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.

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

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

The author of the runaway bestseller How the Irish SavedCivilization has done it again. In The Gifts of the Jews ThomasCahill takes us on another enchanting journey into history, onceagain recreating a time when the actions of a small band of peoplehad repercussions that are still felt today. The Gifts of the Jews reveals the critical change that madewestern civilization possible. Within the matrix of ancientreligions and philosophies, life was seen as part of an endlesscycle of birth and death; time was like a wheel, spinningceaselessly. Yet somehow, the ancient Jews began to see timedifferently. For them, time had a beginning and an end; it was anarrative, whose triumphant conclusion would come in the future.From this insight came a new conception of men and women asindividuals with unique destinies--a conception that would informthe Declaration of Independence--and our hopeful belief in progressand the sense that tomorrow can be better than today. As ThomasCahill narrates this momentous shift,

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

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

Holman Bible Publishers is pleased to offer its first student Bible featuring the popular Holman Christian Standard Bible translation, combining biblical accuracy with modern readability like never before. A visually driven product for a visually driven culture, The Holman Student Bible enhances the study of God's Word with colorful page designs, explanatory sidebars, engaging study questions, and many other reading helps that are especially relevant to the development of true faith among this new generation.

In this "rare book that combines searing passion . . . with asubject that has affected all of our lives" (Chicago Tribune), thenovelist and cultural critic James Carroll maps thetwo-thousand-year course of the Church's battle against Judaism andfaces the crisis of faith it has sparked in his own life as aCatholic. "Fascinating, brave and sometimes infuriating" (Time),this dark history is more than a chronicle of religion. It is thecentral tragedy of Western civilization, its fault lines reachingdeep into our culture. Drawing on his well-known talents as astoryteller and memoirist, Carroll has created "a deeply felt work,a book that measures the "sweep of history" against [his]experience as a man of the church" (San Francisco Chronicle). Acourageous and affecting reckoning with difficult truths that willtouch every reader, "CONSTANTINE'S SWORD is a history written tochange the way people live" (Talk).

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.

In this provocative must-read, the preeminent scientist—andworld’s most prominent atheist—Richard Dawkins asserts theirrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion hasinflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11. The God Delusionmakes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong, butpotentially deadly. It also offers exhilarating insight on theadvantages of atheism to the individual and society, not the leastof which is a clearer, truer appreciation of the universe’s wondersthan any faith could ever muster. With rigor and wit, Dawkinseviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates thesupreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religionfuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing hispoints with historical and contemporary evidence. This is a bookthat challenges all of us to test our beliefs, no matter whatbeliefs we hold.

Neal Donald Walsch was experiencing a low periodin his life when he decided to write a letter to God, venting hisfrustrations. What he did not expect was a response. As he finishedhis letter, he was moved to continue writing - and out cameextraordinary answers to his questions. This work presents theanswers that Walsch received, helping him to change himself, hislife and the way he viewed other beings.

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

Different styles of martial arts offer contradictoryinformation, philosophies, and techniques for the body in combat. Apractitioner of Judo might advocate grappling, reasoning that mostfights converge into close range after a short time, when anadvocate of Tae Kwon Do would argue that one should strive tomaintain one's distance in an encounter that would allow one to usethe legs, the most powerful weapon on the human body. As a lifelong student and teacher of multiple styles of martialarts, Steven Pearlman has sought to distill from these disciplinesnot a fusion of techniques, but rather a compilation of fundamentalprinciples that can guide the individual martial artist to theideal action. Through his exploration of a set of basic principlesthat range from the physical (spinal alignment, the triangularguard, breathing) to the spiritual (the void, the body-mind, thecharacter), Pearlman arrives at a system open to all martialartists without bastardizing the techniques of the originaldisciplines.

Way of the Peaceful Warrior is based on the story ofDan Millman, a world champion athlete, who journeys into realms ofromance and magic, light and darkness, body, mind, and spirit.Guided by a powerful old warrior named Socrates and tempted by anelusive, playful woman named Joy, Dan is led toward a finalconfrontation that will deliver or destroy him. Readers join Dan ashe learns to live as a peaceful warrior. This internationalbestseller conveys piercing truths and humorous wisdom, speakingdirectly to the universal quest for happiness.

This remarkable book takes as its subject one of the most outstanding men that ever lived. The ultimate prodigy, Leonardo da Vinci was an artist of great originality and power, a scientist, and a powerful thinker. According to Sigmund Freud, he was also a flawed, repressed homosexual. The first psychosexual history to be published, Leonardo da Vinci was the only biography the great psychoanalyst wrote. When Jung first saw it, he told Freud it was 'wonderful', and it remained Freud's favourite composition. The text includes the first full emergence of the concept of narcissism and develops Freud's theories of homosexuality. While based upon controversial research, the book offers a fascinating insight into two men - the subject and the author. If you've ever wondered just what lies behind the Mona Lisa's enigmatic smile, read Freud on Leonardo. It's genius on genius.

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

Raja and Nilu are fated to fall in love. They both have been abandoned—he through his mother’s suicide inthe public pond, she through her mother’s constant escape intodrink. He has grown up on the streets, she in a crumbling mansion.And yet, they find each other, again and again. First when they arechildren. Then when they are young lovers. And finally after theyboth fear they have lost their marriage. But the events of thepast, even those we are ignorant of, inevitably haunt the present.And Raja and Nilu’s story is not only their own. Using Nepal’s political upheavals as a backdrop to demonstratehow we are irreparably connected to past and home, Buddha’s Orphansis an engrossing, unconventional love story, a seductive,transporting read, and further evidence that Samrat Upadhyay is oneof our finest writers, thoroughly deserving of his acclaim as “theBuddhist Chekhov” and comparisons to Amitav Ghosh, William Trevor,and Jhumpa Lahiri.

Colorstrology is a fascinating blend of astrology, numerology,and color theory that offers exciting new insights about our livesand relationships. Written by renowned astrologer Michele Bernhardtwith the artists at Pantone, Inc., the global authority on color,the system features 366 "birthday colors" that illustrate who weare and how we behave. For example, people born on January 29 (like Oprah Winfrey) sharethe color Keepsake Lilac; they are "ambitious" and "tender" and"born to make a difference . . . it is not uncommon to find [them]in front of an audience." People born on May 11 (like Salvador Dal) share the color Green Tea. They "have a vivid imagination and cansee new ideas and concepts more readily than others." Using Colorstrology, you'll quickly understand how to enhanceyour best personality traits with your birthday color. Thisfull-color book features detailed profiles of everyone you knowplus 366 perforated swatches so you can take your birthday colorwherever you go. PANTONE

These easy-to-learn processes taught by Orin, a wise and gentle spirit teacher, have helped thousands take a quantum leap, accelerate their spiritual growth, and live their lives with more joy, harmony, peace, and love. Spiritual Growth teaches you how to be your Higher Self in your everyday life, create a vision of your higher purpose, and manifest what you want rapidly and easily. You will learn to work with light for healing and growth, to connect with the Universal Mind for enhanced creativity, and to link with the Higher Will to carry out your higher purpose. Spiritual Growth gives you tools to lift the veils of illusion, see truth, expand and contract time, raise your vibration, achieve higher states of consciousness, open your heart, and know yourself in new, more loving ways. Spiritual Growth teaches you to have more satisfying relationships with others by using the skills of non-attachment, right use of will, being transparent to others' energies, and communicating as your Higher Self. You wil