The title, Violent Grace, suggests a paradox. This pairing has become an unexpected gateway into the astonishingly varied and prolific artistic career of Edward Knippers. Violence conjures images of aggression while grace has long been associated with beauty, poise, or an unmerited gift, perhaps even a kind of salvation. Within the ambiguity of this fertile paradox, the art of Edward Knippers-which can initially shock and disturb-opens up into something rich and rewarding. Our lives are reflected in the lives of his biblical characters; we understand their message in our own flesh and blood. Edward Knippers grapples with the perennial human questions embedded in the Bible-a strenuous effort never satisfied until it has extracted a blessing. This is the image of violent grace. Drawn into the wrestling match, we come away wounded-and blessed-by a passionate, unreasonable, overwhelming beauty.

The federal excise tax on alcoholic beverages is imposed at the manufacturer and importer level, based on the per unit production or importation of alcoholic beverages (eg: distilled spirits, wine, and beer) for sale in the U.S. market. Today, three main approaches drive interest in alcohol taxes: tax rates could be decreased to benefit firms in the industry; excise tax rates could be increased for deficit reduction; or excise tax rates could be increased to discourage the negative spillover effects of alcohol consumption. This book provides a brief historical overview of alcohol excise tax policy and a description of current law; analyzes alcohol excise tax rates based on some of the standard criteria for tax evaluation; and discusses bills introduced in the 113th Congress that would reduce current excise tax rates as well as possible approaches to raising alcohol excise tax rates.