Religion Books

Book SynopsisC. S. Lewis' Little Book of Wisdom offers more than 300 bite-size nuggets of inspiration and wisdom from the much-loved author, philosopher, and Christian theologist.Novelist, poet, critic, scholar, Christian theologist, and best-selling author of the Narnia series, C.S. Lewis wasa deep thinker and a beautiful writer. His works have become timeless classics for adults and children around the world.Here, in one concise and inspirational volume, is the essence of Lewis' thought. This distillation of his feelings on subjects ranging from love and faith, to ethics and morality, to myth and literature will throw open the windows of the soul and provide readers with bite-size nuggets of wisdom and inspiration from one of the best-loved writers of the 20th century.This lovely little gift book will provide sustenance, wisdom, and hope for believers, seekers, artists and thinkers. It will provide an entry point for those unfamiliar with Lewis' thought; an entry point that will make them want toTrade Review‘This charming volume of quotes from C.S. Lewis’s works includes his Christian apologia (Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, Surprised by Joy) and his fiction (The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy). Editors Assaf and Leahy have selected brief quotations and placed them in thematic groupings relevant to modern Christians, such as “Living a Full Life with Christ” and “Recognizing Sin.” Quotes are mainly short but pack punches: “Gratitude looks to the past and love to the present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead”; “As image and apprehension are in organic unity, so, for a Christian, are human body and human soul.” A complete Lewis bibliography is included for those interested in following up on works quoted. Also provided are several blank pages at the end of the volume for readers to jot their own thoughts. These well-chosen Lewis quotes will inspire readers and prompt them to make their own spiritual reflections.’ – Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Shannon Bream reminds us: when women of God speak, we’re wise to listen, take note, and learn. I’ve found it true in my own life, and Shannon’s book is a worthy reminder, revealing rich life lessons found in the lives of biblical women.” — Max Lucado, pastor and New York Times bestselling author “Women of the Bible have made significant contributions, and God used them to change the course for everyone. Shannon introduces us to the brave, noble, and sometimes vulnerable or broken women in the Bible. This book is a helpful tool to demonstrate—no matter what you are going through—that other women experienced the same and still came out on top.” — Ainsley Earhardt, New York Times bestselling author of The Light Within Me “In The Women of the Bible Speak, Shannon Bream offers valuable examples of how to live a faithful life. Through these warm and engaging stories, Shannon reveals how central women were to God’s story in the Bible. They were courageous queens, strong mothers, and wise prophets. They defended Israel and were the first Christian evangelists. There are lessons for all of us in this book” — Michael W. Smith, Grammy award winning singer-songwriter “Shannon takes us directly into the lives of women in the Bible and, more specifically, into their hearts through their very own words, emotions, and interactions. She reminds us that throughout history, God has valued women as part of His plan of salvation, even purposing one to bear the Savior of the world. With so much focus today on women trying to obtain worth and value, this book provides a clearer picture of the value God has always placed on each of us. We will never have to fight for what we already have.” — Missy Robertson, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Women of Duck Commander “Creative and colorful, captivating and compelling – here are the biblical accounts of sixteen women whose stories remain ever relevant to today’s cultural moment. Let Shannon enlighten and encourage you with these ancient lives that can bring us the courage and commitment we all need in these tumultuous times.” — Lee Strobel, best-selling author of The Case for Christ and The Case for Miracles “Shannon Bream is a strong, inspiring woman with a powerful impact...a world-changer! In ‘Women of the Bible’ she writes about Biblical women who were each world-changers in their own way - women whose powerful stories teach us truths we need today. Thanks Shannon for shining God’s light...through your book and your life!” — Rebecca St. James, Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter "Shannon Bream's book, The Women of the Bible Speak, flies in the face of 'cancel culture' with real stories from real women in biblical times who tackled some of the same problems we face today as a society. I recommend The Women of the Bible Speak for anyone to learn more about these pivotal players in history." — Kevin Sorbo, producer, director “Shannon Bream’s newest book The Women of the Bible Speak is a fascinating study of sixteen strong women who were instrumental in the history of Israel and the early church. Shannon doesn’t treat these characters as plaster saints but as flawed, but faithful, individuals God used mightily. Thanks, Shannon, for this fresh reminder of God’s willingness to offer a new beginning for anyone who asks!” — Dr. Robert Jeffress, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Dallas, Fox News Contributor “In the pressures of contemporary life, we often fail to make time to learn from those who have gone before us. In The Women of the Bible Speak, Shannon Bream allows the reader to walk closely with sixteen women and learn from their struggles and successes. I highly recommend it to both female and male readers.” — Gary Chapman, Ph.D., author of The 5 Love Languages "The Women of the Bible Speak, by Shannon Bream, is a crash course for every woman seeking a closer relationship with the Lord. Through their stories and examples the reader is inspired with a renewed sense of the light the Lord shines through each of us in the midst of life's challenges." — Nona Jones, Nona Jones Ministris

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Book SynopsisA fresh, modern translation of key works of the apostolic fathers.The "Apostolic Fathers" wrote what has become some of the most important literature in the early church--letters and epistolary documents, homilies and theological tracts, documents on church order, and apocalyptic literature. In fact, some texts came close to inclusion in the New Testament canon. These translations by Rick Brannan are perfect for use by students, scholars, and everyday Christians interested in these treasures of the early church.Lexham Classics are beautifully typeset new editions of classic works. Each book has been carefully transcribed or translated from the original texts, ensuring an accurate representation of the writing as the author intended it to be read.This volume includes:The First Letter of Clement to the CorinthiansThe Second Letter of Clement to the CorinthiansIgnatius to the EphesiansIgnatius to the MagnesiansIgnatius to the TralliansIgnatius to the RomansIgnatius to the PhiladelphiansIgnatius to the SmyrnaeansIgnatius to PolycarpPolycarp to the PhilippiansThe Didache (The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles)Epistle of BarnabasThe Shepherd of HermasThe Martyrdom of Saint Polycarp (by the Bishop of Smyrna)Epistle to Diognetus

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Book SynopsisOne decision can end everything . . . or lead to unlikely redemption.Millions watched the CBS 60 Minutes special on Jack Barsky in 2015. Now, in this fascinating memoir, the Soviet KGB agent tells his story of gut-wrenching choices, appalling betrayals, his turbulent inner world, and the secret life he lived for years without getting caught.On October 8, 1978, a Canadian national by the name of William Dyson stepped off a plane at O'Hare International Airport and proceeded toward Customs and Immigration.Two days later, William Dyson ceased to exist.The identity was a KGB forgery, used to get one of their owna young, ambitious East German agentinto the United States.The plan succeeded, and the spy's new identity was born: Jack Barsky. He would work undercover for the next decade, carrying out secret operations during the Cold War years . . . until a surprising shift in his allegiance challenged everything he thought he believed.

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Book SynopsisAndrew Newberg explores the latest findings of neurotheology, the multidisciplinary field linking neuroscience with religious and spiritual phenomena. He investigates some of the most controversial—and potentially transformative—implications of a neurotheological approach.Trade ReviewA tour de force in this emerging field, Neurotheology provides a superb review of the science to date and shows the many directions the field may go in the future. This book raises profound implications for neuroscience, medicine, theology, and philosophy. Fascinating and clearly written and accessible for everyone. Truly mind-blowing. -- Harold Koenig, Duke University Medical CenterThis book offers the promise that ‘neurotheology’ can help move us beyond the conflict between science and religion toward the truth or at least to a more unified and universal perspective on the interface between spirituality and the brain. Neurotheology covers many potential points of contact between science and religion, acknowledges the existence of complexity and the dangers of simple reductionism, and presents clear information on the capabilities and limitations of various forms of neurological assessment. -- John Peteet, Harvard Medical SchoolIn Neurotheology, Andrew Newberg discusses the possibility of a fruitful dialogue between neuroscience and religion and how this sort of investigation may have a profound impact on how we see spirituality, ourselves, and life. A world expert in the neuroimaging study of spiritual experiences, Newberg proposes a nondogmatic approach to the scientific study of spirituality and successfully advocates for fruitful exchanges between science and religion. -- Alexander Moreira-Almeida, Federal University of Juiz de ForaA magnificent work! Newberg is a superb scientist, yet still writes for a curious reader or college student an entirely gripping scholarly account. He addresses some of humanity's all-time epic questions of ultimate meaning with systematic, fine grain research that could only be technically possible in the past decade. A true work of scholarship, with rigor, artful synthesis, and a deep bench of knowledge around spirituality and religion. -- Lisa Miller, Ph.D., Professor and Founder, Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Teachers College, Columbia UniversityThis is an excellent introduction to the emerging field of neurotheology as well as a concise assessment of the contributions of neuroscience to our understanding of a broad range of religious and spiritual issues. * Reading Religion *This volume serves as both a great introduction to the various empirical approaches available to the study of religious phenomena and a strong argument for the crucial role of neurophysiology in aiding the psychology, cognitive science, and anthropology of religion to better understand the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of religious experience and behavior. * Quarterly Review of Biology *This book very usefully highlights complex material related to brain research and neuroscience as applied to areas of human experience broadly categorized as religious. * Religion *[A] comprehensive look at the field of neurotheology, or the neurology of religion. . . . Given that the larger relationship between science and religion has been contested for centuries, Newberg’s latest evidential support for a scientific understanding of why humans practice religion will be a welcome overview for interested readers. * Publishers Weekly *Newberg's book will be of most value to those who are struggling to reconcile science and spirituality. * Choice *Table of ContentsIntroduction: If Neurotheology Is the Answer, What Is the Question?1. Neurotheology and the Happy Prison of the Brain2. What is Neurotheology?3. Neuroscience and Neurotheology4. What is Religion from a Neurotheological Perspective?5. What is Spirituality from a Neurotheological Perspective?6. Neurotheology and the Evolution of Religion7. Neurotheology and Psychology8. Brain Pathology and Religion9. Religious Myths and the Brain10. The Ritualizing Brain11. Religious and Spiritual Practices12. The Spiritual But Not Religious Brain13. Free Will and the Brain14. Escaping the Prison of the Brain: Mysticism15. The End of Faith and the Beginning of NeurotheologyNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe Reformed tradition in the twenty-first century is increasingly diverse, dynamic, and deeply engaged in a wide variety of global and public issues, from the arts and business to immigration and race to poetry and politics. This book brings together the insights of a diverse group of leading Reformed thinkers--including Nicholas Wolterstorff, Makoto Fujimura, Bruce Ashford, John Witvliet, Ruben Rosario Rodriguez, and James K. A. Smith--to offer a contemporary vision of the depth and diversity of the Reformed faith and its global public impact.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction: Toward a Reformed Public Theology Matthew KaemingkPart 1: Public CultureImmigration1. Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers: The Migratory Beginnings of Reformed Public Theology Rubén Rosario RodríguezLanguage2. Let Every Tongue Confess: Language Diversity and Reformed Public Theology James EglintonDecolonialism3. African Decolonization and Reformed Theology Nico VorsterEuthanasia4. The Dutch and Death: Pastoral Observations and Theological Reflections Margriet van der Kooi and Cornelis van der KooiPluralism5. Religious Pluralism in Indonesia: Reformed Reflections N. Gray SutantoPart 2: Public MarketsWork6. A Reformed Theology of Work in New York Katherine Leary AlsdorfEconomics7. Political Economy in Brazil: A Reformed Response Lucas G. FreireLabor Rights8. Workers' Rights in China: A Reformed Case for Labor Unions Agnes ChiuPart 3: Public JusticeIdeologies9. Modern Political Ideologies: A Reformed Alternative Bruce Riley Ashford and Dennis GreesonPopulism10. Power Politics in the Philippines: A Reformed Response to the Populism and Violence of Duterte Romel Regalado BagaresActivism11. Reflections from a Reformed Activist Stephanie SummersPart 4: Public AestheticsArt12. Japanese Aesthetics and Reformed Theology: Reflections on Rikyū, Kintsugi, and Endō Makoto FujimuraPoetry13. Poetry and the Reformed Tradition James K. A. SmithFashion14. Reformed Resources for Thinking about Fashion Robert S. CovoloCities15. Streets of Shalom: Reformed Reflections on Urban Design Eric O. JacobsenPart 5: Public Academy Campus16. Engaging the Pluralist Campus: Reformed Resources Bethany L. JenkinsResearch17. A Reformed Understanding of Scholarship Nicholas WolterstorffRace18. Critical Race Theory, Campus Culture, and the Reformed Tradition Jeff LiouPart 6: Public WorshipCommunion19. A Migrant at the Lord's Table: A Reformed Theology of Home Alberto La Rosa RojasPrayer20. Public Trauma and Public Prayer: Reformed Reflections on Intercession John D. WitvlietBaptism21. Sexism, Racism, and the Practice of Baptism in South Africa: A Reformed and Transformative Perspective Nico KoopmanConfession22. Confession: Practice for Civil Public Discourse Kyle David BennettPiety23. Piety and Public Life: The Public Imitation of Christ Jessica JoustraIndex

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Book SynopsisThe important canonical treatise on Buddha nature Ratnagotravibhaga established the doctrine foundation for the Mahayana philosophy. Among the most prominent Tibetan commentaries is that of Sakya master Rongton Sheja Kunrig, a prolific writer during the golden age of Tibetan Buddhist.

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Book SynopsisThe history and partnership of the Angles and Saxons are explored in this thrilling adventure about the trials and tribulations of their settlement in Britain. Written by bestselling author Tony Bradman, this coming of age tale is perfect for fans of Rosemary Sutcliff and will have readers gripped from start to finish. Oslaf works hard to prove his worth in the village: he labours on the farm, he trains as a warrior and he is slowly finding his place in the community. But when the Chieftain makes the decision to move the village across the sea to the great new land of Britannia, suddenly the Britons are a greater threat than Oslaf''s rivalry with the Chieftain''s son, Wermund. Can the Angles and the Saxons defeat the Britons? And will Oslaf be as brave as the hero in the tale of Beowulf?This exciting and dramatic story is packed with great characters and insight into the Angles'' migration, settlement and partnership with the Saxons in 6th century Britain. The Flashbacks Trade ReviewIt is not easy to convey the real sense of being taken back in time in such a short book, only 160 pages, but in Tony Bradman's experienced hands, we are there in the early years of our history as a nation is being formed. This would read aloud well, and because it is short, be good for those boys whose interest needs to be caught and held. * Books for Keeps *If you are looking for a fictional story in the Anglo-Saxon times I would recommend this book. I do think by reading this story the kids will discover a lot of interesting facts about the life of that time and what would have happened when the tribes migrated to Britain. * ofamily learning together blog *

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Book SynopsisA Doubter's Guide to World Religions presents each of the world's five major religions and carefully outlines the history, belief systems, and spiritual practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam so that the interested and curious doubters can explore their similarities and differences.

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Book SynopsisLearn leadership qualities from the greatest book ever written, and become a leader that people want to follow.Where do you turn to learn leadership? Business experts? Management consultants? Theoreticians? The world of politics? Why not learn from the Bible—the original leadership book!In this study, John digs deep into the Bible to teach twenty-one indispensable qualities found in the men and women who led God’s people God’s way. These essential traits will help you to lead with integrity in every area of your life.In twenty-one lessons, John guides you to develop the core qualities all good leaders exhibit. Each lesson includes: THE QUALITY DEFINED: a brief description and introduction to the Quality CASE STUDIES: three biblical studies—including leaders such as Joshua, David, Ruth, Nathan, Esther, Elijah, Stephen, John, Titus, and Jesus—that reveal and illustrate the Qu

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Book SynopsisIn this comprehensive open access book, written for readers from any or no religious background, Leena El-Ali does something remarkable. Never before has anyone taken on every last claim relating to Islam and women and countered it not just with Qur’anic evidence to the contrary, but with easy-to-use tools available to all. How can a woman’s testimony be worth half of a man’s? How can men divorce their wives unilaterally by uttering three words? And what’s with the obsession with virgins in Paradise? Find the chapter on any of the seventeen topics in this book, and you will quickly learn a) where the myth came from and b) how to bust it. The methodology pursued is simple. First, the Qur’an is given priority over all other literary or “scriptural” sources. Second, the meaning of its verses in the original Arabic is highlighted, in contrast to English translations and/or widespread misunderstanding or misinterpretation. Table of ContentsPart I First the Qur’an, then Islam1. A Spiritual Journey2. Hadith Corpus3. Hadith Content4. Women and the Development of hadith LiteratureAT A GLANCE: First the Qur’an, then IslamPart II The Nature of Women5. Women Were Not Created of Inferior Celestial Material6. Eve Is Not Blamed for the Fall from Eden, Nor Are Women Guilty by Association7. Women Are Not a Constant Source of Social Discord – Nor Naturally Conniving!8. Women Were Created with the Exact Same Spiritual and Intellectual Capacity as Men, So of Course They Can Lead9. When Men Deprive Women of Their Free Will, They Are Not Protecting Anyone: They Are Obstructing God’s Plan10. God Does Not Prefer Sons Over Daughters (!)AT A GLANCE: The Nature of WomenPart III The Rights of Women11. Women Were Not Meant to Be Subordinate to Men12. Inheritance: No, Women Did Not Get the Short End of the Stick13. Nuptials: Women Do Have the Right to Choose Their Own Spouse, and How the Qur’anic Nuptial Agreement Advocates for the Bride14. Marriage: A Sublime Institution, Not Mere Social Contract15. Divorce: Men Do Not Hold all the Cards – The Qur’an Actually Levels the Playing Field Through Mandated Process and EtiquetteAT A GLANCE: The Rights of WomenPart IV Some Inconvenient Truths16. Clothing: There Is No Dress Code for Women Beyond Covering their Private Parts, as with Men17. Segregation: There Is No Restriction on Men and Women Mingling18. Witnesses: A Woman’s Testimony Is Worth the Same as a Man’s, Except in Two Cases Where It May Count for More or LessAT A GLANCE: Some Inconvenient TruthsPart V Carnal Matters19. Sexual Misconduct: What the Qur’an Tells Us About Pre-Marital vs Extra-Marital Sex20. Domestic Violence: The Qur’an Does Not Instruct Husbands to Hit Their Wives for “Disobedience” or Anything Else21. Virgins: There Are No 72 Virgins Waiting for Anyone in Paradise AT A GLANCE: Carnal Matters

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Book SynopsisPeter Adamson presents an engaging and wide-ranging introduction to two great intellectual cultures: Byzantium and the Italian Renaissance. First he tells the story of philosophy in the Eastern Christian world, from the 8th century to the 15th century, then he explores the rebirth of philosophy in Italy in the era of Machiavelli and Galileo.Trade ReviewEach brief chapter immediately captures the interest of the reader in a way that is entertaining, informative, and a genuine pleasure to read. Excellent notes and bibliography of further reading. * P. A. Streveler, CHOICE *The understanding that philosophy is a purely rational endeavor is a form of presentism that arises out ofmodern rationalism and, more generally... we should be grateful to Adamson for addressing the issue and for providing students of Byzantine and Renaissance philosophy with an accessible overview of the respective material. * Speculum 98/4 *Table of ContentsPreface Philosophy in Byzantium 1: The Empire Strikes Back: Introduction to Byzantine Philosophy 2: On the Eastern Front: Philosophy in Syriac and Armenian 3: Don't Picture This: Iconoclasm 4: Behind Enemy Lines: John of Damascus 5: Collectors' Items: Photius and Byzantine Compilations 6: Consul of the Philosophers: Michael Psellos 7: Hooked on Classics: Italos and the Debate over Pagan Learning 8: Purple Prose: Byzantine Political Philosophy 9: Elements of Style: Rhetoric in Byzantium 10: Past Masters: Byzantine Historiography 11: Queen of the Sciences: Anna Komnene and her Circle 12: Wiser than Men: Gender in Byzantium 13: Just Measures: Law, Money, and War in Byzantium 14: Made by Hand: Byzantine Manuscripts 15: Georgia on My Mind: Petritsi and the Proclus Revival 16: People of the South: Byzantium and Islam 17: Do the Math: Science in the Palaiologan Renaissance 18: Through His Works You Shall Know Him: Palamas and Hesychasm 19: United We Fall: Latin Philosophy in Byzantium 20: Platonic Love: Gemistos Plethon 21: Istanbul (not Constantinople): the Later Orthodox Tradition The Italian Renaissance 22: Old News: Introduction to the Renaissance 23: Greeks Bearing Gifts: Byzantine Scholars in Italy 24: Republic of Letters: Italian Humanism 25: Literary Criticism: Lorenzo Valla 26: Difficult to be Good: Humanist Ethics 27: Chance Encounters: Reviving Hellenistic philosophy 28: We Built This City: Christine de Pizan 29: More Rare Than the Phoenix: Italian Women Humanists 30: All About Eve: the Defense of Women 31: I'd Like to Thank the Academy: Florentine Platonism 32: Footnotes to Plato: Marsilio Ficino 33: True Romance: Theories of Love 34: As Far as East from West: Jewish Philosophy in Renaissance Italy 35: The Count of Concord: Pico della Mirandola 36: What a Piece of Work is Man: Manetti and Pico on Human Nature 37: Bonfire of the Vanities: Savonarola 38: The Sweet Restraints of Liberty: Republicanism and Civic Humanism 39: No More Mr Nice Guy: Machiavelli 40: Sense of Humors: Machiavelli on Republicanism 41: The Teacher of Our Actions: Renaissance Historiography 42: No Place Like Home: Renaissance Utopias 43: Greed is Good: Renaissance Economics 44: Town and Gown: Italian Universities 45: I'd Like to Thank the Lyceum: Aristotle in Renaissance Italy 46: Of Two Minds: Pomponazzi and Nifo on the Intellect 47: There and Back Again: Zabarella on Scientific Method 48: The Measure of All Things: Mathematics and Art 49: Just What the Doctor Ordered: Renaissance Medicine 50: Man of Discoveries: Girolamo Cardano 51: Spirits in the Material World: Telesio and Campanella on Nature 52: The Men Who Saw Tomorrow: Renaissance Magic and Astrology 53: Boundless Enthusiasm: Giordano Bruno 54: The Harder They Fall: Galileo and the Renaissance

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Book SynopsisTwo thousand years ago, Jesus Christ revealed the Father to humanity, not as an angry punisher of sinners, but as a merciful forgiver bent on reconciliation with His lost sons and daughters. Through Christ’s perfect sacrifice, the Father ensured that inside this reconciled relationship with Him, nothing we could ever do could separate us from His love. He made us unpunishable. Yet the body of Christ struggles to create a relational culture that accurately reflects the heart of the Father—a culture of mature love that drives away the fear of punishment (1 John 4:18) and leads people who sin on a journey of repentance, restoration, and reconciliation. In fact, the fear of punishment often seems to have the strongest hold at the leadership level in most churches. Many leaders live in isolation and performance, and often burn out or crash morally, because they believe that if they have any problems, they will be punished—a belief that is too often realized. At the same time, these leaders struggle to see how they can lead and protect people without using tools of punishment when people sin. Unpunishable is a call to all believers, but especially leaders, to end our dysfunctional love affair with the fear of punishment and build a relational culture that empowers people to walk in the light of freedom and love, own and clean up their messes, and mature into sons and daughters who look like the Father.

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Book SynopsisA leading theologian presents a hopeful account of the universe after Einstein, exploring it as a meaningful drama of awakeningTrade Review“This book is a deep and provocative piece of theology that proposes we engage with the universe as a kind of narrative of awakening and unfolding, as well as an important and useful approach for thinking about theology with respect to modern cosmology.”—Matthew Stanley, New York University “What is really going on in the universe? As Haught argues in his profound and eminently readable book, Christian theology needs to take into account the structure and evolution of the universe as based upon Einstein’s general theory of relativity.”—Helge Stjernholm Kragh, Niels Bohr Institute, Denmark

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Book SynopsisDon’t Settle for More   Most of us know we own too much stuff. We feel the weight and burden of our clutter, and we tire of cleaning and managing and organizing.   While excess consumption leads to bigger houses, faster cars, fancier technology, and cluttered homes, it never brings happiness. Rather, it results in a desire for more. It redirects our greatest passions to things that can never fulfill. And it distracts us from the very life we wish we were living.   Live a better life with less.   In The More of Less, Joshua Becker helps you...   • Recognize the life-giving benefits of owning less • Realize how all the stuff you own is keeping you from pursuing your dreams • Craft a personal, practical approach to decluttering your home and life • Experience the joys of generosity • Learn why the best part of minimalism isn’t a clean house, it’s a full life   The beauty of minimalism isn’t in what it takes away. It’s in what it gives.  Make Room in Your Life for What You Really Want “Maybe you don’t need to own all this stuff.” After a casual conversation with his neighbor on Memorial Day 2008, Joshua Becker realized he needed a change. He was spending far too much time organizing possessions, cleaning up messes, and looking for more to buy. So Joshua and his wife decided to remove the nonessential possessions from their home and life. Eventually, they sold, donated, or discarded over 60 percent of what they owned. In exchange, they found a life of more freedom, more contentment, more generosity, and more opportunity to pursue the things that mattered most. The More of Less delivers an empowering plan for living more by owning less. With practical suggestions and encouragement to personalize your own minimalist style, Joshua Becker shows you why minimizing possessions is the best way to maximize life. Are you ready for less cleaning, less anxiety, and less stress in your life? Simplicity isn’t as complicated as you think.

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Book SynopsisPeter Adamson presents the first full history of philosophy in the Islamic world for a broad readership. He traces its development from early Islam to the 20th century, from Spain to Persia. He introduces Jewish and Christian thinkers as well as Muslim; theology, mysticism, and the history of science all feature here in this rich and lively story.Trade ReviewAdamson gives a solid introduction to this encompassing history, which clearly will help students to acquire a serious first knowledge of this rich and complex history, but also often offers the advanced reader interesting insights. * Jules Janssens, Tidschrift voor Filosofie *[Adamson's] account of philosophy in the Islamic world and the larger project of which it is a part establish a new paradigm for telling the story of philosophy. * Carlos Fraenkel, Los Angeles Review of Books *This is a well-written and interesting work . . . the author deserves credit for engaging with such a complex subject and making it accessible to the public. * Muhammad Khan, The Muslim News *From the first volume onwards, a repeated refrain has been philosophers arguing that being a philosopher is the best choice in life. These books are so engaging, instructive, and diverting, it might almost make you believe that is true. * Stuart Kelly, Scotland on Sunday *short, conversational chapters sparkling with new ideas, interpretations and a lively sense of humour. Adamson is so easy to learn, absorb, and enjoy, that all the info slips down with hardly a hiccup. * Steve Craggs, Northern Echo *bite-sized, well-indexed chapters on key philosophers, movements, and developments which took place in the Islamic world. * Daniel J. Levy, Jewish News *Table of ContentsPart I: The Formative Period 1: The Straight Path: Philosophy and Islam 2: All for One: The Mu'tazilites 3: Founded in Translation: From Greek to Syriac to Arabic 4: Philosopher of the Arabs: al-Kind=i 5: The Chosen Ones: Philosophy and Judaism 6: Reasoned Belief: Saadia Gaon 7: High Five: al-R=az=i 8: Aristotelian Society: the Baghdad School 9: The Second Master: al-F=ar=ab=i 10: State of Mind: al-F=ar=ab=i on Religion and Politics 11: Eye of the Beholder: Theories of Vision 12: Strings Attached: Music and Philosophy 13: Balancing Acts: Arabic Ethical Literature 14: Undercover Brothers: Philosophy in the Buyid Age 15: God Willing: the Ash'arites 16: The Self-Made Man: Avicenna's Life and Works 17: By the Time I Get to Phoenix: Avicenna on Existence 18: By All Means Necessary: Avicenna on God 19: Into Thin Air: Avicenna on the Soul 20: Special Delivery: al-Ghaz=al=i 21: Miracle Worker: al-Ghaz=al=i against the Philosophers Part II: Andalusia 22: Philosophy's Reign in Spain: Andalusia 23: Laying Down the Law: Ibn .Hazm and Islamic Legal Theory 24: Fantasy Island: Ibn B=ajja and Ibn Tufayl 25: Back to Basics: Averroes on Reason and Religion 26: Single Minded: Averroes on the Intellect 27: A Matter of Taste: Ibn 'Arab=i and Mysticism 28: Team Spirit: Ibn Khald=un 29: Matter over Mind: Ibn Gabirol 30: Choosing My Religion: Judah Hallevi 31: Born Under a Bad Sign: Freedom and Astrology in Jewish Philosophy 32: With All Your Heart: Ethics and Judaism 33: The Great Eagle: Maimonides 34: He Moves in Mysterious Ways: Maimonides on Eternity 35: Burnt Offerings: the Maimonides Controversy 36: Man and Superman: Gersonides and the Jewish Reception of Averroes 37: Neither the Time nor the Place: .Hasdai Crescas 38: When Bad Things Happen to Good People: Suffering in Jewish Philosophy 39: Chariot of Fire: Kabbalah 40: A Matter of Principles: Joseph Albo and Isaac Abravanel Part III: The Later Traditions 41: Golden Ages: The Later Traditions 42: All Things Considered: Ab=u l-Barak=at al-Baghd=ad=i 43: For the Sake of Argument: Fakhr al-D=in al-R=az=i 44: Let There Be Light: Suhraward=i 45: Bright Ideas: Illuminationism 46: A Man for All Seasons: Na.s=ir al-D=in al-.T=us=i 47: To Be or Not to Be: Debating Avicenna's Metaphysics 48: Eyes Wide Shut: al-R=um=i and Philosophical Sufism 49: Proof Positive: The Logical Tradition 50: By the Book: Ibn Taymiyya 51: Aftermath: Philosophy and Science in the Mongol Age 52: Family Feud: Philosophy at Sh=ir=az 53: Follow the Leader: Philosophy under the Safavids 54: To Be, Continued: Mull=a .Sadr=a on Existence 55: Return to Sender: Mull=a .Sadr=a on Motion and Knowledge 56: Subcontinental Drift: Philosophy in Islamic India 57: Turkish Delights: Philosophy under the Ottomans 58: Blind Alley: Taql=id, Sufism, and Philosophy 59: The Young Ones: Encounters with European Thought 60: The Stronger Sex: Women Scholars in the Islamic World 61: All for One and One for All: Mu.hammad 'Abduh and Mu.hammad Iqb=al 62: Iran So Far: The Heirs of Mull=a .Sadr=a

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Book SynopsisThe Wisdom Pattern is Richard Rohr at his best, providing Christians reflections on classic themes to offer hope to the world today.Trade Review[In] energetic conversational style with rich, quotable pearls on every page . . . Rohr articulates the wisdom pattern that encapsulates the Pascal mystery of hope. * Tui Motu Magazine on THE WISDOM PATTERN *Here Fr Richard helps us to see and hear Jesus of Nazareth in what he taught, what he did and who he is - the loving, liberating and life-giving expression and presence of God. -- Bishop Michael Curry on THE UNIVERSAL CHRISTFinding the sweet spot where contemporary science meets ancient mysticism, and theology meets poetry, The Divine Dance sketches a beautiful choreography for a life well-lived. -- Bono, U2 on THE DIVINE DANCERichard Rohr has given us a perfect guide to what he calls the "further journey," a voyage into the mystery and beauty of healthy spiritual maturity. -- Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of the 'Dr. Oz Show' on FALLING UPWARDRichard Rohr continues to guide us to greater wholeness . . . especially those who struggle with issues of brokenness and seek transformation. * National Catholic Reporter on BREATHING UNDER WATER *

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Book SynopsisProposes a Christian meditative path for guidance and inspiration, based on John's Gospel.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Gardner is able to shed new light on rabbinic poverty relief, and to let rabbinic poverty discourse illuminate other, related areas in rabbinics research." * The Journal of Religion *Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Abbreviations and Conventions Introduction 1. The Wealth of the Early Rabbis 2. Harvest Allocations for the Poor 3. Charity Laws 4. Giving Mammon (Wealth) 5. Pay for the Giver 6. Charity as an Investment 7. Poverty Relief and the Anxiety of Wealth 8. Some Further Perspectives: Early Christian and Later Rabbinic Traditions Notes Bibliography Index of Ancient Sources General Index

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Book Synopsis''Work for your terrestrial life in proportion to your location in it, and work for your afterlife in proportion to your eternity in it.'' This is part of the advice that the great theologian and mystic Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111 AD) put down in his Letter to a Disciple. An old disciple of al-Ghazali had studied the Islamic sciences, including the many works of his master, for most of his life. Faced with the proximity of death, he turns again to his master this time asking for a summary of all his teachings. Letter to a Disciple is al-Ghazali''s response. The emphasis in this short treatise is on religious and spiritual action and on putting into practice the knowledge that one has acquired. Letter to a Disciple can be considered as the last testament of he who is regarded as Hujjat al-Islam, the ''Proof of Islam''. This new translation is presented here as a bilingual Arabic-English edition.

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Book SynopsisSoon to be a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE produced by M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN and starring DAKOTA FANNING. You can't see them. But they can see you. This forest isn't charted on any map. Every car breaks down at its treeline. Mina's is no different. Left stranded, she is forced into the dark woodland only to find a woman shouting, urging Mina to run to a concrete bunker. As the door slams behind her, the building is besieged by screams. Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the Watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time. Afraid and trapped among strangers, Mina is desperate for answers. Who are the Watchers, and why are they keeping the humans imprisoned, keen to watch their every move? A spine-chilling debut horror adventure set in the remote and sinister forests of Ireland, from critically acclaimed Irish writer A.M. Shine. 'A dark, claustrophobic read' T. Kingfisher, author of Paladin's Grace 'Readers get an intimate glimpse into the fraying edges of each character's psyches, the constant hunger, the paranoia, the loss of hope, and far worse... The Watchers will appeal to fans of Kealan Patrick Burke, Josh Malerman, and Scott Smith' A.E. Siraki, BooklistTrade ReviewA dark, claustrophobic read -- T. KingfisherReaders get an intimate glimpse into the fraying edges of each character's psyches, the constant hunger, the paranoia, the loss of hope, and far worse... A combination of supernatural and psychological horror, The Watchers will appeal to fans of Kealan Patrick Burke, Josh Malerman, and Scott Smith -- A.E. Siraki, BooklistThis book has such atmosphere, and creepiness, and is an ideal read for the Halloween season, or any time you want some spookiness in your life! * Beauty and Lace *Intense and thrilling, The Watchers is a great debut and solid addition to the survival horror sub-genre * Read By Dusk *A brisk, at times scary but thoroughly enjoyable read * Bloody Flicks *A clever, highly original story beautifully written * The Untidy Bookshelf *The Watchers was a punch to the jugular... The author pulled out the rug from under me on more than one occasion. A must-read for the spooky season! * The Coy Caterpillar Reads *

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Book SynopsisJohn Stott would never have called it 'mentoring', but, throughout his life, he instinctively drew alongside younger men and women from across the world, gently pastoring them within the context of a warm, genuine and healthy "Paul-Timothy" friendship. Why aren't these intergenerational friendships more common in the Church today? In Transforming Friendship, John Wyatt acknowledges that recent serious scandals and suspicion prevalent in our culture have made people more cautious about these kinds of relationships. The church, therefore, needs to lead the way in seeing friendship transformed into something safe, life-giving and Christlike. Wyatt shares the transformative experience of being Stott's close friend. Using examples from the Bible, Christian history and the church today, he makes the case for a model of "Gospel-crafted" friendship, with a particular emphasis on the need for more Paul-Timothy type relationships like the one he enjoyed with Stott.

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Book SynopsisContains the English translations of Apollodorus' "Library" and Hyginus' "Fabulae" - the two important surviving 'handbooks' of classical mythography. This work discusses the issues of authorship, aim, and influence. It also includes an index of people and geographic locations, and an index of authors and works cited by the mythographers.Trade ReviewTo refer to this volume as just a translation is misleading, because Smith and Trzaskoma have provided much more, most notably the best short introduction to ancient mythography--and these particular authors--available in English. . . . The translations themselves are clear and accurate. [An] admirable volume. Smith and Trzaskoma are to be commended. --Kris Fletcher, Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewEvery student and scholar of Greek mythology and the mythographic tradition will want to own this book, and every library should have it on the shelf. Smith and Trzaskoma have produced an indispensable volume that is easy to use and understand. They have invested a tremendous amount of time and scholarship to make this a valuable resource for traditionalists and non-traditionalists alike. Even the general reader can benefit from their judicious essays, thoughtful translations, and concise textual notes. Teachers of mythology will welcome this handbook for its readability and applicability to general mythology books currently in use. Everything about this work will make it the standard handbook for years to come. --Paul Properzio, The Classical JournalThese two translations are excellent, finding a good balance of accuracy and readability. . . . the Apollodorus, which has a few relatively recent competitors, adopts a style that will be much more welcome to readers than other renderings currently available. The translation of the Fabulae will be especially welcome for teaching, since it is difficult to find this in a readable English version. The General Introduction strikes a balance--both informed and informal--that will appeal to instructors and students. There is certainly nowhere else one can go to find such a succinct yet thorough discussion of these major Greek mythographers. . . the discussion remains readable, focused, and pleasantly informal. The maps and genealogical charts are excellent and useful. . . these charts create something truly useful for student readers. --Daniel W. Berman, Pennsylvania State University

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Book SynopsisA brilliant introduction to prayer' Richard Rohr, Author of Everything BelongsOne of America's most beloved spiritual leaders and the New York Times bestselling author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and Jesus: A Pilgrimage teaches anyone to converse with God in this comprehensive guide to prayer.What do we need to learn? That prayer changes usand so changes the world we live in; that God is always there before us; that it''s God''s action that makes the difference. Practical, comprehensive, and above all God-centered, this book is a deeply valuable companion for growing in faith.' Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of CanterburyIn The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, Father James Martin included a chapter on communicating with God. Now, he expands those thoughts in this profound and practical handbook. Learning to Pray explains what prayer is, what to expect from praying, how to do it, and how it can transform us when we make it a regular practice in our lives.A trusted Trade Review‘Prayer, Martin says, is building a relationship with God in the way other relationships are built: through conversing, listening, and spending time with one another. . . . With Martin's guidance, interested readers may see prayer as both the most natural yet transcendent thing in the world.’ Booklist ‘Personal, insightful, honest, practical, expansive, enriching, freeing, hopeful—these words only begin to describe this excellent book about prayer. Learning to Pray deserves to be in the hands and heart of anyone intent on engaging with the unfolding path of prayer.’Joyce Rupp, author of Anchors for the Soul ‘The life of prayer is essential for the believer. And yet so many people feel frightened by prayer. Fear not! James Martin has written a brilliant introduction to prayer, which will help you encounter the Living God, who wants to encounter you! Richard Rohr, author of Everything Belongs

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Book SynopsisJohn Piper invites readers to turn from the dulling effects of food and other appetites to the all-satisfying glory of God through fasting and prayer. Redesigned with a new foreword by David Platt and Francis Chan.

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Book Synopsis You don''t always have to learn the hard way. On the spur of the moment, the morning after the birth of one of his grandchildren, Rob Parsons wrote the baby a letter. And then Rob began to think about how he hoped he''d have the chance to talk with all his grandchildren as they grew. He imagined them coming into his study, settling into one of the two comfy armchairs in front of the fire and opening up about the challenges they were facing. Perhaps it would be when they were beginning their first job, buying their first house, getting married or starting a family. Or perhaps they''d talk long into the night, when their hearts were broken or friends had betrayed them. Perhaps he would have the chance to help them rebuild the dream that somebody had trodden on. ''Come on in, take a seat - tell me what''s been going on...'' Rob knew he wouldn''t have all the answers. But maybe he could help - just a little. Trade ReviewPremier Christian Radio featured THE WISDOM HOUSE across their radio programming and offered copies to those subscribing to Christianity Magazine. * Premier Radio *There aren't many books that truly alter the way you look at your life, but this honest series of lessons, told through letter to the author's new grandchild did just that . . . This deeply personal book proves you don't always have to learn the hard way. * Idea Magazine *A book in which he sets out the lessons he has drawn from experience which he would wish to talk about with his grandchildren when they are young adults. * The Church Times *What came into my mind reading Rob's book was God's good grace in mapping out a particular and unique path for our lives - each of us. And we all have unique gifts that can confound those who don't understand our potential. * The Baptist Times *

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Book SynopsisWe perform ceremonies to mark important events and celebrate holidays—yet our modern approach to ceremony only scratches the surface of its true potential. With The Book of Ceremony, shamanic teacher Sandra Ingerman presents a rich and practical resource for creating ceremonies filled with joy, purpose, and magic. "We are hungry to connect with more than what we experience with our ordinary senses in the material world," writes Sandra. "By performing ceremonies, you will find yourself stepping into a beautiful and creative power you might never have imagined." Weaving shamanic teachings together with stories, examples, and guiding insights, The Book of Ceremony explores: • The elements of a powerful ceremony—including setting strong intentions, choosing your space, preparing ceremonial items, and dealing gracefully with the unexpected • Stepping into the sacred—key practices for leaving behind your everyday concerns and creating a space where magic can happen • Guidance for working alone, in community, and across distances with virtual ceremonies • Invoking spiritual allies—the power of working with the elements, the natural world, ancestor spirits, and the creative energy of the divine • Sacred transitions—including ceremonies for weddings, births, rites of passage to adulthood, funerals, honorable closure, and new beginnings • Ceremonies for energetic balance—healing and blessing, resolving sacred contracts, getting rid of limiting beliefs, creating Prayer Trees, and more • Life as a ceremony—how to infuse your entire life with ceremonial practice, from planting a garden to revitalizing your home or office to helping heal our planet The Book of Ceremony is more than a "how-to" guide—it will inspire you to create original ceremonies tailored to your own needs and the needs of your community. When you invoke the sacred power of ceremony, you tap into one of the oldest and most effective tools for transforming both yourself and the world. As Sandra writes, "If you perform one powerful and successful ceremony for yourself, the principle of oneness ensures that all of life heals and evolves."

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Book SynopsisA companion journal to the popular 'Wiccapedia'.

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Book SynopsisWith a Foreword by Krista Tippett–a poignant and beautiful collection of conversations and presentation from John O’Donohue’s work with close friend and former radio broadcaster John Quinn  John O''Donohue, beloved author of To Bless the Space Between Us, is widely recognized as one of the most charismatic and inspirational enduring voices on the subjects of spirituality and Celtic mysticism. These timeless exchanges, collated and introduced by Quinn, span a number of years and explore themes such as imagination, landscape, the medieval mystic Meister Eckhart, aging, and death. Presented in O''Donohue''s inimitable lyrical style, and filled with rich insights that will feed the unprecedented spiritual hunger he observed in modern society, Walking in Wonder is a welcome tribute to a much-loved author whose work still touches the lives of millions around the world.

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Book SynopsisIn the Middle Ages, it was thought that praying at the right shrine could save you from just about anything, from madness and famine to false imprisonment and even shipwreck. Kingdoms, cities, and even individual trades had patron saints who would protect them from misfortune and bring them wealth and prosperity, and their feast days were celebrated with public holidays and pageants. With saints believed to have the ear of God, veneration of figures such as Saint Thomas Becket, Saint Cuthbert, and Saint Margaret brought tens of thousands of pilgrims from all walks of life to sites across the country. Saints, Shrines and Pilgrims takes the reader across Britain, providing a map of the most important religious shrines that pilgrims would travel vast distances to reach, as well as descriptions and images of the shrines themselves. Featuring over one hundred stunning photographs and a index of places to visit, it explains the history of pilgrimage in Britain and the imporTrade Review“Rosewell crams an impressive amount into this handsomely illustrated book, from the processes of saint-making and the care lavished on shrines, to the chaos and destruction wrought by the Reformation.” * Catholic Herald *Table of ContentsIntroduction Sainthood Shrines Christ and the Virgin Mary Saints in Daily Life Legends and Miracles Pilgrimages Reformation Glossary of Well-known Saints Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisAn account which compares the contemporary anorexic teenager, counting every calorie in her single-minded pursuit of thinness, and the ascetic medieval saint, examining her every desire.

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Book SynopsisWales had a rich gallery of magical specialists (prophets, cunning-men, physicians etc), including many who were suspected of harmful witchcraft. Richard Suggett examines all types of magical specialists, including those regarded as beneficial as well as harmful. Popular belief in witchcraft in Wales did not decline with the abolition of the Witchcraft Act in 1736. Indeed belief in witchcraft beliefs became darker in form and was transformed into a novel form of cursing the use of cursing wells, many of which are still in existence in Wales.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the 2018 National Jewish Book Award in Education and Jewish Identity, In Memory of Dorothy Kripke""First, Wimpfheimer traces the details of both discussions, but especially the halachic discussion, in close and fine detail within the talmudic text. His deconstruction of the halachic text in particular is masterful."---David Reuben, Jewish Chronicle"Wimpfheimer takes the reader by the hand and walks through the many hair-splitting complexities of the Talmud, its evolution and its impact."---Patrick T. Reardon, Chicago Tribune"Excellent and highly recommended."---David Tesler, Association of Jewish Libraries"The question therefore becomes how exactly such literary and historical analysis is arriving to the ‘essential’ Talmud rather than to the new 'enhanced' understanding of it. The answer to this question is in the author’s complex and carefully calibrated framing of the book as 'biography.'"---Sergey Dolgopolski, Reading Religion

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Book SynopsisThis new edition of the Iona Abbey Worship Book has been extensively revised and rearranged. About 80% of the text is new material which has been developed by members of the Iona Community since the previous edition.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A brilliant, paradoxical figure….In an age of ‘inspirational’ books without inspiration, her writing is unmatched for surprising, sometimes shocking, spiritual insight." —New York Times"The only great spirit of our time." —Albert Camus"The most truly spiritual writer of this century." —André Gide"This beguiling book is a fine introduction to Weil’s work." —Publisher’s Weekly"An excellent introduction to Weil’s writings and also a valuable guide and stimulus for cultivating a life in which intellectual and spiritual honesty are inseparable, and in which the difficulty of attaining them is seriously confronted. It is ideal for classroom use, for introducing a friend to Weil, or for revisiting her long after an earlier encounter to be reminded why she is such a compelling and challenging interlocutor."—Mark Shiffman, Front Porch Republic"Love in the Void is a reminder to neophytes and the experienced alike that Weil’s writing is meant to be concrete, accessible, and useful – more than simply ideas to ponder, but an invitation to change our lives. Plough has done an admirable job in assembling a condensed version of Weil’s most pertinent writing. This is Weil burned down to her essentials." —Scott Beauchamp"An exciting encounter with an extraordinary mind."—Booklist

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Book SynopsisA modern introduction to traditional Buddhist psychology This practical overview of Buddhist psychology outlines step-by-step methods for examining the source of our habitual tendencies and hangups. In order to truly free ourselves from perpetuating patterns of suffering, the Buddha offered a clear system for understandingour psychological dispositions, processes, fixations, and challenges--a system known as the Abhidharma. This tradition has been studied by Buddhists for over two millennia. Professor Steven Goodman has taught on the Abhidharma in both universities and Buddhist retreats for over twenty years, making these traditional teachings accessible for a modern readership for the first time. Goodman explains how becoming aware of our mental patterns can liberate us from cycles of emotional pain andshows how the Abhidharma can be applied to meditation practice through exercises of observation and reflection. This is the go-to manual for anyone interested in the world of Buddhist psychology.

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Book SynopsisNewly revised and expanded, this classic resource is an essential guide for pastors seeking a biblical standard for preaching.

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Book SynopsisThis insightful commentary, the concluding volume on Acts, utilizes an unparalleled range of ancient sources and features Keener's meticulous research.

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Book SynopsisAn expert on the early church tells the surprising story of its priorities and practices that led to the spread of Christianity over its first 400 years.Table of ContentsContentsIntroductionPart 1: Growth and Patience1. The Improbable Growth of the Church2. The Good of Patience3. Push and PullPart 2: Ferment4. Christians as Agents of Growth5. Communities as Cultures of PatiencePart 3: Forming the Habitus6. Catechesis and Baptism7. Worship8. "Wise Doves" in the Didascalia apostolorumPart 4: The Transformation of Patience9. The Impatience of Constantine10. Augustine and the Just ImpatienceIndex

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Book SynopsisJesus taught his followers that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. This book offers a sweeping intellectual and social history of the vexing problem of wealth in Christianity in the waning days of the Roman Empire.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2012 Gold Medal Book of the Year Award, History category, ForeWord Reviews Winner of the 2012 Award for Excellence in Humanities, Association of American Publishers Winner of the 2012 R. R. Hawkins Award, PROSE Awards, Association of American Publishers Winner of the 2013 Jacques Barzun Prize in Cultural History, American Philosophical Society Winner of the 2013 Philip Schaff Prize, American Society of Church History Winner of the 2012 PROSE Award in Classics & Ancient History, Association of American Publishers One of Bloomberg's Best Books of 2016 One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2013 Honorable Mention for the 2013 Cundill Prize in Historical Literature, McGill University "To compare it with earlier surveys of this period is to move from the X-ray to the cinema... Every page is full of information and argument, and savoring one's way through the book is an education. It is a privilege to live in an age that could produce such a masterpiece of the historical literature."--Garry Wills, New York Review of Books "[O]utstanding... Brown lays before us a vast panorama of the entire culture and society of the late Roman west."--Peter Thornemann, Times Literary Supplement "[I]t's the gloriously ambitious panorama of Through the Eye of a Needle that most impresses. This is a book written in Cinemascope, and like the best intellectual and social history it features a polyphony of voices."--Christopher Kelly, London Review of Books "[M]agisterial... The formidably learned historian challenges commonly accepted notions about the role of wealth in the decline of the Roman empire and examines the roots of charity, two subjects relevant to contemporary economics."--Marcia Z. Nelson, Publishers Weekly "It is exciting to watch a historian who has already written so extensively on Late Antiquity absorb so much new scholarship, revise his old reviews, and re-imagine the world we thought we knew from him... Through the Eye of a Needle is a tremendous achievement, even for a scholar who has already achieved so much. Its range is as vast as its originality, and readers will find everywhere the kinds of memorable apercus and turns of phrase for which its author is deservedly famous... There can be no doubt that we are in the presence of a historian and teacher of genius."--G. W. Bowersock, New Republic "As Brown (Augustine of Hippo), the great dean of early church history, compellingly reminds us in his magisterial, lucid, and gracefully written study, the understanding of the role of wealth in the developing Christian communities of the late Roman Empire was much more complex. Combining brilliant close readings of the writings of Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, and Paulinus of Nola with detailed examinations of the lives of average wealthy Christians and their responses to questions regarding wealth, he demonstrates that many bishops offered such Christians the compromises of almsgiving, church building, and testamentary bequests as alternatives to the renunciation of wealth... Brown's immense, thorough, and powerful study offers rich rewards for readers."--Publishers Weekly "Brown's goal in this book is patiently to reconstruct the debates on wealth among late Roman Christians: in other words, to set out the context for the tendentious claims of ascetic minorities, which have misled so many later interpreters."--Conrad Leyser, Times Literary Supplement "His sparkling prose, laced with humour and humanity, brings his subjects to life with an uncommon sympathy and feeling for their situation."--Tim Whitmarsh, Guardian "This book should be daunting but it is not; for while the book is heavy to lift, it is even harder to put down. It makes utterly compelling reading."--Eric Ormsby, Standpoint "Brown may be an emeritus professor of history at Princeton, but his research is resolutely up-to-date... A hefty yet lucid contribution to the history of early Christianity."--Kirkus Reviews "[A]n unprecedented resource... Brown creates broad, deep landscapes in which the reader can watch the ancients moving. You can, in places, just crawl in and have a true dream about the ancient world. Moreover, the topic holds fascinating implications about the formation of modern Western culture... It's a significant and suggestive story."--Sarah Ruden, American Scholar "The sheer scope of this history is daunting, but scholars, theologians, and anyone interested in late Roman history or early Christianity will find this a fascinating view not only of the Church's development, but also of the changing concepts of wealth and poverty in the last centuries of the Roman empire."--Kathleen McCallister, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia, Library Journal "This is a masterpiece that more than justifies its length. Peter Brown is the greatest living historian of late antiquity, a periodization which he virtually invented, and Through the Eye of a Needle an achievement which stands to his earlier career as a great cathedral does to a pilgrimage route."--Tom Holland, History Today "[N]o other scholar could have produced Brown's characteristically intricate, spectacular and joyous synthesis... One of the captivating qualities of Brown's new book is the sheer energy and intellectual excitement that sparkle through it. He might, in recent years, have rested of his laurels--perhaps, like his beloved Augustine, written his memoirs. Instead, he celebrates the continuing expansion of the field and demonstrates his continued mastery of it in a groundbreaking study of wealth in the late antique Church... Towards the end of the book, Brown describes how a basilica might have looked around the year 600: glowing with candles, glittering with mosaics, gleaming with gold and silver vessels. 'The church itself', he says, 'had become a little heaven, filled with treasures.' It is a description irresistibly applicable to Peter Brown's own book: as rich a monument to the life of the mind as was any late Roman basilica to the life everlasting."--Teresa Morgan, Tablet "[A] predictably brilliant re-appraisal of the Roman world during the fourth to sixth centuries... Through the Eye of a Needle is a vast book, but is remarkably readable. Brown's intimate knowledge of Augustine and his times is presented with human empathy and a sense of the relevance of these long-ago events... [T]he latter chapters of Through the Eye of a Needle contain much essential information about the establishment of Christian influence throughout Europe following Rome's fall... [A] wonderful book."--Ed Voves, California Literary Review "Peter Brown, professor emeritus at Princeton University and the leading historian of late antiquity, has written a masterful study... His book is characterized by lively prose, mastery of the primary sources and original languages, comprehensive use of changes in the study of antiquities (especially the 'material culture' of archaeology), gorgeous plates, nearly 300 pages of bibliographic end material, and a number of important revisions to the standard historiography."--Dan Clendenin, JourneywithJesus.net "Through the Eye of a Needle (Princeton University Press) is the crowning masterpiece of Peter Brown, the great historian who virtually invented late antiquity as a periodisation. The book's theme might seem specialised: the evolution of attitudes towards wealth in the last century and a half of the Roman empire in the west, and the century that followed its collapse. In reality, like so many of Brown's books, it gives us a world vivid with colour and alive with a symphony of voices. It is not only the most compassionate study of late antiquity in the west ever written, but also a profoundly subtle meditation on our own tempestuous relationship with money."--Tom Holland, History Magazine "Brown, in this masterful history, makes the writings of Augustine, Ambrose and Jerome more accessible to the average reader, and scholars will welcome the voluminous notes and index."--Ray Saadi, Gumbo "[D]eliriously complicated... As usual, Brown leaves no stone unturned in his search for insight and evidence... He paints a colorful social setting for early church debates about theology and ethics without becoming reductively sociological, and often overturns accepted mytho-history in the process. He quietly draws on contemporary theory but typically lets ancients speak for themselves because his aim is to introduce us to an exotic world. Through it all, he focuses on the masses of details by treating attitudes, beliefs, and practices about wealth as a 'stethoscope' to hear the heartbeat of late Roman and early Christian civilization... Brown has captured the rough texture of real history. It is testimony to the success of Brown's subtle, provocative, and beautifully written book."--Peter Leithart, Christianity Today "A fascinating book by the great historian of late antiquity, Peter Brown, on the development of Christianity in Rome... Through the Eye of a Needle is a serious work of scholarship and an important study about how Rome became Christian."--John Roskam, Executive Director of the Institute of Public Affairs "Thoroughly researched, making use of the new materials that have emerged in the recent years, The Eye of the Needle is a scholarly work not just on early Christianity but relates its growth to the later developments and offers a new reading of the old sayings. It definitely is a source book for readers on religion and society."--R. Balashankar, Organiser "Its achievement is plain. It explores, with Brown's characteristically profound empathy, the great paradox of how a church with a world- and wealth-denying ideology came to acquire temporal riches and respectability... [H]is approach is to offer the reader extraordinarily vivid portraits of individual Christian thinkers faced with the moral contradictions of worldly riches... This much anticipated book, described by Brown as 'the most difficult book to write that I have ever undertaken,' fulfils expectations. Its success is grounded in its unerring moral balance. Perhaps for the first time, the problem of wealth in early Christianity is treated in full, with no righteous fury at blatant hypocrisy nor any apology for a church that rationalized its enrichment by feeding the poor... It is the virtue of Through the Eye of a Needle that it prompts and enables one to think about the largest questions. It is a gift to have such a beautiful, authoritative, and humane study that cuts to the heart of all that is most challenging in the relationship between the spiritual and the material in late antiquity."--Kyle Harper, Bryn Mawr Classical Review "Brown ... offers a masterful study on how converting to Christianity transformed the ways that economic elites in Europe and North Africa viewed their own wealth's source and purpose. A vivid storyteller, Brown transforms evidence from written, archaeological, and material sources into compelling portraits of early Christian leaders like Ambrose and Augustine... [Through the Eye of a Needle] will quickly become required reading for students of early Christianity and late ancient history, but others interested in history and theological studies also will find it engaging."--Choice "Compelling... One can see in Brown's narrative that the disputes of the fourth century stand between the old civic generosity and a new concern for otherworldliness. Perhaps that transitory radicality could not be sustained. But it has bequeathed to the church a 'conglomerate of notions' that link the wealth of the church, the care of the poor and the fate of the soul."--Walter Brueggemann, Christian Century "Peter Brown's achievement is not least in having placed us all in his debt with so rich a work... [D]o not be put off by thinking that this is a book only for academics; all of us can enjoy what is, simply, accessible and well-written reading matter that does not require the possession of academic qualifications. It deserves to be enjoyed on the beach, as well as in the Bodleian!"--John Scott, Fairacres Chronicle "[B]oth masterful and friendly... Through the Eye of a Needle, an important revisionary account for scholars of the ancient world, should also be read by a general public and by beginning undergraduates as an example of the humanity, the generosity, and the clarity of scholarship at its best."--Caroline Walker Bynum, Common Knowledge "Through the Eye of a Needle demonstrates Brown's mastery of an enormous range both of source material and of secondary work. It is crammed with stimulating ideas, and striking, very Brownian observations and metaphors... Brown has taken us on a long and highly informative journey with numerous fascinating detours through late antiquity. We can only be grateful."--J. H. W. G. Liebeschuetz, American Historical Review "Through the Eye of a Needle, an important revisionary account for scholars of the ancient world, should be read by a general public and by beginning undergraduates as an example of the humanity, the generosity, and the clarity of scholarship at its best... It is both masterful and friendly."--Caroline Walker Bynum, Common Knowledge "[T]his book, like Brown's many others, has done [much] to illuminate the late-ancient world, and he has opened many avenues for others to continue exploring."--Michael Kulikowski, Catholic Historical Review "Through the Eye of a Needle challenges the widely held notion that Christianity's growing wealth sapped Rome of its ability to resist the barbarian invasions, and offers a fresh perspective on the social history of the church in late antiquity."--World Book Industry "In typical fashion, Peter Brown has delivered a text that is masterly in scale, broad in scope, ... and admirable in readability for a large audience."--M.A. Gaumer, Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses "In addition to vast erudition formed by a range of reading in well over a dozen languages, Brown has something of the cinematographer's ability to compose a narrative by moving between panoramas and individual close-ups. The results are often dazzling."--Patrick Cook, Cambrdige Humanities Review "[T]his is an impressive and monumental piece of scholarship that casts western late antiquity into clearer relief than it has received. It will long be required reading for anyone wanting to understand the social realities of Christianity in the late antique West."--Geoffrey D. Dunn, Journal of Early Christian Studies "Through the Eye of a Needle is Peter Brown at his best, his very best: a thoughtful and thought-provoking travel-guide whose beautiful prose opens up previously unseen horizons of real people living in a variety of landscapes around the Mediterranean at different moments in a period of epochal change that was fundamental for the making of Western European civilization. Using a fine brush and a light touch, Brown paints his pictures with a palette of an astonishingly broad and erudite up-to-date scholarship."--John Behr, Marginalia "[C]learly a magisterial achievement. Through the Eye of a Needle should be read by anyone interested in the late Roman Empire, ancient Christianity, or the complex origins of attitudes towards wealth and poverty in the modern world."--Benjamin H. Dunning, European Legacy "Through the Eye of the Needle will remain ... as massive and reassuringly immovable landmarks in the horizon of our understanding."--Kate Cooper, Journal of Roman Studies "Elegantly written and amply sign-posted, this long book is a pleasure to read."--Alexander Skinner, Journal for Late Antique Religion and Culture "Those readers interested in the evolution of the Western church or in a good social approach or both will find this book a splendid treatment... This thorough work will become the standard go-to study of the early Christian church in the West."--Lee L. Brice, The Historian "Magisterial... Brown's newest monograph belongs on the bookcase of every late ancient and medieval historian... A stunning accomplishment."--Elizabeth DePalma Digesner, H-Net ReviewsTable of ContentsList of Maps xv List of Illustrations xvii Preface xix Part I Wealth, Christianity, and Giving at the End of an Ancient World 1 *Chapter 1 Aurea aetas - Wealth in an Age of Gold 3 *Chapter 2 Mediocritas - The Social Profile of the Latin Church, 312-ca. 370 31 *Chapter 3 Amor civicus - Love of the city - Wealth and Its Uses in an Ancient World 53 *Chapter 4 "Treasure in Heaven" - Wealth in the Christian Church 72 Part II An Age of Affluence 91 *Chapter 5 Symmachus - Being Noble in Fourth-Century Rome 93 *Chapter 6 Avidus civicae gratiae - Greedy for the good favor of the city - Symmachus and the People of Rome 110 *Chapter 7 Ambrose and His People 120 *Chapter 8 "Avarice, the Root of All Evil" - Ambrose and Northern Italy 135 *Chapter 9 Augustine - Spes saeculi - Careerism, Patronage and Religious Bonding, 354-384 148 *Chapter 10 From Milan to Hippo - Augustine and the Making of a Religious Community, 384-396 161 *Chapter 11 "The Life in Common of a kind of Divine and Heavenly Republic" - Augustine on Public and Private in a Monastic Community 173 *Chapter 12 Ista vero saecularia - Those things, indeed, of the world - Ausonius, Villas, and the Language of Wealth 185 *Chapter 13 Ex opulentissimo divite - From being rich as rich can be Paulinus of Nola and the Renunciation of Wealth, 389-395 208 *Chapter 14 Commercium spiritale The spiritual Exchange - Paulinus of Nola and the Poetry of Wealth, 395-408 224 *Chapter 15 Propter magnificentiam urbis Romae - By reason of the magnificence of the city of Rome - The Roman Rich and their Clergy, from Constantine to Damasus, 312-384 241 *Chapter 16 "To Sing the Lord's Song in a Strange Land" - Jerome in Rome, 382-385 259 *Chapter 17 Between Rome and Jerusalem - Women, Patronage, and Learning, 385-412 273 Part III An Age of Crisis 289 *Chapter 18 "The Eye of a Needle" and "The Treasure of the Soul" - Renunciation, Nobility, and the Sack of Rome, 405-413 291 *Chapter 19 Tolle divitem - Take away the rich - The Pelagian Criticism of Wealth 308 *Chapter 20 Augustine's Africa - People and Church 322 *Chapter 21 "Dialogues with the Crowd" - The Rich, the People, and the City in the Sermons of Augustine 339 *Chapter 22 Dimitte nobis debita nostra - Forgive us our sins - Augustine, Wealth, and Pelagianism, 411-417 359 *Chapter 23 "Out of Africa" - Wealth, Power and the Churches, 415-430 369 *Chapter 24 "Still at that Time a More Affluent Empire" - The Crisis of the West in the Fifth Century 385 Part IV Aftermaths 409 *Chapter 25 Among the Saints - Marseilles, Arles and Lerins, 400-440 411 *Chapter 26 Romana respublica vel iam mortua - With the empire now dead and gone - Salvian and His Gaul, 420-450 433 *Chapter 27 Ob Italiae securitatem - For the security of Italy - Rome and Italy, ca. 430-ca. 530 454 Part V Toward Another World 479 *Chapter 28 Patrimonia pauperum - Patrimonies of the poor - Wealth and Conflict in the Churches of the Sixth Century 481 *Chapter 29 Servator fidei, patriaeque semper amator - Guardian of the Faith, and always lover of [his] homeland - Wealth and Piety in the Sixth Century 503 Conclusion 527 Abbreviations 531 Notes 533 Works Cited * Primary Sources 641 * Secondary Sources 654 Index 719

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Scholem's scholarship betrays an alert presentness... No great textual scholar, no master of philology and historical criticism commands a technique at once more scrupulously attentive to its object and more instinct with the writer's voice. That voices reaches and grips... [M]agisterial."--New Yorker "Immensely important and fascinating... A monumental work of historical scholarship, which recounts in minute detail a moving tragedy of vast dimensions."--The New York Review of Books "Comprehensive... the last word on an astonishing episode of Jewish history."--Times Literary Supplement "A masterful mix of traditional Jewish scholarship and... original insight into the psychology of Judaism."--Boston Globe "Undoubtedly one of the all-time masterpieces of scholarship and intellectual history."--Commonweal "A major contribution not only to the study of messianic movements but also a study enlightening to the history of the Jewish people."--Jewish PressTable of Contents*Frontmatter, pg. i*Table of Contents, pg. ix*List of Plates, pg. xv*Table of Transliteration, pg. xix*Preface, pg. xxi*Introduction to The Princetion Classics Edition, pg. xxix*1. The Background of The Sabbatian Movement, pg. 1*2. The Beginnings of Sabbatai Sevi (1626 - 1664), pg. 103*3. The Beginnings of The Movement in Palestine (1665), pg. 199*4. The Movement Up to Sabbatai's Imprisonment in Gallipoli (1665 - 1666), pg. 327*5. The Movement in Europe (1666), pg. 461*6. The Movement in The East and The Center at Gallipoli Until Sabbatai's Apostasy (1666), pg. 603*7. After The Apostasy (1667 - 1668), pg. 687*8. The Last Years of Sabbatai Sevi (1668 - 1676), pg. 821*Bibliography, pg. 931*Index, pg. 957

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