Over the past fifteen years Francis of Marchia (fl. 1320) has finally begun to receive the kind of attention his contemporary Franciscan confreres John Duns Scotus, Peter Auriol, and William of Ockham have enjoyed for decades. Marchia, a master of theology at the University of Paris, has emerged as an exciting thinker who made original contributions in areas ranging from modal theory to trinitarian theology. This volume capitalizes on the studies on and critical editions of the works of Marchia published since 1991, treating some of his often distinct and influential doctrines in cosmology, physics, metaphysics, ethics, and politics, based on his three main works: his commentaries on the "Sentences" and Aristotle's "Metaphysics" and his "Improbatio" written against Pope John XXII. Contributors include: Fabrizio Amerini, Russell L. Friedman, Roberto Lambertini, Andrea Robiglio, Chris Schabel, Mark Thakkar, and Fabio Zanin.

Based on more than twenty-five years of research, this objective, balanced, informative, and, above all, interesting social history traces the growth of the religious right in America from its humble grassroots beginnings in the early 1970s to its present status as a powerful cultural and political force. Perhaps the most interesting finding uncovered by sociologist Ruth Murray Brown is that the impetus for the upsurge in Christian right activism of the last three decades was originally the Equal Rights Amendment of the 1970s, which Christian conservatives found so objectionable that a new coalition was mobilized against it. After the defeat of the proposed Amendment, this coalition went on to champion other conservative causes and to become a complex and sophisticated lobbying effort with greater visibility and political influence.
Brown describes the formation, and in some cases the decline, of such organizations as STOP-ERA, the Moral Majority, Concerned Women for America, Focus on the Family, and the Christian Coalition. She profiles key players, like Phyllis Schlafly, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Tim and Beverly LaHaye, and James Dobson, but also tells what ordinary citizens did in their own local areas. Separate chapters are devoted to an analysis of four important issues motivating the Christian right: their view of ideal family relationships, opposition to "secular humanism," America's "Christian heritage," and values in public schools. She concludes with an overview of what the Christian right has accomplished and what it may be like in the future.
Both sides of the political spectrum will find this in-depth but very readable social history to be full of insights into an important cultural movement.

What do the philosophers Friedrich Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida and Jean-Luc Marion have in common with Christianity? Surprisingly, they are all concerned about idolatry, about the tendency we have to create God in our own image and about what we can do about it. Can we faithfully speak of God at all without interposing ourselves? If so, how? Bruce Ellis Benson explores this common concern by clearly laying out the thought of each of these postmodern thinkers against the background of modern philosophers such as Descartes, Locke and Hume and in light of the rise of phenomenology as developed by Husserl and Heidegger. All these thinkers he brings into conversation with a full range of biblical teaching. The result is an illuminating survey of some key postmodern thinkers and profound insight into the nature of conceptual idolatry. Benson also exposes some of the limitations inherent in postmodern attempts to provide a purely philosophical solution to the problem of ideological idolatry. Ultimately, he argues, there is a need for something greater than human philosophy, religion or theology--namely, the biblical revelation of God in Jesus Christ.

On Self-Harm, Narcissism, Atonement and the Vulnerable Christ explores St. Augustine of Hippo's theology of sin, described as various forms of self-loathing and self-destruction, in addition to sin's antidote, a vulnerable relationship with the crucified Christ. Incorporating recent thinking on self-destruction and self-loathing into his reading of Augustine, David Vincent Meconi explores why we are not only allured by sin, but will actually destroy ourselves to attain it, even when we are all too well aware that this sin will bring us no true, lasting pleasure. Meconi traces the phenomena of self-destruction and self-loathing from Augustine to today. In particular, he focuses in on how self-love can turn to self-harm, and the need to provide salvage for such woundedness by surrendering to Christ, showing how Augustine's theology of sin and salvation is still crucially applicable in contemporary life and societies.

Honor For Us is the first contemporary philosophical inquiry into the concept of honor. It is unique not only in its analysis of six distinct concepts of honor, which includes an investigation into the place of honor in religious thought and ethics, but also in its interpretation of honor's prevalence in our own culture. Many would like to discard honor altogether as "obsolete", but Sessions contends that the concept of honor is poorly understood, standing sorely in need of clarification. He argues that the notion of honor remains viable in the face of powerful criticism, and that it has important features which warrant our normative interest. While not downplaying the "dark side" of honor (violence, sexism, inegalitarianism, its abuse in religion), Sessions shows that honor not only constitutes a descriptively useful concept but also remains a potentially valuable concept for us today.

Throughout the two-thousand-year span of Christian history, believers in Jesus have sought to articulate their faith and their understanding of how God works in the world. How do we, as we examine the vast and varied output of those who came before us, understand the unity and the diversity of their thinking? How do we make sense of our own thought in light of theirs? The Christian Understandings series offers to help. In this crisp and engaging volume Amy Frykholm offers a tour through more than two millennia of Christian thought on the future. Starting with the contexts of the Hebrew Bible and moving forward, Frykholm outlines the enduring fascination believers have had with future events and the myriad ways they have articulated their beliefs about what the future holds. From the imperial contexts of the book of Revelation to the end times prophecy of Harold Camping, Frykholm presents a thoughtful and insightful tour.

Rasmussen offers a novel interpretation of the relationship between religious concern and artistic creativity in the works of the self-styled "Christian poet and thinker" Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855). Although Kierkegaard articulated neither a "Christology" in the sense that the term has for systematic theology, nor a generic "theory of poetry" in the sense that phrase has for literary criticism, this study makes the case that Kierkegaard's writings nevertheless do advance a "Christomorphic poetics," a tertium quid that resists conventional distinctions between theology and literature. The term "Christomorphic" signals that Kierkegaard's Christian view of the incarnation of God in Christ shapes his poetics in a fundamental way and that, therefore, Kierkegaard's authorship and his incarnational view of God in Christ should be understood together. Arguing that Kierkegaard's poetics takes shape in conversation with many of the major themes of early German Romanticism (irony, imaginative creativity, paradox, the relativization of imitation [mimesis], and erotic love), this book offers a fresh appreciation of the depth of Kierkegaard's engagement with Romanticism, and of the contours of his alternative to that literary movement. Chapter one analyzes Kierkegaard's reception of romantic irony, and demonstrates that the romantic tendency to fantasize subjective existence (at least on Kierkegaard's reading) motivates the critique of romantic poetry in Kierkegaard's early works. Chapters two and three identify and explicate Kierkegaard's alternative to romantic poetics, elucidating his distinctive Christomorphic poetics in terms of his view of God as divine poet. The fourth chapter demonstrates the way Kierkegaard's emphasis on the "imitation of Christ" challenges the romantic relativization of "mimesis," and signals a reversal of the romantic celebration of the ironic imagination. Finally, chapter five constructs a typology of Kierkegaard's three senses of the term "poet." By showing how these different senses of the one term function within Kierkegaard's larger poetics, this chapter makes clear the manner in which Kierkegaard as a "religious poet" distinguishes himself from the "secular poet" of romantic irony by fostering what he considers authentic Christian "witness" in the world according to the "Word" of the divine poet embodied in Christ.

Knowing that we are finite, how can we live to the fullest? Philosopher George Santayana suggested 'spirituality' enables us to enjoy what we have. This book clarifies and extends Santayana's account of spirituality, while suggesting how the detachment of spirituality can relieve human suffering, enrich our lives, and make us better human beings.

How does Nietzsche, as psychologist, envision the future of religion and atheism? While there has been no lack of "psychological" studies that have sought to illuminate Nietzsche's philosophy of religion by interpreting his biography, this monograph is the first comprehensive study to approach the topic through the philosopher's own psychological thinking. The author shows how Nietzsche's critical writings on religion, and especially on religious decline and future possibilities, are informed by his psychological thinking about moods. The author furthermore argues that the clarification of this aspect of the philosopher's work is essential to interpreting some of the most ambiguous words found in his writings; the words that God is dead. Instead of merely denying the existence of God in a way that leaves a melancholic need for religion or a futile search for replacements intact, Nietzsche arguably envisions the possibility of a radical atheism, which is characterized by a mood of joyful doubt. The examination of this vision should be of great interest to scholars of Nietzsche and of the history of philosophy, but also of relevance to all those who take an interest in the interdisciplinary discourse on secularization.

Exploring some of the most fundamental issues facing religion at the present time, this concise study deals squarely with such problems as the existence of different religions, the relationship between science and religion, and religion versus reason in a pluralist society.

A 2002 Christianity Today Book of the Year Postmodernism. The term slowly filtered into our vocabularies about three decades ago and now permeates most discussions of the humanities. Those who tout the promises and perils of this twentieth-century intellectual movement have filled many a bookshelf. And in a previous book, Postmodernizing the Faith: Evangelical Responses to the Challenge of Postmodernism, Millard J. Erickson provided his own summary of several evangelical responses--both positive and negative--to the movement. Now in this book Erickson offers his own promised in-depth analysis and constructive response. What are the intellectual roots of postmodernism? Who are its most prominent exponents? What can we learn from their critique of modernism? Where do their assumptions and analyses fail us? Where do we go from here? What might a post-postmodernism look like? Erickson addresses these issues with characteristic discernment, clarity and evenhandedness, neither dismissing the insights of postmodern thought nor succumbing uncritically to its allure. An important book for all who are concerned with commending Christian truth to the culture within which we live.

Jews and Muslims make up less than 3% of the total population of the United States. Yet, despite their relatively small numbers, the members of these two minority groups often find themselves the focus of a disproportionate amount of media attention, particularly when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Beyond such international issues, American Jews and American Muslims find themselves struggling with similar inter-communal concerns when it comes to matters like education (for example tensions between student populations of Jews and Muslims on university campuses), politics (such as the swearing in of the first Muslim Congressman in the House of Representatives, Keith Ellison, or the omnipresent emails and robo-calls linking President Obama to the Muslim community that emerged during the 2008 Presidential election), or even pop culture (think of such recent Hollywood productions as "Kingdom in Heaven," "Munich," "Paradise Now," and "Traitor," to name but a few). In all of these matters, American Jews and American Muslims have consistently engaged each other in conversation - whether directly or indirectly; constructive or not - in ways that have usually eluded their co-religionists throughout the rest of the world. This has partly to do with America's ethos as a "melting pot" of different religions, ethnicities, and cultures. But it also has to do with the innovative ways in which Judaism and Islam have absorbed, and been radically altered, by the so-called "American experience."

This book is an exploration of contemporary Jewish-Muslim relations in the United States and the distinct and often creative ways in which these two communities interact with one another in the American context. Each essay discusses a different episode from the recent twentieth and current twenty-first century American milieu that links these two groups together. Some deal with case examples of local inter-communal interaction, such as "dialogue groups," which can help us better understand national trends of similar activities in other parts of the country. Others focus on national trends themselves, thus giving us greater insights into individual incidents.

This book is a theory-informed, comparative and historical exploration of the notion of the public sphere within Western and Islamic traditions. It situates the emergence of the modern public sphere in a wider historical and theoretical context than usually done in conventional analyses. The work traces cross-cutting genealogies spanning conventional borders between tradition and modernity, and in particular between the Western and the Islamic world. This approach unsettles received, evolutionary views of the public sphere as an exclusive legacy of Western political cultures. The public sphere is finally reconceived as a complex platform for the modern cultivation of culturally diverse, competing, yet intersecting discourses.

This short book is a lively dialogue between a religious believer and a skeptic. It covers all the main issues including different ideas of God, the good and bad in religion, religious experience and neuroscience, pain and suffering, death and life after death, and includes interesting autobiographical revelations.

"Insight and Analysis" applies Bernard Lonergan's thought to current issues in philosophy and in moral and other areas of theology. The common theme of the book is seen in the thread running through the chapters: a dialogue and critical comparison and contrast between Lonergan's thought and various key interlocutors in philosophy and theology. The title of this book, "Insight and Analysis", suggests its main focus - Lonergan and analytical philosophy - but also references one of Lonergan's most influential works: "Insight: A Study of Human Understanding". The chapters which explore the implications of Lonergan's thought for current work in analytical philosophy include discussions of Dummett, Wittgenstein, Searle, MacIntyre, Mackie, and Hintikka. However, Andrew Beards also brings Lonergan into dialogue with the continental tradition, with an extensive chapter on Badiou. Chapters on fundamental moral theology, Rahner's philosophy, and interrculturality and the writings of (the then) Cardinal Ratzinger indicate the importance of Lonergan as a philosophical theologian. "Insight and Analysis" presents a wide-ranging reassessment of the impact and application of Lonergan's thought.

To Whom Does Christianity Belong? is a question that is asked, at least implicitly, throughout the world today. The issues that surround this question open up a host of others: ls Christianity a primitive religion that has little to say to twenty-first-century people? Is it a Western religion that has been exported through colonialism? Is it a religion poised to increase in size? Should it? Does Christianity lead to economic prosperity? Does it foster violence or peace? Does it liberate or restrict women? Who gets to claim Christianity as their own? In this exciting new volume, an anchor to the Understanding World Christianity series, Dyron B. Daughrity helps readers map out the major changes that have taken place in recent years in the world's largest religion. By comparing trends, analyzing global Christian movements, and tracing the impact of Pentecostalism, interreligious dialogue, global missions, birth rates, and migratory trends, Daughrity sketches a picture of a changing religion and gives the tools needed to understand it.From discussions of sexuality and afterlife to contemporary Christian music and secularization, this book provides a global perspective on what is happening within Christianity today.

Animal suffering constitutes perhaps the greatest challenge to rational belief in the existence of God. Considerations that render human suffering theologically intelligible seem inapplicable to animal suffering. In this book, Dougherty defends radical possibilities for animal afterlife that allow a soul-making theodicy to apply to their case.

Rebirth and the Stream of Life explores the diversity as well as the ethical and religious significance of rebirth beliefs, focusing especially on Hindu and Buddhist traditions but also discussing indigenous religions and ancient Greek thought. Utilizing resources from religious studies, anthropology and theology, an expanded conception of philosophy of religion is exemplified, which takes seriously lived experience rather than treating religious beliefs in isolation from their place in believers' lives. Drawing upon his expertise in interdisciplinary working and Wittgenstein-influenced approaches, Mikel Burley examines several interrelated phenomena, including purported past-life memories, the relationship between metaphysics and ethics, efforts to 'demythologize' rebirth, and moral critiques of the doctrine of karma. This range of topics, with rebirth as a unifying theme, makes the book of value to anyone interested in philosophy, the study of religions, and what it means to believe that we undergo multiple lives.

American mystic CHARLES FILLMORE (1854-1948) was a founder of Unity Church, part of the early "New Age" movement called New Thought that was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Unity adheres to a "positive, practical Christianity," and this 1940 edition embodies that philosophy: it preaches that poverty is a sin, and that God wants us to be rich...a strain that has been picked up by some modern fundamentalist preachers in a way not entirely faithful to Fillmore's beliefs. Fillmore's lessons encompass... Spiritual Substance, the Fundamental Basis of the Universe Spiritual Mind, the Omnipresent Directive Principle of Prosperity Faith in the Invisible Substance, the Key to Demonstration Man, the Inlet and Outlet of Divine Mind The Law That Governs the Manifestation of Supply Wealth of Mind Expresses Itself in Riches God Has Provided Prosperity for Every Home God Will Pay Your Debts Tithing, the Road to Prosperity Right Giving, the Key to Abundant Receiving Laying Up Treasures Overcoming the Thought of Lack