This is a translation of the Gathas, the Sacred Readings of Sufism. They contain a condensed expression of the wisdom of the mystic Inayak Khan, and guidance of the seven most important subjects in Sufism.

Built space is both a physical entity as well as a socially and historically constructed place. It constantly interacts with human beings, affecting their behavior, thinking, and feeling. Doing religious work in a particular environment implies acknowledging the surroundings to be integral to theology itself. The contributors to this volume view buildings, scriptures, conversations, prayers, preaching, artifacts, music and drama, and built and natural surroundings as contributors to a contextual theology.

The view of the environment in which religion is practiced as integrated with theology represents not just a new theme but also a necessity if one is to understand religion's own depth. Reflections about space and place and how they reflect and affect religious experience provide a challenge and an urgent necessity for theology. This is particularly important if religious practitioners are to become aware of how theology is given expression in the existential spatiality of life. Can space set theology free? This is a challenging question, one that the editor hopes can be answered, at least in part, in this volume.

The diversity of theoretical concepts in aesthetics, cultural theory, and architecture are not regarded as a problem to be solved by constructing one overarching dominant theory. Instead, this diversity is viewed in terms of its positive potential to inspire discourse about theology and aesthetics. In this discourse, theology does not need to become fully dependent on one or another theory, but should always clearly present its criteria for choosing this or that theoretical framework. This volume shows clearly how different modes of design in sacred spaces capture a sense of the religious.

When asked their religious identification, more people answer "none" in the Pacific Northwest than in any other region of the United States. But this does not mean that the region's religious institutions are without power or that Northwesterners who do attend no place of worship are without spiritual commitments. With no dominant denomination, Evangelicals, Mainline Protestants, Catholics, Jews, adherents of Pacific Rim religious traditions, indigenous groups, spiritual environmentalists, and secularists must vie or sometimes must cooperate with each other to address the regions' pressing economic, environmental, and social issues. One cannot understand this complex region without understanding the fluid religious commitments of its inhabitants. And one cannot understand religion in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska without Religion and Public Life in the Pacific Northwest.

"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered." --G.K. Chesterton As even a brief exposure to the New Testament will show, the Christian life is a life of adventure. Every aspect is full of energy and light. Yet too often we stop at one point of interest--evangelism, spiritual disciplines, social justice--and go no further. Interweaving stories from a summer vacation, Jerry Sittser shows how our lives can include all God has in mind for us. In a book that is fun and challenging, Sittser restores wholeness to the adventure of Christian living.

Ayahuasca, Ritual and Religion in Brazil examines the emergence of religious groups in the Brazilian Amazon who constitute their systems of ritual, myth and principles around the use of a psychoactive brew known by diverse names, one of which is the Quechua term ayahuasca. Although the study of these religious movements has seen much development in recent decades there are still few publications in English, especially in the area of anthropology. This collection, containing many articles previously published only in Portuguese, explains the research conducted in Brazil. It shows a representative sample of the main types of approaches that have been used and also offers an overview of the historical development of this field of research in Brazil, especially from the perspective of the human sciences. This volume makes explicit what the study of the ayahuasca religions can contribute to classical and contemporary issues in anthropology. It presents a varied set of ethnographic approaches employed in the initial mapping of this phenomenon, establishing its historical and cultural origins. It also provides a basis to develop future work on these religions, both in their original contexts and in their expansion throughout Brazil and the world.

Dietrich von Hildebrand contributed to the Catholic tradition's increased recognition of conjugal love in marriage in the early twentieth century, and, as Kevin Schemenauer argues in Conjugal Love and Procreation, von Hildebrand's work remains relevant to contemporary Catholic thought as well. While some argue that this German Catholic philosopher and theologian neglected the role of procreation in marriage, this book shows that von Hildebrand's writings on reverence and superabundant finality contribute to a contemporary understanding of the significance of procreation within marriage. Schemenauer analyzes von Hildebrand's integration of conjugal love and procreation, showing him to be an insightful and parallel voice to the that of John Paul II. His thorough exploration of von Hildebrand's writings reveals not only how conjugal love and openness to new life are essential to marriage, but also how essential the role of procreation is to the conception of conjugal love.

George G. Higgins and the Quest for Worker Justice: The Evolution of Catholic Social Thought in America is a comprehensive and fascinating examination of the Catholic Church's involvement in social issues from the late 19th to the end of the 20th century through the lens of the life, career, writings, and ministry of the legendary Monsignor Higgins. Inspiring to both the clergy and laity, Msgr. George G. Higgins put a human face on the institutional commitments of the Church, advocated the role of the laity, remained loyal to the vision of the Second Vatican Council, and took the side of the working poor in his movement with organized labor. Much more than a limited biography, author John O' Brien offers a sweeping history of the "social questions" facing America over the past 100 years, the thought behind one of the leading figures in the worker justice movement, and a moving application of the rich heritage of Catholic Social Thought.

Marriage can bring the best of times and the worst of times. But open and honest communication makes all times better. Alice and Bob Fryling offer married couples a chance to enhance their marriages. They help readers learn crucial skills such as how to make decisions together and how to resolve conflict. Then they apply these skills to tough marital issues like sex, spiritual growth, disappointment and money. Each chapter contains helpful advice, questions for discussion between husbands and wives, and suggested reading.

This book addresses controversial issues in contemporary church life using liturgical commentary, homiletical illustration, and theological reflection. Issues examined include: gender and sexuality, relation of lay and ordained ministries, the relation of biblical Israel and the modern state, the differences between the Hebrew Scriptures and the Old Testament, the need for careful expository preaching, and deference to tradition as well as openness to new ways. The focus here is on the Episcopal Church in America, yet the examples and pleadings have relevance to the wider Christian community.

You're not crazy; life is! Life is full of interruptions. Some are irritating disruptions, some come from positive life experiences, and others are tragic. The problem is that very few actually prepare for life's imminent storms and upheavals. Have you ever wondered how to navigate through life's whirlwinds, without losing your faith, or questioned where God is in all of it? Crazy Life offers timeless hope while helping readers recognize God's glorious presence in the center of each struggle.

Preaching is a central task in the lives of clergy, and yet it sometimes seems as though the pressure to produce, combined with other duties of parish life, becomes a burden and contributes to the busyness that squeezes out time for spiritual practices. Steeped in the Holy seeks to reclaim the spiritual foundations for preaching, inviting clergy and students to see preparation and preaching not as an intrusion, but as an opportunity to engage with God and to develop practices that deepen a relationship with God and feed preaching.

The only sure thing you can count on when it comes to your kids . . . is that God has got them.

As parents we strategize and agonize. We wish for secret formulas and surefire methods. But somewhere along the way, we discover that what our kids need most is for God to do in their lives what only he can do. The One Year Praying through the Bible for Your Kids is designed to provide you with a daily dose of parenting perspective and hope.

Day by day you’ll find yourself worrying less and praying more as your dreams and desires for your kids are shaped by the Scriptures. Let go of fear, and expect God to work as you pray through the Bible for your kids.

Rosh Chodesh is the Jewish holiday marking each month's new moon. Celebrating the New Moon is an anthology conceived as a means to offer writings about Rosh Chodesh that are educational, inspirational, scholarly, programmatic, entertaining, and insightful; writings that teach tradition while inspiring innovation; writings from a variety of women and men, representing many writing styles, relationships to Judaism, and levels of observance. Rosh Chodesh observance has waned over the centuries despite the fact that the Torah provides several clues to the importance of this holiday and its observance. Rosh Chodesh was declared a festive day that included practices similar to those offered on other festivals. The joyous nature of Rosh Chodesh in biblical times was also marked by the blowing of the shofar. Today, the shofar is blown only on Rosh Chodesh Elul and onward through the month, to signal the process of preparation for the Holy Days. Modern Jews seem to have limited the festivities of Rosh Chodesh to the recitation of special prayers. It is no longer a holiday but simply a time to acknowledge the beginning of the new month. Perhaps the destruction of the Temple and the end of the sacrificial cult robbed Rosh Chodesh of its sacredness; perhaps it was the widespread adaptation of the solar/Christian calendar. Whatever the cause, only the late twentieth century has seen - indeed, is seeing - the resurgence of this minor holiday. Women in the search for ritual are connecting their search to the holiday of Rosh Chodesh - a day that has already enjoyed a special association with women in traditional lore, and one that is linked to women's unique cycle, the menses. This collection addresseseach nuance of Rosh Chodesh, from the historical to the contemporary; from the traditional to the feminist. Rosh Chodesh is understood in a variety of ways: as a symbol of renewal, as a women's covenant, as a marking of time, and as a reminder of cyclical development and focus. Rosh Chodesh is a forever-returning opportunity for spiritual development and healing, a time to look inward and skyward, an occasion to contemplate the reflection of oneself in the moon's crescent light. Today, hundreds of women gather to study, to feast, to pray, to talk, but mainly to celebrate and revitalize the holiday of Rosh Chodesh. Celebrating the New Moon is the next milestone in this process. It records not only the history and halachah of Rosh Chodesh but also its unfolding during the past two decades. Celebrating the New Moon offers a blueprint for ways to celebrate Rosh Chodesh and stands as a testament to a changing Jewish community that is more open and receptive than ever before to women's celebration and ritual.

The Spirit is speaking. Can you hear him? If you're longing to become more attentive to God--to listen to him, know his voice and experience his love, spiritual direction can point the way. In Seeking God Together, experienced spiritual director Alice Fryling offers a unique introduction specifically for group spiritual direction: a place where individuals can experience what it means to be listened to and loved by others, so that they can learn to listen more attentively to God in their daily lives and be used by God. Out of her years of being both director and directee, Fryling offers practical, step-by-step guidance for those who would like to start, lead or participate in group spiritual direction. Her book will help you know what to expect and fully equip you for the different aspects of the group experience, including learning to listen to God, using Scripture in a group, navigating different personalities, setting group expectations and asking life-giving questions. She also provides an appendix with opening exercises for use in your meetings together. "The intentional goal of group spiritual direction," Alice writes, "is to help each participant become more aware of God in their lives, for the sake of others. Spiritual direction leads you to an awakening of the soul." The Spirit is speaking to you and to others. Here is a book to help you and a group of soul friends listen for and with each other as you seek God together.

The decline of institutionalized religion in the increasingly secularized West has been offset by the contemporary spiritual development understood in the form of emerging New Age movements. This reference presents the potpourri of spiritual and psycho-physical therapeutic practices associated with this affirmation of the individual's spiritual freedom, the expectation of a future golden age, the emphasis on self-development, and the holistic pluralism that sets the dominant pulse for innovative spirituality in the twenty-first century. The A to Z of New Age Movements furnishes profiles and explanations of New Age spokespeople and leaders, of a range of human potential and self-help practices, of countercultural spiritual developments, and of different groups and organizations that identify as New Age. The dictionary consists of over 240 individual entries along with an introduction that describes the historical foundations of the New Age orientation and its relation with contemporary Western paganism. It also presents the sociological dimension of New Age expression, as well as the kinds of criticism with which the New Age identity must contend. There is both a New Age Chronology and a bibliography also included.

The Korean Holiness Church originated as an evangelical holiness movement through indigenous work and the American holiness mission. From its inception, the Korean Holiness Church believed that its primary task was not only to promote "scriptural holiness," as John Wesley and primitive Methodism had preached, but also to preach the "fourfold gospel," which may be summarized as regeneration, sanctification, divine healing, and the premillennial second coming of Christ. The Rise of the Korean Holiness Church in Relation to the American Holiness Movement argues that the theological foundation of the Korean Holiness Church can best be understood by analyzing the fourfold gospel in the history of the Korean Holiness Church and its internationally connected holiness movement. The brief, though rich, biographical accounts of the Korean Christians and American and British Missionaries woven into this book finally give these great men and women their due.

This volume is one of two edited by Andrew Rippin which are designed to complement one another, and to comprehend the principal trends in modern scholarship on the Qur'an. Both volumes are provided with a new introduction by the editor, analysing this scholarship, and providing references for further study. The Qur'an: Style and Contents reveals the variety of approaches followed within the study of the text. From NAldeke's examination of style through Arkoun's project for the future, these scholarly statements reflect the historical development of the discipline, while providing overviews of key elements for the understanding of the Qur'an.

This is a subset of F. Max Mullers great collection The Sacred Books of the East which includes translations of all the most important works of the seven non-Christian religions which have exercised a profound influence on the civilizations of the continent of Asia. The works have been translated by leading authorities in their field.

Build a Love that Lasts

At a time when more people are delaying marriage or writing it off altogether, those ready to walk the aisle will appreciate a frank and trusted resource to help them start marriage on the right foot.

This practical guide will help you explore your relationship in depth and will

- provide new insight into your partner and how the two of you relate to one another

- establish your wants and needs as individuals and a couple before your marriage begins

- lay the groundwork for open and honest conversation for a stronger, healthier marriage

- reveal how life events and family background can influence decision making in finances, family, education, faith, and career

- engage you in activities that lead to thought-provoking discussion addressing your past experiences and current expectations

Engaging and easy-to-use, Before You Say "I Do" is full of tried and true wisdom to help you plan for your future and build a lasting relationship with the one you love.