This book examines the theology and ethics of land use,especially the practices of modern industrialized agriculture, inlight of critical biblical exegesis. Nine interrelated essaysexplore the biblical writers' pervasive concern for the care ofarable land against the background of the geography, socialstructures, and religious thought of ancient Israel. This approachconsistently brings out neglected aspects of texts, both poetry andprose, that are central to Jewish and Christian traditions. Ratherthan seeking solutions from the past, Davis creates a conversationbetween ancient texts and contemporary agrarian writers; thus sheprovides a fresh perspective from which to view the destructivepractices and assumptions that now dominate the global foodeconomy. The biblical exegesis is wide-ranging and sophisticated;the language is literate and accessible to a broad audience.
The Cambridge Companion to the Scottish Enlightenment offers aphilosophical perspective on an eighteenth-century movement thathas been profoundly influential on western culture. A distinguishedteam of contributors examines the writings of David Hume, AdamSmith, Thomas Reid, Adam Ferguson, Colin Maclaurin and otherScottish thinkers, in fields including philosophy, naturaltheology, economics, anthropology, natural science and law. Inaddition, the contributors relate the Scottish Enlightenment to itshistorical context and assess its impact and legacy in Europe,America and beyond. The result is a comprehensive and accessiblevolume that illuminates the richness, the intellectual variety andthe underlying unity of this important movement. It will be ofinterest to a wide range of readers in philosophy, theology,literature and the history of ideas.