When Christians worship God, their cultic activities display, in widely varying combinations, attitudes of fear, respect, love, trust, awe, deference and obedience. They worship the Lord with all their heart, soul and strength, confessing their own insignificance in comparison to God, yet expressing confidence in the divine mercy which they believe will assist them through the trials of this life, toward a joyful existence beyond the grave. In the liturgical churches, the dominating mood varies according to the tables of feasts (...) and fasts: Christmas and Easter are times for joyful song, brightly coloured vestments and festive activities. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of penitence, sorrow and sombre hymnody. Throughout the year, the houses of worship are places of bowed heads and lowered voices, of respect and sobriety, and sometimes of veneration for icons and the objects used in worship. The inventory of revered objects varies considerably, as do the activities thought to be appropriate in this connection, ranging from the Low Protestant's respectful handling of the Bible to the High Churchman's prostration before the Monstrance, in the Benediction of the Holy Sacrament. But it is clear that divine worship normally involves reverence and awe and that it usually involves some form of self-abasement. (shrink)

This is a useful collection of readings for a senior undergraduate or junior-level graduate course on universals. The selections are short, but generally self-contained, and thus accessible to readers unfamiliar with the literature. Most of the great contributors to the debate, from Plato to the early Russell, Husserl, and Heidegger, are well represented, with a good sampling of the medieval discussion in pieces from Abelard, St. Thomas, Duns Scotus, and Ockham. Postwar twentieth-century contributors include Quine, Carnap, Strawson, and David Pears; (...) and the text ends with a helpful bibliography of books and articles for further inquiry. (shrink)