Maximos the Confessor (580-662) occupies a unique position in the history of Byzantine philosophy; theology; and spirituality. His profound spiritual experiences and penetrating theological vision found complex and often astonishing expression in his unparalleled command of Greek philosophy; making him one of the most challenging and original Christian thinkers of all time. So thoroughly did his thought come to influence the Byzantine theological tradition that it is impossible to trace the subsequent history of Orthodox Christianity without knowledge of his work. The Ambigua (or "Book of Difficulties") is Maximos's greatest philosophical and doctrinal work; in which his daring originality; prodigious talent for speculative thinking; and analytical acumen are on lavish display. In the Ambigua; a broad range of theological topics--cosmology; anthropology; the philosophy of mind and language; allegory; asceticism; and metaphysics--are transformed in a synthesis of Aristotelian logic; Platonic metaphysics; Stoic psychology; and the arithmetical philosophy of a revived Pythagoreanism. The result is a labyrinthine map of the mind's journey to God that figured prominently in the Neoplatonic revival of the Komnenian Renaissance and the Hesychast Controversies of the Late Byzantine period. This remarkable work has never before been available in a critically based edition or English translation.
#1289172 in Books HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2016-01-04Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x .75 x 6.25l; .0 #File Name: 0674504925288 pagesHARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Fascinating study which mostly confirms my intuitive evaluation of the dynamics in playBy DonnaAs other reviewers have pointed out; by finding ways to eliminate race from the equation; this book presents a fascinating; statistically based assessment of the high level of distrust that exists between the native; Christian heritage French and Muslim immigrants in France. Then; by using data available from international studies ; it establishes a similar diagnostic for the other Christian heritage Western countries which have significant Muslim minorities ie. the existence of a "discriminatory equilibrium" meaning a vicious circle in which both native French (Christian heritage Westerners) and Muslims are acting negatively toward one another in ways that are mutually reinforcing.As I live in France and have had considerable contact with the immigrant populations; I can't say I was very surprised by this conclusion but I was nevertheless very impressed by the quality of the study that is presented. It is all the more credible as; end of the day; it just confirms the thinking behind the French expression "Qui se ressemble s'assemble" which translates more or less into "Birds of a feather flock together" . This bit of folk wisdom has been largely confirmed by sociological studies; notably the work done by Henri Tajfel (1970); where he was able to demonstrate that people's preference for a painter; either Kandinsky or Klee; was enough to generate discriminatory behaviour against those in the "opposite camp".The last chapter presents a series of recommendations from the individual level (like Muslim parents not handicapping their children with obviously Muslim first names) through to reform of the school system to give children from deprived backgrounds a greater chance of success and state recognition of businesses that recruit people in proportion to the ethnic/religious breakdown of the region they operate in eg. creation of a diversity label. .All very good but I was left "sur ma faim" ie. unsatisfied by some huge omissions from the analysis. For example; France's immigrant population is hugely concentrated around the major cities of Paris (eg. foreign born = 20% the Ile de France regional population); Marseille and Lyon. If businesses in these cities were to recruit on the basis of the ethnic mix of the local population it would actually result in massive discrimination against the native French population; especially given the proportion of white collar jobs involved. I make this remark as I am convinced that unless these concentrations are broken up; there is almost no hope of breaking out of the "discriminatory equilibrium" that is so brilliantly presented in the study.There was also no mention of some of the intrinsic issues surrounding the actual teaching of the Koran and the influence of the most conservative schools of Islamic thought on the Muslim immigrant population. For example; should Western countries totally ban foreign financing of mosques and the presence of foreign born and trained Imam's whose presence in our countries clearly helps to sustain and develop the separation between Muslims immigrants and their host countries that is highlighted in the study?For another very well researched read on much the same theme; I would strongly recommend "Strangers No More - Immigration and the challenges of integration in North America and Western Europe"7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Important and excellent book on huge topicBy petya gRead this book! Everyone concerned with discrimination; stigmatization; multiculturalism; terrorism and fear of these should read this book. It is an outstanding piece of social science. The research focuses on France; but the ideas and approach are of general applicability to any society with heterogeneous population. The authors carefully study how people react to someone who seems “different.†Do they respond more negatively to a religious difference (that the person is Muslim) or their “ foreignness†(they are from someplace else; or a different color)? The answer may not surprise you: their Muslim identify produces a stronger negative reaction. But showing this in research is hard to do. The book is a model of careful research design. It is not necessarily easy reading – lots of statistics and research design issues – but it is very well written and if you keep going; you get lots of verbal explanations of what is going on. There is an excellent final chapter exploring what could be done to lesson tension between Christian and Muslim populations. Full disclosure compels me to note that I have known one of the authors (David Laitin) for over thirty years (as colleagues at the University of California San Diego; where I am; while he is now at Stanford); and another of authors; Claire Adida; as a colleague the past few years at UCSD). Of course that influences me; and is why I have read the book so carefully. And I have spent a lot of time in France; so that is another strong source of interest as well as expertise. But the key point is that is indeed an outstanding book that should be read by people in many different academic fields (not just political science and economics; but sociology; social psychology; anthropology) and by anyone in the policy field; and by interested people. I hope it is read in France; and all over Europe; as well as in North America. The discussion about multi-culturalism; assimilation; and how people of different backgrounds communicate; or not; is super important.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A Must-Read.By C. AlduyThis is the best; and the most nuanced book I have read in years on France's current integration stalemate. It brings a scientific; data-based; rational method to investigate a topic that tends to provoke passionate; opinion-based responses; namely the inadequate integration of Muslim immigrants in French society; its causes; processes; and consequences. Based on field work in France with both Christian and Muslim Senegalese immigrants and statistical analysis of recruitment processes; trust game plays; and surveys of societal values and gender norms expressed by Christian and Muslim communities; it analyses the complex reciprocal mechanism of one the one side discrimination of Muslim immigrants on the job market and on the other their own separation from French society. This "discrimination equilibrium" whereby objective and subjective reasons to discriminate against Muslims reinforce the perception of unequal treatment and the retreat from French society from Muslims goes against the grain of many ideological narratives (left and right) about immigration.The book also proposes simple; effective policy recommendations at the micro; meso and macro level to shift this vicious circle into a more inclusive; and productive one of mutual reinforcement and integration.It should be compulsory reading for policy makers; politicians; citizens and commentators.
