Armstrong, a British journalist and former nun, guides us alongone of the most elusive and fascinating quests of all time--thesearch for God. Like all beloved historians, Armstrong entertainsus with deft storytelling, astounding research, and makes us feel agreater appreciation for the present because we better understandour past. Be warned: A History of God is not a tidy linearhistory. Rather, we learn that the definition of God is constantlybeing repeated, altered, discarded, and resurrected through theages, responding to its followers' practical concerns rather thanto mystical mandates. Armstrong also shows us how Judaism,Christianity, and Islam have overlapped and influenced one another,gently challenging the secularist history of each of thesereligions. --Gail Hudson

After-death communications, or "ADCs, " occur when someone iscontacted spontaneously and directly by a deceasedfamily member or friend, without the help of any medium. Theauthors' research shows that these spiritual experiences offerhope, love, and comfort for thousands of people. Included are morethan 350 first-hand accounts of those whose lives have been changedand even protected by messages or signs from the deceased.

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.

Welcome to the Build a Bible"design system.It's a fresh new approach to the Bible-buying experience that lets you create the look, feel, and function of the most important book you will ever own. The Build a Bible system lets you customize your Bible by giving you an array of cover styles, colors, textures, and accessories to choose from. Design a Bible that allows you to change covers and accessories without ever losing your notes highlighted verses, and favorite study passages. Imagine being able to change the look, feel, and functionality of your Bible without having to purchase another Bible--ever!

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.

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

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

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.

These are passages that inform and transform: enjoy theirpoetry, study their wisdom, or use them for Easwaran's "PassageMeditation"."Timeless Wisdom", the companion volume to Easwaran's"Passage Meditation", is a rich collection of spiritual texts fromall the world's great traditions, selected by Easwaran for studyand for his method of meditation.Here are flashes of insight fromthe Hindu Upanishads; prayers of comfort from the Christian saints;psalms from the Old Testament; songs of praise from the Sufis; and,deep wisdom from the Buddhist and Taoist traditions. Some of thesepassages, such as the Prayer of St. Francis, the Buddha's "TwinVerses", and the Twenty-third Psalm, are familiar and well loved,others may be fresh discoveries - all are beautiful. Short texts,easy to read and memorize, are interspersed with longer ones, whichthe reader can study in depth." Passage Meditation", together withits companion volume, "Timeless Wisdom", are the first two books inNilgiri Press' "Essential Easwaran Library",

Like no other resource, The Holman Illustrated Bible takes you there. Using over 1,000 color graphics, maps, photographs, reconstructions, and charts to enliven the Bible world, this special Bible edition enlightens readers to the contextual details of every major character and moment. In addition, helpful introductions list the author, date, original audience, and purpose of each book; give a key text and term; show Christ in each book; and place each book in the overall story of Scripture.

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 I Ching is the most ancient and profound of the Chineseclassics, venerated for over three thousand years as an oracle offortune, a guide to success, and a dispensary of wisdom. This newtranslation, with commentary by Confucius, emphasizes applyingpractical wisdom in everyday affairs. Complete instructions forconsulting the I Ching are included.

For many years, Parker Palmer has worked on behalf of teachers and others who choose their vocations for reasons of the heart but may lose heart because of the troubled, sometimes toxic systems in which they work. Hundreds of thousands of readers have benefited from his approach in The Courage to Teach , which takes teachers on an inner journey toward reconnecting with themselves, their students, their colleagues, and their vocations, and reclaiming their passion for one of the most challenging and important of human endeavors.This book builds on a simple premise: good teaching cannot be reduced to technique but is rooted in the identity and integrity of the teacher. Good teaching takes myriad forms but good teachers share one trait: they are authentically present in the classroom, in community with their students and their subject. They possess 'a capacity for connectedness' and are able to weave a complex web of connections between themselves, their subjects, and their students, helping their student

While in the service of India’s Nizam of Hyderabad, MarmadukePickthall converted to Islam and, with the help of Muslimtheologians and linguists, produced this clear and lovingly preciseEnglish interpretation of the Holy Koran. His work is honored bybeliever and non-believer alike for its unique combination ofpiety, scholarly rigor in its translation and explanatory notes,and deep feeling for the poetic beauty and moral grandeur of itsArabic original.

What you are today is not important...for in this runaway bestseller you will learn how to change your life by applying the secrets you are about to discover in the ancient scrolls.,

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.