Elizabeth was a beautiful woman who began past-life regressiontherapy for grief and relationship problems. With the help of Dr.Weiss, she delved into former lives, began to understand herpresent, and surprisingly, like Catherine in Many Lives, ManyMasters, made contact with the Masters: highly evolved, ancientsouls who, through her, channeled profound, crystalline messagesfor all people about life after death, spiritual dimensions, andthe purpose of our lives on earth. At the same time, Dr. Weiss wastreating Pedro, a charming man also suffering from grief. He, too,underwent past-life regression therapy to seek solutions andhealing. Dr. Weiss had often worked with couples or families whodiscovered that they had

A noted historian of religion traces manifestations of thesacred from primitive to modern times, in terms of space, time,nature and the cosmos, and life itself. Index. Translated byWillard Trask.

Max Weber's best-known and most controversial work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, first published in 1904, remains to this day a powerful and fascinating read. Weber's highly accessible style is just one of many reasons for his continuing popularity. The book contends that the Protestant ethic made possible and encouraged the development of capitalism in the West.

A modern-day Confessions of Saint Augustine, The Seven StoreyMountain is one of the most influential religious works of thetwentieth century. This edition contains an introduction byMerton's editor, Robert Giroux, and a note to the reader bybiographer William H. Shannon. It tells of the growing restlessnessof a brilliant and passionate young man whose search for peace andfaith leads him, at the age of twenty-six, to take vows in one ofthe most demanding Catholic orders--the Trappist monks. At theAbbey of Gethsemani, "the four walls of my new freedom," ThomasMerton struggles to withdraw from the world, but only after he hasfully immersed himself in it. The Seven Storey Mountain has been afavorite of readers ranging from Graham Greene to Claire BoothLuce, Eldridge Cleaver, and Frank McCourt. And, in the half-centurysince its original publication, this timeless spiritual tome hasbeen published in over twenty languages and has touched millions oflives.

Warriors of God is the rich and engaging account of the ThirdCrusade (1187-1192), a conflict that would shape world history forcenturies and which can still be felt in the Middle East andthroughout the world today. Acclaimed writer James Reston, Jr.,offers a gripping narrative of the epic battle that left Jerusalemin Muslim hands until the twentieth century, bringing an objectiveperspective to the gallantry, greed, and religious fervor thatfueled the bloody clash between Christians and Muslims. As he recounts this rousing story, Reston brings to life the twolegendary figures who led their armies against each other. Heoffers compelling portraits of Saladin, the wise and highlycultured leader who created a united empire, and Richard theLionheart, the romantic personification of chivalry who emergeshere in his full complexity and contradictions. From its rivetingscenes of blood-soaked battles to its pageant of fascinating,larger-than-life characters, Warriors of God is essential history,history that

Scattered over much of the world throughout most of theirhistory, are the Jews one people or many? How do they resemble andhow do they differ from Jews in other places and times? What havetheir relationships been to the cultures of their neighbors? Toaddress these and similar questions, some of the finest scholars ofour day have contributed their insights to Cultures of the Jews, awinner of the National Jewish Book Award upon its hardcoverpublication in 2002. Constructing their essays around specific cultural artifacts thatwere created in the period and locale under study, the contributorsdescribe the cultural interactions among different Jews–from rabbisand scholars to non-elite groups, including women–as well asbetween Jews and the surrounding non-Jewish world. What theyconclude is that although Jews have always had their own autonomoustraditions, Jewish identity cannot be considered the fixed productof either ancient ethnic or religious origins. Rather, it hasshifted and assumed new forms

This intimate, affectionate portrait of Pope John Paul II byhis longtime secretary and confidant reveals fascinating newdetails about the opinions, hopes, fears, and dramatic life of thispublic man. “I had accompanied him for almost forty years: twelve in Krakówand then twenty-seven in Rome. I was always with him, always at hisside. Now, in the moment of death, he’d gone on alone. . . .Andnow? Who is accompanying him on the other side?” —From A Life with Karol Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz worked side by side with Pope JohnPaul II for almost forty years, enjoying unique access to both thepublic and private man. In A life with Karol, he provides aclose-up glimpse into the Pope’s life and the critical events ofhis papacy. Dziwisz was sitting next to the Pope during the assassinationattempt in 1981. He recounts the Pope's reaction to 9/11,describing his thoughts and feelings on that day. And theCardinal’s moving de*ion of the Pope’s haunting memories ofWorld War II unco

In this meticulously researched, unflinching, and reasonedstudy, National Book Award finalist David I. Kertzer presentsshocking revelations about the role played by the Vatican in thedevelopment of modern anti-Semitism. Working in long-sealed Vaticanarchives, Kertzer unearths startling evidence to undermine theChurch’s argument that it played no direct role in the spread ofmodern anti-Semitism. In doing so, he challenges the Vatican’srecent official statement on the subject, We Remember. Kertzer tells an unsettling story that has stirred up controversyaround the world and sheds a much-needed light on the past.

World-renowned Buddhist teacher Roshi Kapleau brings a newintroduction to his twenty-five-year-old classic. Useful to bothinitiates and long-term disciples alike, the comprehensive guide isan overview of the profundities of Buddha. (Philosophy)

In this revelatory exploration of one of our most revered icons,a critically acclaimed author and professor takes us back to earlyChristianity to ask how a box of handwritten scrolls became theBible, and forward to see how the multibillion-dollar business thathas brought us Biblezines and Manga Bibles is selling down theBible's sacred capital. Showing us how a single official text wascreated from the proliferation of different *s, Beal tracesits path as it became embraced as the word of God and Book ofbooks. Among his surprising insights: * Christianity thrived for centuries without any Bible--there wasno official canon of *ures, much less a book big enough tohold them all. Congregations used various collections of scrollsand codices. * There is no "original" Bible, no single source text behind thethousands of different Bibles on the market today. The farther wego back in the Bible's history, the more versions we find. * The idea of the Bible as the literal Word of God is relativelynew--only about a century

The first edition, released in 1995, was lauded by seasonedpractitioners and beginners alike. And no wonder. While most of theearly English-language books on feng shui were dauntingly mysticalor relied on complex calculations or culturally specific designpractices, Feng Shui Made Easy took a more holistic approach,clearly explaining the fundamentals while guiding readers on aninner journey of understanding. Thoughtfully written and beautifully illustrated, the book isstructured around an “architecture of consciousness” that is reallythe inner landscape. The book explores each “house” of thebagua—the chart representing one’s journey through life;relationships with parents, loved ones, and community; creativity;spirituality; and connectedness to the source of life—and thesymbolism of the corresponding I Ching trigram. Feng Shui Made Easyhelps readers discover the nature of these connections, as well aslearn what obstructions must be removed to change fixed patterns ofbehavior and rest

Indonesia,Southest Asia——the next front in the war on terrorism may be the most difficult…and explosive. Long before SZeptember11,2001,terrorism s global elite was already zeroing in on Indonesia——the worlds most populous lslamic nation,and its largest archipelago,where dense jungles and intricate,unpatrolled coastlines conceal almost endless hiding places.Acclaimed journalist and filmmaker Tracy Dahlby takes us into this dangerous terrain,both before and after9/11,interweaving the divergent perspectives of Koran thumping preachers,hardened holy warriors,military commandos,and embattled Muslim moderates,in a first-rate reporting adventure that sheds new light on the epidemic chaos now threatening our international community. By turns harrowing,thought-provoking,and humorous,Allah s torch charts a fascinating course through a sprawling land unknown to most Americans where the home-bred Jemaah Islamiyah,Asias answer to Al Qaeda,pursues its deadly ambition of pressing all of Southeast Asia unde

Here, Roshi Kapleau addresses how Westerners can adapt andpractice Zen.

For 2,000 years, Catholicism—the largest religion in the worldand in the United States—has shaped global history on a scaleunequal ed by any other institution. But until now, Catholicsinterested in their faith have been hard-pressed to find anaccessible, affirmative, and exciting history of the Church. Triumph is that history. Inside, you'll discover thespectacular story of the Church from Biblical times and the earlydays of St. Peter—the first pope—to the twilight years of John PaulII. It is a sweeping drama of Roman legions, great crusades, epicbattles, toppled empires, heroic saints, and enduring faith. And,there are stormy controversies: Dark Age skullduggery, theInquistition, the Renaissance popes, the Reformation, the Church'srefusal to accept sexual liberation and contemporary allegationslike those made in Hitler's Pope and Papal Sin. A brawling, colorful history full of inspiring pageantry andspirited polemic, Triumph will exhilarate, amuse, andinfuriate as it exto

The revealing New York Times bestseller examines the reign of Pope Benedict, the papal conclave process, and the history of one of the world s oldest and most mysterious institutions For more than twenty-five years John Thavis held one of the most fascinating journalistic jobs in the world: reporting on the inner workings of the Vatican. His daily exposure to the power, politics, and personalities in the seat of Roman Catholicism gave him a unique, behind-the-scenes perspective on an institution that is far less monolithic and unified than it first appears. Thavis reveals Vatican City as a place where Curia cardinals fight private wars, scandals threaten to undermine papal authority, and reverence for the past is continually upended by the practical considerations of modern life. Thavis takes readers from a bell tower high above St. Peter s to the depths of the basilica and the saint s burial place, from the politicking surrounding the election of a new pope and the ever-growing sexual abuse scandals ar

Only once in the history of human consciousness, says Osho,has a thing like Zen come into being. In Zen: Its History andTeachings, the noted mystic explains that Zen has no rituals,no chanting, no mantras, no *ures — only short, evocativeparables and teachings that make it ideal for the modern seeker.Using his characteristic humorous, encouraging style, Osho guidesreaders through the origins and development of this seminalspiritual tradition that is neither religion nor dogma nor creed.He provides a context for those who have not been born into the Zentradition, introducing them to its timeless approach to existence.The book argues that the only preparation for fully experiencingZen's power is meditative awareness, and Osho presents simpletechniques to achieve this awareness. Stunning color photographsthroughout offer further inspiration and illumination.

For anyone who has ever wondered about the mysteries that liebeyond everyday experience, or doubted the reality of theafterlife, Angels in My Hair is a moving and deeply inspirationaljourney into the unseen world. For as long as she can remember, Lorna Byrne has seen angels. Asa young child, she assumed everyone could see the otherworldlybeings who always accompanied her. Yet in the eyes of adults, herabnormal behavior was a symptom of mental deficiency. Today, sickand troubled people from around the world are drawn to her forcomfort and healing, and even theologians of different faiths seekher guidance. Lorna is trusted for her ability to communicate withspirits and angels—and by sharing her intimate knowledge of thespiritual world she offers a message of hope and love to usall. Angels in My Hair is an engrossing chronicle of Lorna’sincredible life story. Invoking a wonderful sense of place, shedescribes growing up poor in Ireland, finding work in Dublin, andmarrying the