"Francis Xavier's arrival in Japan in 1549 initiated a radically different approach to the spread of Christianity, one which was to distinguish the Jesuits from all other Europeans for the next two hundred years: his insistence that his missionaries should respect and understand Japanese culture. Alessandro Valignano then developed this approach, both in Japan and in China, where Jesuits gained Confucian scholar status as an introduction to their missionary life, and even became key figures in the Chinese civil service." "Highly readable and stylishly written, this long-awaited book is the first to recount the absorbing story of the Jesuit missions in both civilisations. It shows how the Jesuits' sensitivity to Japanese and Chinese culture directly and consciously contradicted the imperialism of the Spanish and the Portuguese, and allowed the possibility of dialogue between East and West which other European stances excluded. It is a richly detailed account, exploring the first attempt by western European Christians to realise the universality of Christianity outside European culture, and will be welcomed by students of Japanese and Chinese History, Church History, Religious Studies and Missiology."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The award-winning New York Times op-ed columnist probes the widening gap between American ideals and American realities, and urges us to do something about it Bob Herbert is the conscience of the op-ed page of The New York Times, and his work is characterized by a strong moral vision and a deep understanding of the human costs of political decisions. From partisan politics to popular culture, from race relations to criminal justice, few journalists bring to life so movingly the stories of ordinary people caught between the American dream and American realities. Whether it is the inherent injustice of the death penalty or the demagoguery of the war on terrorism, Herbert questions whether we are truly upholding our ideals or merely giving them lip service. In Promises Betrayed, Herbert makes the case that in recent years America has too often failed to live up to its creed of fairness and justice in the lives of working people, racial minorities, children, and others not among the powerful. He introduces us to real people facing real problems and trying to maintain their dignity along the way, and he blows the whistle on imperious public officials who think the rules of common decency do not apply to them. Herbert's tenacious reporting has resulted in the overturning of many wrongful convictions and the release of dozens of innocent people from prison. In these and so many other ways, Herbert keeps us all honest and lives up to the journalist's credo: to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

Dave Mitchell's family is shaken to its core when an illicit affair with his secretary, a woman twenty years his junior, results in a pregnancy. Dave has fervently sought redemption from God, but his troubles are far from over. His wife, Madeline, vows never to forgive him for selfishly destroying their family. Constant images of betrayal shove Madeline into divorce court, where the division of property ignites a nasty battle over the controlling interest in DMI, the multi-million dollar family business. She wants more than Dave can give and refuses to settle for less than thirteen years of marriage warrants. Madeline is determined not to lose again. Although the marriage is over, their professional bond can't be broken. She ends up with a seat on the board of directors and an executive office down the hall from Dave. Once the dust settles and the divorce is finalized, Dave accepts the consequences of his decision as irrevocable. His family is gone, but he remains certain that God has a plan for him and DMI. He's prepared to move on, but Madeline is enraged by Dave's persistent sense of peace and his ongoing connection with Sherry, the woman who ruined their lives. Madeline becomes unhinged, tormented by her pain, and obsessed with righting a terrible wrong. In the midst of all this chaos, Dave and Madeline's children are suffering. When an unspeakable tragedy occurs, they're forced to look at their individual contributions to this web of drama. Unless the Mitchell family learns the true meaning of unconditional love, the power of forgiveness, and God's amazing grace, they could be stuck on this tragic path for years to come.

When Jennifer Tracey discovers that her new parish priest has harmed her two sons, she encounters the Coalitiona secret church organization tasked with the responsibility of taking care of these types of incidents quickly and quietly and by any means necessary. Jennifer decides to file a lawsuit against the priest and the church and seeks out an attorney, Zachary Blake, who handled her late husbands industrial death case. However, through an unfortunate series of events, Zachary has gone from the penthouse to the poorhouse, working out of a dingy one-room office, handling traffic cases. Although Jennifer has misgivings, she reluctantly retains him, and they call a press conference to announce their lawsuit. Zack hires an investigator, the infamous Micah Love, who travels to Ohio, where he discovers that two families have disappeared after an encounter with the same priestand the one person who may provide some answers has died under mysterious circumstances. Religion, law, betrayal, mystery, intrigue, faith, and love converge in Michigan for the trial of the century. Will Zachary resurrect his troubled career and obtain the justice Jennifer seeks for her kids? Or will the church and the Coalition and its mysterious leader prevail in covering up the decadent acts of the priest and circumvent justice once again?

In this "meticulously researched" account (New York Times Book Review), a Pulitzer Prize-winning author examines the dangers of a failing public health system unequipped to handle large-scale global risks like a coronavirus pandemic. The New York Times bestselling author of The Coming Plague, Laurie Garrett takes on perhaps the most crucial global issue of our time in this eye-opening book. She asks: is our collective health in a state of decline? If so, how dire is this crisis and has the public health system itself contributed to it? Using riveting detail and finely-honed storytelling, exploring outbreaks around the world, Garrett exposes the underbelly of the world's globalization to find out if it can still be assumed that government can and will protect the people's health, or if that trust has been irrevocably broken. "A frightening vision of the future and a deeply unsettling one . . . a sober, scary book that not only limns the dangers posed by emerging diseases but also raises serious questions about two centuries' worth of Enlightenment beliefs in science and technology and progress." -- Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

Honor and duty collide with friendship and blood ties as the Skywalker and Solo clans find themselves on opposing sides of an explosive conflict in this first of a new string of adventures. This edition of the "New York Times" bestseller includes two bonus short stories by Karen Treviss featuring Darth Vader.

In Humanism Betrayed Graham Good offers a defence of liberal humanism against the illiberal trends, political and intellectual, that dominate today's university. He uses the McEwen Report episode at the University of British Columbia to illustrate the current political climate in universities, showing how due process was neglected in favour of ideological inquisition.

Betrayed aims to tell the truth of public education - from the perspective of a parent who has fought the education bureaucracy.