Another World is Possible: Spiritualities and Religions of Global Darker Peoples represents voices of darker skin peoples throughout the world. What they have in common is their mobilizing their own created religions and spiritualities to forge self-identities. Some claim direct links to centuries of indigenous spiritual practices which have survived relatively in tact despite the invasion of foreign religions. Others have appropriated externally introduced religions and greatly modified these belief systems by combining or syncretizing them with indigenous perspectives and practices. All authors indicate the celebration and positive utility of their communities' spiritualities and religions. Without them, not only would individuals have died, but entire cultures and contexts would have perished. Thus, religion and spirituality suggest survival and pragmatic purposes. From creation narratives to Trickster heroes and heroines, spirituality and religion incarnate meaning, as well as fashion meaning so that humans can make surviving and thriving sense of the ecology and all breathing realities. The gods, God, and ancestors give life to peoples and their cultures, ecologies, and economies, all in the service of aiding the human community to be more fully human as servants to what spiritualities and religions have facilitated on earth. This books speaks to the progressive role of spiritualities and religions for today. In that sense, it is a gift to the world from the darker skin peoples globally.

Focusing on the works of bishop Gregory of Tours (539-594) and the poet-hagiographer Venantius Fortunatus (540-c.604), in later life bishop of Poitiers, Dr de Nie gives in these innovative studies a new understanding of the miracle stories around which much of their writing revolves, but whose bizarre dynamics appear to defy sense, which has often resulted in their dismissal as useless to the historian. These authors' perceptions of miracles - and their renderings of the human self-awareness through which miracles are perceived and happen - are analysed as attempts, mostly rooted in models from the Bible, to adjust the early Christian tradition so as to make sense of, and protect themselves in, the highly insecure environment of 6th-century Frankish Gaul. Drawing on modern anthropological and psychological studies, notably in the area of spiritual healing practices, as well as on philosophical and theological reflections about verbal and mental imagery, she demonstrates how these can be used to throw fresh light on late antique society and its spirituality, exploring views of mind, affectivity, body, sensory phenomena, symbols, and the perception of women as well as of the qualities of images, verbal language and texts. The volume includes five essays not previously published in English.

Let’s face it: adulting isn’t easy. That’s why young-adult minister Nora Bradbury-Haehl created this essential guide to help you avoid the mistakes, missteps, and financial failures that took others years to learn. Each chapter includes practical, actionable advice that addresses the full range of life’s challenges, including how to:

• make a new city feel like home;
• find the right job for you―and thrive once you’ve landed it;
• ward off loneliness and build meaningful post-grad relationships;
• set boundaries and live in harmony with your roommates―whether they’re your peers or parents; and
• replace destructive habits with ones that make your life better.

Whether you’re seeking meaning and purpose in your life and career or just feeling stuck and confused about your next steps, within these pages you’ll find answers to your most pressing questions and advice, encouragement, and inspiration from others who want to help you through these challenging years―together.

The search for an adequate understanding of the New Age phenomenon is fraught with difficulties when examined within the perspectives of sociology of religion which have shed light on religion in modernity. New Agers cannot be located easily in the secularisation narrative; they move through fluid networks rather than settled collectivities; they assemble personal syncretisms of belief, myth and practice rather than subscribe to codified doctrines and prescribed rituals. New Age is quickly found to be a label that is unacceptable to many of those designated as New Agers. This book advances our understanding of the so-called New Age phenomenon by analysing accounts of insiders' religious experience and orientations. This approach is brought to bear not only on the study of written documents relating to New Age and its putative antecedents, but on the analysis of in-depth interviews with thirty-five spiritual actors.

David Adam has been captivated by the beauty, wonder and holiness of Lindisfarne since first glimpsing its fairytale castle from the train as a young boy. In this absorbing volume, he shows the island's human face, revealing how Lindisfarne and its people have responded to trial, tribulation and triumph in the course of a long and vibrant history. This tiny place witnessed one of the last stands of the 'British' Celtic peoples against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 6th century. It has been the home of saints and scholars, most notably St Aidan and St Cuthbert, and famously produced the medieval masterpiece known as the Lindisfarne Gospels. Less familiar to readers, perhaps, will be that the island experienced the first recorded Viking invasion in 793, and was involved in the 17th century Civil War and the 18th century Jacobite Rebellion. Today its ruined 11th century Priory and 16th century Castle - later redesigned by the great English architect Edwin Lutyens - draw pilgrims and visitors from all over the world. Wherever you walk on Lindisfarne, the past impinges on the present . . . In relating afresh many of the island's legends and stories, David Adam's lovely volume affords the reader a wonderful sense of all there is to discover, just beneath the surface.

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Thich Nhat Hanh, Susanna Heschel, mary Boys, Hasan Askari, Ravi Ravindra, and fifteen other leaders from five religions explore what Jesus means to them in their faith traditions and their personal faith experiences.

From devastating natural disasters to deadly highway accidents, tragedies occur every day around the world and in our own lives. As we face death, grief, loss, we become angry and our faith is tested as we ask, "Is God really in control?"Navigator author Jerry Bridges helps answer that question positively in this topical Bible study, offering comfort and hope by exploring the greater purposes and character of God.- Includes discussion questions- Can be used by men, women, and teens

In Thresholds Marcel Cobussen rethinks the relationship between music and spirituality. The point of departure is the current movement within contemporary classical music known as New Spiritual Music, with as its main representatives Arvo PArt, John Tavener, and Giya Kancheli. In almost all respects, the musical principles of the new spiritual music seem to be diametrically opposed to those of modernism: repetition and rest versus development and progress, tradition and familiarity versus innovation and experiment, communication versus individualism and conceptualism, tonality versus atonality, and so on. As such, this movement is often considered as part of the much larger complex called postmodernism. Joining in with ideas on spirituality as presented by Michel de Certeau and Mark C. Taylor, Cobussen deconstructs the classification of the 'spiritual dimensions' of music as described above. Thresholds presents an idea of spirituality in and through music that counters strategies of exclusion and mastering of alterity and connects it to wandering, erring, and roving. Using the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, Georges Bataille, Jean-FranAois Lyotard, Jacques Derrida and others, and analysing the music of John Coltrane, the mythical Sirens, Arvo PArt, and The Eagles (to mention a few), Cobussen regards spirituality as a (non)concept that escapes categorization, classification, and linguistic descriptions. Spirituality is a-topological, non-discursive and a manifestation of 'otherness'. And it is precisely music (or better: listening to music) that induces these thoughts: by carefully encountering, analysing, and evaluating certain examples from classical, jazz, pop and world music it is possible to detach spirituality from concepts of otherworldliness and transcendentalism. Thresholds opens a space in which spirituality can be connected to music that is not commonly considered in this light, thereby enriching the ways of approaching and discussing music. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to show that spirituality is not an attribute of music, not a simple adjective providing extra information or used to categorize certain types of music. Instead, the spiritual can happen through listening to music, in a more or less personalized relationship with it. This relationship might be characterized as susceptible instead of controlling, open instead of excluding, groping instead of rigid.

In Thresholds Marcel Cobussen rethinks the relationship between music and spirituality. The point of departure is the current movement within contemporary classical music known as New Spiritual Music, with as its main representatives Arvo PArt, John Tavener, and Giya Kancheli. In almost all respects, the musical principles of the new spiritual music seem to be diametrically opposed to those of modernism: repetition and rest versus development and progress, tradition and familiarity versus innovation and experiment, communication versus individualism and conceptualism, tonality versus atonality, and so on. As such, this movement is often considered as part of the much larger complex called postmodernism. Joining in with ideas on spirituality as presented by Michel de Certeau and Mark C. Taylor, Cobussen deconstructs the classification of the 'spiritual dimensions' of music as described above. Thresholds presents an idea of spirituality in and through music that counters strategies of exclusion and mastering of alterity and connects it to wandering, erring, and roving. Using the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, Georges Bataille, Jean-FranAois Lyotard, Jacques Derrida and others, and analysing the music of John Coltrane, the mythical Sirens, Arvo PArt, and The Eagles (to mention a few), Cobussen regards spirituality as a (non)concept that escapes categorization, classification, and linguistic descriptions. Spirituality is a-topological, non-discursive and a manifestation of 'otherness'. And it is precisely music (or better: listening to music) that induces these thoughts: by carefully encountering, analysing, and evaluating certain examples from classical, jazz, pop and world music it is possible to detach spirituality from concepts of otherworldliness and transcendentalism. Thresholds opens a space in which spirituality can be connected to music that is not commonly considered in this light, thereby enriching the ways of approaching and discussing music. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to show that spirituality is not an attribute of music, not a simple adjective providing extra information or used to categorize certain types of music. Instead, the spiritual can happen through listening to music, in a more or less personalized relationship with it. This relationship might be characterized as susceptible instead of controlling, open instead of excluding, groping instead of rigid.

Consciously claim your natural heritage which is your life through these photographs and sensitise yourself to this wonderful world and beautiful planet. This title is an award-winning finalist in the General Photography category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by "USA Book News".

Suddenly, in the twenty-first century, religion has become a political power. It affects us all, whether we re religious or not. If we re not in danger of being blown up by a suicide bomber we ve got leaders to whom God speaks, ordering them to start a war. We re beset by people who demand that we give ourselves to Jesus while they smugly assure us of their own superiority and inherent goodness. We re surrounded by those who noisily reject science while making full use of the benefits science brings; by the spiritual ones; the ones who believe in magic; and there s the militant atheists berating us all for our stupidity. We wouldn t object to what people believed if only they d keep it to themselves. We want to make up our own minds about what we believe, but it s difficult to do this. Everyone has to face the dilemma that we all die but no one knows for certain what death actually is. Is it the end of our identity or a doorway to another life? Whichever we choose, our choice is a fantasy that determines the purpose of our life. If death is the end of our identity, we have to make this life satisfactory, whatever satisfactory might mean to us. If it is a doorway to another life, what are the standards we have to reach to go to that better life? All religions promise to overcome death, but there s no set of religious or philosophical beliefs that ensures that our life is always happy and secure. Moreover, for many of us, what we were taught about a religion severely diminished our self-confidence and left us with a constant debilitating feeling of guilt and shame.

Through all this turmoil comes the calm, clear voice of eminent psychologist Dorothy Rowe. She separates the political from the personal, the power-seeking from the compassionate. She shows how, if we use our beliefs as a defence against our feelings of worthlessness, we feel compelled to force our beliefs on to other people by coercion or aggression. However, it is possible to create a set of beliefs, expressed in the religious or philosophical metaphors most meaningful to us, which allow us to live at peace with ourselves and other people, to feel strong in ourselves without having to remain a child forever dependent on some supernatural power, and to face life with courage and optimism.

Near death experiences fascinate everyone, from theologians to sociologists and neuroscientists. This groundbreaking book introduces the phenomenon of NDEs, their personal impact and the dominant scientific explanations. Taking a strikingly original cross-cultural approach and incorporating new medical research, it combines new theories of mind and body with contemporary research into how the brain functions. Ornella Corazza analyses dualist models of mind and body, discussing the main features of NDEs as reported by many people who have experienced them. She studies the use of ketamine to reveal how characteristics of NDEs can be chemically induced without being close to death. This evidence challenges the conventional 'survivalist hypothesis', according to which the near death experience is a proof of the existence of an afterlife. This remarkable book concludes that we need to move towards a more integrated view of embodiment, in order to understand what human life is and also what it can be. Ornella Corazza is a NDE researcher at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. In 2004-5 she was a Member of the 21st Century Centre of Excellence (COE) 'Program on the Construction of Death and Life Studies' at the University of Tokyo.

In the 1700s he dazzled the royal courts of Europe. His skill as an alchemist was praised by Louis XV, who provided him a laboratory and residence at the royal castle of Chambord. He formed secret societies and was a leading figure in the Rosicrucians, Freemasons and Knights Templar of the period. This delightful book reveals many key roles the master Saint Germain has played throughout history and today as the immortal sponsor of the Aquarian age. It also shares his priceless alchemical secrets for personal transformation.

This book compiles some of the finest writings of Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) - the nationalist, visionary, poet-philosopher. It reflects the range, depth and outreach of the moral, intellectual and spiritual vision of this versatile and multifaceted genius. It aims at providing, at one place, access to the key concepts, tenets, and the spirit of the extraordinary range of texts authored by him. Although concretely grounded in contemporary times - with its location in a specific socio-cultural matrix - this work projects a body of writings that is certain to have lasting value. In particular, the compilation brings forth Sri Aurobindo's social vision and his role as a cultural critic: his views on ethnicity, his exposition of the key role language plays in the formation of communitarian identities, his crucial understanding of self-determination which has incidentally become an important aspect of human rights discourse today. Situating the writings in a specific intellectual, spiritual and historical context, this collection will enable readers to appreciate the overall vision of Sri Aurobindo, in what can be conceived as a caravan of history of ideas in terms of a common heritage of humankind, and recent developments in theory and disciplinary practice, especially those pertaining to consciousness and future studies.

Title first published in 2003. Shamanism has a contradictory position within the Korean cultural system, leading to the periodical suppression of shamanism yet also, paradoxically, ensuring its survival throughout Korean history. This book examines the place of shamans within contemporary society as a cultural practice in which people make use of shamanic ritual and disputing the prevalent view that shamanism is 'popular culture', a 'women's religion' or 'performing arts'. Directly confronting the prejudice against shamans and their paradoxical situation in a modern society such as Korea, this book reveals the cultural discrepancy between two worlds in Korean culture, the ordinary world and the shamanic world, showing that these two worlds cannot be reconciled. This unique study of shamanism offers a significant contribution to growing studies in indigenous anthropology and indigenous religions, and provides a captivating read for a wide range of readers through retelling the stories-never-to-be-told involving shamanic ritual.

An accessible guide to controlling the mind. Written in a simple and easily understandable style, Concentration is a classic among books on the art of meditation. Without the ability to concentrate, our efforts at meditation will result only in going nowhere, in spinning our wheels in an unending rut. Through a series of practical steps, the author provides the frame work of achieving the state of Samadhi. It encourages readers to actively walk the path of spirituality and achieve a state of super consciousness, rather than just passively read about it.

As the Roman Empire began to crumble, Celtic Christians began to embark more often on pilgrimages and quests. They found visionary islands on Skellig Michael, Iona, and Lindisfarne, yet their spirituality was largely concerned with politics and people. Brigid ruled a monastery for women and men, princesses and slaves, while Arthur was defending Celtic Britain against English invaders, and Aidan died protesting against his king. While some Celtic Christians did slam the monastery gates on the sinful world, most tramped into the hills to stand alongside ordinary people. Drawing on historical documents and a thoughtful examination of legends, this is an insightful resource that unveils the development of and tenets behind the various strands of Celtic Christianity.

Beginning in the late twelfth century, scholastic theologians such as William of Auvergne, Thomas Aquinas and Engelbert of Admont attempted to provide a rational foundation to the Christian belief in miracles, bolstered by the Aristotelian theory of natural law. Similarly in this period a tension appeared to exist in the recording of miracles, between the desire to exalt the Faith and the need to guarantee believability in the face of opposition from heretics, Jews and other sceptics. As miracles became an increasingly standard part of evidence leading to canonization, the canon lawyers, notaries and theologians charged with determining the authenticity of miracles were eventually issued with a list of questions to which witnesses to the event were asked to respond, a virtual template against which any miracle could be measured. Michael Goodich explores this changing perception of the miracle in medieval Western society. He employs a wealth of primary sources, including canonization dossiers and contemporary hagiographical Vitae and miracle collections, philosophical/theological treatises, sermons, and canon law and ancillary sources dealing with the procedure of canonization. He compares and contrasts 'popular' and learned understanding of the miraculous and explores the relationship between reason and revelation in the medieval understanding of miracles. The desire to provide a more rational foundation to the Christian belief in miracles is linked to the rise of heresy and other forms of disbelief, and finally the application of the rules of evidence in the examination of miracles in the central Middle Ages is scrutinized. This absorbing book will appeal to scholars working in the fields of medieval history, religious and ecclesiastical history, canon law, and all those with an interest in hagiography.

"Without wanting to hurt delicate susceptibilities in any way, we must emphasize the basic idea that a variety of venerable institutions coexist within the cultural-spiritual environment of contemporary humanity that very sincerely believe they know the Secret Path. Nonetheless, they do not know it. "In all the books of ancient times, the Secret Path is cited. This Path is quoted and mentioned in many verses; yet people do not know it. "Beloved reader, to unveil, to show and to teach the esoteric path that leads to the Final Liberation is certainly the purpose of this book that you have in your hands. This is one of the books of the Fifth Gospel. "The great German initiate Goethe wrote, "Every theory is gray and only the tree of the golden fruits of life is green." "Certainly, what we deliver in this new book are transcendental lived experiences. It is what we have verified, what we have directly experienced." For the first time in the history of humanity, the path of Initiation has been explained from beginning to end. This is not a collection of references from various spiritual treatises: this is the direct experience of the author. In this work Samael Aun Weor explains the essential outline of the Direct Path to the realization of the Being. The Direct Path is the only way to reach the heights of spiritual development, and was indicated with precision by Jesus of Nazareth: "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." - Matthew 7:13

This volume, first published in 2002, presents a sophisticated analysis of the musical instruments, repertoires, musicians and ensembles, and symbolism of the ritual music of Shamans of Seoul, Korea. Placed firmly in a social and historical context, it shows that Shamanism, considered superstition by many today, is alive and well in Seoul in a rich tradition reaching back to the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910), the capital of which was Hanyang (now Seoul). The instruments, dress and other accoutrements of courtly life from the Choson Dynasty have been taken up, although transformed, in contemporary rituals among spirit-possessed Shamans. Through a comparison of Hanyang kut - the rituals of the Hanyang Shamans - and the ritual practice of Inner Asian Shamans, and through an analysis of the relations of spirit-possession music rituals to musok, the indigenous religion of Korea, Seo sheds light on the role of music, spiritual practice and culture in present-day Korea.

Transcend fear and rediscover hope with this step-by-step process for intuition development and spiritual attunement. Imagine having an inner faith and trust so magnificent that you are fully aligned with your true self and confident with every choice. No more worry, self-doubt, judgment, fear, or insecurities. A wonderful goal, but is it even possible? As someone who was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety for years, Shannon Kaiser knows that it is. Through her own spiritual journey, she cured herself by awakening her faith and intuition--and since then has helped so many like herself. In Return to You, this acclaimed life coach and visionary shares her 11 spiritual lessons for finding unshakable inner peace--a complete guide to her most effective strategies for tapping your innate wisdom and stepping into your true power. Here you'll find the exact lessons she used to remain grounded during one of the most disruptive times we've faced as a culture. Lessons Include: - You Are in a School Called Planet Earth--Lift the veils of illusion, see the truth of all, and discover your reason for being - Your Soul Has Seasons--Gracefully navigate change and embrace reinvention - If You Don't Go Within, You Go Without--Develop and strengthen your own connection with self, spirit, and the source of all things through intuition - Everyone Is on Their Own Journey--Understand your emotions and how those emotions can guide you to personal breakthroughs By using the lessons laid out in this book, you will come back into alignment with who you really are. From this place of wholeness, everything that does not serve you--whether it is added body weight, self-sabotaging patterns or addictions, toxic relationships, drama-filled days, or anxious tendencies--will naturally give way to peace and love. You are here to enjoy your life, not worry yourself through it. No matter what you are going through, peace can be your priority. Whether you're longing for a more fulfilling career, stronger relationships, a healthier body, or more abundance, it can and will happen--simply by opening the way with these powerful keys for letting go of fear and frustration and connecting to limitless freedom and love.

A down-to-earth look at the spiritual power of sex Sex and the Sacred examines the spiritual dimension of human sexuality in a way that is free of religious affiliation but still open to traditional religion and belief in God. Dr. Daniel Helminiak, author of the best-selling What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality, looks at the relationship between sexuality and spirituality, first, from a humanistic perspective and, then, a more familiar Christian point of view. In particular, he encourages LGBTI people to reclaim their spiritual heritage without apology. This unique book emphasizes spiritual commitment as an essential facet of LGBTI/queer consciousness and addresses such burning themes as coming out, the importance of self-acceptance, gay marriage, gay bashing, and the ethics of gay sex. Sex and the Sacred combines a psychological approach to spirituality with common sense and compassion, inspiring a break from moralistic religion and an understanding of what true spirituality means. The book applies this understanding to Christian topics such as the Bible, Fundamentalism, and the future of Christianity, and shows how coming out was an issue for Jesus, how homosexual experience relates to the Christian Trinity, and how Western Civilization became so sex-negative. Sex and the Sacred presents in the end a radical vision of Christianity open to all people. Religious leaders of all denominations, educators, counselors, members of the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community, non-religious spiritual seekers, and anyone interested in the relationship between spirituality and sexuality will find this book enlightening and uplifting. Sex and the Sacred examines: the spiritual drive that is built into human sexuality the standard religious arguments against gay marriage a sustained argument that Biblical Fundamentalism is not Christian spiritual lessons from the AIDS epidemic the right and wrong of sexqueer and otherwise homosexuality in Catholic teaching and practice sexual ethics without religion a vision for a renewed Christianity within a global community

In eastern spiritual traditions, samsara is often used to describe worldly existence, the cycle of birth and death or the transmigration of the soul from one incarnation to the next. But the concept of samsara is actually much broader and includes psychology, universal laws of nature, the illusory quality of existence, and even the question of free will. In Samsara - An Exploration of the Hidden Forces that Shape and Bind Us, the author takes a look at the various aspects of samsara that influence our everyday experience and dares to ask, is life a setup? And if so, does it purposely push us toward the truth?