brief Biography of Simone Weil I. Philosophical and Theological Thought 1. A Thoughtful Life 2. Mystery and Philosophy 3. The Nature of Grace: Why the Crucifixion Matters 4. Love and Intellect 5. “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine...” 6. Spiritual Apprenticeship 7. A Sacramental Understanding of the World II. Social and Political Thought 8. What is Sacred in Every Human Being? Simone Weil’s Encounter with Maritain 9. The Language of the Inner Life 10. “Thou Hast Given Me Room”: The Retheologization of the Political 11. The Need for Order and the Need for Roots 12. A Theory of Culture: Inspiration and Its Cultural Outworkings 13. Searching for a New St. Benedict 14. Moral Clarity in War Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“This book is an original contribution to Weil studies and beyond because it seeks to apply Simone Weil’s thought to twenty-first century issues directly. It is most welcome and valuable for exactly that reason.” —Vance G. Morgan, author of Weaving the World"In these finely crafted and richly illuminating essays, renowned Weil scholar Eric Springsted confirms the continuing relevance of Simone Weil’s work for an age in which serious thought about matters of value—ethical, political, religious, and aesthetic—is becoming increasingly rare. This long-awaited book should be essential reading for anyone interested in this extraordinary French thinker." —Mario von der Ruhr, associate editor of Philosophical Investigations"Springsted explores [Simone Weil's] thought while bringing it into conversation with other philosophers. His discussion of her religious reflections is particularly valuable." —The Irish Catholic“The book is a product of a lifetime of close and thoughtful engagement with Weil’s writings in which, to some extent, Weil’s thought and Springsted’s have become intertwined, such that it becomes hard to tease one out from the other. He is a guide with something to share not only with those new to Weil’s thought, but those who have explored her highways and byways on many occasions.” —Philosophical Investigations"This book proposes taking French philosopher Simone Weil as a polestar to inspire and orient thought in the twenty-first century. . . . [it] seeks a broader readership that need not be well versed in her thought. Weil is recommended as a model for leading a thoughtful life of action exemplifying integrity, discipline, and the exercise of attention." —The Review of Metaphysics"In his book, Simone Weil in the Twenty-First Century, Eric Springsted reveals his thorough knowledge and deep understanding of this French philosopher and mystic. . . . the book does justice to Weil's diverse interests, showing their connections while resisting the temptation to build a system, thus staying true to her own approach." —Theology TodayTable of ContentsPreface Abbreviations for Weil’s Works Acknowledgments A Brief Biography of Simone Weil I. Philosophical and Theological Thought 1. A Thoughtful Life 2. Mystery and Philosophy 3. The Nature of Grace: Why the Crucifixion Matters 4. Love and Intellect 5. “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine...” 6. Spiritual Apprenticeship 7. A Sacramental Understanding of the World II. Social and Political Thought 8. What is Sacred in Every Human Being? Simone Weil’s Encounter with Maritain 9. The Language of the Inner Life 10. “Thou Hast Given Me Room”: The Retheologization of the Political 11. The Need for Order and the Need for Roots 12. A Theory of Culture: Inspiration and Its Cultural Outworkings 13. Searching for a New St. Benedict 14. Moral Clarity in War Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Philosophical Exigencies is a key work in Blondel’s oeuvre, describing in accessible terms for a general readership his mature understanding of the ineluctable interdependence of philosophy and theology as well as the nature-grace relationship. Blondel is always careful to write as a philosopher and never to trespass on theological turf. Yet he writes as a believer, in such a way that he has much to say about what theology is and what it is not, or what it cannot be.” —Cathal Doherty, S.J., author of Maurice Blondel on the Supernatural in Human Action"Blondel’s rich account of human action and its ability to overcome the institutionalized opposition between the natural and supernatural in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Catholic theology, his original approach to philosophy’s relationship to theology in modernity, and his account of the vital role tradition plays in Christian self-understanding have exerted a decisive influence over modern and contemporary Catholicism." —The Review of MetaphysicsTable of ContentsTranslator's Introduction Part 1. The Christian Sense Foreword Introduction 1. The Historical Aspect: What is Specific About It in Christian Religion 2. The Intellectual Aspect: And the Permanent Unity of the Christian Spirit 3. The Internal Proofs and the Spiritually Vivifying Aspect of Christian Religion 4. Is it Possible to Define the Christian Spirit by Resolving It Back to a Principle of Essential Unity? 5. On the Enabling Method for Acceding to the Domain Where Lives the Indissoluble Unity of the Christian Spirit 6. The Catholic Unity 7. The Inventions of Charity and the Supernatural 8. The Destiny Offered and Imposed on Man 9. Synthetic Exploration and Progressive March Starting from the Generative Idea of Christian Religion 10. Unity of the Work of Creation for the External Glory of God through Supernatural Elevation 11. The Conditions for Realizing the Divine Plan for Surmounting the Difficulty of Uniting Two Incommensurables, the Creator and the Creature: on the one hand, the Invention of Divine Charity to Cross the Abyss through the “Verbum Caro Factum” [the Word Made Flesh] and the Hypostatic Union; on the other hand, the Testing Imposed on Man by the Transformative Union. 12. The Doctrine of the Supernatural Considered under its Triple Metaphysical, Ascetic and Mystical Aspect 13. How the Order of Grace Completes the Natural Order and Forms with it in Us a Life and a Personality that is Truly One 14. The Union of Nature and Supernature in the Practical Order Itself 15. The Philosophical Problem of Sanctity 16. The Proof of Christian Religion through the Idea and the Word itself: of Catholicism 17. The Character of Apostolicity in Catholicism Conclusion Part 2. On Assimilation as Fulfillment and Transposition of the Theory of Analogy Foreword 1. Twofold Traditional Sense of the Word “Assimilation” 2. Getting Beyond the Metaphors That Risk Masking the True Problem 3. Is the Issue One of a Simple Ideal Participation or Do We Have to Conceive of a Truly Vital Participation? 4. Irreplaceable Role of a Laborious Trial of Parturition for the “New Birth” 5. Paradox of the Tribulations of the Just and Scandal of the Sufferings Judged According to Our Human Views 6. Supreme Objection: The Problem of Evil in Its Most Universal Form 7. The Only Appeasing Solution of an Assimilative Theogony by Way of Renunciation and Even Death 8. Exigencies of Divine Charity Part 3. Reconsideration and Global View: Circumincession of the Problems and Unity of Perspectives 1. Twofold Inspiration of Our Inquiries 2. Objections and Contradictions through Which the Enlightened and Enlightening Way Is Opened 3. How Philosophical Thought Can Resolve the Enigma of Our Indeclinable Destiny Part 4. Appendix: Clarifications and Admonitions 1. Remarks on Our Method of Implication against the Abuses of Abstractive and Constructive Methods 2. Some Precisions on Terminology 3. On the Relation between the Philosophical Trilogy and the Study on Philosophy and the Christian Spirit 4. Appeasing Clarities for Reason Projected by Revelation

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Philosophical Exigencies is a key work in Blondel’s oeuvre, describing in accessible terms for a general readership his mature understanding of the ineluctable interdependence of philosophy and theology as well as the nature-grace relationship. Blondel is always careful to write as a philosopher and never to trespass on theological turf. Yet he writes as a believer, in such a way that he has much to say about what theology is and what it is not, or what it cannot be.” —Cathal Doherty, S.J., author of Maurice Blondel on the Supernatural in Human Action"Blondel’s rich account of human action and its ability to overcome the institutionalized opposition between the natural and supernatural in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Catholic theology, his original approach to philosophy’s relationship to theology in modernity, and his account of the vital role tradition plays in Christian self-understanding have exerted a decisive influence over modern and contemporary Catholicism." —The Review of MetaphysicsTable of ContentsTranslator's Introduction Part 1. The Christian Sense Foreword Introduction 1. The Historical Aspect: What is Specific About It in Christian Religion 2. The Intellectual Aspect: And the Permanent Unity of the Christian Spirit 3. The Internal Proofs and the Spiritually Vivifying Aspect of Christian Religion 4. Is it Possible to Define the Christian Spirit by Resolving It Back to a Principle of Essential Unity? 5. On the Enabling Method for Acceding to the Domain Where Lives the Indissoluble Unity of the Christian Spirit 6. The Catholic Unity 7. The Inventions of Charity and the Supernatural 8. The Destiny Offered and Imposed on Man 9. Synthetic Exploration and Progressive March Starting from the Generative Idea of Christian Religion 10. Unity of the Work of Creation for the External Glory of God through Supernatural Elevation 11. The Conditions for Realizing the Divine Plan for Surmounting the Difficulty of Uniting Two Incommensurables, the Creator and the Creature: on the one hand, the Invention of Divine Charity to Cross the Abyss through the “Verbum Caro Factum” [the Word Made Flesh] and the Hypostatic Union; on the other hand, the Testing Imposed on Man by the Transformative Union. 12. The Doctrine of the Supernatural Considered under its Triple Metaphysical, Ascetic and Mystical Aspect 13. How the Order of Grace Completes the Natural Order and Forms with it in Us a Life and a Personality that is Truly One 14. The Union of Nature and Supernature in the Practical Order Itself 15. The Philosophical Problem of Sanctity 16. The Proof of Christian Religion through the Idea and the Word itself: of Catholicism 17. The Character of Apostolicity in Catholicism Conclusion Part 2. On Assimilation as Fulfillment and Transposition of the Theory of Analogy Foreword 1. Twofold Traditional Sense of the Word “Assimilation” 2. Getting Beyond the Metaphors That Risk Masking the True Problem 3. Is the Issue One of a Simple Ideal Participation or Do We Have to Conceive of a Truly Vital Participation? 4. Irreplaceable Role of a Laborious Trial of Parturition for the “New Birth” 5. Paradox of the Tribulations of the Just and Scandal of the Sufferings Judged According to Our Human Views 6. Supreme Objection: The Problem of Evil in Its Most Universal Form 7. The Only Appeasing Solution of an Assimilative Theogony by Way of Renunciation and Even Death 8. Exigencies of Divine Charity Part 3. Reconsideration and Global View: Circumincession of the Problems and Unity of Perspectives 1. Twofold Inspiration of Our Inquiries 2. Objections and Contradictions through Which the Enlightened and Enlightening Way Is Opened 3. How Philosophical Thought Can Resolve the Enigma of Our Indeclinable Destiny Part 4. Appendix: Clarifications and Admonitions 1. Remarks on Our Method of Implication against the Abuses of Abstractive and Constructive Methods 2. Some Precisions on Terminology 3. On the Relation between the Philosophical Trilogy and the Study on Philosophy and the Christian Spirit 4. Appeasing Clarities for Reason Projected by Revelation

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewReviews for the 1984 edition of Action: “Blondel’s masterwork, Action, remains a philosophical classic. It is a book that should be read by every mature philosopher and theologian.” —International Philosophical Quarterly “This translation by Oliva Blanchette is very welcome and quite readable. . . . [His] introduction is excellent and provides a clear and thorough preparation for the uninitiated reader.” —Philosophy of Religion “This translation of Blondel’s critique of life, [his] guide to living, is the best introduction to the man and his important kind of thinking, with a special eloquence and moving force in the reading of the whole.” —Religious Studies Review

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Like Desmond’s other publications, this book shows a deep thoughtfulness, a rare capacity to wonder, and an astonishing attentiveness to things that are evident but tend to pass by unnoticed.” —D. C. Schindler, author of Freedom from Reality“William Desmond is one of the most original philosophers of our time, and this volume is perhaps his most fascinating yet.” —David Bentley Hart, author of Theological Territories"The adventure of this work is in stepping away from any preconceived notions and reflecting on the human experience in a new way. Upon doing so, Desmond offers many incisive and rich critiques of an atheistic contemporary world as well as of static and insufficient presentations of religious belief, all from within his particular conceptual framework." —The University BookmanTable of ContentsIntroduction: Superiority Beyond Interiority 1. Default Atheism 2. Thresholds Between Finitude and Infinitude: The Self-sublation and Abjection of Transcendence 3. Solitudes: Thresholds Between Selving and the Sacred 4. Idiot Wisdom and the Intimate Universal: Immanence and Transcendence in an Intercultural Perspective 5. Mysticism and the Intimate Universal: On the Arnhem Mystical Sermons and Sri Aurobindo 6. Dream Monologues of Autonomy: Variations on the Prodigal Son 7. Exceeding Virtue: On Aquinas and the Beatitudes 8. Godsends: On the Surprise of Revelation

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Book SynopsisDavid Bentley Hart offers an intense and thorough reflection upon the issue of the supernatural in Christian theology and doctrine.In recent years, the theologicaland, more specifically, Roman Catholicquestion of the supernatural has made an astonishing return from seeming oblivion. David Bentley Hart's You Are Gods presents a series of meditations on the vexed theological question of the relation of nature and supernature. In its merely controversial aspect, the book is intended most directly as a rejection of a certain Thomistic construal of that relation, as well as an argument in favor of a model of nature and supernature at once more Eastern and patristic, and also more in keeping with the healthier currents of mediaeval and modern Catholic thought. In its more constructive and confessedly radical aspects, the book makes a vigorous case for the all-but-complete eradication of every qualitative, ontological, or logical distinction between the natural and theTrade Review“David Bentley Hart’s You Are Gods is simply brilliant. The book is a wonderful example of Hart’s incomparable skill as an essayist, delightful writer, and profound thinker, both philosophically and theologically.” —John Behr, author of John the Theologian and His Paschal Gospel“These outstanding essays are all absolutely first-rate and crucial for current theological discussions and the emergent, most creative directions. Hart successfully shows that the manualist revival is a pathology irrelevant to those directions.”—John Milbank, author of The Suspended Middle"You Are Gods is a challenging but rewarding theological text whose contents are confessedly radical, and whose end point is to advance the idea that nature and supernature are, in reality, one." —Foreword Reviews"The debate over whether it is grace or nature that directs human beings towards the beatific vision was one of the most contentious intra-Catholic theological disputes of the twentieth century. David Bentley Hart’s You Are Gods: On Nature and Supernature shows that the debate is alive and by no means merely academic and inconsequential—pantheism, tradition, orthodoxy, and heterodoxy are all very much at stake in the argument." —Public Discourse"As you might expect, if you have read even a single paragraph of Hart’s previous writing, the essays in this collection are erudite and trenchant, and full of surprises." —Church Times"[R]eaders would do well not to cheapen Hart’s work by allowing his verbal enthusiasms to be nothing more than an exciting (or aggravating) thrill ride. Instead, there’s probably something for most readers to gain by slowing down and trying to grok the basic judgment holding the whole thing up: All created realities, but especially spiritual realities, have their being and meaning in radical and total dependent relationship to God. This, for Hart, is the necessary shape of our contingence." —The Living Church"You Are Gods has much to recommend it. The author is highly effective in his attack on two-tier Thomism, and his argument that the Gospels are shot through with non-dualist imagery is sound. . . . David Bentley Hart brings to this elegantly written book his customary verve, theological acumen and ability to communicate difficult ideas." —The Way"Another masterful essay by an essential Christian thinker." —Mayéutica"Hart’s prose is flowing, profound and often entertaining... This book will not only be of considerable interest to his followers and to students of deification, but will also be of significance for those who are intrigued to see how the classical tradition can be interpreted in such a way as to eliminate divine aloofness and detachment." —Modern Believing"Eastern Orthodox theologian and author Hart presents metaphysical meditations on his idea that nature and the supernatural are a unified whole." —Publishers Weekly"One is invited to reflect upon the metaphysical implications of revelation which hearken to the deepest secret of our created and uncreated existence… Taken as a whole, You Are Gods is by turns bold, incisive, exasperating, ultimately a penetrating exposition of the manner in which the primal root of nature, time, and grace is the eschaton that alone bestows meaning and coherence to dynamisms of heart and mind summoned from the nothing as agapeic gift." —Eclectic Orthodoxy"In its more constructive and confessedly radical aspects, the book makes a vigorous case for the all-but-complete eradication of every qualitative, ontological, or logical distinction between the natural and the supernatural in the life of spiritual creatures. It advances a radically monistic vision of Christian metaphysics but does so wholly on the basis of credal orthodoxy." —Englewood Review of Books"You are Gods is a work that would be of great interest to the student of theology, and it is also one that opens up a number of important debates which are worth having, and it already appears to have stirred up the Thomist circles which Hart scrutinises." —VoegelinView"To say that David Bentley Hart possesses brilliant theological insight is a truism newly confirmed in this beautifully written collection of essays themed around the topic of nature and supernature. The book is an engaging read that should not be missed by anyone interested in contemporary theologies of grace."—The Heythrop JournalTable of Contents Introduction 1. Waking the Gods: Theosis as Reason’s Natural End 2. The Treasure of Delight: Nicholas of Cusa on Infinite Desire 3. That Judgment Whereby You Judge: Beauty and Discernment 4. Pia Fraus: Our Words and God’s Truth 5. Geist’s Kaleidoscope: Some Questions for Cyril O’Regan 6. The Chiasmus: The Created Supernatural and the Natural Divine

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Book SynopsisThis book explores a wide range of philosophical issues in their connection with theism, including views of free will, ethical theories, theories of mind, naturalism, and karma-plus-reincarnation.In this clear and logical guide, C. Stephen Layman takes up eight important philosophical questions about God: Does God exist? Why does God permit evil? Why think God is good? Why is God hidden? What is God's relationship to ethics? Is divine foreknowledge compatible with human free will? Do humans have souls? Does reincarnation provide the best explanation of suffering? Based on more than thirty years of experience in teaching undergraduates and in leading philosophical discussions related to God, Layman has arranged the text to deal with each of these eight questions in one or two chapters apiece.Many philosophical works take up questions about God, but the chapters of this book plunge the reader very quickly into the arguments relevant to each question. Layman presenTrade Review“Only someone such as C. Stephen Layman, who has worked in philosophy of religion for many years, could write such an informative and accessible book.” —James P. Sterba, University of Notre Dame“Both the breadth and the depth of exposition will educate readers in matters of more general metaphysical and epistemological interest than can be found in many student texts in philosophy of religion.” —R. Douglas Geivett, co-editor of The Testimony of the Spirit"C. Stephen Layman’s gift for explaining complicated things is on display in this wonderful introduction to eight well-chosen questions about God. The questions range from traditional to novel, and the answers to them include key extant replies along with some new gems from Layman himself. A great companion for your next philosophy of religion unit or course!" —Jeanine Diller, co-editor of Models of God and Other Alternative Ultimate Realities"Stephen Layman’s insightful explication of the major claims of traditional theism has a clear unity in spite of its broad range. Layman writes with a clarity that makes the book accessible to the lay reader while also offering an original approach to the war of the world views that should be required reading for scholars in philosophy of religion." —Laura L. Garcia, editor of Truth, Life and Solidarity"In methodical fashion, philosophy professor Layman offers a no-nonsense defense of theism—'the belief that God exists and is the Creator of the universe.' . . . any reader looking for cogent arguments to support their personal belief in God will find plenty to bolster them here." —Publishers Weekly"The major virtues of C. Stephen Layman's book are its clarity, its concision, its accessibility, and its scope. . . . . God: Eight Enduring Questions offers a careful and cogent case for theism. . . it also provides a remarkably clear and accessible overview of some of the most important debates in contemporary philosophy of religion." —Theological Studies"All theo-philosophical analytic thinkers will find Layman's book both compelling and thorough. ...Recommended." —ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Does God Exist? Part I 2. Does God Exist? Part II 3. Why Does God Permit Evil? 4. Why Think God is Good? 5. Why is God Hidden? Part I 6. Why is God Hidden? Part II 7. How is God related to Ethics? 8. Is Divine Foreknowledge Compatible with Human Free Will? Part I 9. Is Divine Foreknowledge Compatible with Human Free Will? Part II 10. Do Humans Have Souls? Part I 11. Do Humans Have Souls? Part II 12. Does Reincarnation Provide the Best Explanation of Suffering? Epilogue Works Cited

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Book SynopsisThis book explores a wide range of philosophical issues in their connection with theism, including views of free will, ethical theories, theories of mind, naturalism, and karma-plus-reincarnation.In this clear and logical guide, C. Stephen Layman takes up eight important philosophical questions about God: Does God exist? Why does God permit evil? Why think God is good? Why is God hidden? What is God's relationship to ethics? Is divine foreknowledge compatible with human free will? Do humans have souls? Does reincarnation provide the best explanation of suffering? Based on more than thirty years of experience in teaching undergraduates and in leading philosophical discussions related to God, Layman has arranged the text to deal with each of these eight questions in one or two chapters apiece.Many philosophical works take up questions about God, but the chapters of this book plunge the reader very quickly into the arguments relevant to each question. Layman presenTrade Review“Only someone such as C. Stephen Layman, who has worked in philosophy of religion for many years, could write such an informative and accessible book.” —James P. Sterba, University of Notre Dame“Both the breadth and the depth of exposition will educate readers in matters of more general metaphysical and epistemological interest than can be found in many student texts in philosophy of religion.” —R. Douglas Geivett, co-editor of The Testimony of the Spirit"C. Stephen Layman’s gift for explaining complicated things is on display in this wonderful introduction to eight well-chosen questions about God. The questions range from traditional to novel, and the answers to them include key extant replies along with some new gems from Layman himself. A great companion for your next philosophy of religion unit or course!" —Jeanine Diller, co-editor of Models of God and Other Alternative Ultimate Realities"Stephen Layman’s insightful explication of the major claims of traditional theism has a clear unity in spite of its broad range. Layman writes with a clarity that makes the book accessible to the lay reader while also offering an original approach to the war of the world views that should be required reading for scholars in philosophy of religion." —Laura L. Garcia, editor of Truth, Life and Solidarity"In methodical fashion, philosophy professor Layman offers a no-nonsense defense of theism—'the belief that God exists and is the Creator of the universe.' . . . any reader looking for cogent arguments to support their personal belief in God will find plenty to bolster them here." —Publishers Weekly"The major virtues of C. Stephen Layman's book are its clarity, its concision, its accessibility, and its scope. . . . . God: Eight Enduring Questions offers a careful and cogent case for theism. . . it also provides a remarkably clear and accessible overview of some of the most important debates in contemporary philosophy of religion." —Theological Studies"All theo-philosophical analytic thinkers will find Layman's book both compelling and thorough. ...Recommended." —ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Does God Exist? Part I 2. Does God Exist? Part II 3. Why Does God Permit Evil? 4. Why Think God is Good? 5. Why is God Hidden? Part I 6. Why is God Hidden? Part II 7. How is God related to Ethics? 8. Is Divine Foreknowledge Compatible with Human Free Will? Part I 9. Is Divine Foreknowledge Compatible with Human Free Will? Part II 10. Do Humans Have Souls? Part I 11. Do Humans Have Souls? Part II 12. Does Reincarnation Provide the Best Explanation of Suffering? Epilogue Works Cited

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The Eucharistic Form of God fills a large gap in Balthasar scholarship by attending so comprehensively to Balthasar’s eucharistic theology and showing how it has an integrative place within the whole of his theology. A masterful and valuable work!” —Matthew Levering, author of The Achievement of Hans Urs von Balthasar“The Eucharistic Form of God represents a major contribution to scholarship on Hans Urs von Balthasar and Catholic sacramental theology.” —Nicholas J. Healy, author of The Eschatology of Hans Urs von Balthasar"For Balthasar, the Eucharist is Christ's thanksgiving to the Father in heaven for having given Him the gift of giving Himself for all. Ciraulo shows in a convincing way that this eternal thanksgiving is given to us as God's most precious gift that moves us toward fulfillment in heaven." —Fr Jacques Servais, SJ, director of the Casa Balthasar"This profoundly penetrating study on a pivotal aspect of Balthasar’s theology has been extensively footnoted and seems intended for well-grounded theologians. It could be appropriately employed in a graduate seminar, or an advanced class at a seminary, on modern theology." —American Academy of Religion"This fine book, by a most promising young scholar, is not only intellectually rewarding, it is prayerfully pondered—from cover to cover." —AmericaTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Abbreviations 1. Balthasar’s Eucharistic Theology: Sacramental Foreground and Trinitarian Background 2. Pneumatic Flesh: The Holy Spirit and the Church’s Eucharist 3. “Truly You are a Hidden God”: Liturgical Manifestation and its Limits 4. Sub Velamento: The Eucharist Between this World and the Next Conclusion: Balthasar’s Cosmic Liturgy Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWhat is civility, and why has it disappeared? Ann Hartle analyzes the origins of the modern project and the Essays of Michel de Montaigne to discuss why civility is failing in our own time.In this bold book, Ann Hartle, one of the most important interpreters of sixteenth-century French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, explores the modern notion of civilitythe social bond that makes it possible for individuals to live in peace in the political and social structures of the Western worldand asks, why has it disappeared? Concerned with the deepening cultural divisions in our postmodern, post-Christian world, she traces their roots back to the Reformation and Montaigne's Essays. Montaigne's philosophical project of drawing on ancient philosophy and Christianity to create a new social bond to reform the mores of his culture is perhaps the first act of self-conscious civility. After tracing Montaigne's thought, Hartle returns to our modern society and argues thaTrade Review“The insistent point of What Happened to Civility—that civility is collapsing as enlightenment ideology’s relentless advance swamps the premodern, traditional sources of nobility and mercy that Montaigne relied upon to create civility in the first place—is new, true, and significant.” —Benjamin Storey, co-author of Why We Are Restless“No other book-length treatment of Montaigne’s notion of civility exists. Hartle succeeds admirably well in showing that Montaigne’s conception of civility helped to shape modern self-understanding in significant ways.” —John C. McCarthy, editor of Modern Enlightenment and the Rule of Reason"Time spent with this book will be rewarded, both with a heightened sense of the importance of civility to human happiness and wonder for the artistry of a great essayist like Montaigne." —The American Conservative"The book is a good contribution to a troubling debate, and one with which Montaigne himself would have been pleased." —Church Times“Ann Hartle analyzes the reasons for the contemporary decay of civility, which was given its modern formulation 'out of the fragments of the shattered classical-Christian tradition' in Montaigne’s Essays. She goes on to consider 'what has been lost in the movement from sacred tradition as the social bond' to its secular form, notably a 'public standard of moral virtue.'" —ChoiceAnn Hartle’s What Happened to Civility offers an inviting proposition: civility should be understood as a human invention and therefore is ultimately doomed to failure. -Perspectives on PoliticsTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. The New Adam: The Philosopher’s Sleight-of-Hand 2. The New Order: Hidden Mastery 3. Authenticity: The Greatest Thing in the World 4. Civility: Suppressing the Human Self 5. The Deterioration of Civility: When Everything Becomes Political 6. Living among the Ruins: The Disintegration of the Social Bond Bibliography

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Book SynopsisHow do we judge whether we should be willing to follow the views of experts or whether we ought to try to come to our own, independent views? This book seeks the answer in medieval philosophical thought.In this engaging study into the history of philosophy and epistemology, Peter Adamson provides an answer to a question as relevant today as it was in the medieval period: how and when should we turn to the authoritative expertise of other people in forming our own beliefs? He challenges us to reconsider our approach to this question through a constructive recovery of the intellectual and cultural traditions of the Islamic world, the Byzantine Empire, and Latin Christendom.Adamson begins by foregrounding the distinction in Islamic philosophy between taqlid, or the uncritical acceptance of authority, and ijtihad, or judgment based on independent effort, the latter of which was particularly prized in Islamic law, theology, and philosophy Trade Review“This is a highly original work in its combination of popular and scholarly themes. Adamson weaves together a number of disparate sources under the broad theme of the epistemic legitimacy of authority, many of them unexpected companions.” —Deborah L. Black, author of Logic and Aristotle’s “Rhetoric” and “Poetics” in Medieval Arabic Philosophy"Don’t Think for Yourself is a timely intervention from the past into the present. And while it is up to the individual reader to decide who they think offers the best insight today, Peter Adamson offers us a chance to have a dialogue across the generations, cultures and geographies. . . . We may not agree with what our predecessors thought about expertise and our relationship to it, but reading them might trigger a new way of thinking about our problems. A thoughtful, engaging and erudite book that leaves one wanting more." —The New Arab"Thoughtful, lucid, and concise... A book which can be read fruitfully not only by medievalists of all disciplines, but also by anyone interested in the philosophic contributions of the past." —The Medieval ReviewTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Taqlīd: Authority and the Intellectual Elite in the Islamic World 2. Too High a Standard: Knowledge and Skepticism in Medieval Philosophy 3. Testing the Prophets: Reason and the Choice of Faiths 4. Using the Pagans: Reason in Interreligious Debate 5. Some Pagans are Better than Others: the Merits of Plato and Aristotle 6. Finding Their Voices: Women in Byzantine and Latin Christian Philosophy 7. The Rule of Reason: Human and Animal Nature

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Book SynopsisA thoroughgoing examination of Maximus Confessor's singular theological vision through the prism of Christ's cosmic and historical Incarnation.Jordan Daniel Wood changes the trajectory of patristic scholarship with this comprehensive historical and systematic study of one of the most creative and profound thinkers of the patristic era: Maximus Confessor (560662 CE). Wood''s panoramic vantage on Maximus's thought emulates the theological depth of Hans Urs von Balthasar's Cosmic Liturgy while also serving as a corrective to that classic text.Maximus''s theological vision may be summed up in his enigmatic assertion that the Word of God, very God, wills always and in all things to actualize the mystery of his Incarnation. The Whole Mystery of Christ sets out to explicate this claim. Attentive to the various contexts in which Maximus thought and wroteincluding the wisdom of earlier church fathers, conciliar developments in Christological aTrade Review“The Whole Mystery of Christ offers a brilliant interpretation . . . and both its novelty and its audacity will make for an intense and hopefully fruitful theological discussion in the years ahead. This book offers a new paradigm for Maximus scholarship and does it superbly well.” —Hans Boersma, author of Embodiment and Virtue in Gregory of Nyssa"Wood’s contribution lies not simply in his own speculative audacity, but also in an unremitting willingness to take Maximus at his word without lazily assigning the most challenging formulations to hyperbole. Consequently, this book provides endlessly rich material for reflection and argument. Wood’s ingeniously original interpretation demonstrates that Maximus is still as revolutionary and enigmatic a Christian thinker now as he ever was, and that the real Maximus needs to be rescued from the sort of scholarship that has too often sought to tame his exorbitant genius." —David Bentley Hart, author of You Are Gods"Jordan Wood makes a compelling case that creation is itself 'incarnation,' the radical identification of the Creator not just 'in' the creation or 'with' the creation but 'as' the creation. Wood skillfully analyzes key texts in drawing out the ramifications of this thesis for Maximus’s Christology, cosmology, and other aspects of his doctrine. The Whole Mystery of Christ will certainly engage important new discussion of one of the most prolific thinkers of the Eastern Christian tradition." —Paul Blowers, author of Maximus the Confessor"Jordan Daniel Wood’s The Whole Mystery of Christ: Creation as Incarnation in Maximus the Confessor sets out to free Maximus the Confessor from the captivity of scholarly discourses that have misperceived him." —Reading Religion"Wood's tour de force asks the very valuable and interesting systematic questions so often missing in historical theology." —Modern Theology"Wood's Maximian vision should enrich contemporary constructive discussions about the relationship of God to a fallen world that has yet to become creation in its fullness." —Christian Century"Wood engages vigorously with much recent Maximian scholarship and offers a lively and distinctive contribution of his own."—The Heythrop JournalTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Abbreviations Preface Introduction: The God-World Relation in Modern Maximus Scholarship 1. The Middle: Christo-Logic 2. The Beginning: Word becomes World 3. The End: World becomes Trinity 4. The Whole: Creation as Christ Conclusion: The Whole Mystery of Christ An Analytic Appendix of Key Concepts Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAn accessible translation of the biography of noted French philosopher Jacques Maritain and his wife RaïssaTrade Review"[Jacques and Raïssa Maritain's] lives spanned the period running from the Dreyfus case in 1894 to the death of Jacques Maritain in 1973. And since they had been involved, personally and intellectually, in all the agitations of this momentous period in both French and world history, this account of their lives offers a fascinating panorama of the clashing ideas and ideals that still echo in our own time." —The New Republic"Jean-Luc Barré's book is an important contribution to understanding Jacques and Raïssa Maritain, and it has been rightly recognized as providing insights into the life and character of a couple who, for a time, seemed to have their finger on the pulse of intellectual life and culture in mid-twentieth century western Europe and the Americas." —Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews"For those who have known Raïssa chiefly through Jacques and Jacques through his books, this substantial account of their lives will introduce a man and a woman passionate in their causes, prayerful in all circumstances and intrepid in the integrity of their humanism." —America"From start to finish, it is a story of this devoted pair as 'beggars for heaven,' as a husband and wife who were passionate about the salvation of souls." —New Oxford Review"First published ten years ago, this was the first true biography of Jacques Maritain, and it has had no rivals since. . . His complete works in French have been published, and there is an English collected works in progress. Barré's biography has given new stimulus to this welcome longevity, and Bernard Doering has put us in his debt with his elegant translation." —First Things"Bernard Doering has done an extremely admirable job translating Barré's prose. . . Barré's book serves as a good foundation. His extensive use of the Maritain archives at Kolbsheim will doubtless aid future scholars." —Religion and Literature"Much has been written on Maritain, perhaps the most influential French theologian of the twentieth century, but now we have a masterly biography that details what was so important for him, the inner life, the working of the soul. . . . this book is a magnificent achievement: would we had the same quality biographical work for de Lubac and von Balthasar." —Ecclesiastical History“Barré's narrative is so wonderfully stirring and multifaceted that it generates its own lacunae in the minds of readers. . . [who] owe Bernard Doering a deep debt of gratitude for a superb translation.” —The Catholic Historical Review“This is a fine book, a pleasure to read, nicely translated by Bernard E. Doering of Notre Dame. The focus is on the lives of two remarkable people with general information about their thought.” —Cistercian Studies Quarterly

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"There is always room for a new look at old things when it is taken by a master who is not afraid to make up his own mind or to accept a justified consensus of opinion, and such is the book now before us. There is nothing better of its size on the market." —Heythrop Journal"To write well a history of ideas is notoriously difficult. Dr. Frederick Copleston, an established master who has made both historians and philosophers sit at his feet by his well-known History of Philosophy, wrote some years ago a short account of medieval philosophy. This little book he has now remade and expanded to become a substantial survey." —Spectator

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“This impressive study offers what I think is the very first genealogy of Christian usage of the idea of divine simplicity up through Origen of Alexandria.” —Andrew Radde-Gallwitz, author of Gregory of Nyssa’s Doctrinal Works"Readers will find the discussion of Origen's relation to the Platonists of his time especially valuable in its erudition and its conceptual sophistication. This book is a contribution, not only to patristics, but to the history of philosophy." —Mark Edwards, author of Christians, Gnostics and Philosophers in Late Antiquity"Ip’s elegant discussion of divine simplicity in pre-Nicene theology helps us to see with new clarity the diversity of ways this doctrine was articulated, and the functions it performed. By showing us this rich diversity, Ip also offers further arguments for taking the doctrine seriously as an integral and important part of the Patristic heritage. Students of Trinitarian theology, of Irenaeus, and of Origen will all need to come to terms with Ip’s work." —Lewis Ayres, author of Augustine and the Trinity"Ip's lucid and surefooted book provides an historical and conceptual anchorage for any future discourse on divine simplicity, giving the doctrine a more human and concrete face, and enabling a new flexibility in addressing the formidable conundrums it poses." —Reviews in Religion & Theology"The attentive reader will find in these pages persuasive, careful arguments based on detailed analyses of the relevant texts. This study... is as useful as an introduction to ancient philosophical theology and methods of its study as it is as a contribution to scholarly understandings of the numerous individual passages, figures and broader narratives it engages." —Scottish Journal of Theology"A good example of careful historical work and a valuable contribution to understanding the development of the Christian teaching on the Trinity. Moreover, the book charts some ways forward for better understanding how Trinitarian theology developed from the third century into the fourth. Those interested in early Christianity, historical theology, and systematic theology will gain insight from this book."—Journal of Theological Studies"The author’s way of presenting his research has the great advantage that it makes the positions clear and provides a good insight into the sources. Many authors could learn a lesson from Pui Ip’s way of presenting his research. If there are more details to add to the picture—and there probably are—Ip puts the reader of the book in a very good position to dive deeper into the sources to discover more details of this important theological theme."—Modern TheologyTable of ContentsIntroduction: In Search of Doctrinal History 1. The Locus Classicus of Divine Simplicity 2. From the Simple God to the Simple First Principle 3. Irenaeus’ Critique of Valentinian probolē and the Proto-Trinitarian Problematic 4. Monarchianism and the Fully Trinitarian Problematic 5. Divine Simplicity as a Metaphysical-Ethical Synthesis in Origen 6. Divine Simplicity as an Anti-Monarchian Principle of Differentiation between the Father and Son 7. Divine Simplicity as an anti-Valentinian Principle of Unity between the Father and Son Epilogue: Towards a Prospective Historiography Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis classic and controversial book examines the roots of the idea of virtue, diagnoses the reasons for its absence in modern life, and proposes a path for its recovery.Trade Review“After Virtue is a striking work. It is clearly written and readable. The nonprofessional will find MacIntyre perspicuous and lively. He stands within the best modern traditions of writing on such matters.” —New York Review of Books“MacIntyre’s arguments deserve to be taken seriously by anybody who thinks that the mere acceptance of pluralism is not the same thing as democracy, who worries about politicians wishing to give opinions about everything under the sun, and who stops to think of how important Aristotelian ethics have been for centuries.” —The Economist“After Virtue is a rigorous, ambitious, and original book. It is a reinterpretation of the entire history of Western moral philosophy, as decline, fall, and—possibly—rebirth.” —The Village Voice“MacIntyre has reconsidered and extended his ideas since the 1981 and 1984 editions, but retains his central thesis that it is only possible to understand the dominant moral culture of advanced modernity adequately from a standpoint external to that culture. He is still an Aristotelian, he says, but has come to believe that Thomas Aquinas expressed Aristotle's views better than the old man himself did.” —Reference and Research Book News“If MacIntyre’s admittedly bleak diagnosis of our times is not accepted, the rivalry it sparked surely has some benefit for the interface between competing traditions. And where it is accepted, it will also be because those who accept it have not give up on our capacity, despite everything else, to be virtuous.” —Catholic Books Review"Alasdair MacIntyre in After Virtue has written one of the most important books of the decade… a stunning critique of current moral philosophy and moral practice." — Commonweal MagazineMaIntyre’s After Virtue is one of the most widely read books of moral philosophy to appear in recent years. It is written with little of the technical arguments that limits the readership of many philosophy works and has drawn considerable response from readers outside academe.” —The Chronicle of Higher Education

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“This is an important work, unlocking de Lubac in a fresh way that resituates him within the flow of twentieth-century theology and suggests a different way of conceiving his relation to Vatican II.” —Philip McCosker, co-editor of Cambridge Companion to the "Summa Theologiae" of Thomas Aquinas"Schlesinger’s Salvation in Henri de Lubac challenges us to see a soteriological vision as the golden thread running through the theologian's many works. This is a substantial contribution to our discussion and will be welcomed by any concerned with theology in our day." —Lewis Ayres, author of Augustine and the Trinity"In this excellent study, Schlesinger joins his voice to a new generation of de Lubac scholarship that seeks to discern a vital artery giving a single pulse to de Lubac’s very diverse corpus of writings. Schlesinger’s knowledge of de Lubac and the scholarship around him is unparalleled, and his synthetic vision offers a powerful new understanding of this master of the ressourcement." —Kevin L. Hughes, author of Constructing Antichrist"Schlesinger's careful study of de Lubac’s writing, with sixty-three pages of endnotes, is important for his contribution to both soteriology and ecclesiology." —Theological StudiesTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part 1. Salvation Desired: Nature, Grace, and Competing Humanisms 1. Saving Grace: Soteriology in the Works on Nature and Grace 2. Authentic Humanism as Salvation Part 2. Salvation Disclosed: Revelation and Spiritual Exegesis 3. Knowing the Mystery: De Lubac’s Paradoxical Theological Epistemology 4. Spiritual Exegesis and/as Salvation Part 3. Salvation Realized: Ecclesiology and Sacraments 5. Church as Community of Salvation 6. Corpus Mysticum Verumque Part 4. Salvation Consummated: Eschatology and the Theology of History 7. Salvation as the Meaning of History 8. Salvation as Eschatological Sacrifice Coda — Gathering the Threads: The Eternal Sacrifice Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAugustine and the Cure of Souls situates Augustine within the ancient philosophical tradition of using words to order emotions, offering a fresh reading of his writings.Trade Review“In Augustine and the Cure of Souls, Paul R. Kolbet . . . reminds us how deeply Augustine was shaped by the ancient world’s rhetorical tradition and shows how he both drew upon it and upended it in his long career of preaching Christ. . . . Because Kolbet’s concern is historical, we should not expect his Augustine to answer all of our questions. But as Kolbet has shown, Augustine has much more to say to us today than we might think. Augustine held that the best way to understand him was to observe his ministry in action, and by patiently doing so, Kolbet has done today’s ministers a great service.” —Christian Century“By placing Augustine in his historical and personal context, the link between his thinking and actual life is made and his sermons are situated in the cultural, philosophical, theological and liturgical context of that period. . . . This study is a new and promising step in the very recent and blooming study of Augustine’s sermons.” —Louvain Journal of Theology and Canon Law“This is a highly readable study on ‘Augustine’s reception of classical traditions of the cure of souls and his transformation of these classical traditions in his Christian rhetoric.’ . . . the book is an admirable presentation of Augustine’s developing thought and its relation to the classical culture in which he was educated, and brings together in an illuminating manner topics previously served less well by separate treatment. It is certainly a book to recommend to students of Augustine and to would-be catechists or preachers.” —Journal of Theological Studies“Augustine and the Cure of Souls is a fine and thought-provoking book. Kolbet makes a persuasive case that Augustine’s pastoral theory and homiletical practice can be better understood when seen as part of a long line of development of the broad stream of Greco-Roman philosophico-rhetorical therapy and as a self-consciously Christian appropriation thereof.” —The Medieval Review“Kolbet’s illuminating and original study bridges a wealth of diverse Augustinian themes through the lens of rhetoric.” —Theological Studies“Kolbet does a masterful job of surveying the classical literature of ancient therapeutic practice and showing how Augustine relates to it at the various stages of his development. Focusing on this theme shows the reader a particular vision of Augustine as a pastor within his Roman and Hellenistic context.” —Anglican Theological Review“Paul Kolbet is to be congratulated on this book, which reminds us what Augustine owed to the dominant cultural force of his society. . . . a study which will be of the greatest value to all who seek a better understanding of the shaping and operation of Augustine’s remarkable intellect.” —Journal of Ecclesiastical History“. . . provides an excellent introduction for early modernists of recent developments in Augustine studies in thinking of Augustine as theological rhetor and rhetorician. . . . Augustine and the Cure of Souls is a superb disclosure of Augustinian psychagogy, one that can enable new work in Augustine’s theory and practice of the sermon.” —Sixteenth Century Journal“This lucid and thoughtful book explores the idea that ‘psychagogy’ was an important guiding theme and grounding project throughout Augustine’s life. ‘Psychagogy’ is understood in two senses: as guidance for one’s own soul and that of others. What is involved is a process that combines intellectual or scholarly and ethical or spiritual dimensions. Crucially, for Augustine, as Kolbet presents him, the process forms an ongoing, and inevitably incomplete, journey towards spiritual understanding.” —Journal of Roman Studies"Augustine and the Cure of Souls is a great read for anyone. Relative novices find here a well-integrated picture of Augustine and great examples of his adaptation of his classical inheritance, of his turning the "pagan water" into the "Christian wine." More seasoned scholars, in turn, can test some of their commonly accepted stereotypes as well as find new and important ways of seeing the well-known texts of Augustine." —The Thomist

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Book SynopsisHart has assembled a stellar group of philosophers and theologians from the United States, Britain, France, and Australia to examine the work of Jean-Luc Marion, the leading figure in French phenomenology as well as one of the proponents of the so-called "theological turn" in European philosophy.Trade Review“This collection will prove useful to those already interested in the implications of Marion's work for philosophy and theology, and it is indicative of the increasingly blurred boundaries between the two within phenomenology. Kevin Hart's introduction and David Tracy's 'Jean-Luc Marion: Phenomenology, Hermeneutics and Theology' in particular provide good overviews of the development of Marion's work within phenomenology and its increasing influence as philosophical theology, and could be of use to those looking for a manageable starting point in this area.” —International Journal of Systematic Theology“This collection of essays from leading scholars in philosophy, theology, and religious studies, including J.D. Caputo, D. Tracy, and K. Turner, provides a wide variety of views dealing with Marion's theology, phenomenology, and the interaction of the two.” —Religious Studies Review“Hart has produced a remarkably lucid and engaging introduction to the thought of Marion. The volume includes insightful readings of, with, and against Marion from an excellent cohort of leading philosophers and theologians. These essays are organized thoughtfully and are supplemented by comprehensive bibliographic appendices. . . an indispensable resource for scholars working on Marion and for the scholarship engaged at the intersection of phenomenology and theology that his thought energizes.” —Modern Theology“Readers should be grateful to Kevin Hart for his marvelous introduction to Counter-Experiences, a collection of essays about Marion, which situates Marion in relation to the German philosophers. . . . Many of the best essays in Counter-Experiences address questions of Marion' philosophy of religion. . . . Counter-Experiences is useful precisely because it gives the reader not only a sense of the paths Marion has thus far traveled but also some sense of the most fruitful lines of inquiry his thought opens up.” —First Things“This collection contains many careful and insightful essays on Marion's thought, and is indispensable reading for anyone interested in Marion's contributions to contemporary phenomenology and theology.” —Philosophy in Review“This is a ground-breaking book by leading continental thinkers on one of the most pioneering and controversial voices to emerge in French thought in decades. This volume addresses the lynch-pin of Marion's thought—the point where philosophy and theology, gift and revelation, impossibility and grace, intersect in fascinating and arresting ways. Kevin Hart, as editor, assembles and conducts a magisterial intellectual orchestra.” —Richard Kearney, Boston College“The collective strength of these exceptionally high-quality essays is the authors’ diversity of reflection on the relation of phenomenology to theology. Readers new to Marion will find their way into the corpus and those already familiar with Marion’s work will encounter stimulating interpretations, challenges, and defenses. Valuable, too, are Hart’s introduction to Marion as phenomenologist and Marion’s defense of the saturated phenomenon that bookend the volume.” —Merold Westphal, Fordham University“As a sophisticated engagement with the question of Marion’s relation to Christian theology specifically, and as a general response to Marion’s work as a whole, Counter-Experiences is an undeniable success. The authors treat Marion’s texts carefully, bring impressive intellectual force to their task, and provide rich documentation in the strongest volume of work on Marion’s thought yet to appear in English.” —Jeffrey Bloechl, College of the Holy Cross

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“James Greenaway’s A Philosophy of Belonging is a major philosophical achievement.” —Barry Cooper, author of Paleolithic Politics"In an age of social media isolation and “bowling alone,” A Philosophy of Belonging is a welcome antidote to our condition of alienation, angst, and solipsism. A book not only for today but for anytime, it proposes a pathway out of our condition of nihilism, despair, and the absurd." —Lee Trepanier, author of Eric Voegelin’s Asian Political Thought"James Greenaway's A Philosophy of Belonging not only brings together a wide range of sometimes contrasting thinkers, but provides the reader with an interpretative vision successfully uniting philosophy, theology, psychology, sociology, politics and history. Academics and graduate students alike will never see their topics in quite the same way again." —Brendan Purcell, author of Where is God in Suffering?"At last, the theme of belonging has its philosophical champion. James Greenaway explores the topic of human belonging on a scale appropriate to its existential importance, ranging from the intimate issue of how one belongs to oneself to the comprehensive issue of how we belong to the cosmos. Greenaway’s book brings a rare nobility of reflection to political philosophy." —Glenn Hughes, author of From Dickinson to Dylan: Visions of Transcendence in Modernist LiteratureTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Philosophy and Belonging 2. A Hermeneutic of Belonging Presence 3. Of the Cosmos 4. By Way of Consciousness and the Flesh 5. In Love Communion 6. Communitas 7. Political Goods, Political Communitas 8. Sacramentality Epilogue: Unbelonging: The Refusal of Presence and Communion

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Book SynopsisIn God as Reason: Essays in Philosophical Theology, Vittorio Hösle presents a systematic exploration of the relation between theology and philosophy. In examining the problems and historical precursors of rational theology, he calls on philosophy, theology, history of science, and the history of ideas to find an interpretation of Christianity that is compatible with a genuine commitment to reason. The essays in the first part of God as Reason deal with issues of philosophical theology. Hösle sketches the challenges that a rationalist theology must face and discusses some of the central ones, such as the possibility of a teleological interpretation of nature after Darwin, the theodicy issue, freedom versus determinism, the mindbody problem, and the relation in general between religion, theology, and philosophy. In the essays of the second part, Hösle studies the historical development of philosophical approaches to the Bible, the continuity between the New TestamTrade Review"God as Reason makes a powerful contribution to the task of the philosophical assessment of religion and theology, and indeed to the task of arriving at a philosophically defensible account of God. Vittorio Hösle here addresses key questions concerning teleology in nature, theodicy, freedom and determinism, and the mind-body problem in essays of exemplary clarity and economy of expression that are equally informed by the full breadth of the philosophical tradition of the West and by the most important contemporary developments in both philosophy and the natural sciences." —Jennifer A. Herdt, Yale Divinity School"The essays in this collection constitute a fresh exploration of the relation between theology and philosophy throughout the history of the Western world and a brilliant achievement. This is truly a book for our post-secular age. It is a text peppered with criticism of our contemporary attitudes in very numerous fields including philosophy, ours being a 'time in which the essence of philosophy is being undermined by an increasingly narrow specialization,' and it stimulates the reader on almost every page. This is not only a major challenge to fideists and fundamentalists of every hue, and a demonstration of the centrality of the quest for rational religion in our not so secular age, but a powerful challenge to the secularists themselves." —Jonathan Israel, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University“With an inductive style, Hösle seeks to demonstrate his thesis that ‘modernity is Christianity’s legitimate child’. . . . God as Reason is an elegant demonstration of Hösle’s masterful grasp of historical philosophy and theology.” —Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies“Vittorio Hösle’s latest publication is an excellent look at the interrelatedness of faith and reason. He presents a fascinating series of essays, all written between 1997 and 2009, in an attempt ‘to find an interpretation of Christianity that is compatible with . . . [a] commitment to reason.’ Of notable interest in this volume is Hösle’s philosophical dialogue between the mind and body, which contains several humorous exchanges.” —Catholic Library World“[Hösle] shows an especially sensitive appreciation for the ‘pragmatics’ of the exchange between the various parties before turning to consider their arguments. His treatment concludes with a useful summary and the provocative idea that ‘the human prospect would look better than it does if a function equivalent to [a common religion] could be found for the twenty-first century.’” —Toronto Journal of Theology

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Book SynopsisThe contributors of this volume examine beauty and aesthetic theory in nature and human society, in the humanities and science.Trade Review“In 2012, the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study (NDIAS) sponsored “The Many Faces of Beauty” conference, which offered a deep dive into the debate on beauty and aesthetic theory. This collection of 16 essays from prominent artists, scientists, mathematicians and critics features three Notre Dame scholars: The Huisking Professor of Theology Cyril O’Regan, the Rev. Joyce Professor of German Language and Literature Mark Roche, and J. Dudley Andrew ’67.” —Notre Dame Magazine

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“There have been some fine biographies and related studies where the authors have attempted to tease out Pope Francis’s complex character, personal history, influences, and teaching. . . . Goulding’s book could be said to begin where these other studies end. As a theologian she understands and is comfortable with the term 'mercy' in a way that these other authors sometimes are not.” —Brian O’Leary, SJ, author of To Love and to ServeTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword Introduction 1. Foundations for a Dialogue on Mercy 2. Ignatian Influence on Pope Francis 3. Specific Christological Underpinnings of Mercy 4. The Trinitarian Horizon 5. Engaging Ecclesiological Ramifications Conclusion Postscript Appendix – Mary Mother of Mercy Bibliography

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Book SynopsisMoses Mendelssohn (17251786) is considered the foremost representative of Jewish Enlightenment. In No Religion without Idolatry, Gideon Freudenthal offers a novel interpretation of Mendelssohn's general philosophy and discusses for the first time Mendelssohn's semiotic interpretation of idolatry in his Jerusalem and in his Hebrew biblical commentary. Mendelssohn emerges from this study as an original philosopher, not a shallow popularizer of rationalist metaphysics, as he is sometimes portrayed. Of special and lasting value is his semiotic theory of idolatry. From a semiotic perspective, both idolatry and enlightenment are necessary constituents of religion. Idolatry ascribes to religious symbols an intrinsic value: enlightenment maintains that symbols are conventional and merely signify religious content but do not share its properties and value. Without enlightenment, religion degenerates to fetishism; without idolatry it turns into philosophy and frustrates religiouTrade Review"In this lucid and provocative study, Gideon Freudenthal offers an original and compelling reading of Mendelssohn as well as a defense of the possibility of religious rationalism more generally. This book is not only an excellent contribution to a growing body of scholarship on Mendelssohn and early modern philosophy, but it also significantly sharpens and advances contemporary conversations about the relations between religion and reason." —Leora Batnitzky, Princeton University"In this masterful study, Gideon Freudenthal demonstrates how Mendelssohn’s philosophy, including his philosophy of religion, is grounded in semiotics. The result is a landmark work that not only successfully challenges standard interpretations of Mendelssohn’s 'enlightened Judaism' and its alleged inconsistency but also effectively invites reconsideration of the very possibility of 'religion without idolatry.'" —Daniel O. Dahlstrom, Boston University"In focusing on Mendelssohn's 'semiotics of idolatry,' Gideon Freudenthal writes as a philosopher fully at home in multiple traditions: contemporary philosophy, eighteenth-century philosophy, Jewish biblical exegesis, and comparative religion. The result is a systematic and penetrating study, based on the Hebrew as well as the German texts, that engages Mendelssohn on perhaps the most critical issue of his understanding of religion with unprecedented philosophical rigor and imagination." —David Sorkin, City University of New York Graduate Center“This is an innovative study of the views of the ‘father’ of modern Jewish philosophy, Moses Mendelssohn. It emphasizes correctly that Mendelssohn’s philosophy of Judaism was thoroughly rational in the Enlightenment’s sense of the notion of rationality, and concentrated not on metaphysical arguments and disputations about matters of faith but, rather, on the role and significance of religious practices. . . . As a result, this is a valuable, provocative, unconventional interpretation of Mendelssohn that is sure to stir scholarly debate” —Choice“Freudenthal’s book introduces us to a Mendelssohn who is a serious, consistent, and careful philosopher, an independent thinker whose true philosophical position has gone underappreciated for too long. . . . We are indebted to Freudenthal’s book for challenging us to rethink Mendelssohn’s philosophical project and thereby to rethink the relevance Enlightenment philosophers may still have today.” —Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews“Freudenthal’s book is highly to be recommended. Its scholarship is impressive, the writing lucid and engaging. It represents an important and original contribution to our understanding of Mendelssohn, complementing the work of Altmann, Allan Arkush, and others.” —H-Judaic“Freudenthal expands the notion of idolatry beyond its common restriction to false objects of devotion and renders it a heuristic principle to examine not only Judaism but all religions as semiotic systems.” —Theological Studies“In all, Freudenthal’s book is highly to be recommended. Its scholarship is impressive, the writing lucid and engaging. It represents an important and original contribution to our understanding of Mendelssohn, complementing the work of Altmann, Allan Arkush, and others.” —H-Net“This book offers a thorough and robust defense of Moses Mendelssohn’s (1729–86) philosophical and religious project. Freudenthal’s familiarity not only with Mendelssohn’s philosophical, but also with his theological works—including scriptural commentaries in Hebrew—allow him to offer a more complete and consistent view of Mendelssohn’s project.” —The Review of Metaphysics

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Book SynopsisAlthough Pseudo-Dionysius was, after Aristotle, the author whom Thomas Aquinas quoted most frequently, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the role of this Neoplatonist thinker in the formation of Aquinas'' philosophy. Fran O''Rourke''s book is the only available work that investigates the pervasive influence of Pseudo-Dionysius on Aquinas, while at the same time examining the latter''s profound originality. Central themes discussed by O''Rourke include knowledge of the absolute, existence as the first and most universal perfection, the diffusion of creation, the hierarchy of creatures, and their return to God as final end. O''Rourke devotes special attention to the Neoplatonist element in Aquinas'' notion of being as intensity or degree of perfection. He also considers the relation of being and goodness in light of Aquinas'' nuanced reversal of Dionysius'' theory of the primacy of the good, and Aquinas'' arguments for the transcendental nature of goodness.Trade Review"This is one of the two or three most important books on Aquinas published in the last fifty years." —Alasdair MacIntyre, University of Notre Dame"The substantial and detailed analysis of the texts of both authors will prove an invaluable work of reference for students of Pseudo-Dionysius and Aquinas." —International Philosophical Quarterly"A truly magnificent study." —Angelicum"Although the argumentation of the book is subtle and profoundly conceived, it is stated with the most lucid and compelling clarity. The book was a labour of love and is certain to remain for many decades or more the standard work in an extraordinarily difficult area of the history of metaphysics." —International Journal of Philosophical Studies"The book's footnotes constitute a terrific, topically arranged guide to the primary sources." —Speculum“. . . the completeness of O’Rourke’s survey of the vast quantity of relevant (and often untranslated) text, as well as his extensive knowledge and prudent employment of the multilingual literature, make it a genuinely useful resource for scholars. . . Thus, because of its exhaustive historical scholarship, its even-handedness and its continued philosophical cogency, the reissue of O’Rourke’s book can be greeted with applause.” —Journal of Ecclesiastical History

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Book SynopsisThe Semantics of Analogy is the first book-length interpretive study in English of Thomas de Vio Cajetan''s (1469?-1534) classic treatise on analogy. Written in 1498, De Nominum Analogia (On the Analogy of Names) has long been treated as Cajetan''s attempt to systematize Aquinas's theory of analogy. A traditional interpretation regarded it as the official Thomistic treatise on analogy, but current scholarly consensus holds that Cajetan misinterpreted Aquinas and misunderstood the phenomenon of analogy.Both approaches, argues Joshua P. Hochschild, ignore the philosophical and historical context and fail to accurately assess Cajetan''s work. In The Semantics of Analogy, Hochschild reinterprets De Nominum Analogia as a significant philosophical treatise in its own right. He addresses some of the most well-known criticisms of Cajetan''s analogy theory and explicates the later chapters of De Nominum Analogia, which are usually ignored by commentaTrade Review“Cajetan’s work on analogy is ‘the’ classic, systematic account of this logico-linguistic phenomenon and its far-reaching metaphysical and epistemological implications. While historians of philosophy, especially Thomists, tended to evaluate Cajetan’s theory in terms of its faithfulness to Aquinas’ intentions, Hochschild’s work engages it from a systematic philosophical perspective, showing its relevance to contemporary theorizing about the subject, despite its historical and conceptual distance from contemporary research in the field. While always treating Cajetan’s work in its proper historical context, Hochschild’s down-to-earth philosophical style effortlessly closes the conceptual gap between Cajetan and us, breathing new life into Cajetan’s difficult, rarefied philosophical prose.” —Gyula Klima, Fordham University“Students of the Protestant Reformation may remember Cardinal Cajetan as Martin Luther’s key opponent during a crucial early phase of the reformer’s public career. . . . Joshua Hochschild’s careful analysis of Cajetan’s recondite defense of analogy late in the 15th century may yet once again challenge Protestants to become more self-conscious about how they speak about God, themselves, and the world in the early 21st century.” —Books and Culture“In this work, Joshua Hochschild presents the semantic principles of Cajetan’s understanding of analogy, arguing that they should be understood on their own terms and not as a commentary on Aquinas despite the inevitable comparisons between the two thinkers. Hochschild’s work is both readable and well argued and will no doubt expose Cajetan’s writings to a wider audience. Moreover, this volume should appeal to scholars interested in semantics and philosophy of language, as well as those interested in religious language and the history of philosophy.” —Journal of the History of Philosophy“In his study of De nominum analogia, Hochschild sets out to do two things. First, he demolishes what he describes as an outdated paradigm concerning the interpretation of Cajetan’s work. Second, Hochschild gives an explanation and what amounts to a paraphrase of Cajetan’s distinctions and arguments in their order of presentation. . . . this book should certainly be read by Thomists, and by anyone who wants a readable account of what Cajetan actually said.” —Philosophy Reviews“Re-reading this classic text required hermeneutical skills akin to untangling a knot tightened by generations of misreading, so readers engaging in the task with the author can only admire his deft hand. Hochschild sets out to restore the logical-grammatical perspective of the original text. After an illuminating analysis of Aristotle on analogical usage and a brief resume of key figures between Aristotle and Aquinas, Hochschild executes a hermeneutical tour-de-force, using Collingwood, Gadamer, and Thomas Kuhn to initiate a ‘new paradigm,’ one based on identifying the questions Cajetan actually faced rather than reading in the expectations later Thomists brought to the text.” —Nova et Vetera“Hochschild’s book provides a clear exposition of Cajetan’s doctrine and a philosophically intriguing analysis of it. . . . But for historians of philosophy generally, and historians of early modern philosophy of language in particular, Hochschild’s book provides a fabulous introduction to Cajetan’s historically and philosophically important doctrine and is an ideal companion for reading it.” —Philosophy in Review“In The Semantics of Analogy: Rereading Cajetan’s De Nominum Analogia, Joshua Hochschild takes on some of the most difficult issues, and, in a major contribution to the history of analogical discourse, convincingly shows why Cajetan (1469–1534) was not explicating Aquinas’ theory of analogy.” —Modern Theology“Hochschild convincingly argues that, considered as a philosophical response to a Scotistic criticism, Cajetan’s discussion of analogous naming is sophisticated and initially plausible. In general, the book is well written, enjoyable to read, and includes many rich discussions which cannot all be mentioned in a short book review.” —The Thomist“. . . this is an excellent and constructive contribution to a topic that is still of considerable relevance to the philosophical questions surrounding religious language.” —Journal of Theological Studies“This lucid . . . study is an account of Cajetan’s short work, De nominum analogia. After successfully refuting a number of earlier inaccurate accounts of the work’s nature and importance, Hochschild gives a useful extended paraphrase and explanation of the work’s contents. In so doing, he raises a number of interesting issues about late medieval semantics which call for further exploration.” —Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

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Book SynopsisThis book probes the intersection of the beautiful and the ugly, offering a systematic framework to understand, interpret, and evaluate how ugliness can contribute to beautiful art.Many great artworks include elements of ugliness: repugnant content, disproportionate forms, unresolved dissonance, and unintegrated parts. Mark William Roche's authoritative monograph Beautiful Ugliness: Christianity, Modernity, and the Arts challenges current practices of the dominant aesthetic schools by exploring the role of ugliness in art and literature. Roche offers a comprehensive and unique framework that integrates philosophical and theological reflection, intellectual-historical analysis, and interpretations of a large number of works from the arts. The study is driven by the recognition that, though ugliness is usually understood as the opposite of beauty, ugliness nonetheless contributes significantly to the beauty of many artworks.Roche's analysis unfoTrade Review“It is hard to deny that Beautiful Ugliness is an enormously rich, argumentatively dense, and intelligent book that has the power to trigger many discussions. It shows, perhaps precisely through its provocative potential, the enormous power of a rational aesthetics of the ugly.” —Christian Illies, co-author of Philosophy of Architecture"Probably since Karl Rosenkranz's famous Aesthetics of the Ugly of 1853 no comparable effort has been made to look at the various forms in which ugliness can be used for aesthetic purposes and thus become itself a part of the beautiful. Roche's richly illustrated Beautiful Ugliness is highly recommended to philosophers, theologians, and historians of art and literature." —Vittorio Hösle, author of A Short History of German Philosophy"There is something refreshing in Mark William Roche's seriousness and audacity in engaging a theme of great interest, too often neglected. The author addresses and overcomes this neglect, addressing the ugly and beauty in an ordered systematic way. I know nothing which matches its range of engagement." —William Desmond, author of Godsends: From Default Atheism to the Surprise of Revelation"Roche’s erudition is not easily matched, not only in the study of Hegel’s philosophy, but also in literature and the arts. Examples from literature, painting, music, theatre, and film abound in this book, bringing an entirely new dimension to the author’s philosophical argument." —Vladimir Marchenkov, coeditor of Hegel's Political AestheticsTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Abbreviations and Translations Introduction Part One. Conceptual Framework 1. Unveiling Ugliness 2. Aesthetic Categories 3. Intellectual Resources 4. Imperial Rome 5. Late Medieval Christianity 6. The Theological Rationale for Christianity’s Immersion in Ugliness Part Two. Historical Interlude 7. Modernity 8. Modernity’s Ontological and Aesthetic Shift Part Three. Forms of Beautiful Ugliness Styles of Beautiful Ugliness 9. Repugnant Beauty 10. Fractured Beauty 11. Aischric Beauty 12. Beauty Dwelling in Ugliness 13. Dialectical Beauty 14. Speculative Beauty Conclusion Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisA novel treatment of a group of early Christian authors, demonstrating that their behavior and self-presentation were shaped by the norms of Roman intellectual culture, and not simply by factors internal to Christianity.Trade Review“This book is a welcome addition to a growing movement by classicists and ancient historians to examine early Christian authors within the horizons of Roman imperial culture (the so-called Second Sophistic). Secord brings to the task an unusually strong command of the scholarship and the Christian texts, married to a firm grasp of the history and non-Christian intellectual trends of the first three centuries CE. Scholars who work with equal comfort on both sides of the pagan-Christian divide are rare; this is a book that scholars in both disciplines will read with profit.”—Kendra Eshleman,author of The Social World of Intellectuals in the Roman Empire: Sophists, Philosophers, and Christians“An impressively erudite work, which may prove to be seminal. Secord makes use of a huge range of both classical and Christian texts, many of which are not widely cited in scholarly literature. The copious prosopographic information is genuinely illuminating, and he rightly observes that Christians were not conforming to the times but joining a dissident trend when they styled themselves philosophers.”—Mark Edwards,author of Christians, Gnostics and Philosophers in Late Antiquity“Christian Intellectuals in the Roman Empire is an engaging and valuable study. Secord succeeds in demonstrating how several key early Christian thinkers participated in the competitive culture of Roman intellectuals, and his contribution surely helps to overcome the traditional exclusion of Christians from the intellectual history of the Greco-Roman world.”—Jennifer Otto Bryn Mawr Classical Review“In this valuable and stimulating work, Jared Secord argues that Christianity was not the most important consideration when a Christian intellectual interacted with non-Christians, particularly imperial authority.”—David Neal Greenwood Journal of Theological StudiesTable of ContentsPreface and AcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction1. Emperors, Intellectuals, and the World of the Roman Empire2. Justin Martyr: A Would-Be Public Intellectual3. Tatian Versus the Greeks: Diversity in Christian Intellectual Culture4. Christian Intellectuals and Cultural Change in the Third CenturyConclusionNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisWhat are the core philosophical questions facing Christianity today, and how can we begin to answer them?Trade ReviewNancey Murphy has written an excellent and comprehensive survey of contemporary philosophy of religion. She expertly faces current challenges, while deftly placing everything within its historical context. * Roger Trigg, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, University of Warwick *Professional philosophers are interested in many important matters but usually ignore or neglect questions about the rationality of religion. This wonderfully lucid book documents centuries of hard thinking about the reasonableness of theism, and then engages in a more systematic discussion of the question of God, providing scholars and students with a challenging set of proposals that will repay close attention. * Fergus Kerr, Honorary Professor, School of Divinity, University of St Andrews *Table of ContentsContents Part One: A Brief History of Reason 1. Ancient and Medieval Ways of Knowing the Divine 2. Modern Epistemology and the Possibility of Theology 3. Faith in Late Modern Reasoning 4. Faith and Reason for the Twenty-First Century Part Two: Crises in Modern Christianity 5. Three Epistemological Crises for Christianity in Modernity 6. The Problem of Special Divine Action 7. Modern Problems of Evil and Suffering 8. Science and Christianity 9. Christian Anthropology, Philosophy, and Science 10. The Development of Modern Naturalism

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Book SynopsisAn introductory guide that enables students to grasp the essential elements of their subject, the methods used to study it, and the key concepts and debates within itTrade Review‘An exciting new series that will provide orientation and essential information for students at the beginning of a course, in an attractive and readable format. From here the student will be well placed to move on to classic texts and larger handbooks.’ * John Barton, Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture, University of Oxford *Thiselton’s genius lies in his extraordinary capacity to help us see familiar issues afresh and deepen our sense of truth. Thiselton’s method. . . is to guide the student or reader, giving him or her new vistas, insights and nourishment for the intellectual journey ahead. * Church Times *It is ideal not only as an introductory guide for students but as a stimulating survey of the subject that should appeal to any interested, intelligent reader * Church of England Newspaper *

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Book SynopsisA dialogue between contemporary psychoanalytic thinking and contemporary theology is presented in this text. Light is shed on the interaction of religion and psychology by viewing it from the perspective of world religions, and including gender as a category of analysis.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Similar to those humanists in the past who imitated and vivified their ancient models, Wegemer and Smith have given us a living More for our times.”—Travis Curtright, Moreana“Here, under the covers of one volume, we have an unparalleled opportunity to encounter the historical, intellectual, political, legal, cultural, religious, and spiritual More, whose brilliance of mind and conscience and consciousness permeate his writing.”—Elizabeth McCutcheon, University of Hawai“This volume enables More scholars to situate their work within a richer context."—John F. Boyle, University of St. Thomas

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“[Green] is surely right in looking to neo-mysticism as an alternative for those who no longer can accept the doctrines of old. Theology is not an ivory-tower pursuit for academicians. It is essential for rabbis who want to offer a spiritual roadmap.”—Simon Rocker, The Jewish ChronicleWinner of the National Jewish Book Award, Con­tem­po­rary Jew­ish Life and Practice category, sponsored by The Jewish Book Council “With a precise, poetic simplicity and a quality of judicious wonder, Arthur Green addresses the reader directly and unceremoniously. This book encompasses a lifetime of impressive scholarship and deep human experience, sustained by a radical awareness of the eternal and the transcendent.”—Avivah Zornberg, author of Moses: A Human Life“Arthur Green draws on a lifetime of scholarship, teaching, and activism to offer unparalleled insights and rare depths of soul. Written by a spiritual master, this book constitutes a religious classic that will inform and inspire all who open its pages.”—David Ellenson, Hebrew Union College"Judaism for the World is a singular work of theological reflection, speaking with personal directness to contemporary Jews seeking an honest, spiritual Judaism in a Neo-Hasidic mode. Arthur Green has distilled a lifetime of study and practice into a powerful, autobiographical voice. Every word is wrought with integrity."—Michael Fishbane, University of Chicago“This beautifully written book demonstrates Green’s unique ability to share the depths of scholarly knowledge in ways that are both personal and poetic, both deep and accessible."—Melila Hellner-Eshed, Hebrew University“Green challenges traditional notions of God, Israel, and Torah, offering a radically new understanding and stimulating the reader to join him in a journey of discovery.”—Daniel Matt, Graduate Theological Union

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Book SynopsisIn a series of 12 interviews with leading philosophers, Gary Gutting brings contemporary debates on God, religion and faith to the public.Trade Review"Gutting’s own viewpoint never obtrudes on the exchanges, and this makes him a model interviewer—a balance especially welcome in this partisan time." -- Religion and the Arts

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Book SynopsisWinner: 2012The American Publishers Award for Professional and Scholarly Excellence in Theology and Religious Studies, PROSE Award. In this thought-provoking new work, the world renowned theologian Gary Dorrien reveals how Kantian and post-Kantian idealism were instrumental in the foundation and development of modern Christian theology. Presents a radical rethinking of the roots of modern theology Reveals how Kantian and post-Kantian idealism were instrumental in the foundation and development of modern Christian theology Shows how it took Kant''s writings on ethics and religion to launch a fully modern departure in religious thought Dissects Kant''s three critiques of reason and his moral conception of religion Analyzes alternative arguments offered by Schleiermacher, Schelling, Hegel, and others - moving historically and chronologically through key figures in European philosophy and theology PrTrade Review“Nonetheless, the thoroughness of this volume and the cogency of its arguments make it an absolute must for theology students.” (Religious Studies Review, 27 February 2014) “Dorrien's book-which I cannot avoid calling brilliant-will hold the same enduring place in giving an historical justification for his "modern theology" that Barth's Protestant Theology in the Nineteenth Century holds in setting the table for Barth's dogmatics. Time will tell whether the future belongs to Dorrien's theology, Barth's (in historical or repristinated form), or some other.” (Themelios, 1 August 2013) “Graduate students and philosophy of religion students will find this book indispensable. Summing Up: Essential. All libraries supporting graduate programs in theology and religion.” (Choice, 1 February 2013) Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments ix 1 Introduction: Kantian Concepts, Liberal Theology, and Post-Kantian Idealism 1 2 Subjectivity in Question: Immanuel Kant, Johann G. Fichte, and Critical Idealism 23 3 Making Sense of Religion: Friedrich Schleiermacher, John Locke, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Liberal Theology 84 4 Dialectics of Spirit: F. W. J. Schelling, G. W. F. Hegel, and Absolute Idealism 159 5 Hegelian Spirit in Question: David Friedrich Strauss, Søren Kierkegaard, and Mediating Theology 243 6 Neo-Kantian Historicism: Albrecht Ritschl, Adolf von Harnack, Wilhelm Herrmann, Ernst Troeltsch, and the Ritschlian School 315 7 Idealistic Ordering: Lux Mundi, Andrew Seth Pringle-Pattison, Hastings Rashdall, Alfred E. Garvie, Alfred North Whitehead, William Temple, and British Idealism 378 8 The Barthian Revolt: Karl Barth, Paul Tillich, and the Legacy of Liberal Theology 454 9 Idealistic Ironies: From Kant and Hegel to Tillich and Barth 530 Index 574

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Book SynopsisTaking a broad approach, this work provides an introduction to the psychology of religion. It integrates clinical, theoretical and empirical literature as well as biographical information of the lives of significant psychologists and their works.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Psychology of Religion in a Changing World. The Formal Beginnings: Three Traditions. The Biological Foundations of Religion. Behavioral and Comparative Theories of Religion. Religion in the Laboratory. The Correlation Study of Religion. The Perspective of Sigmund Freud. Object-Relations Theory and Religion. Erik H. Erikson: Religion in the Human Life Cycle. C. J. Jung and the Analytical Tradition. William James and His Legacy. The German Descriptive Tradition. The American Humanistic Synthesis. Epilogue. Glossary. References. Source Notes. Picture Credits. Indexes.

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Book SynopsisA study which argues that the spiritual quest is rooted in our biological, psychological, linguistic and social nature. Drawing on tribal religions and practices and from theorists and thinkers, the author seeks to expand our awareness of this complex human activity.Table of ContentsPREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PART ONE· ANIMAL QUAERENS: THE QUEST AS A DIMENSION OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE 1. Religion and the Spiritual Quest: From Closure to Openness 2. Biological and Psychological Foundations of the Quest 3. Linguistic Foundations of the Quest 4. The Questing Animal PART TWO · THE SPIRITUAL QUEST IN RITUAL AND MYTH 5. Ritual as Affirmation and Transformation 6. Myth and the Journey beyond the Self 7. Mobility and Its Limits in Communal Ritual and Myth PART THREE· SPIRIT POSSESSION AS A FORM OF THE SPIRITUAL QUEST 8. The Varieties of Spirit Possession 9. Possession and Transformation PART FOUR· FORMS OF THE SHAMANIC QUEST 10. Shamanism, Possession, and Ecstasy: Australia and the Tropics 11. Shamanic Heartland: Central and Northern Eurasia PART FIVE · FORMS OF THE QUEST IN NATIVE AMERICA 12. The Arctic and Western North America 13. Mesoamerica and South America 14. Eastern North America and the Great Plains PART SIX · THE THEORY OF THE QUEST:SOME CLOSING CONSIDERATIONS 15. A Ternary Process 16. The Reality of Transcendence BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisThis is an analysis of the observable, human side of faith. The text combines theorizing with discussion as it moves from considering the religiousness of individuals to the dynamics of religious groups to the workings of entire societies as religious groups contend for support.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Atheism, Faith, and the Social Scientific Study of Religion PART ONE • PARADIGMS IN CONFLICT 1. A New Look at Old Issues 2. Rationality and the “Religious Mind” 3. Secularization, R.I.P. PART TWO • THE RELIGIOUS INDIVIDUAL 4. The Micro Foundations of Religion 5. Religious Choices: Conversion and Reaffiliation PART THREE • THE RELIGIOUS GROUP 6. Religious Group Dynamics 7. Catholic Religious Vocations: Decline and Revival PART FOUR • THE RELIGIOUS ECONOMY 8. A Theoretical Model of Religious Economies 9. Religious Competition and Commitment: An International Assessment 10. Church-to-Sect Movements Appendix: Propositions and Definitions Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisIn the global era, religion has leapt onto the world stage, often in contradictory ways. Some religious activists are antagonistic and engage in protests, violent acts, and political challenges. This book explores all of these directions, based on a five-year Luce Foundation project that involved religious leaders, scholars, and public figures.Trade Review"God in the Tumult of the Global Square brims with insights on every other page. It shows how global civil society grounded in shareable religious culture is feasible, combining voices from across the globe. It brilliantly maps the cultural lives of religion across the world with lucidity." -- Nagothu Naresh Kumar LSE Review of BooksTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Thinking about Religion in the Global Age 1 * The Social Turmoil of the Twenty-First Century: Crises of Identity, Accountability, and Security 2 * Religion Tumbles and Turns: How Religion Has Been Affected by Global Forces 3 * Religion Resists and Soothes: Religious Responses to Globalization 4 * Cosmopolitan Religion at Work: How Religious Values Support Global Citizenship 5 * The Annoying Certainty of Global Views: The Dangers of Cultural Imperialism Conclusion: God in the Global Square Notes Bibliography List of Workshop Participants Index

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisMost people have a story to tell about a remarkable coincidence that in some instances changed the course of their lives. These uncanny occurrences have been variously interpreted as evidence of divine influence, fate, or the collective unconscious. Less common are explanations that explore the social situations and personal preoccupations of the individuals who place the most weight on coincidences. Drawing on a variety of coincidence stories, renowned anthropologist Michael Jackson builds a case for seeing them as allegories of separation and lossrevealing the hope of repairing sundered lives, reconnecting estranged friends, reuniting distant kin, closing the gap between people and their gods, and achieving a sense of emotional and social connectedness with others in a fragmented world.Table of ContentsPreface Time to Time A World in a Grain of Sand Lost and Found Synchronicity and Suffering The Other Portion Correspondences Ships That Pass in the Night Chance Meeting Coincidence and Theodicy Amazing Grace About Time March 15, 2019 Person to Person Confluences Love It So Happened That . . . Contrived Coincidences The Double Chinese Boxes Autumn Leaves Magdalene of the Black Rose All the Birds of the Air Place to Place The Relativity of Our Viewpoints As Time Goes By Pieces of Music Strangers on a Train The Lost Child In the Nature of Things Il Ritorno in Patria Affective Coincidences Coincidence and Fate The Question of Verisimilitude Coda Acknowledgments Notes Index

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