This volume explores the intricate relationships that the universe of Frank Herbert's Dune portrays between faith, prophecy, and spirituality.The Dune universe is a large and complex place where social, political, and cultural structures are intricately interwoven with religious, theological, and philosophical ideas. From the syncretism of the Ecumenical Translation Project and the Orange Catholic Bible, through to the messianic aspirations of the Bene Gesserit, an...

The central argument set out in this Element is that the combination of a perceived radical change in the threat environment post 9/11, and the new capabilities afforded by the long silent reach of the drone, have put pressure on the previously accepted legal frameworks justifying the use of force. This has resulted in disagreements - both articulated and unarticulated - in how the Western allies should respond to both the legal and operational innovations in the use of force that drones h...

"What this charming, moving and fascinating collection proves is that the [letter] form itself - a scribbled note, a declaration of love, an outpouring of passion, a bitter word -has always been with us." - Mark GatissA good love letter can speak across centuries, and reassure us that the agony and the ecstasy one might feel today have been shared by lovers long gone. In The Love That Dares, queer love speaks its name through a wonderful selection of surviving letters between lover...

What does it mean for nature to be sacred? Is anything supernatural or even unnatural? Nature’s Transcendence and Immanence: A Comparative Interdisciplinary Ecstatic Naturalism discusses nature’s divinizing process of unfolding and folding through East-West dialogues and interdisciplinary methodologies. Nature’s selving/god-ing processes are the sacred that is revealed as nature’s transcendent and immanent dimensions. Each chapter of Nature’s Transcendence and Immanence: A Comparative Inte...

Rising calls in both the United States and abroad for theologizing national agendas have renewed examinations about whether liberal states can accommodate such programs without either endangering citizens' rights or trivializing religious concerns. Conventional wisdom suggests that theology is necessarily unfriendly to the liberal state, but neither philosophical analysis nor empirical argument has convincingly established that conclusion. Examining the problem from a variety of perspectiv...

The author of The End of Absence shares a "gorgeously written and fascinating" inquiry into the transformative power of being alone (Michael Finkel, New York Times best-selling author of True Story).The capacity to be alone, properly alone, is one of life's subtlest skills. Real solitude is a crucial ingredient for a rich interior life. It inspires reflection, allows creativity to flourish, and improves our relationships with ourselves and...

This travelogue of the Caucasus Mountains "wonderfully weaves historical facts and compelling characters" to examine this critical yet little-known region ( Publishers Weekly).The Caucasus is a jagged land. With Russia to the north, Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south, the Caucuses region is a borderland between Christian and Muslim worlds. Possessing the highest mountain range in Europe, conquerors from Alexander the Great to Hitler and Stalin have s...

From one of the sharpest observers of the modern scene comes this witty, intelligent, and irresistible novel in the tradition of Gosford Park and Snobs.Anthony Anscombe has everything he could ever want: an exquisite family estate, enviable social standing, and a desirable inheritance. But Anthony still has an aching desire for one thing: the perfect match. Running headlong into marriage is Ant...

For decades, the Bronfman family ruled Seagram's and the liquor industry. This is the story of their meteoric rise and spectacular fall.The story of the Bronfman family is a fascinating and improbable saga. It is dominated by "Mr. Sam," the single greatest figure in the history of the liquor business, the man who made drinking whiskey respectable in the United States and who in the 1950s and 1960s built Seagram into the first worldwide empire in wine and spirits.

Although the century which followed Andrew Marvell's death remembered him primarily as a politician and a pamphleteer, this gifted poet is responsible for some of the most brilliant lyric exploration of his time. World Enough and Time is an extensive biography written by Nicholas Murray, a biographer whose literary scholarship and political astuteness matches that of his subject.

"[A] generous and intelligent biography" of the twentieth-century luminary and author of Brave New World ( The Guardian, UK).When Aldous Huxley died in 1963, he was considered one of the most important English writers of the twentieth century. Known for his dystopian satire, Brave New World, and his experimentation with drugs that preceded the 1960s psychedelic (a term he invented) era, Huxley seemed to embody the condition of twentieth-ce...

Embark on an epic literary voyage with "140 Sea Adventure Novels", a meticulously curated anthology that captures the essence and thrill of nautical escapades from some of the greatest minds in classic and adventure literature. Spanning a wide range of literary styles from the fantastic tales of Edgar Allan Poe to the intricate and action packed stories by Jules Verne, this collection invites readers into uncharted waters teeming with pirates, shipwrecks, and heroic exploits. From the haun...