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| BOOK OF HER LIFE [Teresa of Avila; Translated, with Notes, by Kieran Kavanaugh OCD & Otilio Rodriguez OCD] "The Book of Her Life" is the spiritual autobiography of a Counter Reformation mystic and monastic reformer of sixteenth century Spain. Introduction by Jodi Bilinkoff. { 368pp, April 2008; PB, £7.95, 0872209075:9780872209077 , Hackett Publishing } |
| CRUCIFIED NATION : A Motif in Modern Nationalism [Alan Davies] This book examines the nexus between religion and politics, considered in one of its most controversial aspects. The starting point is the 2001 attack on the United States, which a Canadian commentator ingeniously described as the 'passion of America'. This designation suggested an interesting inquiry into other so-called national passions: the notion of the Christ-nation crucified by evil powers because of its higher virtue. This motif is explored by analysing five modern nationalisms that have employed Christian symbolism in this manner: Poland, France, Germany, Ireland and Palestine. The author investigates the way in which fundamental Christian concepts are distorted and corrupted in the process, and points to the inherent dangers of this form of political self-glorification. Poets, philosophers, novelists and preachers have all played a major part in promoting the idea of the Christ-nation at certain times, mostly in the nineteenth century but also today. Famous examples are Adam Mickiewicz in Poland, Victor Hugo in France, the patriotic Lutherans during the First World War in Germany, Patrick Pearse in Ireland and certain Palestinian nationalist poets today. The clash of cultures, religions, nationalism and civilisations in the world today is ever more strident. The passion narratives of the five nations are interwoven with historical circumstance in order to cast light on the endurance and power of the narratives, to arrive at a final critique and 'tract for the times'. { 144pp, 152x229mm, May 2008; HB, £22.50, 1845192737:9781845192730 , Sussex Academic Press } |
| GOD & THE PHILOSOPHERS [Paul Edwards. Edited by Timothy J Madigan] This witty and learned exploration of the many views of the nature and existence of God, as expressed by the major philosophers of the Western world from the medieval period to the present day, is the last work of noted philosopher Paul Edwards. In his unique tradermark style, laced with erudition and acerbic humour, Edwards addresses how the concept of God has changed over the centuries, in large part due to the analyses of such sceptical thinkers as David Hume, Thomas Paine, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Bertrand Russell. A long-time critic of theistic arguments, Edwards demonstrates a masterful understanding of the ways in which the scientific revolution of the 17th century, the Enlightenment of the 18th century, the evolutionary materialism of the 19th century, and the rise of analytic and existentialist philosophies in the 20th century prepared the way for the growing role of atheism in the 21st century. This work is a tour-de-force - a master storyteller's idiosyncratic evaluation of the views of dozens of Western thinkers on perennial topics in the philosophy of religion. Though not all of the philosophers discussed were non-believers or anti-religious, they can be considered to be - like Edwards himself - "freethinkers". They pursued the cause of knowledge wherever their thinking led them, often to iconoclastic positions. Editor Timothy Madigan. who gave Edwards thoughtful feedback over the years on various drafts of this work and complied it for publication after Edwards's death, has written an appreciative and informative introduction. { 350pp, 155x230mm, May 2008; HB, £20.99, 1591026180:9781591026181 , Prometheus Books } |
| N F S GRUNDTVIG -- A LIFE RECALLED : An Anthology of Biographical Source-Texts [S A J Bradley (ed)] N F S Grundtvig, a chief shaper of Denmark's modern identity and still an active force in Danish social, political and religious life, was an outstanding intellect of the European 19th century. As new-Europe reviews the old traditional cultural canon, reflective of the most dominant nations, interest grows in Grundtvig. This book comprises English translations of an extensive selection of Grundtvig's own retrospect upon events, causes and periods of his life, and of memoirs by contemporaries upon whose lives his impinged. The choice of texts follows closely that of Johansen and Hoirup's Grundtvigs Erindringer og Erindringer om Grundtvig (Copenhagen 1948). Texts are arranged in an approximate chronology of Grundtvig's life. A copious index supplies mini-biographies and other documentation of the period, its personalities, institutions and events. { ca672pp, April 2008; HB, £37.95, 8772889691:9788772889696 , Aarhus University Press } |
| THIS SPOT OF GROUND : Spiritual Baptists in Toronto [Carol B Duncan] A richly detailed study that explores the emergence of the Spiritual Baptist faith, an African-Caribbean religious tradition, in Toronto, Canada. Originating in Trinidad, Tobago and St Vincent, it is now practiced in cities such as New York, London, as well as Toronto. { 364pp, 155x230mm, May 2008; HB, £46.50, 155458017X:9781554580170 , Wilfrid Laurier University Press } |
| ZEN SOURCEBOOK : Traditional Readings from China, Korea, & Japan [Stephen Addiss, Stanley Lombardo & Judith Roitman (eds)] Introduction by Paula Arai. This is the first collection to offer selections from the foundational texts of the Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Zen traditions in a single volume. Through representative selections from their poetry, letters, sermons, and visual arts, the most important Zen Masters provide students with an engaging, cohesive introduction to the first 1200 years of this rich -- and often misunderstood -- tradition. A general introduction and notes provide historical, biographical, and cultural context; a note on translation, and a glossary of terms are also included. REVIEW: "This is an excellent book for undergraduates... to be commended for its wide coverage; the Korean material is especially hard to find... The short introductions to the selections are lucid, informative and focused, providing students with a good framework through which to understand the readings. Any course that wants to work with translations of primary texts, rather than textbook summaries, will find this book the most convenient and cost-effective available." -- Brook Ziporyn, Northwestern University. { 256pp, April 2008; PB, £9.95, 0872209091:9780872209091 / HB, £29.95, 0872209105:9780872209107 , Hackett Publishing } |