Essence has been combined with The Elixir of Enlightenment, a short introductory text directed toward students on the path who are frustrated by either the spiritual or psychological barriers that Western life can present. Discusses the values and shortcomings of spiritual training, and explores why an impasse may occur. Reveals how a precise understanding of your own personality can free your inner resources so that your essential being can lead you toward enlightenment.

Historians who viewed imperial Rome in terms of a conflict between pagans and Christians have often regarded the emperor Constantine's conversion as the triumph of Christianity over paganism. But in "Constantine and the Bishops," historian H. A. Drake offers a fresh and more nuanced understanding of Constantine's rule and, especially, of his relations with Christians.

Constantine, Drake suggests, was looking not only for a god in whom to believe but also a policy he could adopt. Uncovering the political motivations behind Constantine's policies, Drake shows how those policies were constructed to ensure the stability of the empire and fulfill Constantine's imperial duty in securing the favor of heaven.

Despite the emperor's conversion to Christianity, Drake concludes, Rome remained a world filled with gods and with men seeking to depose rivals from power. A book for students and scholars of ancient history and religion, "Constantine and the Bishops" shows how Christian belief motivated and gave shape to imperial rule.

Mircea Eliade--one of the most renowned expositors of the psychology of religion, mythology, and magic--shows that myth and symbol constitute a mode of thought that not only came before that of discursive and logical reasoning, but is still an essential function of human consciousness. He describes and analyzes some of the most powerful and ubiquitous symbols that have ruled the mythological thinking of East and West in many times and at many levels of cultural development.

From the bestselling author of "Stitches "and "Help, Thanks, Wow "comes her long-awaited collection of new and selected essays on hope, joy, and grace.
Anne Lamott writes about faith, family, and community in essays that are both wise and irreverent. It's an approach that has become her trademark. Now in "Small Victories," Lamott offers a new message of hope that celebrates the triumph of light over the darkness in our lives. Our victories over hardship and pain may seem small, she writes, but they change us--our perceptions, our perspectives, and our lives. Lamott writes of forgiveness, restoration, and transformation, how we can turn toward love even in the most hopeless situations, how we find the joy in getting lost and our amazement in finally being found.
Profound and hilarious, honest and unexpected, the stories in "Small Victories "are proof that the human spirit is irrepressible.

Jan Johnson guides you through 61 carefully chosen selections from renowned author Dallas Willard's best selling book, Renovation of the Heart . With each selection, you'll progress through Dr. Willard's plan for renovating the complete person.
Each provocative reflection includes a thoughtful, meaty selection by Dallas Willard along with Jan's illuminating personal stories, plus suggestions for making the concepts come alive in your own experience.

Renowned pastor and New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet Timothy Keller explores the power of prayer. Christians are taught in their churches and schools that prayer is the most powerful way to experience God. But few receive instruction or guidance in how to make prayer genuinely meaningful. In Prayer, renowned pastor Timothy Keller delves into the many facets of this everyday act. With his trademark insights and energy, Keller offers biblical guidance as well as specific prayers for certain situations, such as dealing with grief, loss, love, and forgiveness. He discusses ways to make prayers more personal and powerful, and how to establish a practice of prayer that works for each reader. Dr. Keller's previous books have sold more than one million copies. His Redeemer Presbyterian Church is not only a major presence in his home base of New York, it has also helped to launch more than two hundred fifty other churches in forty-eight cities around the world. His teachings have already helped millions, the majority of whom pray regularly. And with Prayer, he'll show them how to find a deeper connection with God.

Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." That's the offer of Christianity, from God himself. Jesus touched people, and they changed: the blind had sight, the lame walked, the deaf heard, the dead were raised. To be touched by God, in other words, is to be restored, to be made all God means us to be. That is what Christianity promises to do?make us whole, set us free, and bring us fully alive. In this revised and updated study guide, bestselling author John Eldredge takes you deeper into the secret of finding that life, identifying the battle over your heart, and embracing all God has in store for you. Packed with questions, stories, and discussion topics, this study guide features: The Big Ideas: The eye-opening central truths of each chapter Mythic Parables: Classic stories from Scripture as well as fairy tales, old and new Heart Monitors: Barometers for evaluating your feelings, struggles, and passions Leader's Guide: A new leader's guide to help you guide groups through the material No matter what you've known so far, an abundant and glorious new life is waiting for you-if you open the eyes of your heart and see.

An investigation into the underpinnings and superstructures of the Pagan world view Pagan religions have tended to be more concerned with practice that with theory and in a system that has no dogma - no legislated doctrine - that is as it should be. Yet as the movement grows and matures, it is inevitable that we will begin to think in a more abstract way about our models and systems. John Michael Greer has provided a primer on the kinds of ideas and themes that must be included in any discussion of the theology and philosophy of Neo-pagan religions.  Much of the book takes shape in a dialogue with existing ideas in theology, philosophy, and comparative religion. It looks to find a middle ground between too much and too little reference to the work of other scholars to find a comprehensible yet intellectually rigorous middle ground. It aims to be part of a conversation, that stretches out over the centuries.  Voices of polytheist spirituality have had little place in that conversation for many years, but much of value has been said in their absence. The rebirth of polytheism as a living religious tradition in the Western world will inevitably force a reassessment of much of that heritage, and pose challenges to some of its most cherished assumptions.  Yet reassessment is not necessarily rejection, and the traditions of modern polytheism are deeply enough indebted to legacies from the past that an attentive ear to earlier phases of the conversation is not out of place.

Are we living through a 'spiritual revolution' in which traditional forms of religion are giving way to new forms of spirituality? Are yoga, reiki and other forms of holistic practice set to become more popular than churchgoing?

This book addresses these questions by presenting findings from a major research project designed to chart the state of religion and spirituality today. Though it finds little to support more extreme claims of change, it discovers that spiritualities which engage with the depths of personal experience are faring far better than religions that demand conformity to higher truth. These developments are explained by drawing attention to the significance of a 'subjective turn' in the wider culture - whereby conformity to external obligations becomes less important than sensitivity to inner life and wellbeing.

The Ultimate Human Experience

The interaction between mankind and spiritual beings -- of Divine Encounters -- as recorded inscriptures and ancient texts provides a powerful drama that spans Heaven and Earth, involving worship and devotion, eternity and mortality, love and sex, jealousy and murder. But how much of these are based on real happenings and how much is based on myth?

With a visionary's ardor and a scientist's attention to detail, Zecharia Sitchin, author ofThe Earth Chronicles, gives a stunning account of human interaction with celestial travelers. He also provides further proof that prophetic dreams,visions, UFO encounters, and other extraordinary phenomena are indeed the hallmark of intervention by intergalactic emissaries who reach out from other realms to enlighten, guide, punish, and comfort us in times of need. Sitchin's research and theories, illustrated with maps and charts, chronicle a magnificent and inspiring journey through history, from the dawn of time to the approach of the millennium.

Does that sound impossible? In "Organizing for the Spirit," organizing expert Sunny Schlenger demonstrates how the "stuff" of our lives--the objects that fill our homes and offices, as well as how we manage our time (whether we are productive or procrastinating)--offers clues to what we really value in life. With simple and practical exercises, Sunny guides you through a step-by-step process to take stock of your life, clearly identify what "really" matters, and then use that clarity about values and priorities as a guide to organize both your physical environment and your time. The result is a life of meaning and harmony--in the office, the studio, the home, and beyond. "Organizing for the Spirit" is nothing less than a revolutionary guidebook for creating the life you were meant to live.

This text explores spirituality and its relationship to mental health. It emphasizes the need to look inward and listen to the messages which are channelled through our beings, rather than dismiss these experiences as some form of "disorder."

Part One considers spirituality as a reflection of the process of change. A brief overview of the contemporary history of spiritual inquiry in the field of mental health is provided.

Part Two considers spirituality as a reflection of the process of meaning making.

Part Three considers spirituality in terms of different forms of journey, including a consideration of the traditional concept of pilgrimage. Part Four considers the potential for healing that lies within even the most terrifying forms of madness. The book then concludes with a suggestion of the power of "waiting" and the rewards obtained by the careful, compassionate practice of life.

Jinger Vuolo did not have what you'd call a typical childhood. The sixth child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's nineteen, she grew up with the bright lights of television crews in her home, filming the hit TLC show 19 Kids and Counting. Jinger has always been a fan favorite, and now she and her husband Jeremy are the breakout stars of the show's sequel, Counting On.

In The Hope We Hold, Jeremy and Jinger Vuolo share the highs and lows of their love story. They open up about the early days of getting to know one another, their long-distance relationship, and the many sleepless nights of their time as new parents. But throughout all their stories, just below the surface, weaving together every triumph and trial of their lives, is the silver thread of hope.

Though they don't pretend to have all the answers, they can promise that there is hope in Christ for every person in every walk of life. There is an inheritance of glory, a life richer than we can imagine, if we only walk with Him.

This book calls for an expanded vision of holistic education that emphasizes togetherness and harmony through the discovery of oneself, others, and the larger society. It brings together teachers’ voices, experiences, and practices for such an education with Southern Knowledge, philosophy and ideologies proposed by Indian philosophers and spiritual leaders like Aurobindo, the Dalai Lama, Gandhi, Krishnamurti, and Tagore. The book reconceptualizes and extends UNESCO's "Learning To Live Together" to emphasize "Learning to Live Together Harmoniously" (LTLTH) and develops a novel conceptual framework for it. The book also explores how LTLTH can be translated into practice; calling for a continuum of harmonious lived experiences created through experiential and project based pedagogy, systems and processes for autonomy and autonomous behaviour regulation, empathetic teacher student relations, schoolwide ethos of harmonious living, and teachers’ ways of living and being.

"Darkness will not last forever. Together we can climb toward the light. They were as troubled as we, our ancestors, those who came before us, and all for the very same reasons: fear of illness, a broken heart, fights in the family, the threat of another war. Corrupt politicians walked their stage, and natural disasters appeared without warning. And yet they came through, carrying us within them, through the grief and struggle, through the personal pain and the public chaos, finding their way with love and faith, not giving in to despair but walking upright until their last step was taken. My culture does not honor the ancestors as a quaint spirituality of the past but as a living source of strength for the present. They did it and so will we. In the same voice that has comforted and challenged countless readers through his daily social media posts, Choctaw elder and Episcopal priest Steven Charleston offers words of hard-won hope, rooted in daily conversations with the Spirit and steeped in indigenous wisdom. Every day Charleston spends time in prayer. Every day he writes down what he hears from the Spirit. In Ladder to the Light he shares what he has heard with the rest of us and adds thoughtful reflection to help guide us to the light. Native America knows something about cultivating resilience and resisting darkness. For all who yearn for hope, Ladder to the Light is a book of comfort, truth, and challenge in a time of anguish and fear."