In Signifying God, Sarah Beckwith explores the most lavish, long-lasting, and complex form of collective theatrical enterprise in English history: the York Corpus Christi plays. First staged as early as 1376, the plays were performed annually until the late 1500s and involved as much as a tenth of the city in multiple performances at a dozen or more locations. Introducing a radical new understanding of these plays as "sacramental theater," Beckwith shows how organizing the plays served as a political mechanism for regulating labor, and how theater and sacrament combined in them to do important theological work. She argues, for instance, that the theology of Corpus Christi in the resurrection plays can only be understood as a theatrical exploration of eucharistic absence and presence. Beckwith frames her study with discussions of twentieth-century manifestations of sacramental theater in Barry Unsworth's novel Morality Play and Denys Arcand's film Jesus of Montreal, and the connections between contemporary revivals of the York Corpus Christi plays and England's heritage culture.
This book explores the belief in ancient Judaism that God embedded hidden signs and visual clues in the natural world that could be read by human beings and interpreted according to complex systems.
The theory of signifying (significs), formulated and introduced by Victoria Welby for the first time in 1890s, is at the basis of much of twentieth-century linguistics, as well as in other language and communication sciences such as sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, translation theory and semiotics. Indirectly, the origins of approaches, methods and categories elaborated by analytical philosophy, Wittgenstein himself, Anglo-American speech act theory, and pragmatics are largely found with Victoria Lady Welby. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say, in addition, that Welby is the "founding mother" of semiotics. Some of Peirce's most innovative writings - for example, those on existential graphs - are effectively letters to Lady Welby. She was an esteemed correspondent of scholars such as Bertrand Russell, Charles K. Ogden, Herbert G. Wells, Ferdinand S. C. Schiller, Michel Bréal, André Lalande, the brothers Henry and William James, and Peirce, as well as Frederik van Eeden, Mary Everst Boole, Ferdinand Tönnies, and Giovanni Vailati. Her writings directly inspired the Signific Movement in the Netherlands, important for psycholinguistics, linguistics and semantics and inaugurated by van Eeden and developed by such authors as Gerrit Mannoury. This volume, containing introductions and commentaries, presents a selection from Welby's published and unpublished writings delineating the whole course of her research through to developments with the Significs Movement in the Netherlands and still other ramifications, contemporary and subsequent to her. A selection of essays by first-generation significians contributing to the Signific Movement in the Netherlands completes the collection, testifying to the progress of significs after Welby and even independently from her. This volume contributes to the reconstruction on both the historical and theoretical levels of an important period in the history of ideas. The aim of the volume is to convey a sense of the theoretical topicality of significs and its developments, especially in semiotics, and in particular its thematization of the question of values and the connection with signs, meaning, and understanding, therefore with human verbal and nonverbal behavior, language and communication.
God In Us is a radical representation of the Christian faith for the 21st century. Following the example of the Old Testament prophets and the first-century Christians it overturns received ideas about God. God is not an invisible person 'out there' somewhere, but lives in the human heart and mind as 'the sum of all our values and ideals' guiding and inspiring our lives. This new updated edition includes a foreword by Bishop John Shelby Spong and an afterword from the author.
Hailed in The New York Times Book Review as "eclectic, exciting, convincing, provocative" and in The Washington Post Book World as "brilliantly original," Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s The Signifying Monkey is a groundbreaking work that illuminates the relationship between the African and African-American vernacular traditions and black literature. It elaborates a new critical approach located within this tradition that allows the black voice to speak for itself. Examining the ancient poetry and myths found in African, Latin American, and Caribbean culture, Gates uncovers a unique system for interpretation and a powerful vernacular tradition that black slaves brought with them to the New World. Exploring the process of signification in black American life and literature by analyzing the transmission and revision of various signifying figures, Gates provides an extended analysis of what he calls the "Talking Book," a central trope in early slave narratives that virtually defines the tradition of black American letters. Gates uses this critical framework to examine several major works of African-American literature--including Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, and Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo--revealing how these works signify on the black tradition and on each other. This superb 25th-Anniversary Edition features a new preface by Gates that reflects on the impact of the book and its relevance for today's society as well as a new afterword written by noted critic W. T. J. Mitchell.
From the creator of the bestselling and beloved Daily Bible® (more than 1 million copies sold) come 365 devotions that lead readers on a provocative chronological pilgrimage through Scripture--this time in trade edition. Readers can explore the riches and relevance of biblical stories, promises, and wisdom as they discover the commitment of ordinary people from Noah to Nathanael the faith and folly of heroes such as Abraham, Solomon, and Peter the power of prayer from the lips of saints and sinners the depth of trust exemplified by Moses, Deborah, and Mary the challenge of Jesus' teaching to reach for a higher standard F. Lagard Smith's observations and insights about the Bible provide readers with a rich experience. Whether read as a complement to The Daily Bible® or as an independent journey, these remarkable meditations reveal the purpose of a life built on God's Word.
In "Hearts Aflame: Journeying Deeper with God through the Lives of David and Samuel," readers are invited to delve deep into the biblical narratives surrounding two of the most profound figures in Christian theology: King David and the prophet Samuel. Drawing upon their storied journeys, the text illuminates the pathways to living a life wholly devoted to God, offering readers a wellspring of wisdom on how to cultivate their relationship with the divine. Navigating the intricacies of leadership, righteousness, and moral responsibility, the book explores the consequences of actions, both taken and avoided, as seen through the lives of these iconic figures. Through an intimate exploration of their paths, readers are encouraged to reflect critically on their own spiritual journeys, understanding the magnitude of maintaining a steadfast and devoted heart, akin to that of David and Samuel. Taking readers through the concepts of prophetic, priestly, and kingly anointing, the book elucidates the distinct levels of spiritual authority, encouraging believers to rise to their highest potential in their service to God and their communities. Drawing parallels to contemporary ministry, the text questions the efficacy and integrity of current religious leaders, calling for a revolution of true devotion, untainted by worldly concerns. Furthermore, "Hearts Aflame" dives deep into the thematic undercurrents of prayer, humility, and devotion, offering insights on how to cultivate a spiritual life rich with intimate moments with God, a life characterized by unyielding faith and deep-rooted trust in God's grand design. As readers journey through the book, they are provided with reflective pauses, offering them the sacred space to introspect and potentially transform their spiritual paths, rejuvenating their hearts with a refreshed fervor for the spiritual realm. Drawing upon the profound symbolism of biblical texts, the book elucidates the divine call to prayer and the necessity of a heart deeply tuned to God's will, paralleled with a life of devoted service. A pivotal addition to the book is the discourse on the kingly anointing, an advanced level of spiritual authority that fosters a collective spiritual awakening, potent enough to transform cities, regions, and nations. Unveiling the avenues to attain such a towering stature in spiritual realms, the text beckons believers to aspire for this summit of spiritual potency, laying forth the blueprints of ushering in an era characterized by mass deliverance and healing through God's omnipotent power. In the final chapters, the readers are summoned to an intimate self-reflection, with a heartfelt invitation to revisit their spiritual bearings, to shed the callouses enveloping their hearts, and to rejuvenate their spiritual lives with a new depth of understanding and commitment. Concluding with a powerful prayer, "Hearts Aflame" invites readers into a covenant with God, setting the stage for a journey of deepened faith, enriched spiritual authority, and an unyielding commitment to God's divine plan. It is not just a book but a beacon guiding believers towards a life echoing with the reverberations of a heart truly aflame for God. Let yourself be led on this transformative journey, as you step into the rich legacies of David and Samuel, guided by the earnest desire to please God with a heart ablaze with divine love and commitment.
