Breathing Space is the story of Heidi Neumark and theHispanic and African-American Lutheran church-Transfiguration-thattook a chance calling on a pastor from a starkly differentbackground. Despite living and working in a milieu of overwhelmingpoverty and violence, Neumark and the congregation encounter evenmore powerful forces of hope and renewal. This story of a community creating space for new life and breathis also the story of a young woman-working, raising her children,and struggling for spiritual breathing space. Through poignant,intimate stories, Neumark charts her journey alongside herparishioners as pastor, church, and community grow in wisdom andtogether experience transformation.

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.

David Mamet's interest in anti-Semitism is not limited to themodern face of an ancient hatred but encompasses as well the waysin which many Jews have internalized that hatred. Using themetaphor of the Wicked Son at the Passover seder (the child whoasks, "What does this story mean to you?") Mamet confronts what hesees as an insidious predilection among some Jews to excludethemselves from the equation and to seek truth and meaninganywhere--in other religions, political movements, mindlessentertainment--but in Judaism itself. He also explores the ways inwhich the Jewish tradition has long been and still remains theWicked Son in the eyes of the world. Written with the searinghonesty and verbal brilliance that is the hallmark of Mamet's work,The Wicked Son is a powerfully thought-provoking look at one of themost destructive and tenacious forces in contemporary life.

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

This accelerated step-by-step course in sensing energy istaught by Orin, a wise and gentle spirit teacher channeled bySanaya Roman. Using these easy-to-follow processes, thousands havelearned to create immediate and profound changes in theirrelationships, their self-images, and their ability to love and beloved. You need no longer be affected by other people's moods ornegativity. You can recognize when you have taken on other people'senergy and easily release it. You can learn to stay centered andbalanced, know who you are, increase the positive energy aroundyou, and help and heal others. Your sensitivity is a gift. Learn touse it to send a receive telepathic messages, increase yourintuitive abities, and open to higher guidance. You can leave thedenser energies, where things are often painful, and live in theigher energies, where you can feel loving, calm, focused, andpositive. Orin offers a step-by-step course in sensing energy tocreate changes in relationships, self-image, and the ability tolove and

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.

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

The Zen school of Mahayana Buddhism contends that each one ofus is already a Buddha — the enlightenment we seek is always withinus, waiting to be realized through mindfulness and concertedspiritual work. This truth pushes us toward practice, in the hopesthat we may awaken our potential and live up to what is insideus.?This is a?notion taught widely by ninth century Zen Master LinChi, and in his tradition Thich Nhat Hanh employs the teachings andwritings of Mahayana Buddhism to discuss specific topics inBuddhist study and practice. With these teachings, readers have thetools to awaken the Buddha within.

While Chinese acupuncture and herbalism enjoy widespreadpopularity in the West, traditional Chinese exercisetechniques—with the exception of qi gong—have rarely been taughtoutside China. This book is designed to change that. Written by JunWang, a doctor of Chinese medicine, Cultivating Qi draws on classicChinese texts to introduce these body-mind healing exercises toWestern readers. In simple, accessible language, Wang presents three specific qiexercises: the Yijin Jing, a popular form of calisthenicsassociated with both Chinese Buddhist and Daoist traditions; TaijiNeigong, a series of 34 movements adapted from the Wu-Hao style ofTaiji Quan; and the “Six Healing Breaths,” which combines spokensounds with movements associated with the six major vital organs ofChinese medicine. Written for beginning students of Chinese medicine as well aslaypersons, healthcare practitioners, and martial artists,Cultivating Qi includes clear explanations of Chinese medicalterminology—and provides the

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,

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.

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.

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.

The second book in the Sirian Revelations Trilogy explores the wisdom ancient Atlantis can offer contemporaryseekers. The lost continent of Atlantis has existed in the collectiveconsciousness of humankind for eons—contemplated as early as 355 BCby Plato and echoing in the modern mind. In this controversialbook, author Patricia Cori provides compelling, often startlinginsights into this lost culture and the lessons it holds for us asboth a high civilization and a metaphor for our current worldsituation, earth changes, growing extraterrestrial phenomena, andgovernment conspiracy theories. Only by embracing and recognizingwhat Atlantis can teach us, says Cori, can we expect to heal anduplift our own increasingly threatened civilization.

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.

Author Robert Sitler’s immersion in Mayan culture began with atransformative spiritual experience more than three decades ago inthe ruins of Palenque, Mexico. Led by a local to a nearby Mayanvillage, Sitler discovered firsthand what traditional Mayan lifewas like—a community of people living in peace with each other andtheir physical surroundings. In The Living Maya, he shares thisexperience and many that followed. In the process, he immersesreaders in a rich indigenous culture and offers a fresh view of the2012 phenomenon, focusing on the valuable lessons Mayan culture canteach us in this time of transition. Personal anecdotes areinterwoven with factual information about the roots of traditionalMayan customs and traditions, presenting a rare multifaceted viewof their simple yet profound way of life. The book showcases Mayaninfant care, community building, ties to nature, attitudes towardthe elderly, and orientation to spirituality. In The Living Maya,Sitler shows how following “the Mayan way” can he

Presenting sexual profiles on each of the twelve sun signs, aguide details specific dos and don'ts that enable readers topredict which behaviors best enable them to captivate the person oftheir choice.

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

Salonica, located in northern Greece, was long a fascinatingcrossroads metropolis of different religions and ethnicities, whereEgyptian merchants, Spanish Jews, Orthodox Greeks, Sufi dervishes,and Albanian brigands all rubbed shoulders. Tensions sometimesflared, but tolerance largely prevailed until the twentieth centurywhen the Greek army marched in, Muslims were forced out, and theNazis deported and killed the Jews. As the acclaimed historian MarkMazower follows the city’s inhabitants through plague, invasion,famine, and the disastrous twentieth century, he resurrects afascinating and vanished world.

Discover Exciting New Ways to Manage Lupus Now you can take control of lupus and begin living a healthier,better life—today! This thoughtful, cutting-edge book can help youmanage the flare-ups, symptoms, and side effects of lupus and putyou back on the path to a more enjoyable, active lifesyle. Insideis compassionate, practical, and immediate guidance for anyoneaffected by lupus, including: ?Promising alternative therapies such as DHEA, essential fattyacids, and herbs ?Conventional drug treatments, including corticosteroids andantimalarials ?Easy methods to reduce stress and boost energy ?Important lifestyle requirements, such as diet andexercise ?And much, much more! "A great resource for people with lupus, especially thoserecently diagnosed. New Hope for People with Lupus gives valuableand credible information about the many aspects of lupus which, asmost of us know, can be very confusing." —Gloria M. Spadaro, R.N., executive director, Lupus Foundat