"The apocalyptic dimension of Hitler and his exterminatory project has often been noted but never developed with the completeness and sophistication of David Redles. This brilliant book will enlighten, surprise, and awaken. It is a story, unfortunately, of continuing relevance for the contemporary world as it grapples with the new terrorism."
--Charles B. Strozier, author of "Apocalypse: On the Psychology of Fundamentalism in America"

"David Redles has tackled one of the most sensitive subjects in millennial studies--the Nazis. He has done an extraordinarily careful and brilliant analysis of the archival material to reveal Hitler's messianic charisma, his appeal both on the ideological and psychological level, illustrating that if you can convince people that they live in apocalyptic times and you have the key to their collective salvation, you can get them to do anything. Given that we live in times that lend themselves to such interpretations, we had best understand the apocalyptic dynamics of reactionary modernism."
--Richard Landes, Director, Center for Millennial Studies, Department of History, Boston University

After World War I, German citizens sought not merely relief from the political, economic, social, and cultural upheaval which wracked Weimar Germany, but also mental salvation. With promises of order, prosperity, and community, Adolph Hitler fulfilled a profoundly spiritual need on behalf of those who converted to Nazism, and thus became not only Fuhrer, but Messiah contends David Redles, who believes that millenarian sentiment was central to the rise of Nazism.

As opposed to many works which depersonalize Nazism by focusing on institutional factors, Redles offers a fresh view of the impact and potential for millenarian movements. The writings of both major and minor Nazi party figures, in which there echoes a striking religiosity and salvational faith, reveal how receptive Germans were to the notion of a millennial Reich such as that offered by Hitler. Redles illustrates how Hitler's apocalyptic prophecies of a coming "final battle" with the so-called "Jewish-Bolsheviks," one that was conceived to be a "war of annihilation," was transformed into an equally eschatological "Final Solution."

What did I do to deserve cancer? I don't understand it, but I can't seem to pray anymore. Why does God seem so far away? The idea of dying scares me. How can I cope? What do you say to a person in crisis? When illness or tragedy strikes, you may find yourself caring for a family member, friend or neighbor who asks you for answers to some of life's ultimate questions. How can you meet these deep spiritual needs? This personal and practical book deals with the difficult issues and sensitive situations that caregivers often confront. Judy Shelly explains how to offer spiritual support to those facing suffering, illness or other crises. Shelly considers a variety of suggestions caregivers can put into action, including Christian community, compassionate presence, prayer, Scripture, books, touch and music. In addition, she explains and evaluates alternative therapies that have become popular in the health care and counseling fields. And finally, she reminds caregivers of the need to care for themselves, offering suggestions for finding rest, advice and encouragement. Spiritual Care: A Guide for Caregivers is a classic resource book that is now completely rewritten for all caregivers (not just medical professionals and pastors). Here is the guide that will help you meet the spiritual needs of those you love with grace, skill and genuine hope.

This book explores the roadblocks that keep us from hearing God's healing word and sets forth a road map for conducting listening prayer. Payne gives helpful instructions on how to begin a prayer journal. This book is intended to be practical and easy to use and will show readers how they can experience a fuller, more meaningful prayer life by learning how to listen to God.

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.

The mind contains the seeds of its own awakening-seeds that we can cultivate to bring forth the fruits of a life lived consciously. With Mindfulness, Joseph Goldstein shares the wisdom of his four decades of teaching and practice in a book that will serve as a lifelong companion for anyone committed to mindful living and the realization of inner freedom. Goldstein's source teaching is the Satipa??hana Sutta, the Buddha's legendary discourse on the four foundations of mindfulness that became the basis for the many types of Vipassana (or insight meditation) found today. Exquisite in detail yet wholly accessible and relevant for the modern student, Mindfulness takes us through a profound study of: * Mindfulness of body, including the breath, postures, activities, and physical characteristics * Mindfulness of feelings-how the experience of our sense perceptions influences our inner and outer worlds * Mindfulness of mind-learning to recognize skillful and unskillful states of mind and thought * Mindfulness of dhammas (or categories of experience), including the Five Hindrances, the Six Sense Spheres, and the Seven Factors of Awakening "There is a wealth of meaning and nuance in the experience of mindfulness that can enrich our lives in unimagined ways," writes Goldstein. In Mindfulness you have the tools to mine these riches for yourself.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.