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Bhagavad Gita

Bhagavad Gita
$14.99

The Bhagavad Gita: The Song of God Retold in Simplified English is the latest title in the Essential Wisdom Library. This unique edition of the timeless epic is designed to be accessible for readers without any prior experience of Hinduism. Not simply a translation of the original, Viljoen has simplified and restated the Gita's complex ideas, so that a first-time reader can fully appreciate the scope and beauty of this magnificent Indian classic. Written in concise, modern language the retelling vividly captures the power and depth of the original work.

Part of the Mahabharata, the Gita is a dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Lord Krishna. Its verses contain some of the key ideas of Hindu philosophy--Dharma, Moksha, and various yogic practices. Originally written well over a thousand years ago, the Gita has proven to be a timeless source of wisdom, inspiring philosophers and revolutionaries alike in the millennia since it was written.

In addition to the retelling of the text, this edition includes a character list, a glossary of important terms, and chapters exploring the back-story from the Mahabharata and the impact and meaning of the Bhagavad Gita itself. The Bhagavad Gita is an approachable way for today's readers to engage with one of history's richest spiritual epics.

ISBN/SKU: 
9781250204714
0
field_in_author: 
Viljoen, Edward
Author: 

Black Theology of Liberation (Anniversary) (Anniversary)

Black Theology of Liberation (Anniversary) (Anniversary)
$20.00
With the publication of his two early works, Black Theology & Black Power (1969) and A Black Theology of Liberation (1970), James Cone emerged as one of the most theological voices in North America. These books, which offered a searing indictment of white theology and society, introduced a radical reappraisal of the Christian message for our time. Joining the spirit of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., Cone radically reappraised Christianity from the perspective of the oppressed black community in North America. Forty years later, Cone's work retains its original power, enhanced now by his reflections on the evolution of his own thinking and of black theology.
ISBN/SKU: 
9781570758959
0
field_in_author: 
Cone, James H
Author: 
Publisher: 

Broken Signposts

Broken Signposts
$15.99

In this thoughtful follow-up to Simply Christian, today's leading Bible scholar, Anglican bishop, and acclaimed author uses the Gospel of John to reveal how Christianity presents a compelling and relevant explanation for our world.

N. T. Wright argues that every world view must explain seven "signposts," indicators inherent to humanity: Justice, Spirituality, Relationships, Beauty, Freedom, Truth, and Power.

If we do not live up to these ideals, our societies and individual lives become unbalanced, creating anger and frustration--negative emotions that divide us from ourselves and from God, he contends. Using the Gospel of John as his source, Wright shows how Christianity defines each signpost and illuminates why we so often see them as being "broken" and unattainable.

Drawing on the wisdom of the Gospels, Wright explains why these signposts are fractured and damaged and how Christianity provides the vision, guidance, and hope for making them whole once again, ultimately healing ourselves and our world.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780062564115
0
field_in_author: 
Wright, N. T.
Author: 
Publisher: 

Catholica

Catholica
$35.00

Focusing on a carefully curated selection of Catholic art and artifacts, this volume explores the influence of iconography and the mystic power of a range of ritual objects. Expert Suzanna Ivanic identifies hidden visual symbols in paintings and examines them close-up, building a catalog of key symbols for readers to use to interpret Catholic art and culture.

Catholica is organized into three sections--"Tenet," "Locus," and "Spiritus"--each with three themed subdivisions. Part one introduces the centerpieces of the faith, surveying symbolism in the artistic representation of the holy family, apostles, and saints in stories from scripture. The second part examines places of worship, identifying the essential elements of the cathedral and presenting evocative images of roadside shrines. The third part explores celebrations and traditions, in addition to personal devotional tools and jewelry.

For each of the nine central themes of the faith, introductory text is followed by pages that look in-depth at paintings and artifacts, identifying and explaining the symbolism and stories depicted. As the book progresses, readers build up their knowledge of the entire Catholic visual code--the symbols that define Catholic practice, the attributes of the saints, the parts of the cathedral--allowing them to interpret all Catholic imagery and objects wherever they find them and consequently to better understand the tenets, sites, and rituals of this faith.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780500252543
0
field_in_author: 
Ivanic, Suzanna
Author: 
Publisher: 

Catholicism

Catholicism
$35.00

The story of Roman Catholicism has never followed a singular path. In no time period has this been more true than over the last two centuries. Beginning with the French Revolution, extending to the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, and concluding with present-day crises, John T. McGreevy chronicles the dramatic upheavals and internal divisions shaping the most multicultural, multilingual, and global institution in the world.

Through powerful individual stories and sweeping birds-eye views, Catholicism provides a mesmerizing assessment of the Church's complex role in modern history: both shaper and follower of the politics of nation states, both conservator of hierarchies and evangelizer of egalitarianism. McGreevy documents the hopes and ambitions of European missionaries building churches and schools in all corners of the world, African Catholics fighting for political (and religious) independence, Latin American Catholics attracted to a theology of liberation, and Polish and South Korean Catholics demanding democratic governments. He includes a vast cast of riveting characters, known and unknown, including the Mexican revolutionary Fr. Servando Teresa de Mier; Daniel O'Connell, hero of Irish emancipation; Sr. Josephine Bakhita, a formerly enslaved Sudanese nun; Chinese statesman Ma Xiaobang; French philosopher and reformer Jacques Maritain; German Jewish philosopher and convert, Edith Stein; John Paul II, Polish pope and opponent of communism; Gustavo Gutiérrez, Peruvian founder of liberation theology; and French American patron of modern art, Dominique de Menil.

Throughout this essential volume, McGreevy details currents of reform within the Church as well as movements protective of traditional customs and beliefs. Conflicts with political leaders and a devotional revival in the nineteenth century, the experiences of decolonization after World War II and the Second Vatican Council in the twentieth century, and the trauma of clerical sexual abuse in the twenty-first all demonstrate how religion shapes our modern world. Finally, McGreevy addresses the challenges faced by Pope Francis as he struggles to unite the over one billion members of the world's largest religious community.

ISBN/SKU: 
9781324003885
0
field_in_author: 
McGreevy, John T.
Author: 
Publisher: 

DECEPTIVE MAJORITY

DECEPTIVE MAJORITY
$48.99
The idea that India is a Hindu majority nation rests on the assumption that the vast swath of its population stigmatized as 'untouchable' is, and always has been, in some meaningful sense, Hindu. But is that how such communities understood themselves in the past, or how they understand themselves now? When and under what conditions did this assumption take shape, and what truths does it conceal? In this book, Joel Lee challenges presuppositions at the foundation of the study of caste and religion in South Asia. Drawing on detailed archival and ethnographic research, Lee tracks the career of a Dalit religion and the effort by twentieth-century nationalists to encompass it within a newly imagined Hindu body politic. A chronicle of religious life in north India and an examination of the ethics and semiotics of secrecy, Deceptive Majority throws light on the manoeuvres by which majoritarian projects are both advanced and undermined.
ISBN/SKU: 
9781108826662
0
field_in_author: 
LEE, JOEL
Author: 

Dog, the Wolf and God

Dog, the Wolf and God
$22.99

'A masterpiece' - Vanity Fair (Italy)

After the best-seller The End is My Beginning, co-authored with his father Tixiano Terzani, the long-awaited Folco Terzani's comeback with an extraordinary harmony of words and images, a simple and profound story about nature, friendship and the sense of the divine.

The Dog, was always used to the comforts and safety of domestic life, suddenly finds himself abandoned on the street, convinced that without his beloved master he will not be able to survive. Then a mysterious Wolf appears that will lead him to the discovery of the wild nature that the city hides and forbids. Thus, begins a long pilgrimage, a journey of initiation to the north, in the company of a pack of wolves, through caves, waterfalls, forests, mountains and lightning storms. In order to survive, the Dog will learn to hunt and will be forced to face many dangers, until he arrives at Moon Mountain where, immersed in the blinding glacier light, he will finally have to face the biggest question of all.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780008325992
0
field_in_author: 
Terzani, Folco
Author: 
Publisher: 

DYNAMICS OF FAITH (PERENNIAL CLASSICS ED) (P)

DYNAMICS OF FAITH (PERENNIAL CLASSICS ED) (P)
$16.25
$12.25
$12.25 - $16.25

One of the greatest books ever written on the subject, Dynamics of Faithis a primer in the philosophy of religion. Paul Tillich, a leading theologian of the twentieth century, explores the idea of faith in all its dimensions, while defining the concept in the process.

This graceful and accessible volume contains a new introduction by Marion Pauck, Tillich's biographer.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780060937133
0
field_in_author: 
TILLICH

Ear of the Heart

Ear of the Heart
$24.95

"Listen and attend with the ear of your heart." - Saint Benedict.


Dolores Hart stunned Hollywood in 1963, when after ten highly successful feature films, she chose to enter a contemplative monastery. Now, fifty years later, Mother Dolores gives this fascinating account of her life, with co-author and life-long friend, Richard DeNeut.


Dolores was a bright and beautiful college student when she made her film debut with Elvis Presley in Paramount's 1957 Loving You. She acted in nine more movies with other big stars such as Montgomery Clift, Anthony Quinn and Myrna Loy. She also gave a Tony-nominated performance in the Broadway play The Pleasure of His Company and appeared in television shows, including The Virginian and Playhouse 90. An important chapter in her life occurred while playing Saint Clare in the movie Francis of Assisi, which was filmed on location in Italy.


Born Dolores Hicks to a complicated and colorful Chicago family, Mother Dolores has travelled a charmed yet challenging road in her journey toward God, serenity and, yes, love. She entered the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut, at the peak of her career, not in order to leave the glamorous world of acting she had dreamed of since childhood, but in order to answer a mysterious call she heard with the "ear of the heart." While contracted for another film and engaged to be married, she abandoned everything to become a bride of Christ.

ISBN/SKU: 
9781586177478
0
field_in_author: 
Hart & DeNeut
Author: 
Publisher: 

Essential Sufism

Essential Sufism
$14.99
The first accessible and broad-ranging sourcebook of key Sufi writings, "Essential Sufism" draws together more than 300 stories, fables, aphorisms, short writings, and poems that reveal the heart of Islamic mysticism. 23 drawings of Islamic calligraphy.
ISBN/SKU: 
9780062514752
0
field_in_author: 
Frager, Robert
Author: 
Publisher: 

Fatal Discord

Fatal Discord
$24.99

A New York Times Notable Book

A deeply textured dual biography and fascinating intellectual history that examines two of the greatest minds of European history--Desiderius Erasmus and Martin Luther--whose heated rivalry gave rise to two enduring, fundamental, and often colliding traditions of philosophical and religious thought.

"A masterly work. Massing manages to juggle the complicated biographies and life work of both Erasmus and Luther while giving the reader a well-written, comprehensive background of pre-Reformation theology."-- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Erasmus of Rotterdam was the leading figure of the Northern Renaissance. At a time when Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael were revolutionizing Western art and culture, Erasmus was helping to transform Europe's intellectual and religious life, developing a new design for living for a continent rebelling against the hierarchical constraints of the Roman Church. When in 1516 he came out with a revised edition of the New Testament based on the original Greek, he was hailed as the prophet of a new enlightened age. Today, however, Erasmus is largely forgotten, and the reason can be summed up in two words: Martin Luther. As a young friar in remote Wittenberg, Luther was initially a great admirer of Erasmus and his critique of the Catholic Church, but while Erasmus sought to reform that institution from within, Luther wanted a more radical transformation. Eventually, the differences between them flared into a bitter rivalry, with each trying to win over Europe to his vision.

In Fatal Discord, Michael Massing seeks to restore Erasmus to his proper place in the Western tradition. The conflict between him and Luther, he argues, forms a fault line in Western thinking--the moment when two enduring schools of thought, Christian humanism and evangelical Christianity, took shape. A seasoned journalist who has reported from many countries, Massing here travels back to the early sixteenth century to recover a long-neglected chapter of Western intellectual life, in which the introduction of new ways of reading the Bible set loose social and cultural forces that helped shatter the millennial unity of Christendom and whose echoes can still be heard today. Massing concludes that Europe has adopted a form of Erasmian humanism while America has been shaped by Luther-inspired individualism.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780063143432
0
field_in_author: 
Massing, Michael
Author: 
Publisher: 

Filled with Fire and Light: Portraits and Legends from the Bible, Talmud, and Hasidic World

Filled with Fire and Light: Portraits and Legends from the Bible, Talmud, and Hasidic World
$27.00
Here are magnificent insights into the lives of biblical prophets and kings, talmudic sages, and Hasidic rabbis from the internationally acclaimed writer, Nobel laureate, and one of the world's most honored and beloved teachers.

"This posthumous collection encourages a path toward purpose and transcendence." --The New York Times Book Review


From a multitude of sources, Elie Wiesel culls facts, legends, and anecdotes to give us fascinating portraits of notable figures throughout Jewish history. Here is the prophet Elisha, wonder-worker and adviser to kings, whose compassion for those in need is matched only by his fiery temper. Here is the renowned scholar Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, whose ingenuity in escaping from a besieged Jerusalem on the eve of its destruction by Roman legions in 70 CE laid the foundation for the rab­binic teachings and commentaries that revolutionized the practice and study of Judaism and have sustained the Jewish people for two thousand years of ongoing exile. And here is Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad Hasidism, languishing in a Czarist prison in 1798, the victim of a false accusation, engaging in theological discussions with his jailers that would form the basis for Chabad's legendary method of engagement with the world at large.

In recounting the life stories of these and other spiritual seekers, in delving into the struggles of human beings trying to create meaningful lives touched with sparks of the divine, Wiesel challenges and inspires us all to fill our own lives with commitment and sanctity.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780805243536
0
field_in_author: 
Wiesel, Elie
Author: 
Publisher: 

Forgiveness: An Alternative Account

Forgiveness: An Alternative Account
$30.00
A deeply researched and poignant reflection on the practice of forgiveness in an unforgiving world

Matthew Ichihashi Potts explores the complex moral terrain of forgiveness, which he claims has too often served as a salve to the conscience of power rather than as an instrument of healing or justice. Though forgiveness is often linked with reconciliation or the abatement of anger, Potts resists these associations, asserting instead that forgiveness is simply the refusal of retaliatory violence through practices of penitence and grief. It is an act of mourning irrevocable wrong, of refusing the false promises of violent redemption, and of living in and with the losses we cannot recover.

Drawing on novels by Kazuo Ishiguro, Marilynne Robinson, Louise Erdrich, and Toni Morrison, and on texts from the early Christian to the postmodern, Potts diagnoses the real dangers of forgiveness yet insists upon its enduring promise. Sensitive to the twenty-first-century realities of economic inequality, colonial devastation, and racial strife, and considering the role of forgiveness in the New Testament, the Christian tradition, philosophy, and contemporary literature, this book heralds the arrival of a new and creative theological voice.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780300259858
0
field_in_author: 
Potts, Matthew Ichihashi

Freeing Jesus

Freeing Jesus
$14.99

The award-winning author of Grateful goes beyond the culture wars to offer a refreshing take on the comprehensive, multi-faceted nature of Jesus, keeping his teachings relevant and alive in our daily lives.

How can you still be a Christian?

This is the most common question Diana Butler Bass is asked today. It is a question that many believers ponder as they wrestle with disappointment and disillusionment in their church and its leadership. But while many Christians have left their churches, they cannot leave their faith behind.

In Freeing Jesus, Bass challenges the idea that Jesus can only be understood in static, one-dimensional ways and asks us to instead consider a life where Jesus grows with us and helps us through life's challenges in several capacities: as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence.

Freeing Jesus is an invitation to leave the religious wars behind and rediscover Jesus in all his many manifestations, to experience Jesus beyond the narrow confines we have built around him. It renews our hope in faith and worship at a time when we need it most.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780062659538
0
field_in_author: 
Bass, Diana Butler
Author: 
Publisher: 

From Christendom to Americanism and Beyond: The Long, Jagged Trail to a Postmodern Void

From Christendom to Americanism and Beyond: The Long, Jagged Trail to a Postmodern Void
$17.95
From Christendom to Americanism and Beyond describes the momentous changes that occurred in the European cultural orbit from the end of the Middle Ages until the mid 20th century. During this period the Catholic unity of the West--what rightly was called Christendom--was lost, and the social order came to be organized on an entirely new basis. Instead of a society that attempted to arrange all its activity and institutions in a hierarchy directed toward God, now politics could become merely a series of power grabs, economic activity an aimless and unabashed striving for riches, and the work of artists simply a means of self-expression. Not only were the institutions and customs that had previously sought to guide human activity to the glory of God and the common good destroyed, but this destruction was justified--even celebrated--in the new theories and philosophies that arose during this time. Readers who want to understand the broad trends and movements that underlie historical events will find this book an excellent guide to the rise of modernity.

"Thomas Storck has quite possibly contributed more than any other living writer to the articulation, defense, and contemporary application of Catholic Social Teaching. But his incisive work on broader philosophical, cultural, and historical subjects is not known nearly as well as it should be, a misfortune this book will help remedy. Christendom, Modernity, and Americanism--among the most elusive quarry in the world of ideas--are fatally attractive, yet rarely captured in a convincing analysis. In these essays Storck shows that he has the wide-ranging thoughtfulness, command of detail, and synthetic vision to pull this off. Storck's cultural and philosophical examination of the trajectory of recent centuries is invaluable for all who would understand more deeply the complicated and contradictory Western world we live in."--PETER KWASNIEWSKI, Wyoming Catholic College, author of Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis

"I am stretched and challenged whenever I read anything by Thomas Storck. In this fine collection of essays, he examines the many streams of thought and convictions that have led our contemporary world away from its philosophical and religious roots into post-modernity. Particularly in the final chapter he brings this all together to describe the plight we, our children, and our grand-children now face. As Joseph Pearce states in his excellent foreword, 'He must be heard and heeded.'"--MARCUS GRODI, founder and president of the Coming Home Network International, author of What Must I do to be Saved?

"Drawing upon the tradition of Belloc, Chesterton, and Dawson, Thomas Storck offers a compelling re-interpretation of developments within the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. Moving beyond the stale, false alternatives of liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican, Storck argues for the necessity of a distinctly Catholic social vision predicated upon the organic unity of family, faith, economy, and culture. These essays are a true breath of fresh air offering new possibilities for an authentic public Catholicism open to the world yet committed to the first principles of the faith."--CHRISTOPHER SHANNON, Christendom College, co-author of The Past as Pilgrimage

THOMAS STORCK, a convert to the Catholic faith, is a social and cultural philosopher and historian who has written widely concerning the intersection of Catholic faith and culture. He is the author of three previous books, The Catholic Milieu, Foundations of a Catholic Political Order, and Christendom and the West, as well as numerous essays and articles; and is a member of the editorial boards of The Chesterton Review and Ethika Politika.

ISBN/SKU: 
9781621381440
0
field_in_author: 
Storck, Thomas
Author: 
Publisher: 

Generation Z

Generation Z
$25.00
GENERATION Z is called and equipped to rise above the global storm we are experiencing and initiate the greatest awakening our world has ever seen. They are ready. They are willing. They are born for the storm.

Generation Z is officially the largest generation in the world today. They are creative, driven, entrepreneurial, and technologically advanced. Generation Z comes of age in an unique time. This generation is surrounded by turbulence: a global pandemic, racial tensions, political upheaval, economic unrest, and social tensions not experienced by previous generations. They live in a tumultuous life-sea where the waves are high, the winds are strong, the intensity is unceasing, and the challenges feel insurmountable.

This new generation, born between 1997 and 2012, has never witnessed a calm sea. Social harmony, economic stability, physical tranquility, and domestic peace have all been very distant during this period. While those from earlier generations are often disturbed by it all, Generation Z considers these storms a part of their existence. They are survivors, and they are being equipped by God for maximum kingdom impact during a time when the world needs them the most.

Generation Z: Born for the Storm is written as a book of hope for this new generation. It examines the environment surrounding Gen Z and tries to understand who they are. It also looks at the unique qualities God is forming in Gen Z believers. The book inspirationally describes qualities already emerging and predicts qualities that will emerge as Gen Zers take their place of leadership in the world. Each chapter focuses on a person or persons from the Bible whose names begin with "Z" and who embody qualities God is forming in this new generation. This is not an exhaustive volume on Gen Z. It is simply a snapshot in time connected to the timeless truths of Scripture that will help us reflect upon, respond to, and empower the most important generation to ever live. Their potential is beyond description.

Gen Z will take the negative circumstances they have been given and, by God's grace, turn them into positives. Generation Z is ready. God is equipping. The Holy Spirit is moving. The world is waiting. The winds are blowing, and the waves are roaring. Spiritual history is going to be made because Generation Z is born for the storm.

ISBN/SKU: 
9781637630273
0
field_in_author: 
Wilson, Billy
Author: 
Publisher: 

Gift of Joy and Hope

Gift of Joy and Hope
$27.00

In this encouraging book, Pope Francis explores the meaning of true joy and offers an inspiring message: even in dark times, the light of hope can shine bright.

The past few years have been extremely challenging, but even in dark times, the light of joy can shine bright.

True joy, says Pope Francis, is not a fleeting sentiment or a short-term solution to suffering; it springs from a solid hope that nothing and no one can take away.

A Gift of Joy and Hope is an invitation to embrace authentic beauty and a reminder to be open to encountering God, even in the midst of challenges. In this inspiring collection, Pope Francis encourages readers to change attitudes that exclude others; to reveal the deep dissatisfaction we all hide; and to overcome life's challenges with courage and faith. He also challenges readers to hope without pessimism or doubt, to hope even in the midst of anxiety, to recognize the beauty all around us, and to let God show us how to deal with your doubts and fears.

This book aims to encourage readers to look outside themselves and believe that hope is still possible and that joy always has the last word.

ISBN/SKU: 
9781546003694
0
field_in_author: 
Francis, Pope
Author: 
Publisher: 

God in Search of Man

God in Search of Man
$9.99
$19.00
$9.99 - $19.00

Abraham Joshua Heschel was one of the most revered religious leaders of the 20th century, and God in Search of Man and its companion volume, Man Is Not Alone, two of his most important books, are classics of modern Jewish theology. God in Search of Man combines scholarship with lucidity, reverence, and compassion as Dr. Heschel discusses not man's search for God but God's for man--the notion of a Chosen People, an idea which, he writes, signifies not a quality inherent in the people but a relationship between the people and God. It is an extraordinary description of the nature of Biblical thought, and how that thought becomes faith.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780374513313
0
field_in_author: 
Heschel, Abraham Joshua

God: An Anatomy

God: An Anatomy
$35.00
An astonishing and revelatory history that re-presents God as he was originally envisioned by ancient worshippers--with a distinctly male body, and with superhuman powers, earthly passions, and a penchant for the fantastic and monstrous.

[A] rollicking journey through every aspect of Yahweh's body, from top to bottom (yes, that too) and from inside out ... Ms. Stavrakopoulou has almost too much fun."--The Economist

The scholarship of theology and religion teaches us that the God of the Bible was without a body, only revealing himself in the Old Testament in words mysteriously uttered through his prophets, and in the New Testament in the body of Christ. The portrayal of God as corporeal and masculine is seen as merely metaphorical, figurative, or poetic. But, in this revelatory study, Francesca Stavrakopoulou presents a vividly corporeal image of God: a human-shaped deity who walks and talks and weeps and laughs, who eats, sleeps, feels, and breathes, and who is undeniably male.

Here is a portrait--arrived at through the author's close examination of and research into the Bible--of a god in ancient myths and rituals who was a product of a particular society, at a particular time, made in the image of the people who lived then, shaped by their own circumstances and experience of the world. From head to toe--and every part of the body in between--this is a god of stunning surprise and complexity, one we have never encountered before.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780525520450
0
field_in_author: 
Stavrakopoulou, Francesca

Good White Racist?: Confronting Your Role in Racial Injustice

Good White Racist?: Confronting Your Role in Racial Injustice
$17.00

"A no-nonsense call to action for all those willing to confront their complicity, Good White Racist? promises 'This is going to be hard, and you are going to be uncomfortable. But it will be worth it.'" - Foreword Reviews

\ good - white - racist \ noun

  1. A well-intentioned person of European descent who is nonetheless complicit in a culture of systemic racism
  2. A white person who would rather stay comfortable than do the work of antiracism

When it comes to race, most white Americans are obsessed with two things: defending our own inherent goodness and maintaining our own comfort levels. Too often, this means white people assume that to be racist, one has to be openly hateful and willfully discriminatory--you know, a bad person. And we know we're good, Christian people, right? But you don't have to be wearing a white hood or shouting racial epithets to be complicit in America's racist history and its ongoing systemic inequality.

In Good White Racist?, Kerry Connelly exposes the ways white people participate in, benefit from, and unknowingly perpetuate racism--despite their best "good person" intentions. Good White Racist? unpacks the systems that maintain the status quo, keep white people comfortable and complicit, and perpetuate racism in the United States and elsewhere. Combining scholarly research with her trademark New Jersey snark, Connelly shows us that even though it may not be our fault or choice to participate in a racist system, we all do, and it's our responsibility to do something about it.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780664265748
0
field_in_author: 
Connelly, Kerry

Heaven and Hell

Heaven and Hell
$18.99
A New York Times bestselling historian of early Christianity takes on two of the most gripping questions of human existence: where did the ideas of heaven and hell come from and why do they endure?

What happens when we die? A recent Pew Research poll showed that 72% of Americans believe in a literal heaven and 58% believe in a literal hell. Most people who hold these beliefs are Christian and assume they are the age-old teachings of the Bible. But eternal rewards and punishments are found nowhere in the Old Testament and are not what Jesus or his disciples taught.

So where did these ideas come from?

In this "eloquent understanding of how death is viewed through many spiritual traditions" (Publishers Weekly, starred review), Bart Ehrman recounts the long history of the afterlife, ranging from The Epic of Gilgamesh up to the writings of Augustine, focusing especially on the teachings of Jesus and his early followers. He discusses ancient guided tours of heaven and hell, in which a living person observes the sublime blessings of heaven for those who are saved and the horrifying torments of hell for those who are damned. Some of these accounts take the form of near death experiences, the oldest on record, with intriguing similarities to those reported today.

One of Ehrman's startling conclusions is that there never was a single Greek, Jewish, or Christian understanding of the afterlife, but numerous competing views. Moreover, these views did not come from nowhere; they were intimately connected with the social, cultural, and historical worlds out of which they emerged. Only later, in the early Christian centuries, did they develop into notions of eternal bliss or damnation widely accepted today.

In this "elegant history" (The New Yorker), Ehrman helps us reflect on where our ideas of the afterlife come from. With his "richly layered-narrative" (The Boston Globe) he assures us that even if there may be something to hope for when we die, there certainly is nothing to fear.

ISBN/SKU: 
9781501136740
0
field_in_author: 
Ehrman, Bart D.
Author: 
Publisher: 

Holistic Islam: Sufism Transformation and the Challenge of Our Time

Holistic Islam: Sufism Transformation and the Challenge of Our Time
$18.00
What would a spiritual Islam look like? The poetry of Rumi, the gardens of the Alhambra, and the ecstatic songs of the qawwals provide examples of the beauty at the heart of Islam. Holistic Islam is a compelling and timely work showing how this same creative energy can be tapped today to revitalize Islam and make it more relevant to the contemporary world and to those desperately seeking a spirituality that is free of dogma, based in experiences not beliefs, and able to reconcile the human and spiritual realms. Spiritual teacher and Sufi shaikh Kabir Helminski gives us a compelling interpretation of spiritual or holistic Islam that will hearten contemporary Muslims looking for a faith suited to our times, and provide non-Muslims with a brilliant introduction to this rich spiritual tradition. "Kabir Helminski's Holistic Islam is a sagacious and indeed perspicacious walk through the heart and soul of Islam. It is an essential source for anyone who is interested in Sufism or in the moral impulse that motivated great sages like Rumi and Hafiz. Perhaps, more importantly, I think this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the real Islamic faith."
ISBN/SKU: 
9780939660278
0
field_in_author: 
Helminski, Kabir
Author: 
Publisher: 

HOLY BIBLE KJV/SLEEVED

HOLY BIBLE KJV/SLEEVED
$24.99
ISBN/SKU: 
9781432132668
0

How God Becomes Real: Kindling the Presence of Invisible Others

How God Becomes Real: Kindling the Presence of Invisible Others
$29.95

The hard work required to make God real, how it changes the people who do it, and why it helps explain the enduring power of faith

How do gods and spirits come to feel vividly real to people--as if they were standing right next to them? Humans tend to see supernatural agents everywhere, as the cognitive science of religion has shown. But it isn't easy to maintain a sense that there are invisible spirits who care about you. In How God Becomes Real, acclaimed anthropologist and scholar of religion T. M. Luhrmann argues that people must work incredibly hard to make gods real and that this effort--by changing the people who do it and giving them the benefits they seek from invisible others--helps to explain the enduring power of faith.

Drawing on ethnographic studies of evangelical Christians, pagans, magicians, Zoroastrians, Black Catholics, Santeria initiates, and newly orthodox Jews, Luhrmann notes that none of these people behave as if gods and spirits are simply there. Rather, these worshippers make strenuous efforts to create a world in which invisible others matter and can become intensely present and real. The faithful accomplish this through detailed stories, absorption, the cultivation of inner senses, belief in a porous mind, strong sensory experiences, prayer, and other practices. Along the way, Luhrmann shows why faith is harder than belief, why prayer is a metacognitive activity like therapy, why becoming religious is like getting engrossed in a book, and much more.

A fascinating account of why religious practices are more powerful than religious beliefs, How God Becomes Real suggests that faith is resilient not because it provides intuitions about gods and spirits--but because it changes the faithful in profound ways.

ISBN/SKU: 
9780691164465
0
field_in_author: 
Luhrmann, T.M.
Author: 

If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran

If the Oceans Were Ink: An Unlikely Friendship and a Journey to the Heart of the Quran
$22.00

PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST - NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST - Named A Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post and The Denver Post - Praised by Fareed Zakaria as "intelligent, compassionate, and revealing," a powerful journey to help bridge one of the greatest divides shaping our world today.

If the Oceans Were Ink is Carla Power's eye-opening story of how she and her longtime friend Sheikh Mohammad Akram Nadwi found a way to confront ugly stereotypes and persistent misperceptions that were cleaving their communities. Their friendship-between a secular American and a madrasa-trained sheikh-had always seemed unlikely, but now they were frustrated and bewildered by the battles being fought in their names. Both knew that a close look at the Quran would reveal a faith that preached peace and not mass murder; respect for women and not oppression. And so they embarked on a yearlong journey through the controversial text.

A journalist who grew up in the Midwest and the Middle East, Power offers her unique vantage point on the Quran's most provocative verses as she debates with Akram at cafes, family gatherings, and packed lecture halls, conversations filled with both good humor and powerful insights. Their story takes them to madrasas in India and pilgrimage sites in Mecca, as they encounter politicians and jihadis, feminist activists and conservative scholars. Armed with a new understanding of each other's worldviews, Power and Akram offer eye-opening perspectives, destroy long-held myths, and reveal startling connections between worlds that have seemed hopelessly divided for far too long.

Praise for If the Oceans Were Ink

"A vibrant tale of a friendship.... If the Oceans Were Ink is a welcome and nuanced look at Islam [and] goes a long way toward combating the dehumanizing stereotypes of Muslims that are all too common.... If the Oceans Were Ink should be mandatory reading for the 52 percent of Americans who admit to not knowing enough about Muslims."--The Washington Post

"Journalist Power writes about her year studying the Quran with a Muslim scholar she befriended while working at a think tank in London. For some, this will be a strong introduction to Islam. To others, it's fodder for discussion on the Sheikh's views, how Westerners (such as Power) interpret those views and the interplay of culture and religion." --The Denver Post

"For all those who wonder what Islam says about war and peace, men and women, Jews and gentiles, this is the book to read. It is a conversation among well-meaning friends--intelligent, compassionate, and revealing--the kind that needs to be taking place around the world."--Fareed Zakaria, author of The Post-American World

"Carla Power's intimate portrait of the Quran, told with nuance and great elegance, captures the extraordinary, living debate over the Muslim holy book's very essence. A spirited, compelling read."--Azadeh Moaveni, author of Lipstick Jihad

"An inspiring story of two [people] from different worlds who refuse to let religious and cultural differences, prejudice, and ignorance get in the way of their friendship, If the Oceans Were Ink is as thought-provoking as it is elegantly written. It takes a difficult, highly charged topic and puts it into terms that are not only understandable and eye-opening, but beautiful."--Bustle (11 Beautifully Written Memoirs by Women)

"Unique, masterful, and deeply engaging. Carla Power takes the reader on an extraordinary journey in interfaith understanding as she debates and discovers the Quran's message, meaning, and values on peace and violence, gender and veiling, religious pluralism and tolerance."--John L. Esposito, University Professor and Professor of Islamic Studies, Georgetown University, and author of The Future of Islam

"A thoughtful, provocative, intelligent book."--Diana Abu-Jaber, author of Birds Of Paradise and The Language of Baklava

"With a journalist's mind for the story, a born traveler's heart for the adventure of crossing borders, and a seeker's yen for the poetry and mysticism of belief, Power creates an exceptional record of a timeless quest."--Merritt Tierce, a National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" honoree and author of Love Me Back

ISBN/SKU: 
9780805098198
0
field_in_author: 
Power, Carla
Author: 
Publisher: 

In Praise of Great Compassion

In Praise of Great Compassion
$29.95
The fifth volume of the Dalai Lama's definitive Library of Wisdom and Compassion series, which has sold nearly 15,000 copies to date.

In Praise of Great Compassion, the fifth volume of the Library of Wisdom and Compassion, continues the Dalai Lama's teachings on the path to awakening. While previous volumes focused on our present situation and taking responsibility for creating the causes for the happiness we seek, this volume is about opening our hearts to others and generating the compassion, joy, and fortitude to make our lives meaningful by benefiting them.

We are embedded in a universe with other beings, all of whom have been kind to us in one way or another. More than any other time in human history, we depend on one another to stay alive and flourish. We are sometimes oblivious to their kindness, or take it for granted, which leads to feelings of discontent. But when we look closely, it becomes apparent that we have been the recipient of great kindness and naturally we want to repay it.

To do this, we begin by cultivating a positive attitude toward others by contemplating the four immeasurables--immeasurable love, compassion, empathic joy, and equanimity--and the altruistic intention of bodhicitta. We learn to challenge the deluded logic of the self-centered attitude that leads to misery and replace it with a more realistic perspective that helps us to remain balanced when we experience either happiness or suffering. This enables us to make all circumstances favorable to the path to awakening.

ISBN/SKU: 
9781614296829
0
field_in_author: 
Lama, Dalai
Author: 
Publisher: 

Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot

Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot
$29.95
Let the Divine Feminine guide your tarot practice with this non-gilded special edition deck and companion guide designed to help you connect with goddess magic without and within.

It was in the twilight hours of one darkening day, alone in the deserts of the American Southwest, meditating on the abundance of spiritual power and connection all around, that the vision for these cards arrived. Nighttime scenes full of lush nature, animals, magic, and beauty, with goddesses standing proudly, fiercely, and wildly among them.

Through the medium of collage, an otherworldly array of goddess figures light upon mystical landscapes replete with symbolic flora and fauna, channeling Divine Feminine energy and inviting us to realize its surrounding potential. Rich in deep symbolism, this deck lifts from the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith, using its narrative to provide balance in the light and dark of life. The goddesses depicted by these cards are not specific, but rather archetypal composites from various cultures, becoming those we may recognize in each other and within our personal histories. They embody the timeless Divine Feminine spirit we all possess, regardless of gender or ethnic constructs. It infuses each of us with empathy, intuition, creativity, nurturing, sensuality, power, strength, and wisdom.

Through working with The Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot, you will discover your own power and magic as well as learn to trust in your intuition. Use these cards to find compassion and inspiration in your days and nights, to be in the fullness of who you are and are meant to be. This deck is great for both beginners and the most advanced of tarot lovers, offering increasing wisdom with every reading. Fall in love with every card as you journey through the cosmos.

The Intuitive Night Goddess Tarot includes 78 matte cards (70mm x 120mm) and a 144-page companion guide. NOTE: This edition does not have gilded-edges.

Photography credit Daniel Greer http: //www.danielgreer.net/

ISBN/SKU: 
9781646043040
0
field_in_author: 
Silverman, Linzi
Author: 
Publisher: