This volume features exercises that allow students to use their knowledge of archaeological method and theory to deal with fictitious scenarios and data sets. The authors offer all new, inventive, and often witty problems that pose the same questions being tackled by archaeologists in the field today.

Saint Augustine's political thought has usually been interpreted by modern readers as suggesting that politics is based on sin. In Augustine and Politics as Longing in the World, John von Heyking shows that Augustine actually considered political life a substantive good that fulfills a human longing for a kind of wholeness. Rather than showing Augustine as supporting the Christian church's domination of politics, von Heyking argues that he held a subtler view of the relationship between religion and politics, one that preserves the independence of political life. And while many see his politics as based on a natural-law ethic or on one in which authority is conferred by direct revelation, von Heyking shows how Augustine held to an understanding of political ethics that emphasizes practical wisdom and judgment in a mode that resembles Aristotle rather than Machiavelli.

The Kingdom Lifestyle series are classic stories that are designed to build strong, godly character in children. It teaches them how to live in God’s kingdom by having a personal relationship with him, obeying his laws, becoming shining lights as they stand out in their world, captivating the mind of Christ. The Bible teaches us to remember our Creator now, in the days of our youth, before the days of trouble come (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Children, because they obey God’s laws, will be just like Christ and, like adults, will not only develop the mind of Christ but also bear spiritual fruits given in Galatians 5:22: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You will gradually see changes in your child’s attitude as you read these wonderful stories to them. They are excellent as bedtime stories. Godly characteristics include telling the truth, making the best choices, honesty, showing kindness, standing up for what is right. The characters in these stories are children who are not perfect but are trying all they can to please God and make a difference in their world. They possess a passion for doing the right thing to please God. As parents, we have an obligation to teach our children God’s laws so that they can become what he made them to be. Children will enjoy these real-life stories as they grow in godly living. Becoming like Jesus in daily living is the way to go. God’s kingdom reflects a group of chosen people (1 Peter 2:10). The kingdom is a place where God reigns, where his will is done. He is king and gives blessings to his children who obey his laws. God’s kingdom provides true hope, peace, joy, and prosperity in the world. We are to let our lights shine (Matthew 5:14–16).

This is the fifth annual volume of the remarkably popular journal of biblical theology edited by Scott Hahn and his St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. This volume features important new works by Hahn, Brant Pitre, Matthew Levering, and Robert Barron, among others. The issue explores the biblical themes of Church and state; idolatry and power; religion and violence; worship and sacrifice; the Kingdom of God; and the Eucharist. Highlights include Hahn's new essay on the prophetic historiography of 1 and 2 Chronicles; and Pitre's essay on Jesus, the Messianic Banquet, and the Kingdom of God. The journal, which always seeks to reprint classic texts alongside groundbreaking new works, this time includes a new translation of St. Thomas Aquinas' Lectures on 2 Thessaloniansthe first time this work has been translated into English. Also included are an influential work by Louis Bouyer on Satan and Christ in the New Testament and Early Tradition. The volume concludes with a classic homily by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI on the morality of exile.