Late Roman Africa gives us plenty to ponder. Christianity there had been divided between two factions since the early fourth century. By the fifth, militants among the Donatists (or sectarians) struck at their rivals, whose leading spokesman, Augustine, is our principal source. But did he exaggerate the difficulties catholic Christianity faced or wholly fabricate to attract government attention and intervention? For the same purposes, did he invent a resurgence of paganism? Or were there d...

In Augustine's Leaders, Peter Iver Kaufman works from the premise that appropriations of Augustine endorsing contemporary liberal efforts to mix piety and politics are mistaken--that Augustine was skeptical about the prospects for involving Christianity in meaningful political change. His skepticism raises several questions for historians. What roles did one of the most influential Christian theologians set for religious and political leaders? What expectations did he have for emperors, st...

This book examines and reports the findings regarding the level of satisfaction by students, teachers and parents with an innovative senior secondary Religious Education curriculum ‘Religion, Meaning and Life’ (RML). The stimulus for RML is found in the changing profile of students within faith-based schools and the motivation of school authorities to be inclusive and responsive to changing needs and priorities of students and families. Curriculum practices typically mirror this continuing...

Peter Iver Kaufman shows that, although Giorgio Agamben represents Augustine as an admired pioneer of an alternative form of life, he also considers Augustine an obstacle keeping readers from discovering their potential. Kaufman develops a compelling, radical alternative to progressive politics by continuing the line of thought he introduced in On Agamben, Arendt, Christianity, and the Dark Arts of Civilization.Kaufman starts with a comparison of Agamben and Augustine's pr...

For years scholars and others have been trying to out Shakespeare as an ardent Calvinist, a crypto-Catholic, a Puritan-baiter, a secularist, or a devotee of some hybrid faith. In Religion Around Shakespeare, Peter Kaufman sets aside such speculation in favor of considering the historical and religious context surrounding his work. Employing extensive archival research, he aims to assist literary historians who probe the religious discourses, characters, and events that seem to hav...

Many progressives have found passages in Augustine's work that suggest he entertained hopes for meaningful political melioration in his time. They also propose that his “political theology” could be an especially valuable resource for “an ethics of democratic citizenship” or for “hopeful citizenship” in our times. Peter Kaufman argues that Augustine's “political theology” offers a compelling, radical alternative to progressive politics. He chronicles Augustine's experiments with alternativ...

This book narrates a number of stories from the early clerical history of the church to illustrate how authority came to be shared among the institutions of church, book, and bishop. It is intended for a wide range of readers, including scholars, students.

The Fifth-Century Political Battles That Forever Changed the ChurchIn this fascinating account of the surprisingly violent fifth-century church, PhilipJenkins describes how political maneuvers by a handful of powerful charactersshaped Christian doctrine. Were it not for these battles, today's church could beteaching something very different about the nature of Jesus, and the papacy as weknow it would never have come into existence. Jesus Wars reveals the profoundimplicatio...

′This book provides teachers in higher education with what they need - a compelling framework for improving student learning. It combines a comprehensive synthesis of the latest research on learning and teaching with practical strategies for implementing it in their classrooms′ - Professor Ken Bain, Author of What the Best College Teachers Do, Vice Provost for Instruction, Montclair State UniversityPraise for the First Edition:`For too long we have waited for a book that br...

Expanded and updated for the new millennium.Covering the life of Christ, the election of Pope Benedict XVI, and everything in between, A Concise History of the Catholic Church has been one of the bestselling religious histories of the past two decades and a mainstay for scholars, students, and others looking for a definitive, accessible history of Catholicism. With a clarity that will appeal to any reader, Thomas Bokenkotter divides his study into five parts that correspon...

This is your step-by-step guide to success with your research proposal. This new edition covers every section of the proposal, telling you all you need to know on how to structure it, bring rigour to your methods section, impress your readers and get your proposal accepted.With practical tips and advice throughout, new features include:Comprehensive explanation of method and methodology, and how to maximize this crucial section of your proposalA new section ...

**"A magisterial new history."—The New York Times“Endlessly fascinating.”—SlateA groundbreaking history of sexual emotion, sexual activity, gender relations, marriage and the family--and how Christianity has interacted with this panorama of human concerns**Few matters produce more public interest and public anxiety than sex and religion. Much of the political contention and division in societies across the world centres on sexual topics, and one-th...