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The Sky Is Not Falling: Living Fearlessly in These Turbulent Times
by Charles ColsonChuck Colson equips readers to live fearlessly, with confidence in God's love and ultimate power, in the midst of an increasingly godless world.Yes, the world is an increasingly godless place. And it's never been as pronounced as it is in this era of 24-hour news cycles. From nasty political power struggles to raunchy reality TV, everywhere we look there is evidence of our culture's steep decline. But it's no time for Christians to cower in fear. In The Sky Is Not Falling, bestselling author Chuck Colson equips readers with the truth about the most difficult cultural and moral issues of our day and brings clarity and sanity to a world that seems to have gone mad. His message is that Christians must be informed of the truth of today's confusing social and political issues so that we can live with the confidence and certainty that God has the future in his hands. Every concerned Christian needs to arm themselves with the profound insights in The Sky is Not Falling.
The Slaughterman's Daughter: A Novel
by Yaniv Iczkovits&“Occasionally a book comes along so fresh, strange, and original that it seems peerless, utterly unprecedented. This is one of those books.&” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) An irresistible, picaresque tale of two Jewish sisters in late-nineteenth-century Russia, The Slaughterman&’s Daughter is filled with &“boundless imagination and a vibrant style&” (David Grossman), as well as enough intrigue and misadventure to stupefy the Coen brothers. With her reputation as a vilde chaya (wild animal), Fanny Keismann isn&’t like the other women in her shtetl in the Pale of Settlement—certainly not her obedient and anxiety-ridden sister, Mende, whose &“philosopher&” of a husband, ZviMeir, has run off to Minsk, abandoning her and their two children. As a young girl, Fanny felt an inexorable pull toward her father&’s profession of ritual slaughterer and, under his reluctant guidance, became a master with a knife. And though she long ago gave up that unsuitable profession—she&’s now the wife of a cheesemaker and a mother of five—Fanny still keeps the knife tied to her right leg. Which might come in handy when, heedless of the dangers facing a Jewish woman traveling alone in czarist Russia, she sets off to track down Zvi-Meir and bring him home, with the help of the mute and mysterious ferryman Zizek Breshov, an ex-soldier with his own sensational past. Yaniv Iczkovits spins a family drama into a far-reaching comedy of errors that will pit the czar&’s army against the Russian secret police and threaten the very foundations of the Russian Empire. The Slaughterman&’s Daughter is a rollicking and unforgettable work of fiction.
The Slaughterman's Daughter: Winner of the Wingate Prize 2021
by Yaniv IczkovitsA SUNDAY TIMES MUST READS PICK"Boundless imagination and a vibrant style . . . a heroine of unforgettable grit" DAVID GROSSMAN"A story of great beauty and surprise" GARY SHTEYNGARTThe townsfolk of Motal, an isolated, godforsaken town in the Pale of Settlement, are shocked when Fanny Keismann - devoted wife, mother of five, and celebrated cheese-maker - leaves her home at two hours past midnight and vanishes into the night.True, the husbands of Motal have been vanishing for years, but a wife and mother? Whoever heard of such a thing. What on earth possessed her?Could it have anything to do with Fanny's missing brother-in-law, who left her sister almost a year ago and ran away to Minsk, abandoning their family to destitution and despair?Or could Fanny have been lured away by Zizek Breshov, the mysterious ferryman on the Yaselda river, who, in a strange twist of events, seems to have disappeared on the same night?Surely there can be no link between Fanny and the peculiar roadside murder on the way to Telekhany, which has left Colonel Piotr Novak, head of the Russian secret police, scratching his head. Surely a crime like that could have nothing to do with Fanny Keismann, however the people of Motal might mutter about her reputation as a vilde chaya, a wild animal . . .Surely not.Translated from the Hebrew by Orr Scharf
The Slavic Myths
by Noah Charney Svetlana SlapšakA Pulitzer-nominated author and one of the great public intellectuals of Slavic culture bring to life the unfamiliar myths and legends of the Slavic world. In the first collection of Slavic myths for an international readership, Noah Charney and Svetlana Slapšak expertly weave together the ancient stories with nuanced analysis to illuminate their place at the heart of Slavic tradition. While Slavic cultures are far-ranging, comprised of East Slavs (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus), West Slavs (the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland), and South Slavs (the countries of former Yugoslavia plus Bulgaria), they are connected by tales of adventure and magic with roots in a common lore. In the world of Slavic mythology we find petulant deities, demons and fairies, witches, and a supreme god who can hurl thunderbolts. Gods gather under the World Tree, reminiscent of Norse mythology’s Yggdrasill. The vampire—usually the only Serbo-Croatian word in any foreign-language dictionary—and the werewolf both emerge from Slavic belief. In their careful analysis and sensitive reconstructions of the myths, Charney and Slapšak unearth the Slavic beliefs before their distortion first by Christian chroniclers and then by nineteenth-century scholars seeking origin stories for their newborn nation states. They reveal links not only to the neighboring pantheons of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Scandinavia, but also the belief systems of indigenous peoples of Australia, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Specially commissioned illustrations inspired by traditional Eastern and European folk art bring the stories and their cultural landscape to life.
The Sleep of Behemoth: Disputing Peace and Violence in Medieval Europe, 1000–1200
by Jehangir Yezdi MalegamIn The Sleep of Behemoth, Jehangir Yezdi Malegam explores the emergence of conflicting concepts of peace in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. Ever since the Early Church, Christian thinkers had conceived of their peace separate from the peace of the world, guarded by the sacraments and shared only grudgingly with powers and principalities. To kingdoms and communities they had allowed attenuated versions of this peace, modes of accommodation and domination that had tranquility as the goal. After 1000, reformers in the papal curia and monks and canons in the intellectual circles of northern France began to reimagine the Church as an engine of true peace, whose task it was eventually to absorb all peoples through progressive acts of revolutionary peacemaking. Peace as they envisioned it became a mandate for reform through conflict, coercion, and insurrection. And the pursuit of mere tranquility appeared dangerous, and even diabolical.As Malegam shows, within western Christendom's major centers of intellectual activity and political thought, the clergy competed over the meaning and monopolization of the term "peace." contrasting it with what one canon lawyer called the "sleep of Behemoth," a diabolical "false" peace of lassitude and complacency, one that produced unsuitable forms of community and friendship that must be overturned at all costs. Out of this contest over the meaning and ownership of true peace, Malegam concludes, medieval thinkers developed theologies that shaped secular political theory in the later Middle Ages. The Sleep of Behemoth traces this radical experiment in redefining the meaning of peace from the papal courts of Rome and the schools of Laon, Liege, and Paris to its gradual spread across the continent and its impact on such developments as the rise of papal monarchism; the growth of urban, communal self-government; and the emergence of secular and mystical scholasticism.
The Sleeping Queen: The Divine Awakening of the Entrepreneurial Woman
by Bettina LangerfeldtThe Sleeping Queen is a timely message that offers a fresh perspective on the role of the woman entrepreneur as a powerful contributor to the prosperity level of families, communities, and economies worldwide. It unveils myths about feminine entrepreneurship that have been silently accepted for centuries and banished women to a place of little or no relevance in their society. It also sheds new light on the spirituality of entrepreneurship, money and wealth creation by women, and offers an eye-opening, biblical viewpoint of why women can and should fulfill their authentic role as feminine influencers. The reader of this book will discover the amazing contribution a woman was created to make to society with her unique feminine gifts and the priceless enrichment her divine calling to the business world is meant to have. As you journey through these pages you’ll experience how historical barriers that have deterred women for ages from engaging in successful feminine enterprises are exposed and broken. The sleeping queen inside of you will awaken! Your mindset about true womanhood and female entrepreneurship will be powerfully renewed. You will feel inspired and released to confidently step into the God-given position of empowered leadership and wealth creation you were always meant to have.
The Slow Fade
by Abbie Smith Reggie Joiner Chuck BomarMany churches and families have programmed a youth ministry finish line at twelfth grade. They walk their seniors out the door, breathe a sigh of relief, and let them disappear for a few years. There is an assumption they'll return to church later, as adults with young families. Many never come back. They become less and less involved in church and faith and, eventually, absent altogether--they slowly fade away. Facing critical decisions that affect the rest of their lives, college-aged people need a faith community more than ever.A senior pastor, a college pastor, and a twenty-something rethink one-on-one mentorship as the way to end the slow fade. They offer insights and suggestions that will help anyone get started fighting the fade.
The Slumber of Christianity
by Ted DekkerAs believers, our walk with God is motivated by hope-not the bland, vague notion most people have, but the expectation of an exotic, pleasurable inheritance that guides us and fires our passion...or, at least, should. Ted Dekker has written an exposé on the death of pleasure within the Church. Because many of us have set aside hope and the inspired imagination that drives it, Dekker says we have been lulled into a slumber of boredom, even despondency. Our faith wanes, the joy at having been liberated fades, and we feel powerless. The Slumber of Christianity explores what robs us of happiness and how we can rediscover it and live lives that rekindle hope. The pursuit of pleasure is a gift to all humans-a function of the Creator himself, who is bent upon our happiness. It's time for Christians to reclaim our inheritance of pleasure. The Slumber of Christianity will inflame hearts toward full-fledged, mind-expanding encounters with hope, through the imagination.
The Small Golden Key
by Thinley NorbuIn The Small Golden Key, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche explains in simple, concise language the important ideas and practices of Buddhism, with special attention to the Vajrayana teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. He discusses the origins of Buddhism in India and its spread to Tibet; the important lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, with emphasis on the Nyingma school; the differences between the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana teachings; the outstanding features of the Mahayana; and some of the special qualities and practices of the Vajrayana.
The Smell of Rain on Dust
by Martín PrechtelInspiring hope, solace, and courage in living through our losses, author Martín Prechtel, trained in the Tzutujil Maya shamanic tradition, shares profound insights on the relationship between grief and praise in our culture--how the inability that many of us have to grieve and weep properly for the dead is deeply linked with the inability to give praise for living. In modern society, grief is something that we usually experience in private, alone, and without the support of a community. Yet, as Prechtel says, "Grief expressed out loud for someone we have lost, or a country or home we have lost, is in itself the greatest praise we could ever give them. Grief is praise, because it is the natural way love honors what it misses."Prechtel explains that the unexpressed grief prevalent in our society today is the reason for many of the social, cultural, and individual maladies that we are currently experiencing. According to Prechtel, "When you have two centuries of people who have not properly grieved the things that they have lost, the grief shows up as ghosts that inhabit their grandchildren." These "ghosts," he says, can also manifest as disease in the form of tumors, which the Maya refer to as "solidified tears," or in the form of behavioral issues and depression. He goes on to show how this collective, unexpressed energy is the long-held grief of our ancestors manifesting itself, and the work that can be done to liberate this energy so we can heal from the trauma of loss, war, and suffering.At base, this "little book," as the author calls it, can be seen as a companion of encouragement, a little extra light for those deep and noble parts in all of us.
The Smitten Collection: Smitten, Secretly Smitten, and Smitten Book Club (Smitten)
by Colleen Coble Kristin Billerbeck Diann Hunt Denise HunterJoin popular romance novelists--and real-life BFFs--Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for four delightful intertwined tales of mystery and sweet intrigue. Smitten Welcome to Smitten, Vermont. With the help of four friends, it's about to become the most romantic town in America. The proposed closing of the lumber mill comes as unwelcome news for the citizens of Smitten. How will the town survive without its main employer? A close-knit group of friends think they've got just the plan to save Smitten. They'll capitalize on its name and turn it into a tourist destination for lovers--and maybe revived their own love lives along the way. Secretly Smitten Summer, fall, winter, spring--Smitten, Vermont, is the place for love . . . and mystery! There's a secret in Grandma Rose's attic--a forgotten set of dog tags belonging to her first love. But David Hutchins was killed in action and never returned to Smitten. How did the dog tags end up in the attic? The mystery intrigues Rose's three granddaughters--Tess, Clare, and Zoe--and they decide to investigate, though their mother, Anna, warns against meddling. But as the seasons turn and the mystery unravels, they encounter some intriguing mystery men of their own. Smitten Book Club The century-old Gentlewoman's Guide to Love and Courtship is no ordinary book club choice. But for the little book club in Smitten, Vermont, it might be their best pick yet! The thick, leathery tome Heather pulled out of the dusty cardboard box was definitely coming home with her. Not only was The Gentlewoman's Guide to Love and Courtship an appealing curiosity by virtue of its title; it was also written by a Smitten, Vermont, native. When Heather and her fellow book club members begin passing the book around, their respective interpretations are unleashed on their love lives . . . for better or for worse. Is it a mystery? An idealist fantasy? An intimation of Jane Austen? As romantic love finds its way to each woman, the Guide proves itself both surprisingly prescient and hilariously irrelevant.
The Smoke Of The Soul
by Richard SuggWhat was the soul? Christians agreed that it was the immortal core of each human being. Yet there was no agreement on where the soul was, what it was, or how it could be joined to the body. The Smoke of the Soul explores the anxieties and excitement generated by the mysterious zone where matter met spirit, and where human life met eternity.
The Snark Handbook: Sarcasm, Bitterness, and the Holiday Season (Snark Series)
by Lawrence DorfmanBah! Humbug! It&’s that time of year again….Time to spend too much, drink too much, eat too much, smile falsely, dig down deep to try and find &“good cheer,&” battle crowds, try to find parking in over-crowded lots, ignore surly clerks, bartenders, waiters, valets, and parking lot attendants, all in the pursuit of that moment of happiness known throughout the world as…dun, dun, dun: the Holidays. Has there ever been a time more suited to tapping into snark? With commentary, jokes, and quotes regarding Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, New Year&’s; on bad presents, worse in-laws, horrible children, and much more glorious excess. Enjoy such rotten sugar plums as: • &“Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people once a year.&”—Victor Borge • &“If someone screws up on their gift, there are seven more days to correct it...No awkward explanations of virgin birth...No Irving Berlin songs.&”—Among the Top Ten Reasons to Love Hanukkah • &“What I don&’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day.&”—Phyllis DillerThe Snark Handbook: Christmas Edition is destined to be a holiday classic.
The Snooze Brothers / VeggieTales: A Lesson in Responsibility (Big Idea Books / VeggieTown Values)
by Cindy Kenney Doug PetersonJunior and Laura find out that being responsible means working with all your heart—and keeping your commitments.
The Snow Angel
by Glenn Beck Nicole BaartThe woman in the picture was so young she looked like a child. Her hair was loose, eyes wide, blue T-shirt stark against the pale lines of arching collarbones. I felt the air leave me in a quiet rush. Not because of the way the photo captured her fleeting youth, but because of the way it highlighted the bruise.It was a photo of me.Rachel Price has just one happy memory from her childhood: the moment her father took her hands while playing outside on a cold, snowy day and called her his angel. It was a rare and sacred moment in her young life, one in which she finally felt safe, loved, and protected.But it didn't last long.Years later, Rachel's daughter is the only light in what has become a dark life. Rachel repeats the patterns she learned as a child and exposes her own daughter to those same destructive behaviors. Consumed by an abusive marriage, but secure in the safety of the familiar, she is too afraid to escape.Rachel accepts what her life has become, even as she makes excuses for those who keep her in a constant state of despair and regret. But then, an unexpected phone call from an old friend changes everything. Her ordered world is turned upside down as she's set on a journey that might be her last chance to salvage the life she'd given up on long ago.While new friendships tentatively blossom, Rachel realizes that everything she once believed may be nothing but lies and misunderstandings. But knowing the truth is not as easy as it seems. Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss. As the snow falls and the promise of Christmas redemption nears, Rachel begins to see her entire childhood in a brand-new light and must now decide what her future holds--and what her past really means. Will knowing the truth set her free, or will it condemn her to a life full of regret and "what ifs"?The Snow Angel is a poignant tale about family, forgiveness, and the freedom to live a future free of the past.
The Snow Lion's Turquoise Mane: Wisdom Tales from Tibet
by Surya DasTales of enlightenment that stem from the centuries-old oral Tibetan tradition, collected by one of the foremost American Buddhist teachers and scholars.Introduction by His Holiness the Dalai LamaThis remarkable book brings together more than 150 authentic Buddhist teaching tales from the Hidden Kingdom of Tibet—most never before translated into English. These captivating stories, legends and yarns—passed orally from teacher to student—capture the vibrant wisdom of an ancient and still-living oral tradition. Magical, whimsical, witty and ribald, The Snow Lion’s Turquoise Mane unfolds a luminous vision of a universe where basic goodness, harmony, and hope prevail.“This collection of more than 150 stories is the only such large anthology in the field of either Tibetan Buddhism or Himalayan folk and fairy tales, and provides unique reading material for both adults and children.” —Mu Soeng Sunim, Tricycle: The Buddhist Review“These wonderful stories of wandering yogis and yak herders echo with uncommon sense and deep wisdom.” —Rick Fields, author of How the Swans Came to the Lake
The Social Church: A Theology of Digital Communication
by Justin WiseDid you know you can read online reviews of your church? How often have you talked about &“reaching people where they are&”—and realized that much of the time, they are on the Internet? We&’ve been living in a digital world for quite a while now. Justin Wise speaks about social media as this generation's printing press—a revolutionary technology that can spread the gospel farther and faster than we can imagine. It&’s time to take what we know (and admit what we don&’t know) and learn together how to move forward as the church. Are you ready to think theologically about this digital age and reach people in a new way?
The Social Church: A Theology of Digital Communication
by Justin WiseDid you know you can read online reviews of your church? How often have you talked about &“reaching people where they are&”—and realized that much of the time, they are on the Internet? We&’ve been living in a digital world for quite a while now. Justin Wise speaks about social media as this generation's printing press—a revolutionary technology that can spread the gospel farther and faster than we can imagine. It&’s time to take what we know (and admit what we don&’t know) and learn together how to move forward as the church. Are you ready to think theologically about this digital age and reach people in a new way?
The Social Equality of Religion or Belief: A New View Of Religion's Place In Society
by Alan CarlingSome countries, like the UK, give special recognition by the state to one or a few religions; other countries, like France and the US, give recognition to none. This book is about a new approach that gives equal recognition to all religions and non-religious belief systems.
The Social Equality of Religion or Belief: A New View of Religion's Place in Society
by Alan CarlingThe Social Equality of Religion or Belief.
The Social Ethos of Corinthian Correspondence: Interests and Ideology from 1 Corinthians to 1 Clement
by David G. HorrellAn exemplary study, focussing on the Corinthian correspondence, of the social ethos of early Christian teaching and its development.
The Social Gospel in American Religion: A History
by Christopher H EvansA new and much-needed history of one of America&’s most important religious movements . . . from before the Civil War to after Civil Rights to Barack Obama.&” —Barry Hankins, Professor of History, Baylor University The global crises of child labor, alcoholism and poverty were all brought to our attention through the social gospel movement. Its impact on American society makes it one of the most influential developments in American religious history. Christopher H. Evans traces the development of the social gospel in American Protestantism, and illustrates how the religious idealism of the movement also rose up within Judaism and Catholicism. Contrary to the works of previous historians, Evans demonstrates how the presence of the social gospel continued in American culture long after its alleged demise following World War I. Evans reveals the many aspects of the social gospel and their influence on a range of social movements during the twentieth century, culminating with the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. It also explores the relationship between the liberal social gospel of the early twentieth century and later iterations of social reform in late twentieth century evangelicalism.The Social Gospel in American Religion considers an impressive array of historical figures including Washington Gladden, Emil Hirsch, Frances Willard, Reverdy Ransom, Walter Rauschenbusch, Stephen Wise, John Ryan, Harry Emerson Fosdick, A. J. Muste, Georgia Harkness, and Benjamin Mays. It demonstrates how these figures contributed to the shape of the social gospel in America, while arguing that the movement&’s legacy lies in its profound influence on broader traditions of liberal-progressive political reform in American history.
The Social Life of Hagiography in the Merovingian Kingdom
by Jamie KreinerThis book charts the influence of Christian ideas about social responsibility on the legal, fiscal and operational policies of the Merovingian government, which consistently depended upon the collaboration of kings and elites to succeed, and it shows how a set of stories transformed the political playing field in early medieval Gaul. Contemporary thinkers encouraged this development by writing political arguments in the form of hagiography, more to redefine the rules and resources of elite culture than to promote saints' cults. Jamie Kreiner explores how hagiographers were able to do this effectively, by layering their arguments with different rhetorical and cognitive strategies while keeping the surface narratives entertaining. The result was a subtle and captivating literature that gives us new ways of thinking about how ideas and institutions can change, and how the vibrancy of Merovingian culture inspired subsequent Carolingian developments.
The Social Life of Spirits
by Ruy Blanes Diana Espírito SantoSpirits can be haunters, informants, possessors, and transformers of the living, but more than anything anthropologists have understood them as representations of something else--symbols that articulate facets of human experience in much the same way works of art do. The Social Life of Spirits challenges this notion. By stripping symbolism from the way we think about the spirit world, the contributors of this book uncover a livelier, more diverse environment of entities--with their own histories, motivations, and social interactions--providing a new understanding of spirits not as symbols, but as agents. The contributors tour the spiritual globe--the globe of nonthings--in essays on topics ranging from the Holy Ghost in southern Africa to spirits of the "people of the streets" in Rio de Janeiro to dragons and magic in Britain. Avoiding a reliance on religion and belief systems to explain the significance of spirits, they reimagine spirits in a rich network of social trajectories, ultimately arguing for a new ontological ground upon which to examine the intangible world and its interactions with the tangible one.
The Social Life of Spirits
by Ruy Blanes Diana Espírito SantoSpirits can be haunters, informants, possessors, and transformers of the living, but more than anything anthropologists have understood them as representations of something else—symbols that articulate facets of human experience in much the same way works of art do. The Social Life of Spirits challenges this notion. By stripping symbolism from the way we think about the spirit world, the contributors of this book uncover a livelier, more diverse environment of entities—with their own histories, motivations, and social interactions—providing a new understanding of spirits not as symbols, but as agents. The contributors tour the spiritual globe—the globe of nonthings—in essays on topics ranging from the Holy Ghost in southern Africa to spirits of the “people of the streets” in Rio de Janeiro to dragons and magic in Britain. Avoiding a reliance on religion and belief systems to explain the significance of spirits, they reimagine spirits in a rich network of social trajectories, ultimately arguing for a new ontological ground upon which to examine the intangible world and its interactions with the tangible one.