This book articulates the Hippocratic Oath as establishing the medical profession by a promise to uphold an internal medical ethic that particularly prohibits doctors from killing. In its most basic and least controvertible form, this ethic mandates that physicians help and not harm the sick.

The oath was an institution of fundamental importance across a wide range of social interactions throughout the ancient Greek world, making a crucial contribution to social stability and harmony; yet there has been no comprehensive, dedicated scholarly study of the subject for over a century. This volume of a two-volume study explores the nature of oaths as Greeks perceived it, the ways in which they were used (and sometimes abused) in Greek life and literature, and their inherent binding power.

"Rare Storytelling...demands to be read at one sitting." - Chicago Sun-Times "Nobody does it better than Niven and Pournelle." -Tom Clancy "Exciting, swift and suspenseful." - Theodore Sturgeon In a dystopian future, where pollution and violen

This engaging book examines what the Hippocratic Oath meant to Greek physicians 2400 years ago and reflects on its relevance to medical ethics today. Drawing on the writings of ancient physicians, Greek playwrights, and modern scholars, each chapter explores one of its passages and concludes with a modern case discussion. The Oath proposes principles governing the relationship between the physician and society and patients. It rules out the use of poison and a hazardous abortive technique. It defines integrity and discretion in physicians' speech. The ancient Greek medical works written during the same period as the Oath reveal that Greek physicians understood that they had a duty to avoid medical errors and learn from bad outcomes. These works showed how and why to tell patients about their diseases and dire prognoses in order to develop a partnership for healing and to build the credibility of the profession. Miles uses these writings to illuminate the meaning of the Oath in its day and in so doing shows how and why it remains a valuable guide to the ethical practice of medicine. This is a book for anyone who loves medicine and is concerned about the ethics and history of this profession.

I Swear: The Meaning of an Oath looks at how taking an oath may impact the obligations of the oath taker, and the perceptions and expectations of those around him. The book begins with Aeschylus - "It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath." The author explores whether Aeschylus was correct through stories of diverse and varied individuals who took an oath - doctor, lawyer, priest, journalist, CIA director, "made man," and president, to name a few. Most of the time, people are able to keep their oath. But what happens when the decision to keep an oath may result in an injustice, or a situation where others are hurt? What do your oaths mean to you, and what do they mean to those around you? Do societal pressures allow one to break his oath? What does your moral compass tell you to do when violating your oath is somehow the "right" thing to do, however wrong it is, because you're violating it?

The popular author of the Honor Harrington series tells the tale of Bahzell, a hsradani who has violated a hostage bond and now must deal with a vengeful prince and a price on his head. He doesn't want to mess with anyone else's problems, let alone the War God's. So how does he end up a thousand leagues from home? It's all the War God's fault.

In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, Paul R. Williamson looks at the role of the covenant concept in Scripture and the meaning of this terminology. He sets the idea of covenant in the context of God's universal purpose, tracing the idea through the Old Testament and showing how the new covenant is anticipated and fulfilled.