"Fifteenth-Century Carthusian Reform" argues that monastic theology offers a medieval Catholic paradigm distinct from the scholastic theology that has been the conventional source for medieval-oriented interpretations of Renaissance and Reformation. It is based on thorough study of the manuscript record. Nicholas Kempf (ca. 1415-1497) taught at the University of Vienna before becoming the head of Carthusian monasteries in rural Austria and Slovenia. Faced with calls for reform in church and society, he placed his confidence in the patristic Christian idea of reform: the reform of the image of God in the human person. This contemplative monastic idea of reform depended on authoritative structures, especially the monastic rule and rational - yet divinely inspired - discernment by a spiritual director. What seemed like simpleminded submission to monastic structures was actually a way to avoid relying on human effort for salvation. By returning to one's true self (the image of God), one opened oneself up for genuine social relationships. To activist reformers, whether adherents of medieval scholasticism, Renaissance humanism, or modern Enlightenment, this monastic idea of reform has seemed escapist, backward-looking, and "womanish." Monks accepted these labels but read them as signs of hidden strength. This book attempts to read through monastic lenses.

A Confusion of Tongues examines the complex interaction of religion, history, and law in the period before the outbreak of the wars of the Three Kingdoms. It questions interpretations of that conflict that emphasise either the purely doctrinal roots of religious tension, or the processes by which the law gained primacy over the Church, in what amounted to a secular revolution. Instead, religion took its place among a range of constitutional issues that undermined the authority of Charles I in both England and Scotland. Charles Prior offers a careful reconstruction of a number of printed debates on the nature of the relationship of church and realm: the introduction of altars into the Church of England; the Scottish National Covenant; and the legal consequences of the assertion of clerical power in a system of ecclesiastical courts. He reveals that these debates were concerned with the ambiguities of the relationship of civil and ecclesiastical power that were contained in the statutes that carved out the Church 'by law established'. Instead of being clearly separated as part of an 'Erastian' Reformation, religion and law were bound together in complex ways, and debates on the relationship of church and realm emerged as a vital conduit of political and constitutional thought. A Confusion of Tongues offers a synthetic and nuanced portrait of the politics of religion, and recovers the texture of contemporary debate at a vital point in early modern British history.

Der Nerses's well-crafted, heart-felt messages have enriched the life of St. Gregory's parish over the years. They give a new appreciation pastoral calling of the Armenian Church's patron saint, St. Gregory: to enlighten and guide his flock. They are a light unto our feet and a window into the life of a vibrant parish. Tom Samuelian This newest source of spiritual renewal is a must read especially for us as Armenian Orthodox Christians in our search for the truth and the Good News of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ and should serve as a source of much needed spiritual renewal among our people. Fr. Vartan Kassabian 'From the Pastor's Desk' gives an enlightening account of the Sacraments, Feast Days, Armenian Church customs, etiquette and traditions, Canon Law, and local and global issues. Archpriest Rev. Fr. Nerses Manoogian has eloquently woven Scripture, poetic prose, and humor in his book that teaches, inspires and reaffirms one's faith in Christianity. A must-read for young and old alike. Jeanette Nazarian, Sunday School Superintendent

First full study of the life and career of the Glaswegian minister Robert Baillie, establishing his significance and influence