..". aspirations to perfection awaken us to our actual
imperfection." It is in the space between these aspirations and
our inability to achieve them that Grant reflects upon imperfection.
Grant argues that an awareness of imperfection, defined as both
suffering and the need for justice, drive us to an unrelenting search
for perfection, freedom, and self-determination. The twenty-one brief
chapters of Imperfection develop this governing idea as it
relates to the present situation of the God debate, modern ethnic
conflicts, and the pursuit of freedom in relation to the uncertainties
of personal identity and the quest for self-determination.

Known for his exploration of the relationship between Buddhism and
violent ethnic conflict in modern Sri Lanka, as well as his
contribution to the study of Northern Ireland and the complex
relationships among religion, literature, and ethnicity, Grant provides
the reader with an analysis of the widespread rise of religious
extremism across the globe. Referencing Plato, Van Gogh, Jesus, and the
Buddha, he enlightens the reader with both succinct and original
insights into human society. Imperfection is the result of an important
Canadian public intellectual at work.

A mature scholar and established literary critic, Patrick
Grant is professor emeritus of English at the University of
Victoria. He is the author of several books, including Buddhism and
Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka;Literature, Rhetoric, and
Violence in Northern Irelands; and Personalism and the
Politics of Culture.

This title explores challenges to religious belief raised by evil and suffering in the world as well as responses to them from both theistic and non-theistic perspectives. One of the most perplexing problems facing believers in God is the problem of evil. The words of Epicurus put the point concisely: 'Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world'? This is a difficult problem to unpick and it remains an issue that continues to concern people and inspire debate. The problem has taken a variety of forms over the centuries; in fact, there are numerous 'problems' of evil - problems for theists but, perhaps surprisingly, problems for non-theists as well. "Evil: A Guide for the Perplexed" explores, in a rigorous but engaging way, central challenges to religious belief raised by evil and suffering in the world as well as significant responses to them from both theistic and non-theistic perspectives. "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. 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.

With extensive commentary about their historical context and theological significance, this volume of writings covers a crucial time and an understudied period of Bonhoeffer's life. It begins during the final period of his illegal work in training Confessing Church seminarians and concludes as he begins his activities in the German resistance. Bridging these two periods is his brief journey to the United States in summer 1939, when he pondered and ultimately rejected a move to the safety of exile. Bonhoeffer's writings from this transitional period, particularly his New York diary, offer a rare and more deeply personal picture of Bonhoeffer in a time of great inner turmoil.

Inspired by the Catholic intellectual tradition, these essays are the fruit of a series of seminars sponsored by the Center for Catholic Studies and the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota. With a special focus on the works of John Paul II (especially Veritatis Splendor and Fides et Ratio), the authors bring to light a host of considerations that set the work of his pontificate within the illuminating light of the living intellectual tradition.

In "Rethinking Poverty," James P. Bailey argues that most contemporary policies aimed at reducing poverty in the United States are flawed because they focus solely on insufficient income. Bailey argues that traditional policies such as minimum wage laws, food stamps, housing subsidies, earned income tax credits, and other forms of cash and non-cash income supports need to be complemented by efforts that enable the poor to save and accumulate assets. Drawing on Michael Sherraden's work on asset building and scholarship by Melvin Oliver, Thomas Shapiro, and Dalton Conley on asset discrimination, Bailey presents us with a novel and promising way forward to combat persistent and morally unacceptable poverty in the United States and around the world.

"Rethinking Poverty "makes use of a significant body of Catholic social teachings in its argument for an asset development strategy to reduce poverty. These Catholic teachings include, among others, principles of human dignity, the social nature of the person, the common good, and the preferential option for the poor. These principles and the related social analyses have not yet been brought to bear on the idea of asset-building for the poor by those working within the Catholic social justice tradition. This book redresses this shortcoming, and further, claims that a Catholic moral argument for asset-building for the poor can be complemented and enriched by Martha Nussbaum's "capabilities approach." This book will affect current debates and practical ways to reduce poverty, as well as the future direction of Catholic social teaching.

"This book supplies the connections between prophetic but general calls for economic justice and participation, and the concrete policies and practices necessary to advance those ideals as reality. Bailey directly critiques discriminatory economic institutions in the U.S. but also implicitly critiques prior Catholic voices that have fallen far short of inspiring effective reform because they do not identify and attack underlying assumptions behind the 'personal responsibility' models of prosperity." --Lisa Sowle Cahill, Boston College

"Bailey combines his deep understanding of the Catholic social justice tradition, his firm grasp of contemporary moral philosophy, and his perceptive analysis of U.S. poverty debates and policies to forge something new and exciting for each. Bailey's most significant contribution is his compelling case for the Church to establish, or reestablish, asset and property ownership at the heart of its mission to reduce poverty, enhance human dignity, and achieve a more just society." --Ray Boshara, Vice President and Senior Research Fellow, New America Foundation

"Poverty may be with us always; but seldom do we have such a wise and timely book. Drawing upon Catholic social teaching and Martha Nussbaum's capability theory, Bailey underscores the role of asset formation in understanding and alleviating poverty. Erudite, but never arid, "Rethinking Poverty" is indispensable reading for students and scholars who would make the 'option for the poor' their own today." --William O'Neill, S. J., Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University

Becoming a Mensch is a "user's guide" to becoming a better person, taking readers through a process of personal growth by means of modern-day vignettes that draw upon the Talmud's ancient wisdom. By examining character traits such as "kindness and compassion," "self-mastery and self discipline," and "humility and flexibility," readers of any or no faith learn what it takes to become a "mensch" -- a decent and honorable human being. Readers are introduced to the greatest sages of the Talmudic era and many modern masters of ethical behavior. Becoming a Mensch is not only a guidebook for personal growth -- it is also a useful guide for parents who want to foster the ethical development of their children.

Ethics of Compassion places central themes from Buddhist (primarily) and Christian moral teachings within the conceptual framework of Western normative ethics. What results is a viable alternative ethical theory to those offered by utilitarians, Kantian formalists, proponents of the natural law tradition, and advocates of virtue ethics. Ethics of Compassion bridges Eastern and Western cultures, philosophical ethics and religious moral discourse, and notions of acting rightly and of being virtuous. This book will be of interest to anyone who has been introduced to the discipline of ethics. It will be useful for undergraduate courses in philosophical and religious ethics.

"God, Sex, Science, Gender: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Christian Ethics" is a timely, wide-ranging attempt to rescue dialogues on human sexuality, sexual diversity, and gender from insular exchanges based primarily on biblical scholarship and denominational ideology. Too often, dialogues on sexuality and gender devolve into the repetition of party lines and defensive postures, without considering the interdisciplinary body of scholarly research on this complex subject. This volume expands beyond the usual parameters, opening the discussion to scholars in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to foster the development of Christian sexual ethics for contemporary times.

Essays by prominent and emerging scholars in the fields of anthropology, sociology, psychology, philosophy, literary studies, theology, and ethics reveal how faith and reason can illuminate our understanding of human sexual and gender diversity. Focusing on the intersection of theology and science and incorporating feminist theory, "God, Science, Sex, Gender" is a much-needed call for Christian ethicists to map the origins and full range of human sexual experience and gender identity. Essays delve into why human sexuality and gender can be so controversial in Christian contexts, investigate the complexity of sexuality in humans and other species, and reveal the implications of diversity for Christian moral theology.

Contributors are Joel Brown, James Calcagno, Francis J. Catania, Pamela L. Caughie, Robin Colburn, Robert Di Vito, Terry Grande, Frank Fennell, Anne E. Figert, Patricia Beattie Jung, Fred Kniss, John McCarthy, Jon Nilson, Stephen J. Pope, Susan A. Ross, Joan Roughgarden, and Aana Marie Vigen.

In Aesthetic Genesis, the author argues for a reversal of the most fundamental tenet of phenomenology-namely, that all consciousness is intentional (that is, directed toward an object). Mitscherling suggests, as a new "Copernican hypothesis," that intentionality (i.e., directionality) gives rise to consciousness. This book describes not only the origin, or "genesis," of human cognition in sensation, but also the genesis of sensation from intentional structures belonging to nature itself. A phenomenological examination of our experience leads to the conclusion that the two sorts of being generally recognized by contemporary science and philosophy-that is, material being and ideal being-prove ontologically inadequate to account for this experience. Mitscherling rehabilitates the pre-modern concepts of "intentional being" and "formal causality" and employs them in the construction of a comprehensive phenomenological analysis of embodiment, aesthetic experience, the interpretation of texts, moral behavior, and cognition in general.

This final interpretive volume of the "God and Globalization" series argues for a view of Christian theology that, in critical dialogue with other world religions and philosophies, is able to engage the new world situation, play a critical role in reforming the 'powers' that are becoming more diverse and autonomous, and generate a social ethic for the 21st century. This is the fourth volume in the series "God and Globalization", sponsored by the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, N.J. The 3 previous volumes were multi-authored. This volume is authored solely by Max Stackhouse, the general editor of the series, with a Foreword by the distinguished church historian Justo Gonzales. This final interpretive volume argues for a view of Christian theology that, in critical dialogue with other world religions and philosophies, is able to engage the new world situation, play a critical role in reforming the 'powers' that are becoming more diverse and autonomous, and generate a social ethic for the 21st century.

Morality and religion: intimately wed, violently opposed, or something else? Discussion of this issue appears in pop culture, the academy, and the media often generating radically opposed views. At one end of the spectrum are those who think that unless God exists, ethics is unfounded and the moral life is unmotivated. At the other end are those who think that religious belief is unnecessary for and even a threat to ethical knowledge and the moral life. This volume provides an accessible, charitable discussion that represents a range of views along this spectrum. The book begins with a lively debate between Paul Kurtz and William Lane Craig on the question, Is goodness without God good enough? Kurtz defends the affirmative position and Craig the negative. Following the debate are new essays by prominent scholars. These essays comment on the debate and advance the broader discussion of religion and morality. The book closes with final responses from Kurtz and Craig.

Insatisfecha? Quieres una mejor vida?

Finalmente, un libro para mujeres solteras que, insatisfechas con vivir un estilo de vida mundano, quieren dar a sus vidas una direccion nueva y devota. La autora Dawn Eden, una periodista de rock, judia de nacimiento que se convirtio en la reina mordaz del blog cristiano, usando sus propias experiencias en la selva de solteros de la ciudad de Nueva York, muestra a las mujeres como ellas tambien pueden pasar de la inseguridad a la pureza, de la tristeza al nuevo nacimiento. Ella les dice a las mujeres que se las saben todas como encontrar su camino a casa.

La aventura de la castidad no es un libro para doncellas delicadas con vestidos blancos de encaje que estan esperando pacientemente a su apuesto principe. Esto es para mujeres reales que necesitan mensajes fuertes, motivacionales y profundamente morales para contrarrestar los que reciben de un mundo superficial obsesionado con el sexo.

What is a good life? What does it mean to be a good person? Richard White answers these questions by considering aspects of moral goodness through the virtues: courage, temperance, justice, compassion and wisdom. White explores how moral virtues affect and support social movements such as pacifism, environmentalism, multiculturalism, and animal rights. Drawing on the works of Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Nietzsche and others, White's philosophical treatment of virtue ethics is extended through historical and cross-cultural analysis, and he examines the lives of Socrates, Buddha, and Gandhi who lived virtuous lives to help the reader understand and acquire moral wisdom.

In Honesty, Morality, and Conscience, Navigator author Jerry White takes a hard look at some of lifea (TM)s gray areas.
Examining the origin and depth of our conscience, our moral compass, and truthful living, he explains how God has given us everything we need to face the ethical questions of today in all areas of our lives.
Explore issues of identity, integrity, and accountability as you look at your sources for discernment and wisdom.
This great leadership and character-building tool includes discussion questions.

With Hablando con Su Angel de la Guarda, Barbara Mark and Trudy Griswold provided the tools to help people get in touch with their angels. They have convinced thousands that interaction with angels is possible and have provided a step-by-step list for doing it. Now leading spiritualists Mark and Griswold delve even deeper into the application of angel communication with El Devocionario de Su Angel de la Guarda, teaching readers to use prayer and healing wishes to fulfill their dreams and relieve their most serious physical ailments.

Like its predecessor, El Devocionario de Su Angel de la Guarda is a handsomely illustrated book sure to appeal to all Mark and Griswold fans and to the legions who believe there is an angel looking out for them.

The Internet, high-tech calculators, and other technological advances have made student cheating easier and more common than ever before. This book helps you put a stop to high-tech and more traditional low-tech forms of cheating and plagiarism. Learn to recognize the danger signs for cheating and how to identify material that has been copied. Sample policies for developing academic integrity, reproducible lessons for students and faculty, and lists of helpful online and print resources are just some of the features of this important guide. A must read for concerned educators, administrators, and parents.

The recovery of nature has been a unifying and enduring aim of the writings of Ralph McInerny, Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Notre Dame, director of the Jacques Maritain Center, former director of the Medieval Institute, and author of numerous works in philosophy, literature, and journalism. While many of the fads that have plagued philosophy and theology during the last half-century have come and gone, recent developments suggest that McInerny's commitment to Aristotelian-Thomism was boldly, if quietly, prophetic. In his persistent, clear, and creative defenses of natural theology and natural law, McInerny has appealed to nature to establish a dialogue between theists and non-theists, to contribute to the moral and political renewal of American culture, and particularly to provide some of the philosophical foundations for Catholic theology.

This books maps out the territory of international law and religion challenging received traditions in fundamental aspects. On the one hand, the connection of international law and religion has been little explored. On the other, most of current research on international legal thought presents international law as the very victory of secularization. By questioning that narrative of secularization this book approaches these traditions from a new perspective. From the Middle Ages' early conceptualizations of rights and law to contemporary political theory, the chapters bring to life debates concerning the interaction of the meaning of the legal and the sacred. The contributors approach their chapters from an array of different backgrounds and perspectives but with the common objective of investigating the mutually shaping relationship of religion and law. The collaborative endeavour that this volume offers makes available substantial knowledge on the question of international law and religion.

"This book is a contribution to the Christian ethics of war and peace. It advances peacebuilding as a needed challenge to and expansion of the traditional framework of just-war theory and pacifism. It builds on a critical reading of historical landmarks from the Bible through Augustine, Aquinas, the Reformers, Christian peace movements, and key modern figures like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Reinhold Niebuhr, and recent popes. Similar to just-war theory, peacebuilding is committed to social change and social justice but includes some theorists and practitioners who accept the use of force in extreme cases of self-defense or humanitarian intervention. Unlike just-war theorists, they do not see the justification of war as part of the Christian mission. Unlike traditional pacifists, they do see social change as necessary and possible and, as such, requiring Christian participation in public efforts. Cahill argues that transformative Christian social participation is demanded by the gospel and the example of Jesus, and can produce the avoidance, resolution, or reduction of conflicts. And yet obstacles are significant, and expectations must be realistic. Decisions to use armed force against injustice, even when they meet the criteria of just war, will be ambiguous and tragic from a Christian perspective. Regarding war and peace, the focus of Christian theology, ethics, and practice should not be on justifying war but on practical and hopeful interreligious peacebuilding."

In this groundbreaking study of post-conflict Sierra Leone, Lyn Graybill examines the ways in which both religion and local tradition supported restorative justice initiatives such as the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and village-level Fambul Tok ceremonies. Through her interviews with Christian and Muslim leaders of the Inter-Religious Council, Graybill uncovers a rich trove of perspectives about the meaning of reconciliation, the role of acknowledgment, and the significance of forgiveness. Through an abundance of polling data and her review of traditional practices among the various ethnic groups, Graybill also shows that these perspectives of religious leaders did not at all conflict with the opinions of the local population, whose preferences for restorative justice over retributive justice were compatible with traditional values that prioritized reconciliation over punishment. These local sentiments, however, were at odds with the international community's preference for retributive justice, as embodied in the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which ran concurrently with the TRC. Graybill warns that with the dominance of the International Criminal Court in Africa-there are currently eighteen pending cases in eight countries-local preferences may continue to be sidelined in favor of prosecutions. She argues that the international community is risking the loss of its most valuable assets in post-conflict peacebuilding by pushing aside religious and traditional values of reconciliation in favor of Western legal norms.

200 abstracts of scholarly publications in non-English languages on Islamic law and ethics. Law within Muslim societies is not uniform; even within Muslim majority regions it can be interpreted differently according to different denominations and legal traditions. As law forms an integral part of normative social practice, reflecting the moral and ethical principles of a society, it is important to highlight the diversity of interpretations to better enable the study of law along with the ethical principles of a community. This volume brings together some of the many unheard voices of scholars studying law and ethics in languages other than English. It features 200 abstracts with bibliographical details in 3 languages (English, Arabic and Turkish) giving access to information about scholarly publications from Muslim contexts in the fields of law and Sharia.

This is an account of how the revealed truth, love, and power of God revealed in Jesus Christ are contemporary and transformative to human life. Christian ethics is a matter of grace, present to us in Jesus Christ. But so often Jesus is reduced to a kind of role model. He represents a way of being from the past that should be emulated and made relevant for today. What such an approach lacks, however, is consideration of Jesus as One who is savingly present and active today. Indeed, what if Jesus were not inert. What if his presence is constitutive of reality? Our task is to become participant in his work of making all things new. For by joining what he is doing, ethics fulfills its task, which it to become human. The purpose of this book is to account for the ways in which the revealed truth, love, and power of God revealed in Jesus Christ are contemporary to human life and transformative of human life. By learning to hear, obey, and serve, men and women become aligned to the ongoing and life-giving presence of the truth, love, and power of Jesus Christ.

Religion is one of the most powerful forces running through human history, and although often presented as a force for good, its impact is frequently violent and divisive. This provocative work brings together cutting-edge research from both evolutionary and cognitive psychology to help readers understand the psychological structure of religious morality and the origins of religious violence. Introduces a fundamentally new approach to the analysis of religion in a style accessible to the general reader Applies insights from evolutionary and cognitive psychology to both Judaism and Christianity, and their texts, to help understand the origins of religious violence Argues that religious violence is grounded in the moral psychology of religion Illustrates its controversial argument with reference to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the response to the attacks from both the terrorists and the President. Suggests strategies for beginning to counter the divisive aspects of religionDiscusses the role of religion and religious criticism in the contemporary world. Argues for a position sceptical of the moral authority of religion, while also critiquing the excesses of the "new atheists" for failing to appreciate the moral contributions of religionAwarded Honourable Mention, 2010 Prose Awards