Dotan Leshem recasts the history of the West from an economic perspective, bringing politics, philosophy, and the economy closer together and revealing the significant role of Christian theology in shaping economic and political thought. He begins with early Christian treatment of economic knowledge and the effect of this interaction on ancient politics and philosophy. He then follows the secularization of the economy in liberal and neoliberal theory.Leshem draws on Hannah Arendt's...

From hijabs to jihad and everything in between -- Muslims down under todayWhat is Halal? A country bordering Shariahland, or a method of preparing food?Do the Five Pillars of Islam comply with modern building codes? Or are they simply a philosophy for living?And if Muslims first arrived in Australia as early as 1800, can they go back to where they came from?In this funny and informative exploration of Islam in Australia, award-winning comedian and writer Sam...

In recent years the Catholic Church has gone through turbulent times with the uncovering of horrible abuse--abuse that persisted and which could have been prevented by many within the Church’s own ranks. As a result many positive aspects of what the Catholic Church teaches and practices are now being overlooked, not just by the media, but by people in and out of the pews. This is not only unfortunate, but detrimental to society at large. As Donohue makes plain, the Church’s teachings remai...

"I live with a price on my head ...The kind of people that I spend my time engaging with are not usually very nice. On the whole nice people do not cause wars ."Andrew White is one of a tiny handful of people trusted by virtually every side in the complex Middle East. Political and military solutions are constantly put forward, and constantly fail. Andrew offers a different approach, speaking as a man of faith to men of faith. Compassionate and shrewd, gifted in hu...

In 2001, Kathy Baldock, a straight conservative evangelical Christian, met Netto Montoya, a lesbian Native American, on a local hiking trail near her home in the Sierra Nevada. Their developing friendship challenged Baldock’s cultural and religious beliefs about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.In Walking the Bridgeless Canyon: Repairing the Breach Between the Church and the LGBT Community, Baldock constructs a narrative timeline, including fascinating storie...

What's Next for the Middle East...and How Will It Affect Us?Iran has repeatedly declared its intention to destroy Israel. ISIS continues to gain ground, leaving a trail of death and terror in its wake. And Russia is inserting itself into Middle Eastern affairs in a power play prophesied long ago.ISIS, Iran, Israel is an updated edition of the book Iran and Israel by prophecy scholar Mark Hitchcock, with all-new information on ISIS, Russian...

The 1950s was a decade of international economic recovery in the United States and most of Western Europe after the disasters of World War II. There was just one exception. The Irish economy actually contracted in those years, and over four hundred thousand people, out of a population of fewer than three million, emigrated. Tom Garvin's survey of the 1950s is based largely on a close reading of contemporary newspaper reports and analyses. This darkest decade of the Irish state was brought ...

Will Saudi Arabia join the democratic wave in the Middle East? The uprisings and revolutions of the twenty-first century have not yet affected the stability of the House of Saud, which remains secretive, highly repressive and propped up by the West.The Islamic Utopia uses a range of sources including first-hand reporting and recently released WikiLeaks documents to examine Saudi Arabia in the decade after the 9/11 attacks, when King Abdullah’s 'reform' agenda took centre stage in p...

Religion in China survived the most radical suppression in human history--a total ban of any religion during and after the Cultural Revolution. All churches, temples, and mosques were closed down, converted for secular uses, or turned to museums for the purpose of atheist education. Over the last three decades, however, religion has survived and thrived even as China remains under Communist rule. Christianity ranks among the fastest-growing religions in the country, and many Buddhist and D...

On April 16, 1972, ten thousand people gathered in Central Park to protest New York's liberal abortion law. Emotions ran high, reflecting the nation's extreme polarization over abortion. Yet the divisions did not fall neatly along partisan or religious lines-the assembled protesters were far from a bunch of fire-breathing culture warriors. In Defenders of the Unborn, Daniel K. Williams reveals the hidden history of the pro-life movement in America, showing that a cause that many s...

We often assume America needs to help immigrants, but in The New Pilgrims, Joseph Castleberry opens our eyes to how the opposite is true, and how we can join in one of the greatest spiritual movements this country has ever seen.In the midst of an apparent religious decline in the United States, many Americans are looking for solutions to this dilemma. Our hope lies with Christian immigrants, who bring to our churches powerful testimonies of faith from cultures all over the ...

Be Inspired by Amazing Eyewitness Stories of Hope and Courage from the Persecuted ChurchWe are witnessing an astonishing escalation in Christian persecution like we have rarely seen since the first century. Some estimate that every five minutes, a Christian is martyred for his or her faith. Countries like Egypt have experienced more Christian persecution in the last five years than in the previous six hundred years combined. And who could have missed the atrocities ...