Brett Miller – författare

While the defense of public image in political, corporate, and celebrity rhetoric has been widely studied, religious image repair has been largely ignored. Divine Apology considers the unique circumstances facing religious figures in need of restoring their reputations by examining a blend of historical and contemporary defenses offered by various figures and groups. The author covers apologia as advanced by the Apostle Paul, Justin Martyr, Martin Luther, Jimmy Swaggart, evangelical opponents of the Jesus Seminar, and conservative leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention. He concludes that strategies used for religious image repair often differ significantly from those employed by politicians, corporations, and other public figures.In this unique volume, Miller demonstrates that religious groups and individuals are as motivated as anyone else to purify their public images. The issues prompting defenses, however, are more likely to focus on epistemological conflicts and clashes of worldviews than on inappropriate behaviors. As a consequence, religious apologists are more likely to associate attacks against their beliefs as assaults against their characters. This causes religious image restoration discourse to manifest itself as more transcendent than defenses in traditional situations involving laypeople. Miller posits that the presence of God and religious antecedents as salient audiences, as well as other factors concerning audience and context, work to shape a form of apology that is characteristically religious.

While the defense of public image in political, corporate, and celebrity rhetoric has been widely studied, religious image repair has been largely ignored. Divine Apology considers the unique circumstances facing religious figures in need of restoring their reputations by examining a blend of historical and contemporary defenses offered by various figures and groups. The author covers apologia as advanced by the Apostle Paul, Justin Martyr, Martin Luther, Jimmy Swaggart, evangelical opponents of the Jesus Seminar, and conservative leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention. He concludes that strategies used for religious image repair often differ significantly from those employed by politicians, corporations, and other public figures.In this unique volume, Miller demonstrates that religious groups and individuals are as motivated as anyone else to purify their public images. The issues prompting defenses, however, are more likely to focus on epistemological conflicts and clashes of worldviews than on inappropriate behaviors. As a consequence, religious apologists are more likely to associate attacks against their beliefs as assaults against their characters. This causes religious image restoration discourse to manifest itself as more transcendent than defenses in traditional situations involving laypeople. Miller posits that the presence of God and religious antecedents as salient audiences, as well as other factors concerning audience and context, work to shape a form of apology that is characteristically religious.

What do we know about reading comprehension and what do we need to know in order to improve it and help all students become confident readers? This urgently needed research volume is the only cohesive, up-to-date compendium of knowledge about the behavioural, neurobiological, and genetic components of reading comprehension. More than 40 top researchers from multiple disciplines present the latest findings on comprehension, covering theory and science, effective instruction and intervention, and priorities for future research that will move the field forward.

It's A Beautiful Day To Save Lives is a powerful memoir of a combat medic's journey through life as he recognizes his destiny from very early in his young childhood. This life-long journey proves to be very courageous and challenging in the face of adversity. From life-saving situations on a plane to life-saving situations in the military, the author inevitably is placed right where he needs to be as if it was planned by the universe until the roller coaster of emotions and life's pressure puts his own life in jeopardy. This is the story of how one young boy driven by honor and duty for the sake of humanity saves many lives and consequently is forced to save his own life. From the ups and downs of suicide, alcoholism, and depression comes the transformation of passion into purpose, saving one life at a time with an ending that takes the author on a full carousel ride validating his universal destiny. It's A Beautiful Day To Save Lives is a refreshing and inspirational reminder that we all have a gift and we should share it for a better community and a better planet.