The prominent Buddhist religious leader and advocate for peace, Daisaku Ikeda, has placed dialogue at the centre of his efforts towards securing global justice and conflict resolution. However, far from constituting abstract plans for the future of the world, Ikeda's dialogues represent very concrete and focused activity. He concentrates on one significant individual (such as Joseph Rotblat, Linus Pauling and Mikhail Gorbachev) at a time, or sometimes small groups, in order to attempt the transformation of thinking and society through intense discussion. This book offers detailed exploration of this crucial aspect of Ikeda's philosophy of peace. Contributors examine topics such as: the background to Ikeda's dialogic thinking as found in the Lotus Sutra; Buddhism as a practical philosophy of dialogue; Ikeda's use of dialogue, specifically in the field of education; and dialogue in relation to the abolition of nuclear weapons. Ikeda's concept of dialogue emerges as a paradoxical movement towards common ground based on respectful difference. This study will appeal to students of peace, politics and modern Buddhism.

Filled with poetic language and vivid, pastoral images, the meditations in these pages are perfect for communicating with your own inner self. These meditations are an important contribution to any therapy group, or an inspirational moment to share with your congregation, or a centering exercise to do all by yourself.

Because they come in this handy book format, you can use the meditations anywhere, any time. You can read them silently to yourself or out loud, in solitude or with friends.

This is a sweeping and powerful narrative history of the Jewish people from biblical times to today. Based on the latest scholarship and richly illustrated, it is the most authoritative and accessible chronicle of the Jewish experience available. Michael Brenner tells a dramatic story of change and migration deeply rooted in tradition, taking readers from the mythic wanderings of Moses to the unspeakable atrocities of the Holocaust; from the Babylonian exile to the founding of the modern state of Israel; and from the Sephardic communities under medieval Islam to the shtetls of eastern Europe and the Hasidic enclaves of modern-day Brooklyn. The book is full of fascinating personal stories of exodus and return, from that told about Abraham, who brought his newfound faith into Canaan, to that of Holocaust survivor Esther Barkai, who lived on a kibbutz established on a German estate seized from the Nazi Julius Streicher as she awaited resettlement in Israel. Describing the events and people that have shaped Jewish history, and highlighting the important contributions Jews have made to the arts, politics, religion, and science, "A Short History of the Jews" is a compelling blend of storytelling and scholarship that brings the Jewish past marvelously to life.

The Koren Sacks Yom Kippur Mahzor, is a new Hebrew/English prayer book with translation and commentary by Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. It is a companion to the Koren Sacks Rosh Hashana Mahzor, and one volume among a growing body of work produced by the celebrated Koren Publishers-Chief Rabbi Sacks partnership. The Koren Sacks Yom Kippur Mahzor marries the sophisticated graphic approach for which Koren Publishers Jerusalem is renowned with the insight and eloquence of Chief Rabbi Sacks. The Koren Sacks Yom Kippur Mahzor brings out the inner meaning of the Yom Kippur prayers by aligning the Hebrew and English texts, highlighting key words, distinguishing poetry from prose, and using beautiful fonts designed by master typographer Eliyahu Koren. Chief Rabbi Sacks' translation brings readers closer to the authentic meaning of the Hebrew text, while his introduction and commentary provide new ways of understanding and experiencing the Yom Kippur service.

A useful introduction to the social, political, cultural and religious position of Muslims living in contemporary Europe. It describes the history of early European Muslims and outlines the causes and courses of 20th-century Muslim immigration. Explaining how Muslim communities have developed in individual countries, the book examines their origins, their present day ethnic composition, distribution and organisational patterns, and the political, legal and cultural contexts in which they exist. It also provides a comparative consideration of issues common to Muslims in all Western European countries, namely the role of the family, and the questions of worship, education and religious thought. In the fourth edition all country-related chapters have been substantially updated. A new chapter has also been added on Southern Europe, where the maturity of a new generation has seen moves towards political integration. This new chapter will reflect the extensive research of the past decade in this area

Everything the engaged couple needs to know about the Jewish marriage ceremony. Welcome new couples into Jewish life and your congregation. Selecting a date and location for the wedding What is a ketubah? A huppah? A step-by-step guide to a Jewish wedding Life as Jewish newlyweds The perfect gift for the soon-to-be-wed couple.

In this volume are collected two works that complement each other very well, each being in its own way at the heart of Sangharakshita's writings. A Survey of Buddhism was first published in 1957, and Lama Anagarika Govinda wrote of that first edition, 'It would be difficult to find a single book in which the history and development of Buddhist thought has been described as vividly and clearly as in this survey. For all those who wish to know the heart, the essence of Buddhism as an integrated whole, there can be no better guide than this book.' The Survey, whose ninth edition is reproduced here, continues to provide an indispensable study of the entire field of Buddhist thought and practice, covering all major doctrines and traditions, and placing their development in historical and cultural context.The Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path of course outlines the best-known formulation of the Buddha's teaching, and if its name sounds archaic, Sangharakshita's vivid explanation of how to follow that path provides a fresh and inspiring guide. Here, to the original text are added seminar extracts that give a range of helpful perspectives on the stages of the path. This volume includes a full section of endnotes locating the teachings to the suttas and sutras that inspired them, as well as a Foreword by Dharmachari Subhuti looking at these two texts from an inspirational and a critical perspective, and bringing out the inner connection between them.

A trial lawyer by trade, a Christian by heart-author Mark Lanier has trained in biblical languages and devoted his life to studying and living the Bible. Facing daily the tension between the demands of his career and the desire for a godly life, Lanier recognizes the importance and challenge of finding daily time to spend in God's Word. His meditations on the Gospels reveal the need for daily devotion from the teachings of Jesus. In Jesus for Living, Lanier shares a year's worth of meditations centered around the church calendar. Unlike his other devotionals, these are meant to be read according to the rhythms of the liturgical seasons-Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time. Lanier reflects on the actions and teachings of Jesus, offering insight on how our lives might imitate Jesus, and concludes each reading with a prayer of encouragement.

In the early twentieth century The Eastern Buddhist not only shared in pioneering presentations of Buddhism to the west but invited interaction with non-Japanese authors. This interactive process increased dramatically in the post-war period, when dialogue between Buddhist and Christian thought began to take off in earnest. Significant here was the philosophical Buddhism of the frequently cited Kyoto School, a tradition of thought and teaching named after Kyoto University where it was largely based. At the same time these debates and dialogues brought in not only Zen voices but also thinkers from the Shin Buddhist tradition. Both of these orientations are reflected here. While the contributions stem mainly from the fifties, sixties and seventies, they have significantly influenced subsequent Buddhist-Christian dialogue. It was still a time of exciting mutual discovery. Anybody wishing to enter into this process of dialogue and exchange will therefore find it of great interest and value to approach it by considering the ideas and insights presented here. Because of the wealth of materials the selection has been spread across two volumes in the series Eastern Buddhist Voices and the present volume includes contributions from the earlier part of the period (Interactions with Japanese Buddhism includes contributions from the later part).

This book generates the confidence to believe that God will keep you headed in the right direction. The author's keen perception will help you find hope in life's ordinary events. He'll show you how God's encouragement can become real and personal.

The Devotio Moderna, or Modern Devout, puzzled their contemporaries. Beginning in the 1380s in market towns along the Ijssel River of the east-central Netherlands and in the county of Holland, they formed households organized as communes and forged lives centered on private devotion. They lived on city streets alongside their neighbors, managed properties and rents in common, and worked in the textile and book trades, all the while refusing to profess vows as members of any religious order or to acquire spouses and personal property as lay citizens. They defended their self-designed style of life as exemplary and sustained it in the face of opposition, their women labeled "beguines" and their men "lollards," both meant as derogatory terms. Yet the movement grew, drawing in women and schoolboys, priests and laymen, and spreading outward toward Munster, Flanders, and Cologne. The Devout were arguably more culturally significant than the Lollards and Beguines, yet they have commanded far less scholarly attention in English. John Van Engen's magisterial book keeps the Modern Devout at its center and thinks through their story anew. Few interpreters have read the Devout so insistently within their own time and space by looking to the social and religious conditions that marked towns and parishes in northern Europe during the fifteenth century and examining the widespread upheavals in cultural and religious life between the 1370s and the 1440s. In Sisters and Brothers of the Common Life, Van Engen grasps the Devout in their humanity, communities, and beliefs, and places them firmly within the urban societies of the Low Countries and the cultures we call late medieval.

Is laughter essential to Jewish identity? Do Jews possess special radar for recognizing members of the tribe? Since Jews live longer and make love more often, why don't more people join the tribe? "More deli than deity" writer Nancy Kalikow Maxwell poses many such questions in eight chapters-"Worrying," "Kvelling," "Dying," "Noshing," "Laughing," "Detecting," "Dwelling," and "Joining"-exploring what it means to be "typically Jewish." While unearthing answers from rabbis, researchers, and her assembled Jury on Jewishness (Jewish friends she roped into conversation), she-and we-make a variety of discoveries. For example: Jews worry about continuity, even though Rabbi Mordechai of Lechovitz prohibited even that: "All worrying is forbidden, except to worry that one is worried." Kvell-worthy fact: About 75 percent of American Jews give to charity versus 63 percent of Americans as a whole. Since reciting Kaddish brought secular Jews to synagogue, the rabbis, aware of their captive audience, moved the prayer to the end of the service. Who's Jewish? About a quarter of Nobel Prize winners, an estimated 80 percent of comedians at one point, and the winner of Nazi Germany's Most Perfect Aryan Child Contest. Readers will enjoy learning about how Jews feel, think, act, love, and live. They'll also schmooze as they use the book's "Typically Jewish, Atypically Fun" discussion guide.

Put into action the characteristics needed to be a great fisherman, and see how they can also make you into a great fisher of men.

Fishermen don't rely on luck in order to catch fish--they put their skills, knowledge, and experience into play every time they cast their line. Likewise, righteous and godly living doesn't come naturally but requires study, commitment, and a lot of practice. In "Catch of the Day," Jimmy Houston combines both his love of fishing and his love of God in this unique fisherman's 365-day devotional. Each day features Scripture and a thought for meditation that applies insights from the art of fishing to daily spiritual growth, as well as fishing tip from a pro. Anyone who loves God's creation, combined with the excitement of the catch, will truly enjoy this guide of spiritual lessons for life.