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A gripping account of an alien abduction and its connections to the
breakdown of American society in the 1960s  In the
mid-1960s, Betty and Barney Hill became famous as the first
Americans to claim that aliens had taken them aboard a spacecraft
against their will. Their story—involving a lonely highway late
at night, lost memories, and medical examinations by small gray
creatures with large eyes—has become the template for nearly
every encounter with aliens in American popular culture since.
 Historian Matthew Bowman examines the Hills’ story not
only as a foundational piece of UFO folklore but also as a
microcosm of 1960s America. The Hills, an interracial couple who
lived in New Hampshire, were civil rights activists, supporters of
liberal politics, and Unitarians. But when their story of abduction
was repeatedly ignored or discounted by authorities, they lost
faith in the scientific establishment, the American government, and
the success of the civil rights movement. Â Bowman tells the
fascinating story of the Hills as an account of the shifting winds
in American politics and culture in the second half of the
twentieth century. He exposes the promise and fallout of the
idealistic reforms of the 1960s and how the myth of political
consensus has given way to the cynicism and conspiratorialism and
the paranoia and illusion of American life today.
Religious diversity has long been a defining feature of the United
States. But what may be even more remarkable than the sheer range
of faiths is the diversity of political visions embedded in those
religious traditions. Matthew Bowman delves into the ongoing
struggle over the potent word "Christian," not merely to settle
theological disputes but to discover its centrality to American
politics. As Christian: The Politics of a Word in America shows,
for many American Christians, concepts like liberty and equality
are rooted in the transcendent claims about human nature that
Christianity offers. Democracy, equality under the law, and other
basic principles of American government are seen as depending on
the Christian faith's sustenance and support. Yet despite this
presumed consensus, differing Christian beliefs have led to dispute
and disagreement about what American society and government should
look like. While many white American Protestants associate
Christianity with Western Euro-American civilization, individual
liberty, and an affirmation of capitalism, other American
Christians have long rejected those assumptions. They maintain that
Christian principles demand political programs as wide-ranging as
economic communalism, international cooperation, racial
egalitarianism, and social justice. The varieties of American
Christian experience speak to an essentially contested concept of
political rights and wrongs. Though diverse Christian faiths
espouse political visions, Christian politics defy clear
definition, Bowman writes. Rather, they can be seen as a rich and
varied collection of beliefs about the interrelationships of
divinity, human nature, and civic life that engage and divide the
nation's Christian communities and politics alike.
A Publishers Weekly Best Religion Book of the Year A Choice
Outstanding Academic Title For many Americans, being Christian is
central to their political outlook. Political Christianity is most
often associated with the Religious Right, but the Christian faith
has actually been a source of deep disagreement about what American
society and government should look like. While some identify
Christianity with Western civilization and unfettered
individualism, others have maintained that Christian principles
call for racial equality, international cooperation, and social
justice. At once incisive and timely, Christian delves into the
intersection of faith and political identity and offers an
essential reconsideration of what it means to be Christian in
America today. "Bowman is fast establishing a reputation as a
significant commentator on the culture and politics of the United
States." -Church Times "Bowman looks to tease out how religious
groups in American history have defined, used, and even wielded the
word Christian as a means of understanding themselves and pressing
for their own idiosyncratic visions of genuine faith and healthy
democracy." -Christian Century "A fascinating examination of the
twists and turns in American Christianity, showing that the current
state of political/religious alignment was not necessarily
inevitable, nor even probable." -Deseret News
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Markus Oehlen - 2009-2019 (Hardcover)
Bärbel Grässlin; Text written by Gregor Jansen, Erich Gantzert-Castrillo, Niels Olsen, Matthew Bowman, …
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Markus Oehlen (*1956) is one of Germany's most unmistakable
painters. As an anarchic pictorial inventor, since the 1980s he has
revolted against any visual convention and aesthetic convenience.
Due to his integration of digital techniques and the contemporary
reservoir of images, he creates stunningly hybrid paintings.
Collage-like fragments of art history and popular culture interfere
with each other. Abstraction and figuration swiftly blend into one
another. With the utmost freedom, Oehlen expands the possibilities
of today's painting in his both daring and calculated pictorial
experiments.
Ezra Taft Benson's ultra-conservative vision made him one of the
most polarizing leaders in the history of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. His willingness to mix religion with
extreme right-wing politics troubled many. Yet his fierce defense
of the traditional family, unabashed love of country, and deep
knowledge of the faith endeared him to millions. In Thunder from
the Right, a group of veteran Mormon scholars probe aspects of
Benson's extraordinary life. Topics include: how Benson's views
influenced his actions as Secretary of Agriculture in the
Eisenhower Administration; his dedication to the conservative
movement, from alliances with Barry Goldwater and the John Birch
Society to his condemnation of the civil rights movement as a
communist front; how his concept of the principal of free agency
became central to Mormon theology; his advocacy of traditional
gender roles as a counterbalance to liberalism; and the events and
implications of Benson's term as Church president. Contributors:
Gary James Bergera, Matthew Bowman, Newell G. Bringhurst, Brian Q.
Cannon, Robert A. Goldberg, Matthew L. Harris, J. B. Haws, and
Andrea G. Radke-Moss
How do women who are members of a church with a predominately
patriarchal power structure experience personal agency in formal
religious settings, in intimate relationships, publicly, and
individually? From Jane Manning James, an African American woman
who found empowerment and strength in Mormon ritual despite
suffering exclusion based on her race, to contemporary church
members who are more likely to prioritize personal revelation than
hierarchy, Mormon women have answered this question in a numerous
ways. This engaging and seminal volume employs vivid primary
documents, candid surveys, and illuminating oral histories to
explore the perspectives of Latter-day Saint women. Contributors
include lay members and prominent scholars in multiple disciplines,
including both LDS and non-LDS viewpoints.
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