Beyond Denial is a collection of essays envisioning a spirituality for our time that is life-affirming and inclusive, intellectually viable and socially responsible. The author, an ordained minister, integrates Judeo-Christian insights with the rich resources of many world religions and wisdom-streams. He emphasizes the centrality of consciousness in spiritual practice, first through fostering experiential awareness of our inherent inner Divinity, but also through consciously perceiving--and moving beyond denial of--whatever dysfunctional patterns may plague us individually or in society. From Columbine to the Clinton impeachment, from Alanis Morissette music to baseball games, Acheson invites readers to look at the world with curiosity and compassion, for it is only through inner questioning that we may transform all we've denied so far. This book offers a range of valuable insights and practices for shaping a hopeful future through expanded awareness of all levels of the human experience.

"In this new book, Jared Del Rosso argues that to understand contemporary social problems we need to become aware of the strategies that people use to deny the existence of those very problems. Drawing on research in sociology, criminology, psychology, and communication studies, Del Rosso develops a new vocabulary for describing denial and its consequences. With examples from everyday observations, current events, and social scientific research, Del Rosso also reveals just how widespread and varied the uses of denial are. Some uses of denial can help people repair their interactions and relationships with others. But most uses of it allows problems to fester, unrecognized. We need, Del Rosso concludes, forms of acknowledgement to surface long-denied problems. But more than that, we need collective forms of action to remedy the harms that those problems and our denial of them have done"--

Lucy Bregman guides the reader through the wealth of recent literature on death and dying, giving special attention to the autobiographical narratives of terminally ill people and to books offering counsel to the dying, their caregivers, and the bereaved. She argues that this literature should supplement, not supplant, Christian understandings of death.

An analysis of why people with knowledge about climate change often fail to translate that knowledge into action. Global warming is the most significant environmental issue of our time, yet public response in Western nations has been meager. Why have so few taken any action? In Living in Denial, sociologist Kari Norgaard searches for answers to this question, drawing on interviews and ethnographic data from her study of "Bygdaby," the fictional name of an actual rural community in western Norway, during the unusually warm winter of 2000-2001. In 2000-2001 the first snowfall came to Bygdaby two months later than usual; ice fishing was impossible; and the ski industry had to invest substantially in artificial snow-making. Stories in local and national newspapers linked the warm winter explicitly to global warming. Yet residents did not write letters to the editor, pressure politicians, or cut down on use of fossil fuels. Norgaard attributes this lack of response to the phenomenon of socially organized denial, by which information about climate science is known in the abstract but disconnected from political, social, and private life, and sees this as emblematic of how citizens of industrialized countries are responding to global warming. Norgaard finds that for the highly educated and politically savvy residents of Bygdaby, global warming was both common knowledge and unimaginable. Norgaard traces this denial through multiple levels, from emotions to cultural norms to political economy. Her report from Bygdaby, supplemented by comparisons throughout the book to the United States, tells a larger story behind our paralysis in the face of today's alarming predictions from climate scientists.

The animal agriculture industry, like other profit-driven industries, aggressively seeks to shield itself from public scrutiny. To that end, it uses a distinct set of rhetorical strategies to deflect criticism. These tactics are fundamental to modern animal agriculture but have long evaded critical analysis. In this collection, academic and activist contributors investigate the many forms of denialism perpetuated by the animal agriculture industry. What strategies does the industry use to avoid questions about its inhumane treatment of animals and its impact on the environment and public health? What narratives, myths and fantasies does it promote to sustain its image in the public imagination? ‘powerful, timely and essential’ – David Nibert, author of Animal Oppression and Human Violence: Domesecration, Capitalism, and Global Conflict ‘Meatsplaining equips us to identify the lies at the heart of animal agriculture. It’s an excellent and timely compilation on an exceedingly vexing problem.’ – Carol J. Adams, author of The Sexual Politics of Meat and Burger ‘Meatsplaining is the first book to give an apt name to the animal agriculture industry’s relentless campaign of disinformation and denialism ... Written in a clear, lively, and accessible style, Meatsplaining will surely educate the public about the horrors of animal agriculture.’ – Marc Bekoff, author of The Animals’ Agenda: Freedom, Compassion, and Coexistence in the Human Age ‘Cruelty thrives in secrecy, and the meat industry is highly skilled at concealing the routine abuse and misery that flourishes on modern farms. Meatsplaining cuts through the spin, and exposes the meat industry's massive PR machine. It explores how Big Meat uses language, obfuscation, and denial to misdirect the public's attention away from its commodification of sentient animals, environmental devastation, and the looming health crisis caused by eating animals. This book is a must-read for animal advocates, and anyone else who no longer wants to be lied to.’ – Camille Labchuk, Executive Director, Animal Justice ‘This book ... provides a necessary corrective to the fantasy world created by meat industry propaganda. As we grapple with a global zoonotic pandemic and biodiversity crisis, it is urgent for us to ... start thinking clearly about who and what is on our plates.’ – John Sorenson, Brock University