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Insha'Allah, No, Maybe So
by Rhonda Roumani Nadia RoumaniA sweet and playful picture book about a common Arabic word for life's uncertainties that will ring true for all families.Ranya wants to go to the park. &“Insha&’Allah,&” her mom tells her. But doesn't that just mean no? Ranya's mom says &“Insha&’Allah&” when Ranya asks to make cookies. She says it when Ranya wants to sleep over at Jayda's house. She says it when Ranya begs to go to Disneyland.This might sound familiar to parents and caregivers . . . It&’s hard to know what to say when you can&’t promise anything! Sometimes grown-ups say &“Maybe&” or &“We&’ll see.&” And in millions of Arab and Muslim homes around the world, families use the phrase &“Insha&’Allah&” when talking about the future. So, what does &“Insha&’Allah&” really mean? In this warmly illustrated picture book, Ranya and her mom tackle the meaning of the powerful phrase and ponder the best way to talk about their hopes and dreams—and maybe, sometimes, the things they want to put off. (Like cleaning up toys!)Cozy art and joyful, loving characters make this a perfect family read aloud.A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Miracles for Skeptics: Encountering the Paranormal Ministry of Jesus
by Frank G. HoneycuttAre the miracle stories in the Bible actually true? Christians and skeptics alike may doubt the veracity of Jesus&’s miracles. Preachers often rely on a dry, literal interpretation of his healings and wonders, or else try to tame them and explain them away rationally. Both approaches, in their obsession with historical accuracy, miss the truth behind these stories. Frank G. Honeycutt draws out the deeper truths in the weird incidents in the Bible. In a warm, conversational style, Honeycutt reads iconic miracle stories—from the wedding at Cana to demonic exorcisms—to enrich the life of faith. Digging into these &“unbelievable&” stories can widen our spiritual imaginations and point to the promise of Christ&’s new world. Pastors seeking thoughtful resources and any inquisitive reader will find a wealth of pastoral insight and scriptural wisdom in Miracles for Skeptics.
Darkness Calls the Tiger: A Novel of World War II Burma
by Janyre Tromp"Evocative and transportive, filled with nuance and spiked with the violence of war, Darkness Calls the Tiger is a story of redemption in the midst of hopelessness." --Tosca Lee, New York Times best-selling author After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Imperial Japan devours the southern portion of Burma, intent on taking over mainland Asia. Unaware of the coming darkness, Kailyn Moran drifts in her role as the only daughter of a widowed missionary. As whispers of war snake through the Kachin mountains, Kai's father is convinced God will protect the mission. He entrusts the village to her and the kind yet inexperienced new missionary, Ryan McDonough, while he makes routine visits to neighboring villages. War descends like a tempest upon the mountain peaks, and an unbreakable bond forms between Kailyn and Ryan as they unite to provide solace to both villagers and the flood of refugees. Despite their tireless efforts, a brutal enemy shatters almost everything they love, pushing Kailyn to embark on a path of unrestrained vengeance. Afraid he's losing the woman he loves, Ryan fights to protect Kai from the deadly consequences of her choices. But in the face of destruction, can he convince her of the power and freedom of forgiveness?
Guiding God's Marriage: Faith and Social Change in Premarital Counseling
by Courtney Ann IrbyExamines how religious leaders use premarital counseling to influence how we view intimacyIt is well-known that the institution of marriage has changed dramatically in the past few decades. However, very little research has focused on the role of religious institutions in helping couples form and maintain their relationships.Guiding God’s Marriage offers an examination of Christian marriage preparation programs, exploring their efforts to stabilize the institution of marriage and highlighting the tension between individualism and community in people’s relational lives. Marriage preparation programs offer a useful lens through which to trace shifts in both religious and family institutions because they set out clear and intentional articulations of marriage ideologies and gendered relationship scripts by faith communities. By documenting the changes in content and practices of Christian premarital education along with its advice regarding what makes a good marriage, the book charts the ways that religious communities have been transformed by and have helped to contribute to the individualization of faith and relationships.Featuring archival research as well as first hand observations of four marriage preparation courses—two Protestant and two Catholic—along with seventy interviews with participating couples and leaders of these and other programs, the book offers a rare view of visions about how to realize a successful and faith-filled relationship. This examination of marriage classes offers key insight into how religious communities have responded to cultural changes in marriage, gender, sexuality, and intimacy.
La transformación total de su dinero Actualizada y Ampliada: Un plan efectivo para alcanzar paz financiera
by Dave Ramsey¿Quieres elaborar un presupuesto que realmente funcione para ti? ¿Estás preparado para transformar tu relación con el dinero? Este best seller del New York Times ha ayudado a millones de personas como tú a desarrollar hábitos cotidianos de ahorro con la ayuda del experto en finanzas personales favorito de Estados Unidos, Dave Ramsey.A estas alturas, ya has oído hablar de todos los esquemas absurdos para hacerse rico rápidamente y de las modas de dietas fiscales que te dejan con un montón de ideas extravagantes, pero ni un céntimo en el bolsillo. Si estás cansado de las mentiras y harto de falsas promesas, Dave está aquí para proporcionarte ayuda práctica y a largo plazo. Esta edición actualizada y ampliada es el plan de juego más sencillo y directo para cambiar por completo tus finanzas y, lo mejor de todo, estos principios se basan en resultados, no en fantasías. Este es el cambio financiero que estabas buscando.Este libro te dará las herramientas y el estímulo que necesitas para:Diseñar un plan infalible para saldar todas tus deudas, desde el auto hasta la casa y todo lo demás, utilizando el método de deudas de la bola de nieve.Romper con los malos hábitos y hacer cambios duraderos en tu relación con el dineroReconocer los 10 mitos más peligrosos sobre el dineroReservar dinero suficiente para gastos imprevistos y emergenciasAhorrar suficiente dinero para tu jubilación¡Vive como nadie, para que luego puedas VIVIR (y DAR) como nadie!Esta edición incluye nuevo contenido que te ayudará a abordar conflictos matrimoniales, deudas universitarias y mucho más. Cada ejemplar incluye nuevos recursos al final del libro para convertir la transformación total de su dinero en tu nueva realidad.The Total Money Makeover Updated and ExpandedDo you want to build a budget that actually works for you? Are you ready to transform your relationship with money? This New York Times bestseller has already helped millions of people just like you learn how to develop everyday money-saving habits with the help of America's favorite personal finance expert, Dave Ramsey.By now, you've already heard all of the nutty get-rich-quick schemes and the fiscal diet fads that leave you with a lot of quirky ideas but not a penny in your pocket. If you're tired of the lies and sick of the false promises, Dave is here to provide practical, long-term help. This updated edition is the simplest, most straightforward game plan for completely changing your finances. And, best of all, these principles are based on results, not pie-in-the-sky fantasies. This is the financial reset you've been looking for.This book will give you the tools and the encouragement you need to:Design a sure-fire plan for paying off all debt--from your cars to your home and everything in between using the debt snowball methodBreak bad habits and make lasting changes when it comes to your relationship with moneyRecognize the 10 most dangerous money mythsSet aside enough money to pay for unexpected expenses and emergenciesSave enough money for your retirementLive like no one else, so later you can LIVE (and GIVE) like no one else!This edition includes new content that will help you tackle marriage conflict, college debt, and so much more. Each copy also includes brand new back-of-the-book resources to help you make Total Money Makeover your new reality.
Total Money Makeover Updated and Expanded: A Proven Plan for Financial Peace
by Dave RamseyDo you want to build a budget that actually works for you? Are you ready to transform your relationship with money? This New York Times bestseller has already helped millions of people just like you learn how to develop everyday money-saving habits with the help of America's favorite personal finance expert, Dave Ramsey.By now, you've already heard all of the nutty get-rich-quick schemes and the fiscal diet fads that leave you with a lot of quirky ideas but not a penny in your pocket. If you're tired of the lies and sick of the false promises, Dave is here to provide practical, long-term help. The Total Money Makeover is the simplest, most straightforward game plan for completely changing your finances. And, best of all, these principles are based on results, not pie-in-the-sky fantasies. This is the financial reset you've been looking for.The Total Money Makeover will give you the tools and the encouragement you need to:Design a sure-fire plan for paying off all debt--from your cars to your home and everything in between using the debt snowball methodBreak bad habits and make lasting changes when it comes to your relationship with moneyRecognize the 10 most dangerous money mythsSet aside enough money to pay for unexpected expenses and emergenciesSave enough money for your retirementLive like no one else, so later you can LIVE (and GIVE) like no one else!This new edition of The Total Money Makeover includes new content that will help you tackle marriage conflict, college debt, and so much more.
The Perilous Fight: Overcoming Our Culture's War on the American Family
by Ben Carson, M.D.Learn from one of our leading conservative voices how we can return to the biblical values our nation was founded upon, especially the vital importance of the family, in order to secure a prosperous future for generations to come.Does America no longer feel like home? Widespread divorce rates, the erosion of traditional marriage, the popular rise of radical ideologies, attacks on faith, and government interference are only a few of the factors contributing to the struggles of families in our culture. And because of the importance of healthy families to every part of our national life, the breakdown of the family threatens to rob us of the country we love. But it doesn't have to be this way.Like many of us, Dr. Ben Carson fears we are losing the country we love. In this provocative and ultimately hopeful book, he gives us the facts, inspiration, and theory-to-action answers we need to restore a key foundation of America: the family.The Perilous Fight equips us to understand:The hard data behind the breakdown of the family and its effects on our society, including poverty, crime, and deteriorating educationThe core biblical beliefs that led our nation into unprecedented freedom and prosperity--and why abandoning those beliefs led to the social decline we see todayThe fresh ideas and public policy options that could reverse negative trends impacting the family while maintaining a balance between constitutional freedoms and governmental involvement This is a practical and inspiring book for anyone who:Feels discouraged about the state of our country and its institutionsNeeds hope that there are commonsense, attainable solutions that we all can practiceAppreciates a conservative, Scripture-based approach to restoring faith, liberty, community, and life in America Strong families are the cornerstone of strong communities. Strong communities build a strong nation. Only when we prioritize the family as an institution established by God will we proudly remain the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Gospeler: Turning Darkness into Light One Conversation at a Time
by Willie RobertsonDo you want to share your faith more easily and naturally? Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty says that if you can tell someone about your spouse, kids, friends, school, pets, and hobbies, you know how to talk about the most important thing in your life, your Lord!Could you share the gospel with another person? Would you know where to start? Do you even know what the gospel is? It's the Good News of Jesus, and a gospeler is simply someone who shares it with others.Willie Robertson writes about his story of faith, which came about in large part because a stranger went out of his way—as well as his comfort zone—to have a spiritual conversation with Willie's father, Phil. And from that story, he tells readers how they, too, can talk about Jesus with their family, friends, neighbors, and even people they meet along the way. Gospeler will help readers:Celebrate the gospel genealogy that led to their faith and be inspired to grow their spiritual family tree.Understand that sharing the gospel is not preaching but having a conversation.Keep sharing the gospel with someone, knowing that Jesus never gives up on us.Focus on what's truly important (Jesus) instead of what's not (religion). Being a gospeler is not complicated. And the more you share Jesus, the easier it gets. Maybe you believe other people are better at sharing their faith and it is not your gift. Maybe you think you don't know the Bible well enough. Or you might say you haven't figured it all out yourself, so you aren&’t equipped to help anyone else. Whatever may be holding you back will be covered in this book, giving you the inspiration, guidance, and encouragement you need.When the gospel is heard, accepted, and responded to, it's not just a cool story, it is a game-changer. And it can spread across the world—starting with one conversation you have with another. In addition to this book, an accompanying 64-page booklet is available to share with others.
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.
Sharing Jesus with Confidence: How to Be a Gospeler and Have Conversations that Matter for Eternity
by Willie RobertsonDo you want to share your faith more easily and naturally? This companion booklet to Gospeler by Willie Robertson of Duck Dynasty is a practical guide for Christ followers to read and give to those seeking God's truth and love.Could you share the gospel with another person? Would you know where to start? Do you even know what the gospel is? It's the Good News of Jesus, and a gospeler is simply someone who shares it with others. Willie Robertson says that if you can tell someone about your spouse, kids, friends, school, pets, and hobbies, you know how to talk about the most important thing in your life, your Lord!This 64-page booklet is a companion to the trade book Gospeler, in which Willie writes about his story of faith that came about in large part because a stranger went out of his way—as well as his comfort zone—to have a spiritual conversation with his father, Phil. This booklet will provide readers with:Inspiration and encouragement to follow Jesus more faithfully.Scriptures pointing to salvation found in Jesus alone.Step-by-step guidance in understanding and responding to Christ's calling.Guidance on sharing the Good News of Jesus effectively, whether a new believer or a Christian for decades.Counsel on how to stay focused on what's truly important (Jesus) instead of what's not (religion) When the gospel is heard, accepted, and responded to, it's not just a cool story, it is a game-changer. And it can spread across the world—starting with a simple conversation you have with someone.
Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside-Down
by Dr. David JeremiahWill you finish the race strong? Dr. David Jeremiah offers biblically based keys to keeping your faith steadfast when life hits you hard. Regardless of the circumstances, God will hold you up to help you face whatever comes your way. Every day, everyone in the world faces challenging moments and circumstances. Perhaps in your marriage. Your career. Your health. Your personal integrity. When times get tough, people often ask, &“Why is this happening to me?&” If you&’re feeling vulnerable during a difficult time in your life, it is important to embrace your faith and the everlasting love of God. Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7, &“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.&” Keeping the faith, even for someone like Paul, meant not giving in to the world&’s relentless influence. That&’s what you must do as well.In Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down, New York Times bestselling author Dr. David Jeremiah:provides you with a practical guide to leaning on the strength of your faith, even in the toughest of times.focuses on four common daily battles that can chip away at your confidence in God: fear, discouragement, worry, and doubt.explores four blessings that are sure to bolster your faith when inevitable challenges come: grace, perseverance, responsibility, and fortitude.The uplifting messages of encouragement and strength in Keep the Faith are curated from Dr. Jeremiah&’s books Slaying the Giants in Your Life, Captured by Grace, Everything You Need, Searching for Heaven on Earth, and A Bend in the Road.
Finn and Ezra's Bar Mitzvah Time Loop
by Joshua S. LevyFinn and Ezra’s bar mitzvah weekend takes on a Groundhog Day twist in this hilarious and magical middle grade novel from Joshua S. Levy. Finn and Ezra don’t have a lot in common—except, of course, that they’re trapped in a bar mitzvah time loop, reliving their celebrations in the same New Jersey hotel over and over and over again. Not ideal, particularly when both kids were ready for their bar mitzvahs to end the moment they began. Ezra comes from a big family—four siblings, all seeming to get more attention than him, even on his bar mitzvah weekend. Finn is an only child who’s tired of his parents’ constant focus, even worse on his bar mitzvah weekend. They just want to get past it, just want to grow up. And now they’re both stuck. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. No way out.Until Finn and Ezra meet and realize they’re not alone.Teaming up, they try everything they can think of to break the loop. But nothing works, and after every reset, the boys’ schemes become more desperate. As their frustrations build, the questions mount and real-life problems start to seep through the cracks. With all the time in the world, can Finn and Ezra ever figure out how to move forward?
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.
Love Your Neighbor: A Spiritual Defense of Capitalism and Freedom in a Hostile Age
by Ralph C. StayerLove Your Neighbor makes the case for capitalism as the only system that can end poverty, solve intractable crises, and increase human flourishing.Love Your Neighbor builds on the National Best Seller Flight of the Buffalo by Ralph Stayer with James Belasco. Ralph's story and experience transformed the business world. It offers a bold and straightforward plan for rethinking leadership—still taught in business schools and leadership seminars worldwide. Finally, after decades of more experience, Love Your Neighbor delivers the sequel that readers demanded. Love Your Neighbor is the fruit of that patience—and thirty years of reflection and leadership. As the longtime CEO of Johnsonville Foods, Ralph learned to let his workers lead. Love Your Neighbor shows that the real secret behind Johnsonville's success was a conscious decision to align the company's practices with God's plan for human flourishing. Love Your Neighbor defends and champions capitalism which continues to be under attack in America—and why faith-informed capitalism is the only vehicle that can bring prosperity and purpose to everyone. Love Your Neighbor goes beyond that of another pretty sermon—it's a blueprint for transformation based on Ralph's decades of experience as one of America's most successful CEOs. It provides a moral foundation for capitalism during a time of challenge and crisis, demonstrating its vast superiority over socialism and other fallen economic systems. Ralph's experience at Johnsonville Foods points to a proud and unapologetic conviction in capitalism that serves God, builds strong communities, and embodies what it means to love your neighbor.
The Divine Economy: How Religions Compete for Wealth, Power, and People
by Paul SeabrightA novel economic interpretation of how religions have become so powerful in the modern worldReligion in the twenty-first century is alive and well across the world, despite its apparent decline in North America and parts of Europe. Vigorous competition between and within religious movements has led to their accumulating great power and wealth. Religions in many traditions have honed their competitive strategies over thousands of years. Today, they are big business; like businesses, they must recruit, raise funds, disburse budgets, manage facilities, organize transportation, motivate employees, and get their message out. In The Divine Economy, economist Paul Seabright argues that religious movements are a special kind of business: they are platforms, bringing together communities of members who seek many different things from one another—spiritual fulfilment, friendship and marriage networks, even business opportunities. Their function as platforms, he contends, is what has allowed religions to consolidate and wield power.This power can be used for good, especially when religious movements provide their members with insurance against the shocks of modern life, and a sense of worth in their communities. It can also be used for harm: political leaders often instrumentalize religious movements for authoritarian ends, and religious leaders can exploit the trust of members to inflict sexual, emotional, financial or physical abuse, or to provoke violence against outsiders. Writing in a nonpartisan spirit, Seabright uses insights from economics to show how religion and secular society can work together in a world where some people feel no need for religion, but many continue to respond with enthusiasm to its call.
What is Hinduism?: A Student's Introduction (What is this thing called Religion?)
by Michael BaltutisThis book is an engaging introduction to the complex religious tradition of Hinduism. Central to its focus is demonstrating the fundamental diversity within Hinduism through the multiplicity of its core beliefs and traditions.Chapters are divided into four historical categories – Vedic, Ascetic, Classical, and Contemporary Hinduism – with each examining one deity alongside one key term, serving as a twin focal point for a more complex discussion of related key texts, ideas, social structures, religious practices, festivals, and concepts such as ritual and sacrifice, music and devotion, and engagement and renunciation. The organization of this book requires that we see deities as not simply divine individuals who preside over one part of the Hindu world, but that each deity operates as a larger cultural category whose related persons, concepts, and practices provide a vivid lens through which Hindu devotees see and continue to readapt to the world in which they live.With study questions, glossaries, and lists of key contemporary figures, this book is an essential and comprehensive resource for students encountering the multiplicity of Hinduism for the first time.
Loyally, Luke
by Pepper BashamSometimes love means embracing the good, the bad . . . and even the impossible.Dear Reader,My name is Luke Edgewood, and there are few things in life that I require. Mainly black coffee. And flannel. And lots of solitude. And my dogs, Chewy and Indie. What I don&’t need is romance, so I have no plans to change my thirty-year-old bachelor status anytime soon.But my youngest sister thinks that by accepting a short-term construction job in the small European country of Skymar, I&’m going to follow along in her footsteps and discover my own romantic adventure. Nope. Bah humbug. The End. This time, her rom-com-movie senses are totally wrong.Or maybe not. Because I&’ve met a Grace Kelly look-alike who is annoying . . . until she isn&’t. But she is impossible. As in, nothing can happen between us because she is a literal princess. Even though that&’s easy to forget when we&’re working together to restore a castle-like orphanage in a secluded mountain town and &“forced proximity&” includes a small closet, a secret one-hundred-year-old journal, and the tactile memory of an off-limits royal in my arms.Basically, the whole situation has turned into an ooey gooey magical snow globe of romantic tropes complete with cute kids and an actual ball. Now, even my sentences are starting to sound like mush. Ugh. Send high levels of testosterone my way—I&’m going to need it.Loyally,Luke&“Readers, you are in for a pure delight! Luke Edgewood is, in a word, dreamy.&”—Emma St. Clair, USA TODAY bestselling authorWitty, hilarious, and heartwarming contemporary romanceA sweet, kisses-only romanceStand-alone novelBook length: approximately 107,000 wordsIncludes discussion questions for book clubs
The Way of the Wild Soul Woman: 5 Earth Archetypes to Unleash Your Full Feminine Power
by Mary Reynolds Thompson• Introduces five Earth Woman Archetypes along with in-depth initiations to help you to unleash your fullest, most authentic, and creative self• Includes rituals, exercises, meditations, and journal prompts to help you integrate each initiatory stage and embody the ways of a Wild Soul Woman• Explores how to overcome the core wounding of each Earth Archetype, how the Archetypes can empower you, and how to embody their wisdomAre you ready to become a force of nature? Trapped in a culture that shames and tames us, we often struggle to give full voice to our passions and purpose. But a Wild Soul Woman will not be silenced. Sourcing her strength from five Earth archetypes, she speaks her truth, stands up for her values, and becomes an eloquent defender of life. Award-winning author Mary Reynolds Thompson takes you on a groundbreaking journey, showing you how to unleash your full feminine power, as you discover and learn from:• Desert Woman—to let go of what no longer serves you• Forest Woman—to seed new dreams and nurture them in your depths• Ocean and River Woman—to ride the flow of your deepest longings• Mountain Woman—to rise up in service of a vision• Grassland Woman—to engage with community as your rewilded self Woven throughout with the author&’s personal story, the stories of other women who have blazed a trail, and enchanting illustrations, this is an inspirational how-to guide to exploring your inner nature. The Way of the Wild Soul Woman is also a blueprint for the next wave of feminism and its larger purpose—to reshape our culture and our institutions. Together, my sisters, we are about to change the world. We are wondrous. We are rising. We are wild.
The Burnt Book: Reading the Talmud
by Marc-Alain OuakninA profound look at what it means for new generations to read and interpret ancient religious texts In this book, rabbi and philosopher Marc-Alain Ouaknin offers a postmodern reading of the Talmud. Combining traditional learning and contemporary thought, Ouaknin dovetails discussions of spirituality and religious practice with such concepts as deconstruction, intertextuality, undecidability, multiple voicing, and eroticism in the Talmud. On a broader level, he establishes a dialogue between Hebrew tradition and the social sciences, which draws, for example, on the works of Lévinas, Blanchot, and Jabès as well as Derrida. The Burnt Book represents the innovative thinking that has come to be associated with a school of French Jewish studies, headed by Lévinas and dedicated to new readings of traditional texts.The Talmud, transcribed in 500 C.E., is shown to be a text that refrains from dogma and instead encourages the exploration of its meanings. A vast compilation of Jewish oral law, the Talmud also contains rabbinical commentaries that touch on everything from astronomy to household life. Examining its literary methods and internal logic, Ouaknin explains how this text allows readers to transcend its authority in that it invites them to interpret, discuss, and recreate their religious tradition. An in-depth treatment of selected texts from the oral law and commentary goes on to provide a model for secular study of the Talmud in light of contemporary philosophical issues.Throughout, the author emphasizes the self-effacing quality of a text whose worth can be measured by the insights that live on in the minds of its interpreters long after they have closed the book. He points out that the burning of the Talmud in anti-Judaic campaigns throughout history has, in fact, been an unwitting act of complicity with Talmudic philosophy and the practice of self-effacement. Ouaknin concludes his discussion with the story of the Hasidic master Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav, who himself burned his life achievement—a work known by his students as "the Burnt Book." This story leaves us with the question, should all books be destroyed in order to give birth to thought and renew meaning?
Surviving Modern Yoga: Cult Dynamics, Charismatic Leaders, and What Survivors Can Teach Us
by Matthew RemskiGrounded in investigative research and real survivor stories, Surviving Modern Yoga uncovers the physical and sexual abuse perpetrated by Ashtanga yoga leader Pattabhi Jois—and reckons with the culture, structures, and mythos that enabled it.The revised edition of Practice and All is Coming from Conspirituality co-host Matthew RemskiYoga culture sells well-meaning westerners the full package: physical health, good vibes, and spiritual growth. Here, investigative journalist Matthew Remski explores how cultic dynamics, institutional self-interest, and spiritualized indifference collude to obscure the truth: Harm happens in plain sight.Through in-depth interviews, insider analysis, and Remski&’s own history with high-demand groups, Surviving Modern Yoga brings to light how we&’re each susceptible to cult abuse and exploitation. He shows how, with the right kind of situational vulnerability and the wrong kind of guru, the ideas we hold close about ourselves—like It wouldn&’t happen to me or I&’d speak up for victims—fail to protect us.Remski reckons with his own complicity in spiritual power dynamics, and shares how a process of disillusionment allowed him to recognize harm. He does the same for readers, peeling back the veneer of yoga marketing to reveal the abuse, assault, and silencing perpetrated against seekers who trusted Jois as a mentor, their guruji—even a father figure. Each survivor speaks in their own words, on their own terms, reclaiming agency against an insular, in-group culture that enabled a charismatic leader&’s devastating harm—and positioned him as its only remedy.Surviving Modern Yoga also includes practical tools to help readers:Understand how high-demand groups trap would-be targetsEvaluate their own situational vulnerabilitiesLearn to listen for loaded, red-flag languageCultivate their literacy of cult tactics
The Witch's Workshop: A Guide to Crafting Your Own Magical Tools
by Melissa MadaraFrom the author of The Witch's Feast, this is the first fully illustrated, comprehensive introduction to the handicrafts of witchcraft. Through over 60 craft projects, learn all the techniques you need to create your personalized magical toolkit.Empower yourself as a self-sufficient witch, and become a master of the natural arts!This in-depth guide, accompanied by step-by-step images, will show you all the craft and design skills you need to make your own, personalized and fully adaptable magical toolkit.Melissa Madara, magical expert, herbalist and witch, shares 60+ unique projects and techniques, many of which revive spells from the history of witches past. Approachable for beginners and stimulating for established practitioners, the crafts are clearly explained through luscious photographs, detailed research, useful charts, and easy-to-follow instructions. Once you are directly in touch with the power of these crafts, understanding deeply the processes and the associations of magical ingredients, you can be inspired to create all your own unique formulations. Chapters include:Incense, including kyphi temple incense, which once billowed from the temples of ancient Egypt, to house blessing incense for cleansing any new home.Inks, including dragon's blood ink and botanical drawing charcoals.Oils, such as flying ointment or the world's first known chemist Tapputi's royal salve.Natural dyes for creating stunning eco-printed ritual gowns or a spring equinox altar tablecloth.Papers, like Japanese knotweed paper or autumn equinox corn husk paper.Powders essential for rituals and spells such as scrying powder and banishing salt.Candles of all shapes and types, including poured, dipped and molded.With all of this knowledge, you can create altars, rituals and spells that are highly specific, personal and in touch with your natural environment.
Prairie Hills: Letters from the Enemy/Treasure in the Hills/The Dreams of Hannah Williams (Romancing America: South Dakota)
by Susan May Warren Paige Winship Dooly Linda FordRide the hill dotted prairie with three independent women. Emma Delaney is doing fine on her own until her daughter decides to play matchmaker. Hannah Williams relishes her freedom until a local rancher tries to solve all her problems for her. Lilly Clark is content with her choices until siding with an immigrant against prejudice puts her at odds with the whole town. Will each woman surrender when faith and love call to them?
Introduction to Mythology: Third Edition
by J. G. FarrowThe word myth is often misunderstood, to the point that some people can even be quite offended when it is used in the “wrong” context. If the term is so sensitive, then why study it or even acknowledge the validity of such a subject as mythology in our class-rooms? When we study the subject at college or university level, there is a lot more to it than just the adventures of gods or heroes who, in many cases, are not even believed in any more, at least in a literal sense. At this level of the subject we are far more concerned with the real people who actually did (or in some cases still do) believe in the gods and heroes of the systems we will be studying in the course. We are also concerned with the critics and theorists who have been contributing to the subject over the last two centuries. We cannot understand myths fully without having in our minds a complete “tool kit” of theories and interpretations, some of which are new, others which have stood the test of time for a century or more. If you are buying this book, you are probably a serious student who wants to know more about the subject, not just get a couple more credits (though we all know what a big incentive that can be). Mythology has grown as a subject in the past century, especially in the American higher education system. This is a great contrast from European countries, where students are expected to study the original languages of the sources first (especially Latin and Greek), then get to grips with the myths when they read the works of ancient poets such as Homer, Hesiod, Vergil, and Ovid. Even in our system we cannot avoid one basic fact: the word source is the most important word in mythology. Don’t panic the sources used in this book are all translated into plain English for you. Care has been taken to keep it simple. Where there are important issues arising from the use of a particular word or name in a written source, there are footnotes to explain those issues. The shorter examples given in chapters 9 to 12 of this book are each followed by discussion questions which are designed to get you, as a beginning student of mythology, used to knowing what kind of details to look for and how to recognize structures. It helps if you know some actual history and geography, too. At no point must we ever forget that our sources were real people, living in a real place and at a real time.
Hope: A Novel
by Andrew RidkerA New York Times Editors' ChoiceA Boston Globe, Forward, and Times of Israel Best Book of the Year&“Riotous. . . . Hilarious . . . impeccably written . . . . Intelligent, bighearted, spew-your-gefilte-fish-funny.&” —The New York Times Book Review &“A writer with this much talent can take his readers anywhere.&” —The Washington Post&“Painfully funny. . . . This rivals Taffy Brodesser-Akner&’s Fleishman is in Trouble in its pitch-perfect portrayal of Jewish American life.&” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)&“A comedy of (bad) manners. . . . Engaging.&” —The Boston GlobeA hilarious and heartfelt novel about a seemingly perfect family in an era of waning American optimism, from the acclaimed author of The AltruistsThe year is 2013 and the Greenspans are the envy of Brookline, Massachusetts, an idyllic (and idealistic) suburb west of Boston. Scott Greenspan is a successful physician with his own cardiology practice. His wife, Deb, is a pillar of the community who spends her free time helping resettle refugees. Their daughter, Maya, works at a distinguished New York publishing house and their son, Gideon, is preparing to follow in his father&’s footsteps. They are an exceptional family from an exceptional place, living in exceptional times.But when Scott is caught falsifying blood samples at work, he sets in motion a series of scandals that threatens to shatter his family. Deb leaves him for a female power broker; Maya rekindles a hazardous affair from her youth; and Gideon drops out of college to go on a dangerous journey that will put his principles to the test.From Brookline to Berlin to the battlefields of Syria, Hope follows the Greenspans over the course of one tumultuous year as they question, and compromise, the values that have shaped their lives. But in the midst of their disillusionment, they&’ll discover their own capacity for resilience, connection, and, ultimately, hope.
The Last Ta'ifa: The Banu Hud and the Struggle for Political Legitimacy in al-Andalus (Medieval Societies, Religions, and Cultures)
by Anthony H. MinnemaIn The Last Ta'ifa, Anthony H. Minnema shows how the Banu Hud, an Arab dynasty from Zaragoza, created and recreated their vision of an autonomous city-state (ta'ifa) in ways that reveal changes to legitimating strategies in al-Andalus and across the Mediterranean. In 1110, the Banu Hud lost control of their emirate in the north of Iberia and entered exile, ending their century-long rule. But far from accepting their fate, the dynasty adapted by serving Christian kings, nurturing rebellions, and carving out a new state in Murcia to recover, maintain, and grow their power. By tracing the Banu Hud across chronicles, charters, and coinage, Minnema shows how dynastic leaders borrowed their rivals' claims and symbols and engaged in similar types of military campaigns and complex alliances in an effort to cultivate authority. Drawing on Arabic, Latin, and vernacular sources, The Last Ta'ifa uses the history of the Banu Hud to connect the pursuit of legitimacy in al-Andalus to the politics of other emerging kingdoms and emirates. The actions of Hudid leaders, Minnema shows, echoed across the region as other kings, rebels, and adventurers employed parallel methods to gain power and resist the forces of centralization, highlighting the constructed nature of legitimacy in al-Andalus and the Mediterranean.