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.

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.

‘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.

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.

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.