Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Discovering Luke is the perfect introduction to the interpretation of Luke's gospel. Through a critical assessment of key interpreters and interpretative debates, this is a New Testament commentary that encourages in-depth study of the text and a genuine grappling with the theological and historical questions raised. As part of the Discovering Biblical Texts series, Discovering Luke draws on a range of author-, text- and reader-centred methodological approaches as complementary rather than mutually exclusive ways of understanding the text. It also focuses on the reception history of Luke's gospel, increasingly viewed by Biblical scholars as a vital aspect of interpretation rather than an optional extra. Discovering Luke is an ideal Bible commentary for students and those looking to dig deeper into this key book of the New Testament. You will gain a solid grasp of the structure and content of Luke's gospel, and a thorough understanding of a wide range of interpretative approaches and theological concerns that will enhance your own reading of the text.

The contemporary renaissance of theological interpretation as an approach to reading the Bible has brought with it a host of questions. Most importantly, what is the relationship between theological interpretation and more traditional forms of historical inquiry characteristic of the field in the modern era?

This book presents both nationally significant objects and ordinary items from everyday life to provide insight into 19th century American society, showing readers how the production, design, function, and use of these objects can inform our understanding of the period. Artifacts from 19th Century America examines a broad array of objects representing various aspects of 19th century American society. The objects have been chosen to illuminate daily life in a number of categories including cooking, entertainment, grooming, clothing and accessories, health, household items, religious life, work, and education. The book's 53 entries include a brief introduction to the background of the object, when and why it was made, and who used it, followed by a detailed description of the object itself. Finally, each entry provides a deep dive into the object's significance and how the object reveals clues about the social, political, economic, and intellectual life of the society in which it was produced and utilized. Students and general readers alike will not only learn about the time period but also learn to use the skills of material culture theory and method, including how to draw meaningful conclusions from each object about their historical context and significance.

Why does management encounter people problems whenever organizations attempt to change? Green and Butkus say this occurs because organizations overlook one of the most critical problems of change: how employees react it emotionally. Change is not about work processes or information systems alone. It is also about what people believe and feel--emotions such as anger, anxiety, confusion, and fear. Yet managers are usually unaware of these things, and those who are aware usually lack skills to manage these emotions effectively. They tend to rely on traditional incentive systems, which usually do not work. What does work? The one approach that has been applied consistently with positive results is Green's belief system of motivation and performance.

Green and Butkus show how the belief system helps to bring negative feelings and convictions to the surface. They provide ways to identify the underlying emotional problems and find effective solutions. The belief system works, say the authors, because it goes directly to the source of the problem--employees themselves--to discover why motivation and performance problems occur and what can be done to solve them. This book describes applications of the belief system in a variety of work situations, including a recent effort at organizational transformation with AT&T's Business Communications Services (BCS) Division. It outlines in detail the process that BCS used to implement the belief system, starting at the highest management levels and cascading down to the organization's front lines. With a clear exposition of the belief systeM's theoretical underpinnings and nuts-and-bolts methods, Green and Butkus provide executive decision makers and planners throughout the organization with critical insights into the pitfalls in the implementation process and workable guidance on how to avoid them.

This work focuses on problems of economic development, modernization, effective control, and possible democratic evolution of Russia. It is intended to bring the study of Russian politics into the mainstream of political science, and it assumes no previous knowledge on the part of the reader. Fundamental questions about the nature of political, economic, and social development are addressed. It examines and explains the incapacity of the Soviet system to deal with problems of modernization, including establishing and maintaining a political order, economic growth, and legitimacy. The work emphasizes dynamic relationships and changes.

Although considered the best approach to motivation in terms of theoretical soundness for some 25 years, expectancy theory was considered lacking in applications. For the first time this book presents an application model that gives practical value to the expectancy theory of motivation thus enabling managers to use it to improve individual and organizational performance. While other theories of motivation provide a theoretical framework for thinking about and understanding what motivates people in the workplace, the application model presented here for the expectancy theory of motivation goes far beyond this to provide a practical framework for diagnosing and solving individual motivation problems. Emphasis is not on simple motivation problems with straightfoward solutions, but instead the focus is on how to handle difficult motivation problems, and how to deal with them in difficult circumstances, such as when the manager does not have all of the resources or authority needed to solve the problem. The application model has a bottom-line, problem-solving orientation with a focus on the individuality of employees. The book describes specific things managers can say and do to identify potential and existing motivation problems in the early stages before they get out of hand. Techniques for determining the causes of individual motivation problems are presented. Practical solution approaches are offered along with guidelines for choosing solutions that match problem causes and suggestions for effectively implementing the solutions. The core of the application model is found in a one-on-one format for managers to follow in working with individual employees to jointly identify motivationproblems, causes, and solutions. The principal contribution of the application model rests with the special ways presented for dealing with difficult motivation problems when the manager's hands are tied relative to the solutions that can be offered.

Linking the terms "rural" and "literacy" often conjures images of deficit and improvement. This book takes a different approach, unpacking both of these laden concepts in diverse national contexts. It explores how people in many rural places understand and experience what it means to be rural and the multiple ways that exist of being literate, including ways that are linked to and situated in a particular place and conception of that place. The chapters in this international collection investigate a wide range of theorizations of rurality and literacy; literate practices and pedagogies; questions of place, space, and sustainability; and complex representations of rurality that challenge simplistic conceptions of standardized literacy and the real-and-imagined world beyond the metropolis.

Spiritual Transformation in America-what it means to all of us The United States is reported to be the most religious nation in the Western world. Nevertheless, major shifts are taking place in affiliation, observance, and practices. Exposure to different cultures, religions and spiritual practices is influencing what we think and what we believe. Tough questions are asked; contradictions are explored; conventional wisdom is challenged. Read and understand what is behind the dramatic spiritual and religious changes taking place in America. Most religions have lost ground.Americans have become "freelancers." They are exploring new faiths and new dimensions in spirituality.41 percent of Americans no longer follow the religion they were brought up inFewer belong to congregationsThe "Bible Belt" is less BaptistThe "Rust Belt" is less CatholicReligions are using technology to reinvent services There is more, much more to this story. Learn which church is losing membership at the highest rate. Discover which religions are gaining members and what is influening their growth. Understand the generational gap in religious belief and practice, and what it means politically. The author asks the question that is often avoided: "Just what do we believe when we say we believe in God?" * * * "Carol Green has written a remarkable book covering every aspect of religion-from sex to astrology. Green challenges conventional wisdom and unveils contractions. Her book raises critical questions about the role of religion and spirituality in our own lives. It also provides a comprehensive backdrop describing religion in America, where it is and where it is going. A must read for any educated citizen."Dr. Nancy K. Schlossberg, Professor Emerita, University of Maryland.Author: Revitalizing Retirement: Reshaping Your Identity, Relationships and Purpose

Much is written about the theory of theological interpretation, but how does it apply to actually working with biblical texts? This volume shows that theological interpretation is not so much an exegetical method as it is a practice concerned with Scripture's role in the faith and formation of persons and church communities. Widely recognized biblical scholar Joel Green demonstrates both the practice of theological interpretation and the fruitfulness of this approach to reading biblical texts, providing students with helpful ways of wrestling with knotty interpretive issues. He also explores how theological inquiry can coexist with rigorous academic study of the Bible.

Thomas Hardy frequently insisted that his poems were not self-expressive, but dramatic or 'impersonative'. Yet biographical expositions have dulled their impersonality. Brian Green's approach is more exacting and rewarding; taking Hardy at his word, he traces Hardy's 'master theme' throughout the corpus of poems - a governing concern which merges Victorian and perennial ideas throughout the whole of Hardy's writings.

Writing, reading, and interpretation are acts of human minds, requiring complex cognition at every point. A relatively new field of studies, cognitive linguistics, focuses on how language and cognition are interconnected: Linguistic structures both shape cognitive patterns and are shaped by them. The Cognitive Linguistics in Biblical Interpretation section of the Society of Biblical Literature gathers scholars interested in applying cognitive linguistics to biblical studies, focusing on how language makes meaning, how texts evoke authority, and how contemporary readers interact with ancient texts. This collection of essays represents first fruits from the first six years (2006-2012) of that effort, drawing on cognitive metaphor study, mental spaces and conceptual blending, narrative theory, and cognitive grammar. Contributors include Eve Sweetser, Ellen van Wolde, Hugo Lundhaug and Jesper T. Nielsen.