Books published by James Clarke & Co Ltd

Finally filling the gap between specialist volumes and ‘companion texts’, Charles Miller's rigorous and well written exploration of the works and theology of Richard Hooker is a comprehensive and critical testament to one of the most important founders of Anglican thoughtMiller introduces the main theological topics in Hooker’s writings and identifies his distinctive contribution to the emergence of Anglicanism via discussion of such themes as Hooker’s conception of God, of Mankind and of the place of Scripture in the Church. These discussions are deeply founded on Hooker's own works and Miller makes good use of the yet un-translated work L’Anglicanisme de Richard Hooker by Olivier Loyer, which has not been frequently cited in English language scholarship until now. Richard Hooker and the Vision of God is a groundbreaking new text that serves as both an introduction to, and substantive analysis of, this hugely influential sixteenth-century theologian.

Adapted from the author's textbook edition 'The Atheist's Creed', this is a comprehensive guide to the philosophical arguments for atheism for the general reader.

The present work introduces some perennial issues and characteristic methods of Scholasticism to a contemporary audience.

In this enjoyably iconoclastic book, George Watson discusses some of the great heresies of the twentieth century, and the cultural heretics who espoused them, often with surprising results. Watson provides us with examples of 'true', original heretics, from Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, who asserted that his study of the remote past had made a radical of him, rather than any influence of modernism, to others such as Douglas Adams, whom Watson knew as an undergraduate.Watson forces us to question various long-cherished political and intellectual assumptions in his witty and conversational style. Is snobbery really such a bad thing? Have we ignored the links between socialism and genocide? He touches entertainingly upon subjects as diverse as literary theory (experimental fiction is often the last resort of those who have nothing to say), and the unoriginal conformism of teenage Marxists (incapable of actually reading Marx, as he is too boring).This is a work which will delight any reader seeking a uniquely personal perspective on the culture, history, and personalities of the twentieth century.

A challenging new analysis of the Book of Joshua, arguing that the accounts of genocidal slaughter by the Israelites are to be understood as myth rather than history, and that they are by no means devoid of valuable theological insight.

Was Mary Magdalene really mistaken when she took the Risen Lord to be a ‘gardener’ working near the tomb where Christ was laid after the crucifixion? In this compelling volume, Anthony M. Moore persuasively argues that Jesus must be recognised, at a theological level, as the Gardener: the Creator-God Himself.The author skilfully examines the strong evidence available to the reader that the narrative material of the Book of Signs ( John 2-12), together with the ‘High Priestly Prayer’ of John 17, is deliberately infused with the fundamental theme of creation. The first sentence of the Gospel, ‘in the beginning’, meaningfully echoes the start of Genesis, and sets the tone for what is to come. ‘Creation indicators’, or leitmotifs, which link the signs narratives in the Fourth Gospel to the sequence of the days of creation, are unpicked in this volume in a careful survey of the placement of particular nouns and verbs within the narratives and how often they occur. Upon these foundation s, the author builds his strikingly original thesis: that each miraculous ‘sign’ of John 2-12 corresponds to a day of creation, and that, subtly but unmistakably, John intends to reveal Jesus as the Creator in all His glory.A book that offers a novel and enlightening way of reading John’s Gospel, 'Signs of Salvation' will interest any reader seeking a deeper understanding of a fundamental truth about Christ’s nature: He is the God of creation, at one with and participating in the creative work of the Father.

A ground-breaking study of the place of the Christian religion in an industrial city. Wickhamis book offers a historical and sociological investigation of Sheffield in the vital years of its 19th century industrial growth, and considers the plans and practice of organised religion in the city at that time.

A new edition of one of the founding documents of the Church of England, allowing easy comparison of the changes between successive versions.

An exploration of the textile designs of Charles Francis Annesley Voysey, the vernacular architect and designer.

An imaginative and enriching analysis of the poetry of John Donne and Emily Dickinson from a liturgical and theological perspective.

A classic account of the life and teaching of Sundar Singh, the high-caste Sikh who converted to Christianity.

We are becoming a nation of superficial and distracted consumers of instant messages and images, a state of being which does not aid engagement in religious and other deep commitments that require a sustained level of reflection and contemplation. In his thought-provoking work, Phillip M. Thompson analyses the shadow elements of technology - nuclear armaments, the bio-engineering of humans, and the distancing of humanity from the natural world - through the fascinating insights of the spiritual writer and monk Thomas Merton (1915-1968). Merton's work offers an important critique and healing resource for contemporary, technology-saturated culture through constructive recommendations which include a balanced approach to work, the careful management of technology, and an appreciation of the recuperative aspects of nature. While understanding the positive influences of technology, Merton urges us not be naively optimistic about its benefits, but to consider the threat it poses to a life of humanity and spiritual connection. A consideration of the profound issues discussed in this book will interest any reader concerned with the intersection between spirituality and technology, and how to maintain spiritual integrity in a technological world.

A multidisciplinary collection of essays exploring the concept of wonder and its significance in religion, philosophy, the arts and the sciences.

Scholar, ecclesiastic, teacher and poet of the eighth century, Alcuin can be seen as a true hidden saint of the Church, of the same stature and significance as his predecessor Bede. His love of God and his grasp of Christian theology were rendered original in their creative impact by his gifts as a teacher and poet. In his hands, the very traditional theology that he inherited, and to which he felt bound, took new wings. In that respect, he must rank as one of the most notable and influential of Anglo-Saxon Christians, uniting English and continental Christianity in a unique manner, which left a lasting legacy within the Catholic Church of Western Europe. This book is intended for the general reader as well as for those studying, teaching or researching this period of early medieval history and theology in schools and universities.

A wide-ranging study of asceticism in the Roman and early Christian traditions, combining both historical and theoretical analysis.

The mature expression of the theology and religion of the 18th century spiritual thinker.

A compilation of the Books of Homilies, collections of model sermons produced by the Church of England during the 16th century, and which offer an enduring insight into Anglican doctrine of the period.

A compilation of the Books of Homilies, collections of model sermons produced by the Church of England during the 16th century, and which offer an enduring insight into Anglican doctrine of the period.

An attractive introduction to collecting paper money revealing tips and less-known facts about the banknotes world.

This controversial study of socialist literature, expanded from the 1st Edition, considers the forgotten texts of socialism of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and reveals how socialism was often linked to conservative, racist and genocidal ideas.

A study of the theology of the American preacher Jonathan Edwards, linking his conversion with his distinctive understanding of divine participation.

A theological exploration of ecological issues based on the understanding that humans are a physical part of God's early creation.

A comparative study of the lives and thought of four of the greatest sages in history, and how their legacies shape the world in which we live.

The Final Days of Jesus is not only a book about religion, but also of Roman history. The events which took place during the Passover of 33 AD may have changed the course of the entire western world, but it is important to recognise that our understanding of them have been shaped by almost two thousand years of faith, studies and oral and written tradition. For the people of the time however, the significance of Jesus's final days remained largely unacknowledged. Mark Smith, a classical historian and an expert storyteller, vividly depicts the final days of Jesus, writing with a keen focus on historical fact: what really happened, and who was involved? Pontius Pilatus is typically considered to be one of the most justly hated men of Christian history, but was he really a despicable tyrant, or was he just a man with a lack of foresight, constrained in a difficult situation, trapped between the Roman law and higher political powers? Who were Annas and Caiaphas, High Priests of Jerusalem, and how did they become embroiled in the decision to crucify an obscure teacher from Nazareth? This book compellingly explores the role which politics played in the execution of the "e;King of the Jews"e;.

True Myth examines the meaning and significance of myth as understood by C.S. Lewis and Joseph Campbell and its place in the Christian faith in a technological society. C.S. Lewis defined Christianity, and being truly human, as a relationship between the personal Creator and his creation mediated through faith in his son, Jesus. The influential writer and mythologist Joseph Campbell had a different perspective, understanding Christianity as composed of mythical themes similar to those in other religious and secular myths. While accepting certain portions of the biblical record as historical, Campbell taught the theological and miraculous aspects as symbolic - as stories in which the reader discovers what it means to be human today. In contrast, Lewis presented the theological and the miraculous in a literal way. Although Lewis understood how one could see symbolism and lessons for life in miraculous events, he believed they were more than symbolic and indeed took place in human history. In True Myth, James W. Menzies skilfully balances the two writers' differing approaches to guide the reader through a complex interaction of myth with philosophy, media, ethics, history, literature, art, music and religion in a contemporary world.

A new study of two New England preachers often portrayed as radical thinkers, revealing a traditionalist side to their theological and political beliefs.

The definitive survey of martyrdom and persecution during the first four centuries of the Church.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes in one of his last prison letters that he had "e;come to know and understand more and more the profound this-worldliness of Christianity"e;. In Taking Hold of the Real, Barry Harvey engages in constructive conversation with Bonhoeffer, contending that the "e;shallow and banal this-worldliness"e; of modern society is ordered to a significant degree around the social technologies of religion, culture, and race. These mechanisms displace human beings from their traditional connections with particular locales, and relocate them in their "e;proper places"e; as determined by the nation-state and capitalist markets. Christians are called to participate in the profound this-worldliness that breaks into the world in the apocalyptic action of Jesus Christ, a form of life that requires discipline and an understanding of death and resurrection. The church is a sacrament of this new humanity, performing for all to hear the polyphony of life that was prefigured in the Old Testament and now is realised in Christ. Unable to find a faithful form of this-worldliness in wartime Germany, Bonhoeffer joined the conspiracy against Hitler, a decision aptly contrasted with a small French church that, prepared by its life together over many generations, saved thousands of Jewish lives.