Oxford University Press

Purgatory in Catholic Devotional and Popular CultureAfter purgatory was officially defined by the Catholic Church in the thirteenth century, its location became a topic of heated debate and philosophical speculation: Was purgatory located on the earth, or within it? Were its fires real or figurative?  Diana Walsh Pasulka offers a groundbreaking...

A HistoryThe word is nearly ubiquitous: at the grocery store we shop for "e;sustainable foods"e; that were produced from "e;sustainable agriculture"e;; groups ranging from small advocacy organizations to city and state governments to the United Nations tout "e;sustainable development"e; as a strategy for local and global...

Afghanistan: Parvana's father is arrested and taken away by Taliban soldiers. Under Taliban law, women and girls are not allowed to leave the house on their own. Parvana, her mother, and sisters are prisoners in their own home. With no man to go out to buy food, they face starvation. So Parvana must pretend to be a boy to save her family. It...

An Economic History of China, Russia, and the WestThe rise of the West is often attributed the presence of certain features in Western countries from the 16th century that were absent in more traditional societies: the abolition of serfdom and Protestant ethics, the protection of property rights, and free universities. The problem with this...

Ta-dah! So, this is it, am finally going to shake off the shackles of my dull, suburban upbringing and venture out into the big, wide world. I foresee a life of tragic literary friends, vintage markets, and ironic tea parties. All I have to do is pass exams, get a place at uni, and persuade mum to let me go. Easy! It is totally the end of an era....

In this volume of essays, Howard Wettstein explores the foundations of religious commitment. His orientation is broadly naturalistic, but not in the mode of reductionism or eliminativism. This collection explores questions of broad religious interest, but does so through a focus on the author's religious tradition, Judaism. Among the issues...