by Suke Wolton (1996)
Just how critical is contemporary social theory? These essays challenge the claims of the main currents of social and cultural studies: identity theory, feminism, social construction, gay studies, criminology and comparative religion. With contributions from G. A. Cohen, Internet innovator Keith Teare and a new generation of Marxists, this collection puts the theory of alienation back into critical thinking. Marxism, Mysticism and Modern Theory argues that without understanding the way that alienated social relations are necessarily mystified, social theory cannot penetrate beneath immediate appearances.
Bruno Bosteels
"One of the rising stars of contemporary critical theory, Bruno Bosteels discusses the new currents of thought generated by figures such as Alain Badiou, Jacques Rancière and Slavoj Zizek, theorists spearheading the revival of interest in communism. Bosteels discovers a vital break with “speculative leftism”—incapable as it is of moving beyond lofty abstractions—that reconceptualizes the categories of masses, classes and state."--Publisher description.
Nick Knight
Li Da (1890-1966) was one of China's most important Marxist intellectuals and a founding member of the Chinese Communist Party. He played a major role in the introduction of Marxist philosophy and theory to China and in its dissemination among Chinese revolutionaries. In this seminal study, Knight analyzes Li Da's contribution to the flowering of Marxist philosophy and theory in China, examining Li's writings and placing them in the context of the Marxist tradition. Knight also explores Li Da's philosophical relationship with Mao Zedong, who was heavily influenced by Li's works. Through the lens of Li's life and thought, this book provides a detailed assessment of the process of the introduction and dissemination of Marxist philosophy and social theory in China.
Kevin P. Spicer
"Shaken by military defeat and economic depression after War World I, Germans sought to restore their nation's dignity and power. In this context the National Socialist Party, with its promise of a revivified Germany, drew supporters. Among the most zealous were a number of Catholic clergymen known as "brown priests" who volunteered as Nazi propagandists. In Hitler's Priests, Kevin P. Spicer introduces the principal clergymen who participated in the Nazi movement, examines their motives, details their advocacy of National Socialism, and explores the consequences of their political activism." "Some brown priests, particularly war veterans, advocated National Socialism because it appealed to their patriotic ardor. Others had less laudatory motives: disaffection with clerical life, conflicts with Church superiors, or ambition for personal power and fame. Whatever their individual motives, they employed their skills as orators, writers, and teachers to proclaim the message of Nazism. Especially during the early 1930s, when the Church forbade membership in the party, these clergymen strove to prove that Catholicism was compatible with National Socialism, thereby justifying their support of Nazi ideology. Father Dr. Philipp Haeuser, a scholar and pastor, went so far as to promote antisemitism while deifying Adolf Hitler. The Fuhrer's antisemitism, Spicer argues, did not deter clergymen such as Haeuser because, although the Church officially rejected the Nazis' extreme racism, Catholic teachings tolerated hostility toward Jews by blaming them for Christ's crucifixion." "In addition to this intriguing history about clergymen trying to reconcile faith and politics, Spicer provides a master list verified by extensive research in Church and government archives - of Catholic clergy who publicly supported National Socialism."--BOOK JACKET.
Kevin DeYoung
Hyper-spiritual approaches to finding God's will just don't work. It's time to try something new: give up. Pastor and author Kevin DeYoung counsels Christians to settle down, make choices, and do the hard work of seeing those choices through. Too often, he writes, God's people jump from church to church, workplace to workplace, relational circle to relational circle, worrying that they haven't found God's perfect will for their lives. But God doesn't need to tell us what to do at each fork in the road. He's already revealed His plan for our lives: to love Him with our whole hearts, to obey His Word, and after that, to do what we like. No need for hocus-pocus. No reason to be directionally challenged. Just do something. - Publisher.