Francesca Murphy – författare

Ranked by many scholars as one of the most important moral philosophers of the twentieth century, Aurel Kolnai has been inexplicably neglected in this country until quite recently. He is best known for his works of political philosophy, recently published under the title The Utopian Mind: A Critical Study in Moral and Political Philosophy. Here, for the first time ever in English, is Kolnai's magnum opus, his Political Memoirs, superbly annotated and edited by Francesca Murphy of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. The memoirs recount the author's life, from his childhood in the turn-of-the-century Austro-Hungarian Empire to his education in Germany and his early professional life in prewar Vienna. It was in these formative years that he converted from Judaism to Roman Catholicism and began his career as a writer and philosopher. The narrative continues through his years in exile in the United States and Canada, where he lived before ultimately settling in Great Britain and being granted citizenship in 1955.

Though they are intimately related, most textbooks cover either religious studies or theology, leaving students lacking in exposure to one or the other of these associated disciplines. Religious Studies and Theology: An Introduction offers a comprehensive introduction to both subjects in one inclusive volume. The text is written in an accessible style and is meant for beginning students and all those interested in learning about these fields. It is divided into six sections, including Theories of Religion; World Religions; Biblical Studies; Practical Theology; Systematic Theology; and The Philosophy of Religion. The volume also contains a guide for further reading as well as boxes to explain key terms. Offering thorough and cutting-edge coverage of all aspects of these fields, it is the only introduction to the whole of religious studies and theology in a single-volume format. Contributors: Douglas J. Davies, Seth D. Kunin, Hugh Goddard, Martin A. Mills, Matthew Wood, F. Michael Perko, Paul Ellingworth, Ken Aitken, Helen K. Bond, John Swinton, Henry R. Sefton, Francesca Aran Murphy, and Derek Cross.