How should we understand and interpret the strange but familiar thing that we call "religion"? What are the foundations of a methodical approach to this subject, and what theoretical tools are available to students who are new to this area of inquiry? A Beginner's Guide to the Study of Religion provides an accessible, wide-ranging introduction to theories and basic methodology in the field. Now in its second edition and updated throughout, this concise but comprehensive book includes:- - A case for the urgency and relevance of studying religion today - Discussion of the role and perspective of the student of religion - Description of the nature of theory and its function - An accessible survey of classic theorists in the modern study of religion - Feature boxes highlighting essential quotations and guiding principles for application of theories An expanded consideration of contemporary issues in the field, including gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, globalization, violence, science, and new media. - Recommended further reading A Beginner's Guide to the Study of Religion offers a thorough but concise body of material suitable for introductory courses on the study of religion, or to provide theoretical context for survey courses. Study questions and worksheets can be found on the book's webpage.

Ecology has become one of the most urgent and lively fields in both the humanities and sciences. In a dramatic widening of scope beyond its original concern with the coexistence of living organisms within a natural environment, it is now recognized that there are ecologies of mind, information, sensation, perception, power, participation, media, behavior, belonging, values, the social, the political... a thousand ecologies. This proliferation is not simply a metaphorical extension of the figurative potential of natural ecology: rather, it reflects the thoroughgoing imbrication of natural and technological elements in the constitution of the contemporary environments we inhabit, the rise of a cybernetic natural state, with its corresponding mode of power. Hence this ecology of ecologies initiates and demands that we go beyond the specificity of any particular ecology: a general thinking of ecology which may also constitute an ecological transformation of thought itself is required. In this ambitious and radical new volume of writings, some of the most exciting contemporary thinkers in the field take on the task of revealing and theorizing the extent of the ecologization of existence as the effect of our contemporary sociotechnological condition: together, they bring out the complexity and urgency of the challenge of ecological thought-one we cannot avoid if we want to ask and indeed have a chance of affecting what forms of life, agency, modes of existence, human or otherwise, will participate-and how-in this planet's future.

How are causal judgements such as 'The ice on the road caused the traffic accident' connected with counterfactual judgements such as 'If there had not been any ice on the road, the traffic accident would not have happened'? This volume throws new light on this question by uniting, for the first time, psychological and philosophical approaches to causation and counterfactuals. Traditionally, philosophers have primarily been interested in connections between causal and counterfactual claims on the level of meaning or truth-conditions. More recently, however, they have also increasingly turned their attention to psychological connections between causal and counterfactual understanding or reasoning. At the same time, there has been a surge in interest in empirical work on causal and counterfactual cognition amongst developmental, cognitive, and social psychologists--much of it inspired by work in philosophy. In this volume, twelve original contributions from leading philosophers and psychologists explore in detail what bearing empirical findings might have on philosophical concerns about counterfactuals and causation, and how, in turn, work in philosophy might help clarify the issues at stake in empirical work on the cognitive underpinnings of, and relationships between, causal and counterfactual thought.

Some time around their first birthday, children begin to engage in "triadic" interactions, i.e. interactions with adults that turn specifically on both child and adult jointly attending to an object in their surroundings. Recognized as a developmental milestone amongst psychologists for some time, joint attention has recently also started to attract the attention of philosophers. This volume brings together, for the first time, psychological and philosophical perspectives on the nature and significance of joint attention. Original contributions by leading researchers in both disciplines explore the idea that joint attention has a key foundational role to play in the emergence of communicative abilities, psychological understanding, and, possibly, in the very capacity for objective thought.
Contributors:
Dare Baldwin, Josep Call, John Campbell, Naomi Eilan, Fabio Franco, Juan-Carlos Gomez, Jane Heal, R. Peter Hobson, Christoph Hoerl, Sue Leekam, Teresa McCormack, Christopher Peacocke, Vasudevi Reddy, Johannes Roessler, Mark A. Sabbagh, Michael Tomasello, Amanda L. Woodward.

Ongoing interest in the turmoil of the 1960s clearly demonstrates how these social conflicts continue to affect contemporary politics. In The Bad Sixties: Hollywood Memories of the Counterculture, Antiwar, and Black Power Movements, Kristen Hoerl focuses on fictionalized portrayals of 1960s activism in popular television and film. Hoerl shows how Hollywood has perpetuated politics deploring the detrimental consequences of the 1960s on traditional American values. During the decade, people collectively raised fundamental questions about the limits of democracy under capitalism. But Hollywood has proved dismissive, if not adversarial, to the role of dissent in fostering progressive social change. Film and television are salient resources of shared understanding for audiences born after the 1960s because movies and television programs are the most accessible visual medium for observing the decade's social movements. Hoerl indicates that a variety of television programs, such as Family Ties, The Wonder Years, and Law and Order, along with Hollywood films, including Forrest Gump, have reinforced images of the ""bad sixties."" These stories portray a period in which urban riots, antiwar protests, sexual experimentation, drug abuse, and feminism led to national division and moral decay. According to Hoerl, these messages supply distorted civics lessons about what we should value and how we might legitimately participate in our democracy. These warped messages contribute to ""selective amnesia,"" a term that stresses how popular media renders radical ideas and political projects null or nonexistent. Selective amnesia removes the spectacular events and figures that define the late-1960s from their motives and context, flattening their meaning into reductive stereotypes. Despite popular television and film, Hoerl explains, memory of 1960s activism still offers a potent resource for imagining how we can strive collectively to achieve social justice and equality.

We are pleased to present our readers the proceedings of the International symposium on "New Aspects of Human Polymorpho- nuclear Leukocytes" which was held in Freiburg im Breisgau, FRG, from October 26-28th, 1989. The meeting provided an unique framework for close interaction between scientists from various disciplines, including bioche- mistry, biology, physiology, pathology, clinical chemistry, hematology, gynecology, surgery, intensive care medicine, nephrology, rheumatology, and infectious diseases. We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation for all those who have stimulated, encouraged, and supported us to hold the symposium in Freiburg. This endeavor could not have been possible without the generous financial support of Asid- Bonz (Boblingen), Bayer AG (Leverkusen), Bayropharm GmbH (Koln), Baxter (Munchen), Ciba-Geigy (Wehr/Baden), Cilag GmbH (Sulzbach), Fresenius AG (Oberursel), Gambro (Martinsried), Gry-Pharma GmbH (Kirchzarten), Hoechst AG (Frankfurt), Hospal (Nurnberg), Knoll AG (Ludwigshafen), Lederle-Cyanamid (Wolfratshausen) , E. Merck (Darmstadt), MSD Sharp and Dohme GmbH (Munchen), Pfizer GmbH (Karlsruhe), and Kabi/Pfrimmer (Erlangen). We are indebted to Mrs. I. Szkibik for her invaluable ass i- stance both with the organization of the meeting and the pre- paration of the manuscripts.

Shame, Gender Violence and Ethics: Terrors of Injustice draws from contemporary, concrete atrocities against women and marginalized communties to re-conceptualize moral shame and to set moral shame apart from dimensions of subordination, humiliation, and disgrace. The inter-disciplinary collection starts with a contribution from a a Yazidi-survivor of genocidal and sexual violence, whose case brings together core themes: gender, ethnic and religious identity, and violence and shame. Further accounts of shame and gendered violence in this collection take the reader to other and equally disturbing accounts of lesser- known atrocities from around the. Although shame is sometimes posited as an innevitable companion to human life, editors Lenart Skof and She M. Hawke situate the discussion in the theoretical landscape of shame, and the contributors challenge this concept through fields as diverse as law, journalism, activism, philosophy, theology, ecofeminism, and gender and cultural studies. Their discussion of gendered shame makes room for it to be both a negative and a redemptive concept. Combining junior and senior scholarship, this collection examines power relations in the cycle of shame and violence.

Gender in Film and Video tracks changes in gender on screen by documenting trends of the internet age. The jargon-free book focuses on six instances of media in transition and their histories, including the rise of feminism on television, in sports events, and in comedy-drama series; the growth of DIY production by underrepresented groups through crowdfunding and YouTube channels; and struggles between fans and producers over control of casting and storytelling. This volume focuses on the breakdown of the categories (content, production, reception) that top-down production/distribution in TV and cinema tended to keep distinct. This text is for students in sociology, media studies, and women's and gender studies.

Gender in Film and Video tracks changes in gender on screen by documenting trends of the internet age. The jargon-free book focuses on six instances of media in transition and their histories, including the rise of feminism on television, in sports events, and in comedy-drama series; the growth of DIY production by underrepresented groups through crowdfunding and YouTube channels; and struggles between fans and producers over control of casting and storytelling. This volume focuses on the breakdown of the categories (content, production, reception) that top-down production/distribution in TV and cinema tended to keep distinct. This text is for students in sociology, media studies, and women's and gender studies.

Evil is a problem that will not go away. For some it is an inescapable fact of the human condition. For others "evil" is a term that should only be used to name the most horrible of crimes. Still others think that the worst problem lies with the abuse of the term: using it to vilify a misunderstood enemy. No matter how we approach it, "evil" is a concept that continues to call out for critical reflection. This volume collects the results of a two-year deliberation within the Boston University Institute for Philosophy of Religion lecture series, bringing together scholars of religion, literature, and philosophy. Its essays provide a thoughtful, sensitive, and wide-ranging consideration of this challenging problem and of ways that we might be delivered from it.

Race and Hegemonic Struggle in the United States: Pop Culture, Politics, and Protest is a collection of essays that draws on concepts developed by Antonio Gramsci to examine the imagining of race in popular culture productions, political discourses, and resistance rhetoric. The essays in this volume collectively call for renewed attention to Gramscian political thought to examine, understand, and explain the continued contradictions, ambivalence, and paradoxes surrounding the representations and realities of race in America as we make our way through the new millennium. The book s contributors rely on Gramsci s ideas to explore how popular, political, and resistant discourses reproduce or transform our understandings of race and racism, social inequalities, and power relationships in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Together the chapters confront forms of collective and cultural amnesia about race and racism suggested in the phrases postrace, postracial, and postracism while exposing the historical, institutional, social, and political forces and constraints that make antiracism, atonement, and egalitarian change so difficult to achieve."

AIDS, Behavior, and Culture presents a bold challenge to the prevailing wisdom of "the global AIDS industry" and offers an alternative framework for understanding what works in HIV prevention. Arguing for a behavior-based approach, Green and Ruark make the case that the most effective programs are those that encourage fundamental behavioral changes such as abstinence, delay of sex, faithfulness, and cessation of injection drug use. Successful programs are locally based, low cost, low tech, innovative, and built on existing cultural structures. In contrast, they argue that anthropologists and public health practitioners focus on counseling, testing, condoms, and treatment, and impose their Western values, culture, and political ideologies in an attempt to "liberate" non-Western people from sexual repression and homophobia. This provocative book is essential reading for anyone working in HIV/AIDS prevention, and a stimulating introduction to the key controversies and approaches in global health and medical anthropology for students and general readers.

How did the Bhagavadgata first become an object of German philosophical and philological inquiry? How were its foundational concepts initially interpreted within German intellectual circles, and what does this episode in the history of cross-cultural encounter teach us about the status of comparative philosophy today? This book addresses these questions through a careful study of the figures who read, translated and interpreted the Bhagavadgata around the turn of the nineteenth century in Germany: J.G. Herder, F. Majer, F. Schlegel, A.W. Schlegel, W. von Humboldt, and G.W.F. Hegel. Methodologically, the study attends to the intellectual contexts and prejudices that framed the early reception of the text. But it also delves deeper by investigating the way these frameworks inflected the construction of the Bhagavadgata and its foundational concepts through the scholarly acts of excerpting, anthologization, and translation. Overall, the project contributes to the pluralization of Western philosophy and its history while simultaneously arguing for a continued critical alertness in cross-cultural comparison of philosophical and religious worldviews.

How did the Bhagavadgata first become an object of German philosophical and philological inquiry? How were its foundational concepts initially interpreted within German intellectual circles, and what does this episode in the history of cross-cultural encounter teach us about the status of comparative philosophy today? This book addresses these questions through a careful study of the figures who read, translated and interpreted the Bhagavadgata around the turn of the nineteenth century in Germany: J.G. Herder, F. Majer, F. Schlegel, A.W. Schlegel, W. von Humboldt, and G.W.F. Hegel. Methodologically, the study attends to the intellectual contexts and prejudices that framed the early reception of the text. But it also delves deeper by investigating the way these frameworks inflected the construction of the Bhagavadgata and its foundational concepts through the scholarly acts of excerpting, anthologization, and translation. Overall, the project contributes to the pluralization of Western philosophy and its history while simultaneously arguing for a continued critical alertness in cross-cultural comparison of philosophical and religious worldviews.

AIDS, Behavior, and Culture presents a bold challenge to the prevailing wisdom of "the global AIDS industry" and offers an alternative framework for understanding what works in HIV prevention. Arguing for a behavior-based approach, Green and Ruark make the case that the most effective programs are those that encourage fundamental behavioral changes such as abstinence, delay of sex, faithfulness, and cessation of injection drug use. Successful programs are locally based, low cost, low tech, innovative, and built on existing cultural structures. In contrast, they argue that anthropologists and public health practitioners focus on counseling, testing, condoms, and treatment, and impose their Western values, culture, and political ideologies in an attempt to "liberate" non-Western people from sexual repression and homophobia. This provocative book is essential reading for anyone working in HIV/AIDS prevention, and a stimulating introduction to the key controversies and approaches in global health and medical anthropology for students and general readers.

Apply statistics in business to achieve performance improvement Statistical Thinking: Improving Business Performance, 3rd Edition helps managers understand the role of statistics in implementing business improvements. It guides professionals who are learning statistics in order to improve performance in business and industry. It also helps graduate and undergraduate students understand the strategic value of data and statistics in arriving at real business solutions. Instruction in the book is based on principles of effective learning, established by educational and behavioral research. The authors cover both practical examples and underlying theory, both the big picture and necessary details. Readers gain a conceptual understanding and the ability to perform actionable analyses. They are introduced to data skills to improve business processes, including collecting the appropriate data, identifying existing data limitations, and analyzing data graphically. The authors also provide an in-depth look at JMP software, including its purpose, capabilities, and techniques for use. Updates to this edition include: A new chapter on data, assessing data pedigree (quality), and acquisition tools Discussion of the relationship between statistical thinking and data science Explanation of the proper role and interpretation of p-values (understanding of the dangers of "p-hacking") Differentiation between practical and statistical significance Introduction of the emerging discipline of statistical engineering Explanation of the proper role of subject matter theory in order to identify causal relationships A holistic framework for variation that includes outliers, in addition to systematic and random variation Revised chapters based on significant teaching experience Content enhancements based on student input This book helps readers understand the role of statistics in business before they embark on learning statistical techniques.

Diminished Reality is a new fascinating technology that removes real-world content from live video streams. This sensational live video manipulation actually removes real objects and generates a coherent video stream in real-time. Viewers cannot detect modified content. Existing approaches are restricted to moving objects and static or almost static cameras and do not allow real-time manipulation of video content. Jan Herling presents a new and innovative approach for real-time object removal with arbitrary camera movements.

We are pleased to present our readers the proceedings of the International symposium on "New Aspects of Human Polymorpho- nuclear Leukocytes" which was held in Freiburg im Breisgau, FRG, from October 26-28th, 1989. The meeting provided an unique framework for close interaction between scientists from various disciplines, including bioche- mistry, biology, physiology, pathology, clinical chemistry, hematology, gynecology, surgery, intensive care medicine, nephrology, rheumatology, and infectious diseases. We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation for all those who have stimulated, encouraged, and supported us to hold the symposium in Freiburg. This endeavor could not have been possible without the generous financial support of Asid- Bonz (Boblingen), Bayer AG (Leverkusen), Bayropharm GmbH (Koln), Baxter (Munchen), Ciba-Geigy (Wehr/Baden), Cilag GmbH (Sulzbach), Fresenius AG (Oberursel), Gambro (Martinsried), Gry-Pharma GmbH (Kirchzarten), Hoechst AG (Frankfurt), Hospal (Nurnberg), Knoll AG (Ludwigshafen), Lederle-Cyanamid (Wolfratshausen) , E. Merck (Darmstadt), MSD Sharp and Dohme GmbH (Munchen), Pfizer GmbH (Karlsruhe), and Kabi/Pfrimmer (Erlangen). We are indebted to Mrs. I. Szkibik for her invaluable ass i- stance both with the organization of the meeting and the pre- paration of the manuscripts.

We are pleased to present our readers the Proceedings of the International Symposium "New Perspectives in Hemodialysis, Peritoneal Dialysis, Arteriovenous Hemofiltration, and Plasma- pheresis" which was held in Freiburg i. Br. (FRG) during Oct- tober 6-8, 1988. The meeting was held on the occasion of opening the new dialysis unit of the University Hospital of Freiburg i. Br .. The topics discussed included membrane biocompatibility, catabolic factors associated with dialysis therapy, phar- macological therapy in dialyzed patients, erythropoietin and renal anemia, new developments in CAVH, CAPD and plasmapheresis, renal replacement therapy in acute renal failure, and plasmapheresis therapy in systemic diseases. It was unfortunately impossible in this volume, to include the extended, lively and stimulating discussions which were enjoyed by the participants during the conference. The meeting has provided an unique framework for close interaction between scientists from various disciplines, including nephrology, pharmacology, hematology, cardiology, anesthesiology, surgery, intensive care medicine, and patho- logy. We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation for all those who have stimulated, encouraged and supported us to hold the symposium in Freiburg. This endeaver could not have been possible without the generous financial support of Asid-Bonz (BOblingen), Bayer AG (Leverkusen), Bayropharm GmbH (Koln), Baxter (Munchen), Ciba-Geigy (Wehr/Baden), Cilag GmbH (Sulzbach), Fresenius AG (Oberursel), Gambro (Martinsried), Gry Pharma GmbH (Kirchzarten), Hoechst AG (Frankfurt), Hospal (Nurnberg), Knoll AG (Ludwigshafen), Lederle-Cyanamid (Wolfratshausen), E. Merck (Darmstadt), MSD Sharp and Dohme GmbH (Munchen), Pfizer GmbH (Karlsruhe), and pfrimmer and Co (Erlangen) .

We are pleased to present to our readers the Proceedings of the Second International Symposium "Proteases: Potential Role in Health and Disease" which was held in Rothenburg ob der Tauber (FRG) during May 17-20, 1987. The topics discussed included those dealing with the physiology and pathophysiology of proteases and their inhibitors, the inter- actions of proteases and hormones, the kallikrein-kinin, com- plement and coagulation system, the function of proteases in arthritis, malignoma, pancreatitis, intestinal tract, lung and kidney disease as well as in hypercatabolic states (acute renal failure, multiple trauma and septicemia). Furthermore some reports dealed with the role of proteases during extracorporeal circulation. The papers presented answered many questions, but raised many more concerning the significance of proteases and their in- hibitors in clinical medicine. It was unfortunately impossible in this volume, to include the extended, lively and stimulating discussions which were enjoyed by the participiants during the conference. The meeting has provided a unique framework for close inter- action between scientists from various disciplines, including molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, surgery, anaesthe- siology, endocrinology, hematology, pneumatology and nephrology.