Blasphemy, heresy, apostasy Books

Book SynopsisEight hundred years ago, the Cathars, a group of heretical Christians from all walks of society, high and low, flourished in what is now the Languedoc in Southern France. Their subversive beliefs brought down on them the wrath of Popes and monarchs and provoked a brutal 'Crusade' against them. The final defeat of the Cathars was horrific with mass burnings of men, women and children in the village of Montaillou in the Pyrenees.

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Book SynopsisThe war on heresy obsessed medieval Europe in the centuries after the first millennium. R. I. Moore's vivid narrative focuses on the motives and anxieties of those who declared and conducted the war: what were the beliefs and practices they saw as heretical? How might such beliefs have arisen? And why were they such a threat? In western Europe at AD 1000 heresy had barely been heard of. Yet within a few generations accusations had become commonplace and institutions were being set up to identify and suppress beliefs and practices seen as departures from true religion. Popular accounts of events, most notably of the Albigensian Crusade led by Europe against itself, have assumed the threats posed by the heretical movements were only too real. Some scholars by contrast have tried to show that reports of heresy were exaggerated or even fabricated: but if they are correct why was the war on heresy launched at all? And why was it conducted with such pitiless ferocity? To find the answers to these and other questions R. I. Moore returns to the evidence of the time. His investigation forms the basis for an account as profound as it is startlingly original.Trade ReviewThis is a jaw-dropping book. Thrilling, unsettling, revelatory. -- Tom HollandMoore makes a very powerful case ... if only half of his revolutionary new claims are accepted, every encyclopedia entry on the Cathars will have to be completely rewritten * Daily Telegraph *Brilliantly told, profoundly thought-provoking. * History Today *Moore's latest book is as good, and as provocative, as anything he has produced. The book is one of the finest accounts of medieval heresy that you are likely to encounter ... serves to enhance Moore's status as one of the finest historians of medieval heresy. * BBC History Magazine *Elegant and intelligent. * Literary Review *Wide-ranging, beautifully written, and compellingly argued, this is a book that overturns the traditional picture. * Times Literary Supplement *Moore's approach to Catharism is intriguing and provocative. [This is] an accessible and up-to-date history of the rise of heresy persecution in the medieval West. The book will inspire ample criticism and defenses among scholars. Amateur historians will find a pleasing expository style burnished with colorful details. * America *A bold new vision. * The Historian *An intellectual thriller ... An absolute page-turner ... Startling, unsettling and revelatory, The War on Heresy is Homeland in cowls. -- Tom Holland * Toronto Globe and Mail *The The War on Heresy is an important and well-argued book that will force scholars to re-examine the history of medieval heresy and provides the methodological blueprint for the study of heresy in the Middle Ages. * The Medieval Review *A very impressive study, made all the more accessible by the author's admirably lucid writing style * Church History *The book under review here is a brilliant and sobering meditation on this theme ... The War on Heresy is a triumph. * Standpoint *Beautifully written, measured, searching, and sublimely free from jargon. We are presented with eye-witness accounts that are not knocked into pre-conceived patterns. The effect is to draw the reader into not just the story but into how the story became a story in the first place. Inevitably this affords a double-take perspective, in which history and stories excitingly grow together and the reader becomes a participant. -- René Weis * Professor of English, University College London, and author of The Yellow Cross: The Story of the Last Cathars, 1290-1329 *The War on Heresy is social and religious history at its best, the fruit of many decades of intense engagement with one of the most complex and difficult problems of medieval history. With admirable clarity, R. I. Moore tells the deeply troubling story of how heretics became a persecuted minority, not so much because of their beliefs, but because of the anxieties, needs, and ambitions of their persecutors. This is a masterfully researched and deeply thought book that tells its exciting and still relevant story with verve and with sympathy for the victims of the war on heresy. -- Anders Winroth * Professor of History, Yale University, and author of The Conversion of Scandinavia: Vikings, Merchants, and Missionaries in the Remaking of Northern Europe *Fierce competition for power produces fierce discursive competition. In this grand and sane book, armed with many lights (intelligence, narrative skill, learning) R. I. Moore re-enters the territory of Europe's ferocious medieval competition for theological orthodoxy; wherever he ventures, he illumines what had been dark. -- James Simpson * Professor of English, Harvard University, and author of Idolatry and Iconoclasm *

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Book SynopsisPresents an account of the most feared and the most mysterious of medieval heretics. A crusade was launched to uproot them in the south of France, the Inquisition was developed to suppress them, and St Dominic founded his friars to preach against them. This book studies the rise and fall of the heresy from the 12th-century to 15th-century.Trade Review"Catharism was the most radical of medieval heresies. Since it touched most areas of Europe in some degree, research on its character and fortunes makes formidable demands on the learning and linguistic ability of any scholar who tackles it, not to mention demands also on his judgement. Malcolm Lambert, well known for his lucid and authoritative writings on medieval heresy, is a match for this challenging task. His new book, The Cathars, is to be welcomed as the most comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the subject now available in English." Alexander Murray, University College, London "Lambert's command of the literature and his ability to integrate it into a coherent narrative are unmatched. His book deserves to become the standard account of medieval Catharism." Medieval Review "This is the first comprehensive study in English of the most mysterious and radical of medieval heresies. Malcolm Lambert ... 'combines scholarly investigation with lucid narrative.'" TD Book Survey "Malcolm Lambert, with deep erudition allied to pristine sensitive prose, masterfully narrates [the] distinctive history [of] the cathars ... The Cathars ... is, quite simply, indispensible." Catholic Historical ReviewTable of ContentsList of Illustrations. List of Maps. Acknowledgements. Introduction. 1. The Little Foxes. 2. The First Cathars. 3. The Wise Man from the East. 4. The Growth of Catharism. 5. Innocent III, Heresy and Reform. 6. The First Inquisitors. 7. The Cathars of Languedoc. 8. The Battle for Souls in Italy. 9. The Suffocating of Catharism in Languedoc. 10. The Last Missionary. 11. The Decline of Italian Catharism. 12. Inertia and Survival: the Bosnian Church. Epilogue: The Legacy of Catharism. List of Abbreviations. Index.

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Book SynopsisClassifying Christians investigates late antique Christian heresiologies as ethnographies that catalogued and detailed the origins, rituals, doctrines, and customs of the heretics in explicitly polemical and theological terms. Oscillating between ancient ethnographic evidence and contemporary ethnographic writing, Todd S. Berzon argues that late antique heresiology shares an underlying logic with classical ethnography in the ancient Mediterranean world. By providing an account of heresiological writing from the second to fifth century, Classifying Christians embeds heresiology within the historical development of imperial forms of knowledge that have shaped western culture from antiquity to the present.Trade Review"Berzon's book offers a potent epistemological reflection on the production, organization, and limits of knowledge in late antiquity... a finely articulated meditation on the effects of theological and ethnographic ancient list-making." * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *"Classifying Christians is a remarkable book... indispensable." * Reading Religion *"Todd S. Berzon’s Classifying Christians: Ethnography, Heresiology, and the Limits of Knowledge in Late Antiquity partakes of these rich conversations by offering a sustained and convincing reflection on the adaptations, innovations, and antinomies of heresy-writing in the late ancient period." * Ancient Jew Review *"Classifying Christians is a learned, wide-ranging, and exciting new study on ancient Christian heresiology... we look forward to Todd Berzon’s next [volume]." * Histos *"This volume clears more space in our scholarly discourse for several topics which are only recently starting to receive a fraction of the attention they deserve." * Zeitschrift für Antikes Christentum *"Classifying Christians is a splendid and challenging study, a must-read for scholars in the field of Late Antique theological polemics. . . . immersive and engaging while intellectually challenging at the same time." * Augustiniana *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction: Writing People, Writing Religion 1. Heresiology as Ethnography: The Ethnographic Disposition 2. Comparing Theologies and Comparing Peoples: The Customs, Doctrines, and Dispositions of the Heretics 3. Contesting Ethnography: Heretical Models of Human and Cosmic Plurality 4. Christianized Ethnography: Paradigms of Heresiological Knowledge 5. Knowledge Fair and Foul: The Rhetoric of Heresiological Inquiry 6. The Infinity of Continuity: Epiphanius of Salamis and the Limits of the Ethnographic Disposition 7. From Ethnography to List: Transcribing and Traversing Heresy Epilogue: The Legacy of Heresiology Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisCan a woman have a penis? Is the West forever stained by racism? Are we all going to die from climate change? To the liberal establishment of London, New York or Sydney, the answer to all of these questions is 'Yes'. And anyone who disagrees is a racist, climate-denying transphobe. Our elites have become convinced of some very strange and extreme ideas. And yet there is precious little pushback against them. Critics are cowed by the threat of shaming, cancellation, even arrest. The new orthodoxies of our age are risible, and yet the space for dissent is shrinking. We need more heretics. Throughout history, it has been those brave enough to puncture the prevailing groupthink who have propelled society forward. But they are in shockingly short supply today. In this collection of original essays, Brendan O'Neill remakes the case for heresy - and commits a few heresies of his own along the way.Trade Review"Brendan O'Neill brings a sharp eye and cutting wit to the follies of our times. You must read this book before it's banned by the new inquisition." - Tony Abbott, former prime minister of Australia; "Brendan O'Neill is the reincarnation of Christopher Hitchens, a devil's advocate who is willing to always state his case clearly, convincingly and courageously." - Nick Gillespie, editor-at-large for Reason; "A timely and powerful defence of Enlightenment values written by one of the most notable free thinkers of our time." - Andrew Doyle, author of The New Puritan; "The best, and funniest, writer we have on the multiple insanities gripping the Western world." - Rod Liddle, columnist for the Sunday Times; "One of the world's funniest and fiercest critics of groupthink." - Andrew Bolt, columnist and Sky News Australia host; "One of Britain's sharpest social commentators." - Daily Telegraph; "An obnoxious intellectual wind-up merchant." - Guardian

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Book SynopsisLive in harmony with the solar year and utilise all the magical powers it provides. ? Sun Magic is a book filled with the basics of the sun cycle, the representations and correspondences, what magic to work and when. It also looks at the solar year, sun deities, sun spells, meditations, specific sun rituals, sun recipes and more. A companion volume to the bestselling Pagan Portals - Moon Magic.

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Book SynopsisCatharism was a popular medieval heresy based on the belief that the creation of humankind was a disaster in which angelic spirits were trapped in matter by the devil. Their only goal was to escape the body through purification. Cathars denied any value to material life, including the human body, baptism, and the Eucharist, even marriage and childbirth. What could explain the long popularity of such a bleak faith in the towns of southern France and Italy? Power and Purity explores the place of cathar heresy in the life of the medieval Italian town of Orvieto. Based on extensive archival research, it details the social makeup of the Cathar community and argues that the heresy was central to the social and political changes of the 13th century. The late 13th-century repression of Catharism by a local inquisition was part of a larger redefinition of civic and ecclesiastical authority. Author Carol Lansing shows that the faith attracted not an alienated older nobility but artisans, merchants, popular political leaders, and indeed circles of women in Orvieto as well as Florence and Bologna. Cathar beliefs were not so much a pessimistic anomaly as a part of a larger climate of religious doubt. The teachings on the body and the practice of Cathar holy persons addressed questions of sexual difference and the structure of authority that were key elements of medieval Italian life. The pure lives of the Cathar holy people, both male and female, demonstrated a human capacity for self-restraint that served as a powerful social model in towns torn by violent conflict. This study addresses current debates about the rise of persecution, and argues for a climate of popular toleration. Power and Purity will appeal to historians of society and politics as well as religion and gender studies.Trade Review"Carol Lansing's book is a fine example of a local study that transcends its original scope by stimulating further reflection on the nature and function of heresy, and by implication on that of religion....A particular mention deserves Lansing's skilful reading of religious and political symbolism, which unveils the probable implications of a piece of rotten meat thrown at a procession a long time ago."--Sixteenth Century Journal"The book makes valuable contributions to our understanding of the social context of Catharism in Orvieto and also the place of Catharism in the popular religiosity of the High Middle Ages...A worty contribution to scholarship on Catharism and medieval Italy." --Catholic Historical Review"Lansing is judicious in describing what the records she analyzed do or do not contain....Lansing's book is highly recommended. It is beautifully written and carefully researched."--The Medieval Review"Lucid writing and scrupulous documentation....the book is a persuasive reminder that understanding religious phenomena requires solid contextualization. Historians, social scientists, and scholars of religion will benefit from this splendid book."--Theological Studies"This is an interesting and important book...This is a model study of how communities work."--Religious Studies Review

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Book SynopsisIn a world where not everyone believes in God, ''blasphemy'' is surely a concept that has passed its use-by-date. And yet blasphemy (like God and religion) seems to be on the rise. In this Very Short Introduction Yvonne Sherwood asks why this should be the case, looking at factors such as the increased visibility of religious and racial minorities, new media, and engines of surveillance (which are far more omniscient than the old gods could ever be), and the legacies of colonial blasphemy laws. Throughout, Sherwood uncovers new histories, from the story of accidentally blasphemous cartoons, to the close associations between blasphemy, sex, and birth control. She also argues that blasphemy itself involves an inherent contradiction in imagining the divine as an entity that must be revered above all, yet also a being that could possibly be hurt by anything that happens in the merely human sphere. Unpicking some of the most famous cases of blasphemy, Sherwood also looks at obscure instances, asking why some ''blasphemies'' have become infamous, while others have disappeared.Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1: Introduction: 'Blasphemous' crucifixions 2: Blasphemy in scarequotes 3: Blasphemy in religion 4: Blasphemy in law 5: Blasphemy and minorities 6: Blasphemy and media References and Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisChronicling the drama of Francisca's interrogation and her spirited but ultimately unsuccessful defense, The Inquisition of Francisca - transcribed from more than three hundred folios and published for the first time in any language - will be a valuable resource for both specialists and students of the history and religion of Spain in the.

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Book SynopsisChronicling the drama of Francisca's interrogation and her spirited but ultimately unsuccessful defense, The Inquisition of Francisca - transcribed from more than three hundred folios and published for the first time in any language - will be a valuable resource for both specialists and students of the history and religion of Spain in the.

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Book SynopsisAn account of blasphemy in Victorian England, retelling the forgotten stories of more than 200 working-class blasphemers, such as G.W. Foote, who stood trial three times for the crime of blasphemy. Foote's martyrdom transformed blasphemy from a religious offence into a class and cultural crime.

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Book SynopsisIn 1239, Pope Gregory IX accused Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor, of heresy. The author tracks the course of the book from its origins in 1239 to its most salient episodes in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He also sheds light on the persistence of free thought during a time when the outspoken risked being burned at the stake.Trade Review"The Treatise of the Three Impostors is a book that enjoyed centuries of notorious nonexistence until (as Voltaire would say) it became necessary to invent it. Georges Minois writes with empathy, erudition, and a novelist's sense of buildup and timing, weaving in the parallel story of Europe's courageous freethinkers. In the face of today's social and even legal pressures against criticizing religion, it is good to see an honorable French tradition asserting itself." -Joscelyn Godwin, author of The Pagan Dream of the Renaissance"

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“I can’t speak enthusiastically enough for Minois’s excellent book. The Atheists’s Bible is more scholarly than Stephen Greenblatt’s The Swerve and less playful than the philological detective work that Robert K. Merton displayed in On the Shoulders of Giants, but it offers comparable intellectual pleasure. Lys Ann Weiss’s translation, moreover, reads beautifully.” -- Michael Dirda * Bookforum *“Just as in Umberto Eco’s novel The Prague Cemetery, if you create false evidence in order to discredit your enemies—be they Jews or Jesuits, Carbonari or Bolsheviks, Masons or the Vatican—you will soon find people eager not only to believe you but also to serve the cause you have been trying to undermine. The text that is the object of Georges Minois’ study, the Treatise of the Three Impostors, provides a perfect illustration of this peculiar dynamics of deceit, credulity and paranoia." * Times Higher Education *“Georges Minois’s timely and elegant study The Atheist’s Bible is a landmark addition to both the history of ideas and the history of the book. The Treatise of the Three Impostors set a record for advance publicity—before it was finally published, intellectuals accused one another of writing it for nearly half a millennium. Its real author was not any single thinker but the cumulative, nervous imagination of the entire European intelligentsia. Like a Freudian id, it exposed the repressed, traumatic thought that all religion was a hoax: centuries before avowed atheism became possible, accusations that someone else had written the Treatise of the Three Impostors explored the particulars and possibilities of irreligion. Readers who are intrigued or scandalized by the diatribes of Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens will discover in The Atheist’s Bible that, as that other Bible says, there is nothing new under the sun.” -- Walter Stephens, author of Demon Lovers: Witchcraft, Sex, and the Crisis of Beli“The Treatise of the Three Impostors is a book that enjoyed centuries of notorious nonexistence until (as Voltaire would say) it became necessary to invent it. Georges Minois writes with empathy, erudition, and a novelist’s sense of buildup and timing, weaving in the parallel story of Europe’s courageous freethinkers. In the face of today’s social and even legal pressures against criticizing religion, it is good to see an honorable French tradition asserting itself.”—Joscelyn Godwin, author of The Pagan Dream of the Renaissance -- Joscelyn Godwin, author of The Pagan Dream of the RenaissanceTable of ContentsTranslator’s NotePreface to the English-Language Edition (2011)Preface (2009)1. The Origin of a Mythical Theme: The Prehistory of the Three Impostors (Up to the Thirteenth Century) The First to Be Accused: Frederick II and Pierre des Vignes (1239) The Precursors of Imposture: Zalmoxis and Numa Pompilius Celsus: Moses the Impostor Celsus and the Talmud: Jesus the Impostor Mahomet the Impostor in Christian Literature (Ninth to Twelfth Century) Politico-Religious Imposture in the Middle Ages The Arabic Origins of the Theme of the Three Impostors (Tenth Century) The First Mention in Christianity (Twelfth Century)2. The Hunt for the Author of a Mythical Treatise (Fourteenth to Sixteenth Century) A Culture of Imposture The Rumors of the Late Middle Ages The Renaissance: A Receptive Context for the Idea of Imposture Moses the Machiavellian Appeals to the Holy Union of Religions Italy and the Specter of the Three Impostors The Obsession Spreads Geneva, Birthplace of the Three Impostors? Three Impostors or Three Prophets? (Guillaume Postel) Who Actually Saw the Treatise?3. The European Elites and Religious Imposture (Seventeenth Century) On the Trail of De tribus around the Baltic Sea Holland and England: Heterodox Contexts The French Trail: Learned Libertines and Religious Imposture4. Debates on the Origin of Religions (Second Half of the Seventeenth Century) Hobbes and Spinoza Holland and the Birth of the Radical Enlightenment Rumors of the De tribus in England5. From the De tribus to the Trois imposteurs: Discovery or Invention of the Treatise? (1680–1721) Sources of the De tribus: Kiel, 1688 The Intervention of Leibniz and of Baron von Hohendorf The De tribus: A German Affair Preliminary Polemic: Does the Trois imposteurs Exist? (1715–1716) The Reference Edition: The Hague, 1719 The Birth of L’Esprit de Spinoza and of the Trois imposteurs (1700–1721) A Franco-Dutch Commercial Imposture? Erroneous Attributions: Henri de Boulainvillier (1658–1722) and John Toland (1670–1722)6. The Treatise of the Three Impostors: The Contents of a Blasphemy The De tribus: A Slapdash Work? The Atheism of the Traité The End of Religions The Soul and Demons: Subtle Chimeras Moses the Impostor: Magic and Persecution Jesus the Impostor: A Merchant of Absurd Dreams Mahomet the Impostor: The Senses and the SwordEpilogue: The Three Impostors in the Antireligious Literature of the Eighteenth CenturyAppendixesNotes GlossaryIndex of Names

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Slandering the Sacred offers a gripping voyeuristic account of the sinuous ways in which law’s religion and religion’s law together conspired in the racist and sentimental effort to regulate speech and affect in colonial India, particularly in the strange career of Thomas Macaulay.” -- Winnifred Fallers Sullivan, Indiana University“By rerouting the modern history of blasphemy through late colonial India, this elegant and imaginative book returns empire to the history of secularism as it centers India in the reconception of blasphemy as a secular crime. This richly textured history with many twists and turns is a must-read that cuts through the logjam of contemporary debates about religion and free speech.” -- Mrinalini Sinha, University of Michigan“In this discerning study, Scott recasts South Asia as a major crucible of key ideas about blasphemy that crystallized under British colonial rule. By linking blasphemy laws with secularization in the metropole and colony, he astutely shows that religious offense often obscured the residual violence in state and society. As Scott skillfully argues, law’s putative management of public feelings provided an alibi for solidifying colonialism’s grip on civil society, spilling over into the postcolonial state’s mediation of religious differences.” -- Gauri Viswanathan, Columbia University“Scott has written a book as witty as it is scholarly. Slandering the Sacred is an enthralling and colorful history of a law, a page-turner about a penal code: this is an impressive feat.". -- Katherine Lemons, McGill UniversityTable of Contents1 Introduction: Secularizing Blasphemy Part One: The Merry Prophet 2 A Crisis of the Public: The Rajpal Affair and Its Bodies 3 Secularism, High and Low: Making the Blasphemy Bill Part Two: Blasphemy’s Empire 4 Codifying Blasphemy: Religious Feelings between Colony and Metropole 5 Macaulay Unmanned, or, Tom Governs His Feelings 6 Libeling Religion: Secularism and the Intimacy of Insult Part Three: Polemics as Ethics 7 Printing Pain, Ruling Sentiment: A Brief History of Arya Insult 8 The Arya Penal Code: Law and the Practice of Documentary Religion 9 The Swami and the Prophet: Slandering Lives, Conducting Character 10 Conclusion: A Feeling for “Religion” Acknowledgments Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA new and accessible version of Irenaeus' classic work, focusing on the great theologian's exposition of the Christian faith.Trade ReviewHis [Irenaeus] most important writings 'Against Heresies' was a powerful refutation of Gnostic thought. This book presents an anthology (condensation) of this work.' Anthony Dupont, Tijdschrift voor Theologie, 52:2. 2012 '...A book by book distillation of Irenaeus' main writing...' Vigiliae Christianae 66, (2012). "...a phenomenal example of theology written in the trenches." Charles Meeks, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, Reviews in Religion and Theology, Volume 20, Issue 3, July 2013Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction Book 1 Exposing Heresy: The Views of the Gnostics Book 2 Exposing Heresy: Disunity among the Gnostics Book 3 The Christian Faith, as Drawn from the Apostles' Teachings Book 4 The Christian Faith, as Drawn from the Words Spoken by Christ Book 5 The Christian Faith, as Drawn from Further Teaching of Christ and the Apostles Bibliography Subject Index Scripture Index

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Book SynopsisIn the 11th-century Eucharistic Controversy, Alberic of Monte composed a small but important treatise. His treatise was said to have destroyed the argument that the bread and wine survived its consecration. Modern scholars had long believed his treatise to be lost. This book demonstrates that this crucial document is an existing identifiable text.Trade ReviewThis is a very clever book, an exciting detective story based on acute paleographic and political analysis. -- Mary Stroll American Historical Review This book is a valuable contribution to an understanding of the controversy over the Eucharist that swirled around Berengar, thescholasticus of Tours, in the eleventh century... an excellent example of the virtues of collaborative scholarship. -- Gary Macy Catholic Historical Review The handsome volume will help to make an immensely important moment in European culture accessible and comprehensible for students and scholars alike. -- Miri Rubin Ecclesiastical History Will be of interest to all students of the intellectual and ecclesiastical history of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. -- William North SpeculumTable of ContentsPreface List of Abbreviations 1. Berengar of Tours and the Eucharistic Controversy Introduction The Carolingian Background and the Eleventh-Century Debate Berengar's Theology of the Eucharist Berengar's Early Critics The Early Councils The Aftermath of the Council of 1059: Lanfranc and Guitmund The Movement Toward Rome 2. Alberdeen Libellus Against Berengar of Tours The Manuscript The Rubric and Morin's Attribution to Berengar of Venosa The Treatise and It's Author Alberic of Monte Cassino and His "Lost" Treatise 3. Style and Content of the Libellus Alberic's Literary Work The Literary Style of the Aberdeen Libellus The Content of the Libellus Conclusion 4. Berengar of Tours and the Roman Councils of 1078 and 1079 The Sources The Council of All Saints, 1078 Alberic and Berengar Berengar and Alberic at the Lenten Council, 1079 Brief Epilogue: Berengar Remembers Conclusion The Text and Translation of the Libellus Appendix: The Dossier of Unconnected Sententiae Following the Libellus in the Aberdeen Manuscript Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn the 11th-century Eucharistic Controversy, Alberic of Monte composed a small but important treatise. His treatise was said to have destroyed the argument that the bread and wine survived its consecration. Modern scholars had long believed his treatise to be lost. This book demonstrates that this crucial document is an existing identifiable text.Trade ReviewThis is a very clever book, an exciting detective story based on acute paleographic and political analysis. -- Mary Stroll American Historical Review This book is a valuable contribution to an understanding of the controversy over the Eucharist that swirled around Berengar, thescholasticus of Tours, in the eleventh century... an excellent example of the virtues of collaborative scholarship. -- Gary Macy Catholic Historical Review The handsome volume will help to make an immensely important moment in European culture accessible and comprehensible for students and scholars alike. -- Miri Rubin Ecclesiastical History Will be of interest to all students of the intellectual and ecclesiastical history of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. -- William North SpeculumTable of ContentsPreface List of Abbreviations 1. Berengar of Tours and the Eucharistic Controversy Introduction The Carolingian Background and the Eleventh-Century Debate Berengar's Theology of the Eucharist Berengar's Early Critics The Early Councils The Aftermath of the Council of 1059: Lanfranc and Guitmund The Movement Toward Rome 2. Alberdeen Libellus Against Berengar of Tours The Manuscript The Rubric and Morin's Attribution to Berengar of Venosa The Treatise and It's Author Alberic of Monte Cassino and His "Lost" Treatise 3. Style and Content of the Libellus Alberic's Literary Work The Literary Style of the Aberdeen Libellus The Content of the Libellus Conclusion 4. Berengar of Tours and the Roman Councils of 1078 and 1079 The Sources The Council of All Saints, 1078 Alberic and Berengar Berengar and Alberic at the Lenten Council, 1079 Brief Epilogue: Berengar Remembers Conclusion The Text and Translation of the Libellus Appendix: The Dossier of Unconnected Sententiae Following the Libellus in the Aberdeen Manuscript Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAccording to the official view, held for almost two thousand years, early Christianity was marked by great harmony, and heresy only emerged at a later stage. This book, written in nontechnical language for interested non-theologians, argues that such a picture is wishful thinking.Using all available sources, including newly-discovered Gnostic texts, Professor Luedemann argues that in many areas, ''heresy'' in fact preceded ''orthodoxy'' and was later forcibly replaced by it. The controversies shed an interesting light on the human character and concerns of the first Christians, who were occupied not only with right belief but also with power. The first chapter investigates the positions of Christians in Jerusalem in the first two centuries, since they were the ones who in fact introduced the concept of heresy into the church, and pays particular attention to the revision of the portrait of Paul and his theology. Then it goes on to the dramatic events around Marcion and his approach to

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Book SynopsisThis text provides an up-to-date introduction to Gnosticism as it relates to early Christianity. The author tries to make the reader familiar with the themes and ingredients of Gnosticism without going directly into where they come from.

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Book SynopsisArius is widely considered to be Rowan Williams' "magnum opus". With a fresh conclusion, in which the author reflects on how his views have changed or remained the same, this book will be useful reading for students of doctrine and church history.Table of ContentsPart I Arius and the Nicene crisis: Arius before Arianism; the Nicene crisis - documents and dating. Part II Arius and theology: the theology of Arius; Alexandria and the legacy of Origen; theology outside Egypt; conclusion. Part III Arius and philosophy: creation and beginning; intellect and beyond; analogy and participation; conclusion. Appendices: Arius since 1987; credal documents.

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Book SynopsisInvestigates late antique Christian heresiologies as ethnographies that catalogued and detailed the origins, rituals, doctrines, and customs of the heretics in explicitly polemical and theological terms.Trade Review"Berzon's book offers a potent epistemological reflection on the production, organization, and limits of knowledge in late antiquity... a finely articulated meditation on the effects of theological and ethnographic ancient list-making." Bryn Mawr Classical Review "Classifying Christians is a remarkable book... indispensable." Reading ReligionTable of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction: Writing People, Writing Religion 1. Heresiology as Ethnography: The Ethnographic Disposition 2. Comparing Theologies and Comparing Peoples: The Customs, Doctrines, and Dispositions of the Heretics 3. Contesting Ethnography: Heretical Models of Human and Cosmic Plurality 4. Christianized Ethnography: Paradigms of Heresiological Knowledge 5. Knowledge Fair and Foul: The Rhetoric of Heresiological Inquiry 6. The Infinity of Continuity: Epiphanius of Salamis and the Limits of the Ethnographic Disposition 7. From Ethnography to List: Transcribing and Traversing Heresy Epilogue: The Legacy of Heresiology Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis history of the great heretical movements of the middle ages provides an account of the dissent and protests made against the Medieval churches of Rome and Byzantium. It examines the origins and nature of these heresies, and how medieval churchmen grappled with deviation.Table of ContentsPart I: The Beginnings. 1. The Problem with Heresy. 2. The Revival of Heresy in the West: The Eleventh Century. Part II: The Twelfth Century. 3. Orthodox Reform and Heresy. 4. Heretical Preachers and the Rise of Catharism. 5. The Waldensians and the Deepening Crisis. Part III: Heresy and the Church. 6. The Counter-Attack: Innocent III to Innocent IV. 7. The Cathars. 8. The Waldensians After the Conference of Bergamo. 9. Tension and Insecurity: Gregory X to John XXII. 10. Inquisition and Abuse. 11. Spiritual Franciscans and Heretical Joachimites. Part IV: Evangelical Heresy in the Late Middle Ages. 12. Church and Society: Benedict XII to Eugenius IV. 13. John Wycliff. 14. The English Lollards. 15. The Bohemian Reform Movement. 16. Politics and Hussitism, 1409-1419. 17. Success and Failure: From the Defenestration to the Agreement at Jihlava. 18. The Unitas Fratum and the Development of Confessions. 19. Medieval Heresy and the Reformation. 20. Heresy and Reform.

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Book SynopsisThousands were executed for incompatible religious views in 16th-century Europe. The meaning and significance of those deaths are studied here comparatively, providing an argument for the importance of martyrdom as a window onto religious sensibilities and a crucial component in the formation of divergent Christian traditions and identities.Trade ReviewIn Salvation at Stake, Brad Gregory tries to ground the motives of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century martyrs in their sense of Christian doctrine. And though his scholarship is impeccable, Gregory's achievement lies as much in the defense of a historical method as in explaining why these believers chose to die rather than deny their faith. He rises to occasional eloquence--and more frequent elegance--while arguing for a study of martyrs which will take these individuals on their own terms, not those of modern critics. At crucial points throughout his book, Gregory properly condemns the historical arrogance that ignores religion's hold upon the faithful. -- Steven Stryer * Harvard Book Review *The martyrs of early modern Europe are something of an embarrassment. Men, women and even children who had the bad taste to consider religious faith, of all things, something to die for, exceptions even in their own time, are especially unpalatable to an age in which faith has become a kind of fashion accessory. Brad S. Gregory has changed all that, and perhaps more, in Salvation at Stake...His ambitious survey breaks the mould of both confessional and reductionist historiography with an even-handed and sympathetic account of Anabaptist, Catholic and Protestant martyrdom which casts fresh light on early modern Christianity as a whole as well as on the emerging denominations. It should be emphasized that this book is an analytical study of martyrdom, and not itself a martyrology. It draws on original compilations such as those of John Foxe, Thieliman van Braght and Richard Verstegan, yet it is itself historical, not hagiographical...Unlike many monographs arising from doctoral dissertations, this one has been distilled, rather than diluted, on its way to the press. The distillate is all that you might expect from Princeton-trained scholar: learned, logical, lucid. The inspiration of Peter Brown, Anthony Grafton and Heiko Oberman is not only invoked in the acknowledgements, but evident in the intellectual breadth of the achievement, which boldly transgresses confessional, national and linguistic boundaries at a time when myopic specialization has become normative. So many books are published now that it seems arrogant to define any of them as required reading. But Salvation At Stake is a book which nobody working in the field of Reformation and early modern history can afford to pass over. And it is not just required reading; it is rewarding, too, amply deserving the Harvard University Press Thomas J. Wilson Prize for the best first book of the year. Anyone who enjoyed Eamon Duffy's The Stripping of the Altars, or Diarmaid MacCulloch's Cranmer, will find this just as good. -- Richard Rex * Times Literary Supplement *This book covers martyrdom in the 1500s, when thousands died for their respective Christian beliefs...Gregory also examines such contested beliefs as papal primacy, believer's baptism, and justification by faith. He draws from any and all sources, including those written by antagonists who often intended to condemn false martyrs and justify their executions. And although he often allows the martyrs to speak for themselves, he also assists us in understanding these people without judging them by our current cultural or psychological theories. This extensive, well-written, and gripping book is highly recommended. -- George Westerlund * Library Journal *As learned, sympathetic, and deeply penetrating a treatment of the period's religious history as will ever be written. It is the definitive study of its subject in solid, tried and true, traditional historical terms. -- Steven Ozment, Harvard UniversityThis is a genuinely impressive piece of work. Brad Gregory has really defined a completely new subfield of Reformation studies, the cross-confessional study of martyrologies. -- William Monter, Northwestern UniversityThis is undoubtedly a major achievement, particularly for a first book. Gregory has read extraordinarily widely in both primary and secondary sources, and dissects both the assurance and élan. It deserves a wide readership both for its substantial contribution to the scholarship on martyrdom, and for the vigour of its polemic about good and bad ways to write religious history. -- Peter Marshall * French History *Brad Gregory's important and highly original book is a social history of religion that eschew the reductionism that treats religious practices as "behaviors" having no transcendent meaning. That is welcome news, as is the forthright way in which Gregory critiques earlier scholarly approaches to his topic...Aside from enriching our understanding of how martyrdom functioned for Reformation Christians, and aside from his trenchant critique of methodologies that fail to give martyrs their due, Gregory offers something to readers seeking transhistorical insights. The very empathy, evenhandedness, and historical imagination that enable Gregory to recapture the age of religious intolerance can enable ecumenically minded Christians to listen to Christians of other persuasions, and to take their doctrines seriously while avoiding the temptation to trivialize or relativize them in aid of an easy but ultimately vacuous accommodation. By showing us where we have been, Gregory gives us intellectual tools for envisioning and shaping the kinds of destinations we may define for ourselves. -- Marcia L. Colish * Commonweal *Gregory's massive research has emphasized how Protestant, Anabaptist, and Catholic martyrs rooted their actions in their understanding of the scripture…Certainly the modern reader, in our ecumenical age, is repulsed by the concept that men and women could read the same gospel and kill each other over its interpretation. This lack of comprehension, however, is a modern problem, one that those pursuing historical theology cannot ignore. Here Gregory's study returns us to the fundamental issues that both supported and created the early modern martyr and the subsequent martyrologies of the age. -- Michael W. Maher, S.J. * Theological Studies *This well-structured book focuses on the engagement of English Protestants with the history of the medieval church from whose rites and values they had so decidedly disengaged...This book offers a fresh, slightly provocative perspective and as such is to be warmly welcomed, not least as the debates about the periodization of church history continue. -- Peter Matheson * Church History *This well-structured book focuses on the engagement of English Protestants with the history of the medieval church from whose rites and values they had so decidedly disengaged...This book offers a fresh, slightly provocative perspective and as such is to be warmly welcomed, not least as the debates about the periodization of church history continue. -- Peter Matheson * Church History *Table of ContentsA Note on Translations and Orthography A Complex of Martyrs On Understanding Early Modern Christianity The Nature of the Martyrological Sources The Course of Exposition The Late Medieval Inheritance The Absence and Presence of Martyrs in the Late Middle Ages Suffering Patiently, Dying Well, and the Passion of Christ Christian Martyrs outside the Church in the Late Middle Ages The Willingness to Kill Prosecuting Religious Criminals The Duty of Intolerance The Trajectory of Argumentation Laws, Institutions, and the Contingencies of Practice The Willingness to Die The Poverty of Theory Foundations: Faith and Scripture Contemporary Communities: Social Support and Sustenance Historical Communities: Pedigrees of the Persecuted Prison Activities: Practicing the Beliefs The Art of Dying Well Witnesses for the Gospel: Protestants and Martyrdom The Early Evangelical Martyrs and Emergent Protestant Identity Avoiding Idolatry, Following Christ: Convictions to Die For The Midcentury Martyrologies The Protestant Martyrologies in National Contexts Nachfolge Christi: Anabaptists and Martyrdom Muntzer to Munster: Forging an Anabaptist Martyrological Mentality Anabaptist Martyrs in the Low Countries The Transformation of the Dutch Mennonite Martyrological Tradition The New Saints: Roman Catholics and Martyrdom Defensive Martyrdom: The Henrician Catholics The Passion for Passion in Post-Tridentine Catholicism The Role of the Martyrs in Catholic Devotional Life The Conflict of Interpretations The Weaknesses of Nondoctrinal Criteria "Not the Punishment, but the Cause, Makes a Martyr" Implications and Conclusions Conclusion: A Shared and Shattered Worldview Appendix Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe book documents thirty cases in which university-trained scholars were condemned for disseminating allegedly erroneous opinions in their teaching or writing.Trade Review"The book makes an important scholarly contribution. Thijssen puts academic censures in the context of ecclesiastical investigations of heresy and brings together the latest research on a number of specific Parisian cases and on the problem of academic censure." * W. J. Courtenay, University of Wisconsin, Madison *Table of ContentsPreface 1. The Suppression of False Teaching 2. The Condemnation of March 7, 1277 3. False Teaching at the Arts Faculty: The Ockhamist Statute of 1340 and Its Prelude 4. Nicholas of Autrecourt and John of Mirecourt: Censure at the Faculty of Theology in the Fourteenth Century 5. Academic Freedom and Teaching Authority Conclusion List of Abbreviations Notes Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA life-and-times biography of the minister and social reformer Renwick C. Kennedy (1900-1985).Trade Review“Renwick Kennedy was a significant intellectual of Depression-era and postwar Alabama, and the author makes clear his relevance for a variety of issues in the South and the nation. Kennedy’s name has long been associated with the Black Belt, and he shows up in most studies of the region. No one before has given the sustained and smart attention as the author here has done.” —Charles Reagan Wilson author of Baptized in Blood: The Religion of the Lost Cause and Judgment and Grace in Dixie: Southern Faiths from Faulkner to Elvis

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Book SynopsisOne of the major debates in English cultural, literary and religious history concerned whether or not the Bible should be translated into English.Trade ReviewThis is an important body of texts that needs to be available in a convenient modern format. These materials are of fundamental significance for the English debate about translation of religious materials into the vernacular in the early fifteenth century. Vincent GillespieFor almost all these texts, Dove represents the first complete, published critical edition; moreover, the edition is exceptionally easy to use, with text, glosses and biblical references, and apparatus appearing side-by-side on each page. J. Patrick Hornbeck, Ecclesiastical History, Volume 63/3 * Ecclesiastical History, Volume 63/3 *The texts are admirably edited. ... in the clarity of its presentation and a generous use of space, this is a most user-friendly volume (on the same lines as Exeter’s excellent The Idea of the Vernacular: An Anthology of Middle English Literary Theory 1280-1520, published in 1999). It is one of the most useful I have come across for some time—the sort that prompts the question, why has this not been done before? It should become an essential sourcebook for future work on the Bible in English in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and is a fitting tribute to a fine scholar, who died with so much more still to give. Richard Marsden, The Medieval Review, 12.05.15 * The Medieval Review, 12.05.15 *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION: • discusses the context and significance of the debate about the English Bible • outlines the contents, authorship, date and manuscript tradition of the texts in this edition • considers the extent to which the texts may be seen as Wycliffite, and the interplay of orthodoxy and non-orthodoxy in the Bible debate and in pre-1409 England. TEXTS: 1. The Prologue to the Wycliffite Bible 2. The Prologue to Isaiah and the Prophets 3. Twelve tracts advocating translation in Cambridge University Library Ii. 6. 26 4. First seiþ Bois 5. The holi prophete Dauid 6. Glossed Gospel prologues and epilogues 7. ‘In þe bigynnyng of Holi Chirche’ 8. Pater Noster II The texts are an accurate representation of the base manuscript, with modern punctuation. Significant variants are recorded in the apparatus. The commentary focuses on elucidating context and meaning; textual and linguistic questions will be addressed where they affect meaning. Where the literal meaning may not immediately be clear to a reader moderately familiar with Middle English, translational glosses is provided alongside the text. There is also a short glossary and an index of biblical quotations and of non-biblical sources.

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Book SynopsisThis advanced undergraduate textbook is the first comparative survey of heresy and its response throughout the medieval world. Spanning England to Persia, it examines heresy, error, and religious dissent - and efforts to end them through correction, persuasion, or punishment - among Latin Christians, Greek Christians, Jews, and Muslims.Trade Review'By showing that heresy can be treated within a single framework which embraces Christianity, Judaism and Islam, Caldwell Ames has in effect redefined the subject, and made an important contribution to comparative world history. In doing so she sustains a high level of learning and intellectual power and originality over a range almost as remarkable chronologically - from patristic times until the early modern period - as culturally.' R. I. Moore, Newcastle University'Christine Caldwell Ames has written the most original and readable account of the emergence of unacceptable difference in religious belief and practice in the Abrahamic religions in the pre-modern period. She first describes the foundational differences among diaspora Judaism, Greek and Latin Christianity, and Islam between the fourth and eighth centuries. She then treats the establishment of an authoritative orthodoxy in each and the stresses within each that created different kinds of heterodoxies and different kinds of censures. Her conclusion points to several enduring consequences of these in all three religions down to the present.' Edward Peters, University of Pennsylvania'Nothing comparable to the extant literature on Christian heresy exists for the Islamic world, while the terminological controversy - can we speak of 'orthodoxy' in Islam? - adds to the imbalance. With its comparative perspective to the three Abrahamic religions through history and its nuanced discussion of how 'heresy' is constructed and by whom, Caldwell Ames's book is a much welcome contribution that helps promote a better understanding of the Islamic case and provides stimuli for further research.' Maribel Fierro, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas'Christine Caldwell Ames not only provides us with a comprehensive study of heresy, or heresies, in medieval European and Near Eastern lands, but also puts forward a convincing thesis about the interplay between religious thought and social dynamics that cuts across confessional traditions.' Uriel Simonsohn, Speculum'Undoubtedly, this is a very useful, erudite and needed book vividly showing the entangled history of religious dissent in these historical monotheisms … Her book can be thus used in a variety of ways, ranging from pure academic interest and research to teaching and other educational purposes, especially in current times, in which the continuing relevance of these monotheistic religions and their perceptions of 'right' and 'wrong' (or 'orthodoxy' and 'heresy', if you like) in various constellations becomes more than evident and at times makes the headlines worldwide.' Vasilios N. Makrides, Entangled ReligionsTable of ContentsIntroduction: 'My community will be divided': heresy in the medieval world; 1. Peoples of the book (380–661); 2. Triumphs of orthodoxy (661–1031); 3. The perfect hatred (1031–1209); 4. Cinders and ashes (1209–1328); 5. Purity and peoples (1328–1510); Epilogue; For further reading; Glossary; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn A Diabolical Voice, Justine L. Trombley traces the afterlife of the Mirror of Simple Souls, which circulated anonymously for two centuries in four languages, though not without controversy or condemnation. Widely recognized as one of the most unusual and important mystical treatises of the late Middle Ages, the Mirror was condemned in Paris in 1310 as a heretical work, and its author, Marguerite Porete, was burned at the stake. Trombley identifies alongside the work''s increasing positive reception a parallel trend of opposition and condemnation centered specifically around its Latin translation. She''s discovered fourteenth- and fifteenth-century theologians, canon lawyers, inquisitors, and other churchmen who were entirely ignorant of the Mirror''s author and its condemnation and saw in the work dangerous heresies that demanded refutation and condemnation of their own. Using new evidence from the Mirror

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Book SynopsisMost Americans believe the United States was founded by pious Christians. However, as Ronnie Pontiac reveals, from the very beginning America was a vibrant blend of beliefs from all four corners of the world. Based on the latest research, with the assistance of leading scholars, this in-depth exploration of four centuries of American occult and spiritual history looks at everything from colonial-era alchemists, astrologers, and early spiritual collectives to Edgar Cayce, the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, and St. Germain on Mount Shasta. Pontiac shows that Rosicrucians were among the first settlers from England and explores how young women of the Shaker community fell into trances and gave messages from the dead. He details the spiritual influence of African slaves, the work of mystical abolitionists, and how Native Americans and Latinx people played a large role in the shaping of contemporary spirituality and healing practices. The author looks at well-known figures such as Manly P. Hall and lesser known esoteric luminaries such as the Pagan Pilgrim, Tom Morton. He examines the Aquarian Gospel, the Sekhmet Revival, A Course in Miracles, the School of Ageless Wisdom, and mediumship in the early 20th century. He explores the profound influence of the Bodhi Tree Bookstore in Los Angeles and looks at the evolution of female roles in spirituality across the centuries. He also examines the right wing of American metaphysics from the Silver Legion to QAnon. Revealing the diverse streams that run through America’s metaphysical landscape, Pontiac offers an encyclopedic examination of occult teachers, esotericists, and spiritual collectives almost no one has heard of, but who were profoundly influential.Trade Review“Ronnie Pontiac has produced one of the finest, most comprehensive works of independent scholarship that we possess on the mystical currents of American religion. Like a journey down a wild, winding, and uncharted river, this book takes us through byways and inlets that few historians know. Surprises emerge on nearly every page.” * Mitch Horowitz, PEN Award–winning author of Uncertain Places *“A lucid tour through the Wild West of American-style spirituality. Pontiac drives us through landscapes peopled by odd characters that some have deemed ‘mad, bad, and dangerous to know’ but whose burning arrows have ignited things in our psyches whether we knew it or not. I was constantly delighted by the new, luminous insights into characters and events that I thought I knew everything about but clearly didn’t.” * Alan Richardson, author of Aleister Crowley and Dion Fortune *“Scholarly yet eminently readable, this is a must for the bookshelf of any reader interested in the sociology of religion, the history of psychical development, and the psychology of sacred feeling. Highly recommended.” * Tod Davies, author of The History of Arcadia visionary fiction series *“Ronnie Pontiac does his readers an inestimable service, surveying and summarizing an immense amount of academic material. Pontiac makes a strong argument that America has always had a religious consciousness, separation of church and state notwithstanding. Thomas Edison, William James, Timothy Leary, Carlos Castaneda, and Terence McKenna are only some of the figures Pontiac takes on in this detailed, thorough, and readable account of the often wildly disparate beliefs held by that ‘one nation under God.’” * Gary Lachman, author of The Return of Holy Russia *“Ronnie Pontiac’s book is a full engagement with these deep currents and a wild map of the ocean they form. The reader sets the book down with a sense of the endless nature of those waters but also with the conviction that, below the waves, ‘America’ is fundamentally an esoteric idea and a mystical ideal and always has been.” * Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of The Superhumanities: Historical Precedents, Moral Objections, New Reali *“The most fascinating book I have read in decades. Hollywood may have written its own history of cowboys and cattle, but kindly allow Ronnie Pontiac to enchant you with a different story. This is an especially long book, over 600 pages, but the work never loses pace, not a word is wasted, every sentence is packed with information. An illuminating journey into the eternal spiritual quest of human nature set free in a new land.” * Naomi Ozaniec, author of Becoming a Garment of Isis *“This book is much closer to the mainstream psyche than academics would have us believe. Ronnie Pontiac’s book is a lively, engaging, thoughtful, and insightful introduction to this dazzling world.” * Richard Smoley, author of A Theology of Love *“Pontiac’s ambitious and inclusive book is an important contribution to our understanding of the culturally and philosophically diverse influences that have, from the very beginning, impacted the character of American spiritual thought and experience. This book is a critical project that shows us the contours and multitudes of cultural and historical influence that converge to produce a uniquely American esotericism.” * Amy Hale, author of Ithell Colquhoun *“I couldn’t put this book down. It’s a storybook concerning a multi-formed religion that lies just below the surface of American awareness yet plays a significant part in the beliefs and inspirations that characterize our psyche. Its ‘metaphysical’ ideas reach everyone, from presidents to heads of corporations as well as major figures in the arts and sciences and the average citizen. We can see them as people struggling to make sense of life, the world, and other realities. Prepare to be amazed.” * Mary K. Greer, author of Women of the Golden Dawn *“Permanently unseats the lingering myth that the United States is (or was) an exclusively Christian nation. Read this book: I guarantee you will encounter a character who helps you locate your own lineage in the tangled skein of American metaphysical religion.” * Thea Wirsching, author of The American Renaissance Tarot *“Especially valuable for me is the groundbreaking discussion of the Platonic enthusiasts Thomas Moore Johnson, Alexander Wilder, and Hiram K. Jones. Well researched, relevant, and revelatory.” * K. Paul Johnson, author of Edgar Cayce in Context *“It’s a wild ride filled with so many familiar metaphysical names and intriguing connections and events to follow up on. Gems on every page. I didn’t want to put it down.” * Normandi Ellis, author of The Ancient Tradition of Angels *“A never-ending gold-hearted gossip column and a vast erudite history of American arcana. Every page is filled with illuminating morsels—manna for the seeker, a feast for all.” * Matt Marble, author of Buddhist Bubblegum *“Ronnie Pontiac has written a most useful and readable overview of American Metaphysical Religion from Colonial times to the present, including contributions of European immigrants; from the 18th century Enlightenment’s occult underground through the 19th century’s ‘occult explosion’ and right up to the present. He has consulted all the sources and scholarship. His own personal experiences and friendships with significant practitioners add a hands-on touch.” * Jay Bregman, coeditor of Platonic Traditions in American Thought *“From the margins and the deeper streams of mainstream culture Pontiac pulls threads of history that are often left obscure. An able guide, this book opens the readers to the potentials that still lie waiting for those who seek more than a mega church initiation.” * David Metcalfe, scholar in virtual residence at the Windbridge Institute *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsINTRODUCTIONA Heritage We Didn’t Know We Had 1 Ingredients for the Melting Pot2 A Map of the Tour3 When East Meets West 4 American Metaphysical Christianity5 Turtle Island 6 Thomas Harriot: America’s First “Evil” Genius7 The Pagan Pilgrim8 The Intelligencers and the Fifth Moon of Jupiter9 The Red Harlot10 The Uncivil War 11 The Platonist on the Sunset Strip 12 Secrets of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor 13 Willy Reichel’s Psychic Adventure Tour 14 Pagan Christianity of the Early Twentieth Century 15 Scandalous Psychic Adventures of the Roaring Twenties 16 American Metaphysical Religion in the Twentieth Century17 Prayer Wheel for the Bodhi Tree Bookstore 18 American Metaphysical Religion in the Early Twenty-First Century APPENDIX Esoteric Architecture of Washington, D.C. BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisAn introduction to Welsh deities through traditional myths and practical exercises. Written by a practising witch, living in the heart of Wales and working with the deities woven into the land, this book contains the major stories and backgrounds for the Gods and Goddesses of the heartland of the Druids. Within its pages you will find information on the major deities and where their stories can be found, alongside suggestions on how to connect with them and weave relationships with them into a modern pagan practice.

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Book SynopsisA phenomenon that spans human experience, from the ancient world right up to today’s ferocious religious debates, blasphemy is an act of individuals, but also a widespread and constant presence in cultural, political and religious life. Acts Against God is the first accessible history of this crime – its prosecution, its impact and its punishment and suppression. The book begins in ancient Greece with the genesis of blasphemy’s link with the state. From here we move on to blasphemy in the medieval world, in the Reformation and the Enlightenment. The book concludes with the twenty-first century, with individuals and the state seeking to adopt blasphemy as the means to resist the secular and the globalization of culture.Trade Review“A superb history from the preeminent expert in the field.” -- Andrew Copson, author of "Secularism: A Very Short Introduction"“Acts Against God is the new authoritative account of blasphemy law’s long history. Its analysis of Western law over more than two millennia is brought vividly to life through the key trials and episodes of libel against God, the miracles, and the Trinity. Now, with blasphemy still a crime in so many countries, this offense sadly continues to define and limit our freedoms. [Writing] with a verve that bowls the reader along, Nash shows how democrats since Socrates have hankered for an Open Society in which freedom of religion might one day be matched by freedom from religion.” -- Callum Brown, Professor of Late Modern European History, University of GlasgowTable of ContentsIntroduction1. Blasphemy in Ancient Worlds2. Blasphemy in Medieval Christendom3. Blasphemy and the Reformation4. Blasphemy and the Enlightenment5. Blasphemy in the Nineteenth Century6. Blasphemy in the Twentieth Century7. Blasphemy in the Contemporary World

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Book SynopsisBy the author of the best-selling Straw Dogs, this book is a characteristically trenchant and unflinchingly clear-sighted collection of reflections on our contemporary lot. Whether writing about the future of our species on this planet, the folly of our faith in technological progress, or the self-deceptions of the liberal establishment, John Gray dares to be heretical like few other thinkers today.

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