Does modernization lead to the decline of religion? This question lies at the centre of a key debate in the sociology of religion. During the past decade American scholars, using primarily American data, have dominated this debate and have made a strong case that the answer to this question is no. Recently, however, a new crop of European scholars, working with new sources of European data, have uncovered evidence that points toward an affirmitive answer.This volume pays special at...

Can individual decisions concerning whether or where to attend church, to contribute time or money to religious organizations, or to forgo certain activities be explained as a special case of economic theory?In Sacred Markets, Sacred Canopies, Ted G. Jelen brings together the leading scholars in the sociology of religion to debate market theories of religion. As the contributors examine whether or not religious choices can be understood as responding to the same laws of sup...

The Bureau of Preternatural Investigations returns in Switchback, the sequel to Melissa F. Olson’s Nightshades.Three weeks after the events of Nightshades, things are finally beginning to settle for the Chicago branch of the BPI, but the brief respite from the horror of the previous few weeks was never destined to last.The team gets a call from Switch Creek, WI, where a young man has been arrested on suspicion of being a shade.

Melissa F. Olson's thrilling FBI vampire procedural Nightshades series concludes with OutbreakThe Chicago field office of the Bureau of Preternatural Investigation is facing its deadliest challenge, yet―internal investigation! Alex and Lindy are on the hook, and on the run.But when all of the BPI’s captive vampires are broken free from their maximum security prison, and Hector finally steps out of the shadows, Alex must use every trick to stay ahea...

Alex McKenna is the new Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Bureau of Preternatural Investigations—the division tasked with investigating crimes involving shades.Or vampires, as they’re more widely known.Children have been going missing, and agents are routinely being slaughtered. It’s up to McKenna, and some unlikely allies, to get to the bottom of the problem, and find the kids before it’s too late.Nightshades is a new gritty urban fantas...

The Board and Superintendent Handbook: Current Issues and Resources is a practical guide for both board members and superintendents. The book includes contributions from experienced and new superintendents and board members on a wide range of topics that boards and superintendents must navigate together successfully in order to move districts in a positive direction for students, staff, parents, and communities.

Underserved Communities and Digital Discourse: Getting Voices Heard presents a series of case studies which evaluate the elevation and suppression of voices within marginalized and minority communities. It examines the use of digital media and its role in the construction of reality—specifically who is included, who is left out, and who feels they must remain silent. Through both quantitative and qualitative measures, this book discusses digital discourse in terms of ethnic media, politica...

Fundamentally concerned with place, and our ability to understand human relationships with environment over time, Historical Geographic Information Systems (HGIS) as a tool and a subject has direct bearing for the study of contemporary environmental issues and realities. To date, HGIS projects in Canada are few and publications that discuss these projects directly even fewer. This book brings together case studies of HGIS projects in historical geography, social and cultural history, and e...

Shifting Baselines explores the real-world implications of a groundbreaking idea: we must understand the oceans of the past to protect the oceans of the future. In 1995, acclaimed marine biologist Daniel Pauly coined the term "shifting baselines" to describe a phenomenon of lowered expectations, in which each generation regards a progressively poorer natural world as normal. This seminal volume expands on Pauly's work, showing how skewed visions of the past have led to disastrous ...

In order for animal feed products to be fit for consumption and pass the necessary safety requirements, they must be free from pathogens, chemicals and toxins that could cause harm to the animal. To ensure product safety, the animal feed sector must continue to find new and innovative ways of detecting and controlling the major groups of contaminants.Advances in improving animal feed safety provides a comprehensive overview of the key microbiological and chemical risks aff...

Things have changed. The Truth has not. The 1950's are gone forever. The days of the Sunday school attendance award and the much-loved Sunday school picnic have faded into oblivion. Yet some youth ministries still operate as if today's kids are living in a vacuum, unaffected by the changing morals of today's society. How can we reach these kids with the truth of the gospel? More than fifty of America's youth experts give advice and encouragement to those who long to see this generation kno...

This extract from the Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible provides Olson's introduction to and concise commentary on First Enoch. The Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible presents, in nontechnical language, the best of modern scholarship on each book of the Bible, including the Apocrypha. Reader-friendly commentary complements succinct summaries of each section of the text and will be valuable to scholars, students, and general readers.Rather than attempt a verse-by-vers...