James J. O'Donnell

"An exotic and instructive tale, told with life, learning and just the right measure of laughter on every page. O'Donnell combines a historian's mastery of substance with a born storyteller's sense of style to create a magnificent work of art. Perfect for history-lovers and admirers of great writing alike." -- Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. Secretary of StateThe dream Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar shared of uniting Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East in a single community shuddered and then collapsed in the wars and disasters of the sixth century. Historian and classicist James J. O'Donnell--who last brought readers his masterful, disturbing, and revelatory biography of Saint Augustine--revisits this old story in a fresh way, bringing home its sometimes painful relevance to today's issues.With unexpected detail and in his hauntingly vivid style, O'Donnell begins at a time of apparent Roman revival and brings readers to the moment of imminent collapse that just preceded the rise of Islam. Illegal migrations of peoples, religious wars, global pandemics, and the temptations of empire: Rome's end foreshadows today's crises and offers hints how to navigate them--if present leaders will heed this story.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface.We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, our world changed forever--not only in this country, but in every other country as well. There is undoubtedly no other single event occurring in our nation's history that can compare with the impact felt that day. And for the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice that September morning, their legacies will be carried by the family and friends who embraced them as sons, daughters, parents, and partners.Sons of Valor, Parents of Faith shares the touching personal stories and interviews of the parents of New York City firefighters and one police detective killed on 9/11, and it takes us on their subsequent spiritual and emotional journeys. Although many of these men were young, they had already left a significant imprint on the world, and their parents now share their feelings about their grief in the aftermath of the tragedy. All the parents were brought together by the FDNY Counseling Services Unit to begin the healing process, where they learned how to heal after such a major disaster and loss. Parents should never bury their children; however, for the parents of the 343 lost New York City firefighters, September 11, 2001 changed the rules in so many different ways. Now in their own words, the faithful parents of these heroes share their sons' bravery and sacrifice--so that it will never be forgotten.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, our world changed forever--not only in this country, but in every other country as well. There is undoubtedly no other single event occurring in our nation's history that can compare with the impact felt that day. And for the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice that September morning, their legacies will be carried by the family and friends who embraced them as sons, daughters, parents, and partners.Sons of Valor, Parents of Faith shares the touching personal stories and interviews of the parents of New York City firefighters and one police detective killed on 9/11, and it takes us on their subsequent spiritual and emotional journeys. Although many of these men were young, they had already left a significant imprint on the world, and their parents now share their feelings about their grief in the aftermath of the tragedy. All the parents were brought together by the FDNY Counseling Services Unit to begin the healing process, where they learned how to heal after such a major disaster and loss. Parents should never bury their children; however, for the parents of the 343 lost New York City firefighters, September 11, 2001 changed the rules in so many different ways. Now in their own words, the faithful parents of these heroes share their sons' bravery and sacrifice--so that it will never be forgotten.

A provocative and contrarian religious history that charts the rise of Christianity from the point of view of traditional" religion from the religious scholar and critically acclaimed author of Augustine.Pagans explores the rise of Christianity from a surprising and unique viewpoint: that of the people who witnessed their ways of life destroyed by what seemed then a powerful religious cult. These "pagans" were actually pious Greeks, Romans, Syrians, and Gauls who observed the traditions of their ancestors. To these devout polytheists, Christians who worshipped only one deity were immoral atheists who believed that a splash of water on the deathbed could erase a lifetime of sin.Religious scholar James J. O'Donnell takes us on a lively tour of the Ancient Roman world through the fourth century CE, when Romans of every nationality, social class, and religious preference found their world suddenly constrained by rulers who preferred a strange new god. Some joined this new cult, while others denied its power, erroneously believing it was little more than a passing fad.In Pagans, O'Donnell brings to life various pagan rites and essential features of Roman religion and life, offers fresh portraits of iconic historical figures, including Constantine, Julian, and Augustine, and explores important themes--Rome versus the east, civilization versus barbarism, plurality versus unity, rich versus poor, and tradition versus innovation--in this startling account.

The Confessions of Augustine have long both demanded and eluded the sustained and serious attention to detail that a scholarly commentary can provide. The present work, which is in three volumes, seeks to supplement that lack. A revised Latin text of the Confessions in Volume I forms the basis for a detailed line-by-line commentary (Volumes II-III) designed to elucidate the many layers of meaning in the work. Placing the emphasis primarily on exegesis, Professor O'Donnell opens up new lines of interpretation, as well as giving an abundance of fresh detail to some more familiar themes. At the same time, he clears the way for further scholarly work by furnishing the materials for others to draw on and press the task of interpretation further. A particular feature of the commentary is its attention to the influences in the Confessions of other texts of the Greek and Latin traditions - biblical, ecclesiastical, philosophical, and literary; whilst the place of the Confessions in Augustine's own life and in the history of Christian literature is also illuminated with greater precision.

The Confessions of Augustine have long both demanded and eluded the sustained and serious attention to detail that a scholarly commentary can provide. The present work, which is in three volumes, seeks to supplement that lack. A revised Latin text of the Confessions in Volume I forms the basis for a detailed line-by-line commentary (Volumes II-III) designed to elucidate the many layers of meaning in the work. Placing the emphasis primarily on exegesis, Professor O'Donnell opens up new lines of interpretation, as well as giving an abundance of fresh detail to some more familiar themes. At the same time, he clears the way for further scholarly work by furnishing the materials for others to draw on and press the task of interpretation further. A particular feature of the commentary is its attention to the influences in the Confessions of other texts of the Greek and Latin traditions - biblical, ecclesiastical, philosophical, and literary; whilst the place of the Confessions in Augustine's own life and in the history of Christian literature is also illuminated with greater precision.

The Confessions of Augustine have long both demanded and eluded the sustained and serious attention to detail that a scholarly commentary can provide. The present work, which is in three volumes, seeks to supplement that lack. A revised Latin text of the Confessions in Volume I forms the basis for a detailed line-by-line commentary (Volumes II-III) designed to elucidate the many layers of meaning in the work. Placing the emphasis primarily on exegesis, Professor O'Donnell opens up new lines of interpretation, as well as giving an abundance of fresh detail to some more familiar themes. At the same time, he clears the way for further scholarly work by furnishing the materials for others to draw on and press the task of interpretation further. A particular feature of the commentary is its attention to the influences in the Confessions of other texts of the Greek and Latin traditions - biblical, ecclesiastical, philosophical, and literary; whilst the place of the Confessions in Augustine's own life and in the history of Christian literature is also illuminated with greater precision.

Saint Augustine -- the celebrated theologian who served as Bishop of Hippo from 396 C.E. until his death in 430 C.E. -- is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers in the Western world. His autobiography, Confessions, remains among the most important religious writings in the Christian tradition. In this eye-opening and eminently readable biography, renowned historical scholar James J. O'Donnell picks up where Augustine himself left off to offer a fascinating, in-depth portrait of an unparalleled politician, writer, and churchman in a time of uncertainty and religious turmoil.Augustine is a triumphant chronicle of an extraordinary life that is certain to surprise and enlighten even those who believed they knew the complex and remarkable man of God.

The written word has been a central bearer of culture since antiquity. But its position is now being challenged by the powerful media of electronic communication. In this penetrating and witty book James O'Donnell takes a reading on the promise and the threat of electronic technology for our literate future.In Avatars of the Word O'Donnell reinterprets today's communication revolution through a series of refracted comparisons with earlier revolutionary periods: the transition from oral to written culture, from the papyrus scroll to the codex, from copied manuscript to print. His engaging portrayals of these analogous epochal moments suggest that our steps into cyberspace are not as radical as we might think. Observing how technologies of the word have affected the shaping of culture in the past, and how technological transformation has been managed, we regain models that can help us navigate the electronic transformation now underway. Concluding with a focus on the need to rethink the modern university, O'Donnell specifically addresses learning and teaching in the humanities, proposing ways to seek the greatest benefit from electronic technologies while steering clear of their potential pitfalls.