Most Popular Books by M. Barr

How did violence become OK? And is there any way back? At some point between George Floyd''s killing on May 25 and the invasion of the US Capitol on January 6, America''s consensus against political violence crumbled. Before 2020, almost everyone agreed that it should be out of bounds. Now, many are ready to justify such violence - at least when it is their side breaking windows or battling police officers. Something significant seems to have slipped. Is there any way back? As Christians, we need to consider what guilt we bear, with the rise of a decidedly unchristian "Christian nationalism" that historically has deep roots in American Christian culture. But shouldn''t we also be asking ourselves what a truly Christian stance might look like, one that reflects Jesus'' blessings on the peacemakers, the merciful, and the meek? Oscar Romero, when accused of preaching revolutionary violence, responded: "We have never preached violence, except the violence of love, which left Christ nailed to a cross." If we take Jesus'' example and his call to nonviolence at face value, we''re left with all kinds of interesting questions: What about policing? What about the military? What about participating in government? This issue of Plough addresses some of these questions and explores what a life lived according to love rather than violence might look like. In this issue: - Anthony M. Barr revisits James Baldwin''s advice about undoing racism. - Gracy Olmstead describes welcoming the baby she did not expect during a pandemic. - Patrick Tomassi debates nonviolence with Portland''s anarchists and Proud Boys. - Scott Beauchamp advises on what not to ask war veterans. - Rachel Pieh Jones reveals what Muslims have taught her about prayer. - Eberhard Arnold argues that Christian nonviolence is more than pacifism. - Stanley Hauerwas presents a vision of church you''ve never seen in practice. - Andrea Grosso Ciponte graphically portrays the White Rose student resistance to Nazism. - Zito Madu illuminates rap''s role in escaping the violence of poverty. - Springs Toledo recounts his boxing match with an undefeated professional. You''ll also find: - An interview with poet Rhina P. Espaillat - New poems by Catherine Tufariello - Profiles of Anabaptist leader Felix Manz and community founder Lore Weber - Reviews of Marly Youmans''s Charis in the World of Wonders, Judith D. Schwartz''s The Reindeer Chronicles, Chris Lombardi''s I Ain''t Marching Anymore, and Martín Espada''s Floaters Plough Quarterly features stories, ideas, and culture for people eager to put their faith into action. Each issue brings you in-depth articles, interviews, poetry, book reviews, and art to help you put Jesus'' message into practice and find common cause with others.

East Asia, particularly China, underwent political, social, and economic transformations in the 20th century. This A-to-Z encyclopedia includes information that enables students understand those economies from the agricultural revolution and the traders who travelled the Silk Road to the downfall of the Asian tigers.

First draft in need of beta readers...not for retail sales

This goal of this study is to explore the impact of teacher collaboration on early literacy development in kindergarten. Both empirical and scientific research has shown that collegial collaboration can be a powerful tool for initiating dialogue and creating change. This explorative study utilized qualitative teacher-research methods to document the collaborative processes used by five certificated kindergarten teachers and one student teacher over a six-week period. Findings of the study reveal that collaboration among educators supports both teachers and students by facilitating the identification and implementation of best practices in teaching, designing instruction for specific student needs, and creating a supportive professional atmosphere for teachers.

[Abstract] This thesis explores the question "What is the experience of ceremony as a means of self-transformation?" utilizing the heuristic research model. Heuristic investigation was used because of the complex and personal nature of the phenomenon. A comprehensive review of the literature indicated that no similar study had been done but did reveal a wealth of information focusing on ceremony from anthropological, sociological and religious perspectives. Limited research was available on ceremony as a psychologically transformative process as experienced by individual participants. The researcher immersed in a process of self-search using the heuristic research techniques of self-dialogue, indwelling and focusing. Data was obtained from eleven co-researchers who shared personal descriptions of their experience of ceremony as a means to self-transformation during open-ended taped interviews. Each interview was transcribed, reviewed for themes and synthesized into an individual depiction, using immersion, incubation and illumination. The individual depictions of each co-researcher illuminated several themes 1) Ceremony as a state of consciousness created by the focus and intentionality of the participant and characterized by altered time, space, and sensory perceptions; 2) The transformative ceremonial process as encountering a perceived self-limitation--physical, emotional, psychological or mental--which is moved beyond/resolved by action (doing) or letting go (being); 3) The resultant self-transformative effect as a) self-empowerment through enhanced self-concept and self-in-the world behavior and b) spirituality or transpersonal connection with Nature, humanity and the Universe. The findings of this study have significant implications for the field of psychotherapy and for the culture at large.

An exploration of sorrow amidst trials with a touch of light and hope thrown in.

[Abstract] This thesis explores the question "What is the experience of ceremony as a means of self-transformation?" utilizing the heuristic research model. Heuristic investigation was used because of the complex and personal nature of the phenomenon. A comprehensive review of the literature indicated that no similar study had been done but did reveal a wealth of information focusing on ceremony from anthropological, sociological and religious perspectives. Limited research was available on ceremony as a psychologically transformative process as experienced by individual participants. The researcher immersed in a process of self-search using the heuristic research techniques of self-dialogue, indwelling and focusing. Data was obtained from eleven co-researchers who shared personal descriptions of their experience of ceremony as a means to self-transformation during open-ended taped interviews. Each interview was transcribed, reviewed for themes and synthesized into an individual depiction, using immersion, incubation and illumination. The individual depictions of each co-researcher illuminated several themes 1) Ceremony as a state of consciousness created by the focus and intentionality of the participant and characterized by altered time, space, and sensory perceptions; 2) The transformative ceremonial process as encountering a perceived self-limitation--physical, emotional, psychological or mental--which is moved beyond/resolved by action (doing) or letting go (being); 3) The resultant self-transformative effect as a) self-empowerment through enhanced self-concept and self-in-the world behavior and b) spirituality or transpersonal connection with Nature, humanity and the Universe. The findings of this study have significant implications for the field of psychotherapy and for the culture at large.

North Pacific albacore (Thunnus alalunga) is a highly migratory and commercially valuable species of tuna. All stock assessments and management decisions for North Pacific albacore are presently based on the assumption of a single, uniform stock. However, a growing body of evidence from diverse sources suggests that there are two subgroups of albacore in the coastal fishery of North America. These subgroups are believed to occur north and south of 400 North latitude. This study investigated the existence of the proposed subgroups using more than 40 years of albacore logbook and port sampler data provided by the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. I examined regional differences in the coastal albacore fishery using three metrics: 1) catch per unit effort (CPUE), 2) entry and exit date, and 3) size composition. Distinct regional differences were observed for each metric. Spatial mapping of average CPUE by month suggested that migration into the coastal fishery occurs at two distinct locations: approximately 450 North latitude and 300 North latitude. Availability within seasons, expressed as average CPUE by month, differed between the two regions. Average entry and exit dates were also different between the two regions, with the northern region starting on average one month later (July) and ending one month earlier (October) than the southern region. Moreover, albacore from the southern region averaged 2.5 cm longer than those caught in the northern region. These results support previous findings and suggest that the coastal albacore fishery is comprised of two subgroups with distinct migration routes and size characteristics. The results may have implications for the management of this fishery, particularly if these subgroups represent separate and distinct stocks. Because this study did not examine spawning distribution, further research (possibly using genetics) is needed to determine if the subgroups spawn independently in space and time.