Nearly a century's worth of Scurlock photographs combine to form a searing portrait of black Washington in all its guises—its challenges and its victories; its dignity and its determination. Beginning in the early twentieth century and continuing into the 1990s; Addison Scurlock; followed by his sons; Robert and George; used their cameras to document and celebrate a community unique in the world; and a stronghold in the history and culture of the nation's capital.Through photographs of formal weddings; elegant cotillions; ballet studios; and quiet family life; the Scurlocks revealed a world in which the black middle class refused to be defined or held captive by discrimination. From its home on the vibrant U Street corridor; the Scurlock Studio gave us indelible images of leaders and luminaries; of high society and working class; of Washingtonians at work and at play. In photograph after photograph; the Scurlocks captured an optimism and resiliency seldom seen in mainstream depictions of segregated society.Luminaries such as Duke Ellington; Ralph Bunche; Mary McLeod Bethune; Alain Locke; Martin Luther King; Jr.; and Lois Mailou Jones testify to the intellectual and cultural vibrancy that was unique to Washington and an inspiration to the nation. Photographs of a Peoples Drugstore protest and Marian Anderson's Easter morning concert at the Lincoln Memorial remind us that the struggle for equality in black Washington began long before the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Offering a rich lens into our past; The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington is a powerful trigger of personal and historical memory.
#534056 in Books 2005-07-18Original language:GermanPDF # 1 7.90 x 1.00 x 5.20l; .81 #File Name: 158617035X280 pagesPaperback; catholic; Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Sola Empirica: Unraveling the Tapestry of ModernityBy KSIEver hear someone say; "It doesn't matter what you believe; all that matters is that you are a good person"? I assume you have. If you are interested in the intellectual-historical development of this phrase; read this book.Here; Pope Benedict XVI does not so much argue for the Truth of Christianity here; as he does argues for the capacity of the human mind. It is a call for a return to original spirit of Philosophy as inspired by Plato: that man can know Truth. Wielding his vast theological; philosophical; and historical erudition; he makes a compelling case that the primary problem facing this age is the notion that reason; and hence truth; is limited to what is quantifiable; i.e.; to what science alone can tell us. From such an understanding has stemmed the worldview that what belongs in the realm of the objective is the empirical; the testable; the scientific; while what belongs in realm of the subjective is the sentimental; the emotional; and the aesthetic. As such; truth and reason are relegated to the realm of the empirical; it has no say in questions of value; beauty; and religion--truth cannot be predicated of such areas.Using this as a hermeneutic key to unlock the problems facing belief today; Pope Benedict XVI spends the majority of the book working to implode this mindset from the inside and expand the scope of truth and reason to once again encapsulate all of human existence. Of particular interest is the way in which he shows:a.) how the rise of eastern mysticism in the west and the the predominance of pluralistic theologians such as John Hick depends particularly on the assumption that reason has no say in questions of religion;b.) how Newton; Francis Bacon; and natural science actually presupposes the Platonic notion of reason that he [Pope Benedict XVI] argues for;c.) how Truth and Goodness are necessarily related to each other; ANDd.) how the Mosaic Distinction of Truth and falsity (think of the 1st commandment) in the realm of religion has a historical parallel in the Greek philosophy via Socratic dialectic (Plato's Euthyphro) and how both were synthesized in the Patristic era (Augustine's City of God).This book is excellent. I cannot recommend it highly enough.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Must readBy MaryBVery lucid and insightful analysis of the similarities and differences between Christianity and eastern religions. This book is a must read to give any thoughtful person a starting point for analyzing Christianity compared to eastern religions. Today Christianity is being abandoned by people who feel that it is old fashioned or irrelevant and yet they are drawn to Eastern religions a which are even older and more mystical. This book gives a solid; rational basis for the Christian belief system but it does not violate or demean the perspective of other religions. It would be a good read as you try to find your own way.23 of 24 people found the following review helpful. The Consolation of the TruthBy wvanoAccording to Cardinal Ratzinger (later; Pope Benedict XVI); religious relativism; the popular dogma that the major world religions are equally effective ways of attaining human fulfillment and even eternal salvation; is "the central problem for faith in our time.""Truth and Tolerance" is a collection of essays and speeches addressing this problem. In them; Cardinal Ratzinger explores a variety of approaches - anthropological; philosophical; and theological - but his essential point is that religion cannot prescind from the criterion of truth. Pontius Pilate may have asked it sarcastically; but the person of faith must sincerely pose the question "What is truth?" because truth is an irreplaceable good. The goodness of the Christian doctrines of the Trinity and the Atonement; for example; depends on their being true.Cardinal Ratzinger argues persuasively that our postmodern awareness of cultural diversity does not prove the superiority of relativism. Instead; the mass media; the global economy; and other current realities can be seen as signs pointing to our common humanity and our need for universal truths. The truth is that; in the face of contemporary pluralism; the Christian faith offers meaning of universal value.
