Books published by James Clarke & Co Ltd

Karl Marx promised, in the preface to his Economic and PhilosophicManuscripts of 1844, that he would write an 'independent pamphlet' onethics. Although he never did so, in his later writings he discussed moralityextensively. Later commentators were more concerned with other aspects ofMarx's thought and largely neglected this area. As a result, NicholasChurchich's exposition of Marx's thoughts on morality has become the standardwork on the subject. Thoroughly researched, well reasoned, and balanced in itsargument, Marxism and Morality presents a comprehensive and criticalanalysis of Marx's and Engel's ideas on morality and ethics, analysing bothstrengths and weaknesses.Churchich examines morality in its bourgeois and proletarian forms,the origin and development of moral ideas, moral values and standards, egoismand altruism. He explores the role of religion and science in communist ethics,and discusses the ends and means in the struggle for a classless society. Praised by those on both sides of the political divide for his objectivity,Churchich's approach remains the definitive evaluation of the ethical argumentsof Marxism.  

If Saint Thomas Aquinas was a great theologian, it is in no small part because he was a great philosopher. And he was a great philosopher because he was a great metaphysician. In the twentieth century, metaphysics was not much in vogue, among either theologians or even philosophers; but now it is making a comeback, and once the contours of Thomas's metaphysical vision are glimpsed, it looks like anything but a museum piece. It only needs some dusting off. Many are studying Thomas now for the answers that he might be able to give to current questions, but he is perhaps even more interesting for the questions that he can raise regarding current answers: about the physical world, about human life and knowledge, and (needless to say) about God. This book is aimed at helping those who are not experts in medieval thought to begin to enter into Thomas's philosophical point of view. Along the way, it brings out some aspects of his thought that are not often emphasised in the current literature, and it offers a reading of his teaching on the divine nature that goes rather against the drift of some prominent recent interpretations.

The remarkable story of the colony of artists whose bold, vibrant style was inspired by the landscape and people of West Cornwall, and who gave rise to one of the most significant art movements of modern times.

Decisive and instructive, nothing within the New Testament is more closely argued, both theologically and personally, than Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Emil Brunner meditates on the work and elucidates the arguments which are the bedrock of the Christian belief and the Christian proclamation.

A new edition of Professor Bruce's comprehensive and classic study, tracing the story of the translation of the Bible into English, from its beginnings to the present day.

A comprehensive reference containing over 1,000 entries, from Aaron to Zucchetto, identifying and explaining for all the major signs, symbols and subjects that have emerged in the past 2,000 years of Christian art.

An introduction to the preaching of John Calvin, showing how he developed out of an earlier tradition of preaching, and how his sermons influenced those of later preachers, particularly in English.

An exploration of St Augustine's defence of humility as a key virtue in human greatness, showing how his case stands up to criticisms both ancient and modern.

An exploration of modern sport as a theologically-significant activity, revealing sport's own quasi-religious aspects and its complex history with Christianity.

Conventional wisdom has it that thinking on nature and grace among Roman Catholic intellectuals between the sixteenth century and the eve of Vatican II was severely clouded by the work of Cajetan and his fellow Thomistic commentators. Henri de Lubac has rightly been given credit for pointing this out; and to all appearances, de Lubac's influence won the day, as can be seen by the imprint of his thought upon not just the Second Vatican Council, but also the pontifi cates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. In recent years, however, a new crop of Thomistic scholars has arisen who question whether de Lubac's word on nature and grace should be the last; hence, the debate over the nature-grace relation, so heated in the mid-twentieth century, has been stirred once again. Andrew Dean Swafford here offers a 'third way' by way of the nineteenth-century German theologian, Matthias J. Scheeben, who has been neglected in academic appraisals of the subject until now. Swafford shows that Scheeben captures the very best of both sides, while at the same time avoiding the characteristic pitfalls so often alleged against each.

In a thorough and insightful commentary on Paul’s letter to his co-worker Timothy, which the Apostle wrote before and during Nero’s persecution, Aída Besançon Spencer carefully examines each part of the letter and reveals Paul’s rhetorical and stylistic features, as well as placing the letter in the larger biblical, historical, social, and cultural contexts. How Paul’s writing related to the ancient communities is enriched by original research gleaned from her explorations of key sites in Rome and Greece. In addition, the author emphasizes Paul’s strategies of ministry with his co-workers and their community, while considering the role of women in the church. Throughout, Spencer presents an in-depth exegesis in a readable format enhanced by forty years of ministry.

A selection of essays celebrating the contribution of the Greek Orthodox theologian Christos Yannaras to theology, philosophy and political theory.

The nation-state is here to stay. Thirty years ago it was fashionable to predict its imminent demise, but the sudden break-up of the Soviet Union in the 1990s unshackled long-repressed nationalisms and generated a host of new states. The closer integration of the European Union has given intra-national nationalisms a new lease of life, confirming the viability of small nation-states under a supra-national umbrella - after all, if Ireland and Iceland, then why not Scotland and Catalonia? And then the world stage has seen new and powerful national players moving from the wings to the centre: China, India, and Brazil are full of a sense of growing into their own national destinies and are in no mood either to dissolve into, or to defer to, some larger body. Nations, nationalisms, and nation-states are persistent facts, but what should we think of them morally? Surely humanity, not a nation, should claim our loyalty? How can it be right to exclude foreigners by policing borders? Can a liberal nation-state thrive without a cohering public orthodoxy? Does national sovereignty confer immunity? Is national separatism always justified? These are urgent questions. Between Kin and Cosmopolis offers timely Christian answers.

A fascinating new study of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Private Lives of the Ancient Mariner illuminates the poet's deeply troubled personality and stormy personal life through a highly original study of his relationships. In her last published work the celebrated Coleridgean, Molly Lefebure, provides profound psychological insights into Coleridge through a meticulous study of his domestic life, drawing upon a vast and unique body of knowledge gained from a lifetime's study of the poet, and making skilful use of the letters, poems and biographies of the man himself and his family and friends. The author traces the roots of Coleridge's unarguably dysfunctional personality from his earliest childhood; his position as his mother's favoured child, the loss of this status with the death of his father, and removal to the 'Bluecoat' school in London. Coleridge's narcissistic depression, flamboyance, and cold-hearted, often cruel, rejection of his family and of loving attachments in general are examined in close detail. The author also explores Coleridge's careers in journalism and politics as well as poetry, in his early, heady 'jacobin' days, and later at the heart of the British wartime establishment at Malta. In both of these arenas Coleridge exerted his talents to brilliant effect, although they have often been overlooked in appraisals of his works. His virtual abandonment of his children and tragic disintegration under the influence of opium are included in the broad sweep of the book which also encompasses an examination of the lives of Coleridge's children, upon whom the manipulations of the father left their destructive mark.Molly Lefebure unravels the enigma that is Coleridge with consummate skill in a book which will bring huge enjoyment to any reader with an interest in the poet's life and times.

‘Send Back the Money!’ is a thorough and gripping examination of a fascinating and forgotten aspect of Scottish and American relations and Church history. A seminal period of Abolition activity is exposed by Iain Whyte through a study of the fiery campaign ‘Send back the Money!’ named after ‘the hue and cry of the day’ that encapsulated the argument that divided families, communities, and the Free Church itself.This examination of the Free Church’s involvement with American Presbyterianism in the nineteenth century reveals the ethical furore caused by a Church wishing to emancipate itself from the religious and civil domination supported by the established religion of the state. The Free Church therefore found an affinity with those oppressed elsewhere, but subsequently found itself financially supported by the Southern slave states of America. Whyte sensitively handles this inherent contradiction in the political, ecclesiastical, and theological institutions, while informing the reader of the roles of charismatic characters such as Thomas Chalmers and Frederick Douglass. These key individuals shaped contemporary culture with action, great oratory, and rhetoric. The author adroitly draws parallels from the twentieth century onwards, bringing the reader to a fuller understanding of the historic and topical issues within global Christianity, and the contentious topic of slavery.‘Send back the Money!’ throws light upon nineteenth-century culture, British and American Abolitionists, and ecclesiastical politics, and is written in a clear and engaging style that makes the book ideal for scholars and general readers.

In this compelling narrative, Bernard Heyberger relates the fascinating history of Hindiyya 'Ujaymi, a highly charismatic eighteenth-century mystic of sinister repute.Heyberger makes a careful study of Hindiyya's life from earliest childhood, with a detailed picture of her formative years in the eighteenth century Christian community of Aleppo, the domestic reality of which is little known, exploring the influences she would have experienced. He leads us through her spiritual development under the direction of the Jesuits, her determination to found a new religious order, and the tragic history of its collapse in a welter of paranoia and persecution. Heyberger also reveals the tensions and complex rivalries at play around Hindiyya between Rome, the Jesuits, and Eastern tribes, which were also beset by feuds and alliances. He makes extensive use of a wide variety of sources, from Hindiyya's own writings to reports from her confessors and Roman inquisitors, to shed light upon the Hindiyya affair. 'Hindiyya, Mystic and Criminal' relates the history of a woman of inflexible power of will and great charisma, who managed to move beyond the circumscribed world of her girlhood and realise what she believed to be her destiny. It will be of great interest to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of an affair which has been long obscured by contradictory reports, or to those interested in eighteenth-century Maronite Christianity and its complex interactions with the authority of Rome.

A second collection of scholarly essays on the subject of deification, exploring the theological significance of the concept from a range of historical and contemporary perspectives.

The first study of 20th-century English literary theory, showing how England pioneered the academic study of theories of literature years in advance of France or the USA.

A comprehensive collection of scholarly essays on the subject of deification, or the process of becoming like God, discussing the development of the concept in the Bible and in Christian theology. Also available as a two-volume set.

One of the classics of medieval mystical literature, this is the autobiographical account of Suso's spiritual journey, as told to a woman who sought his counsel.

These chapters were first written and spoken in the face of death - when the only thing that was of any help at all was the Gospel itself. Helmut Thielicke faces the people of today with his own basic questions and offers the Christian faith as a vital answer. Delivered during World War II when one after another Dr Thielicke's meeting places were bombed, the lectures were not aimed at those who were conventional churchgoers and were not accustomed to the language and premises of the church. They were for people who had to be met on their own ground, and then introduced to the Christian faith. Dr Thielicke had a unique gift for finding that 'point of contact' and addressing the Gospel to that point. Every chapter is a model of how to latch on to modern ways of thinking and to make contact with the modern temper. With illustrations which have immediate meaning to men and women of the 21st century, the author brings the Christian affirmation to grips with questions in many areas, among them ethics, politics, the state, wart, atomic power, economics, sex and art. In a valuable epilogue, he sets forth his position with regard to this way of presenting the Christian message. His statement has implications for theological writing, pastoral care, preaching, and any form of proclaiming the Christian faith.

A new translation of Jacques Ellul's classic work, setting out a radical Christian response to the forces of technology and modernity.

A biography of the journalist and children's editor and writer, Arthur Mee (1875-1943). It draws on approximately 700 letters sent by Mee to his friend John Derry, as well as letters between Mee and Alfred Harmsworth.The book aims to enable readers to locate the brand of Arthur Mee as journalist and children's editor/author within the wider cultural, political and social context of England c. 1900-1943 and provide an antidote to the “overly romanticized nostalgia attached to Mee's name”.There is a focus on Mee’s patriotism, faith and belief in Empire, and discussion of his creation of the Children’s Encyclopaedia and Children’s Newspaper.

Believing that the needs of beleaguered Christian communities in turbulent times would be best met by drawing on the life of Jesus, Mark wrote a Gospel that was at once plain and subtle, fast-paced and yet profound. He clarified the essence of being a follower of Jesus, so that these communities might differentiate the essential from the trivial and be fortified in their testimony to the one true Gospel. In his important new commentary, Kim Huat Tan expounds the artistry of Mark in achieving all this in its original setting by focusing on the larger picture of themes and thrusts, paragraphs and plot, but without dodging important issues of interpretation. Following in the footsteps of his Gospel, Mark bridges the horizons between then and now, and show how it is still a powerful resource for a disciple of Jesus today.

A witty and accessible dissection of the failure of Intelligent Design creationism, showing its inability to explain many basic features of human anatomy and highlighting its origins as a political rather than a scientific movement.

What is post-colonial theology? How does it relate to theology that emerged in historically colonial situations? These are two questions that get to the heart of Robert S. Heaney's work as he considers the extent to which theologians predating the emergence of post-colonial theology might be considered as precursors to this theological movement. Heaney argues that the work of innovative theologians John S. Mbiti and Jesse N. K. Mugambi, important in their own right, must now also be considered in relation to the continued emergence of post-colonial theology. When this is done, fresh perspectives on both the nature of post-colonial theology and contextual theology emerge. Through a sympathetic and critical reading of Mbiti and Mugambi, Heaney offers a series of constructive moves that counter the ongoing temptation toward acontextualism that continues to haunt theology both in the North and in the South.

A diverse collection of essays exploring the connection between life and death from scientific, medical, philosophical and theological perspectives.

A new reading of Karl Barth's doctrine of the threefold Word of God and the unexpected and fruitful role that it plays in Barth's theology of the church.

A collection of essays on the practices of the early church by one of the foremost modern scholars of early Christianity, focusing on aspects of ministry, ordination and the emergence of canon.