The Acts of the Apostles: Four Centuries of Baptist Interpretation is a landmark work of research, containing examples of specific ways that Baptists have used Acts in their confessions, sermons, tracts, commentaries, monographs, devotional and denominational literature, speeches, and hymns. Including the entirety of the Acts as translated by Baptist luminary Helen Barrett Montgomery, this commentary beautifully illustrates the diversity of Baptist responses to this book of Scripture, and in so doing, a variety of hermeneutical approaches within the Baptist tradition.

The concept of rationality is the heart of modern economics. Neo-classical theory seems unable to proceed without assuming a rational agent seeking to find the optimal means to a well defined end. Yet many find this uncritical treatment of rationality problematic. It takes little account of culture history or creativity and consequently many economists find this insistence on rationality of little use when trying to explain a wide range of economic phenomena. Increasingly these include a large number of game theorists and others involved in mainstream theory as well as those typically opposed to neo-classicism. The Economics of Rationality contains a number of critical perspectives on the treatment of rationality in economics.

Marine Biomedicine: From Beach to Bedside assesses current efforts in marine biomedicine and evaluates the implications of recent advances on the future of the field. Richly illustrated in full color to enhance reader comprehension, the book covers four sections. The first one addresses the technology that has recently been brought to bear on the study of marine natural products, including omics and bioinformatic techniques. The second focuses on lead discovery and reviews various products and their biomedical potential. Examples of clinically successful marine products and discussions of approaches to the clinic are presented in the third section while the last section discusses prospects for the future of marine biodiscovery. Highlighting new technologies, this valuable resource provides an overview of both what is currently possible in the field as well as a detailed look at what is being done in marine natural products research.

The concept of rationality is the heart of modern economics. Neo-classical theory seems unable to proceed without assuming a rational agent seeking to find the optimal means to a well defined end. Yet many find this uncritical treatment of rationality problematic. It takes little account of culture history or creativity and consequently many economists find this insistence on rationality of little use when trying to explain a wide range of economic phenomena. Increasingly these include a large number of game theorists and others involved in mainstream theory as well as those typically opposed to neo-classicism. "The Economics of Rationality" contains a number of critical perspectives on the treatment of rationality in economics. Insights from such diverse areas as game theory, experimental economics, psychology, post-Keynesian and institutional economics cast considerable doubt on whether a single notion of rationality within economics is either possible or desirable.

The interdisciplinary field of marine chemical ecology is an expanding and dynamic science. It is no surprise that the breadth of marine organisms studied expanded in concert with developments in underwater technology. With its up-to-date subject reviews by experts, Marine Chemical Ecology is the most current, comprehensive book on the subject. The book provides cellular, physiological, organismal, evolutionary, and applied perspectives creating a high-resolution snapshot of the field at the start of the 21st century.

The introductory section provides a broad phylogenic overview of marine organic chemistry. With its emphasis on evolutionary, ecological, and biosynthetic considerations, it sets a foundation for the chapters that follow. The second section takes an organismal approach to understanding the role of secondary metabolites in mediating trophic interrelationships. Section three reviews cellular and physiological aspects of marine chemical ecology. The final section discusses practical applications.

Fully detailed with figures, tables, and chemical structural diagrams, the book's coverage spans aspects of marine ecology from molecular to community levels, bridging diverse disciplines. Written by an international panel, Marine Chemical Ecology provides a conceptual synthesis and overview of the discipline. You get an integrated perspective of the current state of the field, and its future.

Baptists are a study in contrasts. From Little Dove Old Regular Baptist Church, up a hollow in the Appalachian Mountains, with its 25-member congregation, to the 18,000-strong Saddleback Valley Church in Orange County, California, where hymns appear on wide-screen projectors; from Jerry Falwell, Jesse Helms, and Tim LaHaye to Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Jackson, Bill Clinton, and Maya Angelou, Baptist churches and their members have encompassed a range of theological interpretations and held a variety of social and political viewpoints. At first glance, Baptist theology seems classically Protestant in its emphasis on the Trinity, the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the authority of Scripture, salvation by faith alone, and baptism by immersion. Yet the interpretation and implementation of these beliefs have made Baptists one of the most fragmented denominations in the United States. Not surprisingly, they are often characterized as a people who "multiply by dividing."

"Baptists in America" introduces readers to this fascinating and diverse denomination, offering a historical and sociological portrait of a group numbering some thirty million members. Bill J. Leonard traces the history of Baptists, beginning with their origins in seventeenth-century Holland and England. He examines the development of Baptist beliefs and practices, offering an overview of the various denominations and fellowships within Baptism. Leonard also considers the disputes surrounding the question of biblical authority, the ordinances (baptism and the Lord's Supper), congregational forms of church governance, and religious liberty.

The social and political divisions among Baptists are often as dramatic, if not more so, than the theological divides. Leonard examines the role of Baptists in the Fundamentalist and Social Gospel movements of the early twentieth century. The Civil Rights movement began in African American Baptist churches. More recently, Baptists have been key figures in the growth of the Religious Right, criticizing the depravity of American popular culture, supporting school prayer, and championing other conservative social causes. Leonard also explores the social and religious issues currently dividing Baptists, including race, the ordination of women, the separation of church and state, and sexuality. In the final chapter Leonard discusses the future of Baptist identity in America.

This discussion centers around the work of the church and the individual's right to work with other Christians in teaching the gospel. Do individual Christians have the right to build and maintain schools or colleges where the Bible is taught? This debate likely contains more material on this subject than any other single volume.