A modern translation of an ancient book of magic by thecontemporary Italian spiritual leader Oberto Airaudi, The Book ofSynchronicity taps into the “Synchronic Lines”–rivers of spiritualenergy that flow through the universe. These lines link the variouscelestial bodies and the intelligences that can access them. Thelines’ path on Earth, according to the book, takes the form ofeighteen Major Lines through which pour ideas, dreams, thoughts,and information. Whenever a reader consults The Book ofSynchronicity, he or she is in effect accessing this flow ofknowledge. Easy to understand and use, the book can be consulted immediatelyfor quick answers as well as longer divination processes, with nofurther study or outside knowledge of other divination traditionsnecessary. The technique is simple: readers ask a question and thenthrow a die, while concentrating on the question. Each answer isgained by throwing the die four times, with more than 2 millionpossible synchronistic combinations for each

An examination of the influence of the Bible on Western artand literature and on the Western creative imagination in general.Frye persuasively presents the Bible as a unique text distinct fromall other epics and sacred writings. No one has set forth soclearly, so subtly, or with such cogent energy as Frye the literaryaspect of our biblical heritage (New York Times Book Review).Indices.

From distinguished moral philosopher Martha Nussbaum, this isa historical and conceptual study of the American tradition ofreligious freedom. In one of greatest triumphs of the colonial andRevolutionary periods, the founders of the future United Statesovercame religious intolerance in favour of a constitutional orderdedicated to fair treatment for people's deeply held conscientiousbeliefs. It granted equal liberty of conscience to all and took afirm stand against religious establishment. This respect forreligious difference, argues Martha Nussbaum, is the basis fordemocracy in America. Yet today there signs that this legacy ismisunderstood. The prominence of a particular type of Christianityin America's public life suggests the unequal worth of citizens whohold different religious beliefs or no beliefs. Other people,meanwhile, seek to curtail the influence of religion in public lifein a way that is itself unbalanced and unfair. Such partisanefforts, argues Nussbaum, violate the spirit of the AmericanCo

Reading the Gospels without knowing the personality of Jesusis like watching television with the sound turned off. The resultis a dry, two dimensional person doing strange, undecipherablethings. In BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW, John Eldredge removes the religious varnishto help readers discover stunning new insights into the humanity ofJesus. He was accused of breaking the law, keeping bad company,heavy drinking. Of being the devil himself. He was so compellingand dangerous they had to kill him. But others loved himpassionately. He had a sense of humor. His generosity wasscandalous. His anger made enemies tremble. He'd say the mostoutrageous things. He was definitely not the Jesus of the stainedglass. In the author's winsome, narrative approach, he breaks Jesus outof the typical stereotypes, just as he set masculinity free in hisbook, Wild at Heart. By uncovering the real Jesus, readers arewelcomed into the rich emotional life of Christ. All of theremarkable qualities of Jesus burst like fireworks with

The quest for self-knowledge has been a universal human pursuit for millenniums. Who are we? And could our destiny be written in the stars? Why do some commit their wings to life's flames, while others tiptoe through life so cautiously? Chinese Astrology: Exploring the Eastern Zodiac explains our “natural endowment”or“inner being”─our personality from the beginning. This 5,000-year-old art paints a remarkable picture of personality and potential using the archetypes of the 12 signs of the ancient Eastern zodiac. While each one of us possess some qualities of all 12 signs, we each have a dominant sign and birth element. Be prepared for some "ah ha!" moments as you explore this ancient art and gain insight into the characters of those you meet along life’s path. You may notice interesting similarities to your friends and family, and you may never look at yourself the same way again. This is a timeless system that is as pertinent today as it was many centuries ago. In a book that

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)

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.

Constructing their essays around specific cultural artifactsthat were created in the period and locale under study, thecontributors describe the cultural interactions among differentJews–from rabbis and scholars to non-elite groups, includingwomen–as well as between Jews and the surrounding non-Jewish world.What they conclude is that although Jews have always had their ownautonomous traditions, Jewish identity cannot be considered thefixed product of either ancient ethnic or religious origins.Rather, it has shifted and assumed new forms in response to thecultural environment in which the Jews have lived. Mediterranean Origins , the first volume in Cultures ofthe Jews , describes the concept of the “People” or “Nation” ofIsrael that emerges in the Hebrew Bible and the culture of theIsraelites in relation to that of neighboring Canaanite groups. Italso discusses Jewish cultures in Babylonia, in Palestine duringthe Greco-Roman and Byzantine periods, and in Arabia during theformative ye

In February 1968 the Beatles went to India for an extendedstay with their new guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It may have beenthe most momentous spiritual retreat since Jesus spent those fortydays in the wilderness. With these words, Philip Goldberg begins his monumental work,American Veda, a fascinating look at India’s remarkable impact onWestern culture. This eye-opening popular history shows how theancient philosophy of Vedanta and the mind-body methods of Yogahave profoundly affected the worldview of millions of Americans andradically altered the religious landscape. What exploded in the 1960s actually began more than two hundredyears earlier, when the United States started importing knowledgeas well as tangy spices and colorful fabrics from Asia. The firsttranslations of Hindu texts found their way into the libraries ofJohn Adams and Ralph Waldo Emerson. From there the ideas spread toHenry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and succeeding generations ofreceptive Americans, who abs

For generations, The American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem hasbeen a well-known retreat for journalists, diplomats, pilgrims andspies. However, few know the story of Anna Spafford, the enigmaticevangelist who was instrumental in its founding Branded heretics by Jerusalem’s established Christianmissionaries when they arrived in 1881, the Spaffords and theirfollowers nevertheless won over Muslims and Jews with theirphilanthropy. But when her husband Horatio died, Anna assumedleadership, shocking even her adherents by abolishing marriage andestablishing an uneasy dictatorship based on emotional blackmailand religious extremism. With a controversial heroine at its core, American Priestessprovides a fascinating exploration of the seductive power ofevangelicalism as well as an intriguing history of an enduringlandmark.

A radical and powerful reappraisal of the impact ofConstantine’s adoption of Christianity on the later Roman world,and on the subsequent development both of Christianity and ofWestern civilization. When the Emperor Contstantine converted to Christianity in 368AD, he changed the course of European history in ways that continueto have repercussions to the present day. Adopting those aspects ofthe religion that suited his purposes, he turned Rome on a coursefrom the relatively open, tolerant and pluralistic civilization ofthe Hellenistic world, towards a culture that was based on the ruleof fixed authority, whether that of the Bible, or the writings ofPtolemy in astronomy and of Galen and Hippocrates in medicine. Onlya thousand years later, with the advent of the Renaissance and theemergence of modern science, did Europe begin to free itself fromthe effects of Constantine's decision, yet the effects of hisestablishment of Christianity as a state religion remain with us,in many respects, today. Bri

Homeschooling is a large and growing phenomenon in U.S.society—the National Center for Education Statistics recentlyreported that in the last decade it grew at twelve times the rateof public school enrollments. Yet information about this populationis terribly incomplete. In this groundbreaking book, Robert Kunzmanuses his unprecedented access to six conservative Christianhomeschooling families to explore the subset of this elusive worldthat most influences public perception and rhetoric about thehomeschooling movement, from its day-to-day life to its broaderaspirations to transform American culture and politics.

With nearly two million copies in print, Gary Goldschneider's Secret Language of Birthdays and Secret Language ofRelationships are mainstays of any bookstore astrologysection. Now the best-selling author has returned with his biggestand most ambitious work yet: Gary Goldschneider's EverydayAstrology . Here is detailed and comprehensive advice for handling everyonein your life—and we mean everyone: parents, children, siblings,coworkers, employees, lovers, spouses, exes, and more. Whetheryou're wooing a Gemini first date, asking a Virgo boss for a raise,or persuading your Pisces roommate to do the dishes, GaryGoldschneider's Everyday Astrology offers advice for anysituation imaginable. Once you start paging through this book,you'll find it impossible to stop!

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of God Is NotGreat, a provocative and entertaining guided tour of atheist andagnostic thought through the ages--with never-before-publishedpieces by Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, and Ayaan HirsiAli.Christopher Hitchens continues to make the case for asplendidly godless universe in this first-ever gathering of theinfluential voices--past and present--that have shaped his side ofthe current (and raging) God/no-god debate. With Hitchens as yourerudite and witty guide, you’ll be led through a wealth ofphilosophy, literature, and scientific inquiry, including generousportions of the words of Lucretius, Benedict de Spinoza, CharlesDarwin, Karl Marx, Mark Twain, George Eliot, Bertrand Russell, EmmaGoldman, H. L. Mencken, Albert Einstein, Daniel Dennett, SamHarris, Richard Dawkins, and many others well-known and lesserknown. And they’re all set in context and commented upon as onlyChristopher Hitchens--“political and literary journalistextraordinaire” (Los A

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

After ten years spent riddling over the intricacies ofchurch/state law from the ivory tower, law professor Jay Wexlerdecided it was high time to hit the road to learn what reallyhappened in some of the most controversial Supreme Court casesinvolving this hot-button issue. In Holy Hullabaloos, he takes usalong for the ride, crossing the country to meet the people andvisit the places responsible for landmark decisions in recentjudicial history, from a high school football field where fans oncerecited prayers before kickoff to a Santeria church notorious foranimal sacrifice, from a publicly funded Muslim school to acreationist museum. Wexler's no-holds-barred approach toinvestigating famous church/state brouhahas is as funny as it isinformative.

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