Christianity 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 history of the Iona Community, including St Colomba's founding of an influential Celtic Christian community on the Hebridean island of Iona in the sixth century.

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Book SynopsisLent is traditionally a time of repentance and penitence but it also offers an opportunity to see the world afresh, with a new sense of wonder. These readings, up to Easter and beyond, encourage us not only to regard ourselves with a healthy realism and accept responsibility for our shortcomings, but also to recognise the nature and purposes of God and the never-ending renewal of possibility, both within ourselves and in the world.

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Book SynopsisThe readings and activities in this book aim to lead to a deeper understanding of how we use language. As we become more discriminating in our use of words, so we can improve how we tell our own stories and relate to the experiences of others.

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Book SynopsisThe hunger for modern, relevant resources for the Christian seasons and celebrations is deep. Here is a book that will help to fill this need. Suitable for group worship or personal reflection, and with material for Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Mothering Sunday, Palm Sunday and Holy Week, it is a collection to accompany readers through Lent and Easter for many years. Eggs and Ashes includes a Lent discipline for those who care about the environment, liturgies, responses, prayers, poems, reflections, meditations, stories, stations of the cross, sermons, monologues and songs, with some all-age resources written by Iona Community members, associates, friends and others. Ruth Burgess is the author of A Book of Blessings and Friends and Enemies, both published by Wild Goose Publications. Chris Polhill is a frequent contributor to Wild Goose books.

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Book SynopsisAccording to the spiritual-scientific research of Rudolf Steiner, the greatest spiritual event of our time is the renewal and reawakening of the human being's supersensible relationship to higher spiritual worlds. The force that brings about this development - referred to by different names in various cultural and religious traditions - is known in spiritual science, in accordance with Christian terminology, as the 'Christ Impulse'. As an outcome of new and naturally-endowed supersensible faculties, human beings are increasingly able, as an act of grace, to experience and perceive the mighty spiritual force of the Christ Impulse. Such an experience can be spoken of as a 'naturally-given initiation' - and today we increasingly hear of individual supersensible experiences of this kind. However, if we wish to take a healthy, modern approach in dealing with these 'natural' phenomena, it is necessary that we begin to comprehend them in full consciousness and with clear thought. It is this all-important bridge between the naturally-given experience of the supersensible and its conscious cognition which Ben-Aharon seeks to build in this book. As a result of such a connection, '...empirical supersensible research can investigate the different aspects of Christ's etheric becoming and appearance in a way that, both methodically and experientially, fulfils the justified cognitive and scientific requirements of our age. ' This edition features a new introductory chapter.

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Book SynopsisAt Passiontide 2004, Judith von Halle received the stigmata - the duplication on her body of the wounds of Christ. Following a period of careful consideration, she eventually decided to share this intimate occurrence with a small group in Berlin in Michaelmas of that year. The phenomenon of the stigmata is usually either seen as a sheer miracle or is simply denied. In contrast, in her first lectures here, she attempts to arrive at a clear understanding of it - based on the spiritual scientific knowledge of Rudolf Steiner - and its significance for one's personal destiny. As a consequence of receiving the stigmata, von Halle began to experience the events of the life of Christ in full, sensory detail. In addition, she has explored these events by means of spiritual-scientific research methods - sometimes referred to as 'continuity of consciousness'. In the further five lectures of this volume, she offers a commentary to the "Mystery of Golgotha", the turning-point in world history. Her intention is to stimulate the reader to reflect patiently and repeatedly upon this great Mystery, and to enter into an ever closer relationship to Christ.Table of ContentsChapters: - About the knowledge and reality of the Resurrection of Christ - The significance of the phantom, the Resurrection Body, for an understanding of the human being - The Mystery of Golgotha as the end of the old and beginning of the new initiation - An account of the events between Death and Resurrection (Descent into Hell) - The Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and the last night on the Mount of Olives - The event of Easter at the time of Christ - The event of Whitsun at the time of Christ and its connection with Anthroposophy

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Book SynopsisRecent works of fiction and popular history have promoted the idea that the Holy Grail symbolizes a physical bloodline resulting from the union of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene. This, supposedly, is the 'secret' that esoteric movements have kept tirelessly for the past 2,000 years. From her groundbreaking research, Sylvia Francke exposes this notion to be a blatant misinterpretation of the mystery traditions that preceded and ran parallel to the birth of Christianity. She traces the ancient spiritual paths of knowledge from the Cathars, the Knights Templar and the enigmatic Rosicrucians, to the work of Rudolf Steiner in the twentieth century. Here, she concludes, is true Grail knowledge: the Tree of Life and the Holy Grail itself explained in their metaphysical context. From her research, she suggests a solution to the riddle of the sudden wealth and strange behaviour of Berenger Sauniere, the mysterious priest of Rennes-le-Chateau in southern France. True Grail knowledge, she concludes, has nothing to do with bloodlines or worldly status, but is an ancient lifeline to the spiritual origins of creation. Its energetic forces ray up from the earth and down from the constellations and planets while interacting with individual human beings. It holds the key to the fulfilment of mankind's quest, a step to the next phase of human evolution...The recent explosion of interest in an alternative history of Christianity - the shadow Grail - prompted Sylvia Francke to revise "The Tree of Life and the Holy Grail", first published in 1996. The result is a completely reworked and expanded book that constitutes a powerful and convincing refutation of distorted esoteric truths.

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Book SynopsisContains daily readings for the four months from a wide range of contributors within the Iona Community. These prayers, liturgies, songs, poems and articles can be used for group or individual reflections.

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Book SynopsisFeatures full colour photographs by a Iona Community member and photographer David Coleman, and Anja Grosse-Uhlmann, who lives on the isle of Iona, with accompanying reflections, prayers, poems and stories by Community writers.

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Book SynopsisThe "Celtic Wheel of the Year" offers an original and inspiring selection of prayers for individual use. Divided into monthly sections, it incorporates Celtic Christian and Celtic Pagan traditions in a single pattern of prayer. Prayers combine the Christian seasons with the seasons of the Solstices and Equinoxes. But they also reach beyond both traditions, dancing together and finding a new way of worshipping; one that we can enjoy in private spirituality or as a partaker of established religion.Trade ReviewTess Ward has written a spiritual handbook full of wisdom, grace and creativity. It dips into the deep wells of Celtic tradition and beyond to gather the clear water of life. This is a book of prayer to be treasured. Mike Riddell, author of The Sacred Journey and Godzone Tess Ward writes like a mystic. Deeply immersed in nature, embedded in folklore, poetic in word and vivid in the images evoked, both the introductory material for each month and the accompanying prayers awaken deep sentiment and the soulful realisation that we are always within the divine embrace in which we live and move and have our being. A gem for all seasons! Diarmuid O'Murchu MSC In an age of global warming and increasing ecological vulnerability, the only viable spiritualities are those which re-connect us to the earth and deepen our sense of connection with the divine spirit that enlivens it. Tess Ward's book is a valuable resource for anyone seeking such a spirituality. Her prayers and reflections offer a creative synthesis of Christian symbols and other nature-based traditions, and the structure of the book reminds us of the sacred qualities of the passing seasons. For anyone looking for a livelier, embodied and grounded faith, Tess Ward offers an important, hopeful and refreshing way forward. Dr. Gordon Lynch, Dept of Theology and Religion, Birmingham University, author of The New Spirituality "The Celtic Wheel of the Year" is a must read for everyone interested in praying with an ecological awareness. Tess Ward offers refreshing reflections and creative prayers that weave mysticism, feminism, and embodiment with Celtic and Christian spirituality. The earth connection grows stronger with each prayer. Diann L. Neu, codirector of WATER, The Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual, and author of Return Blessings.

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Dundee mill girl who, inspired by David Livingstone, became a missionary herself in Calabar, a part of Africa known as 'the White Man's Grave'. There she adopted many children who would otherwise have been left to die; when her mediating skills were recognised she became the British Empire's first woman magistrate. Her name lives on in the Mary Slessor Foundation, a charity working in Africa to improve health, skills training and facilitate agricultural projects. Mary Slessor was one of the most remarkable Scotswomen of any generation and the first to be depicted on a Scottish banknote. First published in 2001; this edition has had some material updated and two replacement photographs.Table of Contents1. Early Days in Dundee 2. First Impressions of Calabar 3. A Real Missionary at Last 4. Tragic Prelude to the Okoyong 5. 'It's a Gunboat they need, not a Missionary' 6. The Power of Witchcraft 7. 'The Civilising Influence of that Admirable Lady, Miss Slessor 8. A Most Unlikely Vice-consul 9. Gain and Loss 10. The Aftermath of the Aro Expedition of 1901 11. The British Empire's First Woman Magistrate 12. The End of her Journey

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Book SynopsisThe Mystery of the Resurrection approaches the deepest mysteries of the Turning Point of Time through Rudolf Steiner's spiritual research. At its heart stands the question of the restoration of the 'phantom' of the physical body, and its transformation into the resurrected body of Christ through the Mystery of Golgotha. The author draws a broad and differentiated picture of the tasks and possibilities that the Easter event, as well as Ascension and Whitsun, present - both for the individual and humanity. The final chapter considers the mystery of Easter Saturday, through which the two polar aspects of the Mystery of Golgotha - death and resurrection - interconnect, at the same time explaining the relationship of the Earth Spirit to the interior of the Earth. An appendix tackles the phenomenon of stigmatization from a spiritual-scientific perspective.Trade ReviewSERGEI O. PROKOFIEFF, born in Moscow in 1954, studied painting and art history at the Moscow School of Art. He encountered anthroposophy in his youth, and soon made the decision to devote his life to it. He has been active as an author and lecturer since 1982, and in 1991 he co-founded the Anthroposophical Society in Russia. In Easter 2001 he became a member of the Executive Council of the General Anthroposophical Society in Dornach. He is the author of dozens of books, including May Human Beings Hear It!, The Occult Significance of Forgiveness and The Appearance of Christ in the Etheric.

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Book SynopsisWhat spiritual or esoteric practices took place within the mysterious and often controversial Knights Templar? Whilst little is known about this aspect of the Order's history, speculation and wild rumours continue to persist. Having taken the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, the members of the Templar Order were required to live the life of other monastic orders. However, their remarkable rise to a successful elite community - followed by the insidious machinations and slander that led to their spectacular fall and destruction - suggests that they were involved in something more significant than straightforward medieval religious practices. There have been many theories as to whether their 'secret' involved material wealth and special treasure. But could it have been connected to a science of initiation - the knowledge, experience and understanding of spiritual dimensions that can enlighten the pupil on an esoteric path? In The Templar Spirit Margaret Jonas penetrates these questions, examining some of the various claims and revealing something of the esoteric practices and beliefs of the Order, including influences from other religious traditions. She presents her own research into the meaning of the mysterious 'head' that the Templars were accused of worshipping, and examines the historical figures that lent their wisdom and guidance to the founding of the Order.

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Book SynopsisThe beginnings of the Templar Order are shrouded in mystery. Very little is known about its foundation, inner workings or its rapid growth. This lack of knowledge can lead to all sorts of speculation and, sometimes, bizarre theories. This book - developed from a conference held on the theme at Emerson College, England - offers new, well-grounded perspectives that utilize both esoteric and exoteric sources. From varying points-of-view, the contributors tackle key questions relating to the forming of the Order and its aims and intentions. They explore the Knights Templar's spiritual and historical background, as well as the Order's significance at the present time and its continuing impulse in the future. With its broad scope, this stimulating anthology encourages independent, open-minded enquiry and research. Featuring contributions by: Peter Tradowsky, Gil McHattie, Horst Biehl, Margaret Jonas, Rolf Speckner, Sylvia Francke, Simon Cade-Williams, Jaap van der Haar, Alfred Kon, David Lenker, Peter Snow, Christine Gruwez, Frans Lutters, Walter Johannes Stein and Siegfried Rudel.

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Book SynopsisDedicated to the one hundredth anniversary of Rudolf Steiner's first proclamation of Christ's appearance in the etheric realm of the Earth, this book refers to various aspects of that Event that have so far not been adequately addressed. Sergei O. Prokofieff points to three themes of primary importance, all of which are connected directly with the tasks of the Society which Rudolf Steiner founded: The preparation of mankind for the Second Coming; Working together with Christ as the Lord of Karma; Recognising in anthroposophy the spiritual language in which questions can be posed to the etheric Christ today. Prokofieff describes these and other critical undertakings, such as forging a strong relationship to Michael and the importance of recognising the adversarial forces that attempt to falsify Christ's Second Coming. The Appearance of Christ in the Etheric is of relevance to every individual who wishes to take an active part in fulfilling the needs of our time.

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Book SynopsisMore pubs, clubs and bars per square mile than almost anywhere else in Europe. Hundreds of thousands of young people, intent on having the best holiday possible. The beautiful island of Ibiza is often derided for the shocking scenes of excess, violence and incapacity that inevitably result. 24-7 Prayer took up the invitation, God's call to go to the party island and pray. So Brian and Tracy Heasley went. For seven years, they walked and prayed around the walls of the San Antonio. And most nights, joined by young volunteers, they walked through the town, chatting to clubbers and offering prayer. Thousands said yes. Some knelt, some put their hands together, some shared deep worries and concerns. They helped people home, looked after those in danger of being robbed, and befriended all kinds of people, from bar owners to prostitutes. The familiar T-shirts of 24-7 Ibiza came to be regarded as a fourth emergency service. Brian and Tracy's story will inspire you to pray and show God's love for your own community as you seek to express the gospel in whatever situation he has placed you.

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Book Synopsis"When I fell ill and stayed ill, I felt like God had chopped me off at the ankles. I yelped in pain and indignation, I felt painfully abandoned, diminished and finished. It took me a long time to learn that God was not out to kill me." Some illnesses begin with a bang, whipped off to hospital or flattened into bed. Other conditions creep in until normal life is no longer normal. Life skills are suddenly out of date. Work, socialising and hobbies are out of reach. It's a new and scary world. Emily Ackerman knows this world only too well. She knows what it feels like to cry out to God to relieve her suffering, to allow her to fulfil her life plans. She knows what it feels like to wait, year after year, while God works through her suffering, to fulfil his plans for her life. This book is about fighting back. It's about reclaiming your life now you're ill, and finding new ways to live well and serve effectively. You'll find survival strategies, encouragement, practical advice and fresh ways to view your situation. God hasn't given up on you: there's good news from the Bible about living abundantly and usefully with illness.

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Book SynopsisTucked away in the book of Numbers, amid instructions on wave offerings and haircutting, set in the ring of God's call to his people to be set apart for him, we find a sparkling diamond: God's gift of shining blessing, given to a weary people wandering in the wilderness. God blesses those who don't deserve it, through those who don't deserve it; again and again he chooses to bless. He is preparing his people for life in the Promised Land. And he is blessing them - us - to be a blessing to all people.

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Book SynopsisA profound invitation to get to know the God of forever, Kate Patterson explores what it means to be 'eternally minded', keeping our eyes on the one whose eyes are on us. Eternity unveils the freedom that being eternally minded brings, enabling us to live fearlessly, knowing that God is making us more and more Christ-like as we journey with him.

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Book SynopsisWe were made to experience God’s blessing! From God’s first blessing on Adam and Eve to "be fruitful and increase in number” to Jesus’ last blessing on his followers as he ascended into heaven, blessing is central to how God relates to those he loves. And yet many of us think God’s blessing is not for us. Maybe we’ve read the stories of blessing in the Bible, or seen it in the lives of others, but catch ourselves thinking “that’s nice for them, but God hasn’t got that for me…” Or worse, we picture God as a grumpy old man who measures out blessing in measly thimblefuls. Following on from her first book exploring the Aaronic blessing from the book of Numbers, this encouraging devotional offers the opportunity to see God afresh through that shining blessing - a God who loves us and whose heart is to bless his people, through his people. Beautifully designed and illustrated, and with scripture, quotations, and questions to reflect on, The Gift of Blessing is an ideal gift for those who long to be blessed that they might be a blessing to others.

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Book SynopsisWhat is prayer? How does it work? And does it even help at all? Where do we start and where will it lead? These are questions that Johannes Hartl has spent his life exploring. Questions that have found their answers through encounter, experience and often through travel - a journey of discovery that has taken Hartl into the very heart of true prayer. Weaving together stories of individuals, movements and moments he has encountered across the world, Hartl invites you to join him on an incredible adventure. Exploring different approaches to prayer, such as contemplative, intercessory, creative, powerful and revelatory prayer, Hartl encourages us to rediscover the true heart of prayer - a God who hears us and wants to speak to us. For those who want to experience the power of prayer or who are struggling to pray, this book is full of thoughtful insights and wisdom, combined with reflective applications which will inspire and challenge readers to catch the fire for a life of prayer themselves.

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Book SynopsisCathedrals and abbeys are the most beautiful and iconic buildings of the British Isles, and have formed the bedrock of our nation for centuries. This absorbing collection of amazing and extraordinary facts opens the doors of these fascinating structures to reveal their rich historical and architectural heritage. From stories of English Popes, martyred archbishops and renegade bishops to iconoclastic kings, power-hungry nobles and architectural dynasties, as well as the role of the Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings, we explore how the people and religion in Britain have shaped these buildings over the last 2,000 years. Also read about the architectural heritage of British cathedrals, from troublesome spires, stained glass wonders and buy-a-brick campaigns to abbeys in the sea, fortified castle-cathedrals and mass graves. Along with tales of famous memorials and artefacts, fascinating folklore and architectural feats, these intriguing and diverse facts will provide something for every enthusiast to dip into and relish.Table of Contents1 St Albans Cathedral 10 2 Bath Abbey 16 3 Belfast Cathedrals 20 4 Birmingham Cathedral 22 5 Bristol Cathedral 23 6 Buckland Abbey 24 7 Canterbury Cathedral 26 8 Chelmsford Abbey 30 9 Chester Cathedral 30 10 Chichester Cathedral 32 11 Coventry Cathedral 34 12 St Davids Cathedral 36 13 Durham Cathedral 38 14 Ely Cathedral 43 15 Exeter Cathedral 48 16 St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh 51 17 Glasgow Cathedral 53 18 Glastonbury Abbey 54 19 Gloucester Cathedral 57 20 Hereford Cathedral 61 21 Leicester Cathedral 64 22 Lincoln Cathedral 66 23 Liverpool Anglican Cathedral 70 24 Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral 72 25 Manchester Cathedral 74 26 Newcastle Cathedral 76 27 Norwich Cathedral 77 28 Oxford Cathedral 79 29 St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin 82 30 St Paul's Cathedral 86 31 Peterborough Cathedral 95 32 Rochester Cathedral 96 33 Salisbury Cathedral 99 34 Southwark Cathedral 104 35 Southwell Minster 107 36 Tewkesbury Abbey 109 37 Truro Cathedral 111 38 Wells Cathedral 113 39 Westminster Abbey 116 40 Winchester Cathedral 121 41 Worcester Cathedral 127 42 York Minster 131

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Book SynopsisThe two contradicting genealogies of Jesus in the Gospels have long puzzled biblical scholars. Rudolf Steiner's spiritual research led him to the controversial theological conclusion that historically there existed two Jesus boys, born of two holy families. These two boys, he said, were necessary as part of the spiritual preparation of forming a suitable human body for the incarnation of Christ into the earthly realm. Both apocryphal texts and the writings of the Essenes - as discovered at Qumran by the Dead Sea - now appear to support this conception, with references to Messianic figures from both royal and priestly lines. Various authors have developed Rudolf Steiner's observations - first presented in the early twentieth century - although much of this literature has lacked the rigour of accurate and broad scholarship. The Two Jesus Boys is not simply a derivative rehash of these previous publications. Rather, it offers a fresh investigation of primary sources, coupled with an objective determination to allow the facts to speak for themselves. Christoph Rau thus comes to the unavoidable conclusion that Steiner's presentation of the chronology of the two births needs revision; furthermore, the most recent discoveries and interpretations of Essene scrolls reveal that the Jewish sect expected not one but three Messiahs. Rau quotes from and analyses numerous documents from the landscape of early Christianity and Judaism. His findings provide a secure foundation for the historical existence of two Jesus boys in the prelude to Christ's incarnation on earth, as well as a revelation of the Essenes' long expectation of three Messiahs.Table of ContentsIntroduction - 1. The Riddle of the two Genealogical Trees - 2. Two Childhoods - 3. Astonishing Discoveries - 4. The New Insight is Cosmically Anchored and Confirmed in Writing - 5. Contradictions, Reasons and Objections - 6. Preparation for the Unique Union - 7. The Mystery of the Twelve-year-old Jesus - 8.The Actual Chronology as the Solution to the Contradiction - 9. The Death of Zechariah-a Milestone for the True Dating of Events - 10. Zarathustra and the Star of the Wise Men - 11. Zarathustra's Becoming and Progress - 12. Krishna and the Heavenly Adam-soul - 13. John and the Earthly Adam-soul - 14. Buddha and the Nathan-Jesus-boy - 15. Two Prophecies of the Messiah and their Fulfilment - 16. The Three Messianic Figures in the Essene Writings - 17. The Letter to the Hebrews-an Early Answer to Essene Expectations - 18. The Further Effects of the Messianic Prophecy - Epilogue1909-1959-2009 - Appendix - (1) The Childhood of Jesus, According to Matthew - Commentary - (2) The Childhood of Jesus According to Luke - Commentary - (3) The Protevangelium of James - Commentary - (4) From the Quran - Commentary - Notes - Bibliography

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Book SynopsisDuring the brief window between the two World Wars, the Rev. Prof. Hermann Beckh led research at The Christian Community Seminary in Stuttgart. In those precious years he published on music, the gospels and the ancient Mysteries. By 1930, in his Contributions to the Priests' Newsletter, he had produced the most far-reaching account of the cosmic order ever written. The typescript of this great work was destined to gather dust in the Berlin Archiv, however, until it was discovered in recent years. Published here for the first time, it is the crowning masterpiece to Beckh's Collected Works. The translated and annotated text is accompanied by Rudolf Frieling's in-depth application of Beckh's principles of the cosmic starry order to the Creed of The Christian Community, and by a number of appreciations and relevant book reviews. Through ever-deepening meditation guided by Rudolf Steiner, and his vast knowledge of Tibetan, Sanskrit, Pali and Avestan sacred texts - scarcely to be equalled in Europe at the time - Beckh came to the first-hand realization that human and cosmic life was ordered. He perceived directly that this cosmic order was: good, as originating from the World-Will; true, as from World-Thinking; and beautiful, as from World-Feeling. All three could be personally experienced in disciplined consciousness that could enter dream, sleep and pre-natal life. This, then, was Beckh's method and inspiration, as shown in this extraordinary work.Trade Review'The time will come when Beckh's 'Christened' star-knowledge, which signifies a basic overturning of today's decadent astrology, will be appreciated for its significance.' - August PauliTable of ContentsZODIAC AND PLANETS IN RELATION TO THE HUMAN BEING with a chapter on the Anthroposophical Soul Calendar by Hermann Beckh and THE COSMIC RHYTHM IN THE CREED FOR READERS OF BECKH'S BOOKS by Rudolf Frieling with an Introduction and Reviews by Rudolf Frieling and others

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Book SynopsisThat there is a living stream of Johannine Christianity can no longer be doubted. There is now an abundant literature from Rosicrucian and esoteric traditions - from the deepest prayer and meditation - that addresses the exalted nature of John the Evangelist as expressed through his Gospel, Letters and the Book of Revelation. Yet it fell to Hermann Beckh to elucidate clearly how the individual known as 'John' became the source of such undying love and wisdom in Christ. According to Rudolf Steiner, John was the ailing Lazarus, called from death to a new life as 'the disciple Jesus loved'. Beckh demonstrates how John's invaluable writings were based on personal spiritual knowledge and experience, expressing the divine work of the Cosmic Christ on human nature and on the Earth, leading far into the future. Whilst Beckh's authorship originated within the context of the emerging Christian Community founded in 1922, his profoundly original books could not be confined to its framework. Not only could Beckh tackle original texts in Tibetan, Sanskrit and Avestan, but - through his independent vision - he was able to establish new links with philosophical Alchemy, Jakob Boehme, Goethe, Nietzsche and Novalis. He thereby stands with these figures as a co-worker in a greater community. Having prepared the way with his Mark's Gospel of 1928, John's Gospel could be described as the capstone of Beckh's writings - as a triumphant announcement that theology and the study of John's Gospel have finally come of age. Appearing here in a freshly revised translation by Alan Stott, the current volume is enhanced by a series of valuable addenda that shed further light on Beckh's significant achievements.

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Book Synopsis‘These Letters … aim to make John’s Gospel accessible to people today as their own gospel, both as a whole and in the details; to illuminate it with the spiritual knowledge of the age and to make it fruitful for life, not only for meditation but also for practical ordering of destiny.’ – Friedrich Rittelmeyer. --- A revitalized Johannine Christianity stands at the heart of the work of Christian renewal that was led by Rudolf Steiner in the early twentieth century. Friedrich Rittelmeyer, a Lutheran minister and theologian who helped found The Christian Community in 1922, was a leading figure within this new Johannine movement. Rittelmeyer described John’s Gospel as encapsulating ‘…an indescribable glory of revelation of love. This glory has such purity, delicacy and spiritual power that in it one has the material with which a marvellous new world may be built.’ --- Without doubt his most powerful work, Rittelmeyer’s Letters on John’s Gospel first appeared in a series of publications by the Stuttgart seminary of The Christian Community between 1930 and 1932. Whilst these Letters were originally written with students and local congregations in mind, they provide manifold insights for anyone seeking to glimpse the majesty of John’s Gospel. Margaret Mitchell’s translation from 1937 has never before been published in book form. Revised here and expanded by editors Alan Stott and Neil Franklin, this volume features additional contributions by Rudolf Frieling and Emil Bock.Table of ContentsEditor’s Preface by Alan Stott – Introduction: Friedrich Rittelmeyer and John’s Gospel by Rudolf Frieling – The ‘I-AM’ as the Midpoint of Human History – Christianity as a Mystery Religion – The Nascent World – John’s Gospel, Chapter One (Revised Standard Version) – LETTERS ON JOHN’S GOSPEL – Letter No. 1, The Mystery of the ‘I’ – Letter No. 2, The Mystery of the ‘I’ (2) – Letter No. 3, Son of God and Son of Man (1) – Letter No. 4, Son of Man and Son of God (2) – Letter No. 5, Son of God and Son of Man (3) – Letter No. 6, The Book of Joy – Letter No. 7, ‘I am the Light of the World’ – Letter No. 8, ‘I am the Life’ – Letter No. 9, ‘I am Love’ – Letter No. 10, A World-Historical Conversation – Letter No. 11, The Springtime of the Disciples – Letter No. 12, The Great Intercession: the High-Priestly Prayer (I) – Letter No. 13, The Great Intercession, the High-Priestly Prayer (II) – Letter No. 14, The Great Intercession, the High-Priestly Prayer (III) – Consecration of the Disciples [John 21] – John’s Gospel, Chapter 1 (Revised Standard Version) – Appendix: The Word from Inner Listening – Twenty Years after the Death of Friedrich Rittelmeyer by Emil Bock – Further Reading – Notes

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Book SynopsisResistance to Christianity is a revisionary account of the forms of thought and belief that have been rejected by orthodox Christianity over the course of the centuries.

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Book SynopsisA thundering from the skies? An inner knowing, a quiet certainty? The God of the Bible is a God who speaks, who spoke the world itself into being; his word is powerful and it will accomplish what he sends it to do. Our God promises to speak to us, to be found by us when we seek him with all our heart. But how? What is God’s voice actually like? So often, in our noisy world, we struggle to listen, to recognise when he’s speaking. Can we really expect to ‘hear’ him today? Yes, we can, argues Bill Cahusac, our Father God loves to communicate with us, and it can be as natural to encounter his voice at a football match or the supermarket checkout, as it can be in a church or a prayer room. This beautiful book explores important and difficult questions surrounding prophecy. Vulnerable, funny, and entirely relatable, Bill takes us on a journey of his experience. Hearing that gentle whisper, he says, comes from spending time with God in his word and in worship.Table of Contents1. Home 2. Closer than a brother 3. How wide and long, how high and deep 4. Be ready 5. Rushing waters 6. God-breathed 7. Written in the sky 8. Seeing visions and dreaming dreams 9. Great and unsearchable things 10. The still small voice and thundering 11. Learning to bear the weight of privilege 12. Pray, practise, and persevere 13. Strengthening what remains

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Book SynopsisHow can working parents live wisely with God at the centre, learn to be still and know him, while juggling demands of family and career at today's hectic pace? Katharine Hill draws on a wealth of experience from advising government, working with families and bringing up her own, to help you flourish in your calling and walk closely with the Lord.

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Book SynopsisCalled is a refreshingly honest and humorous deep dive into God's calling for each one of us. Written by Jonny Gumbel, Rector of Christ Church Rio and author of Loved, Called examines the stories of the characters whom God called in different ways, humanising them and giving us encouragement that we too can take up God's call on our lives.

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Book SynopsisAn intriguing chapter in the history of England's most famous church, these ten pen portraits include the stories of Martin Luther King and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

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Book Synopsis‘If you wish to learn, you may learn. I go now and will come again. And yet I am always with you.’ --- This was the conclusion to a surprising message that psychologist Iris Paxino received from a bright, angelic entity who appeared to her unannounced, radiating a comforting, warmth-filled light. The angel’s words left her awestruck and deeply moved. --- Paxino had long had the gift of knowing angels, but it was immediately apparent to her that this special encounter marked a new beginning. She was in no doubt that she did indeed want to learn, and thus began a lively, intense dialogue that offered an abundance of insights into the work of angels. She discovered that, in addition to our guardian angel, each of us has a circle of twelve angels who accompany us throughout life and beyond death; that we have ‘double’ and ‘shadow’ angels, and that families, communities and social groups have their own angels, as do specific landscapes. In a series of intimate and enlightening conversations, Paxino relates knowledge about these and many other types of spiritual beings. --- ‘Angels suffer in sympathy with the earth and stand by us in the dark times of human existence. Despite everything they do not condemn, but love us with such devotion that we can scarcely comprehend it.’Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION – ANGELS, WHO ARE YOU? – The Appearance of Angels – The Nature of Angels – The Aspect of Freedom – The Feelings of Angels – The Language of the Angels – THE PERSONAL ANGELS OF EACH HUMAN BEING – The Guardian Angel – Weakened Guardian Angels – The Leading Angel – Other Personal Angels – The Circle of Angels – The Shaping of Destiny and the Higher I – THE SHADOW ANGELS – The Luciferic Double – The Ahrimanic Double – Working with Personal Doubles – Shadows Between Us and the Light – ANGELIC WORKINGS IN THE FABRIC OF SOCIETY – Family Angels and Community Angels – Angels in Our Life – On the Social Organism – The Workings of Archangels in the Social Realm – ANGELS BETWEEN DEATH AND REBIRTH – Life After Death – The Cosmic Midnight – The Zodiac Constellations – The Planetary Spheres – The Sun Sphere as Sphere of Transformation – From the Sun Sphere to the Moon Sphere – Birth on Earth – THE TASK OF HUMANITY AND THE HIERARCHY OF ANGELS – METHODOLOGY – Creating the Right Foundations – Inner Stillness – The Heart as Organ of Perception – Meeting Beings – The After-Echoes of Meditation – CLOSING WORDS – References – Bibliography

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Book SynopsisWho is the Christ? What is the ‘Sun-spirit’? How should we understand the person of Jesus in relation to the Cosmic Christ, or even to the Holy Trinity? --- In a majestic overview of Rudolf Steiner’s extensive references to Christ and Jesus, originally dispersed throughout his many writings and lectures, Oskar Kürten creates a mutually reconcilable and coherent text. We are invited to accompany the author as he attempts to comprehend the unimaginably vast enigma of Christ’s appearance on Earth. The results of his work can sometimes be overwhelming, but as Kürten points out: ‘humanity is always advancing in its intellectual and spiritual culture, and each step poses higher demands on our capacity to understand’. --- In a volume comprising three previously-untranslated booklets, composed originally as study material for people conversant with the fundamentals of anthroposophy, Mystery of the Christ gives numerous pointers to great mysteries, inviting readers to penetrate ever more deeply into the inexhaustible subject-matter. As Kürten states, this approach enables us ‘again and again to find surprisingly new insights into the mysterious interconnections in which Christ’s entry into earth-existence and the Mystery of Golgotha are placed’.Table of ContentsForeword by Paul King – Part One: CHRIST THE SUN SPIRIT IN THE WORK OF RUDOLF STEINER – Introduction – 1. The Enigma of Christ’s Appearance on Earth – 2. The Logos and Christ – 3. The Christ Archangel – 4. Christ the High Sun-Spirit – Christ as Cosmic-being – Christ and the Spirits of Wisdom – Christ and the Upper Gods – Christ as the Mystical Lamb – Christ among the Twelve Apostles – Christ as the Thirteenth among the Bodhisattvas – Christ as God of the Future – 5. Christ in Jesus – 6. Other Bearers of the Christ-Impulse – 7. Jesus of Nazareth – 8. Conclusion – Part Two: THE SUN GOD, THE LOGOS AND THE TRINITY – Preface – 1. Introduction – 2. The Father-God Creation and the Son-God Creation – 3. The Trinity and its Representatives in the Lower Worlds – 4. The Primal Trinity and the Trinity of our World – 5. Christ and the Holy Spirit – 6. Conclusion – Part Three: JESUS OF NAZARETH—A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE MYSTERY OF JESUS – Preface – 1. Introduction – 2. The Jesus-soul as the Representative of the Primordial Soul of Humanity – 3. The Preliminary Stages of the Mystery of Golgotha – 4. The Rescue of the Human I through the Mystery of Golgotha – 5. The Jesus-soul in Krishna – 6. The Jesus-soul in the Mysteries – 7. The Union of Buddha-forces with Jesus of Nazareth – 8. The Earthly Life of Jesus of Nazareth – a. The Life of Jesus after the Union with the Zarathustra-I – b. The Life of Jesus after the Union with the Christ-I – 9. The Resurrection – 10. Christ Jesus – 11. Dates Relating to the Life of Jesus – 12. Conclusion – Addendum to Part Three: THE SON OF MAN AND THE COSMIC CHRIST – 1. The young man who fled at the arrest of Christ Jesus – 2. Jesus of Nazareth as Son of Man – 3. Christ as Son of Man – 4. ‘Son of Man’ as a Mystery Expression – 5. The young man who fled as Cosmic Christ – Notes and References

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisRodney Stark''s fresh, blunt, and highly persuasive account of how the West was won—for Jesus (Newsweek)—a provocative report that challenges conventional wisdom and finds that Christianity''s astounding dominance of the Western world arose from its offer of a better, more secure way of life.Compelling reading (Library Journal) that is sure to generate spirited argument (Publishers Weekly), this account of Christianity''s remarkable growth within the Roman Empire is the subject of much fanfare. Anyone who has puzzled over Christianity''s rise to dominance ... must read it. says Yale University''s Wayne A. Meeks, for The Rise of Christianity makes a compelling case for startling conclusions. Combining his expertise in social science with historical evidence, and his insight into contemporary religion''s appeal, Stark finds that early Christianity attracted the privileged rather than the poor, that most ear

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Book SynopsisIn This Study I Found A Lord, a center for my being. Behind the supernatural framework of the first century...I discover a life I wanted to know; a life that possessed a power I wanted to possess; a freedom, a wholeness for which I had yearned for years.Illuminating the figure who stands at the center of all the Christian Church is, John Shelby Spong explores Jesus under the light of the Hebrew tradition into which he was born. Candid, personal, and soundly argued, this is Spong''s spiritual and intellectual pilgrimaged to the Christ he discovered in Jesus of Nazareth.

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Book SynopsisDietrich Bonhoeffer was only thirty-nine when he was executed by the Nazis in 1945, yet his influence on Christian life has been enormous. His passionate, theology-based opposition to Nazism made him a leader, along with Karl Barth, in Germany''s Confessing Church. Bonhoeffer is embraced by both liberal and conservative Christians, and the integrity of his faith and life have led believers everywhere to recognize him as the one theologian of his time to lead future generations of Christians into the new millennium. His writings are a treasure of spiritual wisdom, social con-science, pastoral care, and theological insights that are an inspiration to us all, no matter what challenges we face.A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer showcases his writings, letters, and sermons in a daily devotional format, encouraging and deepening readers'' reflections and meditations. With a foreword by Jim Wallis, author of God''s Politics, A Year with Dietrich Bonhoeffer will take readers on a 365-da

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Book Synopsis“Spiritually rewarding and uplifting.” — Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New YorkNew York Times bestselling author and editor at large of America magazine Father James Martin reveals how we can turn to Christ completely in mind, heart, and soul. Martin offers a portrait of Jesus, using his last words on the cross to reveal how deeply he understood our predicaments and shows us what it means to be fully human.Each meditation is dedicated to one of the seven sayings: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” “Woman, this is your son”  . . .  “This is your mother.” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” “I thirst.” “It is finished.” <

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