The last three decades have witnessed a rapid proliferation of African Christian communities, particularly in Europe and North American diaspora, thus resulting in the remapping of old religious landscapes. This migratory trend and development bring to the fore the crucial role, functions and import of religious symbolic systems in new geo-cultural contexts. The trans-national linkages between African-led churches in the countries of origin (Africa) and the "host" societies are assuming increasing importance for African immigrants. The links and networks that are established and maintained between these contexts are of immense religious, cultural, economic, political and social importance. This suggests how African Christianities can be understood within processes of religious transnationalism and African modernity. Based on extensive religious ethnography undertaken by the author among African Christian communities in Europe, the USA and Africa in the last 17 years, this book maps and describes the incipience and consolidation of new brands of African Christianities in diaspora. The book demonstrates how African Christianities are negotiating and assimilating notions of the global while maintaining their local identities.

Antonio Negri wrote the two essays that comprise Time for Revolution while serving a prison sentence for alleged involvement with radical left-wing groups. Although the essays were written two decades apart, their concerns are the same: is there a place for resistance in a society utterly subsumed by capitalism? In the wake of the global crisis of capitalism heralded by the 2008 crash, the question has never been more relevant and Negri remains an insightful and passionate guide to any attempt to answer it.

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. What is the purpose of social science? How can social science make itself relevant to the intractable problems facing humanity in the twenty-first century? The social sciences are under threat from two main sources. One is external, reflected in a global university crisis that imposes the marketization of higher education on the ancient practice of scholarship. The other, internal threat is social science's withdrawal from publicly-engaged teaching and research into the protective bunker of disciplinarity. In articulating a vision for the public role of social science in the twenty-first century, John Brewer argues that these threats also constitute an opportunity for a new public social science to emerge, confident in its public value and fully engaged with the future of humanity in its teaching, research and civic responsibilities, while also remaining committed to science. The argument is presented in the form of an interpretive essay: thought-provoking, forward-looking, and challenging to intellectual orthodoxy. It should be read and debated by all researchers and teachers in the social science disciplines who are concerned by the future of higher education and the relevance of their subjects to the future of humankind.

Simone Weil - philosopher, religious thinker, mystic, social/political activist - is notoriously difficult to categorize, since her life and writings challenge traditional academic boundaries. As many scholars have recognized, she set out few, if any, systematic theories, especially when it came to religious ideas. In this book, A. Rebecca Rozelle-Stone and Lucian Stone illuminate the ways in which Weil stands outside Western theological tradition by her use of paradox to resist the clamoring for greater degrees of certainty. Beyond a facile fallibilism, Simone Weil's ideas about the super-natural, love, Christianity, and spiritual action, and indeed, her seeming endorsement of a sort of atheism, detachment, foolishness, and passivity, begin to unravel old assumptions about what it is to encounter the divine.

John Locke (1632-1704), one of the great philosophers, is probably best known for his contributions to political thought. In this outstanding volume, Eric Mack explains Locke's philosophical position, placing it in the tumultuous political and religious context of 17th century England. For Locke, entering into political society did not involve giving up one's natural rights, but rather transferring to governmental authority the job of protecting those rights. In this rigorous critical analysis, Mack argues that Locke provides an impressive - if not decisive - philosophical case for the view that individuals have natural rights to life, liberty and property, despite the existence or actions of any political authority.

In this volume, Dr Bunce (University of Cambridge) introduces Hobbes' ambitious philosophical project to discover the principles that govern the social world. If Hobbes' immodest assessment that he successfully attained this goal may be disputed, Bunce nevertheless captures the extraordinary enduring value of Hobbes' work for the contemporary reader. Thomas Hobbes's name and the title of his most famous work, Leviathan, have come to be synonymous with the idea that the natural state of humankind is 'nasty, brutish, and short' and only the intervention of a munificent overlord may spare men and women from this unenviable fate by imposing order where there would otherwise be chaos. The problem that Hobbes formulated resonates through the centuries as the enduring dilemma of political organisation and social cooperation. Indeed it can be seen today in fields as diverse as theoretical game theory and international relations.

In this compelling and accessible account of the life and thought of the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher David Hume (1711-1776), Professor Christopher J. Berry of the University of Glasgow argues that the belief in the uniformity of human nature was at the heart of Hume's thought. In this volume, Berry introduces classic 'Humean' themes including the evolution of social institutions as an unintended consequence of the pursuit of self-interest, the importance of custom and habit in establishing rules of just conduct, and the defence of commerce and luxury. The book reveals Hume as an original thinker, whose thought may be understood as a combination of various strands of conservatism, libertarianism and liberalism.

Karl Barth was one of the most important theologians of the 20th century and, according to Pope Pius XII, the most important since Thomas Aquinas. His magnum opus, Church Dogmatics, runs to thirteen volumes and is one of the most substantial works of systematic theology ever written. 'On Religion' presents a central chapter from the Barth's masterpiece, in which he explores the phenomenon religion itself. Including a substantial introduction and commentary, this is an essential introduction to the Church Dogmatics.

The book examines the rising influence of emerging powers in global politics, with a special focus on the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China).
Chapters contributed by international scholars first look at the changing status of the US in the 21st century and at the EU as both an emerging and innovative power. China's rising power status, India's regional and global influence, Russia's re-emergence, and Brazil's growing regional and international role are then analyzed comparatively to explain how the BRIC states are poised to become vital players not only in politics and economy, but also in key international concerns such as terrorism, globalization, and climate change.
The book provides a detailed analysis of political, economic, security, and foreign policy trends in the BRIC countries to address such questions as to whether they will seek to revise the international order or work within it and how they will deal with transnational global problems. Using a unique comparative approach, the text will appeal to undergraduate students in world politics, international relations, and foreign policy.

American critics who deeply fear a "China threat" have unduly influenced government policy. "China hawks" believe China intends to push the United States out of Asia and dominate the world. Protectionists argue that China threatens American jobs and prosperity. This authoritative work examines why and how the U.S. should stabilize and improve its relations with China. It first assesses the threat posed by China, addressing such issues as military capability, Taiwan, the trade deficit, human rights and democracy. It then discusses the rationale for rapprochement between the two countries in order to achieve a stable peace. It makes the case for a fundamental shift in U.S. policy and efforts by both countries to increase their cooperation. It analyzes the benefits to the United States of this policy shift along with the potential impact on Japan, Taiwan, and both Koreas. This significant work on U.S.-China relations will be an essential resource for the academic and policy community as well as of interest to the general reader on a topic of great public concern.

Founded by Baha'u'llah in Iran in the 19th century, the Baha'i Faith is one of the youngest of the world's major religions. Though it has over 5 million followers worldwide, it is still little understood outside of its own community. The Baha'i Faith: A Guide for the Perplexed explores the utopian vision of the Baha'i Faith including its principles for personal spiritual transformation and for the construction of spiritualized marriages, families, Baha'i communities, and, ultimately, a spiritual world civilization. Aimed at students seeking a thorough understanding of this increasingly studied religion, this book is the ideal companion to studying and understanding the Baha'i Faith, its teachings and the history of its development.

There has been an increasing interest in research ethics over the last decade given the increasing ethical regulation of social research. 'Ethical literacy' encourages researchers to understand and engage with the ethical issues that emerge in the process of research. This book provides a short, succinct and accessible overview of the field, highlighting the key issues and everyday ethical dilemmas that researchers are likely to face in different contexts. Covering a range of methods, the book provides clear guidance for researchers on how to identify an approach that fits with their moral and intellectual framework. It explores ethical issues relating to 'traditional' research methods as well as to new and emerging methods and approaches - particularly visual and online methods. Illustrated throughout with real-world examples, this book also includes an annotated bibliography of key texts and other helpful resources. What are Qualitative Research Ethics? will be a vital resource for social science researchers across a range of disciplines.

This book provides an inviting introduction to qualitative research, one that is designed to stimulate reflection on its character and prospects. "What is Qualitative Research? "offers clear definitions of key terms and concepts, as well as a thorough discussion of the various kinds of data used. Different types of qualitative investigation are examined, and key concepts and issues discussed. There will also be an examination of important debates within qualitative research about its proper character and future direction. This book examines the nature of qualitative research, the contrast with quantitative method, and the variety of forms that qualitative inquiry now takes. Comprehensive examination coupled with illustrative examples clarifies the differences and disagreements among qualitative researchers. Covering important topics such as research design, data production and analysis and the politics of representation, "What is Qualitative Research?" will be a vital resource for both new and experienced researchers.

Philosophy of Language is an accessible yet detailed introduction to the major issues and thinkers in the subject. Thematically structured, Philosophy of Language introduces the work of leading thinkers who have contributed to the discipline, including Frege, Russell, Strawson, Grice and Quine and also examines key distinctions that arise, such as sense and reference, sense and force, descriptions and names, semantics and pragmatics, extensional, intensional, and hyperintensional contexts, and the problems which these distinctions involve. Cogent and thorough analysis throughout is supplemented by student-friendly features, including chapter summaries, questions for discussion, guides to further reading, a glossary, and an extensive bibliography. Closely reflecting the way the philosophy of language is taught and studied, the structure and content of this introduction is ideal for use on undergraduate courses and of value for postgraduate students.

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. This book explores the interplay between the making of Elias as a sociologist and the development of his core ideas relating to figurations, interdependence, and civilising processes. Focusing on the relevance of Elias's work for current debates within sociology, the authors centrally consider his contributions to the sociology of knowledge and methodology. Dunning and Hughes locate the work of Elias within a discussion of the crisis of sociology as a subject, and compare his figurational approach with the approaches of three major figures in modern sociology: Anthony Giddens, Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu. This highly readable and engaging book will be essential reading for students and scholars of sociological theory and methods.

What does philosophy have to say on the question of the meaning of life? This is one of the founding questions of philosophy and has remained a central problem for philosophers from antiquity through to the Middle Ages and modern period. ?It may surprise some readers that there has, in fact, been a good deal of agreement on the answer to this question: the meaning of life is happiness.The Purpose of Life is a serious but engaging exploration and defense of this answer. The central idea that shapes The Purpose of Life is Augustine's assertion that "It is the decided opinion of all who use their brains that all men desire to be happy." In working through the ramifications of this answer, Stewart Goetz provides a survey of the debates surrounding life's meaning, from both theists and atheists alike.

Over the past two decades, there have been a series of events that have brought into question the concept and practice of free expression. In this new book, Winston provides an account of the current state of freedom of expression in the western world. He analyses all the most pertinent cases of conflict during the last two decades - including the fatwa against Salman Rushdie, the incident of the Danish cartoons and offended celebrities - examining cultural, legal and journalistic aspects of each case. A Right to Offend offers us a deeper understanding of the increasingly threatening environment in which free speech operates and is defended, as well as how it informs and is central to journalism practice and media freedom more generally. It is important reading for all those interested in freedom of expression in the twenty-first century.

The biblical motif of a land divinely-promised and given to Abraham and his descendants is argued to be an ideological reflex of post-monarchic, territorial disputes between competing socio-religious groups. The important biblical motif of a Promised Land is founded upon the ancient Near Eastern concept of ancestral land: hereditary space upon which families lived, worked, died and were buried. An essential element of concept of ancestral land was the belief in the post-mortem existence of the ancestors, who were venerated with grave offerings, mortuary feasts, bone rituals and standing stones.
The Hebrew Bible is littered with stories concerning these practices and beliefs, yet the specific correlation of ancestor veneration and certain biblical land claims has gone unrecognized. The book remedies this in presenting evidence for the vital and persistent impact of ancestor veneration upon land claims. It proposes that ancestor veneration, which formed a common ground in the experiences of various socio-religious groups in ancient Israel, became in the Hebrew Bible an ideological battlefield upon which claims to the land were won and lost.

This is a critique of Freire's thinking, the influence of his work and ways in which his theories may be developed into the future. This is a critical exploration of the genealogy of Freire's thinking and the way in which Freire's work has influenced philosophical and political movements, offering an analysis of how Freire's work might be developed for the future. Irwin explores Freire's philosophy of education, which balanced traditional ethical and spiritual concerns with contemporary ideas and drew upon Christian and Hegelian Marxist thought and insights from existentialism and psychoanalysis. The impact of Freire's work and legacies are considered, drawing on his emphasis on the need for praxis to bring about real and progressive change. This essential guide to Freire's work and legacy will prove invaluable for postgraduate students looking at educational theory and the philosophy of education. It will also be of interest to postgraduate students looking at cultural and political theory.

From Plato, through Descartes to W.V. Quine and Edmund Gettier, this concise introduction and reference guide explores the history of thinking about 'knowledge'. Exploring what great philosophers have written about the nature of knowledge and about how we know what we know, this is a concise and accessible introduction to the field of epistemology. "Epistemology: The Key Thinkers" tells the story of how epistemological thinking has developed over the centuries, through the work of the finest thinkers on the topic. Chapters by leading contemporary scholars guide readers through the ideas of key philosophers, beginning with Plato and Aristotle, through Descartes and the British empiricists, to such twentieth-century thinkers such as Wittgenstein, Quine, Goldman, and beyond. The final chapter looks to the future, highlighting some of the very latest debates that energise philosophical writing today about knowledge. Each chapter ends with a guide to further reading, encouraging students to explore the key writings for themselves, making "Epistemology: The Key Thinkers" a perfect guide for study, revision, and reference. "The Key Thinkers" series is aimed at undergraduate students and offers clear, concise and accessible edited guides to the key thinkers in each of the central topics in philosophy. Each book offers a comprehensive overview of the major thinkers who have contributed to the historical development of a key area of philosophy, providing a survey of their major works and the evolution of the central ideas in that area.

Specifically engaging with contemporary art examples, this is a comprehensive introduction designed to help students studying aesthetics for the first time to master the subject. Guiding readers through major problems, issues and debates in aesthetics, this is a bias-free introduction for students studying the philosophy of art for the first time. Each chapter of the book begins by considering a particular work of art - from contemporary conceptual art, through literature to TV Soap Operas - to help students understand and explore key philosophical discussions and ideas. "Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art: An Introduction" covers such topics as: definitions and the ontology of art; interpretation and intention; aesthetic properties and evaluation; emotion and the arts; and, art and morality. In addition to chapter summaries and outlines helping the reader to navigate the major topics covered, this book also includes annotated guides to further reading and 'unresolved questions' sections to help encourage and animate study and discussion beyond the text. With a final chapter, pointing students to more advanced discussions in contemporary aesthetics from aesthetics and nature to 'everyday aesthetics' this is the most complete introduction available for those seeking to master the subject.

This is a guide to the key figures in the Philosophy of Science from Plato and Aristotle through to Popper, Puttnam and Cartwright. As a discipline, the philosophy of science is as old as philosophy itself. "Philosophy of Science: The Key Thinkers" offers a comprehensive historical overview of this fascinating field. Twelve specially commissioned essays introduce and explore the contributions of those philosophers who have shaped the subject and the central issues and arguments therein. All the great philosophers from Plato and Aristotle to the present day have been philosophers of science. However, this book concentrates on modern philosophy of science, starting in the nineteenth century and offering coverage of all the leading thinkers in the field including Whewell, Mill, Reichenbach, Carnap, Quine, Popper, Feyerabend, Putnam, Hacking, Cartwright and many more. Crucially the book demonstrates how the ideas and arguments of these key thinkers have contributed to our understanding of such central issues as experience and necessity, conventionalism, logical empiricism, induction and falsification, the sociology of science, and realism. Ideal for undergraduate students, the book lays the necessary foundations for a complete and thorough understanding of this fascinating subject. "The Key Thinkers" series is aimed at undergraduate students and offers clear, concise and accessible edited guides to the key thinkers in each of the central topics in philosophy. Each book offers a comprehensive overview of the major thinkers who have contributed to the historical development of a key area of philosophy, providing a survey of their major works and the evolution of the central ideas in that area.

This title gives a concise, but comprehensive introduction to the history of aesthetics, designed specifically to meet the needs of undergraduate students. "Aesthetics: The Key Thinkers" offers a comprehensive historical overview of the field of aesthetics. Sixteen specially commissioned essays introduce and explore the contributions of those philosophers who have shaped the subject, from its origins in the work of the ancient Greeks to contemporary developments in the 21st Century. This book reconstructs the history of aesthetics, clearly illustrating the most important attempts to address such crucial issues as the nature of aesthetic judgement, the status of art, and the place of the arts within society. It covers thinkers that include: Plato, Aristotle, the main Medieval thinkers, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Croce, Collingwood, Bell, Fry, Heidegger, Benjamin, Adorno, Dewey, Beardsley, Goodman, Wollheim, Danto, and Walton. This book concludes with a concise survey of contemporary developments within aesthetics, outlining the issues that are most relevant to current debates in the field. Ideal for undergraduate students, this book lays the necessary foundations for a complete and thorough understanding of this fascinating subject. "The Key Thinkers" series is aimed at undergraduate students and offers clear, concise and accessible edited guides to the key thinkers in each of the central topics in philosophy. Each book offers a comprehensive overview of the major thinkers who have contributed to the historical development of a key area of philosophy, providing a survey of their major works and the evolution of the central ideas in that area.

This first major study of feminist theory, revised and updated here into its fourth edition, now takes the reader into the twenty-first century. With the renewed interest in feminism, which has been called "the "fourth wave" of feminism - the "first wave" being the nineteenth-century movement, the "second wave" the developments between 1960-80, and the "third wave" the emergence in the 1990s of ecofeminism, global feminism, the intertwining of the women's rights and animal rights movements, and so-called postmodern feminism - people are re-engaging with the basic question, "What is feminism? What does it mean?" Donovan's book provides a clear answer to the question, outlining the various strands of feminist theory: liberal, cultural, Marxist-socialist, Freudian, and radical. This Fourth Edition brings the discussion up-to-date, integrating the developments in feminist theory that have emerged in the last two decades and particularly since the publication of the Third Edition (2000).

This is the definitive A to Z reference tool for students of critical thinking, offering clear explanations and enlightening examples for all the key terms and concepts. Critical thinking is becoming increasingly prominent as an academic discipline taught and examined in schools and universities, as well as a crucial skill for everyday life. To be a successful critical thinker it is vital to understand how the different concepts and terms are defined and used. The terminology often presents a stumbling block for the beginner, since much of it is used imprecisely in everyday language. This definitive A to Z guide provides precise definitions for over 130 terms and concepts used in critical thinking. Each entry presents a short definition followed by a more detailed explanation and authoritative clarification. Armed with the tools and knowledge provided in these pages, the reader will be able to distinguish an assertion from an argument, a flaw from a fallacy, a correlation from a cause and a fact from an opinion. The book is an invaluable resource for teachers and students of critical thinking, providing all the tools necessary to effectively analyse, evaluate, question and reason for yourself.