The primacy of the bishop of Rome, the pope, as it was finally shaped in the Middle Ages and later defined by Vatican I and II has been one of the thorniest issues in the history of the Western and Ea
The Science of Modern Virtue examines the influence that the philosopher Rene Descartes, the political theorist John Locke, and the biologist Charles Darwin have had on our modern understanding of hum
"Interprets Leo Strauss's political philosphy from a conservative standpoint and argues that Strauss was a Cold War liberal. Suggests inattention to Christianity is crucial to the Straussian portrayal
This volume presents for the first time English-language translations of twelve sermons by St. Claude La Colombiere. Canonized in 1992 by Pope John Paul II, Claude was a 17th-century Jesuit priest who
A lifelong crusader for society's powerless, Senator Paul Douglas championed reform and helped to bring civil rights issues to the forefront of mid-twentieth-century American politics. During his eigh
Converging Worlds describes the interplay between peasant religious life and the broader social and cultural transformation of late tsarist Russia. Through a detailed examination of religious practice
In The Male Body at War, Christina Jarvis examines the creation of this national symbol, from military recruitment posters to Hollywood war films to the iconic flag-raisers at Iwo Jima. A poignant se
Ashley Wilkes of Gone with the Wind helped to seal Rock Island's reputation as the "Andersonville of the North." McAdams separates truth from fiction about the Rock Island Barracks, the pri
Lashings, branding irons, and harsh treatment in labor camps all come to mind when one thinks of Russian methods of punishment. Analyzing the "languages of the lash"—the official definitions and discu
This book addresses the lively artistic dialogue that took place between Russia and the West—in particular with the United States, Britain, and France—from the 1860s to the Khrushchev Thaw. Offering s
A rioting crowd in a burning city, a lynch mob circling a battered body, a campaigning senator exaggerating the threat of an enemy’s bombs—evidence of the power of anger, hate, and fear has lead many
Dwight D. Eisenhower’s election to the presidency in 1952 brought an end to two decades of Democratic rule in the White House. His landslide victory, however, masked intense factionalism within the Re
Before the mid-nineteenth century, Jews in the Polish lands led lives quite separate from their Christian neighbors. As modern ideologies of nationalism gained strength, however, Jewish separateness c
Chicago’s love affair with opera began early, in 1850, when the frontier town welcomed its first traveling opera singers. A full house applauded the opening performance, but during a repeat performanc
Of all of history's great romances, few can compare with that of Catherine the Great and Prince Grigory Potemkin. Their turbulent and complicated relationship shocked their contemporaries and continue
Heroin, often viewed as the ‘hardest drug’, looms large in the popular consciousness. Heroin addiction in Britain first began to cause concern during the 1920s, yet while one group of doctors regarded
