The female and male characters of Esther and Judith exhibit various effects of feminization or masculinization. Esther and Mordecai begin in traditional female and male zones but change over the novella. Judith plays a hyper-masculinized role, but the Ammonite general Achior takes on a feminized role while converting to Judaism. The Rewritten Scripture texts – Jubilees, Biblical Antiquities, Temple Scroll, and Reworked Pentateuch – are somewhat less dramatic in their rendering of women characters.

Work occupies a significant portion of our lives, providing not only financial stability, but also structure, social interaction, and a sense of purpose. In addition, many jobs contribute to society in a beneficial way. While some jobs offer intrinsic satisfaction and personal growth, others may cause stress and burnout. Meaningful work promotes cognitive health by stimulating problem-solving, critical thinking, and learning. Engaging in social interactions at work enhances emotional intelligence and fosters collaboration, creativity, and innovation. Moreover, work contributes to cognitive resilience and may even reduce the risk of dementia in later life. It’s crucial to acknowledge and manage workplace stress through strategies such as maintaining work–life balance, seeking social support, and setting boundaries. This is particularly important considering the increase in hybrid working. Employers play a key role in creating supportive work environments that prioritize employee wellbeing. Overall, meaningful work enriches our lives, promotes cognitive vitality, and contributes to a fulfilling and balanced lifestyle.

Modern slavery is an amalgam of legal concepts defined in international law united by a shared characteristic – they are all forms of unfree labour: one person deprives another person of their freedom for profit. The introduction explains how unfree labour involving migrant workers and supply chains is particularly troublesome for states to govern because these transnational vectors do not fit within the ‘default’ territorial format of legal jurisdiction and, thus, challenge traditional ideas of state sovereignty. It treats modern slavery laws, which combine international, national, and (sometimes) regional laws, as an example of transnational law and shows how, in this context, the nation state is but one among an assemblage of governance actors. It develops a multidimensional conception of jurisdiction to explore the transnational legal governance of unfree labour and to illustrate how modern slavery laws reconfigure traditional understandings of sovereignty.

Covenant, community and communion are ways in which God’s means and God’s ends are identical. Covenant is not the ‘Plan B’ after the failure of creation in the fall; it is the fulfilment of the reason for creation, and the anticipation of the true covenant, the incarnation itself. God’s love for Israel goes far beyond any instrumental goodwill: Israel is God’s child, God’s spouse, God’s companion forever. Communion is the centre of the Christian faith: being with but also being together. Communion and community name the two aspirations of church. The one is about being in, and bringing others into, relationship with God; the other is about relating civilly, cordially and sacrificially with one another, and attending to the things that need doing to function humanly. When Jesus talks of the realm of God, he is talking about this communion and community becoming a reality for all people.

This chapter investigates the logics of punishment that animate the AKP’s new securitisation technologies. Examining the different yet recurrent tools with which academics in Turkey have been historically expulsed from educational institutions, the public sphere, and the political body, I develop a nuanced understanding of the interconnected yet changing forms of punishment directed at academics as knowledge producers from the early Republican period to the first two and a half decades of the twenty-first century. In keeping with the literature on changing regimes of punishment, I conclude that the logic for penalising those targeted has shifted from compensation in the early Republican era to a securitised logic of retribution (following the 1980 coup), to a cruel form of retributive securitisation in the form of subjection to civic death in post-2016 Turkey.

This case study of gender in advertising through the lens of two campaigns – one by Virgin Atlantic and one by Bud Light – examines these brands’ alignment with modern gender perceptions and the subsequent consumer responses. It considers how advertising mirrors or moulds society’s gender norms and how companies navigate this spectrum. Beginning with Virgin Atlantic’s ‘See the World Differently’ campaign and updated gender-identity policy in 2022, this example indicates the campaign’s success in its positive reception. Conversely, Bud Light’s collaboration with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney for the ‘Easy Carry Contest’ faced a polarised reception. While aiming to resonate with a younger, more inclusive demographic, the backlash from conservative corners illustrated the risks involved when a brand ventures into socially charged territories without thorough consideration of its diverse customer base.

The comparison between Virgin Atlantic’s holistic approach to embedding inclusivity into their brand ethos contrasts with Bud Light’s reactive stance, highlighting the importance of proactive engagement with social issues in brand strategy.