Ron Geaves demonstrates how the convergence of Prem Rawat, formerly known as Guru Maharaj Ji, and Glastonbury Fayre in 1971 was a key event in understanding the jigsaw that came to be known as 'New Age' spirituality. The book charts the discovery of Prem Rawat in India in 1969 by a small number of British and North American 'hippies', and explores how his arrival in Britain in June 1971, as well as his speech from the pyramid stage at the Fayre at just 13 years old, escalated his activities to make him one of the key influencers of 1970s counterculture spirituality. Both Glastonbury and Prem Rawat have gone on to re-emerge in significantly different identities to the ones presented in 1971. The meeting between the two demonstrates how alternative spiritualities were being formed in the 1960s and how some strands went on to develop into the 'New Age' counterculture that eventually permeated mainstream cultures in Britain and the USA.

In the era of globalization, change is the order of the day, but the conventional view of the Arab Middle East is that of a rigid and even stagnant region. This book counters the static perception and focuses instead on regional dynamics. The international team of contributors evaluate the development of Arab civil society; examine the opportunities and challenges facing the Arab media; link the debates concerning Arab political thought to the evolving regional and international context; look at the transformation of armed Islamist movements into deradicalized factions; assess how and to what extent women's empowerment is breaking down patriarchy; and analyze the rise of non-state actors such as Hizbollah and Hamas that rival central political authority.

Filled with wit, humour, and clear metaphor, this exploration into atheism is written specifically for young adults, though any adult interested in learning more about atheism will find value within. Not just focused on atheism, this crash course in logical thinking addresses the issues of indoctrination, whether it be religious, political, or commercial, and makes the case that morality is created through reasoning and logic, not through divine communication. Many hot topics are touched upon, such as traditional arguments for God's existence, the relationship of evolution and religious belief, the incompatible nature of science and religion, and the harmfulness of both Christianity and Islam.

If ultimately there is only one reality, then neither religion nor science can be fulfilled until they come together on a higher plane. In this second volume of his authoritative, anthroposophical commentary on the Bible, Edward Reaugh Smith shows that there is no difference between true science and the divine intelligence sought by true religion. The model for such a union of science and religion is the spiritual science developed by Rudolf Steiner. In this union, the things the senses show us about the physical world, though keenly observed and allowed to speak for themselves instead of being abstracted into theories, are seen to be images of the spiritual world: "As above, so below".

Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the Bible, Smith shows that anthroposophy provides unique insights about the biblical account. The heart of this volume is in the essays "Fire" (where Earth and Heaven meet), "Light" (first form of corporeality from which all else follows), "Blood" (meeting point of inner and outer worlds), and "What Is Man" (how beings of the higher worlds form the earthly vehicle for the human being).

Let's be honest - nobody has more fun than atheists. Don't believe it? Well, consider this: For non-believers, every day you're alive is a day to celebrate! And no one celebrates life to the fullest like Penn Jillette - the larger, louder half of legendary magic duo Penn & Teller - whose spectacularly witty and sharply observant essays in Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday! will entertain zealots and skeptics alike. Whether he's contemplating the possibility of life after death, deconstructing popular Christmas carols, or just calling bullsh*t on Donald Trump's apprentice training, Jillette does not fail to shock and delight his readers. And as ever, underneath these rollicking rants lie a deeply personal philosophy and a generous spirit, which find joy and meaning in family, and peace in the simple beauty of the everyday. Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday! is a hysterical affirmation of life's magic from one of the most distinctly perceptive and provocative humorists writing today.

In his first major book since the phenomenal bestseller The Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav reveals a revolutionary new path for spiritual growth. A great transformation is taking place. We are evolving beyond the limits of our five senses and increasingly able to access data that we could not previously detect. A new and surprising world is emerging, around us and within us. If we choose to realize its potential, we will forever alter our experiences of ourselves, our relationships and our surroundings. Gary Zukav explains how a powerful new dynamic is at play in human relationships. By focusing attention on the interior rather than the outer causes of suffering or joy, we can reach our full potential and generate authentic power, co-creating rewarding partnerships of substance and depth for the purposes of our mutual spiritual growth. Filled with fascinating examples as well as practical guidance, this remarkable book is the roadmap to profound change, pointing towards a fulfi lling, joyful way of life for us all.

In The Persistence of the Sacred in Modern Thought, Chris L. Firestone, Nathan A. Jacobs, and thirteen other contributors examine the role of God in the thought of major European philosophers from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. The philosophers considered are, by and large, not orthodox theists; they are highly influential freethinkers, emancipated by an age no longer tethered to the authority of church and state. While acknowledging this fact, the contributors are united in arguing that this is only one side of a complex story. To redress the imbalance of attention to secularism among crucial modern thinkers and to consolidate a more theologically informed view of modernity, they focus on the centrality of the sacred (theology and God) in the thought of these philosophers. The essays, each in its own way, argue that the major figures in modernity are theologically astute, bent not on removing God from philosophy but on putting faith and reason on a more sure footing in light of advancements in science and a perceived need to rethink the relationship between God and world. By highlighting and defending the theologically affirmative dimensions of thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, Gottfried Leibniz, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, F. W. J. Schelling, G. W. F. Hegel, and others, the essayists present a forceful and timely correction of widely accepted interpretations of these philosophers. To ignore or downplay the theological dimensions of the philosophical works they address, they argue, distorts our understanding of modern thought. Contributors: Nicholas Adams, Hubert Bost, Philip Clayton, John Cottingham, Yolanda Estes, Chris L. Firestone, Lee Hardy, Peter C. Hodgson, Nathan A. Jacobs, Jacqueline Marina, A. P. Martinich, Richard A. Muller, Myron B. Penner, Stephen D. Snobelen, Nicholas Wolterstorff.

This book comprises a series of occult precepts with commentaries and notes, while "Through the Gates of Gold" leads the aspirant onward along the path of mystical insight. The mysteries of human suffering, and the responsibilities of the individual for his own progress and for the advancement of the race as a whole, are described.

Theosophy is a key work for anyone seeking a solid grounding in spiritual reality as described by Rudolf Steiner. The book is organized in four parts. First, Steiner builds up a comprehensive understanding of human nature, beginning with the physical bodily nature and moving up through the soul nature to our spiritual being: the I and the higher spiritual aspects of our being.This then leads to the experience of the human being as a sevenfold interpenetrated being of body, soul, and spirit. In the next section Steiner gives an extraordinary overview of the laws of reincarnation and the workings of karma as we pass from one life to the next. This prepares us for the third section where Steiner shows the different ways in which we live, during this life on earth and after death, in the three worlds of body, soul, and spirit, as well as the ways in which these worlds in turn live into us.Finally, a succinct description is given of the path of knowledge by which each one of us can begin to understand the marvelous and harmonious complexity of the psycho-spiritual worlds in their fullness.

While traditional psychics receive mental impressions, empaths naturally have their emotional receptors turned on high. Empathy can give rise to profound healing, love, and spiritual and magickal progression or, if left uncontrolled, it can be a painful experience of emotional overload. Esoteric Empathy teaches readers the ins and outs of empathy and encourages self-awareness through meditation, rituals, and other magickal practices and exercises. This highly accessible book is essential for those whose emotions fuel their spirituality. Whether you experience empathy on a regular basis or simply want to know more about this fascinating topic, this book provides much-needed answers about the emotional abilities that are ushering our species into a new phase of conscious evolution.

Food, Festival and Religion explores how communities in northern Italy find a restorative sense of place through foodways, costuming and other forms of materiality. Festivals examined by the author vary geographically from the northern rural corners of Italy to the fashionable heart of urban Milan. The origins of these lived religious events range from Christian to vernacular Italian witchcraft and contemporary Paganism, which is rapidly growing in Italy. Francesca Ciancimino Howell demonstrates that during ritualized occasions the sacred is located within the mundane. She argues that communal feasting, pilgrimage, rituals and costumed events can represent forms of lived religious materiality. Building on the work of scholars including Foucault, Grimes and Ingold, Howell offers a theoretical "Scale of Engagement" which further tests the interfaces between and among the materialities of place, food, ritual and festivals and provides a widely-applicable model for analyzing grassroots events and community initiatives. Through extensive ethnographic research and fieldwork data, this book demonstrates that popular Italian festivals can be ritualized, liminal spaces, contributing greatly to the fields of religious, performance and ritual studies.

Religion and religious diversity now occupy a central place in several prominent debates in contemporary political theory, such as those concerning the meaning(s) and relevance of secularism, the place of religious reasons in political deliberation, and whether religious beliefs and practices deserve special treatment by laws and public institutions. That religion has once again become a divisive topic amongst political theorists is perhaps surprising, given the widespread consensus about such staples of liberal political morality as the separation of church and state and the principle of religious freedom. Featuring the work of both established and up-and-coming scholars, this collection will take stock of the recent turn towards religion in political theory, identify some of the major unresolved challenges and issues, and suggest new avenues for theoretical inquiry. Taken as a whole, the collection showcases some cutting-edge work by leading scholars of religion and political theory and demonstrates the vitality of religion and political theory as a research agenda.

Daoism is the oldest indigenous philosophic-spiritual tradition of China and one of the most ancient of the world’s spiritual structures. The name “Daoism” comes from the term dao that is often used for a “way” or a “road” through the field or woods to one’s village. It is also used of the “way” to do something, such as the way a master craftsman carves a candlestick, makes a bell, or even butchers an ox. But dao is also used as a nominative in the history of Daoism. It is used for the energizing process that permeates and animates all of reality and moves it along simply as “the Dao.” However, both text and practice in this tradition insist that dao itself cannot be described in words. Dao is not God in the sense of Western philosophy or religion. Daoism has no supreme being, even if there is an extensive grammar about numinal self-conscious entities and powers for which the Chinese use the word “spirit” (shen). For example, the highest numinal powers of Daoism are variously called Taishang Laojun (the deified Laozi), the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi tianzun), the Jade Emperor (Yuhuang Shangdi) or the Perfected Warrior (Zhenwu). But these are expressions of dao in specific shen, they are not identical with the Dao, except in the most unique case when Laozi, the putative founder of Daoism and author of its major work, Daodejing, is said to be one with the Dao. Historical Dictionary of Daoism contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 400 cross-referenced entries on related to the Chinese belief and practice worldview known as Daoism including dozens of Daoist terms, names, and practices. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Daoism.

In this controversial New York Times bestseller, Vincent Bugliosi, the fearless attorney who prosecuted Charles Manson, turns his critical eye on both religious believers and the atheists, indicting both camps for the intellectual shortcuts each takes to arrive at their conclusions. He argues lucidly and persuasively why agnosticism-and a healthy skepticism toward certainty of all kinds-is the most responsible position to take with regard to the existence of God. Divinity of Doubt sets a new course amid the explosion of bestselling books on religion, urging us to recognize the limits of what we know, and what we cannot know, about the ineffable mysteries of existence.