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 fathom, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material. Edmund Husserl's work is a cornerstone of Continental philosophy and the phenomenological tradition. Husserl stands as a key influence on such major philosophers as Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and Sartre, and is required reading for anyone studying phenomenology and European philosophy of the last 100 years. However, the complex ideas central to his work, and the rather convoluted language in which they are expressed, mean that arriving at a full and clear understanding of Husserlian phenomenology is no small undertaking. Husserl: A Guide for the Perplexed addresses directly those major points of difficulty faced by students of Husserl and leads them expertly through the maze of complex ideas and language. In identifying and working through common sources of confusion arising from Husserl's philosophy, the book builds up a comprehensive and authoritative overview of his thought and, more broadly, of phenomenology itself. The text covers the central tenets of phenomenology, Husserl's work on consciousness, and key philosophical topics in Husserl, including psychologism, intersubjectivity, the lifeworld and the crisis of the sciences.

Jurgen Habermas has come to be viewed as the unofficial philosopher laureate of the European Union. But why have his contributions to contemporary political theory commanded such attention? This book brings to life the ideas of a unique thinker, an heir to the Enlightenment legacy, a champion of reason and democracy, a social theorist of unusual sophistication and an astute commentator on contemporary politics. Unified by a central focus on the theme of power, the book guides its readers through the sociological and philosophical perspectives that are essential to Habermas's political theory. It situates the philosopher's political thinking in relation to key Continental theorists such as Carl Schmitt and Michel Foucault as well as current debates in contemporary Anglo-American political philosophy.

Jurgen Habermas has come to be viewed as the unofficial philosopher laureate of the European Union. But why have his contributions to contemporary political theory commanded such attention? This book brings to life the ideas of a unique thinker, an heir to the Enlightenment legacy, a champion of reason and democracy, a social theorist of unusual sophistication and an astute commentator on contemporary politics. Unified by a central focus on the theme of power, the book guides its readers through the sociological and philosophical perspectives that are essential to Habermas's political theory. It situates the philosopher's political thinking in relation to key Continental theorists such as Carl Schmitt and Michel Foucault as well as current debates in contemporary Anglo-American political philosophy.

Description: Theologian, poet, public intellectual, and clergyman, Rowan Williams is one of the leading lights of contemporary British theology. He has published over twenty books and one hundred scholarly essays in a distinguished career as an academic theologian that culminated in his appointment as Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Oxford University. Williams left this post to serve in the Anglican Church, first as Bishop of Monmouth, then Archbishop of Wales, before finally being enthroned in 2003 as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury. In this collection of essays, a talented younger generation of Australian theologians critically analyzes the themes that bind together Williams's theology. These sympathetic yet probing essays traverse the full breadth of Williams's work, from his studies on Arius, the Desert Fathers, Hegel, and Trinitarian theology to his more pastoral writings on spirituality, sexuality, politics, and the Anglican Church. Endorsements: ""I read these essays with surprise and delight. This excellent collection of constructive critical essays are a tribute both to the richness of Rowan Williams's theology and the intellectual commitment, discernment, and fairness of their authors. Highly recommended."" --Alister E. McGrath Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education King's College, London. ""I welcome this book very warmly. It offers a thoughtful, engaging, and respectful--albeit critical--account of Rowan Williams's theology that does him justice. Even when disagreeing on crucial areas such as sexuality or war, the contributors to this fresh and well-informed book show much affection and respect for Rowan Williams himself at this difficult time for Anglicanism. Would that all debates among Christians were conducted in a similar manner."" --Robin Gill Michael Ramsey Professor of Modern Theology University of Kent, Canterbury ""Neither setting Rowan Williams's work on an implausible pedestal nor dismissing it in caricature, the essays that Matheson Russell has gathered engage the Archbishop in thoughtful and critical conversation. I found myself by turns intrigued, delighted, puzzled, convicted, and annoyed--but also repeatedly driven to think again about Williams's work and, more importantly, about the issues that his work explores."" --Mike Higton Senior Lecturer in Theology University of Exeter About the Contributor(s): Matheson Russell is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Auckland. He is the author of Husserl: A Guide for the Perplexed (2006), as well as essays on Heidegger, phenomenology of religion, and political theology.

"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 fathom, these books explain and explore key themes and ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of demanding material. Edmund Husserl's work is a cornerstone of Continental philosophy and the phenomenological tradition. Husserl stands as a key influence on such major philosophers as Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty and Sartre, and is required reading for anyone studying phenomenology and European philosophy of the last 100 years. However, the complex ideas central to his work, and the rather convoluted language in which they are expressed, mean that arriving at a full and clear understanding of Husserlian phenomenology is no small undertaking. "Husserl: A Guide for the Perplexed" addresses directly those major points of difficulty faced by students of Husserl and leads them expertly through the maze of complex ideas and language. In identifying and working through common sources of confusion arising from Husserl's philosophy, the book builds up a comprehensive and authoritative overview of his thought and, more broadly, of phenomenology itself. The text covers the central tenets of phenomenology, Husserl's work on consciousness, and key philosophical topics in Husserl, including psychologism, intersubjectivity, the lifeworld and the crisis of the sciences.