What does it mean to flourish? Human flourishing lies at the heart of the good news of the gospel, and yet contemporary theologies know not only one way of speaking about what it means to flourish. If we embed our theological grammars of flourishing in the doctrine of salvation, as the doctrine in which theological flourishing talk is arguably rooted and from which rich fruit may be borne, there is not one but various ways in which to speak about what it means to flourish. Yet what governs our speaking? Why do we speak of flourishing as we do? The various conceptions of human flourishing that are outlined in this book – piety, joy, and comfort; being fully alive, healing, and dignity; grace, happiness, and blessing – represent a collection of attempts not only to imagine human flourishing, but also to imagine ways of speaking about human flourishing. Perhaps what theology could offer to the vibrant and robust conversations on human flourishing lies exactly in the reminder to take care about how we speak about that which is truly and deeply human: our longing to flourish.

This fascinating lexicon presents a compilation of approximately a thousand labels with which man has referred to himself in literary history. This is an indispensible reference tool for anyone interested in the accomplishments of Homo.

In the most revolutionary archaeological find of the new century, an international team of archaeologists led by Mike Morwood discovered a new, diminutive species of human on the remote Indonesian island of Flores. Nicknamed the “Hobbit,” this was no creation of Tolkien's fantasy. The three foot tall skeleton with a brain the size of a chimpanzee’s was a tool-using, fire-making, cooperatively hunting person who inhabited Flores alongside modern humans as recently as 13,000 years ago. This book is Morwood’s description of this monumental discovery and the intense study that has been undertaken to validate his view of its relationship to our species. He chronicles the bitter debates over Homo Floresiensis, the objections (some spiteful) of colleagues, the theft and damage of some of the specimens, and the endless battle against government and academic bureaucracies that hindered his research. This updated paperback edition contains an epilogue that reports on the most recent debates, findings, and analyses of this amazing discovery.

Somewhere between 10 000 and 100 000 years ago, a mysteriously small species of human roamed the Earth. Nicknamed the 'hobbits', these small humans (Homo floresiensis) were not so different from modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens). Like us, these humans walked on two legs. Moreover, Homo floresiensis constructed and used tools made of stone. Homo Floresiensis: Diving Deep into our Evolutionary Past is a collection of essays written by students of Canadian universities. These essays explore a diverse array of topics including the methods of fossil and genetic study, the ethics of fossil research as well as the anatomy of Homo floresiensis, especially as it compares to other human species such as Homo erectus and Homo sapiens. Since their discovery in Liang Bua cave in Flores, Indonesia, their existence has sparked numerous questions. Why were Homo floresiensis so small compared to other human species? Why does their brain evolution appear almost 'backwards' compared to other hominid species, with their crania becoming smaller rather than larger? Is Homo floresiensis a distinct human species or is it simply a pathological modern Homo sapiens? These questions and more will be explored throughout the course of Homo Floresiensis: Diving Deep into our Evolutionary Past.

This study proposes to examine the case of Homo erectus whose phylogenetic position and taxonomic status remain unclear despite considerable research aimed at identifying this taxon from archaic forms.

There is only one kind of human on earth today: us. But we are only one of a number of human species - primates of the Hominini tribe - that have existed on our planet across the millennia. In 2004 the world was astounded by the discovery of Homo floresiensis, a species of human never encountered before, on the island of Flores in the Indonesian archipelago. A very short, thickset being, with long arms and feet and an appetite for stegodons (a now extinct relative of modern elephants), it was soon nicknamed ‘the hobbit’. As recently as 52,500 years ago, at a time when our own ancestors were spreading around the world, these ‘hobbit’ cousins lived also, at least on Flores. In Little Species, Big Mystery archaeologist Debbie Argue takes us on a journey of thrilling scientific discovery, recounting the unearthing of H. floresiensis, the archaeological expeditions that have followed, other finds - including that of a small Philippines hominin - and new paths of research and discussion. Argue conveys the excitement of searching for and finding clues to a lost past, and the animated discussions that have flowed from their discovery. She provides much contextual information to strengthen our grasp of the essential coordinates of this field and stimulate our interest in the shadowy, fascinating realm of prerecorded time.