For the first time in history,many millions of people want nothing to do with God．In the past，individuals went to great lengths to experience a sacred reality that they described as God，Brahman,Nirvana or Dao；indeed religion has been one of the defining characteristics of homo sapiens．But nOW militant atheists preach a gospel of godlessness with the zeal of Christian missionaries in the age of faith and they find a large and eager audience．How has this come about? Karen Armstrong argues that，historically,atheism has rarely been a denial of the sacred itself but instead has nearlv always reiected a particular conception of God．During the modern period，the Christians of the West developed a theology that was radically different from that of the pre—modern age．Tracing the history of faith from the Palaeolithic era tO the present，Armstrong shows that until recently science and religion were not at war with each otheL But science has changed the conversation．The meaning of words suc

Many standard histories of Christianity chronicle theReformation as a single, momentous period in the history of theChurch. According to those accounts, a number of competing groupsof reformers challenged a monolithic and corrupt Roman Catholicismover issues ranging from authority and the role of the priests tothe interpretation of the Eucharist and the use of the Bible inchurch. In this wide-ranging, richly layered and captivating studyof the Reformation, MacCulloch challenges traditionalinterpretations, arguing instead that there were many reformations.Arranging his history in chronological fashion, MacCulloch providesin-depth studies of reform movements in central, northern andsouthern Europe and examines the influences that politics andgeography had on such groups. He challenges common assumptionsabout the relationships between Catholic priests and laity, arguingthat in some cases Protestantism actually took away religiousauthority from laypeople rather than putting it in their hands. Inaddition, h

Studies of religious interaction in the fourth century AD have often assumed that the categories of 'pagan', 'Christian' and 'Jew' can be straightforwardly applied, and that we can assess the extent of Christianization in the Graeco-Roman period. In contrast, Dr Sandwell tackles the fundamental question of attitudes to religious identity by exploring how the Christian preacher John Chrysostom and the Graeco-Roman orator Libanius wrote about and understood issues of religious allegiance. By comparing the approaches of these men, who were living and working in Antioch at approximately the same time, she strives to get inside the process of religious interaction in a way not normally possible due to the dominance of Christian sources. In so doing she develops new approaches to the study of Libanius' religion, the impact of John Chrysostom's preaching on his audiences and the importance of religious identity to fourth-century individuals.

Offers a fascinating snapshot of magic throughout various cultures as well as deep sociological and religious insights still very much relevant today.

An Introduction to Christianity examines the key figures,events and ideas of two thousand years of Christian history andplaces them in context. It considers the religion in its materialas well as its spiritual dimensions and explores its interactionswith wider society such as money, politics, force, gender and thefamily, and non-Christian cultures and societies. This Introductionplaces particular focus on the ways in which Christianity hasunderstood, embodied and related to power. It shows how theChurch's longstanding love affair with 'higher power', both humanand divine, has been repeatedly challenged by alternative ideas ofof 'power from below', both sacred and secular. Finally, bybringing the history of Christianity right up-to-date, this bookexplores the ways in which churches of both North and South reactto the rise of modern democracy. Comprehensive and accessible, thisbook will appeal to the student and general reader.

The temple, cemetery and family mansion of Confucius, the great philosopher, politician and educator of the 6th-5th centuries B.C., are located at Qufu, Shandong Province. Built to commemorate him in 478 B.C., the temple has been destroyed and reconstructed over the centuries; today it comprises more than 100 buildings.The cemetery contains Confucius' tomb and the remains of more than 100,000 of his descendants. The small house of the Kong family developed into a gigantic aristocratic residence, of which 152 buildings remain. The Qufu complex of monuments has retained its outstanding artistic and historic character due to the devotion of successive Chinese emperors over more than 2,000 years.

This rich treasury of India's religious iconography was assembled from the work of one of the 19th-century's leading scholars. Its 300 captioned illustrations feature dramatic engravings and line drawings, including scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata as well as temple images of Krishna, Vishnu, Siva, and other major deities.

This author，if it needs explaining，is a renowned lawyer and Harvard law professor，author of several best-selling books，and an abiding advocate and defender of personal rights and freedoms。Although he never shies away from taking controversial positions，he supports those stands in clear prose。All these aspects hold true in his new book，which begins boldly：“The Religious Right is engaged in a crusade to convert the United States into a Christian theocracy based on the Bible and，more specifically，on the divine authority of Jesus Christ。” Dershowitz accuses the Religious Right of using words and phrases found in the Declaration of Independence as indications that the founding of the nation——e intentions of our Founding Fathers，that is--was based on Christian precepts。The major step he takes in refuting this idea，which he finds dangerous，is to negate the concept that the Declaration，despite such language as “Creator” and “Divine Providence，” is a document of equa

The game of Chinese Chess (called "Elephant Chess" in China) has been played for centuries, and is one of the most popular board games in the world. In Chinese Chess, author H. T. Lau explains the game's fundamentals--the rules, the board, and the basic moves and values of pieces--with clear examples and over 170 diagrams. Once he's covered the basics, Lau introduces basic tactics, methods for escaping difficult posi-tions, and cunning strategies for winning. The book also includes eighty mid- and end-game exercises designed to sharpen playing skills, and concludes with two appendixes devoted to the elegantly constructed games found in The Secret Inside the Orange and The Plum-Blossom Meter, two classic seventeenth-century works about Chinese Chess.

Feng shui is the 3,000-year-old Chinese art that looks at how objects affect energy, an important concern when arranging furniture, building a home, or planting a garden. There are several different variations of feng shui, which has led to confusion about its most basic principles. Clear Englebert explains the differences and then discusses how to put feng shui into practice. He addresses concerns about architectural features such as doors and windows, about finding the right place to situate beds and other furniture, and about landscaping. Other topics include removing clutter, creating empowered positions, avoiding "poison arrows," and what to know about clocks, mirrors, glass, air circulation, and the five elements. Straightforward and comprehensive, this guide enables anyone to practice the art of feng shui for a more peaceful and harmonious living environment.

This wide-ranging account of the history and theology of one ofthe world's most dynamic religions tells the story of Islamicbeliefs and practices as they developed from the earliest timesdown to the present day. For this revised and updated SecondEdition, David Waines has added a long section tackling head-on theissues arising from Islam's place in the changing world order atthe turn of the new millennium. The wars in Bosnia, Afghanistan andIsrael, and the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, haveraised global awareness of Islam at a superficial level - butlittle has been written which considers Islamic political andmilitary extremism in relation to mainstream Muslim history andtheology. Coming at the end of a book which has explored the ideasand traditions of Islam in depth, this new section offersthought-provoking reflections on the place of religion in thecurrent conflicts.

Nothing is sacred. Sex, morality, politics, society - all are fair game for Bertrand Russell's acerbic wit and keen eye. With What I Believe first published in 1925, Russell took on organized religion. Along with Why I Am Not a Christian, this essay must rank as the most articulate example of Russell's famed atheism. It is also one of the most notorious. Used as evidence in a 1940 court case in which Russell was declared unfit to teach college-level philosophy, What I Believe was to become one of his most defining works. The ideas contained within were and are controversial, contentious and - to the religious - downright blasphemous. More than three-quarters of a century after it was written, the arguments within this essay continue to challenge one's faith and assumptions. A remarkable work, it remains the best concise introduction to Russell's thought.

Thiagi's 100 Favorite Gamesis an exciting new resource from Sivasailam "Thiagi" Thiagarajan, who is acknowledged as the world’s foremost authority on interactive learning. This is a first-of-its-kind collection that represents game play at its very best. Thiagi offers the "how-to" and the "lowdown" on his all-time favorite games. With this resource, you’ll never be stuck for a fun, innovative, and effective activity. Thiagi’s 100 Favorite Games can be used to: Illustrate concepts Aid learning transfer Improve team work Build critical skills in any training event Energize meetings Or us as icebreakers, or openers and closers to a formal training session 作者简介：Sivasailam "Thiagi" Thiagarajan, Ph.D., is Resident Mad Scientist at the Thiagi Group, a Bloomington, Indiana–based organization with the mission of helping people improve their performance effectively and enjoyably. Thiagarajan has published forty books, one hundred and twenty games and simulatio

In this book, the founder of the internationally popularmagazine Feng Shui for Modern Living, Stephen Skinner, discussesvarious common themes of feng shui such as water, alignments,mountains, wind, ming tang, sha, and dry gardens and demonstratesthese concepts in 26 houses, restaurants and galleries in London,Hong Kong and Malaysia. The selection is varied and includes manyfamous interiors.

Is a two thousand-year-old Book relevant to life in the 21st century? Nearly every issue we face today is addressed somewhere in the Bible. From social issues (like war, poverty, and government) to interpersonal concerns (like communication, marriage, and friendship), the Bible offers wisdom and guidance you can put to use in your daily life. The Life Connecting Bible's more than 1,100 sidebars and the New Century Version present the Bible's message for modern readers in a way that is fresh, inviting, and easy to understand.