A Critique of Deep Ecology

Abstract  Our environmental crisis is commonly explained as a product of a set of attitudes and beliefs about the world which have been developed by post-Cartesian technological society. Deep ecologists claim that the crisis can only be overcome by adopting an alternative non-technological paradigm, such as can be discovered in non-Western cultures. In this paper I (a) express misgivings about the use of the expression 'Paradigm' by deep ecologists, (b) question the claim that a science-based world-view inevitably fosters manipulative and exploitative attitudes to the natural world, (c) suggest that non-technological cultures do not necessarily provide exemplary and superior models for relating to the natural world, and (d) defend a scientific naturalism as a satisfying way of realising our unity with the natural world.     

THE LITERAL SENSE OF SCRIPTURE ACCORDING TO HENRI DE LUBAC: INSIGHTS FROM PATRISTIC EXEGESIS OF THE TRANSFIGURATION

This essay explicates Henri de Lubac's account of Scripture's literal sense as illumined by three patristic interpretations of the Transfiguration. Origen's exegesis highlights de Lubac's deployment of the Incarnational analogy in which history contains, veils, and discloses divine mystery. Similar to Jerome, de Lubac distinguishes the realities of biblical history (as revelatory loci) from their textual articulation. Augustine illustrates the hermeneutical influence of the interpreter's presupposed account of history, to which de Lubac, following Blondel, attributes great importance in approaching the biblical letter. De Lubac's account of the literal sense is thoroughly theological and an underexplored resource for thinking about this topic.     

Boycotting South Africa

ABSTRACT This essay explores the question of what sorts of relations morality permits, requires, or forbids nations, businesses, and individuals to have with South Africa and South Africans. After reflecting on the immorality of apartheid and rebutting several defences of it, the essay turns its attention to several questions that bear on the assessment of foreign policy toward South Africa. The final sections discuss how individuals ought to respond to South African apartheid, focusing on collective boycotts and personal abstentions. The essay critically assesses various proposed boycotts and weighs the significance of symbolic protests of apartheid.     

Psychometric properties of the revised Norwegian dispositional resilience (hardiness) scale

Hystad, S. W., Eid, J., Johnsen, B. H., Laberg, J. C. & Bartone, P. T. (2010) Psychometric properties of the revised Norwegian dispositional resilience (hardiness) scale. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 51, 237–245. In the 30 years that have elapsed since it was first introduced, the concept of hardiness has continued to attract the attention and interest of researchers from all over the world. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and factor structure of a revised Norwegian hardiness scale (Dispositional Resilience Scale 15; DRS‐15). Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic strategies with a large sample of working adults (N = 7,280), support was found for a hierarchical structure comprising a general hardiness dimension and three sub‐dimensions (commitment, control, and challenge). Overall, the results support the reliability and validity of the revised DRS‐15 and underscore the importance of examining the psychometric properties and cultural appropriateness of translated scales.     

THE READING RECOVERY APPROACH TO PREVENTIVE EARLY INTERVENTION: AS GOOD AS IT GETS?

Reading Recovery is a widely used preventive early intervention program designed for young children who have failed to respond adequately to formal reading instruction after 12 months of schooling. The focus of this article is on the theoretical underpinnings of the program, the assessment battery used in the program, the specific procedures and instructional strategies emphasized in the program, and the manner of program delivery. Following an examination of Reading Recovery in relation to contemporary theory and research on children’s reading problems and effective intervention strategies, fundamental changes to the program are recommended.