The foundation of Hebrew and Jewish religion, thought, law, and society is the Torah-the parchment scroll containing the text of the Five Books of Moses that is located in every synagogue. This accessible guide explains the Torah in clear language, even to those who were not raised in the Jewish religious tradition. Christians who want to know more about the Jewish roots of Christianity need to understand the Torah, as do followers of Islamic tradition and those interested in the roots of Abrahamic faiths. The Torah For Dummies explains the history of the Torah, its structure and major principles, and how the Torah affects the daily lives of people who follow the Jewish way of life.

Reproduced in historical sequence, these signs, seals, and symbols range from the simplest drawings of Egyptian gods to the intricate images of Greek and Roman deities. Adapted from ancient and primitive sources, the illustrations depict Assyrian, Babylonian, Nordic, Incan, and Aztec gods; as well as figures from cultures of the American Indian, Japanese, and Chinese. Included in the set are: One CD-ROM containing 142 high-quality, permission-free images scanned at 600 dpi and saved in six different formats (TIFF, PICT, EPS, BMP, as well as Internet-ready JPEG and GIF) A large-format 64-page book with every image on the CD-ROM printed large and clearly on one side of the page only and numbered for easy reference Of immense value to commercial artists and designers, this authoritative collection will serve as a practical, visual guide for students and teachers in the graphic arts. Anyone interested in religious emblems and divinity symbols will also be fascinated by this unique CD-ROM and book set.

BLACK STARSMeet the black religious leaders who helpedshape the African American experience--from colonial to modern times、 Absalom Jones、 Richard Allen、 Jarena Lee、Lemuel Haynes、 Peter Williams Sr.、 Peter Williams Jr.、 John Marrant、 Denmark Vesey、 Sojourner Truth、 Nat Turner、 Maria tewart、 John Jasper、 Alexander Crummell、 Henry Highland Garnett、 Henry McNeal Turner、 Richard Henry Boyd、 Bishop C. M. "Sweet Daddy" Grace、 Vernon Johns、 Elijah Muhammad、 Howard Thurman、 Adam Clayton Powell Jr.、 Joseph E. Lowery、 Malcolm X、 Martin Luther King Jr.、 Andrew J. Young、 James L. Bevel、 John Lewis、 Prathia Hall Wynn、 Jesse L. Jackson、 Vashti Murphy McKenzie、 Fredrick J. Streets、 Al Sharpton、 Renita J. Weems、 T. D. Jakes .

In Carroll's provocative reading of the deep past, the Bible'sbrutality responded to the violence that threatened Jerusalem fromthe start. Centuries later, the mounting European fixation on aheavenly Jerusalem sparked both anti-Semitism and racist colonialcontempt. The holy wars of the Knights Templar burned apocalypticmayhem into the Western mind. Carroll's brilliant and original leapis to show how, as Christopher Columbus carried his own Jerusalemcentric worldview to the West, America too was powerfully shaped bythe dream of the City on a Hill - from Governor Winthrop to AbrahamLincoln to Woodrow Wilson to Ronald Reagan. The nuclearbrinksmanship of the 1973 Yom Kippur War helps prove his point:religion and violence fuel each other, with Jerusalem the groundzero of the heat.

In 1202, zealous western Christians gathered in Venicedetermined to liberate Jerusalem from the grip of Islam. But thecrusaders never made it to the Holy Land. Steered forward by theshrewd Venetian doge, they descended instead on Constantinople,wreaking devastation so terrible and inflicting scars so deep thatas recently as 2001 Pope John Paul II offered an apology to theGreek Orthodox Church. The crusaders spared no one: They raped and massacred thousands,plundered churches, and torched the lavish city. A prostitutedanced on the altar of the ravaged Hagia Sophia. And by 1204,barbarism masquerading as piety had shattered one of the greatcivilizations of history. Here, on the eight hundredth anniversaryof the sack, is the extraordinary story of this epic catastrophe,told for the first time outside of academia by Jonathan Phillips, aleading expert on the crusades. Knights and commoners, monastic chroniclers, courtly troubadours,survivors of the carnage, and even Pope Innocent III left vividac

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.

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.

This book provides a much-needed thematic and historicalintroduction to Hinduism, the religion of the majority of people inIndia. Dr Flood traces the development of Hindu traditions fromtheir ancient origins, through the major deities of Visnu, Siva andthe Goddess, to the modern world. Hinduism is discussed as both aglobal religion and a form of nationalism. Emphasis is given to thetantric traditions, which have been so influential; to Hinduritual, which is more fundamental to the life of the religion thanare specific beliefs or doctrines; and to Dravidian influences fromsouth India. An Introduction to Hinduism examines the ideas ofdharma, particularly in relation to the ideology of kingship, casteand world renunciation. Dr Flood also introduces some debateswithin contemporary scholarship about the nature of Hinduism. It issuitable both for the student and for the general reader.

This edition combines the renowned ScofieldRG notes and reference system with the New International Version, one of the most popular modern Bible translations. But that's not all: The fruit of Dr. C. I. Scofield's decades of reflection upon the Word of God have been augmented (not revised) to make the ideas underlying the Scofield Study Bible's annotations clearer to modern readers. An abundance of factual information is presented in topical articles, charts, and lists that add depth and richness to study time. Enhanced book introductions, accurate in-text maps, authoritative full color maps, and page bottom notes broaden the context of the reader's understanding. Everything about this edition has been designed to encourage serious Bible study. First-time students and seasoned believers alike will find this volume to be a trustworthy guide to the panorama of God's plan of salvation.

This is the book that Bruce Lee had intended to publish as anin-depth follow up to his Chinese Gung Fu. Prior to his death, hehad written the majority of the text, which explores such topics asyin-yang as it applies to martial arts, Eastern and Western fitnessmethodologies, and martial arts and self-defense techniques. Themanu* was completed by martial arts expert John Little incooperation with the Bruce Lee estate. 100+ photos.

Here the well-received augmentation of the ScofieldRG study notes and reference system is combined with a modern version of the Bible. The New American Standard Bible is celebrated for accurately communicating the meaning of the original texts to today's readers. It is an excellent guide for those seeking a contemporary English translation with a high degree of fidelity to the Hebrew and Greek of the Bible. The NASB translation is accompanied by a wealth of features that clarify the ideas underlying the Scofield's annotations for modern readers. An abundance of factual information is presented in topical articles, charts, and lists that add depth and richness to study time. In addition, there are enhanced book introductions, accurate in-text maps, authoritative full color maps, and page bottom notes.

A scientific opinion is one which there is some reason to believe is true; an unscientific opinion is one which is held for some reason other than its probable truth. –Bertrand Russell --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. xploring the nature and scope of scientific knowledge, the increased power of nature that science affords and the changes in the lives of human beings that result from new forms of science, this is an insightful and accessible work that sees Russell at his very best. 作者简介： Bertrand Russell's many books include his Autobiography (2000) and Sceptical Essays (1998), both available from Routledge.

Composed by an unknown author in early thirteenth-centuryFrance, "The Quest of the Holy Grail" is a fusion of Arthurianlegend and Christian symbolism, reinterpreting ancient Celtic mythas a profound spiritual fable. It recounts the quest of the knightsof Camelot - the simple Perceval, the thoughtful Bors, the rashGawain, the weak Lancelot and the saintly Galahad - as they journeythrough danger and temptation to reach the elusive Holy Grail. Butonly one of them is judged worthy to see the mysteries within thesacred vessel, and look upon the ineffable. Enfused with tragicgrandeur and an aura of mysticism, "The Quest" is an absorbing andradiant allegory of man's perilous search for divine grace, and hada profound influence on later Arthurian romances and versions ofthe Grail legend.

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

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.

To really grasp God's word, understanding the Bible's historical, geographical, and cultural contexts is vital. After all, Scripture is not just a set of abstract ideas; God chose to reveal Himself through real people who lived at specific places and times. 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.

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!

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

This systematic introduction to Buddhist ethics is aimed atanyone interested in Buddhism, including students, scholars andgeneral readers. Peter Harvey is the author of the acclaimedIntroduction to Buddhism (Cambridge, 1990), and his new book iswritten in a clear style, assuming no prior knowledge. At the sametime it develops a careful, probing analysis of the nature andpractical dynamics of Buddhist ethics in both its unifying themesand in the particularities of different Buddhist traditions. Thebook applies Buddhist ethics to a range of issues of contemporaryconcern: humanity's relationship with the rest of nature;economics; war and peace; euthanasia; abortion; the status ofwomen; and homosexuality. Professor Harvey draws on texts of themain Buddhist traditions, and on historical and contemporaryaccounts of the behaviour of Buddhists, to describe existingBuddhist ethics, to assess different views within it, and to extendits application into new areas.

This book, by one of the most prominent interpreters of Leo Strauss's thought, is the first to examine the theme that Leo Strauss considered to be key to his entire intellectual enterprise. The theologico-political problem refers to the confrontation between the theological and the political alternative to philosophy as a way of life. In this study, Heinrich Meier clarifies the distinction between political theology and political philosophy and sheds new light on the unifying center of Strauss' philosophical work. The book is the culmination of his work on the general topic of the theologico-political problem.