We live in a world full of turmoil and uncertainty. But we can rise above such perilous times by looking to God and seeking His will and wisdom for our lives.

If you're searching for inspiration, peace, and joy, look no further than Spirit Thoughts, a spiritually uplifting book of daily devotions. Patricia Schaller's positive prose will give you hope in dealing with the daily struggles of your life and will infuse your soul with God's peace and love to help you navigate the troubled waters of our earthly home.

Neatly divided into topical sections, you'll find the perfect devotion to fit whatever challenge you might be facing or emotion you might be experiencing. Whether it is the loss of a loved one, an intense feeling of loneliness, or the overwhelming need to find patience, Spirit Thoughts offers serenity and comfort to your heart, putting you on the path to greater understanding of the deep love the Lord has for His children.

Based on the most beautiful words ever written, The Holy Bible, these daily devotionals will help you find solace and happiness in your life and introduce you to the power of God's word.

40 Devotions for Knowing Who You Are and Whose You Are Far too many of us drift through life, grasping for occasional clues to our God-given purpose and identity. But it doesn't have to be this way. As a child of God, you can live from your identity instead of constantly searching for it. This 40-day devotional was written to help close the gap between wherever you find yourself now and the life you were created to enjoy. Each devotion explores both a facet of who God is and what that particular facet means for your transformation as his son or daughter. With keen insights from Scripture, encouraging reflections and declarations, and daily actions you can take to live out what you're learning, these devotions will unlock what has been placed inside of you so you can flourish in your God-given identity.

This major work offers a historical description and systematic analysis of the root causes of this global economic crisis, which the authors understand as a crisis of western civilization. Secondly, they assume (and prove) that the religions of the Axial Age were shaped by the suffering of people, deepened by the emergence of a new economy - based on money, private property and interest. They assume that the proven convergence of the Axial Age religions in responding to the social, psychological (and already ecological) consequences of the new economy can inform, motivate and empower faith communities and their members to join hands with social movements towards a new personal and collective culture of life. In part I they show the linkage between the contexts of antiquity and modernity concerning the role of money, private property and the related structures and mentalities of greed, producing suffering, and psychological, social and ecological destruction. They show how the religions of the Axial Age responded to this context in similar ways but with interesting specific emphases. In relation to today's situation we also raise the question of psychological hindrances to change in the different social classes, affected by neoliberalism, and how to overcome them. Before drawing the conclusions for present-day alliance-building between faith communities and social movements for alternatives to neoliberal globalization in Part III they offer a fundamental critique of the ambivalence of modernity in Part II.

This children's missal provides an eay way of participating at mass for boys and girls.

In the brutal fight that has raged in recent years over the reputation of Pope Pius XII leader of the Catholic Church during World War II, the Holocaust, and the early years of the Cold War the task of defending the Pope has fallen primarily to reviewers. These reviewers formulated a brilliant response to the attack on Pius, but their work was scattered in various newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals making it nearly impossible for the average reader to gauge the results. In The Pius War, Weekly Standard's Joseph Bottum has joined with Rabbi David G. Dalin to gather a representative and powerful sample of these reviews, deliberately chosen from a wide range of publications. Together with a team of professors, historians, and other experts, the reviewers conclusively investigate the claims attacking Pius XII. The Pius War, and a detailed annotated bibliography that follows, will prove to be a definitive tool for scholars and students destined to become a major resource for anyone interested in questions of Catholicism, the Holocaust, and World War II."

A new approach to thinking about the representation of the Other in Western society, The Jew's Daughter: A Cultural History of a Conversion Narrative offers an insight into the gendered difference of the Jew. Focusing on a popular narrative of "The Jew's Daughter," which has been overlooked in conventional studies of European anti-Semitism, this innovative study looks at canonical and neglected texts which have constructed racialized and sexualized images that persist today in the media and popular culture. The book goes back before Shylock and Jessica in The Merchant of Venice and Isaac and Rebecca in Ivanhoe to seek the answers to why the Jewish father is always wicked and ugly, while his daughter is invariably desirable and open to conversion. The story unfolds in fascinating transformations, reflecting changing ideological and social discourses about gender, sexuality, religion, and nation that expose shifting perceptions of inclusion and exclusion of the Other. Unlike previous studies of the theme of the Jewess in separate literatures, Sicher provides a comparative perspective on the transnational circulation of texts in the historical context of the perception of both Jews and women as marginal or outcasts in society. The book draws on examples from the arts, history, literature, folklore, and theology to draw a complex picture of the dynamics of Jewish-Christian relations in England, France, Germany, and Eastern Europe from 1100 to 2017. In addition, the responses of Jewish authors illustrate a dialogue that has not always led to mutual understanding. This ground-breaking work will provoke questions about the history and present state of prejudiced attitudes in our society.

Studies in neuroscience demonstrate that a focus on mindfulness meditation and contemplative spiritual practice has the capacity to increase our non-anxious awareness and significantly lower our stress. Not only is this finding of immediate importance for pastoral counselors and psychotherapists, it will even necessitate a paradigm shift in the way that pastoral and spiritual practitioners approach the general care of souls. The starting point for such a paradigm shift is an acknowledgement of the built-in negativity bias of the brain, and how certain beliefs and theological views may inadvertently reinforce the bias to the detriment of individuals and faith communities. Once necessary for human survival, the ingrained bias can often be excessive for today's world, resulting in negatively disproportionate assessments of life events and human relationships. To balance the neural predisposition toward negativity and anxious awareness, it is necessary for pastoral and spiritual caregivers, and those in their care, to cultivate a regular contemplative-meditational practice. The Power of Neuroplasticity for Pastoral and Spiritual Care focuses on the groundbreaking finding of contemporary neuroscience-that the brain is built for change across the entire lifespan. It is designed to make the research accessible to and relevant for those engaged in the work of pastoral and spiritual care in order to help clients and congregants effect lasting and transformative changes in the mind and brain. Through the regular practice of contemplative prayer and meditation, we can literally calm the stress region of the brain in order to live less anxiously and experience more fully the peace and joy of the present moment. The introduction of mindfulness- and acceptance-based counseling approaches will provide pastoral and spiritual practitioners with an important therapeutic framework to situate their work, from which they can make more informed and effective interventions geared toward using the mind to change the brain.

Most of the women described in this study were atypical biblical women. Israelite women, like women in most cultures of the world, had status principally within the home. However, exceptional women occasionally had prominent roles outside the home and dared to assert themselves. The chapters contain biographical sketches, with comparisons to contemporary women's roles, of two dozen women. Beginning with Sarah of Ur and ending with Priscilla of Rome, their lives range over an era of nearly two millennia.

These women were, at crucial times, sagacious in decision making and skillful in executing their decisions. They made such a distinctive mark on the events of their time to be remembered by subsequent generations as more than breeders of male heirs. Each woman's story relates how a dynamic woman was able to swim against the strong currents of patriarchy. To make explicit the relevancy of this study, the brief biographies are related to such current feminist issues as surrogate parenting, gender stereotyping, and civil disobedience over unequal treatment by governments.

From her own experiences, struggles, and victories on the way to peace, Eugenia Price offers in this book a step-by-step guide for all who seek a new, happy and complete life. This thrilling and inspiring chronicle of spiritual adventure lifts the heart and head of the reader, as the widely respected Christian author and speaker lets Christ speak through her to those who long to follow Him as Lord of their lives. Here is memorable, meaningful testimony that: "He Himself is the end of Everyman's search. Here is a simple, soul-encompassing song of the everlasting, ever-new truth to the Word that God is Love."

In this volume, Trevor Leggett presents three texts translated from Japanese and compiled to illuminate the three ages of Zen in Japan: the warrior Zen of crisis and war in the thirteenth century; the feudal Zen of eighteenth-century samurai officials and finally the modern Zen found in 20th-century Japan.

With your lives moving in fast forward and no known chance of slowing down, finding time to devote to your marriage can seem nearly impossible. Quality time is incredibly important for maintaining a healthy marriage in this quick-paced society where you run (sometimes literally) from errands to appointments to activities and back again. One of the best ways to strengthen your relationship is to spend time together with God-especially when you are busy. This daily devotional offers inspiring reflections on relationships, encouraging Scriptures, and thought provoking questions to help you intentionally engage with God and each other. When you prioritize spending a few moments to grow together in your relationship with God, you will quickly learn that it is the best way to begin or end your day.

American Catholic parishes throughout the country have been shrinking since the 1960s. John J. Pideret, S.J., and Melanie Morey bring fifty years of experience in Catholic colleges and universities where they had extensive contact with young Catholics and New York City parishes. In this volume they discuss the general problem of declining parishes and specify several solutions to the various underlying issues. The authors employ four basic principles-narrative, norms, benefits, and practices-to increase Mass attendance, to strengthen a broad Eucharistic culture, to encourage a wider use of prayer, and to establish enduring religious education. This book is an important resource for every Catholic church.

School textbooks in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab and Muslim worlds are filled with anti-Western and anti-Israel propaganda. Most readers will be shocked to discover that history and geography textbooks widely used in America's elementary and secondary classrooms contain some of the very same inaccuracies about Jews, Judaism, and Israel. Did you know that 'there is no record of any important Jewish contribution to the sciences?' (World Civilizations, Thomson Wadsworth). Or that 'Christianity was started by a young Palestinian named Jesus?' (The World, Scott Foresman/Pearson). Supplemental materials and other classroom influences are even worse. The Trouble with Textbooks exposes the poor scholarship and untruths in textbooks about Jews and Israel. The problems uncovered in this ground-breaking analysis are instructive, and illustrate the need for reform in the way textbooks are developed, written, marketed, and distributed. Substitute another area_how we teach American history, Western civilization, or comparative religion_and we have another, equally intriguing case study. The Trouble with Textbooks shows what can go terribly wrong in discussing religion, geography, culture, or history_and in this case_all of them. The Trouble with Textbooks tells a cautionary tale for all readers, whatever their background, of how textbooks that Americans depend on to infuse young people with the values for good citizenship and to help acculturate students into the multicultural salad that is American life, instead disparage some groups and teach historical distortions. With millions of young people using these textbooks each year, the denigration of some should be a concern for all.

The Woodcarver is a collection of feature and cover articles written for national and international publications over the past two decades on matters of faith. These true stories illustrate how the Holy Spirit, acting through people and serendipitous events, changes lives in a powerful way. The collection takes its title from The Woodcarver-a true story of a chance encounter with a German woodcarver-an ex-Nazi who had been a prisoner of war in the American South. During his captivity, the whites treated him badly, but the blacks were kind to him. He developed a love for black people that contradicted the stereotypical attitude of the Nazis. The Woodcarver taught the author a valuable lesson about stereotypes and how the Woodcarvers love of the faith found expression in a piece of oak.

Incompatible with God's Design is the first comprehensive history of the Roman Catholic women's ordination movement in the United States. Mary Jeremy Daigler explores how the focus on ordination, and not merely "increased participation" in the life and ministries of the church, has come to describe a broad movement. Moving well beyond the role of such organizations as the Women's Ordination Conference, this study also addresses the role of international and local groups. In an effort to debunk a number of misperceptions about the movement, from its date of origin to its demographic profile, Daigler explores a vast array of topics. Starting with the movement's historical background from the early American period through the early twentieth century to Vatican II and afterward, she considers the role of women (especially Catholicism's more religious adherents) in the movement's evolution, the organization of the ordination movement in the United States, the role and response of clergy and Vatican teachings, the reality of international influences on the U.S. movement, and the full range of challenges-past and present-to the ordination movement. Incompatible with God's Design is compelling reading for any student of theology and women's studies, as well as those interested in staying abreast with the changing role of women within the U.S. Roman Catholic Church.