When Prophecy Failed

Fülszöveg

I am indebted to the Court of Glasgow University for granting me study leave from January to September 1977 during which I did the groundwork for this book. Without that escape from teaching and mingling with students it would never have been written - yet without all those lectures, seminars, tutorials and interminable arguments with students my originál ideas would hardly have matured into a potential book at all. Naming names can be a specious practice in preface writing but a few individuals have greatly assisted my work and I would wish to place on record my gratitude to them. As head of the department Róbert Davidson made my study leave possible by encouraging me to take it and by rearranging the teaching programmes. Alastair Hunter took over the teaching of somé of my courses and so made good my absence. Long hours of discussion over a lengthy period of time with Joe Houston, a philosopher from the theology department, helped to clarify and sharpen my thinking on many issues,... Tovább

Fülszöveg

I am indebted to the Court of Glasgow University for granting me study leave from January to September 1977 during which I did the groundwork for this book. Without that escape from teaching and mingling with students it would never have been written - yet without all those lectures, seminars, tutorials and interminable arguments with students my originál ideas would hardly have matured into a potential book at all. Naming names can be a specious practice in preface writing but a few individuals have greatly assisted my work and I would wish to place on record my gratitude to them. As head of the department Róbert Davidson made my study leave possible by encouraging me to take it and by rearranging the teaching programmes. Alastair Hunter took over the teaching of somé of my courses and so made good my absence. Long hours of discussion over a lengthy period of time with Joe Houston, a philosopher from the theology department, helped to clarify and sharpen my thinking on many issues, especially on the philosophical side. I owe a special debt to Professor Peter Ackroyd of the University of London for encouragement by way of correspondence and the use of my published journal articles in his own writings. Such encouragement greatly stimulated my thinking and helped me to apply myself to the wearisome task of writing and rewriting the book. To my wife Mary Anne, who took the children away on holiday for two summers in order to allow me peace and quiet for writing, this book owes more than I can say. The writing of it has made me ponder again the argument of Socrates in Plato's Phaedrus that as a man's thoughts are much superior to any words he may write writing is a poor reflection of thought. I suspect he may have had a point. Glasgow Róbert P. Carroll October 1978 Vissza