Showing titles in Religious Studies

Travel into the desert with Thomas Merton as your guide. In the third century, men and women journeyed into the deserts of Syria and Egypt. Turning away from the world, they sought to find salvation in solitude. By doing so, they developed new forms of monasticism and spirituality. Now known as the Desert Fathers and Mothers, their wisdom remains as inspirational today as ever.

ANSWERS FOR THOSE WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT DEATHFollowing the publication of Dr. Moody’s ground-breaking book Life After Life, the field of near-death studies exploded with research that uncovered secrets and opened doors to the frontier between life and death. In this reissued classic, Dr. Moody explores the research of his peers, shining light on their work that helps unravel mankind’s greatest mystery: What happens when we die?Inside you will discover:•Newly confirmed evidence that those who almost die are able to “tap into” a universal knowledge not available to the living.•What...

What should a Christian say when confronted with today's burning political questions? How can a person of faith use the Bible as a resource when navigating controversial cultures issues? Skyline Church pastor James L. Garlow presents Well Versed, the ultimate Scripture-based guide for Christians looking for answers, reassurance, and resources on the issues of today. Topics include Israel, social justice, sexual identity, debt, taxes, abortion, bioethics, the role of government, war, Islam, entertainment, and more.

What does it take to live a meaningful life? Why are so many people in affluent nations so anxious and unhappy? What difference does believing in God really make? And does belief in the God of the Bible truly make sense today? In this revised edition of The God Question, philosopher J. P. Moreland invites us on a journey to a rich, flourishing life. He digs into the causes of our cultural crisis of unhappiness and considers how the God revealed in Jesus provides the most rational solution to our deepest needs.

In 1929, the Soviet government set aside a sparsely populated area in the Soviet Far East for settlement by Jews. The place was called Birobidzhan. The idea of an autonomous Jewish region was championed by Jewish Communists, Yiddishists, and intellectuals, who envisioned a haven of post-oppression Jewish culture. By the mid-1930s tens of thousands of Soviet Jews, as well as about a thousand Jews from abroad, had moved there.

Despite the human race's extraordinary capacity for invention and progress, we clearly have a millennia-old blind spot in one all-important area: We don't understand evil -- what it is, how it works, and why it so routinely and effortlessly ruins our lives. Put another way, we don't understand ourselves.

In the midst of our hectic, overscheduled lives, caring for the soul is imperative. Now, more than ever, we need to pause - intentionally - and encounter the Divine. Soul care director Barbara Peacock illustrates a journey of prayer, spiritual direction, and soul care from an African American perspective. She reflects on how these disciplines are woven into the African American culture and lived out in the rich heritage of its faith community.

Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft has influenced and guided countless students, coven initiates, and solitaries around the world. One of modern Wicca's most recommended books, this comprehensive text features a step-by-step course in Witchcraft, with information on rituals, beliefs, history, and lore, as well as instruction in spellwork, divination, herbalism, healing, channeling, dreamwork, sabbats, esbats, covens, and solitary practice. Exam questions are included as part of each lesson, so you can build a permanent record of your spiritual and magical training.

Christianity or Islam: which is the real religion of peace? Almost any liberal pundit will tell you that there's a religion bent on destroying our Constitution, stripping us of our liberties, and imposing religious rule on the U.S. And that religion is . . .Christianity! About Islam, however, the Left is silent--except to claim a moral equivalence between the two: if Islam has terrorists today, that's nothing compared to the Crusades, inquisitions, and religious wars in Christianity's past.

In the obscurity of my voluminous studies, I have encountered countless demonic entities, each with their distinct origins and attributes, yet none as compelling and enigmatic as Lilith. Her name is murmured in hushed tones, her legend intertwined with the very fabric of human mythology and arcane lore. Allow me to impart what I have gleaned about this creature whose presence looms like a spectral shadow over both historical text and whispered legend. Lilith emerges from the dawn of human existence, often associated with the primordial night. Some scriptures and ancient tales suggest she ...

The signs are unmistakable. Jesus said there would be clear signs in our world before his return. Over the last few months and years, as we read headline after amazing headline, those signs seem to be escalating. Could Christ's return and our world's final days be very far away? Greg Laurie opens up the Scriptures, offering insight, warning, and encouragement to "make the most of every opportunity" in these challenging days.

Join one of the world’s most acclaimed theologians, award-winning professor Fr. Harvey D. Egan, S.J., as you will grapple with life’s ultimate questions and explore our rich Christian heritage. Here, you will discover powerful insights into the meaning and salvific value of the truths of Christianity. This illuminating audio course will explore the Christian faith as a powerful whole, allowing you to discover the full range of life’s greatest mysteries.

Whether listeners are devout believers or distant seekers, The Idolatry of God shows that we must lay down our certainties and honestly admit our doubts to identify with Jesus. Rollins purposely upsets fundamentalist certainty in order to open listeners up to a more loving, active manifestation of Christ’s love. In contrast to the usual understanding of the "Good News" as a message offering satisfaction and certainty, Rollins argues for a radical and shattering alternative. He explores how the Good News actually involves embracing the idea that we can’t be whole, that life is difficult, and that we are in the dark.

Demons, jinn, possession, sinister artifacts, and gruesome archaeological discoveries haunt this new book by Dr. Heather Lynn. Evil Archaeology investigates the archaeological record for artifacts and evidence of evil entities, revealing how demons from the ancient world may be dwelling among us. It also looks at the history and lore behind real relics believed to be haunted and includes historical accounts of demonic possession that go as far back as King Solomon invoking demons to help him build his famed temple.

The so-called Tibetan Book of the Dead has been renowned for centuries as a cornerstone of Buddhist wisdom and religious thought. More recently, it has become highly influential in the Western world for its psychological insights into the processes of death and dying - and what they can teach us about the ways we live our lives. It has also been found to be helpful in the grieving process by people who have recently lost their loved ones. This authoritative translation preserves the form and spirit of the original and was prepared especially for Western audiences.

In his decades of study, Dr. Roger Walsh has discovered that each of the great spiritual traditions has both a common goal and seven common practices to reach that goal: recognizing the sacred and divine that exist both within and around us. Filled with stories, exercises, meditations, myths, prayers, and practical advice, Essential Spirituality shows how you can integrate these seven principles into one truly rewarding way of life in which kindness, love, joy, peace, vision, wisdom, and generosity become an ever-growing part of everything you do.

In 1939, a team of workers beneath the Vatican unearthed an early Christian grave. This surprising discovery launched a secret quest that would last decades a quest to discover the long-lost burial place of the Apostle Peter. From earliest times, Christian tradition held that Peter, a lowly fisherman from Galilee, whom Christ made leader of his church was executed in Rome by Emperor Nero and buried on Vatican Hill. But his tomb had been lost to history. Now, funded anonymously by a wealthy American, a small army of workers embarked on the dig of a lifetime.

This early 20th-century translation of the Hebrew Bible by the Jewish Publication Society brings to life the history of the Jewish people in a classical way. It includes the Hebrew texts as they actually appear in the Torah scroll and bears all the hallmarks of a classic work.

Why would anyone join a cult? Maybe they're unhappy with their current religion, or they want to change the world, or they're disappointed with their lives and want to find something bigger or holier that makes sense of this confusing, chaotic and dangerous world. Or maybe they just want to give themselves the best possible chance of having sex with aliens. Whatever the reason, once people are in, it's usually very difficult for them to leave.

With vivid story-telling, extensive historical research, and on-the-ground reporting, Ghattas dispels accepted truths about a region she calls home. She explores how Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, once allies and twin pillars of US strategy in the region, became mortal enemies after 1979. She shows how they used and distorted religion in a competition that went well beyond geopolitics. Feeding intolerance, suppressing cultural expression, and encouraging sectarian violence from Egypt to Pakistan, the war for cultural supremacy led to many events.