I have some copies of this book which, if I can find them, I'd be glad to send to anyone looking for it.

Daniel.Eisenberg@bigfoot.com

This is truly an exquisite Tillich-monography! John Heywood Thomas, who studied with Tillich and remained friends with Tillich until Tillich's death, provides us with an in-depth account of the life and work of Paul Tillich (1886-1965), the remarkable philosopher-theologian who implemented the thought of Schelling, Kant and Hegel, just to name the most prominent of his philosophical influences, directly and explicitly into the theological discourse of the twentieth century. Apart from accounting for these influences, Heywood Thomas interprets Tillich's many points of contact with some of the great intellectuals of the twentieth century, including Heidegger, Otto, Bultmann, Adorno and Barth. Though not as extensive as some of the older, established commentaries on Tillich (such as J L Adams' famous commentary, Paul Tillich's Philosophy of Culture, Science and Religion [New York: Harper and Row, 1965] or the earliest, and still the most valuable, collection of essays on Tillich's work, The Theology of Paul Tillich [Kegley, C & Bretall, R W eds., New York: MacMillan, 1952]), Heywood Thomas' book should to my opinion be regarded as the most penetrating and illuminating account to date of Tillich's extraordinary ability to exploit hardcore philosophical concepts within the realm of theology. These concepts include phenomenology into a "phenomenological theology", existentialism and critical theory into Tillich's own theological theories of "existence" and "estrangement", Neo-Marxist critique into a "theology of culture" and, famously, his "ontological approach" to Christology and salvation. Paul Tillich was indeed a remarkable and unique theologian, exactly because he was as much at home in a philosophical discussion as he was in the pulpit and seemed as keenly interested in art and politics as he was in his life-work as a professional theologian. The book consists of ten chapters, each dealing with a predominant theme in Tillich's work. Chapter 1 (Tillich's life and career) provides the reader with the kind of biographical information which could be considered as crucial for understanding Tillich's philosophical inclinations and his areas of specialization in theology. Tillich's experience of the trench warfare in World War I, for example, had a fundamental impact on his psyche and contributed substantially to him taking leave of the claims of traditional Protestant theology or, at the very least, his reinterpretation of Lutheran theology (pp. 5-10). Actually, it was the war experience that initiated his progressive activist attitude in politics and the church. Much ado has been made of Tillich's debauchery and his infamous erotic experiences with women directly after his wife, Grethi, left him in 1919 (p.9). Heywood Thomas puts this tragic phase of Tillich's life in sympathetic perspective. He certainly was an ambiguous character though: His arrogant personality and lifelong prone to vanity stands in sharp contrast with the gentleness those close to him came to know. He had always been very quick in expression of self-defence and very sensitive to criticism, easily accusing anyone who did not agree with him as personally hostile to him. On the other hand, he was an excellent lecturer and companion. On the one hand, he displayed an unconscious egocentricity which had always been typical of him. On the other hand, he showed himself to be extremely generous. Heywood Thomas contextualizes this complex character in the world of German (and later American) university life, showing that Tillich was many things, a man as complex as his work. I found this first chapter invaluable, not because of a biographical sketch one can read elsewhere, but because Heywood Thomas delicately links up the man with his surroundings and the texts that influenced him so deeply. In chapter 2 (p.28) Heywood Thomas discusses the interconnection of theology, revolution and culture in Tillich's work. It is tempting to begin characterizing Tillich's theology by describing it as a theology of culture, to be distinguished as such from the theology of his contemporary, friend and colleague Karl Barth. Heywood Thomas shows that this contra-Barthian depiction of Tillich's theology has been his fate as a theologian and that this fundamental contrast has lead to a misinterpretation of both theologies. This simple opposition of the two theologies has been an unfortunate misinterpretation of both - Barth's as much as Tillich's. Barth's protest was not against culture but against a simplistic correlation of Christianity and culture. Likewise Tillich was as concerned to spell out a theological critique of culture as he was to rediscover the vitality of theology in an engagement with culture. Heywood Thomas looks carefully at Tillich's argument and represents it with eloquence and style. Being educated in the Barthian tradition myself, at least to a very large extent, I found this chapter to be the most informative in terms of understanding the idiosyncrasies in Tillich's thought; especially with regards to the way in which he seems to re-implement philosophical concepts directly into archaic theological categories. This is compulsory reading for those who still understand Tillich and Barth as being in direct opposition to each other. The situation is much more complex and nuanced than we are led to believe by some Barthians in particular. ...

Dr. John Deely has effectively served the philosophical community by bringing to light a profound text by John Poinsot (1589-1644).

Poinsot, a Spanish logician and Dominican friar, argues the following:
1) Every relation has a subject, a fundament and a terminus (page 88/ line 9).

There are two kinds of relations.
2) A "real relation" is an existing thing with an essence that is "the relation itself" (90/7);
3) An "expressed relation" is an "absolute" thing "upon which a relation follows" (90/6-8).
4) The fundament of a real relation stimulates the cognitive powers (125/36) of men and brute animals.

There are two kinds of fundaments.
5) A "mind-independent" fundament brings about a real relation;
6) A "mind-depedent" fundament brings about an "expressed relation." Poinsot writes, "The whole difference... comes down to this... a physical relation has a mind-independent fundament... while a mental relation lacks such a fundament" (91/26.

7) Curiosly, a relation is the only feature that may belong to an existing thing in the physical environment and to an existing thing in the intellectual environment. Poinsot writes, "A relation... and a being-toward... is indifferent to the exercise of a mind-independent or a mind-dependent act of existence" (94/ 40).
8) In other words, a "mind-dependent relation is a true relation" (95/ 39).

In conclusion, a concept is a real relation in which another existing thing is known immediately, directly and spontaneously by the agent of the concept and the agent intellect. Thus, the connection between a human person and his environment is real, direct, immediate and a caused by a "true relation."

This tale has everything you could ask for in a story. Intrigue and romance played out on a grand scale during the American revolution. The real story behind Benedict Arnold's defection is told in fascinating detail. The reader gets a glimpse of the everyday concerns of our nations greatest heros and it's greatest villians. We meet the beautiful and ambitious Peggy Shippen and the handsome and tragic Major Andre'. A rousing good yarn.

Aquinas' "Treatise on Happiness", comprising the first 21 questions of the "Summa Theologicae", is one of the greatest pieces of philosophy. The essence of the questions is the notion that happiness must be found in "a vision of the divine essence", namely, God. While I am an atheist, I do find Aquinas' arguments intriguing. The object of happiness, he argues, is to no longer have desires, i.e., one's intellectual and willful curiosity is fulfilled. Because of this, one is not satisfied in merely knowing something, he argues, but in also knowing the cause. Therefore, even if one does know God exists, he states, one cannot be happy without knowing the cause of God. This can only be achieved through unity with God, most likely after death. It's a somewhat grim realisation for those hoping to achieve inner peace within their lifetimes, but a very fascinating and transcendentally Christian one.

Aquinas, of course, is best known for his fusing of the philosophy of the Greek rationalists, namely Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, with that of the Christian spiritualists, including Augustine. The "Treatise" is worth reading simply for this fact- that the fundamental system of Western education is based upon the fusion of rationality and spirituality, as first pioneered by Aquinas. The object, to achieve "imperfect", or earthly, happiness, and then attempt "perfect" transcendent happiness, has such import in Western culture that understanding the history of Europe and the West is contingent on a comprehension of Aquinas' theories.

I think this book will fill a gap in the surgery of uppergastrointestinal system.It is a specific work of art about esophagusand stomach cancer.It gives excellent and extended information about the staging ,surgical manegement,mechanisms of occurance,radiotheraphy and chemotherapy of esophageal and gastric cancers.I think it is important to predict that it reviewed the Japanese and Western experiences of both gastric and esophageal cancers.It also has extensive chapters about complications and palliations of both organ cancers. The chapters about early gastric carcinoma and gastric lymphoma are superior works.I congratulate the writers for this excellent book.

I am an internationally A+ Certified Service Technition and found that this is one of the best books regarding this subject. I just recently ventured into the "hardware" section of computers and found this very helpful an practical. A must for anyone using computers

Compiled and edited by Kathleen Deignan ( Sister of the Congregation of Notre Dame), enhanced with drawings by John Giuliani (Founder and Overseer of The Benedictine Grang, a spiritual center in West Redding, Connecticut), and featuring an informative foreword by Thomas Berry, When The Trees Say Nothing: Writings On Nature is an impressively thoughtful and thought-provoking collection of commentaries by the late Thomas Merton (1915-1968), an influential Catholic monk, poet, spiritual writer, and social activist. The commentaries, observations, and writings are superbly organized into eight chapters: Seasons; Elements; Firmament; Creatures; Festivals; Presences; and Sanctuary. These, along with the postscript "Sophia," a section of notes, a list of abbreviations, and a bibliography, combine in a movingly written, enthusiastically recommended volume of readings that are appropriate and spiritually rewarding for readers of all faiths who seek to experience the sacred and the sacramental in God's handiworks.

Don Thomas writes as well about wildness and the sporting life as anyone alive today. Although he is probably better known for his bowhunting books, he writes just as well about bird hunting, and, in this case, flyfishing.

This is not just a list of fish taken and patterns used. It is a book about the flyfishing experience, of people and places and, of course, fish. Thomas has a naturalist's eye, and is fascinated by wild creatures and the places they inhabit.

There are too many flowery, sentimental flyfishing books on the market, written by Norman Maclean wannabes. This book is not one of them. Thomas is not a yuppie rhapsodizing about trout. He is a gifted writer who understands wildness and can convey what this wildness means to him.

It is one of the better flyfishing books out there. Anyone who loves the pursuit of fish would love this book.