The Paradox of Generosity

The Paradox of Generosity PDF Author: Christian Smith
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199394903
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
Determining why, when, and to whom people feel compelled to be generous affords invaluable insight into many social practices. Organ donation, gift-giving, the funding of charities, and political views on taxation can all be illuminated by sociological and psychological perspectives on howAmerican adults conceive of and demonstrate generosity. Focusing not only on financial giving but on the many diverse forms philanthropy can take, Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson show the deep impact - usually good, sometimes destructive - that giving has on individuals.The Paradox of Generosity is the first study to make use of the cutting-edge empirical data collected in Smith's groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, five-year Science of Generosity Initiative. It draws on an extensive survey of 2,000 Americans, more than sixty in-depth interviews with individualsacross twelve states, and nuanced analysis of over 1,000 photographs and other visual materials. This wealth of evidence reveals a consistent link between demonstrating generosity and leading a better life: more generous people are happier, suffer fewer illnesses and injuries, live with a greatersense of purpose, and experience less depression. Smith and Davidson also show, however, that to achieve a better life a person must practice generosity regularly - random acts of kindness are not enough.Offering a wide range of vividly illustrative case studies, this volume will be a crucial resource for anyone seeking to understand the true impact and meaning of generosity.

The Paradox of Generosity

The Paradox of Generosity PDF Author: Christian Smith
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199394903
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 281

Get Book

Book Description
Determining why, when, and to whom people feel compelled to be generous affords invaluable insight into many social practices. Organ donation, gift-giving, the funding of charities, and political views on taxation can all be illuminated by sociological and psychological perspectives on howAmerican adults conceive of and demonstrate generosity. Focusing not only on financial giving but on the many diverse forms philanthropy can take, Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson show the deep impact - usually good, sometimes destructive - that giving has on individuals.The Paradox of Generosity is the first study to make use of the cutting-edge empirical data collected in Smith's groundbreaking, multidisciplinary, five-year Science of Generosity Initiative. It draws on an extensive survey of 2,000 Americans, more than sixty in-depth interviews with individualsacross twelve states, and nuanced analysis of over 1,000 photographs and other visual materials. This wealth of evidence reveals a consistent link between demonstrating generosity and leading a better life: more generous people are happier, suffer fewer illnesses and injuries, live with a greatersense of purpose, and experience less depression. Smith and Davidson also show, however, that to achieve a better life a person must practice generosity regularly - random acts of kindness are not enough.Offering a wide range of vividly illustrative case studies, this volume will be a crucial resource for anyone seeking to understand the true impact and meaning of generosity.

American Generosity

American Generosity PDF Author: Patricia Snell Herzog
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190456515
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
American charitable giving veers from the hyperbolically generous to the hyperbolically stingy. On some days, no one has a quarter to spare; in times of disaster, Americans will put their lives on hold to build houses for those displaced by hurricanes. The crucial question of who gives and why they do it lies at the heart of American Generosity. Patricia Snell Herzog and Heather E. Price, sociologists who focus on philanthropy, draw on findings from the groundbreaking Science of Generosity initiative, which combines a nationally representative survey of adult Americans with in-depth interviews and case studies. For most Americans, they find, the important forms of giving are: donating money, volunteering time, and taking political action. Focusing on these three types of activity, the authors go on to examine and analyze multiple dimensions of resources, social status, regional cultural norms, different approaches to giving, social-psychological orientation, and the relational contexts of generosity. Herzog and Price conclude that giving is supported by "circles of generosity," which ripple outward in their reach to targets of giving. The book offers not just analysis, but practical tips for readers who want to increase their own giving, for parents modeling giving to their children, spouses desiring alignment in their giving, and friends and community members seeking to support giving by others. The authors also provide explicit fundraising ideas for nonprofits, foundations, and religious leaders. Thought-provoking and accessibly written, American Generosity lays out a broad yet nuanced explanation of giving that sheds important new light on a topic that touches all of us in one way or another.

The Paradox of Generosity

The Paradox of Generosity PDF Author: Christian Stephen Smith
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780199394937
Category : Generosity
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
In this volume, Christian Smith and Hilary Davidson offer vital insight into how American adults conceive of and demonstrate generosity. Focusing not only on financial giving but on the many diverse forms philanthropy can take, they show the impact - both positive and negative - that giving has on individuals.

Life: the Gift That Keeps on Giving

Life: the Gift That Keeps on Giving PDF Author: Jane S. Green
Publisher: Balboa Press
ISBN: 1504389972
Category : Literary Collections
Languages : en
Pages : 82

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Book Description
Everyone has a story to tell, and I selected to tell my story through my blog formerly called: Monday Morning Bluees, which is an acronym for "Believe Life Uses Everyone and Everything Spiritually." I have endured many hurts, mistakes, lessons, pains, failures, heartbreaks, disappointments, hardships, and struggles throughout my life, but I have also been on the receiving end of countless success stories, miracles, breakthroughs, victories, accomplishments, awards, accolades, and other blessings. I have come to accept that life is filled with polarities, and I came to this time-space reality to experience All of life including both its ups and its downs, (mostly ups). I am learning that I gain strength and momentum when I go through uncomfortable situations, circumstances, and experiences. Reflecting on my lifes story allows me an opportunity to release and heal my past. I now have a greater appreciation for where I have been, a warm acceptance and peace for where I am presently; and a clearer perspective on where I am going. My intention for this work is to shed light on issues that many females face and provide comfort in knowing that we are not alone on this journey I call Life.

Justice and Generosity

Justice and Generosity PDF Author: Andre Laks
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521452937
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 316

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Book Description
Hegel's often-echoed verdict on the apolitical character of philosophy in the Hellenistic age is challenged in this collection of essays, originally presented at the sixth meeting of the Symposium Hellenisticum. An international team of leading scholars reveals a vigorous intellectual scene of great diversity.

Surprised by Paradox

Surprised by Paradox PDF Author: Jen Pollock Michel
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 083087092X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 221

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Book Description
Word Guild Awards Shortlist — Apologetics/Evangelism Word Guild Award — Best Book Cover Award Christianity Today's Book of the Year Award of Merit - The Beautiful Orthodoxy What if certainty isn't the goal? In a world filled with ambiguity, many of us long for a belief system that provides straightforward answers to complex questions and clarity in the face of confusion. We want faith to act like an orderly set of truth-claims designed to solve the problems and pain that life throws at us. With signature candor and depth, Jen Pollock Michel helps readers imagine a Christian faith open to mystery. While there are certainties in Christian faith, at the heart of the Christian story is also paradox. Jesus invites us to abandon the polarities of either and or in order to embrace the difficult, wondrous dissonance of and. The incarnation—the paradox of God made human—teaches us to look for God in the and of body and spirit, heaven and earth. In the kingdom, God often hides in plain sight and announces his triumph on the back of a donkey. In the paradox of grace, we receive life eternal by actively participating in death. And lament, with its clear-eyed appraisal of suffering alongside its commitment to finding audience with God, is a paradoxical practice of faith. Each of these themes give us certainty about God while also leading us into greater curiosity about his nature and activity in the world. As Michel writes, "As soon as we think we have God figured out, we will have ceased to worship him as he is." With personal stories and reflection on Scripture, literature, and culture, Michel takes us deeper into mystery and into worship of the One who is Mystery and Love.

Giving Is the Good Life

Giving Is the Good Life PDF Author: Randy Alcorn
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 1496425952
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
ECPA 2020 Christian Book Award Finalist! Wouldn’t it be great if we could do what pleases God, helps others, and is best for us—at the same time? Can we live the good life without being selfish? In Giving Is the Good Life, bestselling author Randy Alcorn teaches life-changing biblical principles of generosity and tells stories of people who have put those radical principles into practice. Each story is a practical application that can help stimulate your imagination and expand your dreams of serving Jesus in fresh ways. These real-life models give you not just words to remember but footprints to follow. Giving Is the Good Life reveals a grander view of God and generosity—one that stretches far beyond our imagination and teaches us what the good life is really all about.

Grassroots for Hire

Grassroots for Hire PDF Author: Edward T. Walker
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107021367
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 299

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Book Description
This book examines how elite consultants are reshaping democracy by helping corporations and powerful advocacy groups to mobilize grassroots participation.

Generosity

Generosity PDF Author: Richard Powers
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 9780312429751
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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Book Description
The National Book Award-winning author of The Echo Maker proves yet again that "no writer of our time dreams on a grander scale or more knowingly captures the zeitgeist." (The Dallas Morning News). What will happen to life when science identifies the genetic basis of happiness? Who will own the patent? Do we dare revise our own temperaments? Funny, fast, and magical, Generosity celebrates both science and the freed imagination. In his most exuberant book yet, Richard Powers asks us to consider the big questions facing humankind as we begin to rewrite our own existence. A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year

The Wealth Paradox

The Wealth Paradox PDF Author: Frank Mols
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107079802
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 239

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Book Description
This book presents compelling evidence of the 'wealth paradox', where economic prosperity can also fuel prejudice, social unrest, and intergroup hostility.