Author: Neil Ormerod File Type: pdf Natural theology is a philosophical site that is hotly debated and controversialit is claimed by Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Evangelicals as a crucial vantage point for the intersection of theology, philosophy, science, and politics, while it is, simultaneously, strongly contested by some theologians, such as those influenced by Karl Barth, as well as some philosophers and scientists, especially of the new atheist variety. This volume steers through these troubled waters, arguing for reclamation of a natural theology that withstands the challenges from within and without the Christian tradition and accrues to a vital public and political witness. Drawing on Bernard Lonergans notions of intellectual and moral conversions and contemporary scientific findings, it engages with key assertions from the new atheists to highlight their tensions and inconsistencies, while putting forward a positive proposal for a form of natural theology that is public, contextual, and political engaging in publically accountable discourse drawing on our contemporary scientific and social context and aware of the political ramifications of undertaking the project of natural theology. **Review An important and welcome contribution to the resurgence of interest in natural theology in recent years. Ormerod makes an excellent case for developing a natural theology that is publicly credible and accountable. --Alister E. McGrath, University of Oxford Written in a clear and fresh style, this welcome book argues for a natural theology that attends to the political consequences of religious belief. It draws on Bernard Lonergan to present God as known through publicly accessible reason. --Gerald OCollins, SJ., Emeritus, The Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome Professor Ormerods book is timely, courageous, and bracing in its range of reference. Public discourse on religion has become hesitant and rarefied, just when, under the assaults of quasi-scientific forms of atheism, reference to God in the public domain has become timid and defensive. In the meantime, when the ability to speak of God as foundational to all intelligent, moral, and aesthetic discourse is notably diminished, an ominous superficiality pervades political and moral deliberations. When the cultural conversation no longer allows for what matters most, Ormerod calls on us not to leave the public sphere to the idols and demons of our time. Readers will welcome this book, and find insight, not only on God, but also on the conscience, personal and social, needed to combat evil in all of its forms. A Public God, maturing over many years, is definitely worth waiting for a splendid achievement. --Anthony J. Kelly, Australian Catholic University About the Author Neil Ormerod is professor of theology in the School of Theology and member of the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at the Australian Catholic University in Strathfield, Australia. He is coauthor with Cynthia Crysdale of Creator God, Evolving World (Fortress Press, 2013) and author of Re-Visioning the Church An Experiment in Systematic-Historical Ecclesiology (Fortress Press, 2014).

Author: John Sides File Type: pdf A gripping, in-depth account of the 2016 presidential election that explains Donald Trumps historic victory Donald Trumps election victory stunned the world. How did he pull it off? Was it his appeal to alienated voters in the battleground states? Was it Hillary Clinton and the scandals associated with her long career in politics? Were key factors already in place before the nominees were even chosen? Identity Crisis provides a gripping account of the campaign that appeared to break all the political rulesbut in fact didnt. Identity Crisis takes readers from the bruising primaries to an election night whose outcome defied the predictions of the pollsters and pundits. The book shows how fundamental characteristics of the nation and its politicsthe state of the economy, the Obama presidency, and the demographics of the political partiescombined with the candidates personalities and rhetoric to produce one of the most unexpected presidencies in history. Early on, the fundamental characteristics predicted an extremely close election. And even though Trumps many controversies helped Clinton maintain a comfortable lead for most of the campaign, the prediction of a close election became reality when Americans cast their votes. Identity Crisis reveals how Trumps victory was foreshadowed by changes in the Democratic and Republican coalitions that were driven by peoples racial and ethnic identities. The campaign then reinforced and exacerbated those cleavages as it focused on issues related to race, immigration, and religion. The result was an epic battle not just for the White House but about what America is and should be. **Review I think it is, without doubt, the most important, most illuminating book written on the 2016 election. And in doing that I think its one of the most important books for understanding American politics today. . . . There are so many findings in the book that if you really absorb them they can rock your understanding of politics.---Ezra Klein, *Vox* Other academics may also be skeptical of Cyberwar. A forthcoming book on the 2016 campaign, Identity Crisis, by the political scientists John Sides, Michael Tesler, and Lynn Vavreck, argues that Russian interference was not a major factor in the Presidential election, and that the hacked e-mails did not clearly affect perceptions of Clinton. Instead, they write, Trumps exploitation of divisive race, gender, religious, and ethnicity issues accounted for his win.---Jane Mayer, *New Yorker* [The authors] counter some popular assumptions about the surprising outcome of the 2016 presidential election, which pitted two historically unpopular presidential candidates against each other. . . . The authors cite three main reasons for Trumps victory fractured ranks within the Republican Party that impeded party leaders from coalescing behind any candidate outsized media coverage of Trump that made him appear to be the front-runner even when coverage focused on scandals and racialized economics, in which racial attitudes shaped the way voters understood economic outcomes. . . . A cogent, well-documented analysis of the 2016 election. (Kirkus) Under their microscope, the white economic anxiety excuse for voting Trump morphs into something completely different, identified by the authors as racialized economics, which they define as the belief that undeserving groups are getting ahead while your group is left behind.---Charles Jaco, *St. Louis American* With the luxury of hindsight and analytical acumen, political scientists John Sides, Michael Tesler, and Lynn Vavreck have produced an exceptionally well-researched and insightful postmortem that soberly isolates the elections core significance a polarizing debate over American identity spurred by immigration and demographic change. The result, Identity Crisis, is a definitive, statistically informed account of the 2016 presidential election.---Justin Gest, *American Prospect* This book is going to remain the definitive explanation of what motivated and differentiated voters from one another in both primary campaigns and the general election in 2016.---Ian Reifowitz, *Daily Kos* The importance of the backlash around race and immigration inside the GOP is a central theme of a timely, careful and data-rich new book on the 2016 election by political scientists John Sides, Michael Tesler and Lynn Vavreck. In Identity Crisis, they argue that Trump understood what was happening inside the party in a way his rivals did not.---E.J. Dionne, *Washington Post* A vital new work on the political culture of the Trump era.---Carlos Lozada, *Washington Post* Lucid, engaging, and ruthlessly rational, Identity Crisis is the guide we needed to what really happened in 2016, an election we still havent come to terms with. After all the speculation and partisan blame, the authors search for the real answers isnt just interestingits necessary. Identity Crisis is about more than an election its about the state of America at a moment of political breakdown.Molly Ball, national political correspondent, *Time* Sides, Tesler, and Vavreck offer context and a sense of proportion at a time of rapid change, misinformation, and uncertainty, helping us to untangle familiar patterns from what is genuinely new. Thoughtful, patient, and timely, Identity Crisis is an antidote to the hot takes of our political era.John F. Dickerson, author of Whistlestop and *On Her Trail* About the Author John Sides is professor of political science at George Washington University. Michael Tesler is associate professor of political science at the University of California, Irvine. He is the author of Post-Racial or Most-Racial? Race and Politics in the Obama Era. Lynn Vavreck is the Marvin Hoffenberg Professor of American Politics and Public Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the author, with John Sides, of The Gamble Choice and Chance in the 2012 Presidential Election (Princeton).