The workings of Western intelligence in our day--whether in politics or the arts; in the humanities or the church--are as troubling as they are mysterious; leading to the questions: Where are we going? What in the world were we thinking? By exploring the history of four "cultures" so deeply embedded in Western history that we rarely see their instrumental role in politics; religion; education; and the arts; this timely book provides a broad framework for addressing these questions in a fresh way.The cultures considered here originated in the ancient world; took on Christian forms; and manifest themselves today in more secular ways. These are; as John W. O'Malley identifies them: the prophetic culture that proclaims the need for radical change in the structures of society (represented by; for example; Jeremiah; Martin Luther; and Martin Luther King; Jr.); the academic culture that seeks instead to understand those structures (Aristotle; Aquinas; the modern university); the humanistic culture that addresses fundamental human issues and works for the common good of society (Cicero; Erasmus; and Eleanor Roosevelt); and the culture of art and performance that celebrates the mystery of the human condition (Phidias; Michelangelo; Balanchine).By showing how these cultures; as modes of activity and discourse in which Western intelligence has manifested itself through the centuries and continues to do so; O'Malley produces an essay that especially through the history of Christianity brilliantly illuminates the larger history of the West.
#259256 in Books Belknap Press 2000 2002-02-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.96 x 1.63 x 6.02l; 1.94 #File Name: 0674008286592 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. but again Shub is best here. Service excels in describing Lenin's solution to ...By Daniel G. MadiganAvery engaging biography of Lenin; especially in his early years as a precocious child; but an intellectual who read the classics; who was greatly influenced by Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin; and the novels of Turgenev; both their style and ambiguous contents.The October Revolution has a virulence to it that other studies lack; and a clarity that only Dvid Shub gives in his much earlier account of Lenin as a Revolutionary. Service's account of Lenin's return to Russia at gthe Finland Dtation has more of the immedoacy of truth; but again Shub is best here.Service excels in describing Lenin's solution to the Great War as far as the new Russia was concerned in the April Theses. Lenin said;: We will not stick a bayonet in the ground and call this peace." Gripping. Sounds more like the great Trotsky.The war was caused by capitalists for the last 50 or 60 years according to Lenin; and only a "non-democratic peace could crush this terrible influence; i.e. the proletariat which must advance its own interests as a class." The Russian Revolution of October 1017 was therefore the beginning pof that process; to change imperialism into communism.Service points carefully to these "causes and effects" and may leave much undisclosed; but the topic sentences are out there on the table.I recommend this book.The Trotsky book; no.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Authoritative single volume on LeninBy Adam ShawIt's not easy to find a fair biography of Lenin; but Service's bio; published nearly 20 years ago; has to go down as one of the most authoritative -- and one of the least biased.Balancing between works presenting Ulyanov as either a demon or a god; Service's Lenin is a flawed genius who is committed to his revolution by whatever methods are required.The book is very readable and avoids getting too bogged down in details or petty party squabbles; while keeping the reader informed about the serious controversies and issues the Bolsheviks had to face during the revolution. For a history of the beginning of the Soviet Union; there are better books out there -- but if you are looking to get behind the man himself; to work out what motivated him and drove him; you simply can't go wrong with this book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. excellent bookBy richard fullerthis is an excellent book and I enjoyed it much. there was a lot I didn't know about Lenin and this book help me understand him beyond the obvious destruction he caused and the lust for terror and power and the vengeance he sought for the execution of his brother by the czar. and the persecution and ostracism his family went through after this. he came from a very educated background/family which demonstrates the power of education.
