The third edition of Social Identity builds on the international success of previous editions, offering an easy access critical introduction to social science theories of identity, for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates. All of the previous chapters have been updated and extra material has been added where relevant, for example on globalization. Two new chapters have also been added; one…
The essays which comprise this book are designed to justify and develop scientific realism, critical naturalism, and a certain, characteristically Marxian, approach to the analysis and criticism of philosophical ideas. The first two chapters consolidate and develop the theories outlined in A Realist Theory of Science and The Possibility of Naturalism, as well as in a number of other recent publ…
Most significant problems of contemporary life have their origins in nihilism and its paradoxical logic, which is simultaneously destructive to, and constitutive of, society. Yet, in social theory, nihilism is a surprisingly under-researched topic.
Thanks to Facebook and Instagram, our childhoods have been captured and preserved online, never to go away. But what happens when we can’t leave our most embarrassing moments behind? Until recently, the awkward moments of growing up could be forgotten. But today we may be on the verge of losing the ability to leave our pasts behind. In The End of Forgetting , Kate Eichhorn explores what ha…
Discover more than 85 of the most important ideas, movements, and events that have defined feminism and feminist thought throughout history with this original, graphic-led book. Using the Big Ideas series' trademark combination of authoritative, accessible text and bold graphics, this book traces feminism and the feminist movement from its origins, through the suffragette movement of the 19t…
Sri Aurobindo explores the cycles of human development with an eye toward showing the underlying trend and impulsion in that development. He shows how humanity moves successively through various stages whereby different powers are developed and highlighted towards an ultimate integration and fulfillment of human destiny in an outflowing of our hidden spiritual nature in the diversity and vibran…
Acclaimed "Internet Theologian" Tom Breen has written a satirical, tongue-in-cheek exploration of pop Christianity. Whether pondering why there are so many Christian rock bands but so few good Christian rock songs or providing helpful tips on writing hip translations of the Bible ( lose the boring parts and constantly mention celebrities), Breen offers whip-smart, non-stop fun, along with a sid…
This is a comprehensive introduction to the philosophical and political thought of Karl Popper, now available in English. It is divided into three parts; the first part provides a biography of Popper; the second part looks at his works and recurrent themes, and the third part assesses his critics. It was approved of by Popper himself as a sympathetic and comprehensive study, and will be ideal t…
Since the publication of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem; Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1991), the ongoing debate over the biblical understanding of men and women has brought new challenges to the perspective we presented there, as well as new insights from ongoing scholarly investigation of Scripture and of trends in the culture.
Sexuality and Socialism is a remarkably accessible analysis of many of the most challenging questions for those concerned with full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Inside are essays on the roots of LGBT oppression, the construction of sexual and gender identities, the history of the gay movement, and how to unite the oppressed and exploited to win sexual libe…
Early modern Europe witnessed changes in the social, political, and ecclesiastical structures supporting poor relief, but notions that sharp fault lines divide rationalized, secular poor relief from morally and spiritually motivated ecclesiastical charity need rethinking. Spiritual ideals shaped political and social poor relief structures just as much as rationalization and effective administra…
Censored in its own time, the Social Contract (1762) remains a key source of democratic belief and is one of the classics of political theory. It argues concisely but eloquently, that the basis of any legitimate society must be the agreement of its members. As humans we were born free' and our subjection to government must be freely accepted. Rousseau is essentially a radical thinker, and in a …
This book's chapters assess the nature of conversion and present data on specific convertion types, experiences, and theories including such topics as heroes, semiotics, new towns, pilgrimages, the New Age, relations among Catholics, Afro-Brazilians, and Protestants in Brazil, re-conversionist movements, Soka Gakkai, and the LDS church.
This important new book is the first balanced and sustained evaluation of Jurgen Habermas's major two-volume work The Theory of Communicative Action which has provoked a great deal of debate and controversy. It discusses specific aspects of the work, as well as Habermas's overall contribution to social and political thought. The book's last essay is a lengthy reply from Habermas to his critics,…
A major contribution to contemporary social theory. Not only does it provide a compelling critique of some of the main perspectives in 20th century philosophy and social science, but it also presents a systematic synthesis of the many themse which have preoccupied Habermas for thirty years.
This volume addresses the most important issues related to the study of New Testament writings. Two respected senior scholars have brought together a team of distinguished specialists to introduce the Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman backgrounds necessary for understanding the New Testament and the early church. Contributors include renowned scholars such as Lynn H. Cohick, David A. deSilva, Jame…
This volume addresses the most important issues related to the study of New Testament writings. Two respected senior scholars have brought together a team of distinguished specialists to introduce the Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman backgrounds necessary for understanding the New Testament and the early church. Contributors include renowned scholars such as Lynn H. Cohick, David A. deSilva, Jame…
If you are puzzled by other people or want to improve the impression you give, knowing about body language could be the key. In this book you'll discover how the body reveals what people really mean and how you can use your body and your expressions to improve your self-image to others. It explores why we give the signals we do, how to read the most common expressions and goes on to show how yo…
In recent years, ideas of post- and transhumanism have been popularized by novels, TV series, and Hollywood movies. According to this radical perspective, humankind and all biological life have become obsolete. Traditional forms of life are inefficient at processing information and inept at crossing the high outer space. While humankind can expect to be replaced by their own artificial progeny,…
Outline: How Popular Music shapes our souls. Pop music is now an ever-present force shaping citizens in the West. Even at funerals, it is often requested over hymns. But how does popular music work, and what roles does it play for listeners who engage it? Personal Jesus explores the theological significance of the ways pop music is listened to and used today. Popular music is used by religious …
Outline: Understanding the sociological setting for the New Testament in Asia Minor and Europe - the Greco-Roman world - is essential for correctly interpreting the letters of Paul. Hubbard addresses the realms of religion and superstition, of education and philosophy, of the urban society, and of the family. Each major section begins with a brief fictional tale, followed by descriptions of the…
Outline: In 1968 Eric Wolf write that anthropology needed to discover history. In this book he applies history to world anthropology. But Wolf's history is not Western history, divided into separate "nations" and chronicling the progress of the victorious elite. Wolf sees history as a web of complex, changing relationships, spun by Europe's rise to world domination. The true history of European…
Outline: The distinguished political philosopher and author of the widely acclaimed Just and Unjust Wars analyzes how society distributes not just wealth and power but other social "goods" like honor, education, work, free time - even love.
Outline: Disagreement on ethical issues overlays a lack of consensus today on even deeper issues of method and authority in ethics. Yet, argues theologian William Lazareth, a major ecumenical resource and model for Christian social ethics lies in Martin Luther's use of Scripture as ethical source and norm. Lazareth rescues Luther's Christocentric reading of Scripture and his ethics from largely…
Outline: As a correspondence for Newsweek and The New York Times, Elaine Sciolino has had more experience covering Iran than any other American reporter. She was abroad the airplane that took Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to Tehran in 1979 and was there for the Iranian revolution, the hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq war, the rise of President Khatami, and the riots of the summer of 1999. In Persian…
Outline: The essays in this book demonstrate that a theology shaped by the biblical narratives and grounded in the practices of the Christian community can provide resources to enable people to regain a public voice in a pluralistic culture. Ronald Thiemann challenges us to develop a public theology that remains based in the particulars of Christian faith while addressing issues of public signi…
Outline: World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolution, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work. Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies …
Outline: An important ongoling debate focuses on the present health and well-being of familites in American society. Much of the debate, however, is either ill-informed or consists of rhetoric that attempts to further particular political and social causes. The Family, Religion, and Culture series offers informed and responsible analyses of the state of the American family from a religious p…
Outline: In this challenging book, four highly respected thinkers discuss the need for a renewal of Christian ethical reflection in a dramatically changed world and articulate their distinctive points of view on how this can responsibly be done. This book is thus both a call for renewal in our thinking and acting, and an introduction to the issue that must be addressed by any meaningful respon…
Outline: This book is a comprehensive resource for understanding modern political issues in light of Scripture. A virtual source - book for anyone who takes the Bible seriously, it provides a thoughtful, carefully reasoned analysis of over fity specific topics, including the following: - Protection of life - Marriage - Family and children - Economic issues & taxation - The Environment - …
Outline: The author's believe there is a lot that evangelicals can agree on if only we employ the right categories and build our theology of mission from the same biblical building blocks. Explaining key concepts like kingdom, gospel, and social justice, the author's help us to get on the same page - united by a common cause - and launch us forward into the true misson of the church.
Overview: This book research methods text is updated and streamlined by Johnny Saldana, author of The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. This new edition presents the fundamentals of research design and data management, followed by five distinct methods of analysis: exploring, describing, ordering, explaining and predicting. Several data displays strategies from previous editions are …
Overview: This collection of provocative essays by one of the world's most distinguished theologians deals with topic as diverse as the right to work, nuclear war, the Olympic Games, Lutheran and Reformed political thought, and the "common hope" of Judaism and Christianity - all within the framework of human rights. The author believes that the dignity of the human being is the source for all …
Overview: Find out in this book as we take an in-depth look at information literacy practices (how people find, evaluate, and use information) in the massively multiplayer online game World of Warcraft and its online community. This book teases our real-world information literacy practices by following players as they solve their information needs through collective activity, relying on and bu…
Telling the dramas of suffering / Arthur W. Frank -- Hoping, willing, and narrative re-envisioning / Cheryl Mattingly -- At the gates of the labyrinth: a meditation on suffering / Paul A. Komesaroff -- Just one critter / Jonathan Shay -- Suffering, pharmaceutical advertising, and the face of mental illness / Joseph E. Davis -- "Meditations on impermanence" / Deborah J. Haynes -- A convers…
Weak ontology: genealogy and critical issues / Stephen K. White -- White noise / William E. Connolly -- The 'weak ontology" thesis / Charles Taylor -- The ideas of individual infinitude / George Kateb -- The politics of avoidance: the limits of weak ontology / Jodi Dean -- Respect for persons / Charles Larmore -- Ontology and narrative / Leslie Paul Thiele -- Ontology: a useful category …
Seeking to extend sensitivity to the world's fragilities and intensify democratic activism, William E. Connolly explores how neoliberal capitalism collides with the fragile self-organizing systems that help to constitute our world.