BRILL
The right of the child to religious freedom in international law.
Langlaude (lecturer, School of Law, U. of East London) states that there have been no broad, in-depth studies of the rights of children to religious freedom in international law. The issue is complex because religion is among the most complex of human rights. While religious freedom has been debated and studied extensively, the issues revolved around adults and the law. Langlaude has written a critical analysis of current international law regarding the religious rights of children. Some of the conflicts addressed are religious education and age limits, religious practices and rituals, forced attendance and conversions, and parental rights in education. It also discusses the issue of the autonomy of children within the framework of parents, religious community, and society — in other words, what the religious rights of children actually are. Martinus Nijhoff is an imprint of Brill. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The Rio de la Plata and its maritime front legal regime.
Del Castillo-Laborde (public international law, U. of Buenos Aires, Argentina) conducts a historical and legal analysis of the international legal regime of the fluvial and maritime area of the Río de la Plata, which forms part of the border between Uruguay and Argentina. After describing geographical and historical aspects, he offers commentary on the treaty provisions concerning the Río de la Plata and its maritime front, including provisions regarding defense, dispute settlement, and transitional and final provisions. He then discusses the Río de la Plata Administrative Commission, the Joint Technical Commission for the Maritime Front, and subsequent practice and concludes with an analysis of the content and scope of the rules of interpretation and application of treaties with a view to establishing a framework within which the treaties apply and an understanding of the expectations of Argentina and Uruguay. Martinus Nijhoff is an imprint of Brill. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Ritual purity and the Dead Sea scrolls.
Werrett (religious studies, Saint Martin's U.) has revised and expanded his 2006 doctoral dissertation in biblical studies at the University of St. Andrews. In it he examines the concept of ritual purity by comparing the purity rulings of the Dead Sea Scrolls with their biblical counterparts. He considers each relevant document in isolation first, and compares them with other documents in the group only after extensive exegesis. His conclusion is that they disagree as much as they agree, bringing into question many of the dominant assumptions about the coherence of the collection and of the community that created it. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Russia and its constitution; promise and political reality.
Ratified in 1993 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Constitution of the Russian Federation establishes a democratic, federal state that functions according tot he rule of law and promises a broad array of rights. Whether the Constitution does what it says, however, it open to questions. In these eight essays leading thinkers evaluate the political realities, covering such topics as the problem of misplaced sovereignty and its relation to constitutionalism and accountability, the Russian Constitutional Court's long struggle for viable federalism, judge-made principles in theory and practice, whether the constitution matters in the case of freedom of the press, constitutional questions deferred in the unresolved case of the Procuracy, modern Russian political procedure in terms of the adversarial principle and the guilty plea, jury trial and adversary procedure reform, Russia's constitutional project and prospects for the future. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The Sanhuri Code, and the emergence of modern Arab civil law (1932 to 1949).
Bechor (Middle Eastern studies, Lauder School of Government, The Interdisciplinary Center, Israel) examines the Sanhuri Code in this book, volume 29 of the Studies in Islamic Law and Society series. Dr. `Abd al-Razzaq al-Sanhuri (1895-19771) created a new civil code in his native Egypt after growing alarmed at the growing social gap in the early 20th century; Bechor here argues that though the Sanhuri code was a legal text, its purpose was a social one to introduce principles of compassion, solidarity, and fairness into a polarized Egyptian society. Seven chapters are presented on topics such as law as remedy, the social function of property law, contract law as ideology, and the dominion of progress. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Scorched earth; studies in the archaeology of conflict.
This collection (also published as volume three of the Journal of Conflict Archaeology) compiled by editors Pollard (director, Centre for Battlefield, U. of Glasgow) and Banks (director, Archaeological Research Division, U. of Glasgow) offers a variety of perspectives on conflict archaeology. Article topics range from conflict in the Iron Age and medieval Denmark to the operations of the Newfoundland Overseas Forestry Unit during World War II and the tools and techniques used by contemporary peace protesters to hamper police efforts to control or disperse them. In addition to describing the results of archaeological research from a variety of battlefields, articles discuss the varied approaches to archaeological investigation, the settings themselves, the participants, and a great deal of historical background. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Servant of Mut; studies in honor of Richard A. Fazzini.
Fazzini was for many years the curator and administrator of the Department of Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art in the Brooklyn Museum. Mut is not his nickname, nor even his dog's name. Rather Mut is an Egyptian goddess associated with the vulture, and also an area in Karnak where he conducted archaeological research as a young field Egyptologist. Here colleagues and former students honor his scholarly work with 33 essays. Their topics include a newly discovered statue of a queen from the reign of Amenhotep III, what the Late-Egyptian Miscellanies reveal about scribal education, religious change at Deir el-Medina, and a family of priests of the deified Amenhotep I. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Sizhu instrumental music of South China; ethos, theory and practice.
Thrasher (U. of British Columbia) has written about Chinese music in the past, and this entry in the Sinica Leidensia series from Brill focuses on the Sizhu ("silk and bamboo") instrumental form, which is traditional chamber music that is usually played in clubs, teahouses and homes. Starting with the historical and cultural significance of Sizhu, Thrasher eventually explains the musical theory behind the form and discusses the repertoire and performance styles, aiming the text at both music students and Asian music enthusiasts. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Social capital in Europe; similarity of countries and diversity of people?; multi-level analyses of the European social survey 2002.
Meulemann (sociology, U. of Cologne, Germany) presents a collection of 11 essays examining the differences in levels, causes and consequences of social capital between 22 European countries surveyed in the 2002 European Social Survey. Five chapters focusing on causes explore how state institutions affect social participation; collectivity-orientation and involvement in interest, issue and religious associations; what determines citizens' normative conception of civic duties; and the negative effects of television and positive effects of newspapers on social capital. Four chapters on the consequences of social capital consider political involvement, political trust, political participation, and empowerment at the workplace. Incorporating multi-level analysis taking into account both person- and country-level variables, the studies identify similarities between European countries in some respects, but similar diversities within most of the European peoples. Martinus Nijhoff is an imprint of Brill. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Social movements, indigenous politics and democratization in Guatemala, 1985-1996.
The book examines the patterns of collective action that took place during Guatemala's democratic transition between 1985 and 1996. Brett, a professor and researcher at FLACSO in Guatemala, focuses on the role of indigenous players in the related political processes and the impact of the transition on indigenous social movements. The author fills a gap in current literature because most writing on the subject has focused primarily on the roles of the elite classes in the democratization process. Therefore, this study offers a new perspective and presents an examination of the political evolution of three social movements and their human rights platforms through a viewpoint of social movement theory. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Sowing the seeds of sacred; political religion of contemporary world order and American era.
There is a tendency to overlook the role played by Christian mythology, miracles, and simple persuasion in the expansion of Western influence during the modern era, says Finnish scholar Aaltola (international relations, U of Minnesota-Twin Cities). He shows how the US government's current efforts at world domination exploit and expand the tradition of righteous Westerners going to the ends of the world to enlighten and save pagans. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Spirits unseen; the representation of subtle bodies in early modern European culture.
In 16 essays, historians and scholars of literature consider visual and literary representations of subtle bodies in this world and the other. They consider such examples as Jan Breughel's Poetic Hells, Castiglione and neo-Platonic discourse, music and bewitched sleep in early modern English drama, and allegory and physiology in Walter Charleton's 1674 Natural History of the Passions. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Standard-setting in UNESCO; v.1: Normative action in education, science and culture.
Held March 2006, the symposium on UNESCO: Sixty Years of Standard- setting in Education, Science and Culture, was the first of its kind, providing an opportunity for reflection, evaluation, and evolution in connection with UNESCO's mandate to state principles and precepts and make recommendations that willing nations can adopt as policy. Papers are arranged in sections on methods of elaborating and implementing UNESCO's standard-setting instruments; promoting peace via intellectual and moral solidarity, and promoting dignity, equality and mututual respect; safeguarding cultural and natural heritage; fostering access to education and knowledge; and UNESCO's impact. The contributors are for the most part international lawyers affiliated with academic institutions and government agencies worldwide. Volumes 1 and 2 are sold separately; volume 2 is subtitled Conventions, recommendations, declarations and charters adopted by UNESCO (1948- 2006). (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Standard-setting in UNESCO; v.2: Conventions, recommendations, declarations and charters adopted by UNESCO (1948-2006).
Published in conjunction with a March 2006 symposium and as a companion to the separately-sold volume 1, subtitled Normative action in education, science and culture, this second volume of the set collects the complete texts of all UNESCO instruments. Arrangement is in three sections on conventions and agreements, recommendations, and all UNESCO declarations. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Studies in the making of the early Hebrew book.
A specialist in Hebrew book history, Heller has gathered articles he wrote for various scholarly journals, along with a new one, that provide snapshots of the early period of Hebrew book publishing through studies of specific books, publishers, authors, and other elements. His topics include mirror-image monograms as printers' devices on title pages of Hebrew books printed in the 17th and 18th centuries, Jedidiah ben Isaac Gabbai and the first decade of Hebrew printing in Livorno, and an unknown attempt to circumvent the inquisition's ban on the printing of the Talmud in 16th-century Italy. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Sufism in an age of transition; Umar al-Suhrawardi and the rise of the Islamic mystical brotherhoods.
In the sixth and early seventh centuries (12th and early 13th AD) some half dozen charismatic Sufi masters emerged across the Abode of Islam, explains Ohlander (religious studies, Indiana U.-Purdue U.), who are linked with a complex of social, religious, and cultural trends identified with the Sufi order, or tariqa, a fundamental institution of Islamic mysticism. He describes the education, work, and impact of Umar (539-632/1144-1234), one of these masters based in Baghdad, exploring such aspects as the makings of a Sufi master, writing authority, and imperial and other projects. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Sulla, the elites, and the empire; a study of Roman policies in Italy and the Greek east.
L. Cornelius Sulla (138-78 BC) was a Roman consul and military leader in the last years of the Republic. In this biography Santangelo (classics, University of Wales, Lampeter) presents Sulla first through his relation with the Roman elites, then traces his military exploits in Greece and Asia Minor. He emphasizes Sulla's reorganization of Roman governance in the eastern colonies and his triumph over the Cappadocian king, Mithridates. The third section of the book examines Sulla's plan to convince both citizens of Rome and the east that he was the founder of a "New Rome", associating himself with the cult of Venus and the legend of Romulus. The author concludes that Sulla both stabilized the lands Rome had conquered and set the stage for the fall of the Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire. The book has clear maps and extensive footnotes. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Supplementum epigraphicum graecum; v.33, 1983. (reprint, 1986)
The Supplementum epigraphicum graecum, or SEG, is an annual publication that gathers the complete texts of newly discovered Greek inscriptions, along with bibliography on previously known documents. The material is grouped by ancient locale in which the Greek text originated, with a section for unknown. Each entry contains a date, description, annotated bibliographic citation, find spot, and the text (in the Greek original). Each volume contains several indexes: names of men and women; kings, dynasts, and their families; Roman emperors and their families; geographical name; religious terms; military terms (divided into two sections, Greek and Roman); important Greek words; and selected topics. A concordance concludes the volumes. This is an essential reference for those libraries supporting scholarship in ancient Greek literature, philosophy, politics, society, and archaeology. Brill has reprinted this volume in a lucid facsimile of the original, with no additional material. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Supplementum epigraphicum graecum; v.35, 1985. (reprint, 1988)
The Supplementum epigraphicum graecum, or SEG, is an annual publication that gathers the complete texts of newly discovered Greek inscriptions, along with bibliography on previously known documents. The material is grouped by ancient locale in which the Greek text originated, with a section for unknown. Each entry contains a date, description, annotated bibliographic citation, find spot, and the text (in the Greek original). Each volume contains several indexes: names of men and women; kings, dynasts, and their families; Roman emperors and their families; geographical name; religious terms; military terms (divided into two sections, Greek and Roman); important Greek words; and selected topics. A concordance concludes the volumes. This is an essential reference for those libraries supporting scholarship in ancient Greek literature, philosophy, politics, society, and archaeology. Brill has reprinted this volume in a lucid facsimile of the original, with no additional material. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Supplementum epigraphicum graecum; v.34, 1984. (reprint, 1987)
The Supplementum epigraphicum graecum, or SEG, is an annual publication that gathers the complete texts of newly discovered Greek inscriptions, along with bibliography on previously known documents. The material is grouped by ancient locale in which the Greek text originated, with a section for unknown. Each entry contains a date, description, annotated bibliographic citation, find spot, and the text (in the Greek original). Each volume contains several indexes: names of men and women; kings, dynasts, and their families; Roman emperors and their families; geographical name; religious terms; military terms (divided into two sections, Greek and Roman); important Greek words; and selected topics. A concordance concludes the volumes. This is an essential reference for those libraries supporting scholarship in ancient Greek literature, philosophy, politics, society, and archaeology. Brill has reprinted this volume in a lucid facsimile of the original, with no additional material. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Supplementum epigraphicum graecum; v.26, 1976-1977. (reprint, 1979)
The Supplementum epigraphicum graecum, or SEG, is an annual publication that gathers the complete texts of newly discovered Greek inscriptions, along with bibliography on previously known documents. The material is grouped by ancient locale in which the Greek text originated, with a section for unknown. Each entry contains a date, description, annotated bibliographic citation, find spot, and the text (in the Greek original). Each volume contains several indexes: names of men and women; kings, dynasts, and their families; Roman emperors and their families; geographical name; religious terms; military terms (divided into two sections, Greek and Roman); important Greek words; and selected topics. A concordance concludes the volumes. This is an essential reference for those libraries supporting scholarship in ancient Greek literature, philosophy, politics, society, and archaeology. Brill has reprinted this volume in a lucid facsimile of the original, with no additional material. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
