This title explores Derrida's major work through readings of key passages by such leading scholars as Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, J. Hillis Miller and Avital Ronnell. With new readings from twenty-one internationally renowned scholars, "Reading Derrida's 'Of Grammatology'" is a comprehensive introduction to and exploration of Jacques Derrida's landmark 1967 text. Since its original publication, Of Grammatology has had a profound impact on philosophy, literary theory and the Humanities in general. Through a series of close readings of selected passages by writers from a wide range of disciplines, this collection aims to discover anew this important work and its continuing influence. This book includes new readings by such commentators as: Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak; J. Hillis Miller; Jean-Luc Nancy; Derek Attridge; and, Avital Ronnell. "Reading Derrida's 'Of Grammatology'" is an essential book for anyone interested in Derrida's work, from readers new to this book to experienced researchers in philosophy, literature and the many other disciplines that Of Grammatology has transformed over the last forty years.

Achieving Democracy opens with a discussion of the historical development of democracy, examining its benefits and various theoretical explanations. It then proceeds to test these theories with empirical evidence, through the examination of country cases studies from the first, second, and third waves of democracy. These case studies were carefully selected for their theoretical importance as well as their geographic, economic, and demographic diversity. Lastly, the work presents an assessment of the potential for democracy in the Middle East based on what is learned from the case studies and concludes with a synthesizing of the findings. Pedagogical tools appear throughout, including hypothesis-testing exercises, discussion questions, tables summarizing primary independent variables associated with democratization, summary of evidence to support or refute a variable's importance, and further readings. Achieving Democracy fills in a gap in the literature by presenting democratic theory in an accessible manner to intermediate undergraduate students, supplying them with the necessary tools to assess theories empirically and to understand democratization fully.

This is a new biography of the Founder of the Legion of Mary, one of the Catholic Church's most effective charitable agencies in the world today. In the Legion of Mary, Duff built an organisation that depended on each member playing his or her part, rather than on any individual leader. Describing responsibility as 'the biggest tonic on earth', he believed in sharing responsibility, and warned against thinking that others cannot do things as well as we can ourselves. The Legion of Mary is an organisation of lay Catholics dedicated to every form of social service and Catholic action for the welfare of the Church and of society. Duff's vision of a lay movement was revolutionary in its time and as recounted in this book explains why he faced so much opposition from Church authorities, especially in Ireland. But Duff, who is on the path towards canonisation, exemplified the Catholic tradition of charitable work at its best - that you do not preach by lecturing but by works of mercy, compassion and unselfish altruism. This is an inspiring tale.

This book is a primary resource in the new and growing field of Christian Ethnography. In response to a variety of critical intellectual currents (post-colonial, post-modern, and post-liberal), scholars in Christian theology and ethics are increasingly taking up the tools of ethnography as a means to ask fundamental moral questions and to make more compelling and credible moral claims. Privileging particularity, rather than the more traditional effort to achieve universal or at least generalizable norms in making claims regarding the Christian life, echoes the most fundamental insight of the Christian tradition - that God is known most fully in Jesus of Nazareth. Echoing this 'scandal of particularity' at the heart of the Christian tradition, theologians and ethicists involved in ethnographic research draw on the particular to seek out answers to core questions of their discipline: who God is and how we become the people we are, how to conceptualize moral agency in relation to God and the world, and how to flesh out the content of conceptual categories such as justice that help direct us in our daily decisions and guiding institutions.

Exploring whether the widespread activity of sitting next to a grave and talking to a deceased person is a religious act forms the basis of this book, and the author argues that it is probably much more typical of a fundamental religious act than much of what happens in churches, synagogues or mosques. Beginning with the definitions of religion provided by a number of anthropologists and sociologists this book claims that the large majority of these definitions have been influenced by Christian thinking, so leading to definitions that stress the systematic nature of religion, the importance of the transcendental and the transformative activity of religion. Through a detailed exploration of a number of ethnographic studies of religious activity, these aspects of traditional definitions are challenged. Borrowing Durkheim's language, Martin D. Stringer argues that the most elementary form of religious life in many Western societies today, and by implication in many other societies around the world, is situational, mundane and concerned with helping people to cope with their day-to-day lives.

This is a sweeping survey of how global filmmakers have treated the subject of the Holocaust. When representing the Holocaust, the slightest hint of narrative embellishment strikes contemporary audiences as somehow a violation against those who suffered under the Nazis. This anxiety is, at least in part, rooted in Theodor Adorno's dictum that 'To write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric'. And despite the fact that he later reversed his position, the conservative opposition to all 'artistic' representations of the Holocaust remains powerful, leading to the insistent demand that it be represented, as it really was. And yet, whether it's the girl in the red dress or a German soldier belting out Bach on a piano during the purge of the ghetto in "Schindler's List", or the use of tracking shots in the documentaries "Shoah" and "Night and Fog", all genres invent or otherwise embellish the narrative to locate meaning in an event that we commonly refer to as 'unimaginable'. This wide-ranging book surveys and discusses the ways in which the Holocaust has been represented in cinema, covering a deep cross-section of both national cinemas and genres.

Just how did the Jewish and Christian Bibles come together? Why were some ancient texts excluded? Or included and later rejected? What were the criteria? This volume deals with a significant issue in light of the many and significant discoveries of ancient sacred or religious texts that were not included in the Jewish or Christian Bibles. Because of the focus in the news media in recent years on those "extra-canonical" books that have come to light in the last century - and even more recently, there is need for clarification of the processes involved in the formation of the Jewish and Christian Bibles. Why were some books included and others excluded? Why were some included initially and subsequently rejected? Was there a church cover-up as some in the media have suggested? As a result of all of this and more, considerable attention is now focused on the use and function of the so-called non-canonical religious texts that are not now a part of the Bibles of various religious communities. Why did the Bible come together? What criteria were used in making decisions about inclusion and exclusion? The proposed volume addresses these questions and others that are critical to a careful understanding of the Jewish and Christian Bibles. The methodology employed in the writing of this book is described below. It is important to take this discussion outside of the scholars' guild and into the hands of the laity, especially those educated college graduates and undergraduates whose interest in this subject has grown over the past twenty or more years. Currently there are no useful volumes on this subject that is geared to them. Scholars continue to talk past them and all too often only to each other about these matters. This volume is designed to fill this void and make the topic more clear for those without the technical academic skills to explore these matters in the ancient languages. "Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

"I could squeeze a bullet between those lips. Point first. Press it between those rosebud lips. Prise it between your pearly whites. Gently. I wouldn't break a single tooth. "
Philip Ridley's first new play since 2008 marks a change of direction for the acclaimed, ever restless and maverick writer. "Tender Napalm" is a high-impact, high-concept two handed play which explores the landscape that is a relationship between a man and a woman. Explosive, poetic, brutal and ultimately redemptive, ""the play weaves a compelling theatrical tapestry to re-examine and re-define the language of love.
This abstract play is cool, slick and savagely romantic. There are no defined settings, narratives or characters. Instead, "Tender Napalm" is 70 minutes of real time drama: simply a man and woman dissecting their relationship through a mixture of memory, fantasy, and a mixture of the two. And, by doing this, they touch upon zeitgeist concerns of violence, war and faith. "Tender Napalm" is a showcase of the imaginative, fantastical and magical poeticisms Ridley can achieve from the bleak and brutal themes of war and destruction.

This volume also contains five poems from the performance sequence "Lovesongs for Extinct Creatures, " publishing for the first time extracts from Philip Ridley's cycle of love poetry.

Schillebeeckx's theology is a reflection on the nature of God who is both creator and redeemer: his theology is a 'treatise' on the God who is God for humanity. This means of course that his theology is always both a reflection on the nature of God and on the meaning of humanity; and hence there is a theological anthropology at the centre of his whole theological enterprise. The 'definition' of humanity is given in the relationship between the mystery of God - the God who is both transcendent and immanent - and the mystery of humanity. For Schillebeeckx, the meaning of humanity is revealed and established in the mystery of God as a vocation to intimacy with God. This intimacy is described both as a dependence upon God and as a situated freedom, and hence the description of humanity which emerges from Schillebeeckx's treatise on God holds together humanity's metaphysical and moral significance.
At the heart of this theocentric anthropology is its christological structure. Schillebeeckx develops a sacramental christology in light of his interpretation of Christ's incarnation. The relation of incarnation to the death, resurrection and glorification of Christ establishes a sacramental theological anthropology. The meaning of humanity is given in its creative, salvific, sanctifying, participative and personal relation to the God who is God both of creation and of covenant. This book develops an interpretation of Schillebeeckx's theological anthropology by analysing his theology of revelation and grace, and by examining the christological structure of his theology. This christology centres on an interpretation of the incarnation in which the fully personal nature of Christ's humanity is key. This christology establishes the sacramental nature of humanity and hence Schillebeeckx's description of the meaning of human nature is also a theological description of the meaning of human action.

A reissue of McCabe's study of the sacraments and what it means to live in the Church and the Church's world, "The New Creation" explores how human beings can reach real unity with one another and the world around them through the Spirit of Christ. "The New Creation" engages with themes like the Word of God, the Son of God, the meaning of community and communion and the sacraments as mysteries of human unity; the place of physical healing in the redeemed world and the Old-Testament and pagan religious foundations upon which modern Christianity is built. There is a humane simplicity in McCabe's insights into all of these subjects, similar to that found in the Gospels, which provides the reader with clarity on inherently complex theological issues. 'Christ is present to us in so far as we are present to each other' as McCabe tells us and this book plainly and vividly encourages us to find the company of both.

This is a novel, critical account of the origins and development of the dominant school of philosophy in the English-speaking world. For at least 30 years, analytic philosophy has consisted in an increasingly loose and variable amalgam of philosophical topics, views and methods. This has led some to claim that, despite its professional entrenchment, analytic philosophy is in a state of crisis. "Analytic Philosophy: The History of an Illusion" argues that the crisis is deeper and more longstanding than is usually recognized. Synthesizing data from early and recent studies as well as from canonical primary texts, it argues: that analytic philosophy has never involved significant agreement on substantive philosophical views, and thus that it has always been in this state of crisis, that this fact was long hidden by the illusion that analytic philosophy was originally united in the metaphilosophical thesis that philosophy is linguistic analysis, and that both the rise of analytic philosophy under this illusion and the preservation of its privileged status since the illusion's demise have been facilitated by a scientistic 'stance' that minimizes the traditional philosophical duty to examine one's most fundamental assumptions. "Continuum Studies in Philosophy" presents cutting-edge scholarship in all the major areas of research and study. The wholly original arguments, perspectives and research findings in titles in this series make it an important and stimulating resource for students and academics from a range of disciplines across the humanities and social sciences.

Thomas Aquinas is the most widely read and arguably most influential of the medieval philosophers. He is famous for his impressive and coherent synthesis of Greek Philosophy and Christian Theology and his magisterial "Summa Theologiae" is a hugely important, and enduring, text in the history of philosophy. Yet he is also a very difficult thinker and his ideas present a number of challenges to his readers.
"Aquinas: A Guide for the Perplexed" is a clear and thorough account of Aquinas's thought, his major works and ideas, providing an ideal guide to the important and complex writings of this key thinker. The book introduces all the key concepts and themes in Aquinas's thought and examines the ways in which they have influenced philosophical and theological thought. Geared towards the specific requirements of students who need to reach a sound understanding of Aquinas's ideas, the book serves as a clear and concise introduction to his philosophy and natural theology. This is the ideal companion to the study of this most influential and challenging of thinkers.

This is a comprehensive guide to the theory and practice of teaching minds-on practical work in secondary science. Practical work is an essential feature of science education. Questions have however been raised by some science educators about its effectiveness as a teaching and learning strategy. This book considers the effectiveness of practical work and suggests that, as currently practised, it is essentially a 'hands-on', rather than 'minds-on' activity. Whilst such an approach is generally effective in getting pupils to do things with objects and materials, it is relatively ineffective in developing their conceptual understanding of the associated scientific ideas and concepts. Ian Abrahams wishes to redress this and provides guidance to all aspiring and experienced secondary science professionals for making practical work - in biology, chemistry and physics - a 'minds-on' as well as a hands-on experience for their students. It will be of value to those on M-level secondary science PGCE programmes, as well as those undertaking postgraduate level research.

Commercial trade fairs, brand experiences, themed attractions, world expositions, museum galleries, visitor centers, historic houses, landscape interpretation and art installation are all areas that can be categorized under the broad umbrella term of ‘ exhibition’. Millions of people visit exhibitions of one sort or another every year and globally it is a multi-billion dollar industry. Basics Interior Design: Exhibition Design offers a better understanding of the complexity of exhibition design as a discipline, by exploring the role of the exhibition designer as a creative practitioner. It considers the blurring of borders with other design disciplines, but interior, graphic design and marketing in particular.   Supported by case study examples and practical in nature, this book offers a guide on how to approach the design of the narrative.  

A concise introduction to the context, themes, and influence of one of the most important works of 20th century political philosophy. John Rawls' "A Theory of Justice", first published in 1971, is arguably the most important work of moral and political philosophy of the twentieth century. A staple on undergraduate courses in political theory, it is a classic text in which Rawls makes an astonishing contribution to political and moral thought. Rawls' "A Theory of Justice: A Reader's Guide" offers a concise and accessible introduction to this hugely important and challenging work. Written specifically to meet the needs of students coming to Rawls for the first time, the book offers guidance on: philosophical and historical context; key themes; reading the text; reception and influence; and further reading. "Continuum Reader's Guides" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to key texts in literature and philosophy. Each book explores the themes, context, criticism, and influence of key works, providing a practical introduction to close reading, guiding students towards a thorough understanding of the text. They provide an essential, up-to-date resource, ideal for undergraduate students.

An accessible dictionary of the key terms, ideas, influence and legacy of G.W.F. Hegel, one of the most important German Philosophers of the 19th Century. "The Hegel Dictionary" is a comprehensive and accessible guide to the world of G.W.F. Hegel, one of the most important and influential thinkers in the history of philosophy. Meticulously researched and extensively cross-referenced, this unique book provides a firm grounding in the central themes of Hegel's thought. Students will discover a wealth of useful information and analysis. A-Z entries include clear definitions of key terms used in Hegel's writings and detailed synopses of his major works. "The Dictionary" also includes entries on Hegel's philosophical influences, such as Kant, Fichte, and Schelling, and those he influenced, including Marx. It covers everything that is essential to a sound understanding of Hegel's philosophy, offering clear and accessible explanations of often complex terminology. "The Hegel Dictionary" is the ideal resource for anyone reading or studying Hegel or Modern European Philosophy more generally. "The Continuum Philosophy Dictionaries" offer clear and accessible guides to the work of some of the more challenging thinkers in the history of philosophy. A-Z entries provide clear definitions of key terminology, synopses of key works, and details of each thinker's major themes, ideas and philosophical influences. "The Dictionaries" are the ideal resource for anyone reading or studying these key philosophers.

This book demonstrates the importance of Ranciere's educational thought and how educational theory needs to be informed by his philosophical project. Jacques Ranciere: Education, Truth, Emancipation demonstrates the importance of Ranciere's work for educational theory, and in turn, it shows just how central Ranciere's educational thought is to his work in political theory and aesthetics. Charles Bingham and Gert Biesta illustrate brilliantly how philosophy can benefit from Ranciere's particular way of thinking about education, and go on to offer their own provocative account of the relationship between education, truth, and emancipation. Including a new essay by Ranciere himself, this book is a must-read for scholars of social theory and all who profess to educate.

This is a unique work that combines the 20th-century history of all China's frontier lands in one book. "Recast All under Heaven" studies the outer regions of China (e.g., Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet) in the twentieth century. By applying the two interpretative themes of 'frontier' and 'ethnicity' to the modern transformation of China, the book investigates 'domestic' and 'international' developments that helped transform the territorial domain and ethnic composition of the Chinese state from 'imperial' to 'national'. The book is based on published and archival information that became available in recent years, bringing 'frontier China' back into the mainstream of Chinese studies.

This is a broad ranging reader in the growing subject of War Studies. It includes respected contributors, with each chapter set out clearly and with contextual background. War Studies is an increasingly popular subject at degree, masters and doctorate level, as well as aspects of it being taught at A level. Here at last is a subject reader that will provide authoritative and thought provoking pieces of scholarship in an accessible form. Topics covered include Strategic Theory and the History of War (Daniel Moran), The Uses and Abuses of Clausewitz (Eric Alterman), Victory Misunderstood: what the Gulf War Tells Us About the Future of Conflict (Stephen Biddle), Early American Ways of War: 1600 - 1815 (John Shy) and Was the Civil War a Total War? (Mark Neeley). There is no accepted definition of War Studies for it is a particular blend of military history, international relations and contemporary security. Thus this reader purposefully gives broad coverage to the subject. Each topic is covered by one of two significant articles or book chapters with an introduction from the editor to provide context. There will also be a general introduction, explaining the growth and development of this area of study.

A philosophical exploration of such subjects as terrorism, just war and pacifism, Andrew Fiala's book reflects on the moral demands that conflict makes on us. "Public War, Private Conscience" offers a philosophical reflection on the moral demands made upon us by war, providing a clear and accessible overview of the different ways of thinking about war. Engaging both with contemporary examples and historical ideas about war, the book offers unique analysis of issues relating to terrorism, conscience objection, just war theory and pacifism. Andrew Fiala examines the conflict between utilitarian and deontological points of view. On the one hand, wars are part of the project of public welfare, subject to utilitarian evaluation. On the other hand, war is also subject to deontological judgment that takes seriously the importance of private conscience and human rights. This book argues that the conflict between these divergent approaches is unavoidable. We are continually caught in the tragic conflict between these two values: public happiness and private morality. And it is in war that we find the conflict at its most obvious and most disturbing.

The investigation of human remains has always been central to archaeological, but archaeologists are not the only ones with an interest in their treatment. Political groups, religious organisations, descendant communities and disenfranchised interest groups are all becoming more vocal in expressing their opinions on this subject on a world stage. This book sets a new agenda for ethical studies in mortuary investigation, adducing a series of case studies which can be used to understand the questions facing burial archaeology. Who owns the dead - not just their bodies but also their stories? Do the remains themselves matter or are there other political agendas which influence interest groups? The author encourages archaeologists to be more open and inclusive when conducting mortuary projects, as it is often the perception of secrecy or interference with the dead that raises concern about the treatment of historical and scientifically important skeletal remains.

This book provides a concise and coherent overview of Marx, ideal for undergraduates who require more than just a simple introduction to his work and thought. Covering the full range of Marx's works and ideas, introducing all the key concepts and themes in Marxism, this book is an invaluable aid to study.It is widely acknowledged that Karl Marx was one of the most original and influential thinker of modern times. His thought has inspired some of the most important political movements of the past century and still today has the power to arouse controversy today."Marx: A Guide for the Perplexed" is a clear and thorough account of Marx's thought, his major works and theories, providing an ideal guide to the important and complex ideas of this key thinker. The book introduces all the key Marxist concepts and themes and examines the ways in which they have influenced philosophical and political thought. Geared towards the specific requirements of students who need to reach a sound understanding of Marx's thought, the book provides a cogent and reliable survey of some of the most important debates surrounding his often controversial ideas.This is the ideal companion to the study of this most influential and challenging of thinkers. "Continuum's Guides for the Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering. Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material.

Spinoza and the Specters of Modernity draws new theoretical conclusions from a study of Spinoza's legacy in the age of Goethe and beyond, largely transmitted through the writings of Herder, that will have implications for the study of German intellectual history and, more broadly, the study of religion and literature. Michael Mack describes how a line of writers and thinkers re-configured Spinoza's ideas and how these ideas thus became effective in society at large. Mack shows that the legacy of Spinoza is important because he was the first thinker to theorize narrative as the constitutive fabric of politics, identity, society, religion and the larger sphere of culture. Indeed, Mack argues for Spinoza's writings on politics and ethics as an alternative to a Kantian conception of modernity.

The D-Word is a practical guide to support relatives, friends and carers who are coping with the distress and anxiety of someone nearing the end of life, or who has suddenly died.
Today, life-extending treatments have over-ridden care for the soul. Death is regarded as a medical failure, and usually hidden away in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes and mortuaries. We have lost the ability to talk openly about the end of life. It's frightening to know how to talk to a relative or friend who is dying, or to someone who has been suddenly bereaved but unless we confront this fear, important things can remain unsaid or incomplete, which often turns into unresolved grief, guilt and anger.

Personal stories from people from all walks of life explore the different ways they have come to terms with the dying process or the sudden death of their spouse, partner, parent, friend or child, how they have confronted their fear of talking about it, and ways in which they found support during this very difficult time.

Conflict is at the heart of international relations and as we begin the new millennium it is occurring in new and vexing forms. This new edition looks at conflict both as an important subject in its own right and as a powerful lens through which to view international relations more generally. Charles Hauss provides a lively introduction to both theory and practice. He begins by tracing the three stages in most typologies of international conflict: origins, ending the fighting and reconciliation. A broad selection of case studies, covering many of the major conflicts the world has faced in the last ten years, provides the reader with material they can use to form their own judgements about the theories. Ranging from international political economy to security, migration, human rights and the environment, this series is designed to explore the issues that make international relations such an exciting, controversial and, at times, confusing field in a world undergoing unprecedented change. The books are designed as core texts for advanced undergraduate and specialized graduate courses, and each volume follows a standard format. The first section is devoted to general theories and concepts. The second includes carefully selected case studies which students can use to deepen their understanding of the theoretical issues. The books include, as an integral part of the text, addresses of particularly helpful websites.