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The Psilocybin Solution: The Role of Sacred Mushrooms in the Quest for Meaning
by Graham Hancock Simon G. PowellHow psilocybin mushrooms facilitate a direct link to the wisdom of Nature and the meaning of life • Examines the neurochemistry underlying the visionary psilocybin experience • Explains how sacred mushrooms help restore our connection to the natural intelligence of Nature • Reviews the research on psilocybin’s ability to dispel anxiety in the terminally ill and its helpful effects on obsessive-compulsive disorder It has been more than 50 years since sacred mushrooms were plucked from the shamanic backwaters of Mexico and presented to the modern world by R. Gordon Wasson. After sparking the psychedelic era of the 1960s, however, the divine mushroom returned underground from whence it mysteriously originated. Yet today, the mushroom’s extraordinary influence is once again being felt by large numbers of people, due to the discovery of hundreds of wild psilocybin species growing across the globe. In The Psilocybin Solution, Simon G. Powell traces the history of the sacred psilocybin mushroom and discusses the shamanic visionary effects it can induce. Detailing how psilocybin acts as a profound enhancer of consciousness and reviewing the research performed by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), Johns Hopkins University, and the Heffter Research Institute on psilocybin’s ability to dispel anxiety in the terminally ill and its helpful effects on obsessive-compulsive disorder, he examines the neurochemistry, psychology, and spirituality underlying the visionary psilocybin experience, revealing the interface where physical brain and conscious mind meet. Showing that the existence of life and the functioning of mind are the result of a naturally intelligent, self-organizing Universe, he explains how sacred mushrooms provide a direct link to the wisdom of Nature and the meaning of life.
The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys
by James FadimanPsychedelics for spiritual, therapeutic, and problem-solving use • Presents practices for safe and successful psychedelic voyages, including the benefits of having a guide and how to be a guide • Reviews the value of psychedelics for healing and self-discovery as well as how LSD has facilitated scientific and technical problem-solving • Reveals how microdosing (ultr-low doeses) improve cognitive functioning, emotional balance, and physical stamina • This year 600,000 people in the U.S. alone will try LSD for the the first time, joining the 23 million who have already experimented with this substance Called “America’s wisest and most respected authority on psychedelics and their use,” James Fadiman has been involved with psychedelic research since the 1960s. In this guide to the immediate and long-term effects of psychedelic use for spiritual (high dose), therapeutic (moderate dose), and problem-solving (low dose and microdose) purposes, Fadiman outlines best practices for safe, sacred entheogenic voyages learned through his more than 40 years of experience--from the benefits of having a sensitive guide during a session (and how to be one) to the importance of the setting and pre-session intention. Fadiman reviews the newest as well as the neglected research into the psychotherapeutic value of visionary drug use for increased personal awareness and a host of serious medical conditions, including his recent study of the reasons for and results of psychedelic use among hundreds of students and professionals. He reveals new uses for LSD and other psychedelics, including microdosing, extremely low doses, for improved cognitive functioning and emotional balance. Cautioning that psychedelics are not for everyone, he dispels the myths and misperceptions about psychedelics circulating in textbooks and clinics as well as on the internet. Exploring the life-changing experiences of Ram Dass, Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley, and Huston Smith as well as Francis Crick and Steve Jobs, Fadiman shows how psychedelics, used wisely, can lead not only to healing but also to scientific breakthroughs and spiritual epiphanies.
The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity
by Jerry B. Brown Julie M. BrownReveals evidence of visionary plants in Christianity and the life of Jesus found in medieval art and biblical scripture--hidden in plain sight for centuries• Follows the authors’ anthropological adventure discovering sacred mushroom images in European and Middle Eastern churches, including Roslyn Chapel and Chartres• Provides color photos showing how R. Gordon Wasson’s psychedelic theory of religion clearly extends to Christianity and reveals why Wasson suppressed this information due to his secret relationship with the Vatican• Examines the Bible and the Gnostic Gospels to show that visionary plants were the catalyst for Jesus’s awakening to his divinity and immortalityThroughout medieval Christianity, religious works of art emerged to illustrate the teachings of the Bible for the largely illiterate population. What, then, is the significance of the psychoactive mushrooms hiding in plain sight in the artwork and icons of many European and Middle-Eastern churches? Does Christianity have a psychedelic history?Providing stunning visual evidence from their anthropological journey throughout Europe and the Middle East, including visits to Roslyn Chapel and Chartres Cathedral, authors Julie and Jerry Brown document the role of visionary plants in Christianity. They retrace the pioneering research of R. Gordon Wasson, the famous “sacred mushroom seeker,” on psychedelics in ancient Greece and India, and among the present-day reindeer herders of Siberia and the Mazatecs of Mexico. Challenging Wasson’s legacy, the authors reveal his secret relationship with the Vatican that led to Wasson’s refusal to pursue his hallucinogen theory into the hallowed halls of Christianity.Examining the Bible and the Gnostic Gospels, the authors provide scriptural support to show that sacred mushrooms were the inspiration for Jesus’ revelation of the Kingdom of Heaven and that he was initiated into these mystical practices in Egypt during the Missing Years. They contend that the Trees of Knowledge and of Immortality in Eden were sacred mushrooms.Uncovering the role played by visionary plants in the origins of Judeo-Christianity, the authors invite us to rethink what we know about the life of Jesus and to consider a controversial theory that challenges us to explore these sacred pathways to the divine.
The Psychedelic Journey of Marlene Dobkin de Rios: 45 Years with Shamans, Ayahuasqueros, and Ethnobotanists
by Marlene Dobkin de RiosA look inside almost half a century of pioneering research in the Amazon and Peru by a noted anthropologist studying hallucinogens, including ayahuasca • Reveals how ayahuasca successfully treats psychological and emotional disorders • Examines adolescent drug use from a cross-cultural perspective • Discusses the deleterious effects of drug tourism in the Amazon Ayahuasca is an alkaloid-rich psychoactive concoction indigenous to South America that has been employed by shamans for millennia as a spirit drug for divinatory and healing purposes. Although the late Harvard ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes was credited in the early 1950s as being the first to document the use of ayahuasca, other researchers, such as the distinguished anthropologist Marlene Dobkin de Rios, were responsible for furthering his findings and uncovering the curative capabilities of this amazing compound. The Psychedelic Journey of Marlene Dobkin de Rios presents the accumulated experience of de Rios’s 45 years of pioneering field studies in the area of hallucinogens in Peru and the Amazon. Her investigation into ayahuasca--which she undertook in collaboration with more than a dozen traditional Mestizo folk curanderos, shamans, and fellow ethnobotanists--focuses on the use of this revolutionary plant in the treatment of recalcitrant psychological and emotional disorders. She also shares some of her theories that prove that the ancient Maya used psychedelic plants as part of their religious rituals, thereby demonstrating the impact of plant psychedelics on human prehistory. In addition, Dobkin de Rios examines altered states of consciousness derived from the use of biofeedback and hypnosis and discusses her current work on the deleterious effects of drug tourism in the Amazon.
The Psychedelic Sacrament: Manna, Meditations, and Mystical Experience
by Dan Merkur• Reveals the secret teachings from the Judeo-Christian traditions that promote the use of psychedelic substances to enhance religious transcendence.• Explains how special meditations were designed to be performed while partaking of the "psychedelic sacrament".In The Mystery of Manna, religious historian Dan Merkur provided compelling evidence that the miraculous bread that God fed the Israelites in the wilderness was psychedelic, made from bread containing ergot--the psychoactive fungus containing the same chemicals from which LSD is made. Many religious authorities over the centuries have secretly known the identity and experience of manna and have left a rich record of their involvement with this sacred substance. In The Psychedelic Sacrament, a companion work to The Mystery of Manna, Dan Merkur elucidates a body of Jewish and Christian writings especially devoted to this tradition of visionary mysticism. He discusses the specific teachings of Philo of Alexandria, Rabbi Moses Maimonides, and St. Bernard of Clairvaux that refer to special meditations designed to be performed while partaking of the "psychedelic sacrament." These meditations combine the revelatory power of psychedelics with the rational exercise of the mind, enabling the seeker to achieve a qualitatively enhanced state of religious transcendence. The Psychedelic Sacrament sheds new light on the use of psychedelics in the Western mystery tradition and deepens our understanding of the human desire for divine union.
The Psychedelic Shaman: The Wisdom Warrior's Path to Transformation
by Tom Soloway Pinkson• Explores how to work ethically, skillfully, and responsibly with psychedelics and plant spirits• Shares the author&’s transformative psychedelic experiences and how they helped him discover his life&’s purpose• Provides shamanic practices to develop your capacity as a Wisdom Warrior, heal personal and collective trauma, and connect with infinite cosmic loveTaking us through his more than 50 years of immersion in psychedelic shamanism, Tom Soloway Pinkson shares profound Indigenous teachings, plant teacher wisdom, and his own transformative experiences on the psychedelic Wisdom Warrior path.Pinkson shares his journey of awakening through childhood trauma to a revelatory connection with nature. He describes his mentorship with Indigenous medicine peoples around the world, including an eleven-year initiatory apprenticeship with Guadalupe de la Cruz, a renowned Huichol shaman. Through his experiences with death and dying and with LSD, peyote, and ayahuasca, he forged a cosmology based on the interconnectedness of all beings and dedicated to shifting a fear-based world to a love-based one.Presenting a map for others to follow the Wisdom Warrior path of psychedelic shamanism, the author explores how to work ethically, skillfully, and responsibly with psychedelics and plant spirits. He also shares shamanic practices to develop your capacity to connect with the infinite cosmic love that is the essence of our being as well as shows how to restore the sacred in everyday life and discover your role in helping to heal and transform our world.
The Psychiatric Study of Jesus: Exposition and Criticism
by Albert SchweitzerFor His Doctoral Thesis, Schweitzer Chose To Write On Recent Medical Treatises Which Showed, At Least To The Authors' Satisfaction, That Jesus Was Mentally Diseased. The Book Was Published In German In 1913.“Work of a major prophet....Dr. Schweitzer demolishes the published theories that Jesus was mentally abnormal....His uses of his sources are a delight to follow.”—St. Louis Star-Times“It is a monument to the many-sided genius of one of the truly great men of this century. English-speaking people throughout the world will be grateful for this translation.”—Quarterly Review of Biology“The very brevity of this small volume reflects the genius of Albert Schweitzer....At no point does the author appeal to the authority of revealed religion. He meets naturalists on their own grounds....The smooth translation and Introduction by Charles R. Joy and the instructive Preface by Dr. Winfred Overholser enrich the reader’s comprehension and enjoyment of this classic essay”—Dr. Gordon W. Allport, Harvard University“No one is better qualified to speak of the revolutionary personality of Jesus than Schweitzer.”—Boston Herald“Terse, lucid exposition.”—Washington Star
The Psychic Home: Psychoanalysis, consciousness and the human soul
by Roger KennedyThe Psychic Home: Psychoanalysis of Consciousness and the Human Soul develops, from a number of different viewpoints, the significance of home in our lives. Roger Kennedy puts forward the central role of what he has termed a ‘psychic home’ as a vital psychic structure, which gathers together a number of different human functions. Kennedy questions what we mean by the powerfully evocative notion of the human soul, which has important links to the notion of home and he suggests that what makes us human is that we allow a home for the soul. As an illustration of this concept he explores how it can help to understand a vital element of William Wordsworth’s development as a poet. The word soul is both abstract and yet also powerfully emotive. Kennedy shows that it can be approached from a number of different angles, from psychoanalysis, philosophy, religion, sociology, literature and neuroscience. The Psychic Home, discusses the mysteries and complexities of the soul, and aims to evoke some restoration of its place in our thinking. It illustrates how the word soul and similar key words, such as spirit and inwardness, express so much that is essential for humans, even if we cannot be too precise about their meanings. Insightful, enlightening and broad reaching, The Psychic Home brings the concept of the soul centre stage as an entity that is elemental, an essence, irreducible, and what makes us human as subjects of experience. It will be essential reading for psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, neuroscientists, philosophers and those interested in spirituality and religion.
The Psychologisation of Eastern Spiritual Traditions: Colonisation, Translation and Commodification (Concepts for Critical Psychology)
by Elliot CohenThis essential book critically examines the various ways in which Eastern spiritual traditions have been typically stripped of their spiritual roots, content and context, to be more readily assimilated into secular Western frames of Psychology. Beginning with the colonial histories of Empire, the author draws from the 1960s Counterculture and the subsequent romanticising and idealising of the East. Cohen explores how Hindu, Buddhist and Daoist traditions have been gradually transformed into forms of Psychology, Psychotherapy and Self-Help, undergoing processes of ‘modernisation’ and secularisation until their respective cosmologies had been successfully reinterpreted and reimagined. An important component of this psychologisation is the accompanying commodification of Eastern spiritual practices, including the mass-marketing of mindfulness and meditation as part of the burgeoning well-being industry. Also presenting emerging voices of resistance from within Eastern spiritual traditions, the book ends with a chapter on Transpersonal Psychology, showing a path for how to gradually move away from colonisation and towards collaboration. Engaging with the ‘mindfulness movement’ and other practices assimilated by Western culture, this is fascinating reading for students and academics in psychology, philosophy and religious studies, as well as mindfulness practitioners.
The Psychology of Attitude: A Christian Perspective
by Hilton McCannHave you ever heard someone say ‘I don’t like your attitude!’ or ‘that person has the right attitude’? Maybe these words were said to you? What is meant when ‘attitude’ is referred to in these ways? More fundamentally, what is attitude? Where does it come from and what is its significance? This text addresses these issues and explores the linkage between the diverse stimuli that give rise to attitudes and the action arising (which may be visible or invisible, positive or negative and active or passive). All human beings have attitudes. Attitudes are a significant part of humankind’s framework – not least because they affect behaviour – but attitude is especially significant for Christians. A Christian’s attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5) – but what does that mean? The text explores Christ’s attitude and the consequent daily implications. Our tri-partite human framework and the relationship between all those factors emanating from our soul, spirit and body that combine to produce our personal attitudes are examined. Our behaviour to each other is described and contrasted with the way Christ intends us to be. This leads into an examination of Christ’s on-going attitude to humankind. Using the model provided, readers will be able to assess whether they believe they need to change their attitudes to more precisely reflect the Christian way. This text is potentially transformational in helping people examine and refine their attitudes in Christian service.
The Psychology of Awakening: Buddhism, Science and Our Day-to-Day Lives
by Gay Watson, Stephen Batchelor and Guy ClaxtonThe Buddhist view of the mind - how it works, how it goes wrong, how to put it right - is increasingly being recognised as profound and highly practical by scientists, counsellors and other professionals. In The Psychology of Awakening, this powerful vision of human nature, and its implications for personal and social life, are for the first time brought to a wider audience by some of those most influential in exploring its potential for the way we live today. These include: David Brazier Jon Kabat Zinn Francisco Varela Joy Manne Geshe Thubten Jinpa Mark Epstein Gay Watson Maura Sills Guy Claxton Stephen Batchelor Deeply relevant, accessible and authoritative, The Psychology of Awakening will be of interest to all those who wish to understand the workings of their minds a little better and who are also seeking new ways of mastering the challenges - personal, professional and cultural with which modern life confronts us all.
The Psychology of Emotions and Humour in Buddhism
by Padmasiri De SilvaThis book examines the psychological dimensions of emotions and humour in Buddhism. While there is a wealth of material concerning human emotions related to humour and the mindful management of negative emotions, very little has been written on the theory of Buddhist humour. Uniting both Buddhist and Western philosophy, the author draws upon the theory of ‘incongruity humour’, espoused by figures such as Kierkegaard, Kant and Hegel and absorbed into the interpretation of humour by the Buddhist monk and former Western philosopher, Ñāṇavīra Thero. The author makes extensive use of rich primary sources such as the parables used by Ajahn Brahm while interweaving Western theories and philosophies to illuminate this original study of humour and emotion. This pioneering work will be of interest and value to students and scholars of humour, Buddhist traditions and existentialism more widely.
The Psychology of Nirvana (Psychology Revivals)
by Rune E. JohanssonThe oldest Pali writings are of great interest to the psychologist, not only because their analysis of mind is in many ways comparable to his own, but because their teaching has been used for practical purposes with enviable success. One of the most important of the Buddhist concepts is that of Nirvana, or nibbāna, whose modern usage has caused discomfort to many Buddhists, especially those of the Western world. Originally the name for a certain state of mind, and of personality, it has now acquired a multitude of definitions so heterogeneous and contradictory that few people know what to make of it.Originally published in 1969, The Psychology of Nirvana was the first attempt to fit all the diffuse explanations and pronouncements of the oldest scriptures together into a consistent picture, and to relate this picture to modern Western psychology at the time. Just as Nirvana is a psychological state and the natural goal of Buddhism, mental health is the ideal of psychology. A comparative study of the two provides a book truly fascinating to scholars of psychology and Buddhism.
The Psychology of Prejudice (The Psychology of Everything)
by Richard GrossWhy do we develop extreme attitudes to others? Can our personality contribute to our prejudices? How do we reduce prejudice and discrimination? The Psychology of Prejudice explores different forms of prejudice and discrimination, from racial jokes to genocide. It looks at what might cause our prejudiced attitudes, including our personalities, social influences, group identity, and evolutionary factors, and how prejudice can be reduced through education, campaigning, and consciousness raising. Offering insights into a topic of great public concern and debate, The Psychology of Prejudice shows us how we can confront our prejudiced attitudes and contribute to greater tolerance and understanding.
The Psychology of Religion and Place: Emerging Perspectives
by Fraser Watts Victor CountedThis book examines the role of religious and spiritual experiences in people’s understanding of their environment. The contributors consider how understandings and experiences of religious and place connections are motivated by the need to seek and maintain contact with perceptual objects, so as to form meaningful relationship experiences. The volume is one of the first scholarly attempts to discuss the psychological links between place and religious experiences.The chapters within provide insights for understanding how people’s experiences with geographical places and the sacred serve as agencies for meaning-making, pro-social behaviour, and psychological adjustment in everyday life.
The Psychology of Religion and Spirituality: From the Inside Out
by Timothy A. SisemoreThis book provides and introduction to the field of the psychology of religion and spirituality utilizing a mixed method approach allowing persons of faith (and one who is an atheist) to give voice to their experience to supplement the quantitative research that has been done in the field. The text honors the value of religion and spirituality in the lives of the majority of humans while acknowledging the weakness and problems that come with faith as well.
The Psychology of Religion, Fifth Edition: An Empirical Approach (Archive For The Psychology Of Religion/ Archiv Fur Religionspsychologie Ser. #Vol. 27)
by Bernard Spilka Ralph W. Hood Jr. Peter C. HillKeeping up with the rapidly growing research base, the leading graduate-level psychology of religion text is now in a fully updated fifth edition. It takes a balanced, empirically driven approach to understanding the role of religion in individual functioning and social behavior. Integrating research on numerous different faith traditions, the book addresses the quest for meaning; links between religion and biology; religious thought, belief, and behavior across the lifespan; experiential dimensions of religion and spirituality; the social psychology of religious organizations; and connections to coping, adjustment, and mental disorder. Chapter-opening quotations and topical research boxes enhance the readability of this highly instructive text. New to This Edition *New topics: cognitive science of religion; religion and violence; and groups that advocate terrorist tactics. *The latest empirical findings, including hundreds of new references. *Expanded discussion of atheism and varieties of nonbelief. *More research on religions outside the Judeo-Christian tradition, particularly Islam. *State-of-the-art research methods, including techniques for assessing neurological states.
The Psychology of Slow Living: Rediscovering a Happier Pace of Life
by Elliot CohenThis fascinating book explores the concept of slow living, offering a philosophical and psychological exploration of the need for a slower pace of life. It advocates for reclaiming and rediscovering more natural and human ways of being.In a digital age, which is dominated by an increasingly tyrannical trinity of speed, efficiency and productivity, the author challenges the pernicious ideal of instant gratification, perpetuated by modern consumer culture. This book examines alternative ways of being through re-examining the Wisdom Traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism and Judaism through an ongoing and engaging dialogue with psychology and psychotherapy, including insights from environmental psychology, ecopsychology and cyberpsychology. The book argues against the trend for personal responsibility, adaptability and resilience, and the idea that stress is the ‘new normal'. Instead, it proposes a radical shift in paradigm, promoting not for collectively rising up and overthrowing this system but for communally sitting down and reimagining.The Psychology of Slow Living is a unique exploration of the benefits of the slow living movement and taps into contemporary debates around the way we should be living our lives, making it an ideal resource for students and academics in psychology, philosophy and the social sciences, as well as individuals interested in alternative lifestyles and spirituality.
The Psychology of the Fruit of the Spirit: The Biblical Portrayal of the Christlike Character and Its Development
by Zoltán DörnyeiFor centuries, the fruit of the Spirit has rightfully served as a wellspring of reflection on the virtues that epitomize the Christian life and character-building. However, the notion of the fruit of the Spirit is not limited solely to forming the biblical foundation of ethical living.Psychologist and theologian Zoltán Dörnyei argues that if we understand the nine attributes collectively as a concise portrayal of the ideal Christian self, this approach places the notion of the fruit of the Spirit at the intersection of several important theological themes, such as being conformed to the divine image, the gradual advancement of the kingdom of God, and new creation. In The Psychology of the Fruit of the Spirit, Dörnyei offers a scholarly exposition of the relevant theological content associated with the fruit of the Spirit. Complementing his theological reflections with findings from the field of psychology, he brings expertise in both psychology and theology to bear on this important biblical concept. His integrated perspective helps to uncover the full meaning and theological potential of the fruit of the Spirit by helping to clarify the nature of its nine facets, defining broader psychological dimensions that underlie the fruit, and offering practical lessons for cultivating it in the Christian life.
The Psychology of the Mystics
by Joseph Maréchal Algar ThoroldAn early and influential volume among the 20th-century studies of mystic psychology, this landmark survey begins with an examination of empirical science and religious psychology. It discusses the sensation of presence in mystics and non-mystics, distinctive features of Christian mysticism, and criticisms of the legitimacy of the mystic experience.
The Public Face of African New Religious Movements in Diaspora: Imagining the Religious ‘Other’ (Routledge Inform Series on Minority Religions and Spiritual Movements)
by Afe AdogameThe growing pace of international migration, technological revolution in media and travel generate circumstances that provide opportunities for the mobility of African new religious movements (ANRMs) within Africa and beyond. ANRMs are furthering their self-assertion and self-insertion into the religious landscapes of Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Their growing presence and public visibility seem to be more robustly captured by the popular media than by scholars of NRMs, historians of religion and social scientists, a tendency that has probably shaped the public mental picture and understanding of the phenomena. This book provides new theoretical and methodological insights for understanding and interpreting ANRMs and African-derived religions in diaspora. Contributors focus on individual groups and movements drawn from Christian, Islamic, Jewish and African-derived religious movements and explore their provenance and patterns of emergence; their belief systems and ritual practices; their public/civic roles; group self-definition; public perceptions and responses; tendencies towards integration/segregation; organisational networks; gender orientations and the implications of interactions within and between the groups and with the host societies. The book includes contributions from scholars and religious practitioners, thus offering new insights into how ANRMs can be better defined, approached, and interpreted by scholars, policy makers, and media practitioners alike.
The Public Image of Eastern Orthodoxy: France and Russia, 1848–1870 (NIU Series in Orthodox Christian Studies)
by Heather L. BaileyFocusing on the period between the revolutions of 1848-1849 and the First Vatican Council (1869-1870), The Public Image of Eastern Orthodoxy explores the circumstances under which westerners, concerned about the fate of the papacy, the Ottoman Empire, Poland, and Russian imperial power, began to conflate the Russian Orthodox Church with the state and to portray the Church as the political tool of despotic tsars. <P><P>As Heather L. Bailey demonstrates, in response to this reductionist view, Russian Orthodox publicists launched a public relations campaign in the West, especially in France, in the 1850s and 1860s. The linchpin of their campaign was the building of the impressive Saint Alexander Nevsky Church in Paris, consecrated in 1861. Bailey posits that, as the embodiment of the belief that Russia had a great historical purpose inextricably tied to Orthodoxy, the Paris church both reflected and contributed to the rise of religious nationalism in Russia that followed the Crimean War. At the same time, the confrontation with westerners' negative ideas about the Eastern Church fueled a reformist spirit in Russia while contributing to a better understanding of Eastern Orthodoxy in the West.
The Public Prosecutor
by Brian Doyle Jef GeeraertsAlbert Savelkoul, Public Prosecutor of Antwerp has power, money, an aristocratic wife and a high-maintenance mistress. A wonderful life-until Opus Dei takes a less than benevolent interest in it. So starts a harrowing yet humorous tale of blackmail and murder.
The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America
by Paul B. MoyerAmid political innovation and social transformation, Revolutionary America was also fertile ground for religious upheaval, as self-proclaimed visionaries and prophets established new religious sects throughout the emerging nation. Among the most influential and controversial of these figures was Jemima Wilkinson. Born in 1752 and raised in a Quaker household in Cumberland, Rhode Island, Wilkinson began her ministry dramatically in 1776 when, in the midst of an illness, she announced her own death and reincarnation as the Public Universal Friend, a heaven-sent prophet who was neither female nor male. In The Public Universal Friend, Paul B. Moyer tells the story of Wilkinson and her remarkable church, the Society of Universal Friends. Wilkinson's message was a simple one: humankind stood on the brink of the Apocalypse, but salvation was available to all who accepted God's grace and the authority of his prophet: the Public Universal Friend. Wilkinson preached widely in southern New England and Pennsylvania, attracted hundreds of devoted followers, formed them into a religious sect, and, by the late 1780s, had led her converts to the backcountry of the newly formed United States, where they established a religious community near present-day Penn Yan, New York. Even this remote spot did not provide a safe haven for Wilkinson and her followers as they awaited the Millennium. Disputes from within and without dogged the sect, and many disciples drifted away or turned against the Friend. After Wilkinson’s "second" and final death in 1819, the Society rapidly fell into decline and, by the mid-nineteenth century, ceased to exist. The prophet’s ministry spanned the American Revolution and shaped the nation’s religious landscape during the unquiet interlude between the first and second Great Awakenings. The life of the Public Universal Friend and the Friend’s church offer important insights about changes to religious life, gender, and society during this formative period. The Public Universal Friend is an elegantly written and comprehensive history of an important and too little known figure in the spiritual landscape of early America.
The Public and Private Management of Grief: Recovering Normal
by Caroline PearceThrough a critical analysis of theory, policy and practice, The Public and Private Management of Grief looks at how 'recovery' is the prevailing discourse that measures and frames how people grieve, and considers what happens when people 'fail' to recover. Pearce draws on in-depth interviews with bereaved people and a range of bereavement professionals, to contemplate how ‘failures’ to recover are socially perceived and acted upon. Grounded in Foucauldian theory, this book problematises the notion of recovery, and instead argues for the acknowledgment of the experience of ‘non-recovery,’ highlighting how recovery is a socially and historically constructed notion linked to the individualised vision of health and happiness promoted by neo-liberal governmentality. This book will be of interest to students and scholars across sociology, anthropology, social work and psychology with a focus on death, dying and bereavement, grief studies, health and social care, as well as counsellors, clinical psychologists and social workers.