Religious aspects of sexuality, gender and relationships Books

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Book SynopsisThis Spot of Ground: Spiritual Baptists in Toronto represents the first detailed exploration of an African-Caribbean religion in the context of contemporary migration to Canada. Toronto is home to Canadas largest black population, a significant portion of which comprises Caribbean migrants and their descendants. This book shows how the development of the Spiritual Baptist religion in Canada has been shaped by the immigration experiences of church members, the large majority of whom are women, and it examines the ways in which religious experiences have mediated the members' experiences of migration and everyday life in Canada. This Spot of Ground is based on a critical ethnography, with in-depth interviews and participant observations of church services and other ritual activities, including baptism and pilgrimage and field research in Trinidad that explores the transnational linkages with Spiritual Baptists there. The book addresses theoretical and methodological issues also, including the development of perspectives suitable for examining diasporic African religious and cultural expressions characterized by transnational migration, an emphasis on oral tradition as the repository of cultural history, and linguistic and cultural hybridity. This Spot of Ground contributes new information to the study of Caribbean religion and culture in the diaspora, providing a detailed examination of the significance of religion in the immigration process and identity and community formations of Caribbean people in Canada.Trade Review``This Spot of Ground is a groundbreaking study.... [In it] Duncan has employed a range of methodological approaches in order to provide a compelling religio-cultural account of the Spiritual Baptists in Toronto. Of particular import is the presence of the narrative voice of the research subjects at the heart of the book.... [It] deserves to become an essential resource, in the first instance, for all religious scholars who profess some interest in Diasporan African religions, particularly those that are Caribbean in origin.'' -- Anthony G. Reddie, Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education,Birmingham, UK -- Black Theology: An International Journal, Vol. 7, #3, 2009, 200910``Carol Duncan's...stated goal was to produce a "speakerly" book (15), and she does an outstanding job of capturing the subtleties of West Indian speech patterns.... Duncan explores ways in which church members experience racism in their daily lives and provides an insightful overview of multiculturalism in Canada. Judiciously selected quotations give a feel for Spiritual Baptist perceptions of race and racism in Canada (which seems to take milder forms than in the United States). Duncan's book is exceptionally well-organized and as-as befits its title-covers a great deal of ground.... This Spot of Ground contributes new and useful information on the study of Caribbean religions and cultures, provides a much needed, detailed examination of the significance of migrant religions, and deftly charts the formation of identity and community among Caribbean people abroad. Highly recommended.'' -- Stephen D. Glazier, University of Nebraska, Lincoln -- Nova Religio``This excellent, thorough, and very accessible study of Toronto's Spiritual Baptists examines the religious and secular lives of Caribbean primarily female immigrants to Toronto, who came to Canada mostly as domestic workers after 1975.... This Spot of Ground adds immeasurably to the feminist study of religion, an area that has been in the past often ignored.... This fascinating and sensitive book provides the missing material to illuminate how these women not only survived, but managed to surmount immigration experiences that were hard, discriminatory, and potentially soul destroying.'' -- Johanna Stuckey, Professor Emerita of Women's Studies, Religious Studies, andHumanities at York University -- Canadian Woman Studies``The book's critical ethnography includes participant-observation of regular activities of two Toronto churches, including worship, social events, and pilgrimages, as well as in-depth interviews with leaders and lay members in Toronto and leaders in Trinidad. This approach highlights continuities and differences between the religion as practised in Canada and in the Caribbean. Duncan also incorporates her own experiences: of immigrating as a child, first to Britain and then to Canada; of growing up in Caribbean-Canadian communities in Toronto; and of correspondence with relatives, such as her grandmother, who continued to live in the Caribbean. These varied methods allow the author to convey Spiritual Baptists' life-worlds in detailed and textured ways.... In exploring different meanings and articulations of mothering within Spiritual Baptist communities, Duncan also demonstrates strong links between federal domestic worker schemes and stereotypes with which her participants continue to struggle.... Duncan argues that Spiritual Baptist women continue a historical tradition of valuing multiple types of mothering practices. This reclaiming of maternal identities broadly devalued within broader Canadian culture extends to rehabilitating the raced and gendered Mammy stereotype of Aunt Jemima. Duncan's thoughtful exploration of her own resistance to recognizing the importance of the figure within the spiritual lives of some of her participants is poignant and provocative. Aunty Jemima's seemingly unlikely presence demonstrates powerfully that the Spiritual Baptist faith is inherently dynamic, grounded in the life experiences of its members, who readily adapt it to meet their needs.'' -- Laurel Zwissler -- University of Toronto Quarterly, Volume 79, Number 1, Winter 2010Table of Contents This Spot of Ground: Spiritual Baptists in Toronto by Carol B. Duncan Preface Acknowledgments INTRODUCTION The Research Setting The Study as a ""Talking Book"" Travessao Book Overview 1. ""A PASSPORT TO HEAVEN'S GATE"" Introduction ""Heaven's Gate"": Canada in the North American and Caribbean Black Imaginary Church-Ship: Spiritual Voyaging Spiritual Baptists in Multicultural Canada: Considering Religious and National Identities in Migration Countercultures of Modernity and the Problem of Multiculturalism A Historical Overview of Multiculturalism in Canada Multiculturalism in the Spiritual Baptist Church Spiritual Baptist Perceptions and Experiences of Multiculturalism in Canada Conclusion 2. ""THIS SPOT OF GROUND"": THE EMERGENCE OF SPIRITUAL BAPTISTS IN TORONTO Introduction Origins of the Spiritual Baptist Church in the Caribbean ""This Spot of Ground"": The Spiritual Baptist Church as ""Homeplace"" in Toronto The Founding of the First Spiritual Baptist Church in Toronto (1975-1980) Toronto Spiritual Baptist Church Organization Conclusion 3. ""SO SPIRITUALLY, SO CARNALLY"": SPIRITUAL BAPTIST RITUAL, THEOLOGY, AND THE EVERYDAY WORLD IN TORONTO Introduction ""So Carnally, So Spiritually"" Ritual as Performance and Social Commentary Joining the Spiritual Baptist Church in Toronto Coming to Canada Work Experiences ""It Hurt Me Feelings"": Naming Racism ""I Say You Can Call Me 'Damn Bitch'...Just Don't Call Me 'Madam'!"": Challenging Sexist Racism The Church as Community: Support Networks in the Spiritual Baptist Church Conclusion 4. ""AFRICALAND"": ""AFRICA"" in TORONTO SPIRITUAL BAPTIST EXPERIENCE Introduction Africaland Sacred Space and Place in the Spiritual Baptist Church Sacred Time in the Spiritual Baptist Church Travelling to Africaland Africa as Eden Africaland and the African Diaspora Conclusion 5. ""DEY GIVE ME A HOUSE TO GATHER IN DI CHIL'REN"": MOTHERS AND DAUGHTER IN THE SPIRITUAL BAPTIST CHURCH Introduction An Overview of Domestic Service in Canada The Mothers of the Church Family in the Spirit: Extended Family in the Spiritual Baptist Church ""If You Don't Come to Me, I'm Coming to You"": Ancestral Mother ""Dey Give Me a House to Gather in di Chil'ren"": Spiritual Mother/Carnal Mother ""God Has Work for You to Do"": Nation Mother ""It Makes You Feel Like Home"": Spiritual Daughter Conclusion 6. AUNT(Y) JEMIMA IN TORONTO SPIRITUAL BAPTIST EXPERIENCES: SPIRITUAL MOTHER OR SERVILE WOMAN? Introduction ""Seeing"" Aunt Jemima (Re)Turning the Gaze on Aunt(y) Jemima Re-reading Aunt(y) Jemima and the Creole Woman Tie-head Woman Head-ties and the Social Construction of Identity Conclusion CONCLUSION ""To Pick It Up and Take It Forward"" Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSheri Rose Shepherd''s fascinating personal journey is a remarkable testimony to God''s power. She grew up in a divorce-plagued Hollywood home; by her teens Sheri Rose suffered from depression and addiction to food and drugs. Then God intervened -- and today Sheri Rose is a joyful Christian wife and mother, a former Mrs. United States, and a popular author, conference speaker, and media personality. In this contemporary repackage of the bestselling Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal, Sheri Rose shares her path from misery to victory with the side-splitting humor and active faith that helped sustain her. With passion and poise, she relates how God pursues every person with relentless and life-changing love. An inspirational read!

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Book SynopsisDiscover the Diversity of Homeschooling Confused and intimidated by the complexities of homeschooling, many parents assume it could never work for them. Now an updated edition of So You''re Thinking About Home Schooling by Lisa Whelchel—herself a homeschooling mother of three—introduces to readers fifteen composite portraits of homeschooling families who show how every family can successfully face the unique challenges of its situation. The story-based approach deals with common questions of time management, teaching weaknesses, and outside responsibilities, as well as children''s age variations, social and sports involvement, learning disabilities, and boredom. Seeing a wide variety of homeschooling families in action gives parents the information and confidence they need to make their own decisions about home-based education. Includes a new chapter from Lisa and an all-new resource guide with recommendations from real-life homeschooling families! "I''m Thinking About Homeschooling" You''re also probably thinking, But can I really teach my children? Where do I start? What if I need to work outside the home? Must I have twelve children, raise goats, and bake my own bread? And what about socialization? I could tell you the answers to these questions, but I would rather show you. Beginning with my own, I want to introduce you to fifteen families in fifteen unique situations who have all chosen to homeschool for different reasons, using a variety of learning methods. So… let''s rap lightly on the homeschool door and peek inside before we decide if we are ready to move in! Story Behind the Book"My hope is that by the end of the book, and a stroll through the neighborhood, you will feel more confident as you identify a family situation and teaching method that resonates with your personality and philosophy of education. From there, you can simply look to the end of each chapter to find a sample schedule for the homsechool day and list of curriculum suggestions for that particular teaching method."—Lisa __________________________________________________________________________________________________"Deciding if homeschooling is right for your family just got easier with this warm, entertaining, information-packed portrayal of its flexibility, diversity, triumphs, and challenges. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy!" —Linda Dobson, author of The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child

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Book SynopsisCompassionate and experienced counselors provide powerful tools to help women recover from past and present wounds, helping them step out of darkness into hope, restart their lives, and reclaim their joy. Original.

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Book SynopsisA Handy Way to Find Out What’s Really Going On in ThereDrawing on the results of a ground-breaking nationwide survey of teenagers, For Parents Only revealed several key surprises about the inner lives of kids. Whether your child already is a teenager or you see those years barreling at you like an express train, this companion study guide will help you put that priceless knowledge to work in your home. This invaluable resource-perfect for group discussion or individual use-includes:•thought-provoking questions to help you apply the For Parents Only findings to your child •true-to-life case studies that coach you in the skills of reading your children’s minds (scary, we know!), understanding what motivates them, and connecting with them at a deeper level•practical, insightful discussion-starters and help for common parenting “encounters” and much more!As you gain a clearer understanding of what’s going on in your children’s lives and minds, you’ll learn how to communicate more effectively and how to offer the guidance they need in a way they can receive.

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Book SynopsisInside Every Young Woman is a Princess…In Search of her PrinceIn a culture that mocks our longing for tender romance, in a world where fairy tales never seem to come true — do we dare hope for more? For every young woman asking that question, this book is an invitation. With refreshing candor and vulnerability, bestselling author Leslie Ludy reveals how, starting today, you can experience the passion and intimacy you long for. You can begin a never-ending love story with your true Prince. Discover the authentic beauty of a life fully set-apart for Him. Experience a romance that will transform every part of your existence and fulfill the deepest longings of your feminine heart.

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Book Synopsis“Incredibly rich with wisdom and insight that will leave the reader, whether single or married, feeling uplifted.” —The Washington TimesBased on the acclaimed sermon series by New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller, this book shows everyone—Christians, skeptics, singles, longtime married couples, and those about to be engaged—the vision of what marriage should be according to the Bible.Modern culture would have you believe that everyone has a soul mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that your spouse is there to help you realize your potential; that marriage does not mean forever, but merely for now; and that starting over after a divorce is the best solution to seemingly intractable marriage issues. But these modern-day assumptions are wrong. Timothy Keller, with insights from Kathy, his wife of thirty-seven years, shows marriage to be a glorious relationship that is also misunderstood and mysterious. The Meaning of Marriage offers instruction on how to have a successful marriage, and is essential reading for anyone who wants to know God and love more deeply in this life.

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