New Light on Manichaeism provides the latest discoveries and insights into the Manichaean religion throughout its more than one thousand year history, ranging from glimpses into the life and thought of Mani himself, to developments in doctrine and practice in the religion's North African, Iranian, Central Asian, and Chinese settings. The volume includes contributions from the leading scholars in the field, offering new reconstructions of Manichaean literary and artistic productions, and innovative analyses of the religious, social, and political dynamics that shaped the rise and fall of this world religion.

"It is not the time of the creation in itself that disturbs us, nor is it the so-called fall or the time when mankind wandered the world between light and darkness. What disturbs us is what we suspect transpired in the time before time." Magister Amarantus Sodalitas Sanctum Seth Classical Gnosticism points to a path, which is not a path, but rather a path between the paths. It is a story told at the strike of the thirteenth hour on the mystical dial of the wise; from a mental position between truth and falsehood, reality and dream, in a spiritual place that unites all things in a point without a centre. The tradition, to which this book refers is based on Biblical stories of creation, the nature of God, how man came to live on earth, and how we may recapture what humanity lost. This tradition has a systematic enquiring approach to redemption. It thus relies on our own understanding and our own experiences to grasp it. This is the path called Gnosticism; Sethian Gnosticism.

Islamicate Occult Sciences in Theory and Practice brings together the latest research on Islamic occult sciences from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, namely intellectual history, manuscript studies and material culture. Its aim is not only to showcase the range of pioneering work that is currently being done in these areas, but also to provide a model for closer interaction amongst the disciplines constituting this burgeoning field of study. Furthermore, the book provides the rare opportunity to bridge the gap on an institutional level by bringing the academic and curatorial spheres into dialogue. Contributors include: Charles Burnett, Jean-Charles Coulon, Maryam Ekhtiar, Noah Gardiner, Christiane Gruber, Bink Hallum, Francesca Leoni, Matthew Melvin-Koushki, Michael Noble, Rachel Parikh, Liana Saif, Maria Subtelny, Farouk Yahya, and Travis Zadeh.

Leading spiritual teacher John Philip Newell reveals how Celtic spirituality, listening to the sacred around us and inside of us, can help to heal the earth, overcome our conflicts and reconnect with ourselves. Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul offers a new spiritual foundation for our lives, once centered on encouragement,guidance and hope for creating a better world. Sharing the long hidden tradition of Celtic Christianity, explaining how this earth-based spirituality can help us rediscover the natural rhythms of life and deepen our spiritual connection with God, with each other and with the earth. Newell introduces some of Celtic Christianity's leading practitioners, both saints and pioneers of faith, whose timeless wisdom is more necessary than ever, including: Pelagius, who shows us how to look beyond sin to affirm our sacredness as part of all God's creation and courageously stands up for our principles in the face of oppression. Brigid of Kildare, who illuminates the interrelationship of all things and reminds us of the power of the sacred feminine to overcome those seeking to control us. John Muir, who encourages us to see the holiness and beauty of wilderness and what we must do to protect these gifts. Teilhard de Chardin, who inspires us to see how science, faith, and our future tell one universal story that beings with sacredness.

Helena Blavatsky's translations of three fragments of ancient Buddhist wisdom, sourced from texts such as The Book of Golden Precepts, are contained in this thought-provoking volume. A valiantly sought collection of sage advice and spiritual instruction, The Voice of the Silence offers readers advice on inner growth. Principally the text echoes the principles of Buddhism, advising readers to put aside personal desires and focus upon fostering the inner wealth of the soul to achieve a life of contentment. Blavatsky's book was published as part of her personal investigations into ancient wisdom pertaining to the human soul and reality. Her hunt turned up the formerly obscure fragments which she painstakingly translated. Although existing scholars generally poured cold water upon her efforts, which they considered a haphazard grouping of ancient precepts and mysticism, the reception was warmer among readers discovering the theosophist principles of spiritualism for the first time.

The Book on Mediums, also known as The Mediums Book, was written by Allan Kardec and originally published in 1861. It is the widely respected follow up to The Spirits Book which was published in 1857 and is the second in a series of five books that Kardec wrote that are collectively known as the 'Spiritist Codification'. In the 1850's, whilst investigating the afterlife, Kardec communicated in seances with a collection of spirits named 'The Spirit of Truth' who discussed many important topics such as life after death, good and evil, the nature of the universe, the origin of spirits, and many other subjects. The Spirit of Truth' allegedly counted many of history's great thinkers amongst its number such as Thomas Aquinas, Voltaire and Augustine of Hippo. Over time and after several sessions with the group Kardec had gathered enough information to convince him of life after death and he was compelled to spread the teachings of 'The Spirit of Truth'. He 'codified' their comments and listed them as answers to questions and this forms the content of his teaching. The Books on Mediums is intended to be an essential guide to mediumship for mediums and those interested in the spirit world. The book covers the different types of mediumship including, table-turning, incorporation of spirits, haunted houses, transfiguration, apparitions, psychography and telekinesis. It explains how to deal with manifestations and how to guard against frauds, charlatans, and skeptics alike. The book warns against the perils of un-guided mediumship, possession, and obsession that often go hand in hand with the beautiful revelation that spiritual communication can reveal. Some of Kardec's advice found in the book include; "Do not believe the spirit to be who he purports to be unless there is evidence supporting his claim, but even then, wait till others confirm what one has said." "Do not judge the spirits by their purported names, but by the quality of the morals and the philosophy found in their communications." "Do not let yourself be too entertained with the evocation or incorporation of spirits enough to disregard what is more important, like living your own life and helping your neighbour." "Do not live by the spirits' advice: the communications from the spirits are to be studied and revered - but they should not be taken as the word-by-word expression of the ultimate truth." "Do not judge the quality of the communication by the culture or the social status of the medium by which it was brought." As the New Testament states; Test the Spirits dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1

This fascinating and insightful tour through present-day meetings of Spiritualists, UFOlogists, and dowsers illuminates our obsession with the paranormal and challenges the misunderstanding of the paranormal as a marginal or inconsequential feature of America's religious landscape. According to a 2005 Gallup poll, 75 percent of Americans believe in some form of paranormal activity. The United States has had a collective fascination with the paranormal since the mid-1800s, and it remains an integral part of our culture. Haunted Ground: Journeys through a Paranormal America examines three of the most vibrant paranormal gatherings in the United States-Lily Dale, a Spiritualist summer camp; the Roswell UFO Festival; and the American Society of Dowsers' annual convention of "water witches"-to explore and explain the reasons for our obsession with the paranormal. Both academically informed and thoroughly entertaining, this book takes readers on a "road trip" through our nation, guided by professor of American religion Darryl V. Caterine, PhD. The author interprets seemingly unrelated case studies of phantasmagoria collectively as an integral part of the modern discourse about "nature" as ultimate reality. Along the way, Dr. Caterine reveals how Americans' interest in the paranormal is rooted in their anxieties about cultural, political, and economic instability-and in a historic sense of alienation and homelessness. Chronologies focusing on the main developments in Spiritualist, UFOlogical, and dowsing history Photographs of materials, culture, and events at Lily Dale, the Roswell UFO Festival, and The American Society of Dowsers annual convention taken by the author A bibliography of authoritative scholarly works, primary texts, and theoretical frameworks pertinent to the study of Spiritualism, UFOlogy, and dowsing

All the powers of the universe are out there, ready and waiting for us to call on and use to our advantage at any time. The problem blocking most of us is our own thought habits. Through a series of thought-provoking true stories about life, death, and spirit, Beyond the Five Senses explores how each of us has the innate capacity to empower ourselves and gain control over our lives.

The Secret of Inner Presence begins with author Lin Lipetz's story of her spontaneous spiritual awakening in 1986. Her spiritual awakening created an immediate awareness of a loving Inner Presence within her heart and a connection to another higher level of peace, contentment, and greater knowledge. She now knows that Inner Presence waits patiently to manifest itself within each person, and much of The Secret of Inner Presence is about providing the keys to bring about that shift in consciousness.

As each of the eleven keys is practiced and experienced, the transformation toward a more complete understanding of the core-self will gradually evolve through the loving guidance of the conscious Universe. One of the eleven keys opens the way to intuitively listen to the many voices that will assist in this transformation of the core-self-through healing, new insights, dreams, problem solving, and caring advice. Another key opens the way to deepen intuitively to the level of receiving messages from the Universe and possibly finding the guides that have been available since birth. This process is called Stream of Consciousness writing, and the powerful dialogues and inspirational poems the author has received in this way for many years are found in each chapter.

Chapter by chapter, each of the eleven keys is presented, by both the spiritual Universe and the author, to help guide the reader to a higher dimension of the self.

The Kephalaia of the Teacher is the most detailed account available to modern scholarship of the teachings of Mani, and of the universal religion that he founded as the final successor to Buddha, Zarathushtra and Jesus. This volume provides the first complete English translation of the Coptic text (c. 400 CE), together with introduction, commentaries and indices. Topics include the apostleship of Mani, the practices of the Manichaean community, accounts of the heavenly and demonic beings and worlds, as well as discussions of astrology and religious psychology. In Manichaeism many of the gnostic and dualistic themes of early Christianity achieved the status of a world religion, and the subject is the heir to contemporary interest in heterodoxy and the deconstruction of received histories (see the Nag Hammadi codices).

This volume is an all-in-one publication introducing students and teachers at all levels of Theology to almost the entire spectrum of theologies and hermeneutics in Africa and the western world. Although a strong emphasis is placed on the contribution of Africa to Christian Theology there is no hidden agenda to tell the reader what the only 'sound' theology is. Contributors had total freedom to expand on their fields of specialization and readers can make up their own minds.