Jeffrey M. Shaw

Liony Bauer

De-Valera N.Y.M. Botchway

Julia Brühne

Cathrin Cronjäger

Solveig Lena Hansen

Julia Harnoncourt

Henner Kropp

Ingo Löppenberg

Dina Mansour

Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach

Oliver Schlenkrich

Evangelidis Vasileios

Kyle J. Wanberg

The analysis of the relationship between center and periphery is one of many theoretical approaches found in all fields of the Humanities. Looking at this special relationship from several disciplinary perspectives is an effective methodology for establishing connections between various fields of study. Consequently, the issue contains articles dealing with, among others, the Russian enterprise in Alaska, German polar exploration, gender in Islamic contexts in Europe, labor relations, 'economic securitization', cultural nationalism in Ghana, and Robert Rodriguez's movie Machete. The historical perspective of cultural reception, the economic relationship between central and peripheral areas as well as the development of stereotypes as a consequence of the exchange between both areas are also part of the discussion. The first issue of Global Humanities therefore provides a broad outlook on the periphery-center relationship, giving the interested reader an insight into the different working fields of several disciplines within the Humanities. It furthermore can be considered an argument for strengthening interdisciplinary work in the future, highlighting the interconnectedness of history, literature, art, politics and many other disciplines.

Global Humanities. Studies in Histories, Cultures, and Societies 01/2015

On the Correlation of Center and Periphery

Illusions of Freedom examines the opinions and ideas of two twentieth-century writers--Thomas Merton, a Catholic monk living in the United States, and Jacques Ellul, a French Protestant. Contemporaries, they never met or corresponded with each other, but their critique of the influence that technology was beginning to have on the human condition is strikingly similar. Both Merton and Ellul drew upon the ideas of others in formulating their worldview, to include Karl Barth, Soren Kierkegaard, Aldous Huxley, and Karl Marx. Jeffrey Shaw examines the influence that these other philosophers had on Merton and Ellul as they formulated their own ideas on technology's impact on freedom. Tracing the similarities, and in some cases the differences, between their critiques of technology and the idea that progress is always to be seen as something inherently good, one finds that they bring a unique perspective to the debate and offer readers an alternative avenue for reflecting on the meaning of technology and its impact on our lives in the twenty-first century.

Thomas Merton and Jacques Ellul on Technology and the Human Condition

Illusions of Freedom

The Ethiopian-Adal War brings primary source material from the sixteenth century to contemporary readers. Arab, Portuguese, and Ethiopian sources bring this conflict to life.

The Conquest of Abyssinia

The Ethiopian-Adal War 1529-1543

Timothy J. Demy

The last few decades seem to have ushered in new levels of violence, challenging the notion that our globalized, interconnected world offers increased prospects for cooperation and peace. Many philosophers and theologians have offered various reasons for why this might be so, but none has come so close as the French philosopher Jacques Ellul to providing a comprehensive explanation for many of the pitfalls inherent in increasing levels of technological advance. The chapters in this book explore the phenomena of violence, terrorism, and war through the lens of Ellul's thought. Readers unfamiliar with Ellul will find as much to consider in these chapters as those who have studied Ellul extensively, and for both the novice and the expert, this book offers an opportunity to both evaluate and reevaluate Ellul's extensive thought on matters of importance to contemporary society.

Jacques Ellul on Violence, Resistance, and War

Jeffrey M. Shaw

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