Philosophy of religion Books

Book SynopsisKierkegaard''s infamous and hugely influential philosophical work on faith, choice and sacrificeIn Fear and Trembling Kierkegaard, writing under the pseudonym Johannes de silentio, expounds his personal view of religion through the scene in Genesis in which Abraham prepares to kill his son at God''s command. Kierkegaard believed Abraham''s unreserved obedience to be the essential leap of faith needed to make a full commitment to his religion. The conviction shown in this polemic - that an individual can have an exceptional mission in life - informed all his later writings, and was also hugely influential for both Protestant theology and the existentialist movement.Translated with an Introduction by Alastair HannayTable of ContentsFear and Trembling IntroductionFear and TremblingPrefaceAttunementSpeech in Praise of AbrahamProblemataPreamble from the HeartProblemata IProblemata IIProblemata IIIEpilogueNotes

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Book SynopsisHe argues that religionis a construction of European modernity, a construction that authorizes-for Westerners and non-Westerners alike-particular forms of history making.Trade ReviewThis eloquent, lucid, and complex work is the product of remarkable intelligence and erudition; it is a profound contribution to the understanding of the cultural hegemony of the West. -- Ralph M. Coury Religious Studies Review All articles are extremely well written, exhibit impressive scholarship, and are thoughtful and are thoughtful and stimulating. Asad's criticisms are neither judgmental nor self-righteous but are generally driven by the will to understand. -- James R. Wood Contemporary SociologyTable of ContentsPart 1 Genealogies: the construction of religion as an anthropological category; toward a genealogy of the concept of ritual. Part 2 Archaisms: pain and truth in medieval Christian ritual; on discipline and humility in medieval Christian monasticism. Part 3 Translations: the concept of cultural translation in British social anthropology; the limits of religious criticism in the Middle East. Part 4 Polemics: multiculturalism and British identity in the wake of the Rushdie affair; ethnography, literature and politics - some readings and uses of Salmon Rushdie's "Satanic Verses".

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Book SynopsisThis work explores the unrepeatability of persons, drawing out the worth and dignity of each individual person. It also explores interpersonal relation, giving an account of how persons can achieve empathic understanding of others, and where the limit of empathy is reached.

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Book SynopsisWhen the author wrote it in the immediate aftermath of World War II, most scholars outside Germany viewed Nietzsche as part madman, part proto-Nazi, and almost wholly unphilosophical. This title offers an account of his life and works, and of the uses and abuses to which subsequent generations had put his ideas.Trade Review"Illuminating."--New York Times "Mr. Kaufmann has produced what may be called the definitive study of Nietzsche's life and thought-an informed, scholarly, and lustrous work."--The New YorkerTable of ContentsForeword by Alexander Nehamas v Preface to the Fourth Edition (1974) xi Preface to the Third Edition (1968) xiii Preface to the Second Edition (1956) xix Preface to the First Edition (1950) xxi A Note on the Citations 2 Prologue: The Nietzsche Legend 3 Part I: Background 1. Nietzsche's Life as Background of His Thought 21 2. Nietzsche's Method 72 3. The Death of God and the Revaluation 96 Part II: The Development of Nietzsche's Thought 4. Art and History 121 5. Existenz versus the State, Darwin, and Rousseau 157 6. The Discovery of the Will to Power 178 Part III: Nietzsche's Philosophy of Power 7. Morality and Sublimation 211 8. Sublimation, Geist, and Eros 228 9. Power versus Pleasure 257 10. The Master Race 284 11. Overman and Eternal Recurrence 307 Part IV: Synopsis 12. Nietzsche's Repudiation of Christ 337 13. Nietzsche's Attitude toward Socrates 391 Epilogue: Nietzsche's Heritage 412 Appendix: Nietzsche's "Suppressed" Manuscripts 424 Four Letters: Commentary and Facsimile Pages 459 Bibliography and Key to Abbreviations 483 Index 511

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Book SynopsisA compelling defense of the sacred from acclaimed philosopher Roger ScrutonIn The Soul of the World, renowned philosopher Roger Scruton defends the experience of the sacred against today''s fashionable forms of atheism. He argues that our personal relationships, moral intuitions, and aesthetic judgments hint at a transcendent dimension that cannot be understood through the lens of science alone. To be fully aliveand to understand what we areis to acknowledge the reality of sacred things. Rather than an argument for the existence of God, or a defense of the truth of religion, the book is an extended reflection on why a sense of the sacred is essential to human lifeand what the final loss of the sacred would mean. In short, the book addresses the most important question of modernity: what is left of our aspirations after science has delivered its verdict about what we are?Drawing on art, architecture, music, and literature, Scruton suggests that the higheTrade ReviewOne of The Times Literary Supplement's Books of the Year 2014, chosen by Jonathan Clark One of Flavorwire's 10 Best Books by Academic Publishers in 2014 One of the Scotsman's Books of the Year 2014, chosen by Alexander McCall Smith "The interest of his project lies not so much in the conclusions themselves, but rather in the way he attempts to establish them. Most conservatives place great weight on contingent features of the human condition. They emphasize our cognitive limitations, our anti-social impulses and the sheer extent of our ignorance, or they delve into the details of human history in order to establish that the old ways cannot be abandoned so quickly. Scruton's conservatism is more rationalistic."--David Owens, Times Literary Supplement "[A] stately and often beautiful journey through various areas of human experience... [W]ide-ranging and intellectually impassioned."--Sarah Bakewell, Financial Times "[I]n no previous work has he woven together so successfully his thoughts on aesthetics, personhood, politics, and religion... [A] book that--for its richness, scope, and beauty--may be remembered as among his best."--Spencer Case, National Review Online "Reading Scruton is to take delight in his clarity of expression and linguistic economy, and it's to feel as though you're in the hands of a guide who is unafraid of doubts and uncertainties."--Laura Keynes, Standpoint "[F]ascinating."--Christopher Hart, Sunday Times "[C]onvincing."--Jonathan Derbyshire, Prospect "The Soul of the World is a rich and rewarding work, one composed by a scholar clearly possessing exceptional depth and broad learning."--Jerry Salyer, Catholic World Report "[T]he English conservative philosopher ... really is a gift and a wonder."--Rod Dreher, American Conservative "Once again drawing on insights offered by his conservatism he inquires into the nature of intimacy, relatedness, inter-subjectivity, moral intuitions and the capacity for aesthetic appreciation, and their implications for the sacred and transcendent in a society besotted by an arrogant scientism unprepared to accept its own profound limitations."--Mervyn Bendle, Quadrant Magazine "[A] small but elegant volume which brings to the fore Scruton's central themes of art, music, and mystery, built on the interlocking, though unfashionable, notions of beauty and truth."--Joe Gelonesi, ABC Radio National's "The Philosopher's Zone" "Scruton as usual mounts broad challenges to the conventional wisdom about nearly everything."--Steven Hayward, Power Lines "It is immensely entertaining to see Scruton run the reductionists to ground, then eviscerate them with the appetite of a hungry beagle. The Soul of the World is worth reading for the blood sport alone; but Scruton is after bigger game. His ultimate objective is the philosopher's trophy: meaning. And that, Scruton believes, lies in our experience of the sacred... The Soul of the World is a highly personal vision of a reconstructed Lebenswelt. In a series of cogent, fascinating chapters, he explains why we should set our sights on the beautiful horizon."--Dominic Green, Weekly Standard "The beginning of Scruton's book is exciting because he immediately acknowledges the emotional core of religion... Scruton gives us a welcome refocusing of the religion debate on the personal level rather than the genetic and group-selection levels... This territory--the phenomenology of religion--is where Scruton is most interesting and nuanced."--Stephen T. Asma, Chronicle Review "There is a crying need for Scruton's sort of attitude that understands that everything rests on human subjectivity."--Angus Kennedy, Spiked Review of Books "For a vigorous, challenging, at times infuriating essay at recovering the order for human existence in its full dimensions from what can seem to be the overwhelming successful technological and scientistic culture we all live in, Scruton's extended meditation can hardly be bettered."--Brendan Purcell, VoegelinView "Scruton's range of learning is truly remarkable."--Thomas D. Senor, Philosophers' Magazine "Scruton's strongest ideas prove intriguing and thought-provoking in this relatively short book... In the end, he has done both philosophy and religion a great service."--Arlice Davenport, Wichita Eagle "Roger Scruton is one of the most lucid articulators of this discomfort at a purely materialist account of human origins."--Nick Spencer, Tablet "Scruton is on particularly strong form on music: for instance, on how necessity and freedom function in it. On this territory, he is as worthy of attention as anyone currently writing on music."--Andrew Davison, Church Times "[R]efreshing... The Soul of the World is a short book that contains many insights about classic religious concerns. Clearly written and carefully argued, the text is rich and subtle, well worth reading and rereading."--Dennis O'Brien, Christian Century "The Soul of the World is a stimulating read and will be helpful to anyone who wants some original insights into the emptiness of Naturalism. I anticipate, however, that the solution Scruton offers will not satisfy the Evangelical reader."--Thom Atkinson, Churchman "For a vigorous, challenging, at times infuriating essay at recovering the order of human existence in its full dimensions from what can seem to be the overwhelmingly successful technological and scientific culture we all live in, Scruton's extended meditation can hardly be bettered."--Brendan Purcell, VoegelinView "[A] beautifully written, elegant, and exceptional essay... The essay is essentially an extended reflection on why a sense of the sacred is integral to human life... Scruton's essay calls for a level of spiritual attentiveness to our surroundings."--Martyn Percy, Journal of Contemporary Religion "An erudite ... book... Recommended for its scope, ingenuity, and Scruton's inimitable style."--Charles Taliaferro, Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies "The Soul of the World is stimulating for the mind and nourishing for the soul."--William J. Meyer, SophiaTable of ContentsPreface vii 1 Believing in God 1 2 Looking for People 27 3 Looking at the Brain 51 4 The First-Person Plural 76 5 Facing Each Other 96 6 Facing the Earth 115 7 The Sacred Space of Music 140 8 Seeking God 175 Index of Names 199 Index of Subjects 203

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A brilliant analysis."--Marvin Olasky, World MagazineTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Note on Text and Translation xi Introduction: The Emergence of Politics 1 1 The Grip of Power 17 2 Two Faces of Political Violence 67 3 Dynasty and Rupture 100 4 David's Will and Last Words 144 Conclusion 163 Notes 175 Index 207

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Book SynopsisDesiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) was a Dutch humanist, scholar, and social critic, and one of the most important figures of the Renaissance. The Praise of Folly is perhaps his best-known work. Originally written to amuse his friend Sir Thomas More, this satiric celebration of pleasure, youth, and intoxication irreverently pokes fun at the pieties ofTrade Review"There is no more joyous and delightful bit of forensic jugglery than Desiderius Erasmus's The Praise of Folly and a debt of gratitude is owed Professor Hoyt Hopewell Hudson for translating the old Latin of 1511 into lively, vivid, contemporary English, at once lucid and free... Like all great minds Erasmus has the faculty of being perennially contemporary, and The Praise of Folly is a gay, witty revelation of the subtleties and intricacies of the scholarly mind of the Renaissance."--Edward Larocque Tinker, New York Times "The scholarship and grace of Hudson's translation and introduction assure that the book will be accepted as the standard English version."--Modern Language Quarterly "[Hudson] has spared no pains to provide whatever might increase the general reader's appreciation and enjoyment of this world-famous, perennially humane satire."--John Archer Gee, Journal of English and Germanic Philology "Erasmus's Praise of Folly is certainly one of the most characteristic and delightful pieces of Renaissance literature and has rightly enjoyed a wide popularity... This handsome volume will certainly please the student as well as the general reader."--Journal of PhilosophyTable of ContentsA Prelude to The Praise of Folly: Foreword to the Princeton Classics Edition vii Acknowledgments xxiii The Folly of Erasmus: An Essay xxv Preface: Desiderius Erasmus to His Friend Thomas More 1 Moriae Encomium, That Is, The Praise of Folly 7 Analysis 129 Notes 143 Index of Proper Names 155

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Book SynopsisJesus Shock is the second in a series of short works on seminal concerns of the impact that Jesus Christ made in the world. The first work, The Philosophy of Jesus (St. Augustine’s Press, 2007), explored philosophy in light of Jesus, rather than the other way around. The present work investigates the reception Jesus received both in His lifetime and continuously to the present time, not only from His enemies, but from His friends, a reception of shock, astonishment, even disgust. Perhaps a few remarks from the book best explains it:The point of the book: The point of the title: Imagine a storm has downed a telephone wire so that everyone who touches it is shocked in every cell of his body. Well, the storm of God’s crazy love has “downed” (incarnated) Jesus, and everyone who touches this “live wire” is shocked in every cell of his soul. The question of the book: Why is “Jesus” the most non-neutral, the most controversial, the most embarrassing name in the world? Why is talking about Jesus like talking about sex? This whole book is really about a single movie line, the greatest line in the greatest movie in history. Bet you know what it is. Jesus-Shock is about the Real Presence of Christ in the Gospels and in the Eucharist. It is not about the theology of the Real Presence, but about the experience of Him there, and about the experience of everyone in the Gospels who met Him. What was the bitterest controversy of the Protestant Reformation, both between Protestants and Catholics and between different Protestant denominations, the one that had both sides calling the other not just heretics but devils? Answer: It was not Justification by Faith, the hallmark of the Reformation, even though that question is about nothing less momentous than how to be saved, how to get to Heaven. It was not the relation between religion and politics, even though that was a matter of life or death (literally, on battlefields and at guillotines and hangings) and not just a matter of truth or falsity, or of good or evil. It was not about the sufficiency of the Bible, or the corruption in the Church, or the relation between the Bible and the Church. It was not about the Pope, and the governance of the Church. It was not about Mary or saints or angels or Purgatory. It was not about the Incarnation or the Trinity or the Atonement. It was about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Jesus-Shock, in addressing this controversy forcefully and faithfully, shows the reasons why to this day the name of “Jesus” stirs up controversy, even revulsion, in polite society. In the true spirit of ecumenism, it also points the way toward a true rapprochement among His modern-day disciples.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewDaniel Frank's Introduction is excellent, not just for the undergraduate reader, but, indeed, for any reader, specialist or layperson. It manages to find just the right combination of philosophy and history; it sends the reader to the right places for further reading; its judgments are quite sound. And the reissue of the Altmann translation is a wonderful idea. --Charles Manekin, University of Maryland

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Book SynopsisTrade Review[A] fine book . . . rich, literate, beautifully written. . . . Meagher puts it well in his final chapter: the great teacher is one who excites power. Plotinus is one; Augustine another. . . . and the unquestionable merit of Meagher's book is that it too excites power. --Robert J. O'Connell, Fordham UniversityMeagher's work is extremely insightful and original. . . . The Augustine he describes is the one who stands at the origin of autobiography in Western culture and at the roots of contemporary existentialism where man has became once again 'a question to himself.' --John Dunne, The University of Notre DameThat Meagher helps us to come closer to Augustine is one of the many virtues of his book. . . . Meagher's book, in a thoroughly Augustinian spirit, is a work of love, and thus kindles love in return. . . . Will be of interest to all readers who are concerned with the possibilities of spirit in our time. --William Barrett

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThe most innovative and influential French thinker of the contemporary era -- Sudhir Hazareesingh * Guardian *Nearly 35 years after his death, Foucault remains a vital reference point, and his History of Sexuality remains required reading ... The appearance of the fourth volume is itself the most significant event in the world of Foucault scholarship in 20 years ... Essential * Los Angeles Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisTrade 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 SynopsisAdam Kotsko makes the case for the continued relevance of Christian theology for contemporary intellectual life, demonstrating its vibrancy as a creative and constructive pursuit outside the church, rethinking its often rivalrous relationship with philosophy, and tracing the theological roots of modern models of governance and racial oppression.Table of ContentsPreface | xi Introduction: What Is Theology? | 1 PART I : THEOLOGY BEYOND THE LIMITS OF RELIGION ALONE Bonhoeffer on Continuity and Crisis: From Objective Spirit to Religionless Christianity | 27 Resurrection without Religion | 39 Toward a Materialist Theology: Slavoj Žižek on Thinking God beyond the Master Signifier | 50 PART II : THEOLOGY UNDER PHILOSOPHICAL CRITIQUE The Failed Divine Performative: Reading Judith Butler’s Critique of Theology with Anselm’s On the Fall of the Devil | 63 Translation, Hospitality, and Supersession: Lamin Sannehand Jacques Derrida on the Future of Christianity | 79 Agamben the Theologian | 94 PART III : THEOLOGY AND THE GENEALOGY OF THE MODERN WORLD The Problem of Evil and the Problem of Legitimacy | 109 Modernity’s Original Sin: Toward a Theological Genealogy of Race | 122 The Trinitarian Century: God, Governance, and Race | 143 Acknowledgments | 165 Notes | 167 Bibliography | 183 Index | 191

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Book SynopsisCritical Theory and Animal Liberation is the first collection to approach our relationship with other animals from the critical or left tradition in political and social thought. Breaking with past treatments that have framed the problem as one of animal rights, the authors instead depict the exploitation and killing of other animals as a political question of the first order. The contributions highlight connections between our everyday treatment of animals and other forms of social power, mass violence, and domination, from capitalism and patriarchy to genocide, fascism, and ecocide. Contributors include well-known writers in the field as well as scholars in other areas writing on animals for the first time. Among other things, the authors apply Freud's theory of repression to our relationship to the animal, debunk the Locavore movement, expose the sexism of the animal defense movement, and point the way toward a new transformative politics that would encompass the human and animal Trade ReviewThis book breaks new ground in both critical theory and the ethics debate surrounding the mistreatment and domination of animals by humans. An indispensable collection for anyone interested in these areas of social critique, these essays sketch a comprehensive alternative to the prevailing strands of neo-Marxist and liberal philosophies. -- David Ingram, Loyola University, ChicagoSanbonmatsu has done the field of animal studies a great service by bringing together this rewarding collection of critical interventions. Just as feminist and phenomenological thinking injected needed doses of existential and hermeneutic sensitivity into the first wave of predominantly analytic animal ethics, so Critical Theory and Animal Liberation now joins pragmatism in projecting ethico-political engagement and socio-economic guidance across the new wave of animal theory. -- Ralph R. Acampora, Hofstra UniversityThis is an engaging analysis of some of the key issues in animal/human liberation, which makes it clear how connected the oppression of animals is to the oppression of other humans. All of the authors wonder how we can be sensitive to human suffering yet blind to animal suffering. The truth is, we cannot, or must not any longer. This book fulfills a long-awaited mandate demanding a deep change of view. I commend it highly. -- Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of AnimalsContributors examine how our hidden, institutionalized violence to animals, epitomized by industrial farming and laboratory experimentation, coexists with spectacles of human-caused suffering, degradation and destruction of animals in “visible but not seen” forms, such as circuses and road kill....Critical Theory and Animal Liberation looks not only at the obviously hidden suffering of animals on industrial farms and in laboratories but at the plight of animals who suffer and die openly in front of our eyes through human causation. * Karen Davis, President, United Poultry Concerns *Critical Theory and Animal Liberation, edited by John Sanbonmatsu, knits together a wide range of intersectional and interdisciplinary voices from across the spectrum of Critical Animal Studies. Nuanced and multifaceted, this text succeeds in applying critical perspectives in political and social thought to the problem of our relationship with other animals..../Critical Theory and Animal Liberation/ is an invaluable text for scholars and students of a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. In particular, this book is a must-have for anyone studying or writing within the burgeoning field of Critical Animal Studies. Perhaps the most compelling achievement of this text is its instrumental role in opening up new debates around critical, 'left' classical and contemporary Marxist and posthumanist thought all while sidestepping the popular currents in apolitical, mainstream animal studies. In addition, this book offers a first ambitious step into an uncharted territory -- moving away from the liberal ethics on which most animal 'rights' theory has, since its inception, been built. * Journal for Critical Animal Studies *Due to its exercise of deepening the critique of oppression and its potential to inspire a vision of the social world made whole, Critical Theory and Animal Liberation is a highly recommended read. * Humanimalia *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Part I. Commodity Fetishism and Structural Violence Chapter 1: Procrustean Solutions to Animal Identity and Welfare Problems Karen Davis Chapter 2: Road Kill: Commodity Fetishism and Structural Violence Dennis Soron Chapter 3: Corporate Power, Ecological Crisis, and Animal Rights Carl Boggs Part II. Animals, Marxism, and the Frankfurt School Chapter 4: Humanism = Speciesism?: Marx on Humans and Animals Ted Benton Chapter 5: Reflections on the Prospects for a Non-Speciesist Marxism Renzo Llorente Chapter 6: Thinking With: Animals in Schopenhauer, Horkheimer, and Adorno Christina Gerhardt Chapter 7: Animal is to Kantianism as Jew Is to Fascism: Adorno's Bestiary Eduardo Mendieta Part III. Speciesism and Ideologies of Domination Chapter 8: Dialectic of Anthropocentrism Aaron Bell Chapter 9: Animal Repression: Speciesism as Pathology Zipporah Weisberg Chapter 10: Neuroscience (a Poem) Susan Benston Chapter 11: Everyday Rituals of the Master Race: Fascism, Stratification, and the Fluidity of "Animal" Domination Victoria Johnson Part IV. Problems in Praxis Chapter 12: Constructing Extremists, Rejecting Compassion: Ideological Attacks on Animal Advocacy from Right and Left John Sorenson Chapter 13: "Green" Eggs and Ham? The Myth of Sustainable Meat and the Danger of the Local Vasile Stanescu Chapter 14: After MacKinnon: Sexual Inequality in the Animal Movement Carol Adams Chapter 15: Sympathy and Interspecies Care: Toward a Unified Theory of Eco- and Animal Liberation Josephine Donovan Note Index About the Editor and Contributors

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Book SynopsisA practical companion to the much-acclaimed Transforming Conflict through Insight, Practising Insight Mediation is a book about how insight mediators do their work and why they do it that way. In the book, Cheryl A. Picard, co-founder of insight mediation, explains how the theory of cognition presented in Bernard Lonergan’s Insight can be used as the basis for a learning-centred approach to conflict resolution in which the parties involved improve their self-understandings and discover new and less threating patterns of interaction with each other through efforts to better their conflict relations.Practising Insight Mediation features a wide range of valuable resources for any conflict practitioner, including in-depth descriptions of insight communication skills and strategies, a transcribed example mediation, sample documents, and a mediator’s self-assessment tool. The essential handbook for those interested in learning about aTable of ContentsCHAPTER 1: The Practice of Insight Mediation: An Introduction CHAPTER 2: Insight Mediation: Helping Parties in Conflict Learn about Themselves in Relation to Others CHAPTER 3: Interaction and Insight: The Learning Theory Underlying Insight Mediation Practice CHAPTER 4: Facilitating Change Through Learning: Conducting the Mediation Session CHAPTER 5: Ensuring Appropriate Participation and Follow-Up: Before and After Insight Mediation CHAPTER 6: Facilitating the Dialogue: Insight Mediation Skills and Strategies CHAPTER 7: The Insight Approach to Conflict: Recent Achievements & Future Hopes

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Book SynopsisFree will is a perennial theological and philosophical topic. As a central dogmatic locus, it is implicated in discussions around core Christian doctrines such as grace, salvation, sin, providence, evil, and predestination. This book offers a state-of-the-art look at recent debates about free will in analytic and philosophical theology. The chapters revolve around three central themes: the debate between theological compatibilists and libertarians, the communal nature of Christian freedom, and the role of free will in Christology. With contributions by leading scholars, the volume provides a valuable overview of current arguments as well as novel openings and ideas for further discussion.

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Book Synopsis''I don''t believe in God, but I miss Him.'' Julian Barnes'' new book is, among many things, a family memoir, an exchange with his philosopher brother, a meditation on mortality and the fear of death, a celebration of art, an argument with and about God, and a homage to the French writer Jules Renard. Though he warns us that ''this is not my autobiography'', the result is a tour of the mind of one of our most brilliant writers.Trade ReviewBoth fun and funny. It is sharp too, in the sense of painful as well as witty... Barnes dissects with tremendous verve and insight this awesome inevitability of death and its impact on the human psyche. He also tears at your heart * New Statesman *A maverick form of family memoir that is mainly an extended reflection on the fear of death and on that great consolation, religious belief... It is entertaining, intriguing, absorbing...an inventive and invigorating slant on what is nowadays called 'life writing'. It took me hours to write this review because each reference to my notes set me off rereading; that is a reviewer's ultimate accolade -- Penelope Lively * Financial Times *A brilliant bible of elegant despair...that most urgent kind of self-help manual: the one you must read before you die -- Tim Adams * Vogue *Intensely fascinating * The Times *An elegant memoir and meditation. A deep seismic tremor of a book that keeps rumbling and grumbling in the mind for weeks thereafter * Garrison Keillor *

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Book SynopsisThis is the first anthology to present the full range of the many forms evil. Amelie Rorty has assembled a collection of readings that include not only the most common forms of evil, such as vice, sin, cruelty and crime, but also some which are less well known, such disobedience and willfulness. The readings are drawn from a rich array of historical, philosophical, theological, literary, dramatic, psychological and legal perspectives. Amelie Rorty''s introductions to the readings sets each one in context and makes the anthology essential reading for anyone interested in the philosophy of evil.Table of Contents1. From Disobedience to Disorder Includes readings: The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, The Old Testament, Thucydides, Seneca, Hans Jonas, Gershon Scholem 2. From Sin to ViceSt Augustine, Abu Hamid Al-Ghazli, Peter Abelard, Moses Maimonides, Pope Innocent III, Aquinas, Dante, Chaucer 3. Evil as WilfullnessLuther, Calvin, Milton, Jonathan Edwards 4. Containing LawlessnessMachiavelli, Hobbes, Butler 5. The Irrationality of WaywardnessLeibniz, Manderille, Voltaire, Rousseau, Kant 6. The Romanticism of EvilGoethe, Blake, Hawthorne, Baudelaire, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche 7. The Banality of Evil: The Cruelty of Everday LifeDostoyevsky, Engels, Einstein, Freud, Hannah Arendt, Michael Stocker, Amelie Rorty, Amos Oz 8. Conflict, Immorality and Crime 'War and Murder', Elizabeth Anscombe; 'Political Action: The Problem of Dirty Hands', Michael Walzer; 'The Nature of Immortality', Jean Hampton

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Book SynopsisOne of today''s most controversial and heated issues is whether or not the conflict between science and religion can be reconciled. In Science and Religion: Are They Compatible?, renowned philosophers Daniel C. Dennett and Alvin Plantinga expand upon the arguments that they presented in an exciting live debate held at the 2009 American Philosophical Association Central Division conference. An enlightening discussion that will motivate students to think critically, Science and Religion: Are They Compatible? opens with Plantinga''s assertion that Christianity is compatible with evolutionary theory because Christians believe that God created the living world, and it is entirely possible that God did so by using a process of evolution. Dennett vigorously rejects this argument, provoking a reply from Plantinga, another response from Dennett, and final statements from both sides. As philosophers, the authors possess expert skills in critical analysis; their arguments provide a model of dialTrade Reviewan excellent book which takes two of the top living philosophers going head-to-head over one of the most controversial (hence, interesting) subjects in Western culture. * Jim Slagle, Metascience *an interesting exchange on a very timely topic, and one which gives readers a good illustration of how this debate is often conducted today, especially from the atheistic side. * Brendan Sweetman, Philosophy in Review *Table of Contents1. Science and Religion: Where the Conflict Really Lies ; 2. Truths that Miss their Mark: Naturalism Unscathed ; 3. Reply to Dennett ; 4. Habits of Imagination and their Effect on Incredulity ; 5. Final Statement ; 6. No Miracles Needed

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Book SynopsisApophasis has become a major topic in the humanities, particularly in philosophy, religion, and literature. This two-volume anthology gathers together most of the important historical works on apophaticism and illustrates the diverse trajectories of apophatic discourse in ancient, modern, and postmodern times.Trade Review“Any writer worth his salt knows that what cannot be spoken is ultimately the thing worth speaking about; yet most often this humbling awareness is unsaid or covered up. There are some who have made it their business, however, to court failure and acknowledge defeat, to explore the impasse of words before silence. William Franke has created an anthology of such explorations, undertaken in poetry and prose, that stretches from Plato to the present. Whether the subject of discourse is All or Nothing does not matter: the struggle of speech to name the unnameable is the same. This ambitious two-volume undertaking demonstrates a preoccupation as old as Western civilization itself: the limits of language and the virtue of being at a loss for words. How long we have been raiding the Inarticulate!” —Peter S. Hawkins, Boston University“Developments in critical theory during the past two decades have led to renewed interest in negative theology. Books like Languages of the Unsayable (1989), Negation and Theology (1992), Derrida and Negative Theology (1992), and The Otherness of God (1998) have signaled the resurgence of this ancient tradition. William Franke’s distinctive contribution is to provide the background and texts from which these recent developments have emerged.” —Mark Taylor, Williams College"These two volumes successfully realize a massive project: to propose and delineate a new field of discourse that provides a fresh approach to Western thought as a whole. In short, William Franke demonstrates the centrality of apophaticism, 'what cannot be said,' to the Western tradition, from Plato (and before) to Derrida (and beyond). . . . The first volume covers the first 'cycles' of apophasis, as the Western tradition evolves, stretching from the commentary tradition of Plato's Parmenides to Eckhart and his progenitors. . . . Franke's work is nothing short of brilliant." —Religion and Literature“. . . one of the most important and original contributions to the discussion of apophasis in recent years. . . . Franke’s historical and disciplinary range, in light of his well-written and compelling essays, provides an illuminating insight into the pervasiveness of apophatic discourse. . . . Franke’s anthology is a resource which should not be ignored. Few others, maybe no others, provide the same clarity, coherence, and scope.” —Christianity and Literature“The genius of Franke’s two-volume critical anthology on apophatic discourses is the work’s breadth and depth of engagement with the concept in variously distinct and even conflicting contexts. . . . Franke manages his sweeping and inclusive exploration of apophatic discourses by identifying a thematic lens for selecting his sources as part of a larger, conceptually-rooted genre of discourse. . . . the greatest strength of Franke’s two-volume collection resides in the sheer fact that nothing like it exists.” —Essays in Philosophy

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Book SynopsisThis is not merely the only complete summary of Christian doctrine that St. Thomas has written, but also a creative and even revolutionary work of Christian apologetics composed at the precise moment when Christian thought needed to be intellectually creative in order to master and assimilate the intelligence and wisdom of the Greeks and the Arabs.

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Book SynopsisThe volume The Many Faces of Beauty joins the rich debate on beauty and aesthetic theory by presenting an ambitious, interdisciplinary examination of various facets of beauty in nature and human society. The contributors ask such questions as, Is there beauty in mathematical theories? What is the function of arts in the economy of cultures? What are the main steps in the historical evolution of aesthetic theories from ancient civilizations to the present? What is the function of the ugly in enhancing the expressivity of art? and What constitutes beauty in film? The sixteen essays, by eminent scientists, critics, scholars, and artists, are divided into five parts. In the first, a mathematician, physicist, and two philosophers address beauty in mathematics and nature. In the second, an anthropologist, psychologist, historian of law, and economist address the place of beauty in the human mind and in society. Explicit philosophical reflections on notoriously vexing issues,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 SynopsisFriedrich Nietzsche''s Beyond Good and Evil is translated from the German by R.J. Hollingdale with an introduction by Michael Tanner in Penguin Classics. Beyond Good and Evil confirmed Nietzsche''s position as the towering European philosopher of his age. The work dramatically rejects the tradition of Western thought with its notions of truth and God, good and evil. Nietzsche demonstrates that the Christian world is steeped in a false piety and infected with a ''slave morality''. With wit and energy, he turns from this critique to a philosophy that celebrates the present and demands that the individual imposes their own ''will to power'' upon the world. This edition includes a commentary on the text by the translator and Michael Tanner''s introduction, which explains some of the more abstract passages in Beyond Good and Evil. Frederich Nietzsche (1844-1900) became the chair of classical philology at Basel University at the age of 24 until his bad health forced him to retire in 1879. He divorced himself from society until his final collapse in 1899 when he became insane. A powerfully original thinker, Nietzsche''s influence on subsequent writers, such as George Bernard Shaw, D.H. Lawrence, Thomas Mann and Jean-Paul Sartre, was considerable. If you enjoyed Beyond Good and Evil you might like Nietzsche''s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, also available in Penguin Classics. ''One of the greatest books of a very great thinker'' Michael TannerTable of ContentsOn the prejudices of philosophers; the free spirit; the religious nature; maxims and interludes; on the natural history of morals; we scholars; our virtues; people and fatherlands; what is noble?; from high mountains - epode.

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Book SynopsisBlaise Pascal, the precociously brilliant contemporary of Descartes, was a gifted mathematician and physicist, but it is his unfinished apologia for the Christian religion upon which his reputation now rests. The Penseés is a collection of philosohical fragments, notes and essays in which Pascal explores the contradictions of human nature in pscyhological, social, metaphysical and - above all - theological terms. Mankind emerges from Pascal''s analysis as a wretched and desolate creature within an impersonal universe, but who can be transformed through faith in God''s grace.Table of ContentsPensees - Blaise Pascal Translated with a Revised Introduction by A. J. KrailsheimerIntroductionConcordance between the present edition and that of P. SellierSelect BibliographySection One: Papers Classified by Pascal (Pascal's Titles)I. OrderII. VanityIII. WretchednessIV. BoredomV. Causes and effectsVI. GreatnessVII. ContradictionsVIII. DiversionIX. PhilosophersX. The Sovereign GoodXI. APRXII. BeginningXIII. Submission and use of reasonXIV. Excellence of this means of proving GodXV. Transition from knowledge of man to knowledge of GodXVb. Nature is corruptXVI. Falseness of other religionsXVII. Make religion attractiveXVIII. FoundationsXIX. Figurative lawXX. RabbinismSection Two: Papers Not Classified by Pascal (Translator's Titles)I. VariousII. The WagerIII. Against indifferenceIV. Eternal judgment. Christ.V. Two essential truths of ChristianityVI. Advantages of Jewish peopleVII. Sincerity of Jewish peopleVIII. True Jews and true Christians have same religionIX. Particularity of Jewish peopleX. Perpetuity of Jewish peopleXI. Proofs of religionXII. PropheciesXIII. Particular propheciesXIV. DanielXV. Isaiah and Jeremiah: Latin textsXVI. PropheciesXVII. PropheciesXVIII. Prophecies: the Jews and ChristXIX. Figurative meaningsXX. Belief. Classical quotationsXXI. Two types of mindXXII. Mathematical and intuitive mindXXIII. VariousXXIV. VariousXXV. Human nature. Style. Jesuits etc.XXVI. Sources of errorXXVII. Diversion. Draft PrefacesXXVIII. Superiority of Christianity. Human behaviourXXIX. Relativity of human values. The Bible and its truthXXX. Habit and conversionXXXI. Figurative language in Bible. Human relationsSection Three: MiraclesXXXII. Opinion of Saint-CyranXXXIII. Rules for miraclesXXIV. Miracles for Port Royal against JesuitsSection Four: Fragments Not Found in the First CopyA. The MemorialB. Fragments in the Recueil OriginalThe Mystery of JesusC. Fragments from other sourcesSelf-loveSaying Attributed to PascalAdditional Pensées

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Book SynopsisAvailable for the first time in the English language, this is a complete and annotated translation of a key work by the twelfth-century Muslim philosopher, Averroes (Ibn Rushd). Acknowledged as the leading transmitter of Aristotelian th ought, Averroes also held controversial views about the re lationship between faith and reason, arguing that religion should not be allowed to impose limits on the exercise of rational thought. His theory of rationality, along with others on language, justice and the interpretation of religious texts, is clearly presented here, in a work that provides the most comprehensive picture available of Averroes's great intellectual achievements.

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Book SynopsisThis is Nietzsche's last book and a fitting capstone to his career. It's succinct, biting, and encapsulates the criticisms of Christianity found in his other works. This edition contains an 8,000-word introduction by its translator, the famous iconoclastic writer H. L. Mencken.Trade Review"Bombastic, acerbic, and coldly analytical, The Anti-Christ exemplifies the muscularity of thought that surrounds the Nietzsche legend." --Cletus Nelson, Eye

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Book SynopsisScholar, theologian and philosopher, Martin Buber is one of the twentieth century''s most influential thinkers. He believed that the deepest reality of human life lies in the relationship between one being and another. Between Man and Man is the classic work where he puts this belief into practice, applying it to the concrete problems of contemporary society. Here he tackles subjects as varied as religious ethics, social philosophy, marriage, education, psychology and art. Including some of his most famous writings, such as the masterful What is Man?, this enlightening work challenges each reader to reassess their encounter with the world that surrounds them.Trade Review'Martin Buber, mystic, Zionist leader, Bible translator, is also one of the outstanding religious philosophers of our time.' - Time and Tide'The address to the individual is inescapable. Spirit is not something that is, but something that happens. To learn this we must enter into life's spiritual experiences, not merely look into them. Spirit is nourished by unity of life, and unity with the world.' - Times Literary Supplement'Stimulating and moving.' - Times Educational SupplementTable of ContentsDialogue (Zwiesprache, 1929) 1 Section One: Description Section Two: Limitation Three: Confirmation Conversation with the opponent 2 The Question to the Single One (Die Frage an den Einzelnen, 1936) The question 3 Education (Rede über das Erzieherische, 1926) An address to the Third International Educational Conference, Heidelberg, August 1925, whose subject was "The Development of the Creative Powers in the Child" 4 The Education of Character (Über Charaktererziehung, 1939) An address to the National Conference of Palestinian Teachers, Tel-Aviv, 1939 5 What is Man? (Was ist der Mensch? 1938) Section One: The Progress of the Question I. Kant’s questions II. From Aristotle to Kant III. Hegel and Marx IV. Feuerbach and Nietzsche Section Two: Modern Attempts I. The crisis and its expression II. The doctrine of Heidegger III. The doctrine of Scheler IV. Prospect, Translator’s Notes Afterword: The History of the Dialogical

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Book SynopsisJacques Maritain''s An Introduction to Philosophy was first published in 1931. Since then, this book has stood the test of time as a clear guide to what philosophy is and how to philosophize. Inspired by the Thomistic Revival called for by Leo XIII, Maritain relies heavily on Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas to shape a philosophy that, far from sectarian theology in disguise, is driven by reason and engages the modern world. Re-released as part of the Sheed & Ward Classic series, An Introduction to Philosophy is sure to enliven the minds of students and general readers for years to come. From the new introduction by Ralph McInerny: You are about to read a magnificent introduction not only to a kind of philosophy but to philosophizing itself. Jacques Maritain was a relatively young man when he wrote this book, but his effort is one that attracts any philosopher more and more as he grows older. However odd and unusual what he says becomes, the philosopher yearns to show how even the most abstruse claims can be put into relation with what the reader already knows. That, in its essence, is what teaching is. In this book, the reader will find a wise and certain guide into philosophizing as such. And, in the end, he will find that what he reads is really only a refinement and development of what he and everybody else already knew.Table of Contents1 Introduction 2 Preface 3 Author's Introduction Part 4 The Nature of Philosophy Chapter 5 Philosophic Thought Before Philosophy in the Strict Sense Chapter 6 Pre-Socratic Philosophers Chapter 7 Sophists and Socrates Chapter 8 Plato and Aristotle Chapter 9 Definition of Philosophy Chapter 10 Philosophy and the Special Sciences Chapter 11 Philosophy and Theology Chapter 12 Philosophy and Common Sense Part 13 The Classification of Philosophy Chapter 14 Main Divisions of Philosophy Chapter 15 Logic Chapter 16 Philosophy of Mathematics and the Philosophy of Nature Chapter 17 Criticism (Epistemology) Chapter 18 Ontology: Essence Chapter 19 Ontology: Substance and Accident Chapter 20 Ontology: Act and Potentiality Chapter 21 Theodicy Chapter 22 The Philosopy of Art; Ethics

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Book SynopsisIn engem exegetischen Anschluß an das Markusevangelium - ergänzt durch Bergpredigt, Vaterunser und Seligpreisungen (Mt) - erarbeitet Joachim Ringleben ein systematisch-theologisches Verständnis von Jesu Weg von der Taufe bis zur Passion. Dabei finden Jesu Sohnesbewußtsein, seine Reich-Gottes-Verkündigung, sein Verhältnis zum Alten Testament, die Heilungen, sein Gebet und seine Gleichnisse sowie seine Selbstverortung zwischen Schöpfung und Eschatologie (mit Ausblick auf die Auferstehung) besondere Berücksichtigung.Joachim Ringleben stellt drei systematische Hauptthesen auf und stellt deren Ergebnisse dar: Jesu sprachlich vermitteltes Selbstverständnis dient der Erschließung seines Gottesbewußtseins und führt zu einer radikalen Neufassung des überlieferten Gottesgedankens. In der Perspektive von Gott als dem 'Gott des Sohnes' wird Gottes Verhältnis zu diesem Menschen systematisch nachvollziehbar. Und schließlich lässt sich Jesu Gottesverhältnis theologisch als der Ort begreifen, an dem Gott sich selber hervorbringt und zu sich kommt. Damit eröffnet der Autor eine neue Anschlußmöglichkeit für die dogmatische Christologie.

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