Wright compiles dozens of essays and lectures that attribute the success of "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy to the power of film itself, the power of director Jackson's artistry, and the original power of Tolkien's literary masterwork.

The social conscience of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton (1786-1845) developed as he operated a brewery in Spitalfields, nineteenth-century London's poorest parish. His interest and research on penal discipline brought him national prominence and led to a parliamentary career that lasted nearly two decades. Buxton's association with noted activist William Wilberforce led to his own involvement in the anti-slavery movement, a cause he fiercely championed, resulting in Britain's abolition of slavery in 1834. Buxton's involvement in the disastrous 1841 Niger expedition effectively ended his public...

Did Jesus really rise from the dead? And does it really matter? In The Resurrection of History, David Bruce explores what historians, theologians, and New Testament scholars have said about the resurrection of Jesus from a historical point of view. Bruce argues that scholars don't have to dismiss the scriptural witness that ""he is risen"" as metaphor or wishful thinking. Bruce examines the development of the art of history writing and explores the theological possibilities now open to scholars in the twenty-first century. Using contemporary examples, Bruce helps his readers come to grips...

Four Testaments brings together four foundational texts from world religions--the Tao Te Ching, Dhammapada, Analects of Confucius, and Bhagavad Gita--inviting readers to experience them in full, to explore possible points of connection and divergence, and to better understand people who practice these traditions. Following Brian Arthur Brown's award-winning Three Testaments: Torah, Gospel, Quran, this volume of Four Testaments features essays by esteemed scholars to introduce readers to each tradition and text, as well as commentary on unexpected ways the ancient Zoroastrian tradition might...