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Book SynopsisFirst released in 1901, Thought-Forms was an in-depth exploration on the visual manifestations of thoughts and the notion that they exist as objects. Conceived by renowned theosophists Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater, the book consists of 58 illustrations based on Besant and Leadbeater’s clairvoyant observations on how music, emotions, experiences, and colors affect thought forms. Expanding beyond its original readership, the book would have great influence on twentieth-century art and go on to inspire many artists including Wassily Kandinsky, Hilma af Klint, Piet Mondrian, and Paul Klee. This updated edition features a new introduction by famed occult author, Mitch Horowitz.

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Book SynopsisIntrigue, double-dealing and conspiracy in the Eternal City. 'A fascinating narrative of the intermingling of secular and religious power' New Statesman 'A highly enjoyable and thrilling read... Hollingsworth has peeled back the veil of secrecy surrounding papal conclaves' History Today 'Full of lively detail and colour' Literary Review August 1559. As the long hot Italian summer draws to its close, so does the life of a rigidly orthodox and profoundly unpopular pope. The papacy of Paul IV has seen the establishing of the Roman Inquisition and the Index of Prohibited Books, an unbending refusal to open dialogue with Protestants, and the ghettoization of Rome's Jews. On 5 September 1559, as the great doors of the Vatican's Sala Regia are ceremonially locked, the future of the Catholic Church hangs in the balance. Mary Hollingsworth offers a compelling and sedulously crafted reconstruction of the longest and most taxing of sixteenth-century papal elections. Its crisscrossing fault lines divided not only moderates from conservatives, but also the adherents of three national 'factions' with mutually incompatible interests. France and Spain were both looking to extend their power in Italy and beyond and had very different ideas of who the new pope should be – as did the Italian cardinals. Drawing on the detailed account books left by Ippolito d'Este, one of the participating cardinals, Conclave 1559 provides remarkable insights into the daily lives and concerns of the forty-seven men locked up for some four months in the Vatican.Trade Review[A] rich, full history of the politicking and personalities of the conclave... A fascinating narrative of the intermingling of secular and religious power' -- Michael Prodger, New StatesmanMary Hollingsworth is an entertaining guide... Brings to life not only the political dimension, but the fascinating material detail' -- Catherine Fletcher, BBC History MagazineA highly enjoyable and thrilling read... Hollingsworth has peeled back the veil of secrecy surrounding papal conclaves' * History Today *Full of lively detail and colour... Readers of history who are both passionate and patient will enjoy it' * Literary Review *PRAISE FOR MARY HOLLINGSWORTH: 'Exceptionally sumptuous... This vivid history brings to life the vices and virtues of the feuding ruling families of Italy' The Times, on Princes of the Renaissance. 'A chance to visit a glittering, at times rather gory, world that is different and yet dreamily familiar to our own' BBC History Revealed, on Princes of the Renaissance. 'Dense politics relieved by dazzling art' Kirkus, on Princes of the Renaissance. 'This forensic study of the Renaissance banking dynasty conjures up a world of art, literature, philosophy – and brutality' Telegraph, on The Medici. 'Lavishly illustrated, clearly written and meticulously edited' * TLS, on The Medici *

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Book SynopsisA guidebook to making life meaningful by cultivating compassion, embracing adversity, and training the mind—from one of the foremost living Buddhist nuns.Freeing ourselves from our habitual emotional patterns starts with taming the mind. Why is this so important? Because a wild mind tends to hurt rather than heal. Taming the mind helps us uncover our true nature and connect with those around us from a grounded place of self-awareness. Through caring for others you can walk the Buddhist path of bodhisattvas, becoming a spiritual hero of compassion.   Based on the classic fourteenth-century mind training text of Tibetan Buddhism called the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, this guidebook shares pithy advice on how to act as bodhisattvas in our everyday lives, enabling us to possess compassion in an authentic way. Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, an exemplary spiritual teacher who spent over a dozen years meditating in the Himalayas and one of the first Buddhist nuns to be ordained in the West, shares her reflections on this famous teaching and how to live a life of mindfulness and selflessness. 

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Book SynopsisThe essays collected in Situating Spirituality: Context, Practice, and Power examine not only individual engagements with spirituality, but they show how seemingly personal facets of spirituality, as well as definitions of spirituality itself, are deeply shaped by religious, cultural, and political contexts.Trade ReviewSituating Spirituality successfully, and imaginatively, captures the full breadth of scholarship on spirituality, in all its manifest diversity, making it a critical contribution to this burgeoning, if messy, field. * Galen Watts, Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Journal of the American Academy of Religion *The volume will be important for scholars interested in the idea that everything can be spiritual. * R. T. Cragun, The University of Tampa, CHOICE *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Contributors Introduction Eminently Social Spirituality: Context, Practice, and Power Brian Steensland, Jaime Kucinskas, Anna Sun Part One: Context 1. Social Practices and Cultural Contexts: Framework for the Study of Spirituality Nancy Ammerman 2. The Gods of Modern Spirituality Linda Woodhead 3. Fearful Asymmetry: Rethinking the Boundaries between Religion and Spirituality Anna Sun 4. Trumping the Devil! Engendering the Spirituality of the Marketplace within Africa and the African Diaspora Afe Adogame 5. Methodological Innovations for the Study of Spirituality Bradley Wright 6. Shifts in Spiritual and Religious Self-Perceptions in the First Year of College Alyssa N. Rochenbach 7. Spirituality among African Americans: Inter-Racial and Intra-Racial Differences across Followers of Various Religious Traditions Jason Shelton Part Two: Practice 8. The Micro-interactive Order of Spirituality Michael Pagis 9. Ecstasies: Or, the Limitations of Vanilla Spirituality Studies Melissa Wilcox 10. Textures of Spirituality in Rural Malawi Ann Swidler 11. Gifts, Weapons, and Values: The Language of Spirituality in 21st Century Central America Robert Brenneman Part Three: Power 12. Everything is Connected: Relocating Spiritual Power from Nature to Society Stef Aupers 13. Yoga Spirituality in the Context of U.S. Institutions Candy Gunther Brown 14. Training Spiritual Caregivers: Spirituality in Chaplaincy Programs in Theological Education Wendy Cage, Beth Stroud, Patrick K. Palmer, George Fitchett, Trace Haythorne, Casey Clevenger 15. Spirituality and Islam: Sufism in Indonesia Rachel Rinaldo 16. The Transmission of Spirituality in Broader Landscapes of Power Jaime Kucinskas Conclusion 17. Three Questions About Spirituality: Its Meaning, Influence, and Future Brian Steensland Index

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Book Synopsis'Timely and important' THE TIMES 'Considered and nuanced ... A must-read' The Rt Hon. Sajid Javid MP 'Compelling and moving' Tom Holland, author of Dominion __________________ Islam is the fastest-growing faith community in Britain. Domes and minarets are redefining the skylines of towns and cities as mosques become an increasingly prominent feature. Yet while Britain has prided itself on being a global home of cosmopolitanism and modern civilisation, its deep-rooted relationship with Islam – unique in history – is complex, threatened by rising hostility and hatred, intolerance and ignorance. There is much media debate about embracing diversity in our communities, but what does integration look like on the ground, in places like Dewsbury, Glasgow, Belfast and London? How are Muslims, young and old, reconciling progressive values – of gender equality, individualism, the rule of law and free speech – with literalist interpretations of their faith? And how is this tension, away from the public gaze, unfolding inside mosques today? Ed Husain takes his search for answers into the heart of Britain’s Muslim communities. Travelling the length and breadth of the country, Husain joins men and women in their prayers, conversations, meals, plans, pains, joys, triumphs and adversities. He tells their stories here in an open and honest account that brings the daily reality of British Muslim life sharply into focus – a struggle of identity and belonging, caught between tradition and modernity, East and West, revelation and reason.Trade ReviewTimely and important ... A compelling account -- Jawad Iqbal * The Times *Fascinating … Mr Husain makes a compelling case * Economist *Considered and nuanced, with the voices of Muslim communities across the country at its very heart. Among the Mosques is a must-read for anyone wanting to learn more about modern Britain's admirable Muslim communities -- The Rt Hon. Sajid Javid MPBracingly honest, often challenging, yet ultimately optimistic, Ed Husain goes on a road trip around Muslim Britain that is also a road trip into the country’s future. A compelling and moving read -- Tom Holland, author of DOMINIONEd Husain is a well-informed and sure-footed guide -- David Goodhart, author of HEAD HAND HEART

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Book SynopsisWe live in a broken world. Amid the daily realities of sickness and isolation, disappointment and pain, it can be profoundly difficult to grasp the real goodness of God. But this is where God breaks into our darkness with beauty. In the wonder of creation, in art or film, story or song, in the kindness of his people and the good they create, God breaks into our pain in a tangible way, teaching us to trust his kindness and hope for his healing. Beauty is a voice singing into our suffering, beckoning us toward restoration. In This Beautiful Truth, Sarah Clarkson shares her own encounters with beauty in the midst of her decade-long struggle with mental illness, depression, and doubt. In a voice both vulnerable and reflective, she paints a compelling picture of the God who reaches out to us in a real and powerful way through the "taste and see" goodness of what he has made and what he continues to create amid our darkness. "To recognize and trust God's gift in pain," she writes, "empowers us to create and love as powerful witnesses to God's healing love in a hopeless world." If you want to renew your capacity to recognize and encounter God's beauty in your life, this hope-filled book will show you the way.

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Book SynopsisIn this accessible book, Ian J. Vaillancourt gives Christians a helpful introduction to the Pentateuch as the essential first act in the Bible's grand story of redemption.

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Book SynopsisFOURTEEN CENTURIES AGO, the final revelation descended upon Muhammad (PBUH). This message, Islam, spread rapidly across Arabia to nearby lands, and across the world. Today, over a billion people believe in and follow his message. But who was Muhammad (PBUH) and how can we develop certainty that he was the true messenger of God?In this book, Sh. Mohammad Elshinawy shares the multitude of proof surrounding Muhammad’s  prophethood. There are abundant comprehensive rational pathways that lead to this one certain conclusion: Muhammad (PBUH) was indeed the final messenger of God to this world.Table of ContentsCONTENTSForeword viiPreface ixQuenching a Parched World ixThe Proof Within Us xiThe Multiple Forms of Proof xiv1 Humanity’s Need for Prophethood 11. The Spiritual Necessity of Prophethood 12. The Moral Necessity of Prophethood 43. The Historical Necessity of Prophethood 64. The Biblical Necessity of Prophethood 8i. A Gentile Prophet Like Moses 8ii. John the Baptist and the Awaited Prophet 10iii. God’s Servant Where Kedar Lives 10iv. Jesus and the Comforter 12v. Zamzam and the Flourishing City 132 The Prophet’s Character 171. His Honesty and Integrity 202. His Simplicity and Humility 243. His Mercy and Compassion 284. His Clemency and Forgiveness 315. His Bravery and Valour 356. His Generosity 377. His Perseverance and Trust in God 39iv The Final Prophet3 The Prophet’s Accomplishments 471. A Love Larger than Life 512. History’s Greatest Success Story 563. Restoring the Unity of God 604. Revolutionizing Human Rights 625. Molding a Model Generation 674 The Prophet’s Message 751. Pure Monotheism 772. Faith in Destiny 803. The Ritual Prayer (Ṣalāh) 834. Devotional Fasting (Ṣiyām) 875. Prohibiting Extramarital Relations 896. Prohibiting Interest-Based Lending 917. Prohibiting Alcohol Consumption 938. Healthy Eating and Personal Hygiene 979. Science and Medicine 1025 The Prophet’s Prophecies 1071. The Byzantines will Rebound 1082. The Abode of Abū Lahab 1093. The Globalization of Islam 1094. Undeterred by Time or Distance 1115. Six in Sequence 1126. Counting the Conquests 1137. Security will Prevail 1158. The Last Emperors 1169. A Whisper in His Daughter’s Ear 11610. The Longest Arm 11711. The Martyrdom of ʿUmar and ʿUthmān 11812. Inevitable Infighting 11913. Tensions Among the Prophet’s Household 12014. The Fate of ʿAmmār 12115. ʿAlī Suppressing the Khārijites 12216. Repairing the Rift 12317. Cycling Back to Virtue is Promised 124Contents v18. Asmā’ Sends a Tyrant Home 12419. Umm Ḥarām’s Date with Destiny 12520. Preempting the Questioner 12621. An Unforgettable Sermon 12722. The Emergence of Selective Textualism 12723. A Horrific Wildfire 12724. Prosperity and Hedonism Before the End Times 12825. Competing in Materialism 12926. The Unavoidability of Interest (Ribā) 13027. An Increase in Brutality and Killing 13028. The Plunge into Immorality 13229. Muslims Becoming Easy Prey 13330. The Immortality of His Nation 13531. Never Thought You Would Speak 1366 The Prophet’s Physical Miracles 1391. The Possibility of Miracles 1412. The Demonstrability of Miracles 1453. Specific Miracles Performed by the Prophet 148i. Splitting the Moon 149ii. The Night Journey 152iii. The Weeping Tree 155iv. The Talking Stones 156v. Increasing the Water Supply 158vi. Increasing the Food Supply 159vii. Answered Prayers 1637 The Inimitable Qur’an 1691. A Literary Masterpiece 170i. Muhammad or Shakespeare? 1732. Knowledge of the Inaccessible Past 178i. Pharaoh’s Body Will Survive 179ii. The Heavens Did Not Grieve for Pharaoh 180iii. Joseph’s King Wasn’t a Pharaoh 180iv. Was Muhammad Spoon-Fed Biblical History? 1833. Preserved as Promised 184vi The Final Prophet4. An Extraordinary Potency 1875. Echoes of a Prophet 192A Parting Word on the Journey of Faith 199Bibliography 203English Sources 203Arabic Sources 209Index 215

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Book SynopsisYou can know a lot about Jesus and not know him at all.We’re not meant to simply know a lot of facts about Jesus. Truly knowing someone requires personal knowledge coming from being with someone over time and building trust. Knowing about someone is just the first step toward truly knowing them. It’s the same with God: we come to know Him personally when we spend time with Him, when we build trust in Him, when we share our life with Him.Join Megan Fate Marshman in this eight-week invitation to respond to and really get to know Jesus in a personal and intimate way. This study through the Gospel of John will focus on dissecting His seven “I Am” statements, where we come to learn what Jesus wants us to know most about His character and love for us.This study guide has everything you need for a full Bible study experience, including:The study guide itself—with discussion questions, group act

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Book SynopsisA compact New Testament allows you to read and share God’s Word wherever you go. This edition is published in KJV Comfort Print type, which was designed exclusively for Thomas Nelson to be the most readable at any size.Thomas Nelson’s KJV Pocket New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs is as easy to read as it is to carry! The unique compact size makes this Bible portable enough to fit in a pocket, purse, suitcase, backpack, or briefcase. A great gift idea and perfect traveling companion, this small New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs allows you to read and share God’s Word no matter where you go.Features include: The Presentation page is a special place to record a memory or note to your recipient Words of Christ in red help you quickly identify Jesus’ teachings and statements Subject heads in the text

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Book SynopsisAre natural rights ''nonsense on stilts'', as Jeremy Bentham memorably put it? Must the very notion of a right be individualistic, subverting the common good? Should the right against torture be absolute, even though the heavens fall? Are human rights universal or merely expressions of Western neo-imperial arrogance? Are rights ethically fundamental, proudly impervious to changing circumstances? Should judges strive to extend the reach of rights from civil Hamburg to anarchical Basra? Should judicial oligarchies, rather than legislatures, decide controversial ethical issues by inventing novel rights? Ought human rights advocates learn greater sympathy for the dilemmas facing those burdened with government?These are the questions that What''s Wrong with Rights? addresses. In doing so, it draws upon resources in intellectual history, legal philosophy, moral philosophy, moral theology, human rights literature, and the judgments of courts. It ranges from debates about property in medieval Christendom, through Confucian rights-scepticism, to contemporary discussions about the remedy for global hunger and the justification of killing. And it straddles assisted dying in Canada, the military occupation of Iraq, and genocide in Rwanda.What''s Wrong with Rights? concludes that much contemporary rights-talk obscures the importance of fostering civic virtue, corrodes military effectiveness, subverts the democratic legitimacy of law, proliferates publicly onerous rights, and undermines their authority and credibility. The solution to these problems lies in the abandonment of rights-fundamentalism and the recovery of a richer public discourse about ethics, one that includes talk about the duty and virtue of rights-holders.Trade Reviewa welcomed addition to the current discussion. Biggar's previous work on the ethics of war gives him a unique angle to approach cases of rights talk, focusing on specific instances such as torture and killing in war. He makes a strong case for making rights the conclusion of a process of moral consideration rather than a foundational starting point to which everything else must yield. * Todd A. Scacewater, Journal of Language, Culture, and Religion *This is a scholarly book worth reading and a critique worth constructively engaging with. * Ethna Regan, Studies in Christian Ethics *Courageous ... What's Wrong With Rights? is a rich and challenging book. Not everyone will agree with Biggar's views, but anyone writing about human rights who wishes to be taken seriously will need to engage with his arguments. * Jonathan Sumption, The Times *I...commend this book for its clarity of reasoning and its engagement with fundamental issues with which we should all be discussing. * John Duddington, Law and Justice *A brilliant, provocative and intelligent book. * Simon Heffer, The Daily Telegraph *A thought-provoking work of scholarship... [a] compelling challenge to sloppy rights-thinking. * Craig Purshouse, Times Literary Supplement *This encyclopaedic study provides a marvellous survey of the complex field of rights and raises important questions as to the growing use of rights language. * R. Dean Drayton, International Journal of Public Theology *...A powerfully reasoned intellectual history of the sceptical tradition from the 1780s to the present day. [Biggar is] a discriminating guide rather than an anti-rights ideologist, and his analysis of these traditions is intricate, exacting and fair. While clearly Christian in his perspective, he keeps claims from authority, especially divine authority, firmly in their place * Michael Ignatieff, Literary Review *It is a rigorously reasoned argument and ... Biggar succeeds brilliantly in deflating the inordinate claims made for rights today...Along with being a profound study in moral and political philosophy, this is also a devastating and highly topical attack on the belief that ethical dilemmas can be resolved by 'an oligarchy of judges' expanding existing rights and conjuring up new ones...Over the past two decades, Biggar has produced a body of work of the highest intellectual quality which has made him one of the leading living Western ethicists. * John Gray, New Statesman *Quietly, cautiously, and with careful scholarly integrity, Professor Biggar has derailed a gravy train. Should the UK withdraw from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights? Should it repeal or redraft the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010? The result would surely be petitions, denunciations, hostile crowds, the toppling of statues, the banning of speakers, self-righteous lawyers. But all this happens already; what is there to lose? Thanks to Biggar, we see how much there is to gain. It is time for philosophical arguments, won in the pages of this important book, to be translated into legislation. * Jonathan Clark, The Critic *This scholarly, but nonetheless most readable, book makes an important contribution to the debate about to be had when the UK Government takes forward its promised (some would say threatened) new Commission on the Constitution, Democracy and Human Rights. No stranger to controversy, Professor Biggar argues in effect that the assertion of human rights has got out of hand. He pulls no punches and takes no prisoners. This is a penetrating examination of the relationship between rights and responsibilities and reflects many of the concerns expressed in Jonathan Sumption's 2019 Reith Lectures. * Lord Simon Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood *What's Wrong With Rights? isone of the most remarkable scholarly achievements I know of:it deftly addresses a wide variety of theoretical and practical problems of great normative importance; it engages with a vast and complex legal, philosophical, and theological literature about the morality of rights; it articulates plausible assessments of the most important contributions to that literature; and perhaps most importantly, the topics it addresses are at the very heart of political discourse in contemporary liberal polities. I cannot recommend it more highly. * Christopher Eberle, Professor of Philosophy at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis *With the noble post-World War II human rights project increasingly imperiled by misunderstanding and manipulation, Nigel Biggar's new book is a major contribution to clear thinking about what we mean when we speak of rights. Whether or not they agree with his conclusions, friends of human rights everywhere should welcome this timely and informative analysis of what's wrong with rights and what needs to be done to put them right. * Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard University and author of Rights Talk (1991) *Despite its eye-catching title, this book is neither a rejection of rights as such nor of natural morality, but a keen-eyed critique of natural rights in particular. In a discussion both dazzlingly wide-ranging and compellingly concrete, Nigel Biggar shows how natural rights talk undermines appropriate acknowledgement of the contingent, circumstantial character of political and ethical judgments. We do well to recognize that rights are paradigmatically legal and enrich ethical discourse by attending to virtues and duties as much as to rights. What's Wrong with Rights is the most significant Christian ethical contribution to reflection on rights since Nicholas Wolterstorff's Justice: Rights and Wrongs. * Jennifer Herdt, Gilbert L. Stark Professor of Christian Ethicsat Yale Divinity School *What's Wrong With Rights? is magisterial, combining theology, intellectual history, and detailed attention to particular cases and examples. Biggar is not afraid of making controversial judgements and works towards them in a manner that is honest and transparent, always commanding respect. At a deeper level, his book invites the reader to engage in debates about rights, maybe to disagree, but to do so from within a richer moral tradition, which gives more opportunity for insight, nuance, and dissent. The possibility arises of not only better judgements, but better disagreements. Both robust and generous, this landmark book represents a leading theological ethicist writing at the height of his powers. * Christopher Insole, Professor of Philosophical Theology and Ethics at Durham University *Rights talk has dominated public discourse for the past seventy years. But our political disagreements are worse than ever. Nigel Biggar not only explains what happened, he also proposes a comprehensive way forward. We need to move beyond "rights fundamentalism", and retrieve a richer public discourse that emphasizes duty, virtue, and the concrete challenges facing a political community. Crossing the boundaries of theology, philosophy, history, and law, Biggar's incisive analysis shows why talking about "natural rights" isn't helpful: defining, defending, and balancing rights always requires well-functioning legal institutions. * Cathleen Kaveny, Darald and Juliet Libby Professor of Law and Theology at Boston College *What's Wrong with Rights?is a finely crafted review of the history of rights and an insightful assessment of contemporary discussions across a range of disciplines and contexts. Nigel Biggar raises important basic questions for theology, ethics, and law, and this book will reshape our ways of thinking about rights in all three fields. * Robin W. Lovin, Cary M. Maguire University Professor Emeritus of Ethics at Southern Methodist University, Dallas *This is a critique of one of most fashionable and incoherent notions of our time, the idea that there are enforceable rights, 'natural' or 'human', that exist independently of collective human choice. It is original, thought-provoking, and carefully reasoned. Such rights have many supporters, and always will have. But they should not be taken seriously unless they are willing to engage with the ideas in this impressive book. * Lord Jonathan Sumption, QC, former Justice of the Supreme Court of the UK *What's Wong With Rights? is a timely, wide-ranging, and historically informed book that subjects the prevailing human rights culture, in its various manifestations, to a strong dose of Burkean scepticism. Philosophers will be provoked by his thesis that rights are paradigmatically the creatures of law and form no part of natural morality. Lawyers will be challenged by the vigorous criticisms of what Biggar views as the illegitimate employment of rights vocabulary as a mean of enforcing the moral and political views of an "oligarchy of judges". This is an iconoclastic book that deserves to be reckoned with in the serious conversation about the nature and limits of rights that we desperately need. * John Tasioulas, Yeoh Professor of Politics, Philosophy, and Law at King's College London *This is a cleverly titled, crisply written, and largely clear-eyed engagement with the history, concept, and limits of rights and right talk in the Western tradition and beyond.Nigel Biggar brings a big analytical mind and deft pen to the task — and a pair of sharp elbows too. He engages a substantial library of human rights scholarship and case law with critical acuity and philosophical originality, concluding with a cautious and conditional endorsement of rights. * John Witte, Jr, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Law and McDonald Distinguished Professor, Emory University School of Law, and Director of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University *Biggar's method in discussing the intellectual history of rights is to distil the most notable expressions of the 200-year-old British tradition of scepticism about natural rights into a set of main objections. * Esther D. Reed, University of Exeter, Modern Believing *Biggar's method in discussing the intellectual history of rights is to distil the most notable expressions of the 200-year-old British tradition of scepticism about natural rights into a set of main objections. * Esther D. Reed, University of Exeter, Modern Believing *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1: Are there Natural Rights? 1: The Sceptical Tradition 2: Are there Natural Rights? 2: The Sceptical Critique and Rights before 1776 3: Are there Natural Rights? 3: The Sceptical Critique and Rights after 1776 4: Are there Natural Rights? 4: The Sceptical Critique and the modern Roman Catholic Tradition 5: Are there Natural Rights? 5: The Sceptical Critique and Contemporary Theories 6: What's Wrong with Subjective Rights? 7: Are there Absolute Rights? 8: Are Human Rights Universal? 9: What's Wrong with Rights in Ethics? 10: What's Wrong with (some) Judges? 1: Al-Skeini, Al-Jedda, Smith, and the Fog of War 11: What's Wrong with (some) Judges? 2: Carter and the Invention of a Right to 'Physician-assisted Dying' 12: What's Wrong with (some) Human Rights Lawyers? Conclusion Bibliography

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Book SynopsisEach moment that you''re given is a precious gift from God. You can choose to have a thankful attitude and live each moment full of joy, simply because God is good. In The Power of Thank You, renowned Bible teacher and #1 New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer encourages us to take a look at ourselves and the importance of being thankful.Living life with a heart of gratitude for who God is and what He has done lifts your burdens and allows you to see everything in a different light. Regularly giving thanks to God not only helps you fully realize how He''s working in your life, it gives you a new perspective-your mind is renewed, your attitude is improved, and you''re filled with joy.Things will certainly happen to you that don''t seem fair, and it''s much easier to make excuses and feel sorry for yourself. Keep saying, I trust You, God, and I believe You will work it all out for my good. If you find The Power of Thank You in every situation, truly believing thTrade Review'Meyer uses heartfelt, personal examples and biblical stories to encourage choices that will result in a life lived to its fullest.' * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisFrom the prize winning and bestselling author of Lullaby and Adele: a fascinating and witty collection ofessays on the lives of women grappling with sexual politics in a deeply conservative culture.Trade Review'Slimani trusts in her outrage, in the force of her own voice, and the voices of the women she listens to.' - Guardian'This book of impassioned pleas, and of human impulses that resonate, is one step to more women breaking free.' - Evening Standard

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Book SynopsisThe renowned translator Bhikkhu Bodhi has crafted this anthology of suttas from the Samyutta Nikaya to enable students of Early Buddhism to penetrate into the heart of the Buddha’s teachings on the four noble truths and the eightfold path as directly and clearly as possible. The aim is to attain direct insight into foundational Buddhist teachings on liberation.Brilliantly translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi, this anthology of suttas from the Samyutta Nikaya takes us straight to the heart of the Buddha’s teaching on liberation through the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path—the two mainstays of Buddhist doctrine that illuminate the nature of things by generating direct insight into the teachings. These suttas all pertain to the ultimate good, the attainment of nibbana, or liberation. They illuminate the Buddha’s radical diagnosis of the human condition—and more broadly, the condition of all sentient existence—in light of the four noble truths. They underscore the pervasive flaws inherent in the round of rebirths, trace our existential predicament to its deepest roots, and lay out the path to unraveling our bondage and winning irreversible release. Ven. Bodhi arranged the chapters, each with its own introduction, to provide an overview of the Dhamma that mirrors the four noble truths, thus enabling students of Early Buddhism to see into the heart of the Buddha’s teachings as directly and clearly as possible. 

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Book SynopsisFrom 1563 to 1736 Scotland put thousands of women to death for witchcraft. Their supposed crimes have much to tell us about attitudes to women in the past, and in the present day. This book introduces sixteen women who lost their lives or lived in the long shadow of the persecutions.'Witches' who, like MARGARET AITKEN, confessed, implicated others, even aided the hunters before they were burned.Nonconforming women like MARY MACLEOD, who saw their reputations tarnished when they did not bend to society's expectations.Creatures of the imagination, like Robert Burns's NANNY, who embody deep-seated associations between womanhood and the occult.Weaving fiction with the facts where these are known, We Are All Witches invites the reader to explore the forces at work in one of the darkest episodes of Scotland's history and consider their echoes in the present day.Trade ReviewSpringing directly from the pioneering Witches of Scotland campaign, Kidd has imagined lively and convincing voices from the past to commemorate the lost lives of Scotland's witches, reminiscent of Jenni Fagan's Hex. * Sara Sheridan, author of The Fair Botanists *We Are All Witches is a compelling, moving book that invites the reader to consider not only the background to the Scottish witch trials and the mythology surrounding witches, but also the lives of those affected. * Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women *

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Book Synopsis"This book almost didn't exist. I was about to write a serious, heavy book entitled How To Save Western Civilization, as a sequel to my book How To Destroy Western Civilization and Other Ideas from the Cultural Abyss. But writing it was not making me happy, and reading it was not going to make anybody else happy either. And then I stopped just long enough for my guardian angel to squeeze through that tiny window of opportunity that I had opened up by my silence and to whisper this commonsense question into my subconscious: "Why not make them happy instead?" (Angels specialize in common sense.) I started thinking: Western civilization is neither healthy, happy, nor holy. Humor is all three. Humor is not only holy, it's Heavenly. And if you are surprised to be told that humor is Heavenly, you need to read this book because you reveal your misunderstanding of both humor and Heaven. If you ask, 'Is there laughter in Heaven?' my answer is: 'You can't be serious!'" Trade Review... Probably the shortest, funniest philosophy book you’ll ever read — Sarah Schutte, National Review

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Book SynopsisIn this clear, compelling call to reformation, Michael Reeves helps believers reject pharisaism and embrace gospel integrity through biblical revelation, redemption, and regeneration.

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Book SynopsisWith the captivating story of a little girl whose parents mistakenly leave her at church, this TGC Kids picture book illustrates Jesus's command to love one another, showing children ages 37 that God has provided the church to be their loving community.

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Book SynopsisA 50th anniversary revised edition of the beloved classic, God is Red. First published in 1972, Vine Deloria Jr.'s God Is Red 50th Anniversary Edition remains the seminal work on Native religious views, asking new questions about our species and our ultimate fate. Celebrating three decades in publication with a special 30th-anniversary edition, this classic work reminds us to learn "that we are a part of nature, not a transcendent species with no responsibilities to the natural world." It is time again to listen to Vine Deloria Jr.'s powerful voice, telling us about religious life that is independent of Christianity and that reveres the interconnectedness of all living things.

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Islamic Psychology: The Basics is a jargon-free and accessible introduction that explores psychology from an Islamic perspective, and provides a foundation level overview of the fundamental principles and practices of Islamic psychology. The book introduces concepts, models, approaches, themes, and theories you need to know to study the mind, soul, and behaviour based on Islamic scripture.Offering an overview of Islamic psychology and what Islamic psychologists do, chapters address key topics including the history of the evolution of the science of the soul, and the psychology of human behaviour and experiences. Rassool examines the concepts of the Fitrah, the Nafs (Self), the Aql (Intellect), the Ru? (Soul) the Qalb (Heart), and the concept of Islamic healing and spiritual interventions. Other themes include the Qur'an and psychology, models and approaches in Islamic psychology, interpreting Islamic psychology for modern times, and the contemporary scope of the prac

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Book SynopsisFlowers are found in magic traditions around the world, from ancient Egypt, China, and India to the Norse and Native Americans. Yet many of today’s well-established flower traditions--like bridal bouquets--originated in the Druidic magical lore of Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. As fifth-generation Druid Jon G. Hughes explains, flowers hold a preeminent position in Druidic folk magic with their own special branch of magical workings. In this practical guide, Hughes details how to use flowers in magical practice, focusing on flowering plants with a long history of magical use going back to Druidic times yet many of which are commonly found throughout the world such as buttercup, blackberry, and dog rose. He discusses what type of flower and form of flower magic is best for specific enchantments and rituals in the areas of love and sex magic, healing and focusing, and protection. He looks at the magical use of fresh flowers and provides detailed instruction on every stage of the harvesting, crafting, and practical use of flower magic potions, including a comprehensive herbarium of all the flowers that may be used. Examining the complex relationship between flowers and bees, the author looks at the physical and spiritual gifts of bees, such as honey, propolis, and bee’s wax, and the importance of bee culture in Druidic flower magic, including the tradition of the honeymoon, the significance of the hexagram, and medieval beekeeper lore. Inviting you into the gentle yet powerful realm of Druidic flower magic, the author also details how to plan, plant, and take care of your own magical flower garden with all the botanicals you will need to pursue the path of flower magic.Trade Review“A valuable handbook that details a pre-Celtic tradition of flower lore and essential magic. Jon G. Hughes also comprehensively lists 149 flowering plants and their attributes and their uses in magical practice as well as the spiritual nature of bees and how to create a physic garden.” * NIGEL PENNICK, author of Elemental Magic *“Flower Magic of the Druids is a lovely book that offers instruction on how to infuse and extract herbal preparations in harmony with the seasons to energetically capture the subtle essences of individual flowers and other plant portions to enhance love, protection, and good fortune. Flower Magic of the Druids is a reminder that the power of nature with intention can be a tool for transformation.” * Brigitte Mars, author of The Sexual Herbal *Of special interest to students of flower based magic in general, Druid magic in particular, Flower Magic of the Druids: How to Craft Potions, Spells, and Enchantments by Jon G. Hughes is enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of a section of full color photographs and is deftly organized into three major sections: The Ancient Art of Flower Magic; Flower Magic Workbook; The Druid's Garden. Exceptionally well written and presented, Flower Magic of the Druids is an especially recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college library Metaphysical Studies collections. It should be noted for students, academia, and Druid practitioners that Flower Magic of the Druids is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99). * Midwest Book Review *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION The Wonders That Surround UsPART 1 The Ancient Art of Flower MagicONE Origins of Druidic Flower Magic TWOOther Flower Traditions and Practices THREE Basic Precepts of Druidic Flower Magic PART 2Flower Magic Workbook FOUR Identification, Selection, and HarvestingFIVE Methods for Extracting the Three Cardinal Essences SIX Crafting and Casting Potions SEVEN Stocking the Flower Magic PantryPART 3 The Druid’s Garden EIGHT Bees, Flowers, and Druids: A Symbiotic Relationship NINE Building a Physic Garden TEN Directory: The Attributes of Flowering Plants CONCLUSION An Unbroken Lineage of Practical MagicIndex

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Book SynopsisTwo-thirds of men and a third of women who attend church regularly say they struggle with pornography. Yet only 7% of churches offer specific resources and support to their congregations. Pastors and church leaders are well aware of the issue of pornography—thanks to decades of studies and Christian blog and magazine articles—however the local church is caught in a painful trap. When Christians are too ashamed to admit their struggle, church leaders aren’t able to directly support those who are actively struggling; when church attendees do find the courage to seek help, they often receive ineffective support from pastors and ministry leaders due to lack of proactive planning.As a former journalist and current Director of Recovery Education for Covenant Eyes, Sam Black understands the stronghold pornography can have on an individual’s life. His writing in The Healing Church actively addresses these issues and provides clear guidance for ministry leaders as they support those who seek to live in freedom.In The Healing Church, ministry leaders will discover how to create safe spaces and apply processes that restore those trapped in compulsive behaviors with pornography. Sam Black outlines the most successful examples from churches currently providing meaningful aid and includes stories of Christians who found healing from porn strongholds, as evidence of the type of healing that pastors and church leaders can provide. In researching this book, Sam Black conducted more than 70 interviews not only with pastors, counselors, and ministry leaders, but also with everyday people who recovered from a secret life of sin and are helping others who feel trapped by porn and unwanted sexual behaviors. The Healing Church affirms how those who experience true brokenness and surrender to discipleship and life change become strong servants to the Body of Christ and healthier as people overall. When the selfish become selfless, when the idolators learn to worship Christ, when the prideful become meek, they become more fulfilled as servants and filled with purpose.Today, the local church has choices. It can largely ignore the problems of pornography because they are too unseemly. It can chastise, rebuke, and cast out, which sends more people into hiding. Or it can lead people through a grace-filled process to the foot of the Cross, where strongholds are crushed and where stronger servants arise.

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Book SynopsisReceived wisdom has it that Buddhism disappeared from India, the land of its birth, between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, long forgotten until British colonial scholars re-discovered it in the early 1800s. Its full-fledged revival, so the story goes, only occurred in 1956, when the Indian civil rights pioneer Dr. B.R. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with half a million of his Dalit (formerly "untouchable") followers. This, however, is only part of the story. Dust on the Throne reframes discussions about the place of Buddhism in the subcontinent from the early nineteenth century onwards, uncovering the integral, yet unacknowledged, role that Indians played in the making of modern global Buddhism in the century prior to Ambedkar's conversion, and the numerous ways that Buddhism gave powerful shape to modern Indian history. Through an extensive examination of disparate materials held at archives and temples across South Asia, Douglas Ober explores Buddhist religious dynamics in an age of expanding colonial empires, intra-Asian connectivity, and the histories of Buddhism produced by nineteenth and twentieth century Indian thinkers. While Buddhism in contemporary India is often disparaged as being little more than tattered manuscripts and crumbling ruins, this book opens new avenues for understanding its substantial socio-political impact and intellectual legacy.Trade Review"This is the first comprehensive study in any language of the revival of interest in Buddhism in nineteenth and twentieth-century India. It transforms the way we view modern Indian religious and political life. Through careful archival investigation, Douglas Ober uncovers numerous sources and topics that have been ignored or dealt with in piecemeal fashion. He uses this array of materials to create a compelling argument for the vital of importance of Buddhism in modern Indian religious life, politics, intellectual history, and culture. By highlighting the contributions of Indian scholars, advocates, and practitioners to the revival of Buddhism in twentieth-century India, Ober gives us a much more accurate picture of modern global Buddhism. This is a major, foundational contribution to religious and Buddhist history."—Richard Jaffe, author of Seeking Sakyamuni: South Asia in the Formation of Modern Japanese Buddhism"This is a book I've been waiting for—a powerful account of the contestations and challenges that marked the return of Buddhism to the public sphere. It forces us to think of the role of human agency in shaping the present and future in India—perhaps even in the world."—Uma Chakravarti, author of The Social Dimensions of Early Buddhism"It is a fantastic read, almost like a detective novel in parts, and you turn the page wondering how Buddhism was discovered, how it fared in various contexts. Douglas Ober's mastery of sources, his adept linking of various geographies, ideas, and events are so effortlessly done that they belie the immense labor and reading and writing that have no doubt gone into the making of this book."—V Geetha, author of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar and the Question of Socialism in India "This splendid book overturns the standard but faulty story of Buddhism's supposed disappearance from India by the thirteenth century. It completely recasts our understanding of modern Buddhism and its role in nineteenth and twentieth-century India. A marvelous combination of history, philosophy, and story-telling, Dust on the Throne is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand Buddhism in our world today."—Evan Thompson, author ofWaking, Dreaming, Being andWhy I Am Not a Buddhist"An engrossing and lively account of how modern India 'rediscovered' and re-engaged with Buddhism in the last two centuries, featuring a cast of compelling historical characters.Going far beyond standard assumptions and understandings about the decline and revival of Buddhism in India,Dust on the Throne is a must-read for all who are interested in south Asian history, both recent and ancient."—Tony Joseph, author of Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From"Dust on the Throne offers a new perspective on the history of Buddhism in India during the colonial period and early years of Independence. Marshalling an array of evidence that foregrounds the role of individuals and institutions (some known, some forgotten) in the context of subcontinental and global networks, it dispels many long-cherished notions about Buddhism's decline and revival in its homeland, offering a convincing alternative narrative."—Upinder Singh, author of History of Ancient and Early Medieval India"Douglas Ober's Dust on the Throne weaves a fascinating history of individuals, institutions, and events that animated modern Buddhism. The book provides rare insights into a range offorgotten Indianswhose contributions were as impressive as those of better-known colonials.Its exploration of the footprint of Buddhist discourses among the masses is equally captivating. This will remain a definitive study on the many streams that constituted the quest for Buddhism inModern India."—Nayanjot Lahiri, author of Ashoka in Ancient India"[Dust on the Throne] is vast and dense, shining light on many of the Indian historians, scholars, translators, ethnographers, and laborers whose engagement with ancient and modern Buddhism galvanized 19th- and 20th-century public discourse. Rather than fragmented, however, the confluence of geographies, perspectives, and demographics demonstrate how dynamic and complex local expertise and agency in the resurgence of Buddhism within India have been."—Liesl Schwabe, Los Angeles Review of Books"Ober's exhaustive survey assembles Buddhism's disparate histories from different regions of modern India and contextualizes the formation of its multiple stands. He effectively dismantles the idea of European discovery of Buddhism and challenges the overemphasis on the contribution of Dharmapala and Ambedkar's scholarship."—Abishek Singh Amar, Tricycle"Dust on the Throne: The Search for Buddhism in Modern India, an erudite study by the historian Douglas Ober, is an exception to the brahmin-centric trend, and an outstanding intervention for many reasons. Right from its thoughtful title – which captures the deep history and 'revival' of the region's Buddhist past – the book tells us a different story than the brahmin-centric narratives of so much other scholarship. Ober shows how the widespread notion that Buddhism in the Subcontinent had died by the thirteenth century or earlier, and showed no trace of life into the modern period, is at most a 'useful fiction', if not a foolish conclusion outright."—Gajendran Ayyathurai, Himal SouthasianTable of Contents0. Introduction 1. The Agony of Memory 2. Dispelling Darkness 3. Banyan Tree Buddhism 4. Brahmanizing Buddhism 5. The Snake and the Mongoose 6. When the Buddha met Marx 7. The Buddha Nation Conclusion: Conclusion

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Book SynopsisA Catholic Classic -- UPDATED AND EXPANDED!For 2,000 years, Catholicism—the largest religion in the world and in the United States—has shaped global history on a scale unequaled by any other institution. Triumph offers an accessible, affirmative, and exciting entry into that history. Inside, you'll discover the spectacular story of the Church from Biblical times and the early days of St. Peter—the first pope—to Pope John Paul the Great (already a saint), Pope Benedict XVI (a master theologian), and the controversies surrounding Pope Francis. It is a sweeping drama of Roman legions, great crusades, epic battles, toppled empires, heroic saints, and enduring faith, as well as Dark Age skullduggery, the Inquisition, the Renaissance popes, and the Protestant Revolt. A classic for twenty years -- now updated and expanded -- Triumph is a brawling, colorful history full of inspiring pageantry and spirited polemic that will exhilarate, amuse, and infuriate as it extols the power and the glory the Catholic Church and the gripping stories of some of its greatest men and women.

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Book SynopsisThere is magick in things that grow, and this guide is the perfect companion to cultivate your own green witchcraft practice and harness the magical power of plants. Within these pages, you'll discover spells for cleansing, protection, healing, and banishment, while also deepening your relationship with the natural world. You'll learn the language of lavender, chamomile, and cedar, uncover old secrets, and reconnect with that which is wild and beautiful.Whether drawing in a new relationship by sweetly whispering your romantic desires to your basil plant each day, writing a wish on a bay leaf, or working to lift your spirits by harvesting calendula under a bright, midday sky, the abundant wisdom of herbs guides our growth and unearths deep understanding of the inherent magick in all of nature.From understanding intention and magickal preparation, to a practical collection of spells and accompanying herbal compendium, The Green Witch's Guide to Herbal Magick empowers you to live the magickal life you've always wanted.

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Book SynopsisThe Dhammapada is the most widely read Buddhist scripture in existence, enjoyed by both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. This classic text of teaching verses from the earliest period of Buddhism in India conveys the philosophical and practical foundations of the Buddhist tradition. The text presents two distinct goals for leading a spiritual life: the first is attaining happiness in this life (or in future lives); the second goal is the achievement of spiritual liberation, freedom, absolute peace. Many of the key themes of the verses are presented in dichotomies or pairs, for example, grief and suffering versus joy; developing the mind instead of being negligent about one''s mental attitude and conduct; virtuous action versus misconduct; and being truthful versus being deceitful. The purpose of these contrasts is, very simply, to describe the difference between what leads to desirable outcomes and what does not. For centuries, this text has been studied in its original Pali, the canonical language of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. This fresh new translation from Insight Mediation teacher and Pail translator Gil Fronsdal is both highly readable and scholarly authoritative. With extensive explanatory notes, this edition combines a rigorous attention to detail in bringing forth the original text with the translator''s personal knowledge of the Buddhist path. It is the first truly accurate and highly readable translation of this text to be published in English.

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Book SynopsisAn investigation of The Eye of Revelation, a system of inner alchemy meant to awaken the subtle powers of the human body and mind. This book examines in detail a short book, often referred to as The Five Tibetans that was published in 1939 teaching a simple yet effective set of five exercises for health and longevity, the Five Rites. Certain dietary rules and lifestyle principles accompanied the Rites, so did a Sixth Rite that worked the diaphragm muscles and redirected sexual energies, and also a set of teachings about seven energy centers or vortices in the body, though not the same as the well-known seven chakras along the spine. These vortices are among the most distinctive things about the system, and are found in only a scattered handful of sources elsewhere. It is by awakening the vortices to their normal rate of spin, the book claims, that the Rites achieve their effects. John Michael Greer follows each of these threads back as far as possible, to reveal something of the landscape of ideas and practices that gave rise to these remarkable exercises. He then spins the threads back together, putting the Five Rites in as much of their original context as he can, and describing in detail the practice of the broader system in which the Rites have their place—a system of inner alchemy meant to awaken certain subtle powers of the human body and mind. The book also includes the complete original text of The Eye of Revelation.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION 1. The Teacher 2. The Exercises 3. The Currents 4. The Waters 5. The Vortices 6. The Glands 7. The Chakras 8. The Inner Sun 9. The Third Eye 10. The Secret Preliminaries Stage One Stage Two Stage Three The Eye of Revelation by Peter Kelder (1939) Foreword Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Appendix 1: The Simplified Method Stage One Stage Two Stage Three Additional Practices Appendix 2: The Carey Protocol Bibliography Peter Kelder’s Text Other Source Material Online Archives INDEX

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Book SynopsisJohn Geometres’s Life of the Virgin Mary, a work of outstanding theological sophistication animated by deeply felt devotion to the Mother of God, remains largely unknown today. This new edition of the Byzantine Greek text and the first complete translation in a modern language presents a masterpiece of early Marian writing to new audiences.

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