John Paul II and Benedict XVI, Jeremiah Barker argues, share the theological, ethical, and spiritual core of Pope Francis' social teaching. Reappropriating R.R. Reno's redemption of Francis' cogent argument, Barker draws out the underlying rationale of Francis' message, which he argues is identical to the two previous popes. Inspired by Francis' call and teaching, Barker's compelling argument is an opportunity to reconsider the legacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI in the light of contemporary Catholic debates and challenges. A unique and refreshing analysis, Barker's argument is relevant for any Catholic seeking to make sense of these popes' messages.

This book arises from the conviction that the ways in which John Paul II and Benedict XVI were confused as allies with American conservativism is as misleading, unclear, and confusing as any misapprehension of Francis's genuine orthodoxy. As the author does not have a stake in reacting against a liberal Catholicism that he sees dying out anyway, the bigger threat, in his view, sociologically, for the North American church, is falling into a right-wing tribalism--and Francis resists precisely that. First Things editor R. R. Reno, highly critical of Francis, has called for a redemption of hints and suggestions of a cogent argument in the Francis message. Jeremiah Barker reappropriates Reno's call as a call to draw out or highlight what he takes to be the underlying rationale of the Francis message. That underlying rationale, he compellingly argues, is strikingly identical to that of the two previous popes. Barker, who has learned much from Reno, is in fact inspired by Francis's call and teaching, and it is the aim of this book to draw out what inspires him and to identify what he hopes Reno and fellow 'John Paul II Catholics' don't miss in the Francis message: the theological, ethical, and spiritual core of his social teaching, which Francis shares with that of John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

This book arises from the conviction that the ways in which John Paul II and Benedict XVI were confused as allies with American conservativism is as misleading, unclear, and confusing as any misapprehension of Francis's genuine orthodoxy. As the author does not have a stake in reacting against a liberal Catholicism that he sees dying out anyway, the bigger threat, in his view, sociologically, for the North American church, is falling into a right-wing tribalism--and Francis resists precisely that. First Things editor R. R. Reno, highly critical of Francis, has called for a redemption of hints and suggestions of a cogent argument in the Francis message. Jeremiah Barker reappropriates Reno's call as a call to draw out or highlight what he takes to be the underlying rationale of the Francis message. That underlying rationale, he compellingly argues, is strikingly identical to that of the two previous popes. Barker, who has learned much from Reno, is in fact inspired by Francis's call and teaching, and it is the aim of this book to draw out what inspires him and to identify what he hopes Reno and fellow 'John Paul II Catholics' don't miss in the Francis message: the theological, ethical, and spiritual core of his social teaching, which Francis shares with that of John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

John Paul II and Benedict XVI, Jeremiah Barker argues, share the theological, ethical, and spiritual core of Pope Francis' social teaching. Reappropriating R.R. Reno's redemption of Francis' cogent argument, Barker draws out the underlying rationale of Francis' message, which he argues is identical to the two previous popes. Inspired by Francis' call and teaching, Barker's compelling argument is an opportunity to reconsider the legacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI in the light of contemporary Catholic debates and challenges. A unique and refreshing analysis, Barker's argument is relevant for any Catholic seeking to make sense of these popes' messages.

This book reveals the sense in which our postmodern societies are characterized by the obscene absence of the intellectual. The modern intellectual--who had once been associated with humanism and enlightenment—has in our day been replaced by media stars, talking heads, and technical experts. At issue is the ongoing crisis of democracy, under the aegis of the société du spectacle and its vast networks of politically-induced idiocy, industrially-produced biocide, and militarily-provoked genocide. Spectacle fills the resulting moral and intellectual vacuum with electronic technologies of control, punishment, and destruction. This postmodern tyranny reduces intelligence to mechanistic, positivist, and grammatological models of inquiry, while increasing the segmentation, fragmentation, and dissolution of human existence. The apotheosis of the spectacle explains the intellectual void that lies at the heart of our postmodern decadence; it also accounts for the need to recuperate the humanist values of enlightenment promoted by the modern intellectual tradition.

Using a synthesis of ecology, anthropology, philosophy and political theory, this book traces our society's conflicting legacies of freedom and domination, from the first emergence of human culture to today's global capitalism. The theme of Murray Bookchin's grand historical narrative is straightforward: environmental, economic and political devastation are born at the moment that human societies begin to organize themselves hierarchically. And, despite the nuance and detail of his arguments, the lesson to be learned is just as basic: our nightmare will continue until hierarchy is dissolved and human beings develop more sane, sustainable and egalitarian social structures.

This classic exploration of the Goddess through time and throughout the world draws on religious, cultural, and archaeological sources to recreate the Goddess religion that is humanity’s heritage. Now, with a new introduction and full-color artwork, this passionate and important text shows even more clearly that the religion of the Goddess--which is tied to the cycles of women’s bodies, the seasons, the phases of the moon, and the fertility of the earth--was the original religion of all humanity.