Since the beginning, holy war has been viewed as a 'sacred institution' and a 'cultic act of religious community' by the people of Israel. Appearing here in English for the first time, Gerhard von Rad has provided a definitive study of the theory of holy war and its development throughout biblical history. Von Rad gives a definitive and articulate exposition of a typically disturbing theme within the Old Testament, arguing that holy war is not only Yahweh acting alone, but inspired Israelites, who because they envisioned God fighting on their behalf, felt obligated and inspired to fight even more fervently.

A study of the life and thought of Will Herberg (1906-1977), a theorist in sociology and religion. A communist in the 1920s-30s, Herberg was identified in the 1950s as a moderate and an advocate of American religious pluralism, and in the 1960s as an anti-communist crusader. On pp. 81-84 shows how, after his abandonment of communism and rediscovery of Judaism, Herberg viewed antisemitism as the inevitable result of the Jew's marginal position in the world and of Judaism's witness to God's message. He contended that Christians who engaged in antisemitism were rebelling against their religion and lapsing into paganism. He condemned Soviet antisemitism and predicted the USSR's adoption of anti-Zionism. He also discussed the reasons for Black antisemitism (pp. 191-194).

First published in 2005. This reference guide includes 230 identified plants mentioned in the bible, currently known of from the present day knowledge of Biblical botany. It includes translations from Hebrew into English, biblical cross-referencing, as well as illustrations and a section on unidentified plants.

"The most honored discussion of American religion in mid-twentieth century times is Will Herberg's Protestant-Catholic-Jew. . . . [It] spoke precisely to the mid-century condition and speaks in still applicable ways to the American condition and, at its best, the human condition."—Martin E. Marty, from the Introduction "In Protestant-Catholic-Jew Will Herberg has written the most fascinating essay on the religious sociology of America that has appeared in decades. He has digested all the relevant historical, sociological and other analytical studies, but the product is no mere summary of previous findings. He has made these findings the basis of a new and creative approach to the American scene. It throws as much light on American society as a whole as it does on the peculiarly religious aspects of American life. Mr. Herberg. . . illumines many facets of the American reality, and each chapter presents surprising, and yet very compelling, theses about the religious life of this country. Of all these perhaps the most telling is his thesis that America is not so much a melting pot as three fairly separate melting pots."—Reinhold Niebuhr, New Yorks Times Book Review

A collection of essays by Will Herberg. They trace his intellectual odyssey, and include his thoughts on such wide-ranging topics as the crises of socialism, anti-Semitism, American civil religion, and church-state separation.