Augustine’s creative and allegorical thought, in his City of God, on social life is one that provides citizens of the earthly cities, especially Christians, an opportunity to understand why and how they should contribute positively to public life through faith and social responsibility. Believing that human life is social, our human social existence must transcend and go beyond social, religious and political affiliations. This requires that individuals be good and upright in their social engagements as religious and political citizens. It also entails individual rights, duties and obligations, without excluding the fight against injustice, social vice, exploitation and power abuse within human society. These sets of values and the positive outcome thereof can only be achieved through love. This love is the driving force to social peace, a love which must promote order and justice within societal life. Irrespective of its heavenly orientation, these teachings are significantly context-bound, like every theological and philosophical endeavour that concerns and connects the human person to its earthly realities. Contextualising these concepts within human existence flows from a social, religious and political assessment. It tends primarily towards moral benefits and social norms that must not lose sight of the spiritual reality, which enlightens and build good moral conscience that impacts virtues and values in society.

John Mark Mattox's work is the first book-length study of St Augustine's 'just war' theory and is now available in paperback for the first time.

Whether your students are learning in a brick-and-mortar school or a homeschool or online, you teachers and parents know how important logic is -- but that doesn't make the technical aspects of the subject any easier (in fact the fundamental nature of the subject makes it even more intimidating ). We've painstakingly designed Intermediate Logic with that tension in mind: you'll get the benefit of James B. Nance's twenty years of teaching experience, so mastering logic will be as painless (and rewarding ) as possible for any student. Anybody can learn from Intermediate Logic. The whole series takes advantage of a brand new, clean, easy-to-read layout, lots of margin notes for key points and further study, a step-by-step modern method, and exercises for every lesson (plus review questions and exercises for every unit). More importantly, anybody can teach Intermediate Logic. Here are the features that make the Teacher Edition for Intermediate Logic the obvious choice for educators.

Winner of the Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Award, American Sociological Association Co-Winner of the Ralph J. Bunche Award, American Political Science Association In a work of prodigious scholarship and enormous breadth, which draws on the tribal, ancient, premodern, and modern worlds, Orlando Patterson discusses the internal dynamics of slavery in sixty-six societies over time. These include Greece and Rome, medieval Europe, China, Korea, the Islamic kingdoms, Africa, the Caribbean islands, and the American South. Praise for the previous edition: “Densely packed, closely argued, and highly controversial in its dissent from much of the scholarly conventional wisdom about the function and structure of slavery worldwide.” —Boston Globe “There can be no doubt that this rich and learned book will reinvigorate debates that have tended to become too empirical and specialized. Patterson has helped to set out the direction for the next decades of interdisciplinary scholarship.” —David Brion Davis, New York Review of Books “This is clearly a major and important work, one which will be widely discussed, cited, and used. I anticipate that it will be considered among the landmarks in the study of slavery, and will be read by historians, sociologists, and anthropologists—as well as many other scholars and students.” —Stanley Engerman

Over 25 years ago, Raymond Williams’ Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society set the standard for how we understand and use the language of culture and society. Now, three luminaries in the field of cultural studies have assembled a volume that builds on and updates Williams’ classic, reflecting the transformation in culture and society since its publication. New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society is a state-of-the-art reference for students, teachers and culture vultures everywhere. Assembles a stellar team of internationally renowned and interdisciplinary social thinkers and theorists Showcases 142 signed entries – from art, commodity, and fundamentalism to youth, utopia, the virtual, and the West – that capture the practices, institutions, and debates of contemporary society Builds on and updates Raymond Williams’s classic Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society, by reflecting the transformation in culture and society over the last 25 years Includes a bibliographic resource to guide research and cross-referencing The book is supported by a website: www.blackwellpublishing.com/newkeywords.

Given the importance of cross-cultural competence, it is important that scholars from different parts of the world describe the conceptual frameworks underlying their cultures to provide people with knowledge helpful for understanding and navigating cultural barriers and promoting harmony and productivity in places of work. The literature is replete with reference points for understanding Eurocentric worldviews. Little has been written about non-Eurocentric worldviews with respect to the subject of socio-cultural harmony and interpersonal relations such as Ubuntu, Africa’s indigenous philosophy and its relevancy. This philosophy teaches the importance of maintaining good human relations and sensitivity to the wellbeing of other people both as individuals and collectively. In the teachings of this African conceptual framework, the wellbeing of others is more important than that of self. Another important distinguishing feature of Ubuntu is that it places great value on communalism as opposed to individualism. The tenets of Ubuntu include human-centeredness, teamwork, collaboration, cooperation, respect for diversity of opinion, and joint consideration of problems. These tenets can be applied for intercultural competence and communications. Understanding Ubuntu for Enhancing Intercultural Communications sheds some light on Ubuntu, Africa’s unique philosophy, and explores how the knowledge of Ubuntu can help minimize cross-cultural communication barriers. Within this context, the chapters work to make readers aware of the existence of an African worldview, specifically Ubuntu, and its possible contribution to interpersonal communication. This book also shares the lived experiences of being born and raised in sub-Saharan Africa where Ubuntu is a way of life. This book is essential for businesses seeking to expand internationally and managers overseeing diverse workforces as well as business executives, government officials, public relations officers, academicians, researchers, and students including those studying African studies, world religions, international business, international relations, management, communication, and more.

Although Africa is today often seen, because of its large number of Christians, as the future hope of the Church, a closer examination of African Christianity, however, shows that the Christian faith has not taken deep root in Africa. Many Africans today declare themselves to be Christians but still remain followers of their traditional African religions, especially in matters concerning the inner dimensions of their lives. It is evident that, in strictly personal matters relating to such issues as passage rites and crises, most Africans turn to their African traditional religions. As an incarnational faith, part of the history of Christianity has been its encounter with other cultures and its becoming deeply rooted in some of these cultures. The central question remains: Why has the Christian faith not taken deep root in Africa? This volume is concerned with answering this question.