In 1974, thirty-year-old philosopher and translator David Farrell Krell began corresponding and meeting with Martin Heidegger and Hannah Arendt. Years later, he would meet Jacques Derrida and, through many letters and visits, come to know him well. Drawing on unpublished correspondence and Krell's warmly told personal recollections, Three Encounters presents an intimate and highly insightful look at the lives and ideas of three noted philosophers at the peak of their careers. Three Encounters offers a chance for readers to encounter these three great philosophers and their ideas, not merely through the lens of their biographies, but as "people" we come to know through their personal correspondence and Krell's recollections. Three Encounters demonstrates the intertwining of thought and lived experience.
The narratives in this book are of journeys made in three wildernesses - on a coastal island, in a Western mountain range, and on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. The four men portrayed here have different relationships to their environment, and they encounter each other on mountain trails, in forests and rapids, sometimes with reserve, sometimes with friendliness, sometimes fighting hard across a philosophical divide.
Ira Fistells Mark Twain: Three Encounters begins with a perceptive analysis of the authors major novels which will be a revelation to any reader of Twain. Ira proves that Tom Sawyer is anything but a kids book; explains why the ending of Huckleberry Finn, often dismissed as just cheating, is actually the most brilliant part of the book; makes sense of the confusing and difficult Connecticut Yankee; and discovers the tragedy in The Tragedy of Puddnhead Wilson. Then this book explores how the places Twain live affected what he wrote, and concludes with a stunning explanation of the authors terrible guilt in his later years. No other study of Twain and his work compares with this one: it is the essential book on this subject.
In this comparative study of three modern religious movements, Lawrence A. Babb argues that thematic continuities exist between traditional Hinduism and its widely divergent modern expressions.
"Playing a role-playing game is a delicate dance. If everything runs smoothly, it feels like you and your friends are able to maneuver effortlessly through dramatic, epic, and uproariously silly scenes where everyone gets a chance to shine. And yet, other times it just doesn't come together. Combat slows to a repetitive grind, the Game Master runs out of good Non-Player Character (NPC) ideas, or after twenty-six rounds maybe even the most beautifully designed encounter just gets a bit stale. Sure, you could prep an absolute powerhouse of an all-killer-no filler role-playing session. Spend time getting fun character voices ready for every NPC. But that sounds like way too much work. This is the book you turn to for help. It's a big book of ideas designed to slot right into your existing campaign, organized into neat little tables. If you salivate at chaos magic effect tables and daydream about wild, unexpected die results, you already know it can also be fun to throw caution to the wind and let randomness determine as much as possible. Even the most organized GMs and the tightest adventure modules benefit from a little spice!"--
Drawing on great church teachers through the centuries and on the classical Christian creeds and confessions, this book asks both what Matthew's Gospel said to its first hearers and what it says to readers today. It shows how the focus of Matthew shifts, from Jesus teaching about who he is to teaching mainly about what his church is.
A broad, definitive history of the profound relationship between religion and movements for social change in America Though in recent years the religious right has been a powerful political force, making “religion” and “conservatism” synonymous in the minds of many, the United States has always had an active, vibrant, and influential religious Left. In every period of our history, people of faith have envisioned a society of peace and justice, and their tireless efforts have made an indelible mark on our nation’s history. In Prophetic Encounters, Dan McKanan challenges simple distinctions between “religious” and “secular” activism, showing that religious beliefs and practices have been integral to every movement promoting liberty, equality, and solidarity. From Frederick Douglass, John Brown, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in the nineteenth century to Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King Jr., and Starhawk in the twentieth, American radicals have maintained a deep faith in the human capacity to transform the world. This radical faith has always been intertwined with the religious practices of Christians and Jews, pagans and Buddhists, orthodox believers and humanist heretics. Their vision and energies powered the social movements that have defined America’s progress: the abolition of slavery, feminism, the New Deal, civil rights, and others. In this groundbreaking, definitive work, McKanan treats the histories of religion and the Left as a single history, showing that American radicalism is a continuous tradition rather than a collection of disparate movements. Emphasizing the power of encounter—encounters between whites and former slaves, between the middle classes and the immigrant masses, and among activists themselves—McKanan shows that the coming together of people of different perspectives and beliefs has been transformative for centuries, uniting those whose faith is a source of activist commitment with those whose activism is a source of faith. Offering a history of the diverse religious dimensions of radical movements from the American Revolution to the present day, Prophetic Encounters invites contemporary activists to stand proudly in a tradition of prophetic power.
The book's focus, from which the title is derived, is taken from Revelation 11:18, and opens with "The Wrath of God," continues with "The Judgment of Mankind" and closes with "The Reward of the Saints." A Jewish, Biblical Scholar, Nativ brings a unique, often startling perspective to the Book of Revelation. Basing his theories in Hebraic concepts, not doctrine or dogma, Nativ takes the reader on an exciting, step-by step journey through the Hebrew texts, the original language of the Bible, and through painstaking analysis, breathes new life into the words of the Old Testament prophets, the apostles, and Jesus. Take for example, the word "Armageddon." Long interpreted as the ultimate battle between good and evil, Nativ uses his extensive Hebrew knowledge to show it is a place, not a battle, and introduces the ancient Hebrew concept of a "place of refuge" as proof. Should Nativ be correct, not only will he change the theology, but dictionary definitions as well. Equally startling is his discussion of Revelation, Chapter Nine, regarding the opening of the bottomless pit and the release of the awesome creatures within. Nativ not only explains what they are, their origins and their purpose, but, most surprising, the creatures' present location, as they await the ending of the Age. Perhaps most controversial of all is Nativ's answer to the long-asked question regarding the identity of the "Beast" and the meaning of the number "666." Not only will the reader be dumbfounded by the simplicity of Nativ's answer, but horrified by the proximity. Nativ is not dogmatic. He does not expect everyone to agree with his study's conclusions, but instead challenges the reader to prove him biblically incorrect. Neither prophet nor the recipient of a great revelation from God, Nativ's only claim is the wisdom from God to unveil the meaning of the Book of Revelation in all its complexities.
A twelve-month excursion through nature’s seasons as recounted by a lifetime naturalist In this “personal encyclopedia of nature’s seasons,” lifetime naturalist Bruce Beehler reflects on his three decades of encountering nature in Washington, D.C. The author takes the reader on a year-long journey through the seasons as he describes the wildlife seen and special natural places savored in his travels up and down the Potomac River and other localities in the eastern and central United States. Some of these experiences are as familiar as observing ducks on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., or as unexpected as collecting fifty-million-year-old fossils on a Potomac beach. Beyond our nation’s capital, Beehler describes trips to nature’s most beautiful green spaces up and down the East Coast that, he says, should be on every nature lover’s bucket list. Combining diary entries, riffs on natural subjects, field trips, photographs, and beautiful half-tone wash drawings, this book shows how many outdoor adventures are out there waiting in one’s own backyard. The author inspires the reader to embrace nature to achieve a more peaceful existence.
