Pontiffs from the Middle Ages to the present have portrayed Islam in widely differing terms. Indeed, before the twentieth century, popes rarely employ the terms “Islam” and “Muslim,” preferring terms such as “Saracens,” “Turks,” or “Mohammedans.” The ways they portrayed Islam and Muslims varied according to the perceived doctrinal and military threat posed to the Roman Church and according to the individual inclinations of different popes. But they also varied (sometimes in the writings of the same pope) according to a variety of specific interests: the popes’ engagement with Islam and Muslims is alternately military, political, diplomatic, theological, or pastoral. Hence very different assessments of Islam and Muslims emerge from a great diversity of papal sources: crusading encyclicals, canon law texts dealing with the legal status of Muslims living in Christian lands, letters to Muslim rulers, correspondence with Church officials in Muslim territories (bishops, friars, missionaries, or others). This brief chronological survey examines the varying and evolving portrayals of Islam and Muslims in papal documents, from the early Middle Ages through Vatican II and until the pontificate of Francis I.

Many governments and universities have pursued excellence by emulating world-class models and relying on international ranking schemes for validation and ideas for improvement. Others have relied on traditional notions of quality and research productivity. These approaches rely on the accumulation of wealth and talent – strategies that are “rivalrous” limiting the opportunities of others to be as effective. Focusing on portraits of eight different institutions reveals other approaches to excellence, all of which rely on defining and pursuing a purpose.

Qatar University (QU) in Doha, Qatar, was founded as a public institution whose purpose was to provide higher education to the academically talented students from the country. After several decades, the institution sought to pursue international standards of excellence, hiring international faculty and offering courses in English. However, a course correction led the institution back towards its original purpose and a desire to strengthen national identity and values.

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC) is one of the leading universities in the region. Founded to deliver professional education for young Chileans from all backgrounds, UC has maintained its commitment to excellence and access. Its faith-based origins have been reframed into an expansive vision of an institution that is serving the needs of the nation while also addressing pressing societal problems.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai is distinguished by its commitment to field-based learning and research. It has been at the forefront of the development of the social sciences and social work education in India for seventy-five years. TISS has benefited from the continuity of leadership and widely shared core values. It has a longstanding commitment to partnering with communities throughout India, and its fieldwork projects develop realistic solution to seemingly intractable social problems.

The final chapter provides an examination of how the Merovingian world was shaped by opposition to paganism, heresy, Judaism, and, at the end, the new Islamic world of the Arab caliphate. The Franks (or at least some of them) had started as pagans themselves in the fifth century, and stories of conversion created important reminders of the journeys to salvation. Whether ‘real paganism’ is easily identifiable in stories or grave goods we may doubt. Similarly, the presence of heresy or Judaism can seem ambiguous when the sources are interrogated. But the creation of Frankish Christianity relied on its contrasts and those fed to it by the Byzantine Empire. Through Merovingian accounts of religious conflict we can discern how the Frankish kingdoms saw their place in the wider world.

How did Aboriginal audiences experience popular science when it unfolded on stage in a mission site? This chapter considers phrenological visits to Yorta Yorta country in south-eastern Australia, and particularly the lectures of JB Thomas at Maloga Mission in 1884 and John Joseph Sheridan at nearby Cummeragunja in 1892. Like other scientists and medical men who visited here, these men perpetuated scientific racism. But newspaper reports also point to the possibility of these lectures – which also included lantern slides – as moments of nuanced interaction from which Yorta Yorta and other Aboriginal residents derived value and pleasure, rather than as straightforward impositions. As participatory entertainments, such shows hinged on uncertain moments with mixed emotions on both sides. This chapter considers the possible ways that, within the local context, phrenology and rational amusement might have become items for perusal and collection by Aboriginal people negotiating two-way living in a changing world.

This chapter considers what a zoo is and the role of zoos in our culture. It discusses the definition of a ‘zoo’ and the missions statements that zoos produce to explain their purpose to the public. Most zoo visitors are families, they prefer to see large animals, especially mammals, and the primary purpose of their visits is entertainment. Zoos are culturally important. They remind us of our childhood, we give our children toy animals and model zoos, and many zoos keep long-lived animals, such as gorillas and elephants, that become important personalities that we get to know over a long period of our lives. The pattern of visitation is affected by the type of zoo, time of year, weather and other factors, including differential pricing. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant negative effect on the financial positions of zoos.

Chapter 5 examines and criticizes how dissent is managed on university campuses. Focusing on the outdoor and open areas of campus, it criticizes the use of permits, fees, zoning, and other aspects of the managerial system that apply outside campus gates. The chapter urges university officials to adopt a default standard of open inquiry and dissent in the non-professional and non-pedagogical spaces on their campuses. Campus administrators should carefully review their free speech policies not only to ensure they comply with the First Amendment (which is required in the case of public universities), but to ensure that campuses retain the “spirit of rebellion” that animated them in the past.

This chapter will set the table for your personal decisions when considering taking a leadership position and what should go into your thinking as you’re weighing your options. It covers what goes into understanding the position itself and how to find out the crucial details and duties it requires. It then discusses the leadership “phenotype” – what personal skills you bring to the role and whether the role will be a good “fit” for you. It probes what motivates you to be a leader and why, and whether that will give you a durable effect. Finally, it helps you to look at the career move in the context of your overall career, and whether the position will bridge you to something greater in the long run, or whether it’s a dead end. This chapter sets the stage for what comes next, an understanding of your personality as a leader.

Your vision statement for your group, presented both orally and in writing, is one of your most important and memorable acts as a leader. It should be given a great deal of advance thought and planning ahead of time, and you should be sure to vet it with a number of people who will give you good and frank advice. Although they can be intimidating, vision statements are usually full of positivity and forward thinking, are a great source of inspiration to your group, and serve as the ultimate frame of reference. This chapter describes difference between “mission” and “vision,” and how to develop both types of statements. It discusses the three “pillars” of academic medicine – clinical, research, and education – but also additional pillars worth considering as you develop your mission and vision statements. It goes into how to set goals, metrics, and milestones for your vision statement, as well timelines for achieving them. It then describes how to get your group to fully understand your vision and rally behind it, and concludes with a discussion of how to periodically reassess and recalibrate your vision.