<p>Despite remarkable similarities, little attempt has been made to compare the political development of colonial-era Australia and Canada. Both nations were born as British colonies and used violent and non-violent means to agitate for democratic freedoms. Republicanism and Responsible Government explores how these sister colonies transformed the very nature of the British Empire by insisting on democratic self-rule. Focusing on the middle of the nineteenth century, Benjamin Jones explores key points in colonial Australian and Canadian history - Canada's Rebellions of 1837-38 and the Durham Report, and Australia's anti-transportation movement and the Eureka Stockade. Previously, historians have looked to liberalism when explaining radicalism and democratization. Jones, however, contends that Canadian and Australian radicals and reformers were influenced by the ancient political philosophy of civic republicanism, with its focus on collectivism, civic duty, and virtue. William Lyon Mackenzie and John Dunmore Lang, he argues, did not champion republicanism to achieve individual rights but to create a virtuous society free from the corruption they saw in the status quo. Republicanism and Responsible Government challenges traditional interpretations of key events in Australian and Canadian history and shows that even though both nations remain constitutional monarchies, republican ideas have shaped their foundations since the earliest days of settlement. </p>

Republicanism and Responsible Government: The Shaping of Democracy in Australia and Canada

History

Jones, Benjamin T.

Americas

McGill-Queen's University Press

Atheism for Christians: Are There Lessons for the Religious World from the Secular Tradition?

What can Mary Wollstonecraft teach Christians about sexual ethics? Can John Stuart Mill help the church understand toleration? Are there lessons for the Christian world from writers like Marx, Nehru, Shelley, Popper, and Hume? Atheism for Christians looks at the work of some of the most influential secular thinkers and asks what Christians can learn without giving up their faith or core values. Looking at important modern issues such as gender equality, same-sex marriage, creationism and evolution, abortion, universal health, biblical literalism, and religious tribalism, this work offers a fresh perspective on old questions. The Bible says the value of wisdom is far above rubies. It should not matter where that wisdom comes from. The Christian world should be able to celebrate and learn from the intellectual giants in the secular tradition just as atheists can still appreciate the great academic and artistic contribution of Christianity. The nexus between faith and reason is sometimes stretched but should never be abandoned. Atheism for Christians offers a unique insight into the work of some of the greatest secular thinkers and argues there is much to learn.

Politics & Social Sciences

Philosophy

Wipf and Stock

To propose an Australian should be our head of state doesn’t seem revolutionary. ‘Isn’t that already the case?” some may even ask. Flip a coin and you’ll have your answer.In This Time, Benjamin T. Jones charts a path to an independent future. He reveals the fascinating early history of the Australian republican movement of the 1850s and its larger-than-life characters. He shows why we need a new model for a transformed, multicultural nation, and discusses the best way to choose an Australian head of state. With republicans leading every government around the nation, the time is ripe for change.

This Time: Australia's Republican Past and Future

Politics & Government

Black Inc. Redback

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Jones, Benjamin T.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Jones, Benjamin T.