One People

From ancient times to the present day, utopian social ideas have made the unity of humankind a central concern. In the face of the threats to civic peace and harmony caused by misrule, factions, inequality, and moral weakness, philosophical and religious traditions in antiquity gave considered attention to the attainment of oneness both as an ideal and as an embodied practice. In this volume, scholars of ancient history, early Judaism, and biblical studies come together to show that ideas of unity and practices of oneness were grounded in larger conceptions of worldview, cosmic order, and power, with theological ideas such as the oneness of God laying an important foundation. In particular, contributors focus on how early Christians, with their inherited Jewish, Greek, and Roman traditions, reinterpreted oneness in light of their new identity as “members of Christ” and how they put it into practice. Contributors are Stephen C. Barton, Anna Sieges-Beal, Max Botner, Andrew J. Byers, Carsten Claußen, Kylie Crabbe, Robbie Griggs, James R. Harrison, Walter J. Houston, T. J. Lang, Jutta Leonhardt-Balzer, John-Paul Lotz, Lynette Mitchell, Nicholas J. Moore, Elizabeth E. Shively, Julien C. H. Smith, and Alan Thompson.

After being introduced by a mutual friend in the winter of 2000, Reform Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch and Orthodox Rabbi Yosef Reinman embarked on an unprecedented eighteen-month e-mail correspondence on the fundamental principles of Jewish faith and practice. What resulted is this book: an honest, intelligent, no-holds-barred discussion of virtually every “hot button” issue on which Reform and Orthodox Jews differ, among them the existence of a Supreme Being, the origins and authenticity of the Bible and the Oral Law, the role of women, assimilation, the value of secular culture, and Israel. Sometimes they agree; more often than not they disagree—and quite sharply, too. But the important thing is that, as they keep talking to each other, they discover that they actually like each other, and, above all, they respect each other. Their journey from mutual suspicion to mutual regard is an extraordinary one; from it, both Jews and non-Jews of all backgrounds can learn a great deal about the practice of Judaism today and about the continuity of the Jewish people into the future.

Today, along with those Ethiopians who have been recognized as Jews by the State of Israel, many who are called Feres Mura, the descendants of Ethiopian Jews who have now reasserted their Jewish identity, still await full acceptance in Israel. Since the 1990s, they have sought homecoming through Israel's Law of Return, but have been met with reticence and suspicion on a variety of fronts. This book documents this tenuous relationship and the challenges facing the Feres Mura.

Bands, bonds, and affections -- Secession all the way down : libertarians opt out -- "A slave republic" : secession and southern slavery -- White devils and Black separatists -- "Dykes first" : lesbian separatism in America -- Exodus as secession : achieving God's terrestrial kingdom.

Leading scholars from around the world engage with key facets of N. T. Wright's most important work, providing a window onto major debates and developments in New Testament studies in recent decades. These essays focus on N. T. Wright's contribution to New Testament theology and interpretation over the past four decades. The structure is three-fold, corresponding to the three areas of classic Jewish theology that Wright views as starting points for discerning the shape of New Testament theology: monotheism, election, and eschatology. Working within these broad categories, the contributors critically engage with Wright's work from both biblical and theological perspectives.

Far from being a melting pot, multi-racial Singapore prides itself on the richness of its ethnic communities and cultures. This volume provides an updated account of the heterogeneity within each of the main communities — the Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian and Others. It also documents the ethnic cultures of these communities by discussing their histories, celebrations, cultural symbols, life cycle rituals, cultural icons and attempts to preserve culture. While chapters are written by scholars drawing insight from a variety of sources ranging from academic publications to discussions with community experts, it is written in an accessible way. This volume seeks to increase intercultural understanding through presenting ample insights into the cultural beliefs and practices of the different ethnic communities. While this book is about diversity, a closer examination of the peoples and cultures of Singapore demonstrates the many similarities communities share in this Singaporean space. Contents: Foreword (Janil Puthucheary)AcknowledgementsIntroductory: Ethnic Diversity, Identity and Everyday Multiculturalism in Singapore (Mathew Mathews)Chinese: The Chinese in Singapore (Tong Chee Kiong)Chinese Community and Culture in Singapore (Soon Su-Chuin, Elvin Xing Yifu and Tong Chee Kiong)Malay: The Malays in Singapore (Suriani Suratman)Malay Community and Culture in Singapore (Suriani Suratman and Siti Hajar Esa)Indian: The Indians in Singapore (Vineeta Sinha)Tamil Community and Culture in Singapore (A Mani, Pravin Prakash and Shanthini Selvarajan)Malayalee Community and Culture in Singapore (Anitha Devi Pillai)Punjabi Sikh Community and Culture in Singapore (Amrit Kaur and Bhajan Singh)Gujerati Community and Culture in Singapore (Rizwana Abdul Azeez)Minority Indian communities in Singapore (Nilanjan Raghunath)Eurasians and Others: The Eurasians and Others in Singapore (Mathew Mathews)Eurasian Community and Culture in Singapore (Alexius Pereira)Filipino Community and Culture in Singapore (Lou Antolihao and Clement Mesenas)Myanmar Community and Culture in Singapore (Moe Thuzar and Christine Lim Li Ping) Readership: Student and researchers of Singapore society and general readers interested in Singapore and its ethnic culture. Keywords: Ethnic Diversity;Culture;Customs;Traditions;Heritage;Singaporean Chinese;Singaporean Malays;Singaporean Indians;Singaporean EurasiansReview:0

This book examines the Lukan themes of unity and disunity against ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish social and political discourses on concord and discord to better understand the context in which Luke highlights the themes of unity and disunity.The themes of unity and disunity are particularly prominent in ancient discussions of the reigns of rulers, evaluations of laws/constitutions/forms of government, and descriptions of the contrasting effects of unity and disunity in the destruction and preservation of peoples and cities. These themes are grouped under the broad categories of kingship and law, and the preservation and destruction of cities. The book contends that, in the context of its literary setting, the theme of the unity of the church under one Lord in Acts contributes to Lukan Christological claims that Christ is the true king, and Lukan ecclesiological claims that the Christian community is the true people of God.

First published in 1997, it would be hard to find a publisher today for a white, male expatriate writing about the realities of life in a Jamaican hamlet. To make matters worse, Guy Kennaway wrote One People in the local patois. But this comic novel - sparkling with irreverent wit - is cherished in Jamaica where it is recognized for its "humor and humanity" and as a mirror which reflects the essence of the island, where "culture is something that comes from the ground up and good times do not require a whole heap o' money." Guy Kennaway's novel about Jamaican life and culture is set in the fictional village of Angel Beach. It is an affectionate and hilarious description of a small community where everyone knows everyone's business, poverty is a way of life, and dreams of escape trickle through fingers.