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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Alternative belief systems
In an era of rapid growth of false religions worldwide, Christians
need information they can trust. This comprehensive new edition of
the leading book on cults will equip you--no matter your
background--to understand and use biblical truth to counter false
religions, including many that masquerade as mainstream
Christianity. Reflecting the developments in cults and world
religions in recent years, this edition, updated by expert Jill
Martin Rische (daughter of Walter Martin), gives you the
authoritative information you need to know. As our culture becomes
less and less outwardly Christian, awareness of the belief systems
of those around us has never been more vital. Readable and reliable
for everyone, whether you're a teacher, a pastor, or a regular
church attender, The Kingdom of the Cults remains the go-to
reference book on this crucial topic.
As human beings, we have a great longing for community, to feel
part of something. Despite this apparent need, the opposite
tendency is evident everywhere: a growing individualism leading to
the breakdown of relationships, conflict and war. How can we
connect meaningfully with our fellow human beings and build
successful communities, whilst also cultivating a healthy
individuality? Karl Koenig considered that finding answers to these
questions was one of the central tasks of anthroposophy, as well as
its greatest potential downfall. Seventy years ago, he founded the
Camphill Movement as a search for social renewal and healing from
new sources. As part of a growing dialogue between people within
and outside of Camphill, a conference called Community Building in
the Light of Michael took place at the Goetheanum in 2009. The
contributions in this book originate from there; contributors
include Cornelius Pietzner, Virginia Sease, Penelope
Roberts-Baring, Sergei Prokofieff, Peter Selg and Bodo von Plato.
"A fascinating theory about the origins of the witch hunt that is
sure to influence future historians. . . . a valuable probe of how
myths can feed hysteria." --The Washington Post Book World "An
imaginative reconstruction of what might have been Tituba's past."
--Times Literary Supplement "A fine example of readable
scholarship." --Baltimore Sun In this important book, Elaine
Breslaw claims to have rediscovered Tituba, the elusive,
mysterious, and often mythologized Indian woman accused of
witchcraft in Salem in 1692 and immortalized in Arthur Miller's The
Crucible. Reconstructing the life of the slave woman at the center
of the notorious Salem witch trials, the book follows Tituba from
her likely origins in South America to Barbados, forcefully
dispelling the commonly-held belief that Tituba was African. The
uniquely multicultural nature of life on a seventeenth- century
Barbadan sugar plantation--defined by a mixture of English,
American Indian, and African ways and folklore--indelibly shaped
the young Tituba's world and the mental images she brought with her
to Massachusetts. Breslaw divides Tituba's story into two parts.
The first focuses on Tituba's roots in Barbados, the second on her
life in the New World. The author emphasizes the inextricably
linked worlds of the Caribbean and the North American colonies,
illustrating how the Puritan worldview was influenced by its
perception of possessed Indians. Breslaw argues that Tituba's
confession to practicing witchcraft clearly reveals her savvy and
determined efforts to protect herself by actively manipulating
Puritan fears. This confession, perceived as evidence of a
diabolical conspiracy, was the central agent in the cataclysmic
series of events that saw 19 people executed and over 150
imprisoned, including a young girl of 5. A landmark contribution to
women's history and early American history, Tituba, Reluctant Witch
of Salem sheds new light on one of the most painful episodes in
American history, through the eyes of its most crucial participant.
Elaine G. Breslaw is Adjunct Professor of History at the University
of Tennessee, Knoxville, and author of the acclaimed Tituba,
Reluctant Witch of Salem: Devilish Indians and Puritan Fantasies
(also available from NYU Press).
Men and masculinities are still inadequately incorporated into the
historiography of early modern witch trials, despite the fact that
20-25% of all accused 'witches' were male. This book redresses this
imbalance by making men the focus of the gender analysis and also
covers the issue of regional variation in the gendering of witch
persecution.
In this book a widely recognized authority on religion and
psychoanalysis takes a fascinating journey into Freud's past to
examine the roots of his atheism. Dr. Ana-Maria Rizzuto reviews and
reorganizes data about Freud's development and life circumstances
to provide a psychodynamic interpretation of his rejection of God.
She argues that Freud's early life and family relationships made it
psychically impossible for him to believe in a provident and caring
divine being. The book traces significant aspects of Freud's
relationship with his father and mother, his childhood nanny, and
other relatives and outlines his religious evolution from somewhat
conventional beliefs as a young boy to adult unbelief. Dr. Rizzuto
presents significant new details about the Philippson Bible-a copy
of which Freud's father presented to Sigmund on his thirty-fifth
birthday-and shows how the illustrations in that edition related to
Freud's passion for collecting antiquities. The book brings to
light critical aspects of Freud's early and late object relations
and their lasting impact on his rejection of God.
Not only does this book give a well-researched account of the
politicization of Haitian Voodoo and the Voodooization of Haitian
politics, it also lays the ground for the development of creative
policies by the state vis-a-vis the cult. It is an indispensable
research tool for the students of Afro-American, Caribbean and
African societies in particular, and for religionists and political
scientists in general.
This book is about other worlds and the supernatural beings, from
angels to fairies, that inhabited them. It is about divination,
prophecy, visions and trances. And it is about the cultural,
religious, political and social uses to which people in Scotland
put these supernatural themes between 1500 and 1800. The
supernatural consistently provided Scots with a way of
understanding topics such as the natural environment, physical and
emotional wellbeing, political events and visions of past and
future. In exploring the early modern supernatural, the book has
much to reveal about how men and women in this period thought
about, debated and experienced the world around them. Comprising
twelve chapters by an international range of scholars, The
supernatural in early modern Scotland discusses both popular and
elite understandings of the supernatural. -- .
Fascinating and highly informative, The Appearance of Witchcraft
explores how visual representations of witchcraft contributed to
the widespread acceptance of witch beliefs in sixteenth-century
Europe and helped establish the preconditions for the widespread
persecution of witches.
Focusing on the visual contraction, or figure of the witch, and
the activity of witchcraft, Zika places the study in the context of
sixteenth-century withcraft and demonological theory, and in the
turbulent social and religious changes of the period.
Zika argues that artists and printers used images to relate
witchcraft theories, developed by theologians and legitimated by
secular authorities, to a whole range of contemporary discourses on
women and gender roles, sexuality, peasant beliefs and medical
theories of the body. He also examines the role of artist as
mediators between the ideas of the elite and the ordinary
people.
For students of medieval history or anyone interested in the
appearance of witchcraft, this will be an enthralling and
invaluable read.
Learn the latest details and most recent groundbreaking discoveries
that reveal, for the first time, the mystery of life in the spirit
world after death on Earth--proof that our consciousness
survives--in "Journey of Souls" by Michael Newton, Ph.D.
Using a special hypnosis technique to reach the hidden memories of
subjects, Dr. Newton discovered some amazing insights into what
happens to us between lives. "Journey of Souls" is the record of 29
people who recalled their experiences between physical deaths.
Through their extraordinary stories, you will learn specifics
about:
-How it feels to die
-What you see and feel right after death
-The truth about "spiritual guides"
-What happens to "disturbed" souls
-Why you are assigned to certain soul groups in the spirit world
and what you do there
- How you choose another body to return to Earth
-The different levels of souls: beginning, intermediate, and
advanced
-When and where you first learn to recognize soulmates on Earth
-The purpose of life
"Journey of Souls" is a graphic record or "travel log" by these
people of what happens between lives on Earth. They give specific
details as they movingly describe their astounding experiences.
After reading "Journey of Souls, " you will gain a better
understanding of the immortality of the human soul. You will meet
day-to-day challenges with a greater sense of purpose. You will
begin to understand the reasons behind events in your own life.
"Journey of Souls" is a life-changing book. Already, over 165,000
people have taken "Journey of Souls" to heart, giving them hope in
trying times. You should read a copy, too.
The first volume of a projected four-volume series explores the
body's relationship to soul and spirit on the basis of Rudolf
Steiner's insights into the workings of the spiritual world. An
extensive discussion of developmental disorders and childhood
diseases is followed by an in-depth exploration of the polarity of
inflammation and sclerosis and the biochemistry and pathology of
nutrition and metabolic disorders.
This collection of essays by one of the world's most distinguished
philosophers - the inaugural volume in the Prometheus Lecture
Series - addresses the many and diverse aspects of atheistic
humanism. Antony Flew begins his comprehensive study with
"Fundamentals of Unbelief", in which he argues that there is no
good or sufficient natural reason to believe that the universe is
created by a conscious, personal, willing, and doing Being; that
such a Being has nevertheless provided his (or her or its)
creatures with a Revelation; and that we should either hope or fear
some future for ourselves after our deaths. In the second part,
"Defending Knowledge and Responsibility", Flew disposes of the
perennial charge that a naturalistic world outlook presupposes
values for which it cannot itself make room. He also criticizes
sociologists of belief who refute themselves by refusing to admit
that there is such a thing as objective knowledge. And he examines
the subject of mental illness, explaining and defining the notion
by reference to the familiar yet often denied realities of choice
and consequent responsibility. The third section, "Scientific
Socialism?", consists of three critical analyses of Marxism. Flew
exposes the faulty philosophical foundations of Communism, compares
Marxist theory with Darwin's theory of evolution, questions the
status of Marxism as a social "science", and points out some of the
significant failures of the socialist project. Finally, in the
fourth part, "Applied Philosophy", Flew looks at three social
issues, which have been the subject of much recent debate: the
right to die, the definition of mental health, and the problem of
racism. He concludes by criticizing B.F.Skinner's "science" of
behaviorism, arguing that the ability to make choices for which we
can be held responsible is an essential and distinctive
characteristic of human beings.
A perfect entry point for anyone interested in green magick, this
all-in-one guide explains everything you need to know before
beginning your own nature-inspired practice. Author Annabel
Margaret runs the popular YouTube channel, The Green Witch, where
she teaches everyday tools and techniques for leading a more
magickal life. In this must-have handbook, she'll guide your on
your green witchcraft journey from embracing intent and intuition
to creating and casting spells, all utilizing easy-to-find items
and simple methods. Ward the home with protective herbs; bake love,
abundance or luck into tasty treats; create purpose-infused spell
bags or craft soothing salves, energizing sprays and cleansing
infusions. With clear instruction, straightforward information on
foundational principles and tons of witchy wisdom, the magickal
opportunities are endless.
A fascinating and enlightening celebration of mushrooms and the
magic of the forest for those who revel in mushroom imagery and
lore. Mushrooms--as a decorative element, as a signifier of the
mystery of the forest, and as an adorable emblem of witchy
cottagecore dreams--have proliferated in the collective
consciousness as of late. Mushroom Magick is a whimsical collection
of mushroom facts and fables divided into three sections: first,
profiles of 22 well-known mushrooms include information on biology
and common uses as well as a rundown of their energetic properties
and suggestions for incorporating them into spellwork. Section two
provides a world-spanning collection of mushroom myths and fables.
The final section is a taste of the spells and rituals that you can
perform with common mushrooms such as creminis, shiitakes, and
portobellos--carved candles, floor washes, teas, and even some
yummy meals can improve your love life, super-charge your good
fortune, or even cast a well-deserved hex upon your most hated
enemy.
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