The satirical novel's main character, Ostap Bender, also appeared in a previous novel by the authors called The Twelve Chairs. The title alludes to the "golden calf" of the Bible; another possible rendering of it in English, less literal but better tuned to the air of the novel, would be "The Gilded Calf". It continues the theme of the denunciation of money-grubbing, philistine stupidity, and bureaucracy, which began in “The Twelve Chairs”.

"This book examines the history of different versions of the legend of Prince Golden Calf and sheds light on important aspects of Chinese culture as manifested and interpreted in China and Korea. It highlights various cultural connotations of cows and how they hold a central place not only in Chinese agriculture but also in terms of China's ethnic composition, religious symbolism, landscape names, and other famous Chinese stories involving cows. The book also further position the story in a broader global framework. This study broadens the fields of translation of and research on East Asian religion, literature, and culture by expanding our knowledge in Asian studies, folklore studies, and the study of animal representations in literature. Its transcultural and transregional approach lays the foundation for a new, innovative, and inclusive perspective on the development of premodern East Asian literature and culture"--

One of the leading scholars of ancient West Semitic religion discusses polytheism vs. monotheism by covering the fluidity of those categories in the ancient Near East. He argues that Israel's social history is key to the development of monotheism.

The seventeen studies in Golden Calf Traditions in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam explore the biblical origins of the golden calf story and its reception--whether explicit or implicit, negative or positive, or clearly and consciously avoided--in early Jewish, Christian, and Islamic literature.

When George Yancy penned a New York Times op-ed entitled “Dear White America” asking white Americans to confront the ways that they benefit from racism, he knew his article would be controversial. But he was unprepared for the flood of vitriol in response. The resulting blowback played out in the national media, with critics attacking Yancy in every form possible—including death threats—and supporters rallying to his side. Despite the rhetoric of a “post-race” America, Yancy quickly discovered that racism is still alive, crude, and vicious in its expression. In Backlash, Yancy expands upon the original article and chronicles the ensuing controversy as he seeks to understand what it was about the op-ed that created so much rage among so many white readers. He challenges white Americans to rise above the vitriol and to develop a new empathy for the African American experience.

What does art have to do with faith? For many Christians, paintings, films, music, and other forms of art are simply used for wall decoration, entertaining distraction, or worshipful devotion. But what if the arts played a more prominent role in the Christian life? In Discovering God through the Arts, discover how the arts can be tools for faith-building, life-changing spiritual formation for all Christians. Terry Glaspey, author of 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know, examines: How the arts assist us in prayer and contemplation How the arts help us rediscover a sense of wonder How the arts help us deal with emotions How the arts aid theological reflection and so much more. Let your faith be enriched, and discover how beauty and creativity can draw you nearer to the ultimate Creator.

Joel Baden, a leading expert on the Old Testament, offers a controversial look at the history of King David, the founder of the nation of Israel whose bloodline leads to Jesus, challenging prevailing popular beliefs about his legend in The Historical David. Baden makes clear that the biblical account of David is an attempt to shape the events of his life politically and theologically. Going beyond the biblical bias, he explores the events that lie behind the David story, events that are grounded in the context of the ancient Near East and continue to inform modern Israel. The Historical David exposes an ambitious, ruthless, flesh-and-blood man who achieved power by any means necessary, including murder, theft, bribery, sex, deceit, and treason. As Baden makes clear, the historical David stands in opposition not only to the virtuous and heroic legends, but to our very own self-definition as David’s national and religious descendants. Provocative and enlightening, The Historical David provides the lost truth about David and poses a challenge to us: how do we come to terms with the reality of a celebrated hero who was, in fact, similar to the ambitious power-players of his day?