Chechnya; a 6;000-square-mile corner of the northern Caucasus; has struggled under Russian domination for centuries. The region declared its independence in 1991; leading to a brutal war; Russian withdrawal; and subsequent "governance" by bandits and warlords. A series of apartment building attacks in Moscow in 1999; allegedly orchestrated by a rebel faction; reignited the war; which continues to rage today. Russia has gone to great lengths to keep journalists from reporting on the conflict; consequently; few people outside the region understand its scale and the atrocities—described by eyewitnesses as comparable to those discovered in Bosnia—committed there.Anna Politkovskaya; a correspondent for the liberal Moscow newspaper Novaya gazeta; was the only journalist to have constant access to the region. Her international stature and reputation for honesty among the Chechens allowed her to continue to report to the world the brutal tactics of Russia's leaders used to quell the uprisings. A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya is her second book on this bloody and prolonged war. More than a collection of articles and columns; A Small Corner of Hell offers a rare insider's view of life in Chechnya over the past years. Centered on stories of those caught-literally-in the crossfire of the conflict; her book recounts the horrors of living in the midst of the war; examines how the war has affected Russian society; and takes a hard look at how people on both sides are profiting from it; from the guards who accept bribes from Chechens out after curfew to the United Nations. Politkovskaya's unflinching honesty and her courage in speaking truth to power combine here to produce a powerful account of what is acknowledged as one of the most dangerous and least understood conflicts on the planet.
#326463 in Books David C Lindberg Ronald L Num 2008-09-01 2003-10-29Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.00 x 6.00l; 1.10 #File Name: 0226482162368 pagesWhen Science and Christianity Meet
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Gregory M.great5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. People; Time and PlaceBy Robert E. PiersonI'm in the middle of a study at seminary of the relations of science and faith and found this book a refreshing breather after more "weighty" tomes in the philosophy and history of science.Many of the essays put a human face on the intricate relation of science and Christian faith. Rather than try for grand statements of conflict or coherence between the two; the short vignettes highlight specific times; places; and individuals in their human particularity. In every case; local factors and personalities reveal a much more complex and fascinating human story than later simplifications. It is particularly fascinating to see how Christian faith often motivated scientific discovery that in turn motivated faith. What we retroactively label conflicts between science and religion were as often struggles *within* the scientific community and the Christian community and within the individuals involved. "We must never forget that it is people who do the believing; the speaking; the teaching; and the battling." [3]Not all of the essays are equally enjoyable. Unfortunately Ron Numbers' concluding essay seemed lackluster; perhaps for making the most general claims. But; as another reviewer already noted; the essays on the Galileo and Scopes trials are great; particularly for those who've only heard "popular" accounts or watched movies (e.g. Inherit the Wind). I also particularly enjoyed Janet Browne's article on Noah's Ark and the development of modern geology as well as G. Blair Nelson's article on "Men Before Adam!" -- i.e. the 19th Century debates over the origins of the races and the history of humanity prior to the creation of Adam and Eve.I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for tasty bite-size chunks of history; and a more human-level view of the "entangled" relation of science and faith.21 of 23 people found the following review helpful. Good CollectionBy Reader From Aurora`When Science and Christianity Meet' edited by David Lindberg and Ronald Numbers is a collection of essays discussing the historic intersection of religion and science within the Western Judeo-Christian framework. In many ways it represents a sequel to their earlier anthology of related issues; God and Nature published in 1986.Within the history of science field there are several broad explanatory theses that provide a lens to examine the religion-science relationship. At one end of the spectrum there is the view of conflict wherein the two domains are seen contradictory at a fundamentally level. While at the other extreme; there is the opinion that science and religion are by definition mutually supportive. The essays in the present text; while skewed toward the latter view; are generally balanced and appropriately nuanced.Overall; this is a nice collection of papers. As with any anthology some contributions are more helpful than others - this will in significant part depend on the reader's interests. For my money; Lindberg's discussion of the Galileo affair and Larson's overview of the Scopes trial were particularly well done. Readers interested in these specific issues may find Lindberg's free audio lecture available on-line through the Faraday Institute and Larson's award winning book "Summer of the Gods" worth a look.I recommend this book for readers interested in the history of science and its interactions with religion. The hard cover edition is good value for money.
