“I became riveted by Steinke's tone, a steady, lovely, hallowed, patient, things-in-themselves hum…[Easter Everywhere is] a delicately wrought... little volume…This is a beautiful book.” —New York Times Book Review In this critically beloved and piercing memoir, Darcey Steinke, a minister’s daughter, recounts her lifelong struggle to find religion. Though wide-eyed and accepting as a girl, Steinke left the faith in her teenage years; scene by breathtaking scene, she vividly describes the angst, embarrassment, uncertainty, and joy of her decades of on-and-off piety. Emotional, wise, and beautifully crafted, Easter Everywhere is a rare literary accomplishment, a feat of storytelling and personal insight.

A myth-shattering study of the enigmatic Easter Island civilization uses new archeological evidence to unlock the mysteries of the island's massive... effig and its bizarre "birdman" cult. By the author of Images of the Ice Age.

Easter Island, a World Heritage Site is still, after over 50 years since Thor Heyerdahl's work on the island, a fascinating area to explore and learn... about a culture that has only remnants remaining, while documenting a marine ecology still mostly unknown. Easter Island: Scientific Exploration into the World's Environmental Problems in Microcosm presents the research results from three years of interdisciplinary expeditions to Easter Island. The primary objectives were to investigate the effects of human population growth on the ecology of the island and to discover whether any dramatic climatic changes such as a prolonged El Niño could have disrupted the island's fragile ecosystem. The interdisciplinary scientific team were mainly researching the paleontology, archaeology, climatology, and geophysics of the island. This book now brings together the results of the three expeditions, identifies new areas of research, and hopefully will continue to inspire aspiring scientists to revisit this amazing island to explore and demystify this timeless enigma of human history.

The Kwangju Uprising--"Korea's Tiananmen"--is one of the most important political events in late twentieth-century Korean history. What began as a... peaceful demonstration against the imposition of military rule in the southwestern city of Kwangju in May 1980 turned into a bloody people's revolt. In the two decades since, memories of the Kwangju Uprising have lived on, assuming symbolic importance in the Korean democracy movement, underlying the rise in anti-American sentiment in South Korea, and shaping the nation's transition to a civil society. Nonetheless it remains a contested event, the subject still of controversy, confusion, international debate, and competing claims. As one of the few Western eyewitnesses to the Uprising, Linda Lewis is uniquely positioned to write about the event. In this innovative work on commemoration politics, social representation, and memory, Lewis draws on her fieldwork notes from May 1980, writings from the 1980s, and ethnographic research she conducted in the late 1990s on the memorialization of Kwangju and its relationship to changes in the national political culture. Throughout, the chronological organization of the text is crisscrossed with commentary that provocatively disrupts the narrative flow and engages the reader in the reflexive process of remembering Kwangju over two decades. Highly original in its method and approach, Laying Claim to the Memory of May situates this seminal event in a broad historical and scholarly context. The result is not only the definitive history of the Kwangju Uprising, but also a sweeping overview of Korean studies over the last few decades.

This book examines the post-war history of Eastern Europe from the perspective of social history. It examines the nature and impact of socialist... dictatorships on life in the region, and reveals the extent to which phenomena that emerged during the dictatorships are shaping society in the region today. It also integrates research conducted in the archives opened in the last eleven years into a general history of the region. Mark Pittaway is Senior Lecturer in European Studies at the Open University, UK This book examines the post-war history of Eastern Europe from the perspective of social history. It examines the nature and impact of socialist dictatorships on life in the region, and reveals the extent to which phenomena that emerged during the dictatorships are shaping society in the region today. It also integrates research conducted in the archives opened in the last eleven years into a general history of the region. "Pittaway's writing style is direct and supple, and his arguments are well presented. This is a great addition to the scholarship on communist Eastern Europe, and it will be useful to instructors of undergraduate classes as well as researchers. Highly recommended."—CHOICE "Pittaway's writing style is direct and supple, and his arguments are well presented. This is a great addition to the scholarship on communist Eastern Europe, and it will be useful to instructors of undergraduate classes as well as researchers. Highly recommended."—CHOICE

Here is an essential short guide to the history of Eastern Europe under the early decades of communist rule. The study explores the communists attempt... to transpose a uniform economic and social system across the region copied from the Soviet model. Dr Fowkes shows how this did not always succeed and he reveals the local variations which became more pronounced after the death of Stalin. The book includes detailed analysis of the dramatic events in Poland and Hungary and in the assessment section there is a useful summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the communist model in its heyday. It is an illuminating study, full of maps and photographs as well as over 30 documents (most previously unavailable in English) which brings this complex subject alive. and helps us to understand the special conditions the people of the region have faced in catching up with the West both in terms of material prosperity and more recently in the establishment of democratic political systems

Covering all key Eastern European states and their history right up to the collapse of communism, this second edition of Eastern Europe in the Twentieth... Century – And After is a comprehensive political history of Eastern Europe taking in the whole of the century and the geographical area. Focusing on the attempt to create and maintain a functioning democracy, this new edition now: examines events in Bosnia and Herzegovina includes a new consideration of the evolution of the region since the revolutions of 1989–91 surveys the development of a market economy analyzes the realignment of Eastern Europe towards the West details the emergence of organized crime discusses each state individually includes an up-to-date bibliography. Eastern Europe in the Twentieth Century – And After provides an accessible introduction to this key area which is invaluable to students of modern and political history.

A groundbreaking historical study, Norman Stone's "The Eastern Front 1914-1917" was the very first authoritative account of the Russian Front in the... First World War to be published in the West. In this now-classic history he dispels the myths surrounding a still relatively little-known aspect of the war, showing how inefficiency rather than economic shortage led to Russia's desperate privations and eventual retreat. He also interprets the connection between the war and the chaos that followed, arguing that although fighting had almost ceased by the end of 1916, Russia was still in turmoil - undergoing a period of change that would inexorably lead towards revolution. "A landmark in its field ...it is still the best book on the eastern front". (Orlando Figes). "A classic account ...that even after thirty years remains essential reading". ("Sunday Times"). "Without question one of the classics of post-war historical scholarship". (Niall Ferguson). "One of the outstanding historians of our age". ("Spectator"). "Fills an enormous gap in our knowledge and understanding of the Great War". ("Sunday Telegraph". Norman Stone is one of Britain's most celebrated historians. He is the author of "The Atlantic and its Enemies", "Hitler: An Introduction", "Europe Transformed" and "World War One: A Short History".

In this reliable and engaging survey, Daniel Clendenin introduces Protestants to Eastern Orthodox history and theology with the hope that the two groups... will come to see their traditions as complementary and learn to approach one another with a "hermeneutic of love" that fosters "mutual respect, toleration, and even support." This revised edition includes a new preface, a new chapter, and an updated bibliography. In addition to updated demographic information, Clendenin examines at length a particular aspect of Orthodoxy's intersection with Protestantism-its growing exchange with evangelicalism.

In the last decade, Eastern Orthodoxy has moved from being virtually unknown to Western Christians to being a significant presence on the religious... scene in North America and Great Britain. In light of Orthodoxy's growing presence, this book will introduce Western Christians to the Eastern Orthodox vision of the Christian life by examining Orthodox theology and worship and will also alert readers to the cultural and historical factors that shape any interpretation of the Christian faith.

This fascinating volume provides a concise, illustrated introduction to five of the great religious traditions of the world--Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism,... Confucianism, and Shinto. Buddhism, one of the world's great religious traditions, attracts millions of modern-day followers. Hinduism, one of the most ancient of all belief systems, is increasingly well known in the West through expatriate Indian communities. Taoism has been an important influence on Western thinking, especially through the impact of the Tao Te Ching. Confucianism, less metaphysical in its principles, emphasizes family values and the role of the individual within the state. And Shinto, distinctively Japanese in character, is the most animistic of the great religions, based on a belief in numerous individual spirits. The contributors explore a great variety of topics within these religions, including: the life of the Buddha; karma and rebirth; inspiring teachers and gurus; the life of Confucius; sacred Taoist texts; the epics of the Ramayana and Mahabharata; holy landscapes, shrines, and festivals; enlightenment; and--for all the faiths--the spiritual and ethical teachings, art and architecture, sacred writings, ritual and ceremony, and death and the afterlife. Also included are extracts from or summaries of historical texts, with author commentaries that explain the significance of each piece and place in its full context. Authoritative and accessible, Eastern Religions provides a gateway for all those in the West who wish to move one step closer to the spirit of the East.

Este libro, obra del gran estudioso de las literaturas indigenas Miguel Leon-Portilla, analiza semejanzas y diferencias en las producciones literarias... de estos dos pueblos, los generos practicados en una y otra, todo con abundantes ejemplos del pensamiento, sabiduria y belleza de la palabra antigua de dos pueblos cuyas creaciones se vinculan a las raices mas hondas en el ser de la America Nuestra.