Adrian Hastings - Böcker

The Construction of Nationhood, first published in 1997, is a thorough re-analysis of both nationalism and nations. In particular it challenges the current 'modernist' orthodoxies of such writers as Eric Hobsbawm, Benedict Anderson and Ernest Gellner, and it offers a systematic critique of Hobsbawm's best-selling Nations and Nationalism since 1780. In opposition to a historiography which limits nations and nationalism to the eighteenth century and after, as an aspect of 'modernisation', Professor Hastings argues for a medieval origin to both, dependent upon biblical religion and the development of vernacular literatures. While theorists of nationhood have paid mostly scant attention to England, the development of the nation-state is seen here as central to the subject, but the analysis is carried forward to embrace many other examples, including Ireland, the South Slavs and modern Africa, before concluding with an overview of the impact of religion, contrasting Islam with Christianity, while evaluating the ability of each to support supra-national political communities.

"I can merely admire his courage in tackling so complex and difficult a subject; he should succeed in stimulating a fresh generation of research... this well-written, intelligent and lively study will greatly stimulate anyone fortunate enough to read it."Christianity provided the constitutive identity of historic Ethiopia. From the sixteenth century, and increasingly from the nineteenth, it entered decisively into the life and culture of an increasing number of other African peoples. In the course of the twentieth century, African Christians have become a major part of the world Church, and arguably modern African history as a whole is not intelligible without its powerful Christian element. Yet despite the great advance in African historiography over the last forty years, this is the first major volume to consider the historical development and character of the Christian Church in Africa as a whole, linking together Ehtiopia Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and the numerousm 'Independent' churches of modern times. The book focuses throughout on the role of coversion, the shaping of Church life and its relationship to traditional values, and the impact of political power. Professor Hastings also compares the relation of Christian history to the comprable development of Islam in Africa.

At the dawn of the third millennium, what does it mean to be a Christian? This ambitious and imaginative new reference work is the most authoritative, yet accessible, introduction in English to the living tradition of Christian thought-the 'spiritual, moral, and intellectual luggage' that Christians carry with them into the future. It focuses on the broad sweep of ideas rather than factual detail, surveying all traditions and centuries but concentrating more on the present than the past. The profound pluralism of Christianity determines the choice of subjects as well as the way they are handled, with contributors from all the main traditions writing with sympathy on their own particular topic, expressing diversities of emphasis and even significant disagreements, making the text highly readable, challenging, and at times controversial. Over 600 alphabetically arranged articles cover* the roots of Christian belief in the Old and New Testaments * the major themes of belief and theology: creation, sin, resurrection, grace, justification, the eucharist * key schools and concepts of philosophy * spiritualities, lifestyles, and prayer * politics, social justice, and ethics * major Christian thinkers, and non-Christian influences * extensive surveys of Christian thought by period, denominational tradition, and region * controversial modern topics -globalization, medical ethics, sexuality The range of subjects is matched by an unrivalled selection of 260 contributors, scholarly, innovative, and cross-cultural. These include * MORNA HOOKER on Paul, CAROL HARRISON on Augustine, URSULA KING on Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, KAREN KILBY on Karl Rahner, EUAN CAMERON on Martin Luther, BRIAN GERRISH on Friedrich Schleiermacher, BRUCE MCCORMACK on Karl Barth, ROGER SHINN on Reinhold and H. Richard Niebuhr * JOHN BARTON on the Authority and Interpretation of the Bible, DAVID FORD on Christology, AVERY DULLES on Faith, DAN HARDY on the Church, RICHARD BAUCKHAM on Eschatology, WILLIAM LANE CRAIG on Cosmology, DIOGENES ALLEN on Philosophy * MARCELLA ALHAUS-REID on Liberation Theology, WILLIE JAMES JENNINGS on Black Theology, DAVID MCLELLAN on Marxism, DAVID BURRELL on Jewish-Christian Relations, JOHN BROOKE on Science * LLOYD PATTERSON on Pre-Constantinian Thought, ANDREW LOUTH on Byzantine Theology, ROWAN WILLIAMS on Russian Christian Thought, HUGH PYPER on the Old Testament, ADRIAN HASTINGS on God

This book is one of the great classics of modern church history, and it is now reissued with substantial new material bringing it up to date to the end of the twentieth century. It will continue to be consulted as the first and most essential book for those who want a judicious and balanced overview of the most important ecclesiastical issues, debates, and developments of the modern era.

The churches in Africa probably constitute the most important growth area for Christianity in the second half of the twentieth century. From being a number of rather tightly controlled 'mission fields' zealously guarded by the great missionary societies, Catholic and Protestant, they have emerged across the last decades in bewildering variety to selfhood, a membership of close on a hundred million adherents and an influential role both within their own societies and in the world Church. This book surveys the history of Christianity throughout sub-Saharan Africa during the third quarter of this century. It begins in 1950 at a time when the churches were still for the most part emphatically part of the colonial order and it takes the story on from there across the coming of political independence and the transformations of the 1960s and early 1970s.

The prestigious Prideaux Lectures were given in 1990 by Adrian Hastings, published here in volume form. With a distinctive and fresh approach, he surveys the vast range of interactions between the Christian church and the English state both historically and theologically. The central theme is the tension between the intrinsic dualism within the Christian approach to church and state and the pressure towards monism inherent in the Reformation establishment. While contrasting Roman Catholic and Free Church with Anglican past experience, the concluding chapter assesses recent developments in which the established church has effectively recovered a dualist stance. At a time when the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury has heightened discussion about the role of the church in contemporary society, Professor Hastings makes a significant contribution to the subject. Church and State provides a frame of reference at once historical and theological, for a subject which is too frequently discussed merely descriptively or moralistically. It is in fact the frame of reference underlying the author's recent and much acclaimed works Robert Runcie and A History of English Christianity 1920-1985.

The involvement of children and young people in consultations about aspects of their health or illness is often limited, with their role in diagnosis and decision-making on treatment options secondary to that of parents or carers. However, research shows that most children and young people want greater involvement, that this can both improve their understanding of their illness and positively influence healthcare outcomes. Policy recommendations increasingly require health professionals to involve children and young people in healthcare, but there is little available guidance on building the knowledge and skills needed to do so effectively. This book meets that need, including an overview of the particular issues involved and providing structured guidance for different types of consultations, including children with learning difficulties, disabled children and children as carers. Edited by eminent researchers, and with highly experienced contributors, this book is an invaluable resource for GPs and GP registrars, paediatric and emergency consultants and specialist registrars, nurses, paramedics, healthcare educators and trainees, and all those who work with children and young people in health-related contexts.