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Book SynopsisBiblical scholar Wayne Grudem offers thought-provoking analysis of what the Bible saysand doesn't sayabout divorce, bringing much needed clarity to the discussion and guidance to those stuck at a crossroads.

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Book SynopsisThis Companion provides a comprehensive overview of American Catholicism''s historical development and distinctive features. The essays - all specially commissioned for this volume - highlight the inner diversity of American Catholicism and trace the impact of American Catholics on all aspects of society, including education, social welfare, politics, and intellectual life. The volume also addresses topics of contemporary concern, such as gender and sexuality, arts and culture, social activism, and the experiences of Black, Latinx, Asian-American, and cultural Catholics. Taken together, the essays in this Companion provide context for understanding American Catholicism as it is currently experienced, and help to situate present-day developments and debates within their longer trajectory.Trade Review'… an outstanding overview of the US's distinctive Catholic history … Recommended.' R. A. Boisclair, Choice ConnectTable of ContentsPart I. Historical Overview: 1. American Catholicism's early foundations Maura Jane Farrelly; 2. The immigrant church, 1820-1908 Steven M. Avella; 3. The Catholic century James M. O'Toole; Part II. Catholic Life and Culture: 4. Catholic worship Katharine E. Harmon; 5. Catholic intellectual life William L. Portier; 6. Catholic education James T. Carroll; 7. Social welfare and social reform Mary Elizabeth Brown; 8. Women religious Mary Beth Fraser Connolly; 9. Catholics and politics Lawrence J. McAndrews; 10. Arts and culture Debra Campbell; 11. Anti-Catholicism in the United States Mark Massa, SJ; 12. Gender and sexuality James P. McCartin; 13. American Catholics in a global context Angelyn Dries; Part III. Many Faces of Catholicism: 14. American Catholic laywomen and feminism Paula M. Kane; 15. Black Catholics Cecilia A. Moore; 16. Latinx Catholicism Lauren Guerra and Brett C. Hoover; 17. Asian American Catholics Robert E. Carbonneau; 18. Cultural Catholicism Tom Beaudoin; Conclusion: 19. US Catholicism in the twenty-first century Mary L. Gautier.

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Book SynopsisA classic of medieval studies, this book traces ideas of death and resurrection in early and medieval Christianity. Caroline Walker Bynum explores problems of the body and identity in devotional and theological literature, suggesting that medieval attitudes toward the body still shape modern notions of the individual.Trade ReviewThere are few historians of whom one can say that they have actually shifted some of the landscape of the writing of history in their own generation, but Bynum is one of them. New Republic [A] fascinating and wide-ranging account that tells us a lot about medieval thinking and practice. New York Times Book Review A masterful work of intellectual history. Publishers WeeklyTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsIntroduction to the 2017 Edition: What’s New about the Medieval?Preface to the 1995 Edition: Acknowledgments and Methodological MusingsIntroduction to the 1995 Edition: Seed Images, Ancient and ModernPart I. The Patristic Background1. Resurrection and Martyrdom: The Decades Around 2002. Resurrection, Relic Cult, and Asceticism: The Debates of 400 and Their BackgroundPart II. The Twelfth Century3. Reassemblage and Regurgitation: Ideas of Bodily Resurrection in Early Scholasticism4. Psychosomatic Persons and Reclothed Skeletons: Images of Resurrection in Spiritual Writingand Iconography5. Resurrection, Heresy, and Burial ad Sanctos: The Twelfth-Century ContextPart III. The Decades Around 13006. Resurrection, Hylomorphism, and Abundantia: Scholastic Debates in the Thirteenth Century7. Somatomorphic Soul and Visio Dei: The Beatific Vision Controversy and Its Background8. Fragmentation and Ecstasy: The Thirteenth-Century ContextAfterword: Why All the Fuss about the Body? A Medievalist’s PerspectiveIllustration CreditsGeneral IndexIndex of Secondary Authors

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Book SynopsisSummer is a liturgical resource book that covers the months of May, June and July. It includes prayers, stories, responses, songs, poems, reflections, monologues, liturgies and reflections for the major Christian festivals and seasons ofEastertide and Pentecost, as well as for Ascension, Saints' days, pilgrimage, holidays and other occasions. The material is written by Iona Community members, associates, friends and others. RaspberriesAll the year roundI can buy them pre-packedon the supermarket shelves,and sometimes I do. But to fiercely prune themtalk to themstake themwater themwatch the bees buzz around themfeel the sun warming themprotect them from interested birdsnurture themsee their colour deepenwatch them swell to ripenesssmell their promise of sweetnessand then to pick themtheir juice staining my fingersand to eat them ... Wow!Ripe raspberries. It's summertime. Rejoice! Ruth Burgess

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Book SynopsisCelebrate a vulnerable and open life by overcoming the fear of criticism to start living the life God intended.Fear of criticism has turned into a massive epidemic harder than ever to overcome. It prevents people from speaking up; it's why most people struggle to make decisions; it's why we're uncomfortable with vulnerability and openness; and it's why so many are unable to meet their full potential. But it doesn't have to be that way. Through the Bible story of King David dancing naked in the streets while his distant, guarded, and critical wife watches from a window, Naked and Unafraid provides a visual contrast of these two characters that sheds light on the way we all approach life and explains how the fear of criticism impacts our lives much more than we realize or are willing to admit. God didn't create us to live guarded, isolated lives. Our greatest fulfillment isn't found in the window. It's found in the street. Everything in our lives, including our relationships, our work, our emotional and spiritual health, gets better in a place of openness and vulnerability. But that doesn't mean it's easy. . . because it's not. Vulnerability is risky. Exposure is scary.Naked and Unafraid pushes readers to:* Find the courage to not let criticism control or determine who they are and what they do.* Stop living in the shallow end of relationships and experience the rewards that true vulnerability can bring.* Abandon smallness and live the life they were born to live.* Discover how the fear of criticism diminishes in direct proportion to understanding it.* Reject the limitations and inhibitions of "window living," so they can experience the freedom and rewards of "street life."* Confront their own worst critic that counts them out of what God has included them in.God will help you move away from window watching, and toward street dancing. Know who He says you are, and live in that freedom!

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Book Synopsis'Seldom will you encounter such a fine combination of historical scholarship, interesting reading, and clever humour in one Biblical study. And then filled with faith and hope besides! Peter Enns does it again!' Richard Rohr, author of Falling UpwardFor many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. But the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth, argues Bible scholar Peter Enns. It does not hold easy answers to the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not only offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers to spiritual questions, cultivating God's wisdom within us.'The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible's true subject matter', writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. The Bible, in other words, really isn't the problem; having the wrong expectation is what interferes with our reading.Rather than considering the Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today.How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that 'being right' is the most important measure of faith, Enns's freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God - which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.

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Book SynopsisLove Letters from Golok chronicles the courtship between two Buddhist tantric masters, Tare Lhamo (1938–2002) and Namtrul Rinpoche (1944–2011), and their passion for reinvigorating Buddhism in eastern Tibet during the post-Mao era. Holly Gayley retrieves the personal and prophetic dimensions of their courtship and its consummation.Trade ReviewAn extraordinary set of letters between a man and woman lie at the heart of this study of love, religious transcendence, and cultural trauma in post-Cultural Revolution Tibet. I know of no body of material that gives a more intricate picture of how Tibetan Tantric Buddhism could penetrate and transform worldly troubles and politics into the sublime aspirations of tantric vision. Gayley offers us an unparalleled view of 20th century Tibetan religion as it touched every aspect of human life. Plus an astonishing account of a female master whose romance with another master elevated them both into heroes for Eastern Tibet during most challenging times. -- Janet Gyatso, Hershey Professor of Buddhist Studies, Harvard University Holly Gayley has that rarest of gifts, a scholar's eye and a story-teller's ear. Her book is filled with nuance and insight about the power of Tibetan cultural narratives of gendered spiritual prowess and the navigation of coded relationships. Never merely theoretical, Gayley grounds every observation in dynamic detail and a story-line compelling as any novel. -- Anne C. Klein, Professor Rice University and co-Founder, Dawn Mountain Author of Meeting the Great Bliss Queen, translator of Khetsun Sangpo's Strand of Jewels Gayley weaves together life writing, ethnography, and letters in an unprecedented fashion, and it pays off: her treatment of difficult primary sources - translated here for the first time - is inviting and engaging. Love Letters from Golok addresses issues of real and abiding concern in contemporary China. -- Kurtis R. Schaeffer, Professor of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia and Chair of the Religious Studies departmentTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Note on Transliteration and Translation Introduction: Journey to Golok 1. Daughter of Golok: Tare Lhamo's Life and Context 2. Local Heroine: The Hagiography of Cultural Trauma 3. Inseparable Companions: A Buddhist Courtship and Correspondence 4. Emissaries of Padmasambhava: Tibetan Treasures and Healing Trauma 5. A Tantric Couple: The Hagiography of Cultural Revitalization Epilogue: The Legacy of a Tantric Couple Appendix A: Catalogue of the Letters of Namtrul Rinpoche Appendix B: Catalogue of the Letters of Tare Lhamo Abbreviations Notes Glossary of Tibetan Names Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Life of Saint Neilos of Rossano is a snapshot of a distinctive moment before the schism between the churches of Rome and Constantinople. Neilos lived in both hermitages and monasteries, torn between solitude and community. This edition provides the first English translation with a newly revised Greek text.

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Book SynopsisTells the remarkable story of a group of nuns who travelled halfway around the globe in the seventeenth century to establish the first female Franciscan convent in the Far East. Drawing from a manuscript from one of the nuns, other archival sources, and rare books, this study offers a fascinating view of travel, evangelization, and empire.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[Visualizing Dunhuang] is a monumental contribution that furthers our understanding of significant developments taking place in early Buddhist doctrine, art, and architecture, as seen through the Los’s lenses."---Julie Hirsch, Tricycle Magazine"It’s big, it’s heavy, and it’s beautiful. Dora Ching. . .has created a book that will surely become the volume to have if you are interested in Buddhist art from China or the history of photography. . . . The photographs of the Los beautifully complement the excellent essays in the book, and through them readers can enter into an almost magical world with some of the best tour-guides to accompany them."---John Butler, Asian Review of Books

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Book SynopsisIslamic philosophy and Sufism evolved as distinct yet interweaving strands of Islamic thought and practice. Despite differences, they have shared a concern with the perfection of the soul through the development of character. In The Polished Mirror, Cyrus Ali Zargar studies the ways in which, through teaching and storytelling, pre-modern Muslims lived, negotiated, and cultivated virtues. Examining the writings of philosophers, ascetics, poets, and saints, he locates virtue ethics within a dynamic moral tradition. Innovative, engaging, and approachable, this work – the first in the English language to explore Islamic ethics in the fascinating context of narrative – will be a valuable resource for both students and scholars.Trade Review‘The Polished Mirror is the perfect title for Zargar’s erudite and eloquent book, for it reflects with superb analytical clarity the views of a wide range of thinkers on the subject of ethics. Justifiably going beyond writings that explicitly deal with the topic, he draws together various strands of Islamic tradition, clarifying both the links and similarities that join them and the distinctions that separate them. A major contribution to Islamic studies, from which both established scholars and those new to the field stand to gain significantly.’ -- Hamid Algar, Professor Emeritus of Persian and Islamic Studies, University of California, Berkeley‘Students of Islamic ethics have long felt the need for a more sustained and unified insight into the rich history of reflection on the virtues in the Islamic world. Ambitious in scope yet accessible throughout, this book explores the distinctive contributions of a number of key figures working across both sides of the permeable boundary between philosophy and Sufism. Anyone with an interest in how thinkers in the medieval Islamic world engaged with the “science of the states of the heart” – in its many permutations – will find a valuable companion in Cyrus Ali Zargar’s book.’ -- Sophia Vasalou, Fellow in Philosophical Theology, University of Birmingham‘Comprehensive in its scope, and drawing on intellectual luminaries ranging from Muḥāsibī to Avicenna, Zargar’s erudite study offers the first major analysis of virtue ethics in classical Islam. It will set the stage for future research in the field.’ -- Atif Khalil, Associate Professor, Dept. of Religious Studies, University of Lethbridge, and author of Repentance and the Return to God: Tawba in Early Sufism‘This fine study, supported by careful analysis of primary texts, illustrates the congruence of Islamic philosophy and Sufism on the issue of achieving self-perfection, to which human beings are called both by prophetic wisdom and by rational acumen.’ -- William C. Chittick, Distinguished Professor of Islamic Studies, Stony Brook University‘Far too much of previous scholarship on Muslim ethics has obsessed over the question of its indebtedness to Greek (and Persian) antecedents. Cyrus Zargar’s The Polished Mirror is a brilliant way of reframing the conversation about ethics in the spiritual and intellectual cosmos of Islamic thought. Zargar masterfully navigates the worlds of ethics, philosophy, mysticism, narrative, and poetry to offer us a rich tapestry. The result is far more than merely a groundbreaking way of rethinking ethics in Islam. It is a groundbreaking study of the interconnectedness of the Islamic spiritual, ethical, and intellectual universes through studying Ibn Sina, Rumi, Brethren of Purity, Ghazali, Suhrawardi, and others. Enthusiastically recommended for all students of Islamic studies, ethics, and mysticism.’ -- Omid Safi, Director, Duke Islamic Studies Center‘The Polished Mirror is an incredible, even paradigm-shifting work in Islamic Studies.’ -- Mohammed Rustom, associate professor of Islamic studies, Carleton University, and author of Inrushes of the Spirit: The Mystical Theology of ʿAyn al-QuḍātTable of ContentsIntroduction Part One Islamic Philosophy Chapter One: The Humors (al-akhlāṭ) and Character Traits (al-akhlāq) According to the Brethren of Purity Chapter Two: Virtue Ethics in Avicenna’s Philosophical Allegories Chapter Three: The Virtues, from Philosophy to Scripture: Refining Character Traits in Miskawayh and Ghazālī Chapter Four: Reason, Revelation, and Discovering the Virtuous in Ibn Ṭufayl’s Literary Thought Experiment Chapter Five: From Humors to Pure Light: Knowledge and Virtue in the Allegories of Suhrawardī Part Two Sufism Chapter Six: The Soul’s Constant Returning: Repentance (Tawba) in the Sufi Legacy of Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq Chapter Seven: Distancing Oneself from the Worldly: Renunciation (Zuhd) According to al-Muḥāsibī and al-Sarrāj Chapter Eight: Self-Awareness that Leads to Self-Loss: Futuwwa as a Compound Virtue in the Legacy of Anṣārī Chapter Nine: The Completion of Ethics: Self-Annihilation (Fanāʾ) Through the Lens of ʿAṭṭār Chapter Ten: Virtue in the Narrative Poetry of Rūmī Conclusion: A Brief Case for Relevance Acknowledgments Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Choice Reviews' Outstanding Academic Titles of 2018""A genuinely fascinating and innovative book that proposes a radically new way of thinking about individual religious experience in the Roman world."---Peter Thonemann, Wall Street Journal"[Rüpke] digs deep into the meaning of 'lived religion' for Romans, and his book gives a lucid and cogent historical overview."---Marina Warner, New York Review of Books"The author brilliantly contextualizes the data and weaves it into an innovative and persuasive narrative that makes a major contribution to understanding Roman religion."---J. R. Asher, Choice"Rüpke presents not a model, or portrait, of Roman religion, but rather a narrative of Roman religion."---Aisla Hunt, Journal of Church and State"A very comprehensive work."---Horace McKinley, Church Review"A particular strength of Rüpke’s book is its focus on how change was accommodated in religious terms and on how religious activities might themselves be drivers of change."---Catharine Edwards, Literary Review"The book is the work of a learned author, with a good knowledge of specialized literature from which he selects the most relevant, authorized and recent titles to illustrate particular aspects or to settle interpretative dilemmas."---Sorin Nemeti, Classica et Christiana"A monumental work."---Csaba Szabó, Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Jordan Schnitzer Book Award in Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History and Culture, Association for Jewish Studies""Winner of the 2017 National Jewish Book Award in Women’s Studies (Barbara Dobkin Award)""Finalist for the Dionisius A. Agius Book Prize, Society for the Medieval Mediterranean""Finalist for the 2017 National Jewish Book Award in Scholarship (Nahum Sarna Memorial Award)""Honorable Mention for the 2018 AAR Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion: Historical Studies, American Academy of Religion""One of Choice Reviews' Outstanding Academic Titles of 2018""Eve Krakowski’s masterful new book . . . presents an impressive cascade of new insights regarding the Jewish community in old Cairo—their concerns, negotiations, and accommodations with the dominant Fatimid society."---Amit Gvaryahu, Marginalia"Coming of Age in Medieval Egypt is an excellent book based on solid research and replete with brilliant insights. It marks a new, groundbreaking phase in the historical study of the Geniza society and constitutes a major contribution to the social and legal history of Islamicate cultures as well as to gender studies more generally."---Miriam Frenkel, Al-Masāq

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Templars. 'Voyages, battles, sieges and slaughter: Dan Jones's tumultuous and thrilling history of the crusades is one of the best' SUNDAY TIMES. 'A powerful story brilliantly told. Dan Jones writes with pace, wit and insight' HELEN CASTOR. 'A fresh and vibrant account of a conflict that raged across medieval centuries' JONATHAN PHILLIPS. Dan Jones, best-selling chronicler of the Middle Ages, turns his attention to the history of the Crusades – the sequence of religious wars fought between the late eleventh century and late medieval periods, in which armies from European Christian states attempted to wrest the Holy Land from Islamic rule, and which have left an enduring imprint on relations between the Muslim world and the West. From the preaching of the First Crusade by Pope Urban II in 1095 to the loss of the last crusader outpost in the Levant in 1302-03, and from the taking of Jerusalem from the Fatimids in 1099 to the fall of Acre to the Mamluks in 1291, Crusaders tells a tale soaked in Islamic, Christian and Jewish blood, peopled by extraordinary characters, and characterised by both low ambition and high principle. Dan Jones is a master of popular narrative history, with the priceless ability to write page-turning narrative history underpinned by authoritative scholarship. Never before has the era of the Crusades been depicted in such bright and striking colours, or their story told with such gusto. PRAISE FOR THE TEMPLARS: 'A fresh, muscular and compelling history of the ultimate military-religious crusading order, combining sensible scholarship with narrative swagger' SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE. 'Dan Jones has created a gripping page-turner out of the dramatic history of the Templars' PHILIPPA GREGORY. 'The story of the Templars, the ultimate holy warriors, is an extraordinary saga of fanaticism, bravery, treachery and betrayal, and in Dan Jones they have a worthy chronicler. The Templars is a wonderful book!' BERNARD CORNWELL. 'Told with all Jones's usual verve and panache, this is a dramatic and gripping tale of courage and stupidity, faith and betrayal' MAIL ON SUNDAY. 'This is another triumphant tale from a historian who writes as addictively as any page-turning novelist' OBSERVER. 'The Templars is exhilarating, epic, sword-swinging history' TLS. 'Jones carries the Templars through the crusades with clarity and verve. This is unabashed narrative history, fast-paced and full of incident... Jones tells their story extremely well' SUNDAY TIMES.Trade ReviewVoyages, battles, sieges and slaughter: Dan Jones's tumultuous and thrilling history of the crusades is one of the best... Jones is exceptionally good at giving evocative snapshots of medieval life, sometimes poignant, sometimes pure Monty Python' * Sunday Times *This is rollercoaster history... Dan Jones has a nose for the dramatic, disgusting and bizarre... Every page of his extraordinary book provides vivid evidence of the Crusades' continuing ability to mesmerise' * The Times *A powerful story brilliantly told. Dan Jones writes with pace, wit and insight -- Helen CastorA fresh and vibrant account of a conflict that raged across medieval centuries -- Jonathan PhillipsCompelling... Jones is adept at teasing out the array of motivations that propelled the crusaders on an arduous, often harrowing, journey to an uncertain, violent destination... An avowedly pluralist account in which equal weight is given to the experiences of Christians and Muslims... Jones has written an epic of his own here, as complex as it is compelling' * Prospect *Dan Jones has the priceless ability to write page-turning narrative history underpinned by authoritative scholarship. Never before has the era of the Crusades been depicted in such bright and striking colours, or their story told with such gusto * Edinburgh Reporter *The master of the Middle Ages turns his attention to the compelling saga of religious conflict * Radio Times *Crusaders excels not only in narrating this complex history in such a readable and immersive manner, but also in setting events in their wider contexts... Narratives of medieval knights in combat and conquest can run the risk of romanticising their actions through efforts to spark further interest from the reader, but Jones's treatement of the source material is measured under the engaging prose. Jones has drawn together a compelling work that is weighty in pages but always highly readable' * All About History *Dan Jones writes every history book as through it were a Netflix drama * Yorkshire Post. *His tale is steeped in scholarly research and lively writing. Were it not for the violence inherent to his subject matter, you might call it divine * Christian Science Monitor. *A distinct new perspective... A fantastic, scholarly book... Masterfully told and makes for a gripping read. A must for anyone with an interest in the period' * Pennant *[Jones] offers a 'tableau history' – a series of stories with wonderfully bizarre characters on both sides. It's impossible to be cynical about Jones the historian; he's enormously prolific, yet each book is impressively researched and beautifully written. He's a passionate writer, a rumbustious knight who loves his own literary crusade * The Times *Bloody battles and epic sieges abound in this energetic history of the Crusades, a series of adventures that still has ramifications today * Mail on Sunday *Typically breezy and well-paced... Jones sets out to entertain as well as inform, covering a great deal of ground' * Financial Times *The Crusades is a challenging era for the novice but it is brought thrillingly to life in this imaginative history from the broadcaster and best-selling author... Jones concludes with a timely reminder of the effect the period still has on our world' * Choice Magazine *Voyages, battles, sieges and slaughter: a dramatic history of the wars for the Holy Lands that brings the Crusades to fresh and compelling life * Sunday Times *A balanced view... Jones sticks to a strict academic approach. He mixes recitations of key events and personages with storytelling' * Catholic Universe *Skilfully balancing information and entertainment * The Week *Jones has assembled a panoramic, detailed and readable account of a vast sweep of history that must have taken a staggering amount of work * BookBrunch *

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Book SynopsisA 2011 NIV Bible bound in tactile brown satchel leather with colourful, Bauhaus-inspired end-papers and magnetic clasp.With over 400 million Bibles in print, the New International Version is the world's most popular modern English Bible. It is renowned for its combination of reliability and readability. Fully revised and updated for the first time in 25 years, the NIV is ideal for personal reading, public teaching and group study.This Bible also features:- clear, readable 6.75pt text- easy-to-read layout- shortcuts to key stories, events and people of the Bible- reading plan- timeline- book by book overview- quick links to find inspiration and help from the Bible in different life situationsThis edition uses British spelling, punctuation and grammar to allow the Bible to be read more naturally.More about the translationThis revised and updated edition of the NIV includes three main types of change, taking into account changes in the way we use language day to day; advances in biblical scholarship and understanding; and the need to ensure that gender accurate language is used, to faithfully reflect whether men and women are referred to in each instance. The translators have carefully assessed a huge body of scholarship, as well as inviting peer submissions, in order to review every word of the existing NIV to ensure it remains as clear and relevant today as when it was first published.Royalties from all sales of the NIV Bible help Biblica in their work of translating and distributing Bibles around the world.

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Book SynopsisA Zen Buddhist perspective on the universal flow of cosmic energy and how to incorporate that energy into one''s life and spiritual practice The universe is alive with a dynamic energy that creates and sustains our lives. It surrounds us, flows through us, and is available to us in every moment. Spiritual practice, according to revered American Zen teacher Dainin Katagiri Roshi, is about aligning ourselves with this ever-present life force—sometimes referred to as chi, qi, or ki.   This collection, edited from Roshi’s talks, focuses on cosmic energy as it relates to all aspects of Zen practice. With references to classic texts and personal stories that bring the teachings to life, The Light That Shines through Infinity is also a powerful antidote to the notion that practice is in some way about transcending the world around us. It is in fact about nothing other than relating to it compassionately and whole-heartedly.

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Book Synopsis"A masterfully blend of history, mythology, spell work and personal anecdote that beautifully explores the depth and breadth of ''The Great Queen.''" -Amy Blackthorn, priestess of The Morrigan, and author of Blackthorn''s Botanical Magic"She is the spirit of fury and peace, power and destruction, joy and terror," writes author Courtney Weber. "She is warrior, queen, death omen, mother, murderer, lover, spy, conspirator, faery, shape-shifter, healer, and sometimes the living earth itself. A captivating contradiction: a demonic female who both haunts and heals; benevolent in one moment, ghastly the next, and kind the moment after that."The Morrigan is one of Pagan Ireland''s most famous-and notorious-goddesses. Her name translated as "phantom queen" or "great queen," the Morrigan is famous for being a goddess of war, witchcraft and death, protection and retribution. This book also explores her patronage of motherhood, healing, shapeshifting, and the land. Classified among the Sidhe (fairies), the Morrigan dates back at least to Ireland''s Iron Age, but she is as modern as she is ancientenjoying a growing contemporary and global following.Author Courtney Weber provides a guide for the modern devotee of this complex, mysterious goddess that encompasses practical veneration with modern devotionals, entwined with traditional lore and Irish-Celtic history.

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Book SynopsisAn excellent book for people interested in meditation, from beginners to advanced. The practice of meditation leads to a mind that is more peaceful, tranquil, and at ease. Because the mind is more relaxed, events that usually disturb us seem to take on less importance, and we stop taking them in such a serious way. Likewise, through meditation the mind gradually learns to be independent of external conditions and circumstances, discovering its own stability and tranquility. A stable mind leads to the experience of less suffering in our lives.

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Book SynopsisHave you ever wanted accessible introductions to key figures and periods of Christian history? Augustine and His World Augustine is one of the giants of the Christian church. From his birth in North Africa and his days as a relatively permissive young man, through his midlife conversion to Christianity and career as bishop of Hippo, his story has intrigued and inspired every generation for over 1,600 years. As a thinker, teacher, writer and debater, Augustine's greatness lay in his ability to relate the philosophies of Ancient Greece and Rome to the precepts of the Christian faith. Augustine also saved the church itself from disintegrating into rival factions by forging sound doctrine in the fires of controversy. This immersive account of Augustine's life helps readers understand the world he came from and the enormous contribution he made to the church, both of his day and of the future. Francis of Assisi and His World Francis of Assisi is one of the world's most popular religious figures, and also one of the most misrepresented. In this lively and engaging account of Francis's story - from his hedonistic youth to his emergence as a Christian leader of great charisma and intensity - Mark Galli attempts to strip away the modern gloss in order to discover the real man and the world in which he lived. The saint revealed here is not the romantic free spirit of popular imagination, but a contentious figure who combined a deep mysticism with radical commitment and, above all, sought to glorify God, the creator.

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Book SynopsisStarting in the 1530s with John Bale, English reformers found in the apocalyptic mysteries of the Book of Revelation a framework for reinterpreting the history of Christianity and explaining the break from the Roman Catholic Church. Identifying the papacy with antichrist and the Roman Catholic Church with Babylon, they pictured the reformation as a departure from the false church that derived its jurisdiction from the devil. Those who took the initiative in throwing off the Roman yoke acted as instruments of God in the cosmic warfare against the power of evil that raged in the latter days of the world. The reformation ushered in the beginning of the end as prophesied by St. John.Reformers and Babylon examines the English apocalyptic tradition as developed in the works of religious thinkers both within and without the Established Church and distinguishes the various streams into which the tradition split. By the middle of Elizabeth's reign the mainstream apocalypt

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Book SynopsisThe Enneagram Collection is for anyone who wants to have a deeper understanding of their Enneagram type. The Enneagram Type 2: The Supportive Advisor is an interactive book that focuses on those who have a core desire to be loved and wanted. The book explores the unique motivations, longings, strengths, and weaknesses of a Type 2. The Enneagram Type 2: The Supportive Advisor is a great self-assessment resource for all spheres of life, including: Personal and professional relationships Faith communities Students and even pop culture Author Beth McCord teaches readers how to transform self-limiting behaviors into life-enhancing personal empowerment. Books from The Enneagram Collection are great for anyone newly interested in the Enneagram or longtime Enneagram enthusiasts. Inside readers will find:Space to journal about their uniqueness, goals for inner stability, and ideals f

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Book SynopsisHannah Dunnett shares the story behind 24 of her pictures with meditations and reflections.Trade Review“In this beautiful book, Hannah Dunnett offers a marvellous insight into her unique creative process. She has a wonderful ability to visualise the symbolism of scripture in a way that makes it tangible and accessible; inscribing God’s word onto landscapes, seascapes and everyday environments with her poetic brushstrokes and creating deeply meditative images that help us to internalise His truths. More Than Words will be a much loved companion for many on their journey with Christ.” -- Kate Nicholas, author of Sea Changed, PR expert, journalist and preacher“More than Words is more than just a beautiful book, it is also an invitation to turn down the volume on the constant noise, and to slowly soak up scripture through these uplifting pictures and their accompanying meditations. This is the perfect gift for others, but also something special for us to quietly savour ourselves.” -- Cathy Madavan, writer, speaker, member of Spring Harvest Planning Group and author of Digging for Diamonds

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Book SynopsisThe Albigensian Crusade, the first in which Christians were promised salvation for killing other Christians, lasted twenty bloody years--a long savage war for the soul of Christendom. In A Most Holy War, historian Mark Pegg has produced a swift-moving, gripping narrative of this horrific crusade. Pegg draws in part on thousands of testimonies collected by inquisitors in the years 1235 to 1245, accounts of ordinary men and women remembering what it was like to live through such brutal times. In responding to heresy with a holy genocidal war, Innocent III fundamentally changed how Western civilization dealt with individuals accused of corrupting society. This change, Pegg argues, led directly to the creation of the inquisition, the rise of an anti-Semitism, and even the holy violence of the Reconquista in Spain. A bold, erudite, engaging, and superbly written study of what has long been one of the most central topics in medieval and Mediterranean history. --Teofilo F. Ruiz, Professor oTrade ReviewCompelling account. * Christopher Hirst, the Independent *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgments ; Dramatis Personae ; Genealogical Charts ; A Most Holy War ; Abbreviations Used in Notes ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisIn 70 CE, the Jews were an agrarian and illiterate people living mostly in the Land of Israel and Mesopotamia. By 1492 the Jewish people had become a small group of literate urbanites specializing in crafts, trade, moneylending, and medicine in hundreds of places across the Old World, from Seville to Mangalore. What caused this radical change? TheTrade ReviewWinner of the 2012 National Jewish Book Award in Scholarship One of Jewish Ideas Daily.com's 40 Best Jewish Books of 2012 "[A]mbitious ... systematically dismantle much of the conventional wisdom about medieval Jewish history."--Jonathan B. Krasner, Forward "[W]here so many have simply taken as a given universal literacy among Jews, [Botticini and Eckstein] find that a majority of Jews actually weren't willing to invest in Jewish education, with the shocking result that more than two-thirds of the Jewish community disappeared toward the end of the first millennium... The astonishing theory presented here has great implications for both the Jewish community and the broader world today."--Steven Weiss, Slate "[E]ventually, The Chosen Few will have changed the course of history in the Middle East ... as part of a broad reinterpretation of the history of the peopling of the world, underway for a century and a half, that has begun gathering force since the 1990s... This may be the first you have heard about The Chosen Few, but I pretty much guarantee you that it will not be the last."--David Warsh, Economic Principals "[P]rovocative."--Choice "Botticini and Eckstein's simple yet sophisticated human capital analysis provides new insights into Jewish history for the fourteen centuries covered in this book... [Their] methodology yields a very convincing Cliometric analysis that we can expect to inform all future economic histories of the Jews between 70 and 1492."--Carmel U. Chiswick, EH.net "I found The Chosen Few, a book on Jewish economic history by Maristella Botticini and Zvi Eckstein, enormously enlightening and relevant to the draft-the-Haredim debate."--Shlomo Maital, Jerusalem Report "If you've ever wondered how the Chosen People survived the vagaries of history, reading The Chosen Few will give you answers you cannot find anywhere else."--Huffington Post "This is a trailblazing, original, illuminating and horizon-broadening book."--Manuel Trajtenberg, HaaretzTable of ContentsList of Illustrations xi List of Tables xiii Preface xv Introduction 1 Chapter 1 70 CE-1492: How Many Jews Were There, and Where and How Did They Live? 11 From Jesus to Muhammad (1 CE-622): A World of Farmers 15 From Muhammad to Hulagu Khan (622-1258): Farmers to Merchants 31 From Hulagu Khan to Tomas de Torquemada (1258-1492): The End of the Golden Age 44 Jewish History, 70 CE-1492: Puzzles 51 Chapter 2 Were the Jews a Persecuted Minority? 52 Restrictions on Jewish Economic Activities 52 Taxation Discrimination 58 Physical versus Portable Human Capital 59 Self-Segregated Religious Minority 61 The Economics of Small Minorities 62 Summary 65 Chapter 3 The People of the Book, 200 BCE-200 CE 66 The Two Pillars of Judaism from Ezra to Hillel (500-50 BCE): The Temple and the Torah 66 The Lever of Judaism: Education as a Religious Norm 69 The Destruction of the Second Temple: From Ritual Sacrifices to Torah Reading and Study 73 The Legacy of Rabbinic Judaism: The Mishna and Universal Primary Education, 10 CE-200 74 Judaism and Education: The Unique Link in the World of the Mishna 78 Chapter 4 The Economics of Hebrew Literacy in a World of Farmers 80 Heterogeneity and the Choices Facing Jewish Farmers circa 200 82 The Economic Theory: Basic Setup 84 The Economic Theory: Predictions 87 Life in a Village in the Galilee circa 200 through the Lens of the Theory 88 Annex 4.A: Formal Model of Education and Conversion of Farmers 89 Chapter 5 Jews in the Talmud Era, 200-650: The Chosen Few 95 An Increasingly Literate Farming Society 96 Conversions of Jewish Farmers 111 Summary 122 Chapter 6 From Farmers to Merchants, 750-1150 124 The Economics of Hebrew Literacy in a World of Merchants 125 The Golden Age of Literate Jews in the Muslim Caliphates 130 Summary 150 Annex 6.A: Formal Model of Education and Conversion of Merchants 150 Chapter 7 Educated Wandering Jews, 800-1250 153 Wandering Jews before Marco Polo 154 Jewish Migration within the Muslim Caliphates 163 Migration of Byzantine Jewry 172 Jewish Migration to and within Christian Europe 173 Migration of the Jewish Religious Center 195 Summary 200 Chapter 8 Segregation or Choice? From Merchants to Moneylenders, 1000-1500 201 The Economics of Money and Credit in Medieval Europe 202 Jewish Prominence in Moneylending: Hypotheses 209 The Dynamics of Jewish Moneylending in Medieval Europe 212 Jewish Moneylending in Medieval Italy: A Detailed Analysis 219 Attitudes toward Moneylending 232 Facts and Competing Hypotheses 237 From Merchants to Moneylenders: Comparative Advantage in Complex Intermediation 241 Annex 8.A: The Charter to the Jews of Vienna 244 Chapter 9 The Mongol Shock: Can Judaism Survive When Trade and Urban Economies Collapse? 248 The Mongol Conquest of the Muslim Middle East 249 Socioeconomic Conditions in the Middle East under the Mongols 252 Jewish Demography under Mongol and Mamluk Rule: An Experiment 254 Why Judaism Cannot Survive When Trade and Urban Economies Collapse 258 Summary 259 Chapter 10 1492 to Today: Open Questions 261 Portrait of World Jewry circa 1492 261 Jewish History, 70 CE-1492: Epilogue 264 Trajectory of the Jewish People over the Past 500 Years 266 Persistence of Jewish Occupational Structure 268 Appendix 274 Bibliography 287 Index 317

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Book SynopsisThe delightful and often funny poetry of Zen’s quintessential free spirit, Master Ryokan—in a fresh translation by a beloved American Zen figureRyokan Taigu (1758-1831) was a monk in the Soto lineage of Japanese Zen who spent a good part of his life as a hermit, writing poetry, playing with children, and creating simple and exquisitely beautiful calligraphies—sometimes using twigs as his instrument when he couldn''t afford a brush. He was never head of a monastery or temple and as an old man, he fell in love with a young Zen nun who also became his student. His affection for her colors the mature poems of his late period.This loving tribute to the great legendary nonconformist includes more than 140 of his poems, 13 examples of his art, and a selection of laugh-out-loud funny anecdotes about his highly idiosyncratic teaching behavior.

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Book SynopsisThis is the second, and extensively revised, edition of the first full-scale scholarly study of what is arguably the only fully-formed religion that England has ever given the world: that of modern pagan witchcraft, which has now spread from English shores across four continents. Ronald Hutton examines the nature of that religion and its development, and offers a history of attitudes to witchcraft, paganism and magic in British society since 1800. Its pages reveal village cunning folk, Victorian ritual magicians, classicists and archaeologists, leaders of woodcraft and scouting movements, Freemasons, and members of rural secret societies. We also find some of the leading figures of English literature, from the Romantic poets to W. B. Yeats, D. H. Lawrence and Robert Graves, as well as the main personalities who have represented pagan witchcraft to the public world since 1950. Thriller writers like Dennis Wheatley, and films and television programmes, get similar coverage, as does tabloid journalism. The material is by its very nature often sensational, and care is taken throughout to distinguish fact from fantasy, in a manner not hitherto applied to most of the stories involved. Consistently densely researched, Triumph of the Moon presents an authoritative insight into an aspect of modern cultural history which has attracted sensational publicity but has hitherto been little understood. This edition incorporates all of the new research carried out into the subject by the author, and by others who have often been inspired by this book, during the twenty years since it was first published.Trade ReviewHutton's book is a must-read not only for anyone interested in modern Paganism, or the occult, but it also embodies a deep insight into the development of British society and culture. * Pavel Horák, Czech Academy of Sciences, Religious Studies Review *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Macrocosm 1: Finding a Language 2: Finding a Goddess 3: Finding a God 4: Finding a Structure 5: Finding a High Magic 6: Finding a Low Magic 7: Finding a Folklore 8: Finding a Witchcraft 9: Matrix 10: God (and Goddess) Parents Microcosm 11: Gerald Gardner 12: Gerald's People 13: The Wider Context: Hostility 14: The Wider Context: Reinforcement 15: Old Craft, New Craft 16: The Man in Black 17: Royalty from the North 18: Uncle Sam and the Goddess 19: Coming of Age 20: Grandchildren of the Shadows Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA history of Christianity in Africa by African church historians.

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Book SynopsisFrom birds and trees to insects and the sun, this charming book instructs children about the wisdom in creation by referencing the various Islamic names for God and their manifestations. Enriched with colorful illustrations, these stories are designed to open young minds to ideas of faith in their Creator. Using examples from daily life that children can understand, this book is a valuable source for teaching about God as conceived in the Islamic tradition.

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Book SynopsisA stunning tale of spiritual journey, prayer, and detachment told by a Christian pilgrim.This classic work of spiritual literature is the firsthand account of a pilgrim''s journey as he endeavors to live out Saint Paul''s instruction to "pray without ceasing." The narrator, an unnamed nineteenth-century peasant, sets out on his pilgrimage with nothing but a Bible, rosary, and some dried bread. As he walks, he recites the Jesus prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me")--a prayer that is said to quiet anxiety and fill the heart with love for all creation. With this prayer constantly on his lips, the pilgrim undergoes a profound spiritual education. These pages offer practical advice for every spiritual practitioner, translated in a way that is relevant, fresh, and inspiring.

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Book SynopsisMark Russell & Shannon Wheeler’s faithful-yet-irreverent approach to the Bible made their book GOD IS DISAPPOINTED IN YOU a modern cult classic. Now, by popular demand, they turn their attention to the best parts left out of the canonical Bible, including the Midrash, the Apocrypha, Gnostic Gospels, and more! And if you thought the BIBLE had some weird stuff in it...

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Book SynopsisIf you''re not daring to believe God for the impossible, you may be sleeping through some of the best parts of your Christian Life. “This book is not a Snuggie. The words on these pages will not go down like Ambien. I’m not writing to calm or coddle you. With God’s help, I intend to incite a riot in your mind. Trip your breakers and turn out the lights in your favorite hiding places of insecurity and fear. Then flip the switch back on so that God’s truth can illuminate the divine destiny that may have been lying dormant inside you for years. In short, I’m out to activate your audacious faith. To inspire you to ask God for the impossible. And in the process, to reconnect you with your God-sized purpose and potential.”—Steven Furtick, from Sun Stand Still

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Book SynopsisDiscover the truth he wants you to know in this revised and updated edition of the landmark bestseller that reveals what every woman?single or married?needs to know about the important man in her life. More than 2 million copies sold in the series! ?Meaningful information for any woman wanting to understand men at a profound level.??Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, authors of Love TalkMen carry important feelings so deep inside they barely know they?re there, much less how to talk about them. Yet your man genuinely wants you to ?get? him?to understand his inner life, to know his fears and needs, to hear what he wishes he could tell you.Based on rigorous research with thousands of men, For Women Only delivers one eye-opening revelation after another, including:? Why your respect means more to him than your love.? How he feels deep inside about his role as provider.? What it means for a man to be so visually ?wired.?? Why sex for him is primarily emotional, not physical.? What he most wishes he could say to you.Now, in this expanded and updated edition, you?ll find insights from the latest brain research plus an all-new chapter that shows what?s really going on when he seems to ?check out.? (You?ll be surprised and pleased.)Millions worldwide have experienced dramatic change in their relationships because of the ?aha? moments and practical ideas in For Women Only. Discover how to love your man for who he really is.

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Book SynopsisIn The Unseen Realm, Dr. Michael S. Heiser unpacked 15 years of research while exploring what the Bible really says about the supernatural world.Now, Douglas Van Dorn helps you further explore The Unseen Realm with a fresh perspective and an easy-to-follow format. Van Dorn summarizes key concepts and themes and includes questions aimed at helping you gain a deeper understanding of the biblical author's supernatural worldview. Use your copy of The Unseen Realm: A Question & Answer Companion for personal study or for leading discussion with a small group.

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