Georgetown University Press

Based on both English and Russian sources, The Russian FSB by Kevin P. Riehle is a well-researched introduction to understanding the FSB and its central role in Putin’s Russia. https://bit.ly/3zEuHoW

The images we use to think about moral character are powerful. They inform our understanding of the moral virtues and the ways in which moral character develops. However, this aspect of virtue ethics is rarely discussed. In Ecological Moral Character, Nancy M. Rourke creates an ecological model through which we can form images of moral character. She integrates concepts of ecology with Thomas Aquinas' vision and describes the dynamics of a moral character in terms of the processes and functions that take place in an ecosystem. The virtues, the passions, the will, and the intellect, are also described in terms of this model. Ecological Moral Character asks readers to choose deliberately the models we use to imagine moral character and offers this ecological virtue model as a vital framework for a period of environmental crisis. https://bit.ly/3xST95s

The current political atmosphere would suggest that law is imposed only from above, specifically by the chief executive acting upon some sort of perceived populist mandate. In Law from Below, Elisabeth Rain Kincaid shows that the theology of the early modern legal theorist and theologian, Francisco Suárez, SJ may be successfully retrieved to provide a constructive model of legal engagement for Christians today. Ultimately, Law from Below argues that the dialogue between legislators and the community provides Christian activists with a range of options for constructively engaging with law in order to have a positive impact on society. https://bit.ly/4bE27l4

While teaching ethics is universally applauded, how one goes about it is much more difficult and contested than is often recognized. On Teaching and Learning Christian Ethics addresses what it means to teach and learn ethics through a thorough comparison of two ethicists, Henry Sidgwick and F. D. Maurice. Long expands the discipline of ethics through the central theme of his work: that moral life is a gift rather than an achievement. He provides a clear argument in favor of a more holistic approach to teaching ethics. https://bit.ly/4cAR2T3

#OTD in 1790 the United States Congress passed the Residence Act, selecting a site on the Potomac River as the permanent U.S. capital. In celebration, we've put together a reading list of books about the history and culture of the District of Columbia. https://lnkd.in/eTVUd4GS

Unlike individuals or corporations that become insolvent, nations do not have access to bankruptcy protection from their creditors. When a country defaults on its debt, the international financial system is ill equipped to manage the crisis. Decisions by key individuals—from national leaders to those at the International Monetary Fund, from creditors to judges—determine the fate of an entire national economy. A prime example is Argentina’s 2001 default on $100 billion in bonds, which stands out for the protracted nature of the ensuing litigation and its outsized impact on sovereign debt markets, law, and IMF policy. In Default, Gregory Makoff takes readers behind the scenes of this dramatic court room saga. This cautionary tale lays bare the institutional, political, and legal pressures that come into play when a country cannot repay its debt, and offers a deeper understanding of how global financial capitalism functions. https://bit.ly/4cXfYDX

Societally sanctioned competition for money, power, and fame promotes selfishness, personal alienation, and widespread inequality, especially in market-oriented economies. Yet many of those engaging in this competitive individualism—the competition for rewards and limited resources—yearn to act directly to promote a more civil, equitable, and sustainable society. Enlightened Self-Interest by Thomas Bussen offers evidence-based insights into the societal and individual consequences of this cultural practice and an actionable alternative to it. This meticulously researched and empirically rooted reexamination of hypercompetition and zero-sum thinking presents inspiring examples of people who have reclaimed their own lives by contributing to a more civil, equitable, and sustainable society. https://bit.ly/3W2z2tP

Government, industry, and academia need better tools to explore threats, opportunities, and human interactions in cyberspace. The interactive exercises called cyber wargames are a powerful way to solve complex problems in a digital environment that involves both cooperation and conflict. Cyber Wargaming, edited by Frank L. Smith III, Nina A. Kollars, and Benjamin H. Schechter, is the first book to provide both the theories and practical examples needed to successfully build, play, and learn from these interactive exercises. Cyber Wargaming is a vital resource for readers interested in security studies and wargame design in higher education, the military, and the private sector. https://bit.ly/4cAVHo0

Water, Whiskey, and Vodka by Arizona State University professor Danko Šipka takes a deep dive into the origins of the Slavic languages, from a common ancestor through various cultural and historical shifts to arrive at the current breadth of languages. The book takes a captivating look at the unique sociolinguistic context of the Slavic languages and pays special attention to the cultural subtleties particular to each one and the people who speak it. Water, Whiskey, and Vodka will fascinate readers interested in the development of language and its impact on culture. https://bit.ly/4cyMQ6k

At the age of forty-eight, Centre Sèvres professor Patrick C. Goujon, SJ, suddenly remembered what a priest had done to him for four long years, beginning when he was seven years of age. Locked in denial for almost forty years, he finally spoke out. He thought he could then heal. Yet his whole life started falling apart. In Precarious, Goujon tells the story of how he learned to survive the shock of this revelation and to live as a believer. His story is a healing journey and a path to finding support in spirituality to recover from child abuse. https://bit.ly/3zCPfyd