Living Theurgy is a masterpiece combining scholarly excellence with lucid practicality. Theurgy ('god-working') is a combination of ritual mystical practices interwoven with philosophy and theology. It was developed by Iamblichus and other Neoplatonists inspired by the works of philosophers including Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras, and Julian the Chaldean. Author and scholar Jeffrey Kupperman elucidates and makes accessible the core ideologies and practices of Theurgy, which evolved through more than 1000 years of Platonic philosophy and cultural transformations. Kupperman guides the reader through the contemplative and theurgical practices used by the Neoplatonists to create effective spiritual transformation in the practitioner. Philosophia (Philosophy) as the foundation of Theurgy is explored through techniques such as lectio divina ('divine reading') contemplation and visualisation. It focuses on discussion of key concepts including virtue, wisdom, bravery, temperance, justice, evil, political philosophy, beauty and love. Theologia (Theology) considers the One, also known as the Good, which is the source of all, through the spectrum of monotheism, polytheism and panentheism. It also explores different views regarding the nature and functions of the Demiurge, angels and daimons, and the human soul, and the practices of Theurgy, including the use of hymns and prayers. Theourgia (Theurgy) focuses on the practices, from purification and the use of signs, symbols and tokens to talismancy and the ensouling of eikons (divine images). The work concludes with a complete guide to the Invocation of the Personal Daimon, an essential step in the theurgic process of purification and illumination in seeking the Divine. Living Theurgy is a literary psychopomp for practitioners seeking effective methods of developing their knowledge and relationship with the divine through Neoplatonic praxis. It is essential reading for all those interested in traditional forms of magical, philosophical, and religious practice, and the history of the western mysteries. "Philosophy is purifying, religion illuminating, but theurgy is uplifting." Introduction, Jeffrey Kupperman

My book is an inspirational and challenge to others to want to know God on a personal basis. This is my testimony of how God is working miracles in my life. All my life I have been trying to do things on my own. But when I realized that I could not make, i had to find another source. When i accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior my life change. I begin to focus on the positives of life. Trusting in God is what makes our lives complete

Richard Trudeau writes, I'm a skeptic. I don't believe in supernatural beings or miraculous events. I don't believe in a supernatural God, or the soul, or miracles, or an afterlife. I don't believe that Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day--or the fourth day, or any subsequent day. My skepticism notwithstanding, there are stories in the Bible that I return to over and over. They engage my mind. They strengthen my heart. They nourish my spirit. While seeking neither to encourage skepticism nor to undermine it, I want to share my enthusiasm about these stories with fellow skeptics and others who might find my point of view interesting. I believe that for Christianity to flourish--and to a lesser extent, for Judaism to flourish--they need to be separated from the perceived necessity of belief in the supernatural. This book shows by a series of examples how this separation can be carried out.

Through the centuries, many wars have been waged in the name of religion. Today, there are currently some 26 conflicts in the world, in which religion plays a major role. Two Faces of God explores the four pillars of religion; theology, ritual, dogma and social consciousness, in an effort to determine the real cause of religious conflicts. Taking a closer look at these last two pillars, Two Faces of God concludes that religious dogma, and in particular the literal interpretation of the Scriptures, regardless of faith, is not only the cause of much of the current strife around the world, it is also the major focus of the world's media. Dogma breeds intolerance, mistrust, hatred, anger and violence and this is the first Face of God. However, it is social consciousness that is at the heart of most religions; offering comfort, hope, inspiration, solace and assistance to the less fortunate people of the world. This is the second Face of God.

The book is designed to assist the believer with removing excuses out of their lives so they can continue to progress. It is essential for every person to understand that they can live life to the fullest without relying on excuses. Every person on the planet faces issues and struggles. It is important to remove the excuses in order to break the grips of the problem.

It is the objective of every functional, ministry-oriented church, to have leaders in place who are ready, willing, and able to direct new Christians and new members into ministry. That is always a beautiful thing, yet, there are many issues to be considered. Far too often, church leaders put people in ministry positions when: people are not certain where they should be working in ministry; people are still healing from emotional injury in their past which would affect their service in the position; people have not developed the proper attitude or temperament for the position; people are not willing to make the necessary sacrifice to be effective in the ministry position; people do not have the necessary experience for the particular ministry position; people do not want to be in the position. The results of a poor ministry placement is that, over time, church leaders become frustrated, the church worker becomes frustrated and church members receiving the ministry services become frustrated. As a result, the work does not get accomplished with maximum effectiveness, and the entire experience leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth. As church leaders, we are certain to increase the chances of making a successful ministry placement by putting the right person, with the right skills set and temperament, in the right place, at the right time. "So You Want To Be A Mentor...Here's What You Should Be Asking Yourself" is the title of Chapter Four in this book. In this chapter, I've attempted to bring clarity to the essential role of mentoring. In this chapter I share, "No one arrives at the place they are in life without the influence of someone else, especially if they are blessed with success." That principle is true with positive or negative influences. Note the powerful principle in the final point of this chapter, "Be Sympathetic to the Growing Process" 10). Be Sympathetic to the Growing Process - Your protege will drop the ball and make mistakes. You can co"

Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins give voice to the aspirations of hundreds of millions of atheists and secular humanists around the world. The duo are the most influential activists for a generation, energizing secular humanists and non-believers through their landmark and best selling books The God Delusion (2006) by Dawkins and Hitchens God is Not Great, How Religion Poisons Everything (2007). Promoting rational principles and common sense logic, Hitchens and Dawkins argue for the advancement of reason, science and secularism over blind obedience to religious dogma and worn out, stagnant mythologies. In Religion Free, Keith Howard assembles an anthology of the two intellectuals very finest thoughts selected from their essays, debates, lectures, and media interviews, supplemented with correlated news stories and excerpts from other prominent atheists and activists. The result is a comprehensive collection of the most compelling opinions and ideas of the modern day humanist and religion free communities.

There are indeed things that go bump in the night...and it is usually me stubbing my toe on the door frame as I go to the bathroom at 3:00 A.M. The world on which we live, and ultimately the universe, is full of natural wonders and mysteries, and most of them make little or no sense when you look at them with a little bit of critical and rational thinking. Through the ages, we have assigned supernatural qualities to so many aspects of our world that too many people cannot tell fact from fiction. When you look at mysteries and phenomena from an anti-theistic standpoint, a whole new way at looking at them arises, or is that old superstitions and senseless stories seem to melt away leaving nothing behind because they had no true substance in the first place? This is not a book about religion, rather how religion has shaped our views on what we deem to be the supernatural, and what happens to those views when religion is subtracted from the equation. Ghosts, gods, alien visitations, vampires, werewolves, powers of the mind, magic, and strange creatures are just some of the topics covered in this short, to-the-point book dealing with what we humans deem "mysteries." Meant to be a quick, fun, and thought-provoking read, Explaining the Unexplainable may or may not change your mind, but it will make you think.

Remember when religion was fun? (Neither do I) This book dares to make religion fun again by taking you on a funny trip from Biblical times to the present tackling such controversial topics as God, Jesus, the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, suicide bombers, the Bible, evolution, gay marriage, abortion, and life after death. Since religion isn't so fun anymore, more people than ever are becoming atheists. The New Atheist movement has many people deluded about God, even though many still think God is great. This movement is waging war on Christianity and wants religion abolished in the modern world. They think that religion has brought far more harm than good to the world, and enslaves people to irrational thinking. Are they right? Refuting atheism and defending Christianity are no easy tasks. This book attempts to prove God's existence by showing how God revealed Himself to the world. First, He revealed Himself to the Jews and got them out of more than a few jams. Then, He became a man named Jesus and walked the Earth in sandals. Next, the Catholic Church came along and said it had all the answers, until Protestants came along and said the same thing. Of course, much fighting ensued, but maybe the world was better for it. Understanding and obeying God are no easy tasks. Today, we are living in the post-Christian era. Entertainment is America's new religion and promotes a secular agenda. Have you noticed that pop culture is nothing but a brainwash for accepting immorality? Probably not, since every movie you see and every song you hear seems to subtly treat sex and violence like they are life's highest virtues. Entertainment wants to win over the youth, so they can forget God as early as possible. Is going to church nearly as fun as today's entertainment? Now that you're a follower of God, is He done with you? Absolutely not, He wants you to be with Him forever He has plans to defeat the Devil once and for all, and rapture all Christians up to Heaven Jesu

The colorfully illustrated story of a boy, named Gilly, who starts asking too many questions in Sunday School and is brought before the congregation to explain himself. He upsets his parents, the pastor and everyone else by openly questioning the existence of God.

"To those searching for truth -- not the truth of dogma and darkness but the truth brought by reason, search, examination, and inquiry, discipline is required. For faith, as well intentioned as it may be, must be built on facts, not fiction -- faith in fiction is a damnable false hope." Thomas Edison Your refill is ready. The medicine is the Bitter Pill of Truth. Are you ready and willing to take it? This next installment of the Bitter Truth series is another dose of strong medicine for the believer and non-believer alike. Whether you are strong in your faith and want to see what new arguments are being brought forth, or if you are insecure and are having doubts about your Judeo-Christian faith, and even if you are among the heathen, heretical, and soulless lot that is without faith-like myself-part two of the Bitter Pill series is for you. Many books about faith, or the lack thereof, never take a good, hard look at God. Those that favor God are biased, but can you blame them? Those that discount God, or criticize Him...well, some are great and insightful works, but many pull punches. I do not. This book will entertain a slew of new and thought-provoking ways to study the character of God. Is God the kind, compassionate creator that His faithful present to the world, or is He something else? Is God on our side and does He have our best interests at heart, or is He the vain, jealous Lord and Master He proclaims Himself to be? If one is to truly examine the character and steadfastness of God, one must not wear kid gloves, and one must be able to dissect not just what is in the holy texts and dogma of the Judeo-Christian faith, but also one must look at history and the world all around us-nay, the universe. Get your glass of water, make sure your skin is nice and thick if you must, and get ready to delve into a character study of the Almighty as you have not seen before. The truth hurts...are you sure you want it?

Our world today is increasingly characterized by speed, movement and flux. There is often a lack of sufficient time to do 'what needs to be done', and life seems to be marked by change, upheaval and revolution. But in the midst of this turmoil, say the authors, people are having conscious and semiconscious experiences of the etheric world - the world that comprises the forces of life. However, this growing sensitivity to the etheric realm only intensifies experiences of movement and upheaval. To counter such feelings, we should take hold of our inner life and strengthen the 'I' - our true self. Featuring essays supplemented with a substantial amount of source material from Rudolf Steiner and other authors, this book is an invaluable resource for inner development and the beginnings of true spiritual vision. We learn to practise the ability to add to every physical perception - whether of stone, plant, animal or another person - the etheric reality associated with that entity. This process leads us to become more aware of the 'after-image' and to become conscious within the etheric realm. Baruch Urieli comments that this 'is not an esoteric path but is, rather, an endeavour to bring the beginnings of a natural consciousness of the etheric to full consciousness and, hence, under the rulership of the ego'.

2013 Reprint of 1925 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. "The Hermetic Marriage" explains certain alchemical symbols in the nature of all things. Taking the chemistry of human relationships as the basis, this essay describes the true preparation of a Philosopher's Stone and Elixir of Life, according to the fundamentals laid down by Hermes and the ancient Egyptian priest craft. Manly P. Hall (1901-1990) founded the Philosophical Research Society in 1934, a non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination of useful knowledge in the fields of philosophy, comparative religion and psychology. In his long career, spanning more than 70 years of dynamic public activity, Mr. Hall delivered over 8000 lectures in the United States and abroad, authored over 150 books and essays, and wrote countless magazine articles.

Have you ever searched for a scripture when you, or someone you knew, were in need of healing, protection, or financial provision? For over seventeen years, Jacqueline Mortenson volunteered at a scriptural prayer line at her church. She received daily telephone calls and prayer requests from parishioners and others who knew about the line, and she or one of the core group would find the right scripture to meet each request. The following morning, forty-plus prayer line members would pray these scriptures for the people who had called for them. Realizing that a simple handbook of scriptures for specific needs, particularly for Catholics, would be useful, Jacqueline spent the next few years gathering and categorizing scriptures to address particular concerns. Using the Sword of the Spirit is the result of this work. Whatever your own needs might be, God's Word has the answer-and this little book will help you find it

"The Heathen's Guide to Christmas: A Field Manual for the War on Christmas" brings you the real 'reason for the season'. From the Virgin Birth to boughs of Holly; Christmas lights to Santa's evil origins, 'The Heathen's Guide to Christmas presents the actual, historical origins of this supposed Christian holiday, all in a hilarious and convenient reference format that makes ruining Christmas as easy as mincemeat pie. This is the book you want in-hand when family and friends try to get you into the 'Christmas Spirit'.

The remarkable discussions in this volume took place between Rudolf Steiner and workers at the Goetheanum, Switzerland. The varied subject-matter was chosen by his audience at Rudolf Steiner's instigation. Steiner took their questions and usually gave immediate answers. The astonishing nature of these responses - their insight, knowledge and spiritual depth - is testimony to his outstanding ability as a spiritual initiate and profound thinker. Accessible, entertaining and stimulating, the records of these sessions will be a delight to anybody with an open mind. In this particular collection, Rudolf Steiner deals with topics ranging from limestone to Lucifer! He discusses, among other things, technology; the living earth; natural healing powers; colour and sickness; rainbows; whooping cough and pleurisy; seances; sleep and sleeplessness; dreams; reincarnation; life after death; the physical, ether and astral bodies and the 'I'; the two Jesus children; Ahriman and Lucifer; the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ; Dante and Copernicus.

Freethinkers Directory is a listing of groups, organizations, stores, newspapers, magazines, publishers, blogs, podcasts, family services and more for atheists, agnostics, rationalists, naturalists, humanists and all freethinkers from around the world. Table of Contents Darwin Day ...12 Stores that sell products ...15 Businesses that sponsor groups and organizations ...17 Marriage and Family Services ...20 Radio broadcasts/podcasts/TV shows ...21 Newspapers and Magazines ...25 Blogs and Forums...28 Publishers ...30 Online Resources dating, celebrities, info] ...32 Groups and Organizations ...34 - USA - National ...34 - USA - Local ...45 - USA - College, University & High School(SSA) ...130 - Afganistan ...243 - Argentina ...244 - Australia ...245 - Austria ...248 - Belgium ...249 - Brazil ...251 - Cameroon ...252 - Canada ...253 - Columbia ...258 - Cuba ...259 - Denmark ...260 - Finland ...261 - France ...262 - Gambia ...264 - Germany ...265 - Iceland ...267 - India ...268 - Indonesia ...269 - Ireland ...270 - Israel ...271 - Italy ...272 - Kenya ...273 - Luxembourg ...274 - Malawi ...275 - Mexico ...276 - Nepal ...277 - Netherlands ...278 - New Zealand ...280 - Nigeria ...281 - Norway ...282 - Pakistan ...283 - Peru ...284 - Philippines ...285 - Poland ...286 - Portugal ...287 - Russia ...288 - Scotland ...289 - Slovakia ...290 - South Africa ...291 - Spain ...292 - Sweden ...293 - Tanzania ...294 - Turkey ...295 - Uganda ...296 - United Kingdom ...297

If suddenly you find yourself traveling down a long tunnel towards a soothing, ethereal light and you see Grandma waving to you from a distant garden with harp music in the background, relax. You're not dead. When you die, you'll know it. Death isn't going to sleep. Death is waking up. It is actually like being startled awake. There is no afterlife. There is merely life. What comes after the biology is magic.

A Secular Humanist's tour de force, Don Libey's second novel offers Christian believers rare insight into the true fallacy of God's Church and a Life in the Lord. Set in Small Town, America, it is the story of how people of blind faith plant their seed, nurture their beliefs, and harvest their rewards with their unquestioning reliance on the mythical divine and revealed Word of God and the moral rectitude and disaster of Christian teaching. For those for whom "Jesus is enough" this is a story that reveals the "old-timey Gospel" as essentially hypocrisy and a simple life with God on your heart as the primary ingredient for the church to make money and keep its "believers" enslaved.

Why am I an agnostic? Because I don't believe some of the things that other people say they believe. Where do you get your religion, anyway? I won't bother to discuss just what religion is, but I think a fair definition of religion could take account of two things, at least, immortality and God, and that both of them are based on some book, so practically all of it is a book. As I have neither the time nor the learning to discuss every religious book on earth, and as I live in Chicago, I am interested in the Christian religion. So I will discuss the book that deals with the Christian religion. Is the Bible the work of anything but man? Of course, there is no such book as the Bible. The Bible to made up of 66 books, some of them written by various authors at various times, covering a period of about 1,000 years -- all the literature that they could find over a period longer than the time that has elapsed since the discovery of America down to the present time. Is the Bible anything but a human book? Of course those who are believers take both sides of it. If there is anything that troubles them, "We don't believe this." Anything that doesn't trouble them they do believe.

Infinity and God have been close bedfellows over the recent millennia of human thought. But this is James A. Lindsay's point. These two ideas are thought, mere concepts. Lindsay shows in a concise and readable manner that infinity is an abstraction, and shows that, in all likelihood, so is God, particularly if he has infinite properties. This book is about math. It is about God. It is about stressing the importance of not confusing these two ideas with reality. Never the twain shall meet. "A short and engaging read on the meeting of two huge ideas, infinity and God, that leaves us seeing both as abstract ideas that may have nothing to do with reality. Honest and accessible, Dot, Dot, Dot is a great little book to stretch your thinking." - Peter Boghossian, author of A Manual for Creating Atheists "Timely, important and very readable, this book pulls the rug from under theists' feet." - Jonathan MS Pearce, The Little Book of Unholy Questions "Read this to avoid making any more cardinal sins and learn how much math is an amazing human endeavor." - Aaron Adair, PhD, The Star of Bethlehem: A Skeptical View