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Judges: A Critical & Rhetorical Commentary
by Richard D. NelsonThe book of Judges is part of the world's literary and cultural canon, and as such it provides insights about political leadership, gender relationships, power disparities, personal strengths and weakness, as well as social and political ethics. In addition, for many Jewish and Christian scholars, Judges is a canonical, scriptural text. This new commentary on Judges considers all these issues, adopting two key approaches: rhetorical criticism and historical criticism. As a rhetorical commentary, the volume pays attention to the factors in the text that are being marshalled to influence the reader. Attention is paid to what the text does, and how it works when it is read closely. This element of the commentary encompasses lexical and grammatical issues, organizing arrangements and patterns, the intentions of various literary genres, along with narrative plot and structure. As a critical commentary, the volume deals with the history of the text's formation and transmission. It establishes the earliest recoverable text of Judges as a way of getting as close as possible to the producers of the text and its early audiences. It provides a well-argued description of how Judges was brought together as a coherent document from earlier oral and written sources and how it was later modified and supplemented. Together these aspects enable Nelson to provide a bold new commentary on Judges that is broad in scope and pays close attention to every detail of the text.
Julius Rosenwald: Repairing the World (Jewish Lives)
by Hasia R. DinerThe portrait of a humble retail magnate whose visionary ideas about charitable giving transformed the practice of philanthropy in America and beyond Julius Rosenwald (1862–1932) rose from modest means as the son of a peddler to meteoric wealth at the helm of Sears, Roebuck. Yet his most important legacy stands not upon his business acumen but on the pioneering changes he introduced to the practice of philanthropy. While few now recall Rosenwald’s name—he refused to have it attached to the buildings, projects, or endowments he supported—his passionate support of Jewish and African American causes continues to influence lives to this day. This biography of Julius Rosenwald explores his attitudes toward his own wealth and his distinct ideas about philanthropy, positing an intimate connection between his Jewish consciousness and his involvement with African Americans. The book shines light on his belief in the importance of giving in the present to make an impact on the future, and on his encouragement of beneficiaries to become partners in community institutions and projects. Rosenwald emerges from the pages as a compassionate man whose generosity and wisdom transformed the practice of philanthropy itself.
Jungle Survival (Air Ministry Survival Guide)
by A.M. Pamphlet 224THE ULTIMATE SURVIVAL GUIDE for anyone who thinks they'd survive the world's most hostile environments - or at least imagine they could do.-----------------------------First issued to airmen in the 1950s, the Air Ministry's Sea Survival guide includes original and authentic emergency advice to crew operating over the ocean. With original illustrations and text, these survival guides provide an insight to military survival techniques from a by-gone era.Packed with original line drawings and instruction in:- What to do if 'jungle hiking becomes boring'- How to stay safe from poisonous reptiles and insects- The benefits of using a 'fire thong'Focussing on one of the most hostile environments on Earth, Jungle Survival is one of four reprints of The Air Ministry's emergency survival pamphlets. Others include:Sea SurvivalDesert SurvivalArctic Survival
Jung's Ethics: Moral Psychology and his Cure of Souls (Philosophy and Psychoanalysis)
by Dan MerkurThis volume presents the first organized study of Jung's ethics. Drawing on direct quotes from all of his collected works, interviews, and seminars, psychoanalyst and religious scholar Dan Merkur provides a compendium of Jung’s thoughts on various topics and themes that comprise his theoretical corpus—from the personal unconscious, repression, dreams, good and evil, and the shadow, to collective phenomena such as the archetypes, synchronicity, the psychoid, the paranormal, God, and the Self, as well as his contributions to clinical method and technique including active imagination, inner dialogue, and the process of individuation and consciousness expansion. The interconnecting thread in Merkur's approach to the subject matter is to read Jung’s work through an ethical lens. What comes to light is how Merkur systematically portrays Jung as a moralist, but also as a complex thinker who situates the human being as an instinctual animal struggling with internal conflict and naturalized sin. Merkur exposes the tension and development in Jung’s thinking by exploring his innovative clinical-technical methods and experimentation, such as through active imagination, inner dialogue, and expressive therapies, hence underscoring unconscious creativity in dreaming, symbol formation, engaging the paranormal, and artistic productions leading to expansions of consciousness, which becomes a necessary part of individuation or the working through process in pursuit of self-actualization and wholeness. In the end, we are offered a unique presentation of Jung’s core theoretical and clinical ideas centering on an ethical fulcrum, whereby his moral psychology leads to a cure of souls. Jung’s Ethics will be of interest to academics, scholars, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of Jungian studies and analytical psychology, ethics, moral psychology, philosophy, religious studies, and mental health professionals focusing on the integration of humanities and psychoanalysis.
Jung's Ethics: Moral Psychology and his Cure of Souls (Philosophy and Psychoanalysis)
by Dan MerkurThis volume presents the first organized study of Jung's ethics. Drawing on direct quotes from all of his collected works, interviews, and seminars, psychoanalyst and religious scholar Dan Merkur provides a compendium of Jung’s thoughts on various topics and themes that comprise his theoretical corpus—from the personal unconscious, repression, dreams, good and evil, and the shadow, to collective phenomena such as the archetypes, synchronicity, the psychoid, the paranormal, God, and the Self, as well as his contributions to clinical method and technique including active imagination, inner dialogue, and the process of individuation and consciousness expansion. The interconnecting thread in Merkur's approach to the subject matter is to read Jung’s work through an ethical lens. What comes to light is how Merkur systematically portrays Jung as a moralist, but also as a complex thinker who situates the human being as an instinctual animal struggling with internal conflict and naturalized sin. Merkur exposes the tension and development in Jung’s thinking by exploring his innovative clinical-technical methods and experimentation, such as through active imagination, inner dialogue, and expressive therapies, hence underscoring unconscious creativity in dreaming, symbol formation, engaging the paranormal, and artistic productions leading to expansions of consciousness, which becomes a necessary part of individuation or the working through process in pursuit of self-actualization and wholeness. In the end, we are offered a unique presentation of Jung’s core theoretical and clinical ideas centering on an ethical fulcrum, whereby his moral psychology leads to a cure of souls. Jung’s Ethics will be of interest to academics, scholars, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of Jungian studies and analytical psychology, ethics, moral psychology, philosophy, religious studies, and mental health professionals focusing on the integration of humanities and psychoanalysis.
Juries, Science and Popular Culture in the Age of Terror: The Case of the Sydney Bomber
by David Tait Jane Goodman-DelahuntyTerrorism has become an everyday reality in most contemporary societies. In a context of heightened fear can juries be trusted to remain impartial when confronted by defendants charged with terrorism? Do they scrutinize prosecution cases carefully, or does emotion trump reason once the spectre of terrorism is invoked? This book examines these questions from a range of disciplinary perspectives. The authors look at the how jurors in terrorism trials are likely to respond to gruesome evidence, including beheading videos. The 'CSI effect' is examined as a possible response to forensic evidence, and jurors with different learning preferences are compared. Virtual interactive environments, built like computer games, may be created to provide animated reconstructions of the prosecution or defence case. This book reports on how to create such presentations, culminating in the analysis of a live simulated trial using interactive visual displays followed by jury deliberations. The team of international, transdisciplinary experts draw conclusions of global legal and political significance, and contribute to the growing scholarship on comparative counter-terrorism law. The book will be of great interest to scholars, students and practitioners of law, criminal justice, forensic science and psychology.
Kabbala und religiöse Identität: Eine religionswissenschaftliche Analyse des deutschsprachigen Kabbalah Centre (Religionswissenschaft #7)
by Nicole Maria BauerTrotz fortschreitender Säkularisierung sind neue religiöse Gruppen sehr erfolgreich und ziehen durch verschiedene Marketing-Strategien jährlich hunderte von Menschen an. Was genau macht ihre Attraktion aus? Eine Antwort darauf gibt Nicole Maria Bauers religionswissenschaftliche Analyse des »Kabbalah Centre«, einer Ende der 1960er Jahre in den USA gegründeten neureligiösen Bewegung, die seit einigen Jahren auch in Deutschland vertreten ist und der sich Menschen aus unterschiedlichen religiösen Kontexten anschließen. Die transdisziplinäre Studie beleuchtet die Konstruktion religiöser Identität auf institutioneller und personaler Ebene und entwirft einen neuen Ansatz für deren Untersuchung. Dabei werden auch aktuelle Trends wie etwa die Frage nach »Religious Branding« aufgegriffen und mit neueren Ansätzen aus der Identitätsforschung verknüpft.
The Kalam Cosmological Argument, Volume 1: Philosophical Arguments for the Finitude of the Past (Bloomsbury Studies in Philosophy of Religion)
by William Lane Craig Paul CopanDid the universe begin to exist? If so, did it have a cause? Or could it have come into existence uncaused, from nothing? These questions are taken up by the medieval-though recently-revived-kalam cosmological argument, which has arguably been the most discussed philosophical argument for God's existence in recent decades. The kalam's line of reasoning maintains that the series of past events cannot be infinite but rather is finite. Since the universe could not have come into being uncaused, there must be a transcendent cause of the universe's beginning, a conclusion supportive of theism.This anthology on the philosophical arguments for the finitude of the past asks: Is an infinite series of past events metaphysically possible? Should actual infinites be restricted to theoretical mathematics, or can an actual infinite exist in the concrete world? These essays by kalam proponents and detractors engage in lively debate about the nature of infinity and its conundrums; about frequently-used kalam argument paradoxes of Tristram Shandy, the Grim Reaper, and Hilbert's Hotel; and about the infinity of the future.
The Kalam Cosmological Argument, Volume 2: Scientific Evidence for the Beginning of the Universe (Bloomsbury Studies in Philosophy of Religion)
by William Lane Craig Paul CopanThe ancient kalam cosmological argument maintains that the series of past events is finite and that therefore the universe began to exist. Two recent scientific discoveries have yielded plausible prima facie physical evidence for the beginning of the universe. The expansion of the universe points to its beginning-to a Big Bang-as one retraces the universe's expansion in time. And the second law of thermodynamics, which implies that the universe's energy is progressively degrading, suggests that the universe began with an initial low entropy condition.The kalam cosmological argument-perhaps the most discussed philosophical argument for God's existence in recent decades-maintains that whatever begins to exist must have a cause. And since the universe began to exist, there must be a transcendent cause of its beginning, a conclusion which is confirmatory of theism. So this medieval argument for the finitude of the past has received fresh wind in its sails from recent scientific discoveries. This collection reviews and assesses the merits of the latest scientific evidences for the universe's beginning. It ends with the kalam argument's conclusion that the universe has a cause-a personal cause with properties of theological significance.
Kanonisches Recht: Zur Rechtsbildung und Rechtsstruktur des römisch-katholischen Kirchenrechts (Organisationsstudien)
by Simon HeckeTheoretische Ausgangspunkte der Studie bilden Einsichten aus den frühen rechtssoziologischen Arbeiten Niklas Luhmanns, nach denen sich sowohl Rechtsbildungsprozesse auf den Systemebenen von Interaktion, Organisation und Gesellschaft als auch Rechtsstrukturen verschiedener, sozialstrukturell korrelierter Rechtstypen unterscheiden lassen. Insbesondere der „älteren“ Rechtssoziologie Luhmanns – erstmals erschienen im Jahr 1972 – lassen sich ein pluralistischer Begriff sowie ein evolutionstheoretisches Entwicklungsmodell des Rechts entnehmen, die es erlauben, das Recht verschiedener Systemtypen bzw. die Rechtsstrukturen verschiedener Rechtstypen zu differenzieren und zu vergleichen. Vor dem Hintergrund dieser beiden Unterscheidungs- und Vergleichsmöglichkeiten qualifiziert sich das kanonische Recht – ein von der Soziologie bislang kaum eingehender untersuchter Gegenstand – zu einem ausgesprochen interessanten empirischen Phänomen. Zwei zentrale Eigenheiten des römisch-katholischen Kirchenrechts werden unter dem Blickwinkel einer systemtheoretisch informierten Rechtssoziologie in bemerkenswerter Weise sicht- und beschreibbar: Die Entwicklung des kanonischen Rechts von einem Gesellschaftsrecht zu einem Organisationsrecht im Übergang zur modernen Gesellschaft einerseits, die rechtsstrukturelle Eigentümlichkeit des kanonischen Rechts als ein Organisationsrecht in der modernen Gesellschaft andererseits.
Kant in Imperial Russia (Studies in German Idealism #19)
by Thomas NemethThis book presents a comprehensive study of the influence of Immanuel Kant’s Critical Philosophy in the Russian Empire, spanning the period from the late 19th century to the Bolshevik Revolution. It systematically details the reception bestowed on Kant’s ideas during his lifetime and up to and through the era of the First World War. The book traces the tensions arising in the early 19th century between the imported German scholars, who were often bristling with the latest philosophical developments in their homeland, and the more conservative Russian professors and administrators. The book goes on to examine the frequently neglected criticism of Kant in the theological institutions throughout the Russian Empire as well as the last remaining, though virtually unknown, embers of Kantianism during the reign of Nicholas I. With the political activities of many young radicals during the subsequent decades having been amply studied, this book focuses on their largely ignored attempts to grapple with Kant’s transcendental idealism. It also presents a complete account of the resurgence of interest in Kant in the last two decades of that century, and the growing attempts to graft a transcendental idealism onto popular social and political movements. The book draws attention to the young and budding Russian neo-Kantian movement that mirrored developments in Germany before being overtaken by political events.
Karmic Relationships: Esoteric Studies (Karmic Relationships Ser.)
by Rudolf SteinerDuring 1924, before his last address in September, Rudolf Steiner gave over eighty lectures on the subject of karma to members of the Anthroposophical Society. These profoundly esoteric lectures examine the underlying laws inherent in reincarnation and karma, and explore in detail the incarnations of specific historical figures. In Rudolf Steiner's words, the study of karma is "... a matter of penetrating into the most profound mysteries of existence, for within the sphere of karma and the course it takes lie those processes which are the basis of the other phenomena of world existence..." In this volume, Steiner discusses the karmic relationships within the anthroposophical movement, including the predispositions which lead souls to anthroposophy, the two streams within the movement, plus Rosicrucianism, Arabism, Aristotelianism, the Platonists and the School of Michael.
Karmic Relationships: Esoteric Studies (Karmic Relationships Ser.)
by Rudolf SteinerDuring 1924, before his last address in September, Rudolf Steiner gave over eighty lectures on the subject of karma to members of the Anthroposophical Society. These profoundly esoteric commentaries examine the underlying laws of reincarnation and karma, and explore in detail the incarnations of specific historical figures. In Rudolf Steiner’s words, the study of karma is ‘... a matter of penetrating into the most profound mysteries of existence, for within the sphere of karma and the course it takes lie those processes which are the basis of the other phenomena of world existence...’ In this eighth and final volume of the series, Rudolf Steiner offers insights on a variety of subjects, including Cosmic Christianity, the Michael impulse, the Arthur and Grail streams of wisdom, as well as the individualities of Gregory VII, Haeckel, Swedenborg, Loyola, Haroun al Raschid, Byron, Voltaire and others.
Karmic Relationships: Esoteric Studies (Karmic Relationships Ser.)
by Rudolf SteinerThese profoundly esoteric lectures examine the underlying laws inherent in reincarnation and karma. In Steiner's words, the study of karma is "... a matter of penetrating into the most profound mysteries of existence, for within the sphere of karma and the course it takes lie processes which are the basis of the other phenomena of world existence..." This volume focuses on human experiences after death and before a new birth; karma in world history; the cosmic nature of Christ; waking, dreaming, sleeping; and the physical effects of karma.
Karmic Relationships: Esoteric Studies (Karmic Relationships Ser.)
by Rudolf SteinerThese lectures examine the underlying laws inherent in reincarnation and karma. This volume focuses on the karmic groups of souls connected to Aristotelianism and Platonism, the karma of the anthroposophical movement, as well as the individual incarnations of Ernst Haeckel, Vladimir Solovioff and others. This new edition also includes Steiner's last address.
Ketzer, Kreuzzüge, Inquisition: Die Vernichtung der Katharer
by Stephan QuenselDer erste Band einer ‚Geschichte professioneller Kontrolle’ untersucht, wie es im Mittelalter, einer Zeit, in der er noch keinen Staat per se gab, gelang, die vom orthodoxen Glauben abweichenden Ketzer systematisch auszurotten, um damit ein Leitbild für alle künftigen Kontroll-Institutionen – von der frühneuzeitlichen Hexenverfolgung über die Geschichte der Psychiatrie bis hin zur gegenwärtigen Drogenpolitik – zu schaffen. Am Beispiel der Inquisition der Katharer im französischen Languedoc während des 12. und 13. Jahrhunderts wird deren machtpolitischer, religiös-mentaler und kultureller Hintergrund beschrieben. Dabei gewinnt der 200-jährige Kontakt mit einer fortgeschritteneren und toleranteren islamischen Kultur während der spanischen Reconquista und der Kreuzzüge ins Heilige Land eine besondere aktuelle Bedeutung.
The Keys and the Kingdom: The British and the Papacy from John Paul II to Francis
by Catherine PepinsterCatherine Pepinster charts the relationship between the British and the papacy in the modern era, looking at how this relationship is coloured by its turbulent past. Despite the enmity of previous centuries, Pepinster uncovers surprising instances of influence of the papacy in British politics, the collaboration between Pope and politicians on key issues, the 'stealth minority' of Catholics occupying major positions in public life, and the modern relationship between the Papacy and the Crown. In addition Pepinster analyses the crucial role that Britain has played in Rome, uncovers the unexpected role of the British Foreign Office in the appointment of Pope Francis, and discusses the modern style of the papacy and how this functions on a global scale. Featuring exclusive interviews with Cardinals Nichols and Murphy-O'Connor, Rowan Williams, Lord Patten and former British Ambassadors to both the Holy See and Italy, this account of the contemporary relationship between Great Britain and the Pope offers both fundamental evidence and penetrating insights into this most fascinating of political relationships.
The Keys and the Kingdom: The British and the Papacy from John Paul II to Francis
by Catherine PepinsterCatherine Pepinster charts the relationship between the British and the papacy in the modern era, looking at how this relationship is coloured by its turbulent past. Despite the enmity of previous centuries, Pepinster uncovers surprising instances of influence of the papacy in British politics, the collaboration between Pope and politicians on key issues, the 'stealth minority' of Catholics occupying major positions in public life, and the modern relationship between the Papacy and the Crown. In addition Pepinster analyses the crucial role that Britain has played in Rome, uncovers the unexpected role of the British Foreign Office in the appointment of Pope Francis, and discusses the modern style of the papacy and how this functions on a global scale. Featuring exclusive interviews with Cardinals Nichols and Murphy-O'Connor, Rowan Williams, Lord Patten and former British Ambassadors to both the Holy See and Italy, this account of the contemporary relationship between Great Britain and the Pope offers both fundamental evidence and penetrating insights into this most fascinating of political relationships.
Kierkegaard's Concept of Despair
by Michael Theunissen Barbara Harshav Helmut IllbruckThe literature on Kierkegaard is often content to paraphrase. By contrast, Michael Theunissen articulates one of Kierkegaard's central ideas, his theory of despair, in a detailed and comprehensible manner and confronts it with alternatives. Understanding what Kierkegaard wrote on despair is vital not only because it illuminates his thought as a whole, but because his account of despair in The Sickness unto Death is the cornerstone of existentialism. Theunissen's book, published in German in 1993, is widely regarded as the best treatment of the subject in any language. Kierkegaard's Concept of Despair is also one of the few works on Kierkegaard that bridge the gap between the Continental and analytic traditions in philosophy. Theunissen argues that for Kierkegaard, the fundamental characteristic of despair is the desire of the self "not to be what it is." He sorts through the apparently chaotic text of The Sickness unto Death to explain what Kierkegaard meant by the "self," how and why individuals want to flee their selves, and how he believed they could reconnect with their selves. According to Theunissen, Kierkegaard thought that individuals in despair seek to deny their authentic selves to flee particular aspects of their character, their past, or the world, or in order to deny their "mission." In addition to articulating and evaluating Kierkegaard's concept of despair, Theunissen relates Kierkegaard's ideas to those of Heidegger, Sartre, and other twentieth-century philosophers.
Kierkegaard's Journals and Notebooks, Volume 9: Journals NB26–NB30
by Søren Kierkegaard Niels Jørgen Cappelørn Alastair Hannay Bruce H. Kirmmse David D. Possen Joel D.S. Rasmussen Vanessa Rumble Research CentreFor over a century, the Danish thinker Søren Kierkegaard (1813–55) has been at the center of a number of important discussions, concerning not only philosophy and theology, but also, more recently, fields such as social thought, psychology, and contemporary aesthetics, especially literary theory.Despite his relatively short life, Kierkegaard was an extraordinarily prolific writer, as attested to by the 26-volume Princeton University Press edition of all of his published writings. But Kierkegaard left behind nearly as much unpublished writing, most of which consists of what are called his "journals and notebooks." Kierkegaard has long been recognized as one of history's great journal keepers, but only rather small portions of his journals and notebooks are what we usually understand by the term “diaries.” By far the greater part of Kierkegaard’s journals and notebooks consists of reflections on a myriad of subjects—philosophical, religious, political, personal. Studying his journals and notebooks takes us into his workshop, where we can see his entire universe of thought. We can witness the genesis of his published works, to be sure—but we can also see whole galaxies of concepts, new insights, and fragments, large and small, of partially (or almost entirely) completed but unpublished works. Kierkegaard’s Journals and Notebooks enables us to see the thinker in dialogue with his times and with himself.Kierkegaard wrote his journals in a two-column format, one for his initial entries and the second for the extensive marginal comments that he added later. This edition of the journals reproduces this format, includes several photographs of original manuscript pages, and contains extensive scholarly commentary on the various entries and on the history of the manuscripts being reproduced.Volume 9 of this 11-volume series includes five of Kierkegaard’s important “NB” journals (Journals NB26 through NB30), which span from June 1852 to August 1854. This period was marked by Kierkegaard’s increasing preoccupation with what he saw as an unbridgeable gulf in Christianity—between the absolute ideal of the religion of the New Testament and the official, state-sanctioned culture of “Christendom,” which, embodied by the Danish People’s Church, Kierkegaard rejected with increasing vehemence. Crucially, Kierkegaard’s nemesis, Bishop Jakob Peter Mynster, died during this period and, in the months following, Kierkegaard can be seen moving inexorably toward the famous “attack on Christendom” with which he ended his life.
Kierkegaard's Theology of Encounter: An Edifying and Polemical Life (Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs)
by David LappanoKierkegaard's Theology of Encounter provides a theoretical framework that brings the unity of Kierkegaard's 'middle period' into relief. David Lappano analyses Kierkegaard's writings between 1846 and 1852 when the socially constructive dimension of his thought comes to prominence, involving two dialectical aspects of religiousness identified by Kierkegaard: they are the edifying and the polemical. How these come together and get worked out in the lives of individuals form the basis of what can be called a Kierkegaardian 'social praxis'. Lappano argues that the tension between the edifying and the polemical can be coherently maintained in a communicative life that is also characteristic of a militant faith. This militant faith and life is presented as a critical guard against absolutisms, fundamentalisms, and intellectual aloofness; but the 'militant' individual is also utterly dependent, in need of edification and critique, and therefore chooses the risk of encountering others, seeking relationships out of a commitment to the development of people and communities in co-operation. Therefore, not only does this dialectic provide readers with an important theoretical framework for understanding Kierkegaard's 'middle period', it is also a valuable resource for a constructive analysis of active social living suitable for theology in the twenty-first century.
Killing Jesus: A History (Bill O'reilly's Killing Ser.)
by Bill O'Reilly Martin DugardThe story of Jesus’s crucifixion as it’s never been told before Millions of readers have been thrilled by author Bill O’Reilly and historian Martin Dugard’s Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln, page-turning works of non-fiction that have changed the way we read history. Now the anchor of The O’Reilly Factor details the shocking events leading up to the execution of the most influential man who ever lived: Jesus of Nazareth. Nearly two thousand years after this beloved and controversial young revolutionary was brutally killed by Roman soldiers, more than 2.2 billion people attempt to follow his teachings and believe he is God. In this riveting and fact-based account of Jesus’s life and times, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Caesar Augustus, Herod the Great, Pontius Pilate, and John the Baptist are among the many legendary figures who rise up off the page. Killing Jesus not only takes readers inside this most volatile epoch, it also recounts the seismic political and historical events that made Jesus’s death inevitable – and changed the world for ever.
The King Never Smiles: A Biography Of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej (PDF)
by Paul M. HandleyThailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej, the only king ever born in the United States, came to the throne of his country in 1946 and at the time of his death, in October 2016, was the world's longest serving monarch. Now out in paperback with a new preface by author Paul Handley, The King Never Smiles is the first independent biography of Thailand's monarch, tells the unexpected story of Bhumibol's life and seventy year rule-how a Western raised boy came to be seen by his people as a living Buddha, and how a king widely seen as beneficent and apolitical could in fact be so deeply political and autocratic. Paul Handley provides an extensively researched, factual account of the king's youth and personal development, ascent to the throne, skillful political maneuverings, and attempt to shape Thailand as a Buddhist kingdom. Handley takes full note of Bhumibol's achievements in art, in sports, and in jazz, and he credits the king's lifelong dedication to rural development and the livelihoods of his poorest subjects. But, looking beyond the widely accepted image of the king as egalitarian and virtuous, Handley portrays an anti democratic monarch who, together with allies in big business and the corrupt Thai military, protected a centuries old, barely modified feudal dynasty. When at nineteen Bhumibol assumed the throne, the Thai monarchy had been stripped of power and prestige. Over the ensuing decades, Bhumibol became the paramount political actor in the kingdom, silencing critics while winning the hearts and minds of his people. The book details this process and depicts Thailand's unique constitutional monarch-his life, his thinking, and his ruling philosophy.
The Kingdom
by Emmanuel Carrère John Lambert'The Kingdom, already a huge bestseller in France, is thrilling, magnificent and strange' Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times'An utterly brilliant book' Catherine Nixey, The TimesThe sensational international bestseller from one of France's most fêted writers - an epic novel telling the story of Christianity as it has never been told before, and one man's crisis of faith.Corinth, ancient Greece, two thousand years ago. An itinerant preacher, poor, wracked by illness, tells the story of a prophet who was crucified in Judea, who came back from the dead, and whose return is a sign of something enormous. Like a contagion, the story will spread over the city, the country and, eventually, the world. Emmanuel Carrère's astonishing historical epic tells the story of the mysterious beginnings of Christianity, bringing to life a distant, primeval past of strange sects, apocalyptic beliefs and political turmoil. In doing so Carrère, once himself a fervent believer, questions his own faith, asks why we believe in resurrection, and what it means. The Kingdom is his masterpiece.
A Kingdom of Stargazers: Astrology and Authority in the Late Medieval Crown of Aragon
by Michael A. RyanAstrology in the Middle Ages was considered a branch of the magical arts, one informed by Jewish and Muslim scientific knowledge in Muslim Spain. As such it was deeply troubling to some Church authorities. Using the stars and planets to divine the future ran counter to the orthodox Christian notion that human beings have free will, and some clerical authorities argued that it almost certainly entailed the summoning of spiritual forces considered diabolical. We know that occult beliefs and practices became widespread in the later Middle Ages, but there is much about the phenomenon that we do not understand. For instance, how deeply did occult beliefs penetrate courtly culture and what exactly did those in positions of power hope to gain by interacting with the occult? In A Kingdom of Stargazers, Michael A. Ryan examines the interest in astrology in the Iberian kingdom of Aragon, where ideas about magic and the occult were deeply intertwined with notions of power, authority, and providence. Ryan focuses on the reigns of Pere III (1336–1387) and his sons Joan I (1387–1395) and Martí I (1395–1410). Pere and Joan spent lavish amounts of money on astrological writings, and astrologers held great sway within their courts. When Martí I took the throne, however, he was determined to purge Joan’s courtiers and return to religious orthodoxy. As Ryan shows, the appeal of astrology to those in power was clear: predicting the future through divination was a valuable tool for addressing the extraordinary problems—political, religious, demographic—plaguing Europe in the fourteenth century. Meanwhile, the kings' contemporaries within the noble, ecclesiastical, and mercantile elite had their own reasons for wanting to know what the future held, but their engagement with the occult was directly related to the amount of power and authority the monarch exhibited and applied. A Kingdom of Stargazers joins a growing body of scholarship that explores the mixing of religious and magical ideas in the late Middle Ages.