Playing the Martyr is a book about the interplay between theater and religion in early modern France. Challenging the standard narrative of modernity as a process of increased secularization Christopher Semk demonstrates the centrality of religious thought and practices to the development of neoclassical poetics. Engaging with a broad corpus of religious plays, poetic treatises, devotional literature, and contemporary theory, Semk shows that religion was a vital interlocutor in early modern discussions concerning the definition of verisimilitude, the nature and purpose of spectacle, the mechanics of acting, and the position of the spectator. Well researched and persuasively argued, Playing the Martyr makes the case for a more complicated approach to the relationship between religion and literature, namely, one that does not treat religion as a theme deployed within literary works, but as an active player in literary invention. Indeed, it makes the case for a serious reconsideration of the role that religion plays in the development of modern, secular literary forms.

Benjamin won’t do swimming at school. His mum thinks he’s on drugs or has body issues. But Benjamin has found God and mixed-sex swimming lessons offend him. Fundamentalism and tolerance clash in this funny, provocative play by leading German playwright, Marius von Mayenburg. Martyr considers how far we should go in accommodating another’s faith, and when we should take a stand for our own opposing beliefs.

A retired Englishman is crucified on the banks of the Loire Valley and the peace and quiet of rural France is shattered. Blackmailed into leading the investigation, the recently widowed Juge d'instruction Matthieu Lombard feels shattered too. An apparently innocuous victim, held in high regard by the French locals, who would target the Englishman? And why like this? Is someone using the 500-year-old legend of Joan of Arc to stir up tension between the French locals and the British expat community? And for what purpose?Lombard must use all his experience to break down the wall of silence in small-town France and avoid the failure his bosses are hoping for. Will his half-English, half-French background help? Will it give him the freedom to move inside both communities or does it mean he'll be trusted by neither?While fighting his own grief and his own team, the case turns up a gut-churning connection with his late wife and lays bare something that he's known all along; that the River Loire, like the valley itself, has a calm surface hiding a murderous undercurrent.

“This book walks each of us through the reality checks we need in order to have the marriage we want!” —Shaunti Feldhahn, social researcher and best-selling author of For Women Only In today’s workplace, women are often rewarded for having type A personalities: driven, demanding, ambitious, and strong. Yet when it comes to their marriages, those same traits can backfire. After all, no one goes into marriage hoping for a promotion. What is a wife to do? April Cassidy knows this struggle firsthand. She thought she was a great Christian wife and begged God to make her passive husband into a more loving, involved, godly leader. Instead, God opened her eyes to changes that she needed to make, such as laying down her desire for control and offering genuine, unconditional respect—not just love—to her husband. Cassidy’s conclusions may be as startling to readers as they were to her, but The Peaceful Wife shares how she and many others have learned to reorient their lives to biblical commands—resulting in healthier, happier marriages. In the end, you’ll find The Peaceful Wife a powerful path to God’s design for women to live in full submission to Christ as Lord.

ACCIDENTALLY LIKE A MARTYR: THE TORTURED ART OF WARREN ZEVON

Prologue: lives, interrupted -- Fathers and sons -- Moses and Phoebe -- Son of Linonia -- The unhappy misunderstanding -- More extensive public service -- A very genteel looking fellow -- The terrible crisis of my earthly fate -- Post mortem

"Martyr" is the first novel in the amazingly imaginative Dead Space video game universe that looks deep into the origins of humanity and the vast onslaught of horrifying creatures known as necromorphs.

Deadly feuds and ancient secrets spell war in the second novel of The Covenant of Steel, an epic series of action, intrigue, and magic from Anthony Ryan, a master storyteller who has taken the fantasy world by storm. "Ryan again showcases his gift for epic fantasy in his excellent sequel to The Pariah . . . . Ryan's evocative prose enhances the suspenseful, intricate story . . . .This fires on all cylinders." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) Times have changed for Alwyn Scribe. Once an outlaw, he’s now a spymaster and sworn protector of Lady Evadine Courlain, whose visions of a demonic apocalypse have earned her the fanatical devotion of the faithful. Yet Evadine’s growing fame has put her at odds with both Crown and Covenant. As trouble brews in the kingdom, both seek to exploit her position for their own ends. Sent to the Duchy of Alundia to put down a rebellion, Alwyn must rely on old instincts to fight for his new cause. Deadly feuds and ancient secrets are laid bare as war erupts, a war that will decide the fate of the Kingdom of Albermaine and, perhaps, prevent the coming of the prophesied Second Scourge. "A gritty, heart-pounding tale of betrayal and bloody vengeance. I loved every single word." — John Gwynne on The Pariah For more from Anthony Ryan, check out: The Covenant of Steel The Pariah The Martyr Raven's Shadow Trilogy Blood Song Tower Lord Queen of Fire Raven's Blade Duology The Wolf's Call The Black Song The Draconis Memoria Trilogy The Waking Fire The Legion of Flame The Empire of Ashes

An Israeli lieutenant and a Palestinian woman find themselves on opposite sides when rioting breaks out after the lieutenant refuses to let the woman and her sick child through a checkpoint. The child's grandfather, a prominent Palestinian American surgeon, must also make choices as the violence continues.

The first novel in the multi-million dollar video game franchise Dead Space When geophysicist Michael Altman hears of the mysterious signal emitted from deep within the Chicxulub crater, he can not resist the lure of an undiscovered artifact. With his girlfriend Ada, he joins a team excavating the underwater crater, determined to find the source of the baffling message. The artifact, named "The Black Marker," possesses a mysterious power. Close proximity to the stone causes strange occurrences: visions of the dead, vivid dreams, and violent murders. When Michael secretly obtains a small piece of the marker, he too begins to dream. The Black Marker has chosen him to hear his message: You need to prove yourself worthy of eternal life, or the slate will be wiped clean on Earth. This is the story of the origin of "The Black Marker," the foundation of the Church of Unitology, and a discovery that will change the world.