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Massacre at Sand Creek: How Methodists Were Involved in an American Tragedy
by Gary L. RobertsSand Creek. At dawn on the morning of November 29, 1864, Colonel John Milton Chivington gave the command that led to slaughter of 230 peaceful Cheyennes and Arapahos--primarily women, children, and elderly--camped under the protection of the U. S. government along Sand Creek in Colorado Territory and flying both an American flag and a white flag. The Sand Creek massacre seized national attention in the winter of 1864-1865 and generated a controversy that still excites heated debate more than 150 years later. At Sand Creek demoniac forces seemed unloosed so completely that humanity itself was the casualty. That was the charge that drew public attention to the Colorado frontier in 1865. That was the claim that spawned heated debate in Congress, two congressional hearings, and a military commission. Westerners vociferously and passionately denied the accusations. Reformers seized the charges as evidence of the failure of American Indian policy. Sand Creek launched a war that was not truly over for fifteen years. In the first year alone, it cost the United States government $50,000,000. Methodists have a special stake in this story. The governor whose polices led the Cheyennes and Arapahos to Sand Creek was a prominent Methodist layman. Colonel Chivington was a Methodist minister. Perhaps those were merely coincidences, but the question also remains of how the Methodist Episcopal Church itself responded to the massacre. Was it also somehow culpable in what happened? It is time for this story to be told. Coming to grips with what happened at Sand Creek involves hard questions and unsatisfactory answers not only about what happened but also about what led to it and why. It stirs ancient questions about the best and worst in every person, questions older than history, questions as relevant as today's headlines, questions we all must answer from within.
Moon Israel & the West Bank: Planning Essentials, Sacred Sites, Unforgettable Experiences (Travel Guide)
by Genevieve BelmakerAncient stories meet modern cities in this deeply significant region where the past is always present. Take the trip of a lifetime with Moon Israel & the West Bank. Inside you'll find:Flexible, strategic itineraries including a week in Jerusalem, three days in Tel Aviv, and a month exploring the region plus excursions to the West Bank, the Dead Sea, and Petra The top sights and unique experiences: Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or pay respects at the Western Wall, and stop at holy sites throughout Northern Israel and the West Bank. Feast on falafel, hummus, and shaksuka and haggle for antiques at a market in Jerusalem. Bike through Tel Aviv's charming Neve Tzedek neighborhood or relax at one of its beaches. Float in the Dead Sea, watch the sun set over the massive Negev craters, or stay overnight in a Bedouin tent encampment Local insight: Journalist and longtime Jerusalem resident Genevieve Belmaker shares the history and culture of her beloved former home Full-color, vibrant photos throughoutDetailed maps for exploring on your own, and useful tips on border crossings and checkpoints Thorough background information on the landscape, history, government, and culture Handy tools and planning essentials including Hebrew and Arabic phrasebooks, health and safety tips, customs and conduct, and information for LGBTQ, female, and senior travelers, families with children, travelers of color, and travelers with disabilities Focused coverage of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, the North Coast, the Galilee and the Golan Heights, the West Bank, Eilat and the Negev, and Petra, Jordan Experience the best of Israel and the West Bank with Moon's practical advice and insider tips. Exploring further? Check out Moon Egypt.About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell—and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you. For more inspiration, follow @moonguides on social media.
Medicine, Religion, and Magic in Early Stuart England: Richard Napier's Medical Practice (Magic in History)
by Ofer HadassThe astrologer-physician Richard Napier (1559-1634) was not only a man of practical science and medicine but also a master of occult arts and a devout parish rector who purportedly held conversations with angels. This new interpretation of Napier reveals him to be a coherent and methodical man whose burning desire for certain, true knowledge contributed to the contemporary venture of putting existing knowledge to useful ends.Originally trained in theology and ordained as an Anglican priest, Napier later studied astrological medicine and combined astrology, religious thought, and image and ritual magic in his medical work. Ofer Hadass draws on a remarkable archive of Napier’s medical cases and religious writings—including the interviews he claimed to have held with angels—to show how Napier’s seemingly inconsistent approaches were rooted in an inclusive and coherent worldview, combining equal respect for ancient authority and for experientially derived knowledge. Napier’s endeavors exemplify the fruitful relationship between religion and science that offered a well-founded alternative to the rising mechanistic explanation of nature at the time.Carefully researched and compellingly told, Medicine, Religion, and Magic in Early Stuart England is an insightful exploration of one of the most fascinating figures at the intersection of medicine, magic, and theology in early modern England and of the healing methods employed by physicians of the era.
Apocalyptic Literature in the New Testament (Core Biblical Studies)
by Greg CareyEvery significant layer of the New Testament features the distinctive concerns of apocalyptic literature, including the expectation of a messiah, hope for a resurrection, expectation of a final judgment, and a spiritual world that includes angels and demons. Yet many contemporary readers shy away from things apocalyptic, especially the book of Revelation. This introduction considers the influence of apocalyptic literature throughout the Gospels and Acts, Paul's letters, and Revelation. It argues that early Christian authors drew upon apocalyptic topics to address an impressive array of situations and concerns, and it demonstrates--example after example--how apocalyptic discourse contributed to their ongoing work of contextual theology.
Come Back: Returning to the Life You Were Made For
by Roger RossAre there places in your life you need to come back from? Maybe it’s around family brokenness or a friend’s betrayal. It could be classmate drama or a family divorce. Perhaps money problems or health issues have caused a loss. Whatever the case, it feels like life has been against you. Come Back: Returning to the Life You Were Made For offers five elements that are crucial to renewal. Each element is paired with an ancient practice that has helped people for thousands of years in countless cultures navigate the tricky waters of transformation. These five practices are designed for everyday people. It’s not too late and you’re not too far gone. You were made for a turnaround. You don’t need a spiritual pedigree to start the journey. Here’s what you do need: A heart-felt desire to see your life change and an openness to the process. That’s it. The rest will be revealed along the way.
Gandhi: Portrait of a Friend
by E Stanley Jones Foundation"On the day that Mahatma Gandhi was killed, I arrived in Delhi just an hour and a quarter before the tragedy ... the greatest tragedy since the Son of God died on the cross." So begins this compelling account of Gandhi by E. Stanley Jones, the world-renowned missionary evangelist to India during 40 seething years of struggle. Based on an intimate knowledge and understanding, Jones's revealing interpretation was written in gratitude to Gandhi, who, although they often disagreed, showed Jones "more of the spirit of Christ than perhaps any other . . . in East or West." "Martin Luther King, Jr., told me he owed a debt to my father for his book on Mahatma Gandhi. He had read many books on Gandhi, read his writings, but it was that particular book of my father's that had triggered his decision to use the method of ... nonviolence in his civil rights movement for his people." --Eunice Jones Mathews "Highly recommended."--Library Journal "To understand the meaning of this great leader ... read this book of interpretation."--Kirkus "Jones ... possesses a great gift of sympathetically interpreting the East to the West."--[London] Times Literary Supplement
Genesis to Revelation: A Comprehensive Verse-by-Verse Exploration of the Bible (Genesis to Revelation series)
by Keith SchovilleStudy the entire books of Hebrews; James; First and Second Peter; First, Second, and Third John; and Jude, including the uniqueness of God's final revelation for the salvation of the people, essential instruction in the faith, strengthening faith in the midst of the difficulties of life, faith and works, fellowship with God and with other believers, encouragement to be ruled by love, and the spiritual health of the church. Some of the major ideas explored are: developing a personal relationship with Christ; running the race of life; your Christian experience; your influence in the life of your church; Jesus as a historical person; the second coming of Christ; and Christian hospitality. More than 3.5 million copies of the series have been sold. This revision of the Abingdon classic Genesis to Revelation Series is a comprehensive, verse-by-verse, book-by-book study of the Bible based on the NIV. These studies help readers strengthen their understanding and appreciation of the Bible by enabling them to engage the Scripture on three levels: What does the Bible say? Questions to consider while reading the passage for each session. What does the passage mean? Unpacks key verses in the selected passage. How does the Scripture relate to my life? Provides three major ideas that have meaning for our lives today. The meaning of the selected passages are made clear by considering such aspects as ancient customs, locations of places, and the meanings of words. The simple format makes the study easy to use. Updates will include: New cover designs. New interior designs. Leader Guide per matching Participant Book (rather than multiple volumes in one book). Updated to 2011 revision of the New International Version Translation (NIV). Updated references to New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. Include biblical chapters on the contents page beside session lesson titles for at-a-glance overview of biblical structure. The simple format makes the study easy to use. Each volume is 13 sessions and has a separate leader guide.
Genesis to Revelation: A Comprehensive Verse-by-Verse Exploration of the Bible (Genesis to Revelation series)
by C. M. Kempton HewittStudy the entire Book of Revelation starting with John's theology that teaches that Jesus, the exalted Christ, is the center of faith. Some of the major ideas explored are: personal religious experience; the living voice of God in the church today; advocating for what is right; distinguishing between good and evil; God's grace seeks to redeem; and covenant with God. More than 3.5 million copies of the series have been sold. This revision of the Abingdon classic Genesis to Revelation Series is a comprehensive, verse-by-verse, book-by-book study of the Bible based on the NIV. These studies help readers strengthen their understanding and appreciation of the Bible by enabling them to engage the Scripture on three levels: What does the Bible say? Questions to consider while reading the passage for each session. What does the passage mean? Unpacks key verses in the selected passage. How does the Scripture relate to my life? Provides three major ideas that have meaning for our lives today. The meaning of the selected passages are made clear by considering such aspects as ancient customs, locations of places, and the meanings of words. The simple format makes the study easy to use. Updates will include: New cover designs. New interior designs. Leader Guide per matching Participant Book (rather than multiple volumes in one book). Updated to 2011 revision of the New International Version Translation (NIV). Updated references to New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. Include biblical chapters on the contents page beside session lesson titles for at-a-glance overview of biblical structure. The simple format makes the study easy to use. Each volume is 13 sessions and has a separate leader guide.
Genesis to Revelation: A Comprehensive Verse-by-Verse Exploration of the Bible
by C. M. Kempton HewittStudy the entire Book of Revelation starting with John's theology that teaches that Jesus, the exalted Christ, is the center of faith. Some of the major ideas explored are: personal religious experience; the living voice of God in the church today; advocating for what is right; distinguishing between good and evil; God's grace seeks to redeem; and covenant with God. Leader Guide includes: A verse-by-verse, in-depth look at the Scriptures. Background material, including word studies and history of the biblical setting. Answers to questions asked in the Participant Book. Application of the Scripture to daily life situations. Discussion suggestions. A variety of study options. Practical tips for leaders to use. More than 3.5 million copies of the series have been sold. This revision of the Abingdon classic Genesis to Revelation Series is a comprehensive, verse-by-verse, book-by-book study of the Bible based on the NIV. These studies help readers strengthen their understanding and appreciation of the Bible by enabling them to engage the Scripture on three levels: What does the Bible say? Questions to consider while reading the passage for each session. What does the passage mean? Unpacks key verses in the selected passage. How does the Scripture relate to my life? Provides three major ideas that have meaning for our lives today. The meaning of the selected passages are made clear by considering such aspects as ancient customs, locations of places, and the meanings of words. The simple format makes the study easy to use. Updates will include: New cover designs. New interior designs. Leader Guide per matching Participant Book (rather than multiple volumes in one book). Updated to 2011 revision of the New International Version Translation (NIV). Updated references to New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. Include biblical chapters on the contents page beside session lesson titles for at-a-glance overview of biblical structure. Include larger divisions within the contents page to reflect macro-structure of each biblical book. Ex: Genesis 1-11; Genesis 12-50; Exodus 1-15; Exodus 16-40; Isaiah 1-39; Isaiah 40-66. The simple format makes the study easy to use. Each volume is 13 sessions.
Genesis to Revelation: A Comprehensive Verse-by-Verse Exploration of the Bible
by Keith SchovilleStudy the entire books of Hebrews; James; First and Second Peter; First, Second, and Third John; and Jude, including the uniqueness of God's final revelation for the salvation of the people, essential instruction in the faith, strengthening faith in the midst of the difficulties of life, faith and works, fellowship with God and with other believers, encouragement to be ruled by love, and the spiritual health of the church. Some of the major ideas explored are: developing a personal relationship with Christ; running the race of life; your Christian experience; your influence in the life of your church; Jesus as a historical person; the second coming of Christ; and Christian hospitality. Leader Guide includes: A verse-by-verse, in-depth look at the Scriptures. Background material, including word studies and history of the biblical setting. Answers to questions asked in the Participant Book. Application of the Scripture to daily life situations. Discussion suggestions. A variety of study options. Practical tips for leaders to use. More than 3.5 million copies of the series have been sold. This revision of the Abingdon classic Genesis to Revelation Series is a comprehensive, verse-by-verse, book-by-book study of the Bible based on the NIV. These studies help readers strengthen their understanding and appreciation of the Bible by enabling them to engage the Scripture on three levels: What does the Bible say? Questions to consider while reading the passage for each session. What does the passage mean? Unpacks key verses in the selected passage. How does the Scripture relate to my life? Provides three major ideas that have meaning for our lives today. The meaning of the selected passages are made clear by considering such aspects as ancient customs, locations of places, and the meanings of words. The simple format makes the study easy to use. Updates will include: New cover designs. New interior designs. Leader Guide per matching Participant Book (rather than multiple volumes in one book). Updated to 2011 revision of the New International Version Translation (NIV). Updated references to New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. Include biblical chapters on the contents page beside session lesson titles for at-a-glance overview of biblical structure. Include larger divisions within the contents page to reflect macro-structure of each biblical book. Ex: Genesis 1-11; Genesis 12-50; Exodus 1-15; Exodus 16-40; Isaiah 1-39; Isaiah 40-66. The simple format makes the study easy to use. Each volume is 13 sessions.
Leadership Directions from Moses: On the Way to a Promised Land
by Olu BrownAuthor Olu Brown shares principles from the story of Moses, to guide leaders through some of the most gut-wrenching situations they will face. Leadership Directions from Moses answers the question, ‘How can I remain effective in answering my own call, when people around me—some of whom are trusted friends and colleagues—will not (or cannot) stay on the journey we’ve set out to complete? How can I keep moving forward, when the path suddenly becomes so difficult?’ The book covers topics like how to help others leave gracefully, how not to be upended when others choose to leave, how to have difficult conversations, and how to find unexpected opportunity in the challenge of new vacancies. It is full of practical help, including examples from pastors and churches across the US. It is also filled with compassion and wisdom—a pastoral book for pastors facing this difficult, nuanced, and often-emotional topic.
Mastery: Daily Devotions for a Year
by E Stanley Jones FoundationJesus Christ lifted our fear by giving us the capacity to face things that happen to us and to make something out of them. In Mastery, E. Stanley Jones shows us how to attain the moral and spiritual mastery that came to the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. He demonstrates that mastery of living comes not by being tense and anxious, but by being receptive to the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. In daily inspirational readings, affirmations, and prayers for one full year, Jones offers us guidance in mastering our lives.guidance in mastering our lives.
Pastoral Care: Telling the Stories of Our Lives
by Karen D. ScheibChristian pastoral care is a narrative, ecclesial, theological practice (NET). As a narrative practice, pastoral care attends to the inseparable interconnection between our own lifestories, others' stories, the larger cultural stories, and God's story. As a ministry of the church, pastoral care is an ecclesial practice that derives its motivation, purpose, and identity from the larger mission of the church to bear witness to and embody God's mission of love that extends beyond the church for the transformation of the world. As a theological practice, pastoral care is grounded in God's love story. God's profound love for humankind heals our brokenness when human love fails and invites us into an ongoing process of growth in love of God, self, and neighbor. Intended for those who provide care with and on behalf of religious communities, author Karen Scheib focuses on listening and "restorying" practices occurring in the context and setting of congregations. By coauthoring narratives that promote healing and growth in love, pastoral caregivers become cocreators and companions who help others revise and construct life-stories reshaped by the grace of God. What Karen Scheib has done in this book is to reposition pastoral care as a theological activity performed in the context of the church. She draws deeply upon her Wesleyan theological heritage, upon an understanding of life in its fullness as growth in love and grace, and upon a "communion ecclesiology" undergirded by a communal understanding of the Trinitarian life of God. Thus grounded, she envisions pastoral care first as a rhythm of the life of the whole church and secondarily as a work of trained pastors. In her vision, pastoral care is rescued from a narrow understanding of it as exceptional acts of intervention performed only in moments of dire crisis. Instead, it becomes a "daily practice of pastoral care," an attending, in love, to the stories of others and a "listening for ways God is already present in a life story." Solidly theological, grounded in the life of the church, and eminently teachable - Karen Scheib has given us a great gift in this book." from the Foreword -Thomas G. Long, Bandy Professor of Preaching, Emeritus, Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Right Here Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness
by Amy G. Oden Marjorie J. ThompsonChristians have always practiced mindfulness. Yet, from the popular landscape of mindfulness movement, you’d never know that. Where is the Christian voice in this fast-growing movement? Many Christians practice mindfulness outside of church and believe it does not belong to our faith tradition. This book reveals the Christian roots of mindfulness and the actual practices that, when reclaimed, deepen the life of faith and the power of our mission of love in the world. When we understand how radical it is to live in God’s presence right here, right now, our lives are transformed toward mercy, justice and abundant life. Amy Oden shows how the practice of Christian mindfulness begins with the teachings of Jesus and continues throughout Christian history. It also includes step-by-step instructions for the practice of Christian mindfulness today. Pastors and leaders will find this book useful on the ground as they curate current culture and guide Christians in spiritual practices.
That'll Preach!: 5 Simple Steps to Your Best Sermon Ever
by Charley ReebExperienced preacher, teacher and author, Charley Reeb, gives readers a 5-step plan for writing and delivering a sermon that can transform lives for Christ. He covers preparation, sermon structure, storytelling, and how to ‘preach with presence’. He examines lectionary and topical preaching models, and shows the reader how to determine which model to use; he further instructs the reader to use the 5-step plan for each model. Finally, That’ll Preach! offers sermon outlines and full sermons, as examples to illustrate the book’s teaching. The entire book stems from the author’s view that sermons must be engaging in order to be effective. This laser focus results in a book that is powerful and immediately useful, concise and purposeful. It is a book for every preacher.
Voice, Word, and Spirit: A Pentecostal Old Testament Survey
by Brian Neil Peterson Rickie D. MoorePentecostalism is a movement that, in a little over a century, has encircled the globe and, either directly or indirectly, has impacted and influenced every quarter of Christendom. At its heart the movement bears witness to a contemporary experience of divine-human encounter in line with the prophetic claims of the Old Testament and the Pentecost testimony of the New—indeed an encounter with the power/the presence/the Spirit of God that is radically transformative enough, at both personal and corporate levels, to evoke a new way of seeing the world and, with it, a new way of reading the Word. In the post-modern situation that has forced all of us to a greater awareness of the contextual particularities of how we see and read things, with all of the limitation and the illumination that this can entail, it is time for offering a survey of Scripture, and the Old Testament in particular, that speaks both from and to the manifold global context of Pentecostal faith and practice. Here the authors are deft guides, affirming the integration of academic scholarship and charismatic spirituality. They present thoughtful readers with an overview of the Old Testament that is explicitly engaged with the faith and practice of the Pentecostal movement and the recent scholarship that has been generated by this contemporary, global, Christian movement, especially as it bears upon biblical interpretation. They invite readers to approach scripture reading with the expectation of being encountered and addressed by a Living Voice, flipping the primary goal of biblical study from ‘us interpreting Scripture’ to ‘Scripture reading and interpreting us.’ In addition to treating each Old Testament book individually, this textbook offers a brief chapter-length introduction to each of the four major book collections, as standardized in the Protestant Bible’s arrangement of Old Testament Scriptures: 1) Pentateuch; 2) Historical Books; 3) Poetical Books; and 4) Prophets.
We Pray with Her: Encouragement for All Women Who Lead
by Shannon Sullivan Emily Peck-McClain Danyelle Trexler J. Paige Boyer Jen TylerLeading while female—whether in business, politics, the home, local communities, or the church—can be incredibly life-giving and spiritually fulfilling, yet lonely and difficult. “We Pray with Her” means supporting all the hers, both established and just starting up the ladder, who are leading the charge in today’s culture. It is a commitment to let them know that they are not alone, and that we are praying with along with them. In a world of glass ceilings, harassment, and “boy’s clubs,” women often encounter obstacles when they seek to forge ahead in their work to leave a positive mark through their labor, personal efforts, and causes. Women business leaders, political candidates, clergy, and trailblazers of all kinds need the support and encouragement of their fellow women. We are not intended to walk through life alone, and by raising each other up in prayer we will in-turn be inspired in our own efforts, grow in our faith, be understanding of shortfalls, and celebrate successes along with our fellow women. This inspiring devotional is a collection of 100 entries written by the women of WePrayWithHer, a grassroots movement turned online collective of women faith leaders, explores themes such as call, vocation, persistence, resistance, and struggle. Whether you’re a woman leader looking for personal inspiration, in a supportive role to a leader, an aspiring leader, or a woman who wants to support her sisters in Christ, you’ll find a home within these pages. Join the movement with your prayers, by mentoring, and through daily acts of solidarity with the women in your life and community. In these readings you’ll be emboldened to support one another as we strive to live the life to which God has called us.
Divine Blood: A Novel of Science and Faith
by Martinez HewlettIt is an astonishing discovery: a bloodstained burial shroud entombed in the crumbling walls of a historic French Monastery. Carbon dating concludes the fabric is from the time of Christ. A molecular biologist conducts a daring experiment: the cloning of genetic material recovered from the cloth. Now two men--Father Laurent Carriere and scientist Josh Francis--are plunged into the center of a worldwide religious and political power struggle. But even as Washington and the Vatican vie for control of the relic, members of a secret society take steps to reclaim the holy artifact they have sworn to protect--by any means necessary. Selected by the Literary Guild® and the Doubleday Book Club®.
Religion and Politics in the Contemporary United States (A Special Issue of<I> American Quarterly</I> <I> </I>)
by R. Marie Griffith, Melani McAlisterThis collection of essays from a special issue of American Quarterly explores the complex and sometimes contradictory ways that religion matters in contemporary public life.Religion and Politics in the Contemporary United States offers a groundbreaking, cross-disciplinary conversation between scholars in American studies and religious studies. The contributors explore numerous modes through which religious faith has mobilized political action. They utilize a variety of definitions of politics, ranging from lobbying by religious leaders to the political impact of popular culture. Their work includes the political activities of a very diverse group of religious believers: Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and others. In addition, the book explores the meanings of religion for people who might contest the term—those who are spiritual but not religious, for example, as well as activists who engage symbols of faith and community but who may not necessarily consider themselves members of a specific religion. Several essays also examine the meanings of secular identity, humanist politics, and the complex evocations of civil religion in American life.No other book on religion and politics includes anything like the diversity of religions, ethnicities, and topics that this one does—from Mormon political mobilization to attempts at Americanizing Muslims in the post-9/11 United States, from César Chávez to James Dobson, from interreligious cooperation and conflict over Darfur to the global politics surrounding the category of Hindus and South Asians in the United States.
1 Corinthians: Living Together in a Church Divided (New Testament Everyday Bible Study Series)
by Scot McKnightPaul writes a letter to a church routinely in disagreement with Paul's vision for how to live as a Christian in Corinth (a Roman city). The Corinthians were daily challenged to pursue Romanitas, or the social, cultural, and religious life of the elites in the Roman world, and thus the Corinthians were pursuing too much prestige and status and honor. Various factions, or divisions, had formed among the house churches. Paul addresses a series of church problems presenting themselves in Corinth that need to be understood and corrected so the believers of Corinth can walk in the way of Christ more consistently.Scot McKnight provides scholarly insights with a pastoral heart for all the books of the New Testament. The NIV is used as the primary Bible text but McKnight also includes insights from his own translation of the entire New Testament. Each Bible study features a short, compact, clear exposition that both summarizes the whole and gives the reader a clear focus for what is central to the passage.McKnight also offers some historical context; connects the passage to the larger story of the Bible; provides an illustration, a metaphor, or an image that brings the passage alive; and provides a list of 2-3 resources for further reading or study. The series is suitable for group study, personal study, or daily reading.
1 Timothy: A 30-Day Devotional (Strong Man Devotionals)
by Vince MillerBased on the New Testament book of 1 Timothy, these 30 daily devotions include Scripture, prayers, and actionable ideas for men who want to grow in spiritual leadership and become truly courageous men of God. This in-depth 30-day devotional and Bible study helps men grow more courageous in their role as spiritual leaders in their families, workplaces, and churches as they listen to the apostle Paul mentor his protégé Timothy. Timothy was known for being timid, but Paul—one of the greatest church leaders of the first century— spoke the truth into this young man, giving him courage to be a leader. In 1 Timothy: A Strong Man Is Courageous, Vince Miller explains how Timothy lived in the metropolis of Ephesus, where Paul had planted a church years before. This church had fallen into doctrinal and organizational disrepair, and now Paul wanted Timothy to get the church back on track. Every devotion in 1 Timothy includes a reflection from Vince drawn from Paul&’s words, insights from other biblical books, and ideas for applying Paul&’s advice to your own situation. As Vince will show you, God uses mentoring relationships for His glory on our journey to becoming spiritual leaders and learners.
100 Jewish Brides: Stories from Around the World
by Barbara Vinick and Shulamit Reinharz100 Jewish Brides: Stories from Around the World features stories of Jewish brides from six continents, highlighting diverse customs and rituals related to weddings now and in the past. The stories, written by brides, their relatives, clergy, and other intimates, cover similarities and differences across the Jewish diaspora, from courtship and betrothal to pre-wedding customs, the wedding ceremony, and beyond. With stories from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, this collection of intimate personal testimonies will surprise and inspire. A Jewish wedding after conversion in Madagascar, a reunion of Holocaust survivors in Sweden, a shipboard romance initiated by a celebrity, these stories from 83 countries describe Jewish wedding traditions, some familiar and others eye-opening, in a multitude of cultures and settings, past and present. 100 Jewish Brides offers intimate glimpses into the worlds of brides and their families based on their own written accounts. It represents opportunities to learn how Jewish lives were and are currently lived around the world from memories of the distant past to recent times.
101 Silly Easter Jokes for Kids
by Editors of Ulysses Press101 Silly Easter Jokes for Kids is filled with funny knock-knocks, egg-cellent puns, and delightful gut-busters that kids will love reading, sharing, and telling.Discover the ultimate laugh-out-loud joke book for kids that's all about celebrating Easter! Inside, kids will find clean, fun jokes like: What is the Easter Bunny's favorite state capital? Albunny, New York! What did the silly kid eat on Easter? Hot cross puns. Why did the Easter Bunny have to fire the assistant duck? Because he kept quacking all the eggs! What do you call a rabbit who works in a bakery? A yeaster bunny! What do you call a chocolate Easter bunny that was out in the sun too long? A runny bunny. . . . .And many more!
12 Daring Women of the Bible Study Guide plus Streaming Video: Real Women, Real Trials, Real Triumphs
by Lisa Harper Margaret Feinberg Bianca Juarez Olthoff Chrystal Evans Hurst Karen Ehman Courtney Joseph FallickIn this twelve-session video Bible study, some of today's best-loved Christian authors and speakers look at the spiritual lessons learned from twelve daring women in the Bible and what they mean for you today.As you look at each of these women&’s lives, you will discover how to:Apply biblical lessons to your own modern-day struggles.Live through your failures as well as your successes.Draw near to God in a world filled with trials.Find lasting contentment in every situation.Overcome rejection and insecurity . . . and much more.You&’ll study the lives of . . .Shulamite Woman: We Had God at Hello (Lisa Harper) Deborah: Fight Like a Girl (Bianca Juarez Olthoff)Proverbs 31 Woman: How Not to Do It All (Karen Ehman)Ruth: Staying Focused in a World of Distractions (Chrystal Evans Hurst)Puah and Shiphrah: How to Fight Your Fears (Margaret Feinberg)Esther: Letting God Be in Control (Courtney Joseph)Priscilla: Living a Life of Blessed Ordinary (Karen Ehman)Mary and Martha: Finding Life in Death (Bianca Juarez Olthoff)Bent Woman: We've Got God's Complete Attention (Lisa Harper)Woman with the Issue of Blood: When Persistence Pays Off (Chrystal Evans Hurst)Elizabeth: How to Win the Waiting Game (Margaret Feinberg)Anna: How to Live a Life Devoted to God (Courtney Joseph Fallick)This study guide includes:Individual access to twelve streaming video sessionsBackground information on each womanVideo notes and a comprehensive structure for small group discussion timePersonal study and reflection materials for in-between sessionsGroup leader helps Previously published as Twelve More Women of the Bible.
21 Days to Jump-Start Your Intuition: Awaken Your Most Empowering Super Sense
by Sonia ChoquetteAwaken your intuitive voice, honor your spirit, and discover how to make your heart&’s desire a reality with the expert guidance of world-renowned spiritual teacher Sonia Choquette.Your intuition is the voice of your authentic Self. Developing your intuition allows you to recognize that you are a spiritual being, connect with the sacred gift that is your sixth sense, and trust the inner light of your spirit to help you maneuver your way to a prosperous life.In this easy-to-follow guide to developing your intuition, Sonia will show you how to:tap into your intuition to lead you to a life filled with purpose rid yourself of self-doubt, confusion, and anxiety so you can truly enjoy all that life has to offerre-energize your spirit and manifest abundance21 Days to Jump-Start Your Intuition is packed with intuitive guidance, expert teachings, and practical exercises that will help you to trust your vibes so you can live fully, freely, and joyously.Studies have shown it takes just 21 days to establish a new habit. If there&’s a skill you&’ve always wanted to take advantage of, the answer is only a few weeks away with Hay House&’s 21 Days series.
30 Real Signs from the Afterlife: Recognizing and Understanding Messages from Lost Loved Ones
by Melissa St. HilaireDiscover signals from the spirit world and connect with those you've lostSigns of the spirit world are all around us— which means contacting loved ones and pets who have passed on is possible. This guide shows you how to communicate with the afterlife by noticing and decoding the signs and messages it sends. Author Melissa St. Hilaire explains the essential steps to sensing and understanding spirit energy, setting good intentions before contacting spirits, making a connection, and maintaining that connection for as long as you want.Know the signs — Be ready when the spirits reach out by exploring 30 different ways they make contact, including paranormal activity, a sudden animal appearance, or targeting your senses.Commune and connect — Learn how to keep communication open with meditation, séances, mementos, and more. Then, learn to strengthen those connections through conduits like candles or crystal balls.The meaning in the message — From phantom flavors to psychic visions and temperature changes, learn how to interpret each sign and understand the guidance it is offering you.Record what you receive — Keep track of your messages from your loved ones with fill-in pages that offer space to describe the details of every sign you encounter and what it meant to you.Open yourself up to the spirits that surround you with help from the 30 Real Signs From the Afterlife.
40 Jahre Islamischer Religionsunterricht in Österreich: Islamische Bildung im europäischen Kontext (Wiener Beiträge zur Islamforschung)
by Tamara Nili-Freudenschuß Ednan AslanÖsterreich war eines der ersten westeuropäischen Länder, das den Islam als Körperschaft öffentlichen Rechts anerkannt hat. Diese historische Anerkennung geht zurück auf die lange, facettenreiche Geschichte des Islam in Österreich und erfüllte den Muslim*innen in Österreich einen lang gehegten Wunsch, welcher auch in vielen anderen europäischen Ländern besteht. Seit 40 Jahren ermöglicht diese Anerkennung den Muslim*innen, den Islam als ordentliches Unterrichtsfach an öffentlichen Schulen zu unterrichten. Die Erkenntnisse aus dieser langjährigen Erfahrung im Bereich des islamischen Religionsunterrichts sind von großer Bedeutung für andere europäische Staaten, die sich ebenfalls um die Integration des islamischen Religionsunterrichts in das öffentliche Schulwesen bemühen. Der Band bietet einen umfassenden Überblick aus religionspädagogischer und -didaktischer, gesellschafts- und bildungspolitischer, rechtlicher und empirischer Perspektive. Er beleuchtet die 40-jährige Geschichte des islamischen Religionsunterrichts in Österreich und zeigt auf, welchen Beitrag religiöse Bildung zur Integration muslimischer Kinder in die Gesellschaft leisten kann.
The 5 Love Languages of Children Workbook
by Gary Chapman Ross CampbellThe essential companion book for The 5 Love Languages® of ChildrenYou know you love your child. But how can you make sure your child knows it?The twelve lessons in this book were created to strengthen and deepen your relationship with your kids. These lessons give you workable strategies for applying the principles of The 5 Love Languages® of Children. They offer glimpses of your relationship&’s potential when you understand and speak your child&’s love language.This workbook—designed for individuals, couples, or small groups—focuses on the invaluable love languageTM content. It includes interactive questions, quizzes, charts, and diagrams—all aimed at helping you better express love and identify areas for development. As you work through this book, let patience, grace, and humor be your companions. Learning a love language requires more than a little trial and error. But it&’s worth the effort. As you combine the insights of The 5 Love Languages® of Children with this practical, interactive workbook, you will enjoy the beautiful, flourishing relationships with your kids that you desire!
The 5 Love Languages of Teenagers Workbook
by Gary ChapmanThe essential companion book for The 5 Love Languages® of TeenagersStruggling to connect with your teen?These thirteen lessons—created to strengthen and deepen your relationships with the teens in your life—provide workable strategies for applying the principles of The 5 Love Languages® of Teenagers. They offer glimpses of our relationship&’s potential when you understand and speak a teenager&’s love language.This workbook includes interactive questions, quizzes, charts, and diagrams—all aimed at helping you better express love and identify areas for development. Whether you&’re working with this book as an individual, a couple, or in a small group, let patience, grace, and humor be your companions.Never before has raising teens been so perplexing. If you are wondering what on earth you&’re doing wrong, you&’re not alone. But there is hope. By learning to meaningfully express love amid your teen&’s many changes, you can stay connected, maintain influence, and help your teen grow into a healthy adult.As you apply the interactive and practical lessons from this book, you will see dividends. And the more you pour into this workbook, the greater your dividends will be.
500 Years of Christianity and the Global Filipino/a: Postcolonial Perspectives (Pathways for Ecumenical and Interreligious Dialogue)
by Cristina Lledo Gomez Agnes M. Brazal Ma. Marilou S. IbitaThe year 2021 marked the five-hundredth anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines. With over 90% of the Filipin@s (Filipino/as) in the country and more than eight million around the world identifying as Christian, they are a significant force reshaping global Christianity. The fifth centenary called for celebration, reflection, and critique. This book represents the voices of theologians in the Philippines, the United States, Australia, and around the world examining Christianity in the Philippines through a postcolonial theological lens that suggests the desire to go beyond the colonial in all its contemporary manifestations. Part 1, “Rethinking the Encounters,” focuses on introducing the context of Christianity’s arrival in the archipelago and its effect on its peoples. Part 2, “Reappropriation, Resistance, and Decolonization,” grapples with the enduring presence of coloniality in Filipin@ religious practices. It also celebrates the ways Christianity has been critically and creatively reimagined.
7 Lies That Will Ruin Your Life: What My Journey from Porn Star to Preacher Taught Me About the Truth That Sets Us Free
by Joshua BroomeA former porn star-turned-preacher reveals seven lies our culture tells us and guides us to the only thing that creates authentic happiness: a relationship with Jesus. Joshua Broome knows this firsthand. He had a successful career in the adult film industry, making lots of money and achieving notoriety and all the markers of success. And yet he felt empty inside. After hitting rock bottom, he cried out to Jesus ... and it was only then that he was fully redeemed. In 7 Lies That Will Ruin Your Life, Joshua examines seven things we are told will make us happy and shows how each of them points us back to our need for God. Using his own journey as a point of reference, 7 Lies That Will Ruin Your Life pairs his personal experiences with Biblical truths, demonstrating both how we can be deceived and the healing truth that comes when we realize that Jesus really is enough.
8 Down (Alaskan Cyber Hunters)
by Kimberley Woodhouse"An amazing, breath-stealing, knuckle-biting thrill of a ride!" --Lynette Eason, award-winning, best-selling suspense author 8 bodies down. 8 more lives at stake. Investigator Carrie Kintz is new blood with the Alaska Bureau of Investigation in Anchorage. But with a serial killer on the loose, there's no easing into the job. It's sink or swim. The only clues to help law enforcement stop this madman are the taunts he drops into crossword puzzles across the country--always in the same 8 DOWN position. Carrie is desperate to prove her worth to the force and the community by catching the killer. But when she discovers signs that these deaths are just the tip of the iceberg in a frighteningly elaborate cyberattack, it's time to admit she needs help. Calling in security specialist Scott Patteson for his expertise seems like the right move--until Carrie realizes that he may be a dangerous distraction for her heart. With her faith fading in the face of horror and uncertainty and her career in danger of ending, this is no time for flirtation. But with a killer who is determined to prove that he's smarter than everyone else, it may be impossible to fight both the madman and their feelings for each other . . . "Put on your parkas as we head into a cold world of cybercrime, and hang on for the ride! Kimberley Woodhouse once again takes us on a nail-biter of a ride, and you won't want to quit until you've read the last page!" --Jaime Jo Wright, author of The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater
Abiding in Emptiness: A Guide for Meditative Practice
by Bhikkhu AnalayoAn incisive look into the early Buddhist teachings on emptiness, and a manual for bringing those teachings into our everyday lives.Before the growth of the Mahayana and the Perfection of Wisdom, the Buddha gave his own teachings, to his attendant Ananda, on the importance of emptiness (Pali sunnata, Sanskrit sunyata) in formal meditation and everyday practice. In this volume, renowned scholar-monk Bhikkhu Analayo explores these teachings and shows us how to integrate them into our lives. Bhikkhu Analayo draws from instructions found in the Greater and the Smaller Discourses on Emptiness (the Mahasunnatasutta and the Culasunnatasutta). In each chapter, he provides a translation of a pertinent excerpt from the discourses, follows this with clear and precise explanations of the text, and concludes by offering instructions for practice. Step by step, beginning with daily life and concluding with Nirvana, Bhikkhu Analayo unpacks the Buddha&’s teachings on the foundational teaching of emptiness.
The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2025: Planning Sermons for Every Sunday of the Year
by Charley ReebThe local pastor’s go-to resource for weekly sermon planning.The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2025 is Lectionary-based and follows the calendar year (January - December). It includes special days like Maundy Thursday and Ash Wednesday, and indexes for Scriptures and themes, to assist preachers with non-Lectionary sermons.Each entry begins with a preacher-to-preacher prayer for preparation, then moves to the key feature: a commentary on one or more texts for the week, exploring themes and storylines, theological reflections, and thoughts about how the text and topic relate to our lives today. Also included are ideas for bringing the text to life--stories, illustrations, ideas for further reading, questions the preacher might pose to the congregation, and suggestions for a ‘call to action’ in response to the message.Finally, for the preacher’s ongoing enrichment, the Annual includes excerpts from new books on preaching and homiletics. This helpful resource is written by every-week preachers who aim to come alongside you, offering a reliable starting point for your sermonic planning, writing, and delivery.
The Abingdon Worship Annual 2025: Worship Resources for Every Sunday of the Year
by B.J. Beu Mary ScifresThe go-to worship planning resource for all who plan weekly worship.The Abingdon Worship Annual 2025 is a practical, lectionary-based resource for leaders responsible for planning worship. This thoughtful sourcebook offers a weekly theme with meaningful prayers and fresh litanies following a traditional order of Christian worship: Invitation and Gathering Proclamation and Response Thanksgiving and Communion Sending ForthLiturgies and prayers are also included for special days, including New Year’s Day, Ascension Day, All Saints Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Eve.The Annual includes helpful reminders for Christian-year planning—including liturgical colors—and a scripture index. The authors also provide in-depth guidance and practical ideas for this new age of worship, helping readers understand and weigh their options for worshiping in digital spaces and unconventional places.The Abingdon Worship Annual 2025 is a must-have sourcebook offering countless opportunities for planning meaningful and insightful worship.
Abortion and Catholicism in Britain: Attitudes, Lived Religion and Complexity (Palgrave Studies in Lived Religion and Societal Challenges)
by Sarah-Jane Page Pam LoweThis book details how British Catholic communities view abortion, highlighting the diversity of positions which often contrast with the official line of Catholic Church doctrine. The authors’ extensive qualitative investigation involving various Catholic constituents demonstrates the complex ways attitudes are formed. Based on interviews with priests, Catholic parishioners, anti-abortion activists and Catholics living in close proximity to activism, this book takes a lived religion approach to argue that attitudes and approaches to abortion are nuanced and contextual, with the Catholic concept of individual conscience playing a fundamental role in navigating abortion issues. Ultimately, this investigation helps to explore in much greater depth the increased liberalisation in attitudes among Catholics towards abortion, at a time when Catholic activism opposing abortion is growing, and therefore shines a light on the conflicts that are apparent at the heart of Catholic parishes. Thisbook will be of interest to scholars in Gender and Sexuality Studies, Sociology, Theology and Religious Studies.
Abundant Grace: 40 Days of Walking in the Goodness of God: A Devotional
by Will Kassner Courtney KassnerFrom the creators of Crew + Co. comes a gorgeous 40-day devotional resource that will inspire reflection and encourage Christian creatives to make Scripture reading a daily practice in their lives.Abundant Grace, the debut devotional from Crew + Co. founders Courtney and Will Kassner, invites creative believers to meditate on and engage with Scripture daily, with devotions that are accessible, beautifully designed, and deeply encouraging. Divided into three parts—Knowing God's Grace, Trusting God's Grace, and Showing God's Grace—this forty-day devotional guides you in recognizing the small moments of grace around you and teaches you how to cultivate a grace-filled perspective in even the busiest lifestyle.Each of the forty days pairs a full-color hand-lettered Bible verse with a thoughtful devotion that closes with either a prayer or a reflection question for helping you recognize how God&’s grace works in your normal, everyday life.
Abuse in the Latin American Church: An Evolving Crisis at the Core of Catholicism
by Véronique Lecaros Ana Lourdes SuárezThis book addresses the crisis of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America, the region of the world with the highest percentage of Catholics. Bringing together research from across the continent, it demonstrates that abuse within the Church is indeed a global phenomenon, though abuses have taken different forms according to varying sociocultural contexts. With attention to abuses committed against children, women and vulnerable adults – by both men and women – within the settings of parishes, new religious movements and international religious organizations, it also raises questions of justice, asking how to assess the suffering of victims, how to deal with abusers and how to prevent abuses. It will therefore be of interest to scholars of religious studies, sociology, Latin American studies, criminology, theology, and religious leaders with interests in the abuses and scandals that have been revealed in the worldwide Church.
Academically Speaking: Lessons from a Life in Christian Higher Education
by Rick OstranderA personal odyssey through the world of Christian higher education, narrated by a professional who has worked on both sides of the faculty-administrative divide. What is the world of Christian higher education really like? Rick Ostrander&’s thirty-year career in Christian academia equips him to provide an insider&’s perspective on the field and its future. Ostrander cut his teeth as an undergraduate at Moody Bible Institute and the University of Michigan before completing his PhD with George Marsden at Notre Dame. From there he worked as a professor and administrator at various Christian colleges, a vice president at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and an independent academic consultant. Throughout, he witnessed the many dramatic transformations of Christian higher education. Ostrander traces an attempt to cultivate evangelical intellectualism in the &’90s to the political and economic forces that shake Christian colleges today. Through lively storytelling, Ostrander highlights the qualities and quirks of Christian higher education. His experiences offer readers insight into how Christian colleges can flourish in an age of uncertainty.
The Action Bible: Faith in Action Edition
by Sergio CarielloThis reimagining of the mega-selling Action Bible combines 230 stories of biblical heroes with vibrant comic-book-style illustrations and an immersive online experience. Readers will explore seven dynamic attributes of God&’s story, earn Faith in Action Badges representing those qualities, and discover even more through a discoverable QR code in each story that takes them to a safe online adventure of games, playlists, Bible studies, activities, and a complete devotional designed to increase their time with God. Since its release in 2010, The Action Bible has received widespread acclaim for its high-energy, engaging graphics and over 230 spiritually-transformative Bible stories. Introducing the Faith in Action program that reinvents the bestselling, comic-book-style Bible with a systematic approach to experiencing the Word of God for the next generation. In addition to an interior redesign refresh, this exciting edition includes: The Faith in Action system which gives young readers an easy-to-navigate and engaging experience for exploring the Bible through themes that connect directly to their felt needs. A Faith in Action Badge for each story that corresponds with one of seven biblical attributes: courage, faith, hope, love, service, trust, and wisdom. Discoverable QR codes in every story take readers to a safe online experience to explore even more content: videos, games, a digital Scripture index, prayers, Bible facts, devotions, playlists, reading plans, interactive maps, Bible study sessions, and more. A reading challenge chart spurs young readers on to earn a Faith in Action Title. With all the intrigue of a graphic novel and all the truth of God&’s Word, The Action Bible: Faith in Action Edition satisfies the curious minds and adventurous hearts of today&’s young learners, guiding them to connect more deeply with God&’s Word, develop a richer relationship with their Savior, and grow in their compassion for the world around them.
An Address to All Believers in Christ: By A Witness To The Divine Authenticity Of The Book Of Mormon
by David WhitmerDavid Whitmer was selected by Joseph Smith to be one of only three special witnesses to the Book of Mormon. Because most of the book was produced in David’s own house, he was an eye-witness to the translation process itself, and to the early history the Latter Day Saint movement.Later in life, David compiled this Address to All Believers, honestly critiquing actions of Joseph Smith and the early church. The reflections and honesty of an older man bring us priceless information on Joseph Smith and the early history of his movement. But it must be noted that Whitmer maintained his testimony of the Book of Mormon to death. That fact alone commands attention to the information and insights he provides.-Print ed.
The Adventure: A Practical Guide to Spiritual Awakening (Eckhart Tolle Editions)
by Steve TaylorStep-by-step practices for cultivating spiritual awakening, from a renowned spiritual psychologist who has studied the phenomenon in hundreds of people and experienced it himself Steve Taylor has devoted his life to investigating spiritual awakening. In his books The Leap and Extraordinary Awakenings, he discussed case histories of dozens of people who experienced profound shifts in consciousness. The Adventure draws on this groundbreaking research, together with Taylor’s own awakening experiences, to offer guided meditations, contemplative exercises, and other practices for catalyzing spiritual transformation, as well as lyric poems and inspirational stories. The Adventure outlines how to: • recognize and cultivate the eight defining characteristics of wakefulness, including presence, acceptance, gratitude, and disidentification from the ego • expand awareness and quiet the mind through meditations and practical exercises • transcend our normal “sleep” state and the “thought mind” to move toward increasing heights and depths of spiritual awakening • use the challenges of everyday life — of home, workplace, and relationships — as doorways to enlightenment
Afikoman, Where'd You Go?: A Passover Hide-and-Seek Adventure
by Rebecca Gardyn LevingtonHelp the children find the afikoman during their seder! It&’s a rambunctious Passover hide-and-seek story for fans of Where&’s Waldo? and The Gingerbread Man. This lively, funny picture book brings to life the Passover tradition of searching for the afikoman—literally. When the mischievous piece of matzoh runs and hides during the seder, all the kids in the family (and even the pet dog!) go hunting for it, through every room in the house. Readers can join the hunt and find the sneaky afikoman in each bright and busy scene while enjoying the playful rhyming text. And they&’re in for a surprise ending that&’s as delightful as this favorite part of Passover.
African Philosophy of Religion and Western Monotheism (Elements in Religion and Monotheism)
by null Kirk Lougheed null Motsamai Molefe null Thaddeus MetzThe Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are typically recognized as the world's major monotheistic religions. However, African Traditional Religion is, despite often including lesser spirits and gods, a monotheistic religion with numerous adherents in sub-Saharan Africa; it includes the idea of a single most powerful God responsible for the creation and sustenance of everything else. This Element focuses on drawing attention to this major world religion that has been much neglected by scholars around the globe, particularly those working in the West or Northern Hemisphere. It accomplishes this primarily by bringing it into conversation with topics in the Anglo-American philosophy of religion.
African Women Legends and the Spirituality of Resistance
by Musa W. Dube Telesia K. Musili Sylvia Owusu-AnsahThis volume focuses on African indigenous women legends and their potential to serve as midwives for gender empowerment and for contributing towards African feminist theories. It considers the intersection of gender and spirituality in subverting patriarchy, colonialism, anthropocentricism, and capitalism as well as elevating African women to the social space of speaking as empowered subjects with public influence. The chapters examine historical, cultural, and religious African women legends who became champions of liberation and their approach to social justice. The authors suggest that their stories of resistance hold great potential for building justice-loving Earth Communities. This book will be of interest to scholars of religion, gender studies, indigenous studies, African studies, African-indigenous knowledges, postcolonial studies, among others.
African Women’s Liberating Philosophies, Theologies, and Ethics
by Beatrice Okyere-Manu Léocadie LushomboThis volume explores the ethical and philosophical paradigms presented by most of the influential Matriarchs of the Circle of African Women Theologians. It critically evaluates the effectiveness of their ethical and philosophical theories, models, and frameworks in pursuing justice and liberation for women in Africa and globally. The authors address critical questions: How have African women theologians reimagined existing ethical paradigms? What original ethical and philosophical ideas have they generated? How have their ethical frameworks influenced the theologies and interpretations they have developed? What purposes do their ethical and philosophical paradigms serve? How do these renderings intersect with various social categories, including gender, race, class, sexuality, capitalism, and colonialism? What liberating frameworks do they propose? The volume further explores the dialogue between distinct African contexts and universal experiences and values. It explores how universal themes such as humanity, human dignity, rights, justice, motherhood, and more can coexist with communal African concepts and themes. It contemplates how embracing African approaches engages these themes more globally, bringing together particular African contexts of women and the universal ethical, philosophical, and theological theories, models, and frameworks to advance the cause of justice and liberation for African women and women worldwide into the future.
The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics
by Curtis Chang Nancy FrenchFor the exhausted, the hurting, and the faithful, The After Party helps reframe our political identity away from the "what" of political positions and toward the "how" being centered on Jesus.This paradigm-shifting book complements The After Party Project--a six-part, video-based, highly interactive curriculum that provides churches, small groups, and individuals with an on-the-ground, biblically based approach to a very complex topic.The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics helps readers who feel despair about political divisiveness:Engage with others across political differencesLearn specific steps to reframe political identity outside of partisan dividesFocus on how we relate to one another as Jesus teaches before moving to the what of political topicsThe After Party is ideal for:Republicans, Democrats, and Independents looking for renewed hope and humility for our nationLocal leaders seeking to counter animosity toward political opponents, susceptibility to lies, and other practices that threaten the common goodCongregations, classes, and small groups watching The After Party video seriesPastors who want to encourage their congregants to trade their partisan mindsets for the mind of ChristIt's not too late. In today's political environment, faithfulness to a biblical how of political engagement shines as a radical challenge to both the Right and the Left. If you worry about what politics is doing to your community, your family, and your own well-being, The After Party will transform your political imagination.It's time for us to go beyond party politics and--as Christians--believe in the true "party" yet to come.
Alan Watts in Late-Twentieth-Century Discourse: Commentary and Criticism from 1974-1994 (Routledge Research in Psychology)
by Peter J. ColumbusThis book is an anthology of commentary and criticism written within the transitional period between Alan Watts’ 1973 death and the twenty-first century intellectual horizon. Comprised of 16 chapters written and published between 1974 and 1994, with up-to-date introductions from the essayists and other contemporary thinkers, this volume opens a window onto unexplored grounds of Alan Watts’ impact within late-twentieth-century discourse – an intermediate space where scholars reoriented their bearings through changing times and emerging academic trends. Offering varied explanations and assessments of Alan Watts, including his influence on the Beat and Hippie generations, and his popularization of Zen Buddhism in America, it tackles unaddressed questions within the milieu of late-twentieth-century America from the Reagan Revolution and religious conservatism, to paradigm shifts in Buddhist studies and the rise of post-colonial theory. Contributors’ post-mortem analyses and critiques of Watts allow for a thematic rendering of their consonance or dissonance with noted Beat, Hippie, and Zen Buddhism themes of his lifetime. This volume will appeal to scholars and students of humanistic psychology, transpersonal psychology, the psychology of religion, comparative religion, and American studies.
Alaskan Wilderness Rescue (K-9 Search and Rescue #11)
by Sarah VarlandA missing person rescue is now a K-9 manhunt for a killer… A missing person case sends search and rescue worker Elsie Montgomery and her K-9 to a remote Alaskan island…only to discover she&’s got a target on her back. Now she must partner with pilot Wyatt Chandler, the one man she doesn&’t trust, to stay alive while confronting her shadowy past. But can they capture a killer before their time together runs out for good?From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.K-9 Search and Rescue Book 1: Desert Rescue by Lisa PhillipsBook 2: Trailing a Killer by Carol J. PostBook 3: Mountain Survival by Christy BarrittBook 4: Search and Defend by Heather WoodhavenBook 5: Following the Trail by Lynette EasonBook 6: Dangerous Mountain Rescue by Christy BarrittBook 7: Wilderness Hunt by Lisa PhillipsBook 8: Alaskan Mountain Search by Sarah VarlandBook 9: Alaskan Avalanche Escape by Darlene L. TurnerBook 10: Tracking Stolen Treasures by Lisa PhillipsBook 11: Alaskan Wilderness Rescue by Sarah VarlandBook 12: Lethal Mountain Pursuit by Christy Barritt
All Things Together: Christian Romantic Suspense (Acts of Valor #6)
by Rebecca HarttDiscover a Tale of Faith, Courage, and Redemption in “All Things Together,” a Christian Romantic Suspense from Rebecca Hartt—Present Day, Virginia Beach, Virginia and Savannah, Georgia—In this last installment of the Acts of Valor Series, Emma Stuart’s world is turned upside down when her three beloved sons are abducted right before her eyes. With the police more focused on framing Emma than on finding her boys, she turns to the one man she’s been trying to resist—her landlord.Navy SEAL sniper, Ben Harmony considers himself “Mr. Fix-it” for a reason. Loath to let his favorite tenant and single mother suffer any more than she already has, Ben decides they should track down Emma’s boys themselves. While they’re at it, Ben will prove to Emma that her heart is safe with him, despite his reputation as a lady’s man.In their quest to track down Emma’s ex, the couple encounters a secret society so powerful, not even a Navy SEAL can bring it down. Indeed, it’s the society that seeks to bring Ben down. With Mr. Fix-it possibly dead and her boys still missing, Emma has to wonder: How, exactly, is God working all things together for her good?Publisher’s Note: With her masterful storytelling, Rebecca Hartt plunges into the depths of emotion, taking readers on a rollercoaster ride of suspense, hope, and ultimate triumph. Fans of Ronie Kendig, Lynnette Eason, Dee Henderson, as well as Marliss Melton, Susan May Warren, and Colleen Coble, will enjoy this enduring power of faith, the resilience of the human spirit, and the redemptive nature of love. The Acts of Valor SeriesReturning to EdenEvery Secret ThingCry in the WildernessRising From AshesBraving the ValleyAll Things TogetherRebecca Hartt is the nom de plume for an award-winning, best-selling author of a different name who, compelled by her faith, decided to spin suspenseful military romance where God plays a vital role in character motivation and plot.As a child, Rebecca lived in countries all over the world. She has been a military dependent for most of her life and knows first-hand the dedication and sacrifice required by those who serve.Living near the military community of Virginia Beach, Rebecca is constantly reminded of the peril and uncertainty faced by U.S. Navy SEALs, many of whom testify to a personal and profound connection with their Creator.Their loved ones, too, rely on God for strength and comfort. These men of courage and women of faith are the subjects of Rebecca Hartt’s enthusiastically received Acts of Valor romantic suspense series.
The Alone Advantage: 10 Behind-the-Scenes Habits That Drive Crazy Success
by Terri Savelle FoyMaster Your Minutes in Private and You&’ll Master Your Life in PublicIn The Alone Advantage, Terri Savelle Foy shows how simple habits behind closed doors can reshape every aspect of your life.She knows what it&’s like to be in a rut, repeating the same routine with no significant progress toward deep-down dreams. Terri started noticing that although the average person does not spend time alone—the average successful person does.Whatever your unique, God-given dream is, Terri reveals what successful people do in private to prepare and achieve the dreams in their heart. Discoverthe morning routine that can change your life before breakfast,how to harness your imagination to visualize the future you want, andwhy successful people spend time alone.Step-by-step, Terri shows you how realizing your biggest dream starts with a daily to-do list. As you learn the habits of successful people—everything from waking up to cleaning up to growing up—you will become your own best cheerleader. The Alone Advantage equips you to wake up with vision, have a clear set of goals, and protect your time in private so God can promote you in public.
Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan's Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants
by Norman H. FinkelsteinA loving tribute to a towering figure in Jewish American history from two award-winning creators.Two-time National Jewish Book Award winner Norman H. Finkelstein and Sydney Taylor Award winner Vesper Stamper have teamed up to tell the story of Abraham Cahan, the founder and longtime editor of the Yiddish language newspaper the Forverts (the Forward), which, in its heyday, was one of the largest newspapers in the United States. As the saying went: "What's a home without the Forverts?"From explaining voting rights to the importance of public health measures to everyday questions like how to play baseball, Cahan improved the lives of countless newly arrived Jewish immigrants who wanted to feel at home in a new, strange land. He also published celebrated writers such as Isaac Bashevis Singer and created the iconic advice column the Bintel Brief for homesick readers.Back matter includes a bibliography, a time line, more info on Cahan's life and the Yiddish language, and a note on the author's personal connection to the Forverts.
The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World
by Sharon BrousThe national bestsellerFrom one of our country&’s most prominent rabbis, an inspiring book about the power of community based on one of her most impactful sermons.In a time of loneliness and isolation, social rupture and alienation, what will it take to mend our broken hearts and rebuild our society?Sharon Brous—a leading American rabbi—makes the case that the spiritual work of our time, as instinctual as it is counter-cultural, is to find our way to one other in celebration, in sorrow, and in solidarity. To show up for each other in moments of joy and pain, vulnerability and possibility, to invest in relationships of shared purpose and build communities of care. Brous contends that it is through honoring our most basic human instinct-- the yearning for real connection-- that we reawaken our shared humanity and begin to heal. This kind of sacred presence is captured by the word amen, a powerful ancient idea that we affirm the fullness of one another&’s experience by demonstrating, in body and word: &“I see you. You are not alone.&” An acclaimed preacher and story-teller, Brous pairs heart-driven anecdotes from her experience building and pastoring to a leading-edge faith community over the past two decades with ancient Jewish wisdom and contemporary science. The result is a clarion call: the sense of belonging engendered by our genuine presence is not only a social and biological need, but a moral and spiritual necessity.With original insights and practical tools, The Amen Effect translates foundational ideas into simple practices that connect us to our better angels, offering a blueprint for a more meaningful life and a more connected and caring world.
American Evangelicals for Trump: Dominion, Spiritual Warfare, and the End Times
by André GagnéThis book introduces the American Evangelical movement and the role it played in the support of Donald Trump. Specifically, it focuses on the Neocharismatic-Pentecostal (NCP) leaders, their beliefs, and their political strategies. The author examines why 81% of white evangelicals voted for Trump in 2016, and why he still received between 76% and 81% of their vote in 2020 despite losing the presidency. Additionally, the book discusses how NCP leaders are part of the Christian Right, a religious coalition with a political agenda centered on controversial issues such as anti-abortion activism, opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, and the protection of religious freedom. Structured around the three main ideas inspiring NCP leaders who supported Trump in 2016 and 2020—Dominion, Spiritual Warfare, and Eschatology (the End Times)—the book examines how these ideas have sustained the evangelicals close to U.S. political power in the Trump era. In light of the potential for Trump's return to power in 2024, the book serves as a warning of what a renewed alliance between Trump and his former NCP supporters could bring. It is an essential read for all students and researchers of Evangelicalism, Religion in America, Political Theology, or Religion and Politics.
American Patroness: Marian Shrines and the Making of US Catholicism (Catholic Practice in the Americas)
by Adrienne Nock Ambrose Lloyd Barba James S. Bielo Katherine Dugan David J. Endres Kayla Harris Patrick J. Hayes Joseph Laycock Karen E. Park Terry Rey Stephen Selka Claire Vaughn Andrew Walker-CornettaA vital collection of interdisciplinary essays that illuminates the significance of Marian shrines and promises to teach scholars how to “read” them for decades to come.American Patroness: Marian Shrines and the Making of US Catholicism is a collection of twelve essays that examine the historical and contemporary roles of Marian shrines in US Catholicism. The essays in this collection use historical, ethnographic, and comparative methods to explore how Catholics have used Marian devotion to make an imprint on the physical and religious landscape of the United States. Using the dynamic malleability of Marian shrines as a starting place for studying US Catholicism, each chapter reconsiders the American religious landscape from the perspective of a single shrine to Mary and asks: What does this shrine reveal about US Catholicism and about American religion?Each of the contributors in American Patroness examines why and how Marian shrines persist in the twenty-first century and subsequently uses that examination to re-read contemporary US Catholicism. Because shrines are not neutral spaces—they reflect and shape the elastic yet strict boundaries of what counts as Catholic identity, and who controls prayer practices—the studies in this collection also shed light on the contested dynamics of these holy sites. American Patroness demonstrates that Marian shrines continue to be places where an American Catholic identity is continuously worked on, negotiations about power occur, and Marian relationships are fostered and nurtured in spaces that are simultaneously public and intimate.
The American Queen
by Vanessa MillerThere is only one known queen who truly ruled a kingdom on American soil.Transformative and breathtakingly honest, The American Queen is based on actual events that occurred between 1865 - 1889 and shares the unsung history of a Black woman who built a kingdom as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of life. As seen on Good Morning America: GMA 15 New Books to Read!Over the twenty-four years she was enslaved on the Montgomery Plantation, Louella learned to feel one thing: hate. Hate for the man who sold her mother. Hate for the overseer who left her daddy to hang from a noose. Hate so powerful there's no room in her heart for love, not even for the honorable Reverend William, whom she likes and respects enough to marry.But when William finally listens to Louella's pleas and leads the formerly enslaved people off the plantation, Louella begins to replace her hate with hope. Hope that they will find a place where they can live free from fear. Hope that despite her many unanswered prayers, she can learn to trust for new miracles.Soon, William and Louella become the appointed king and queen of their self-proclaimed Kingdom of the Happy Land. And though they are still surrounded by opposition, they continue to share a message of joy and goodness--and fight for the freedom and dignity of all.The American Queen weaves together themes of love, hate, hope, trust, and resilience in the face of great turmoil. With every turn of the page, you will be transported to a pivotal period in American history, where oppressed people become extraordinary heroes.
American Zion: A New History of Mormonism
by Benjamin E. ParkThe first major history of Mormonism in a decade, drawing on newly available sources to reveal a profoundly divided faith that has nevertheless shaped the nation. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 in the so-called “burned-over district” of upstate New York, which was producing seers and prophets daily. Most of the new creeds flamed out; Smith’s would endure, becoming the most significant homegrown religion in American history. How Mormonism succeeded is the story told by historian Benjamin E. Park in American Zion. Drawing on sources that have become available only in the last two decades, Park presents a fresh, sweeping account of the Latter-day Saints: from the flight to Utah Territory in 1847 to the public renunciation of polygamy in 1890; from the Mormon leadership’s forging of an alliance with the Republican Party in the wake of the New Deal to the “Mormon moment” of 2012, which saw the premiere of The Book of Mormon musical and the presidential candidacy of Mitt Romney; and beyond. In the twentieth century, Park shows, Mormons began to move ever closer to the center of American life, shaping culture, politics, and law along the way. But Park’s epic isn’t rooted in triumphalism. It turns out that the image of complete obedience to a single, earthly prophet—an image spread by Mormons and non-Mormons alike—is misleading. In fact, Mormonism has always been defined by internal conflict. Joseph Smith’s wife, Emma, inaugurated a legacy of feminist agitation over gender roles. Black believers petitioned for belonging even after a racial policy was instituted in the 1850s that barred them from priesthood ordination and temple ordinances (a restriction that remained in place until 1978). Indigenous and Hispanic saints—the latter represent a large portion of new converts today—have likewise labored to exist within a community that long called them “Lamanites,” a term that reflected White-centered theologies. Today, battles over sexuality and gender have riven the Church anew, as gay and trans saints have launched their own fight for acceptance. A definitive, character-driven work of history, American Zion is essential to any understanding of the Mormon past, present, and future. But its lessons extend beyond the faith: as Park puts it, the Mormon story is the American story.
The Amish Baker's Secret Courtship: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance
by Amy GrochowskiA promise brought him home… Will a pretend courtship make him stay? Cassie Weaver dreams of opening a bakery—but that dream hinges on her good friend Martin Beiler. Martin once fled their Amish community due to his struggles with autism. Now he&’s back to fulfill his promise to help Cassie set up her longed-for bakeshop. But when everyone suspects they are secretly courting, Cassie encourages the matchmaking. Because she&’s hoping she can convince Martin this is where he truly belongs…From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
The Amish Beekeeper's Dilemma: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance
by Patrice LewisShe loves her job… How far will she go to keep it? After her fiancé abandons her, Rebecca Hilty finds herself beekeeping in Montana and dreaming of inheriting Caleb Graber&’s farm. But Caleb&’s great-nephew and heir, Jacob, wants the land all to himself. Forced to work together, Rebecca and Jacob are determined to prove their worth, until Caleb declares an inheritance requirement that shocks them both! Now Rebecca is faced with an impossible choice—marry Jacob or lose the farm for good…From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
Amish Love Letters
by Shelley Shepard Gray Charlotte Hubbard Rosalind LauerA heartfelt note, a loving message, a letter filled with secret hopes—this trio of sweet Amish romances will show that on Valentine&’s Day, the right words can spark a lifetime of joy.Love Letter Courtship * Shelley Shepard Gray After six months of courtship, Jennie Miller has refused Matt Lapp&’s proposal. Though he visits regularly, they never seem to talk deeply, and Jennie longs for real connection and romance. Chastened, Matt offers a solution. For two months, they&’ll share letters filled with their hopes and dreams. Soon, Jennie is falling for Matt in earnest . . . but will he ever propose again?S.W.A.K * Charlotte Hubbard Quiet, gentle Fannie Kurtz knows that fun-loving Eddie Brubaker is the man she wants to marry someday. When he starts receiving letters in pink envelopes, she realizes she has some competition. Maybe it&’s time she wrote a love note or two of her own? But a mix-up could jeopardize this romance before it starts, unless she keeps faith in Gott&’s plan . . . The Wrong Valentine * Rosalind Lauer Young widow Martha Lambright is grateful to be working at her mother-in-law&’s restaurant, even if seeing the kitchen gals giggle over Valentine cards gives her a pang. But when Mose Troyer, the former bad boy who drives Martha to and from work each day, finds a Valentine he mistakenly believes is for him, it begins a tender exchange that could lead to a wonderful future . . .
The Amish Quiltmaker's Uninvited Guest (The Amish Quiltmaker #5)
by Jennifer BeckstrandThe beloved bestselling inspirational romance author continues her uplifting Amish Quiltmakers series set in Colorado. Will appeal to readers of Amish and inspirational romance and fans of Charlotte Hubbard, Amy Lillard, and Emma Miller. Esther&’s distant cousin, widower Menno Eicher, needs to be hard-headed and practical. Swamped by family and farm responsibilities, he must find the perfect wife as quickly as possible, so he&’s shown up in Colorado—with &“finding a wife&” on his To-Do list! Esther&’s community has many women who could match his ever-growing requirements. Yet after a chance meeting, Menno keeps coming back to baker Joanna Yoder. Hard-working, honest, and forthright, she&’s distracting Menno from his search, opening his heart—but refuses to believe he&’s falling hopelessly in love with her . . . Happily busy inventing and selling delicious desserts, Joanna has no time for someone as ridiculously exacting as Menno. After all, what sort of man thinks choosing a wife is like picking a pie at the general store? But once she sees the surprisingly kind heart, doting father, and understanding man beneath his hard-to-please ways, she has second thoughts. With faith and genuine love, might the few things they have in common overcome the differences between them—and prove precious enough to risk a future together?
The Amish Quiltmaker's Unlikely Match (The Amish Quiltmaker)
by Jennifer BeckstrandFilled with her trademark humor and relatable characters, award-winning author Jennifer Beckstrand's blends quilting, matchmaking, and a close-knit Colorado community in her newest Amish Quiltmaker novel, as independent-minded quilter Esther Kiem sets her sights on an unusual match between the shyest Yoder sister and a professional baseball player… Perfect for fans of Charlotte Hubbard, Wanda Brunstetter, and Linda Byler. Though Mary Yoder longs to marry someday, she finds caring for her community&’s injured and sick is much easier than courting. But when Englischer Clay Markham crashes his car nearby, Mary&’s nursing shows her his hidden wounds are more painful than his injuries. Though she&’s irresistibly drawn to his kind nature, can she risk letting him into her heart? On the run from his troubled past, ex-pro baseball player Clay can&’t believe the quiet sanctuary he&’s found under Mary&’s care. Her gentle faith and knowledge are somehow giving him hope he can change his life—and offer her the love she truly deserves. But when his secrets catch up with him, can he and Mary find the courage to face the truth, set things to rights . . . and make way for a future together?
Amish Witness to Murder (Amish Country Justice #18)
by Dana R. LynnTo identify her father&’s killer… she must stay alive After finding her family&’s barn in flames and witnessing her father&’s murder, Beth Troyer becomes the killer&’s next target. She narrowly escapes death when the murderer turns on her, but now she&’s left temporarily blind. She&’ll have to rely on former family friend Gideon Bender to keep her safe until her eyesight returns. But with a killer who&’ll stop at nothing to find her, staying alive might just be impossible…From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.Amish Country Justice Book 1: Plain TargetBook 2: Plain RetributionBook 3: Amish Christmas AbductionBook 4: Amish Country AmbushBook 5: Amish Christmas EmergencyBook 6: Guarding the Amish MidwifeBook 7: Hidden in Amish CountryBook 8: Plain RefugeBook 9: Deadly Amish ReunionBook 10: Amish Country ThreatsBook 11: Covert Amish InvestigationBook 12: Amish Christmas EscapeBook 13: Amish Cradle ConspiracyBook 14: Her Secret Amish PastBook 15: Crime Scene WitnessBook 16: Hidden Amish TargetBook 17: Hunted at ChristmasBook 18: Amish Witness to MurderBook 19: Protecting the Amish Child
Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World
by Craig Foster“An important book that will transform how we think about being human. … that will inspire hope.”—Jane GoodallHow can we reclaim the soul-deepening wildness that grounds us and energizes us when so much of the modern world seems designed to tame us?In this thrilling memoir of a life spent exploring the most incredible places on Earth—from the Great African Seaforest to the crocodile lairs of the Okavango Delta—Craig Foster reveals how we can attend to the earthly beauty around us and deepen our love for all living things, whether we make our homes in the country, the city, or anywhere in between.Foster explores his struggles to remain present to life when a disconnection from nature and the demands of his professional life begin to deaden his senses. And his own reliance on nature’s rejuvenating spiritual power is put to the test when catastrophe strikes close to home.Foster’s lyrical, riveting Amphibious Soul draws on his decades of daily ocean dives, wisdom from Indigenous teachers, and leading-edge science.
Amulets in Magical Practice (Elements in Magic)
by null Jay JohnstonThis Element takes as its remit the production and use of amulets. The focus will be on amulets with no, or minimal, textual content like those comprising found stone, semi-precious gem and/or animal body parts. That is a material form that is unaccompanied by directive textual inscription. The analysis considers this materiality to understand its context of use including ritual and metaphysical operations. Through discussion of selected case studies from British, Celtic, and Scandinavian cultures, it demonstrates the associative range of meaning that enabled the attribution of power/agency to the amuletic object Uniquely, it will consider this material culture from an interdisciplinary perspective, drawing together insights from the disciplines of cultural studies, religious studies, 'folk' studies, archaeology and Scandinavian studies. It develops the concept of 'trans-aniconism' to encapsulates an amulet's temporal relations and develops the proposition of 'landscape amulets.'
And the Sages Did Not Know: Early Rabbinic Approaches to Intersex
by Rabbi Sarra LevThis book explores the question: How did the rabbis of the first two centuries CE approach bodies that are born with variant genitals—bodies that they could not identify as definitely male or female? The rabbis had constructed a system in which every behavior was governed by one’s sex/gender, posing a conundrum both for people who did not fit into that model and for the rabbinic enterprise itself. Despite this, their texts contain dozens of references to intersex.And the Sages Did Not Know examines the rabbis’ legal texts and concludes that they had multiple approaches to intersex people. Sarra Lev analyzes seven different rabbinic responses to this conflict of their own making. Through their rulings on how intersex people should conduct themselves in multiple circumstances, the early rabbis treat intersex people as unidentifiable males or females, as indeterminate, as male, as non-gendered, as sui generis, as part-male/part-female, as a sustainable paradox, and, finally, as a way for them to think about gender, having nothing to do with intersex people themselves.This is the first such work that concentrates primarily on the potential effects of these rabbinic texts on intersex persons themselves rather than focusing on what the texts offer readers whose interest is rabbinic approaches to sex and gender or gender diversity. Although the rabbinic texts do not include the voices of known intersex people, these materials do offer us a window into how one small group of people approached intersex bodies, and how those approaches were both similar to and different from those we recognize today.
Animals and Religion: Animals And Religion In Contemporary Japan
by Dave Aftandilian Barbara R. Ambros Aaron S. GrossWhat do animals—other than human animals—have to do with religion? How do our religious ideas about animals affect the lives of real animals in the world? How can we deepen our understanding of both animals and religion by considering them together? Animals and Religion explores how animals have crucially shaped how we understand ourselves, the other living beings around us, and our relationships with them. Through incisive analyses of religious examples from around the world, the original contributions to this volume demonstrate how animals have played key roles in every known religious tradition, whether as sacred beings, symbols, objects of concern, fellow creatures, or religious teachers. And through our religious imagination, ethics, and practices, we have deeply impacted animal lives, whether by domesticating, sacrificing, dominating, eating, refraining from eating, blessing, rescuing, releasing, commemorating, or contemplating them. Drawing primarily on perspectives from religious studies and Christian theology, augmented by cutting-edge work in anthropology, biology, philosophy, and psychology, Animals and Religion offers the reader a richer understanding of who animals are and who we humans are. Do animals have emotions? Do they think or use language? Are they persons? How we answer questions like these affects diverse aspects of religion that shape not only how we relate to other animals, but also how we perceive and misperceive each other along axes of gender, race, and (dis)ability. Accessibly written and thoughtfully argued, Animals and Religion will interest anyone who wants to learn more about animals, religion, and what it means to be a human animal.
Animals and Religion
by Dave Aftandilian Barbara R. Ambros Aaron S. GrossWhat do animals—other than human animals—have to do with religion? How do our religious ideas about animals affect the lives of real animals in the world? How can we deepen our understanding of both animals and religion by considering them together? Animals and Religion explores how animals have crucially shaped how we understand ourselves, the other living beings around us, and our relationships with them.Through incisive analyses of religious examples from around the world, the original contributions to this volume demonstrate how animals have played key roles in every known religious tradition, whether as sacred beings, symbols, objects of concern, fellow creatures, or religious teachers. And through our religious imagination, ethics, and practices, we have deeply impacted animal lives, whether by domesticating, sacrificing, dominating, eating, refraining from eating, blessing, rescuing, releasing, commemorating, or contemplating them. Drawing primarily on perspectives from religious studies and Christian theology, augmented by cutting-edge work in anthropology, biology, philosophy, and psychology, Animals and Religion offers the reader a richer understanding of who animals are and who we humans are. Do animals have emotions? Do they think or use language? Are they persons? How we answer questions like these affects diverse aspects of religion that shape not only how we relate to other animals, but also how we perceive and misperceive each other along axes of gender, race, and (dis)ability.Accessibly written and thoughtfully argued, Animals and Religion will interest anyone who wants to learn more about animals, religion, and what it means to be a human animal.
Anna-daan, Food Charity in India: Preaching and Practice
by K. V. Raju S. ManasiEating together unites people and has a significant impact on their physical, social, and emotional development. This book looks at practices and traditions of sharing food prevalent among major religious communities in India, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity, and Islam.Food insecurity is one of the major problems every country in the world is facing today because of increasing population, climate change, agrarian distress, wars and conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Including case studies from across India, this book examines the necessity and effectiveness of food-sharing practices in temples, mosques, and gurudwaras, among others. Emphasising the importance of these practices for the social and physical well-being of the most vulnerable sections of society, it showcases how traditional religious practices of food sharing have contributed to tackling hunger, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The volume also offers long-term solutions to address underlying issues which cause hunger and food insecurity.One of the first to study food sharing and alms-giving practices in India, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of sociology, anthropology, food studies, religion, security studies, political economy, public policy, and South Asian history and culture.
Antisemitism in Galicia: Agitation, Politics, and Violence against Jews in the Late Habsburg Monarchy (Austrian and Habsburg Studies #29)
by Tim BuchenIn the last third of the nineteenth century, the discourse on the “Jewish question” in the Habsburg crownlands of Galicia changed fundamentally, as clerical and populist politicians emerged to denounce the Jewish assimilation and citizenship. This pioneering study investigates the interaction of agitation, violence, and politics against Jews on the periphery of the Danube monarchy. In its comprehensive analysis of the functions and limitations of propaganda, rumors, and mass media, it shows just how significant antisemitism was to the politics of coexistence among Christians and Jews on the eve of the Great War.
Any Way You Look
by Maleeha SiddiquiWhen boys from her community start harassing her, Ainy needs to figure out how to get them to stop--while still staying true to herself.Dress Coded meets Amina's Voice in this new middle grade novel by Maleeha Siddiqui.Ainy is excited for summer! She plans on working at her mom's clothing store, having adventures with her best friend, and maybe even starting to wear the hijab--just like her big sister.Everything changes when a boy from her community starts messaging her and following her around, even showing up at the store while she's working! Ainy knows his behavior isn't okay, but she can't find the words to tell the people around her how the unwanted attention makes her uncomfotable.Finally, Ainy decides that she needs to start wearing the hijab to get him to leave her alone. She's always used fashion to express herself, so maybe now she can use it to become invisible.But things don't get any better--and Ainy starts to realize that she's lost her own sparkle along the way. Maybe she can't handle this all on her own. With the help of her best friend and her sister, Ainy must find a way to stand her ground and get the respect that she knows she deserves--no matter how she looks.
Approaching Pilgrimage: Methodological Issues Involved in Researching Routes, Sites, and Practices (Routledge Studies in Pilgrimage, Religious Travel and Tourism)
by Mario Katić John EadeThis volume seeks to explore pilgrimage studies as a distinctive sub-field of research, and to define its key methodological approaches and problems. Pilgrimage studies has long been influenced by such academic disciplines as anthropology and this volume considers the new insights that pilgrimage studies can offer to these disciplinary fields. Bringing together experienced pioneers and a younger generation of pilgrimage scholars, the chapters address the directions contemporary pilgrimage research is taking and how it is developing into the future. Covering topics like digital pilgrimage, multi-site pilgrimages, and long-term ethnography, with examples from Europe, the Middle East, and Japan, this is an important resource for all researchers engaging with pilgrimage.
Archie Celebrates an Indian Wedding
by Mitali Banerjee RuthsKindhearted Archie is back! Her Poppy Uncle is getting married in a big Indian wedding, and Archie and new friend Emma realize that love and fun are universal.In this cross-cultural friendship story, Archie helps Emma, who isn&’t Indian, learn everything she needs to know when Archie&’s Poppy Uncle and Emma&’s Auntie Julie get married. The girls go to the mehendi party and sangeet together. They help Julie at the wedding, steal Poppy&’s shoes, and eat ladoos at the reception. Now Archie and Emma are friends—and cousins!Archie&’s adventures celebrate Indian culture! We first met Archie in Archie Celebrates Diwali and now join her in the follow-up Archie Celebrates an Indian Wedding. Backmatter in Archie's books feature kid-friendly resources to enrich the reading experience.
Arctic Rescue
by Dana Mentink Shirlee McCoyDeadly Alaskan missionYukon Justice by Dana MentinkWhen her estranged uncle attempts to sabotage her family&’s reindeer ranch, K-9 team assistant Katie Kapowski heads home to help save it—and becomes his target. With their rocky past, Alaska State Trooper Brayden Ford and his furry partner are the last team Katie wants assigned to protect her. But with the ranch under siege, they must work together…or risk falling victim to a killer.Blizzard Showdown by Shirlee McCoyAfter months of searching for Violet James, Gabriel Runyon and his K-9 partner finally track her down—just in time to rescue her from her ex-fiancé. Now they must safeguard the single mother and her newborn daughter. Leaving Violet&’s Alaskan hideout is the safest option, but with a winter storm rolling in, it&’s not just a murderer they have to escape…USA TODAY Bestselling Author Dana MentinkNew York Times Bestselling Author Shirlee McCoy2 Thrilling Stories Yukon Justice and Blizzard Showdown
Are You Praying for the Wrong Thing?: Learning to Ask What God Wants for You, Not Just What You Want
by Travis GreeneThe Bible tells us to pray continually and without ceasing, but what happens when we're waiting for God but discover He's waiting for us? In his first book, pastor and recording artist Travis Greene guides the reader to apply Biblical truths for a fulfilled life.Praying and waiting for God to answer can be confusing. When something--or everything--feels stuck because God doesn't seem to be answering our prayers, what next? Pastor and Grammy–nominated recording artist Travis Greene issues a challenge and asks us to examine our prayers--Are we praying for the right thing? Are we planning and preparing for what we've asked for? Are we praying for our will to grow closer to His? Or do we sometimes treat him like a genie in a bottle? Using Biblical examples, Travis invites readers to reconsider our prayers andnavigate beyond feeling trapped to thriving in God&’s purposes;learn to use what's left instead of focusing on what was lost;be willing to forgive, wait, and work as God allows; andbelieve in God's miracles while being a faithful steward of what He has already provided.Sometimes what happens next depends on the choices made right now. And sometimes God has something else in mind for us--something we might never have imagined, or in a way we might not have imagined it! It's possible to press forward into a life filled with joy and expectation for the future! Like the widow who used the oil she had at hand, by using what God has already supplied, Travis encourages the readers that they may be closer to enjoying God's promises than they realize. Management can be a magnet for miracles.
The Art of Spiritual Warfare
by Jonathan ShuttlesworthLive Your God-Given Destiny Through The Art of Spiritual Warfare by Jonathan ShuttlesworthThe blessings promised by God—prosperity, health, and victory over sin—do not come without a fight. Whether you’ve felt the sting of defeat or are weary from battle, “The Art of Spiritual Warfare” is your call to arms. It’s for those ready to stand firm in the face of adversity, armed with the knowledge and faith that no battle is too great with God.Jonathan Shuttlesworth does not just recount tales of biblical victories; he translates them into practical, actionable strategies. Whether battling for your health, prosperity, or the salvation of loved ones, this book demonstrates that victory is always within reach when you understand God’s provision.You Will Learn:•Practical steps you can take to overcome forces that oppose your inheritance.•How to move from being under siege in your spiritual life to being an overcomer, equipped to face adversaries confidently.•Tangible examples of victories—from securing properties to transforming lives marred by addiction.•Life doesn’t need to be filled with chaos; you can achieve victory and peace amid life’s storms.This isn’t merely an academic book; it’s a weapon for those ready to claim victory and live the abundant life promised by God. It’s time to abandon victimhood and fight the right battles, battles that lead to tangible rewards and align with your God-given destiny.About the Author:Jonathan Shuttlesworth is an evangelist and founder of Revival Today, a global ministry dedicated to reaching lost and hurting people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is also the pastor of Revival Today Church, a Holy Spirit-filled, Bible-believing church that blesses families and the nation.
As Long as You Need: Permission to Grieve
by J. S. Park"A heartfelt invitation for grieving readers...An excellent resource for those working their way through loss." —Publishers Weekly, Starred ReviewVeteran hospital chaplain to the sick, dying, and bereaved, J.S. Park offers you both the permission and the process for how to grieve and heal at your own pace.In As Long As You Need, J.S. offers an honest and unrushed engagement with grief, decoding four types of grieving—spiritual, mental, physical, and relational—and offering compassionate self-care and soul-care along the way.If you are struggling to process loss, pain, or grief from the last few years or the last few minutes, J.S. is an experienced and deeply empathetic listener and grief catcher who has held the pain and questions of thousands of patients. While social and cultural narratives about grief are dominated by "letting go, moving on, or turning the page" in his nearly decade of service as a chaplain at a major hospital with a designated level one trauma center J.S. understands firsthand how rushing or suppressing grief only adds a suffocating layer of pain on top of the original wound.From his unique window into the stories of the ill, injured, dying, and their families, J.S. offers you:Permission to dismantle all too common myths about grief and replace them with a guilt-free and unrushed approach to navigating your losses.Encouragement for how entering grief, rather than avoiding it, leads to a hard but meaningful holding of your loss.Empathy and hope if you are struggling with a crisis of faith in the midst of grief.Recognition that grief spans a wide narrative of loss: loss of future, faith, mental health, worth, autonomy, connection, and loved ones.Affirmation that your grief is your own. While the DNA of grief might be universal to the human condition, how you experience and process grief is unique to you. From the ER to deliveries to deathbeds across every sort of illness and injury imaginable, J.S. Park has provided meaningful counseling for people in all walks of life and death. Now, through his book he wants to assure you that, while everybody else might rush past your pain, grief is the voice that says, take as long as you need.
As the Dust of the Earth: The Literature of Abandonment in Revolutionary Russia and Ukraine (Jews in Eastern Europe)
by Harriet MuravAn estimated forty thousand Jews were murdered during the Russian Civil War between 1918 and 1922. As the Dust of the Earth examines the Yiddish and Russian literary response to the violence (pogroms) and the relief effort, exploring both the poetry of catastrophe and the documentation of catastrophe and care.Brilliantly weaving together narrative fiction, poetry, memoirs, newspaper articles, and documentary, Harriet Murav argues that poets and pogrom investigators were doing more than recording the facts of violence and expressing emotions in response to it. They were interrogating what was taking place through a central concept familiar from their everyday lifeworld—hefker, or abandonment. Hefker shaped the documentation of catastrophe by Jewish investigators at pogrom sites impossibly tasked with producing comprehensive reports of chaos. Hefker also became a framework for Yiddish writers to think through such incomprehensible violence by creating new forms of poetry. Focusing less on the perpetrators and more on the responses to the pogroms, As the Dust of the Earth offers a fuller understanding of the seismic effects of such organized violence and a moving testimony to the resilience of survivors to process and cope with catastrophe.
Asia’s Heritage Trend: Examining Asia’s Present through Its Past (Routledge Contemporary Asia Series)
by Jongil Kim Minjae ZoeKim and Zoh bring together a team of contributors to analyse the role of heritage studies across Asia, and its impact on Asia and its constituent countries. Is there such a thing as ‘Asian heritage’? Is it more helpful to understand Asia as a single unit, or as a set of sub- regions? What can we learn about Asia’s present through its archaeology and heritage? Covering a wide range of countries, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, the contributors to this book address these key questions. In doing so they look at a number of critical issues, such as UNESCO World Heritage status, cultural propaganda, cultural erasure and difficult heritage. While addressing Asia’s past they also observe key issues within present- day Asia, further providing conceptual and practical insights into the methods that are being applied to the study of Asia’s heritage today. A valuable resource for scholars and students of Asian history and culture, archaeology, heritage studies, anthropology and religious studies.
Astrology of the Shadow Self: Working with Oppositions in Your Natal Chart
by Maja D'Aoust• Explains how to determine your shadow planets and zodiac signs through the oppositions of your birth chart • Details the meaning and challenges of each shadow counterpart for every astrological sign and planet that appears in a traditional astrological chart • Looks at the alchemical nature of the dark side of the human mind and shadow-work methods for bringing the oppositional self into personal awareness Recently rediscovered by modern psychology, the shadow self was recognized in ancient teachings as an inseparable part of the human being, a vital portion of who we are. The ancient Egyptians regarded working with the shadow as a necessary part of spiritual growth, and shadow work practices are alluded to in the oldest writings. In this practical guide to shadow astrology, Maja D&’Aoust explains how to determine the shadow polarities of your natal chart and explore the hidden wisdom and challenges of the oppositional identity within. She shows how finding your shadow planets is easy—they are the opposite sign of the planets in your birth chart. For example, someone with the sun in Libra will have their shadow sun in Aries. She explains how, just like the traditional planets of astrology, each shadow planet governs a specific area of human activity: Venus shadows speak of tainted love, while Mercury shadows reveal challenges of the mind. Each of these shadow planets presents a specific type of negative challenge that emerges when opposition arises. Providing vivid examples, the author details the meaning of each shadow counterpart for every astrological sign and planet that appears in a traditional astrological chart and explains how to interpret and work with their challenges. In addition to chart interpretation, the author also explores the history of this astrological method, including its roots in ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and the Western magic tradition. She looks at the alchemical nature and subconscious influences of the dark side of the human mind and the shadow-work methods necessary for bringing the oppositional self into personal awareness. Revealing how to interpret astrological charts for personal growth and conscious evolution, this guide invites you to explore the darkness within in order to know the totality of your whole self.
Atheism at the Agora: A History of Unbelief in Ancient Greek Polytheism (Routledge Monographs in Classical Studies)
by James C FordThis fresh, comprehensive study of ancient Greek atheism aims to dismantle the current consensus that atheism was ‘unthinkable’ in ancient Greece, demonstrating instead that atheism was not only thinkable but inextricably embedded in the Greek religious environment. Through careful analysis of a wide range of source material provided in modern English translation, and drawing on philosophy, theology, sociology, and other disciplines, Ford unpicks a two and a half thousand-year history of marginalisation, clearing the way for a new analysis. He lays out in clear terms the nature and form of ancient Greek atheism as the ancient Greeks conceived of it, through a series of themes and lenses. Topics such as religious socialisation, the interaction of atheist philosophy and theology, identity formation through alterity, and the use of atheism in scapegoating are considered not only in broad terms, using a synthesis of modern scholarship to mark out an overview in line with modern consensus, but also by drawing on the unique perspective of ancient atheism Ford is able to provide innovative theories about a range of subjects. Atheism at the Agora is of interest to students and scholars in Classics, particularly Greek religion and culture, as well as those studying atheism in other historical and contemporary areas, religious studies, philosophy, and theology.
The Attributes of God in Islamic Thought: Contemplating Allah (Routledge Studies in Islamic Philosophy)
by Mansooreh KhalilizandThe debate over Allah’s attribute—the “nature” and the inner articulation of Allah—is one of the focal debates in the intellectual history of Islam. This edited collection aims to highlight and examine some aspects of this debate in their original context, based on the relevant primary literature.By showing that even an apparently self-evident concept such as Allah, which lies at the heart of every reading of Islam, is highly ambiguous and polysemous, the chapters also emphasise the plurality that has always existed in Islamic thought. Through highlighting the philosophical and theological reflections on the concept of Allah, the results of this study challenge the juristic reading of Islam, in which Allah’s function consists mainly in providing a detailed plan for the human life and also rewarding or punishing the ones who deviates from it. The book also attempts to demonstrate the relevance and the actuality of the tradition and to stress its contemporaneity.This volume makes a significant part of the intellectual tradition of Islam accessible for students and scholars of Islamic theology, Islamic philosophy, Islamic studies and the like, as well as providing a secondary source for teaching on the debate in question.
Aura Alchemy: Learn to Sense Energy Fields, Interpret the Color Spectrum, and Manifest Success
by Amy Leigh MercreeDevelop your innate intuition, deepen your connection to the energy flow of the universe, and manifest your heart's desires using the power of your own electromagnetic field by diving deeply into the spiritual science of auras, the colorful energy fields that surround each and every one of us.A fresh take on auras from a medical intuitive who has been working with energy on a quantum level for over twenty years. Take a deep dive into the history and science of auras with this in-depth guide, learning not just what the colors of auras mean and how to see them in yourself and others, but how to raise the frequency of your own aura and those of others and use that knowledge to manifest your best life, filled with harmony and abundance.This books dives profoundly into the truth of complete interconnection in the universe and the living electromagnetic fields around all living things, which we call auras. In essence, the study and awareness of auras is an opening to feel the connection between all life. It also encourages and necessitates opening the clairvoyant and other intuitive senses to feel, taste, smell, touch, see, and hear auras and perceive them in new and expanded ways. These experiences allow the reader to open mind and heart to the universal life force that comprises all existence.
Australian Muslim Women’s Borderland Subjectivities: Diverse Identities, Diverse Experiences
by Lütfiye AliThis book claims a discursive space in academic scholarship for knowledges and ways of knowing that capture the diversity, complexity and full humanness of Australian Muslim women’s subjectivities. It draws on in-depth conversational interviews with 20 Australian Muslim women from various ethnic backgrounds during which the women shared their experiences of being at the crossroads of their religious, gendered, racialised and ethnic identities. The book puts forward a decolonial feminist border methodology by weaving the work of decolonial feminist philosophers Maria Lugones and Gloria Anzaldúa with postmodern feminist thinking on subjectivity and with discourse analysis. This methodology is used to centre and attend to the fluidity and plurality of Muslim women’s subjectivities, at the intersections of race, ethnicity, patriarchy, gender, sexuality and Islam.
The Awakened Way: Making the Shift to a Divinely Guided Life
by Suzanne GiesemannThe Awakened Way combines deep spiritual wisdom and practical tools for living a consciously connected and divinely guided life, helping readers go from an emptiness that can&’t be filled to a fullness that can&’t be contained.The Awakened Way is the soul&’s answer to your earthly challenges.This book invites you to live the awakened way, a path that embraces ancient wisdom and integrates it with the latest scientific discoveries about the nature of consciousness and the underlying reality.Many self-help books focus on our human nature. They miss the point that we are both human and a soul. They fail to teach us to shift our focus and access the Source of solutions that is always available and will never steer us wrong.The Awakened Way is a higher-self book that reorients your belief system and shows you how to approach life from the soul's perspective, where the highest answers lie.&“A practical resource for many who are seeking a richer connection with lost loved ones and the spiritual realm in general.&”— Eben Alexander, M.D., former Harvard neurosurgeon and author of Proof of Heaven, The Map of Heaven, and Living in a Mindful Universe
Awakening a Living World on a Kūṭiyāṭṭam Stage (SUNY series in Hindu Studies)
by Einat Bar-On CohenKūṭiyāṭṭam, an ancient form of Sanskrit theater from Kerala, was traditionally performed only in temples by members of two temple assistant castes. Today, however, it has spread to other castes and to venues outside temples. It is a fantastically complex, sophisticated, layered performance, toiling at amassing and perfecting ways of materializing a world where gods, demons, and mythical heroes live, bringing the audience into these other realities. Taking an anthropological approach, Awakening a Living World on a Kūṭiyāṭṭam Stage explores how Kūṭiyāṭṭam uses cultural dynamics, gleaned from temple ritual and theater, to remove the distinctions between mundane reality and the mediaeval plays being performed on stage. The unique features of Kūṭiyāṭṭam—makeup masks, enthralling drumming, delivering words in mudrā gestures, a shimmering lamp, male and female actors—all intertwine to animate stories from the great Indian eposes. Analyzing the cultural dynamics at work in Kūṭiyāṭṭam foregrounds a symbolic anthropology in which representation and symbols are shunned, while endless repetitions fill the stage with reverberating somatic intensities of profound depth. Thus, a new kind of living reality emerges that includes the protagonists of the play—gods, demons, humans, animals, and objects—together with the artist, the audience, and beyond.
Awakening of a Warrior: Past Lives of a Navy SEAL Remembered (Intuitive Warrior #2)
by Michael JacoNumerous great thinkers have believed in the transmigration of the soul. General Patton, Gandhi, Henry Ford, the Dalai Lama, all discussed memories of, or beliefs in, having past lives. The great philosophers Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and even Saint Augustine believed in the rebirth of the soul. Awakening of a Warrior is the result of Jaco' s investigation— his treasure hunt— into the lifetimes he experienced before the present.Included are his lives as King Abimelech of Gerar, who allied with Abraham in the creation of a new religion called Judaism; Cyrus the Great, who unified all of Persia and implemented Zoroastrianism as the state religion; and Marcus Furius Camillus, who came to be considered the second founder of Rome.
Awakening the Truth Frequency (Into the Unified Field)
by Laura EisenhowerLaura Eisenhower is a master astrologer and the great granddaughter to five-star general and 34th president Dwight D. Eisenhower. As a child, she intimately sensed the resistant forces working around her and embarked on her own journey into the underworld, only to discover her own truth frequency and overcome the many challenges in life by the remembrance of the divine feminine energies in union with the masculine, which is encoded in our DNA. Her experience has included extreme wilderness training and an attempted recruitment into living off-planet on Mars as part of the secret space program, which revealed to her many things. She declined, to stay true to her purpose here on Earth. She is quite informed of our galactic history, the different timelines of humanity, and the window period in which we are ascending in the Great Awakening.
Ayuno: Experimentando el poder de Dios y rompiendo barreras espirituales
by Ikechukwu JosephEste libro lleno de poder, "Ayuno (Experimentando el Poder de Dios y Rompiendo Barreras Espirituales)" es para todos los que tienen hambre de un caminar más cercano e intimidad con Dios, aquellos que necesitan libertad total, refrigerio espiritual, avivamiento, avance, superación de la sequedad espiritual, depresión, posesión demoníaca y obsesión. Este libro es una lectura obligada para todo creyente, guerreros de oración, hombres y mujeres de Dios. Fortalecerá su fe, le dará victorias, creará un nicho para usted en su generación. Aprenderá acerca de grandes hombres y mujeres de Dios que moldearon el mundo a través del ayuno y la oración, cómo romper fortalezas, limitaciones, gobernar en medio de sus enemigos, cómo conocer la mente de Dios, principios bíblicos de ayuno, tipos de ayuno, cómo romper ayunos de 3, 7, 21 y 40 días. Aprenda sobre el ayuno y la liberación, el ayuno y la guerra espiritual, y referencias bíblicas del ayuno. Obtenga su copia ahora y comience a gobernar su mundo y a romper barreras espirituales.
A Baby in Alaska: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance (Home to Hearts Bay #5)
by Heidi McCahanHe needs short-term help… But will he find a lasting love? Sam Frazier has three weeks in Alaska to acquire a small aviation company and serve as best man in a wedding—all with his infant nephew in tow. Thankfully, maid of honor and pilot Rylee Madden can&’t resist helping the new guardian, even if the acquisition might eliminate her job. The arrangement is temporary, and romance isn&’t an option. But will caring for baby Silas together change their minds?From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.Home to Hearts Bay Book 1: An Alaskan SecretBook 2: The Twins' Alaskan AdventureBook 3: His Alaskan RedemptionBook 4: A Baby in Alaska
Baby Protection Mission (Mountain Country K-9 Unit #1)
by Laura ScottWhen a baby is targeted, can a K-9 team keep him safe? When his sister is kidnapped, rancher Cade McNeal will do anything to prevent his baby nephew from being next. Now Officer Ashley Hanson and her K-9 partner are on the case, and it&’s up to them to track down the assailant and keep Cade and his nephew from harm. But as the suspect list grows and the attacks escalate, will they bring a kidnapper to justice…before he strikes again?From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.Mountain Country K-9 Unit Book 1: Baby Protection Mission by Laura ScottBook 2: Her Duty Bound Defender by Sharee StoverBook 3: Chasing Justice by Valerie HansenBook 4: Crime Scene Secrets by Maggie K. BlackBook 5: Montana Abduction Rescue by Jodie BaileyBook 6: Trail of Threats by Jessica R. Patch
Babylonian Jews and Sasanian Imperialism in Late Antiquity
by null Simcha GrossFrom the image offered by the Babylonian Talmud, Jewish elites were deeply embedded within the Sasanian Empire (224-651 CE). The Talmud is replete with stories and discussions that feature Sasanian kings, Zoroastrian magi, fire temples, imperial administrators, Sasanian laws, Persian customs, and more quotidian details of Jewish life. Yet, in the scholarly literature on the Babylonian Talmud and the Jews of Babylonia , the Sasanian Empire has served as a backdrop to a decidedly parochial Jewish story, having little if any direct impact on Babylonian Jewish life and especially the rabbis. Babylonian Jews and Sasanian Imperialism in Late Antiquity advances a radically different understanding of Babylonian Jewish history and Sasanian rule. Building upon recent scholarship, Simcha Gross portrays a more immanent model of Sasanian rule, within and against which Jews invariably positioned and defined themselves. Babylonian Jews realized their traditions, teachings, and social position within the political, social, religious, and cultural conditions generated by Sasanian rule.
Becoming Homeschoolers: Give Your Kids a Great Education, a Strong Family, and a Life They'll Thank You for Later
by Monica SwansonMonica Swanson helps you navigate your real-world concerns about school, culture, and what it takes to create an amazing homeschool experience that you and your kids will never regret!If you've ever wondered whether you have what it takes to homeschool your children, look no further. Parenting author, podcaster, and homeschool mom Monica Swanson is here to tell you: you can do it. In fact, it can be the most fun, family-unifying, character-building, life-equipping experience you and your children will ever have.Becoming Homeschoolers tackles your legitimate doubts and fears about homeschooling, as well as the questions you want answered before you commit--questions like where to start and how to choose a curriculum, build social skills, teach what you're not good at, and prepare for college. With humor and encouragement, Monica weaves her own story of homeschooling her four boys with step-by-step, practical advice on how to:Assess whether home education is right for you and your childrenEstablish a foundation of faith in your everyday homeschool routineFind socialization opportunities such as sports and extracurricular activitiesCare for yourself and your marriage even as you spend more time each day with your kidsTackle the practical side of homeschooling, including standardized tests, transcripts, college readiness, and navigating education requirements It's time to trade fear for empowerment and insecurity for confidence as you live out your own story of becoming homeschoolers.
Bedeviled: Jinn Doppelgangers in Islam and Akbarian Sufism (SUNY series in Islam)
by Dunja RašićGhouls, ifrits, and a panoply of other jinn have long haunted Muslim cultures and societies. These also include jinn doppelgangers (qarīn, pl. quranāʾ), the little-studied and much-feared denizens of the hearts and blood of humans. This book seeks out jinn doppelgangers in the Islamic normative tradition, philosophy, folklore, and Sufi literature, with special emphasis on Akbarian Sufism.Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (d. 1240) wrote on jinn in substantial detail, uncovering the physiognomy, culture, and behavior of this unseen species. Akbarians believed that the good God assigned each human with an evil doppelganger. Ibn ʿArabī’s reasoning as to why this was the case mirrors his attempts to expound the problem of evil in Islamic religious philosophy. No other Sufi, Ibn ʿArabī claimed, ever managed to get to the heart of this matter before him. As well as offering the reader knowledge and safety from evil, Ibn ʿArabī’s writings on jinnealogy tackle the even larger issues of spiritual ascension, predestination, and the human relationship to the Divine.
Beekeeping in the End Times
by Larisa JašarevićEvery hundred years, as the story goes, two angels wonder out loud whether the bees are still swarming. For as long as the bees are swarming, the angels are reassured, the world holds together. Still, the tale suggests, the angels live in anxious anticipation of the End. Local beekeepers in Bosnia and Herzegovina retell the old tale with growing unease, as their honeybees weather the ground effects of climate change.Beekeeping in the End Times relates extreme weather events and quieter disasters that have been altering honey ecologies across Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2014. While world-wide endangerment of pollinators, and bees in particular, has been the subject of much global concern, effects of climate change on the indispensable honeybees,remain understudied. Drawing on a five-year long study, the book suggests that local apiarists' field observations resonate with many climate biologists' concerns and speculations about the future of plant-bee relations on the warming planet. Local practice also adds to the record complex and puzzling trends that make honey scarce in otherwise lush, biodiverse landscapes.To Bosnian Muslims, honeybees are more than pollinators. They are inspired beings whose honey is another form of divinely revelation. To appreciate the meaning of honeybees and to grasp the dire ecological catastrophe underway, Jašarević reads contemporary environmental writings and Sufi texts, she listens to the seasoned beekeepers and collects local wisdom tales. From start to finish, Jašarević pores over key Islamic texts, the Quran and the Hadith, and their popular retellings. The Islamic end-times lore, the book proposes, holds surprising lessons on how to live and strive in the 'not yet,' stalling the apocalypse.
Before There Were Kings: A Literary Analysis of the Book of Judges (Bulletin for Biblical Research Supplement)
by Elie AssisFollowing the great periods of national leadership by Moses and Joshua, the book of Judges depicts the stewardship of various judges that rose to power to solve local religious and military challenges in the premonarchic period. This volume provides a close reading of the entire book of Judges, taking seriously the distinct elements of the book and how they are interconnected.Elie Assis explores the ways in which the ideology and theology of Judges unfold through a careful literary analysis. Moving beyond the cycle of sin, punishment, and salvation, Assis demonstrates how differences in the descriptive language applied to each judge, as well as the evaluations in the opening and concluding chapters, provide clues as to the organization and message of the text. Most works on Judges focus on the historical background of the period or the historical process of the book’s composition and seek to dissolve its stories into component parts. In contrast, Before There Were Kings points to the deep underlying unity of Judges and the function of the individual stories within the whole.New and carefully drawn insights related to the purpose of each section and the themes that shape the book as a whole make this a groundbreaking, programmatic contribution to research on the book of Judges. It will be of particular interest to students and scholars of the Old Testament and the Hebrew Bible.
Begetting: What Does It Mean to Create a Child?
by Mara van der LugtAn investigation of what it means to have children—morally, philosophically and emotionally&“Do you want to have children?&” is a question we routinely ask each other. But what does it mean to create a child? Is this decision always justified? Does anyone really have the moral right to create another person? In Begetting, Mara van der Lugt attempts to fill in the moral background of procreation. Drawing on both philosophy and popular culture, van der Lugt does not provide a definitive answer on the morality of having a child; instead, she helps us find the right questions to ask.Most of the time, when we talk about whether to have children, what we are really talking about is whether we want to have children. Van der Lugt shows why this is not enough. To consider having children, she argues, is to interrogate our own responsibility and commitments, morally and philosophically and also personally. What does it mean to bring a new creature into the world, to decide to perform an act of creation? What does it mean to make the decision that life is worth living on behalf of a person who cannot be consulted? These questions are part of a conversation we should have started long ago. Van der Lugt does not ignore the problematic aspects of procreation—ethical, environmental and otherwise. But she also acknowledges the depth and complexity of the intensely human desire to have a child of our own blood and our own making.
The Beginner's Bible Craft and Activity Book: 30 Fun Projects Based on Bible Stories (The Beginner's Bible)
by The Beginner's BibleUnleash your creativity and make your favorite Bible stories come to life! Featuring 30 fun and engaging activities, including crafts and recipes, with easy-to-follow instructions, The Beginner&’s Bible Craft and Activity Book turns any time into playtime. Kids will love transforming everyday objects into artful masterpieces, and each craft is inspired by a beloved Bible story right from The Beginner&’s Bible!The Beginner's Bible is a perennial favorite with young children and their parents, impacting 28 million families for over 30 years. Now kids ages 4-8 can interact with their favorite Bible stories and characters like never before!The Beginner&’s Bible Craft and Activity Book:Features 30 fun and unique activities, including crafts and recipesTakes inspiration from favorite Bible stories from the Old and New TestamentsIncludes beautiful and unique crafts made from common household items, with easy-to-follow instructions and a shopping guideIs the perfect quiet time activity for kids 4-8 to do at home, during Sunday school, or wherever inspiration strikesFeatures vibrant, three-dimensional art and full-color photosIs part of The Beginner&’s Bible® brand, the bestselling Bible storybook brand of our time, impacting 28 million families for over 30 years Review The Beginner&’s Bible&’s complete library for dozens of titles available for kids of all ages and reading levels.
Being Here: Prayers for Curiosity, Justice, and Love
by Pádraig Ó Tuama&“What is prayer? It&’s not a passport to heaven. If anything, it&’s a way of seeing here, a way of being here.&” In Being Here, acclaimed poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama offers a thoughtful collection of prayers and essays to focus attention in a world full of distractions. Featuring 31 collects—an ancient five-fold form of prayer—this unconventional devotional invites readers into a daily rhythm of connection and creativity. &“The hope is that you can turn to a prayer with the story of your life, and in the little emptiness you create there, hear something, discern something, feel something that&’s connecting you to other things seeking out connection with you.&” Each day&’s prayers are presented alongside scripture and illuminating literary texts. The book concludes with four incisive essays on politics, community, and the contours of contemporary life as seen through biblical literature. Pádraig also teaches readers how they can embrace poetic form to expand their practice of prayer. In these pages, spiritual wayfarers will find a place to both rest and grow their capacity for curiosity, justice, and love. This is a way of living / That&’s worth living daily.
The Berenstain Bears Let's Go Play Collection: 6 Books in 1 (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights: A Faith Story)
by Mike BerenstainGet outside and play with the Berenstain Bears! This high-value, six-book collection encourages young readers to get out and explore God&’s wonderful world, with inspiring stories filled with adventure, laughter, and fun. The Berenstain Bears Let&’s Go Play Collection—part of the bestselling Zonderkidz Living Lights™ series—also features helpful instructions and tips for ten timeless games and activities, including hopscotch, camping, capture the flag, and more!Join the Berenstain Bears as they explore the value of teamwork, active play, and a love of the great outdoors in The Berenstain Bears Let&’s Go Play Collection. With six beloved stories and ten activity suggestions, this affordable and giftable treasury for children ages 4-8 is perfect for classrooms, summer reading, story time, or anytime!The Berenstain Bears Let&’s Go Play Collection includes six classic favorites:The Berenstain Bears Faithful FriendsThe Berenstain Bears God Made You SpecialThe Berenstain Bears Why Do Good Bears Have Bad Days?The Berenstain Bears Honesty CountsThe Berenstain Bears Play a Good GameThe Berenstain Bears God&’s Wonderful World The Berenstain Bears?Living Lights™ series:Is written and illustrated by Mike BerenstainFeatures the hand-drawn artwork of the Berenstain familyContinues in the much-loved footsteps of Stan and Jan Berenstain with the Berenstain Bears series of booksIs part of one of the bestselling children&’s book series ever created, with more than 250 books published and nearly 300 million copies sold to date The popular Zonderkidz Living Lights series has sold over 13 million copies since 2008.Look for additional inspirational children&’s picture books in?The Berenstain Bears Living Lights™ series.