Lincoln, Rumi, Shams and Rabi'a in one volume? How is that possible? While three are Sufis, even Rumi and Shams are separated by a gulf of 400 years from Rabi'a. As for Rabi'a, she was at different times in her life, an orphan, a slave and a prostitute. And Lincoln? On top of another 500 years, the great statesman belongs to an entirely different civilization and religion. Where's the connection? "To the spiritual seeker, " Kehl and Walker contend,"The connection ... is unmistakable. Christ said "I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me." Sincere aspirants on the Spiritual Path recognize Masters; it can be no other way, as they are striving after the same reality." Lincoln, Rumi and Rabi'a are "linked by their unwavering pursuit of Spiritual Truth through Self Knowledge." The proof will be in the reading: In these three remarkable drama produced and performed during the fall and summer months of 2010 and 2011 the authors encourage readers to "search out the connections-rather than notice any supposed differences." 192 pages.

The present "turn to religion" has also meant a rekindled interest in transcendence, a concept once deemed a relic of a metaphysical past. This volume approaches transcendence from a particular perspective: that of language and literature seen as a matrix of expression of transcendence and its interplay of immanence. The essays in this volume probe the poetic and literary devices through which transcendence has been solicited, evoked, and generated. This has also meant revisiting the long Christian tradition, not simply to rehabilitate it but as an indispensable source for present writing and thinking.

Beneath the battle cries of the jihad and an Islamic politics that draws attention to a religion of rigid rules and obsessive devotion, lies the mystical Islam, known as Sufism. What attracts so many Westerners to the faith, says former convert Ibn al-Rawandi, is its "heart made of poetry and art, vision and devotion, that can only be known fully from within." Enchanted by the metaphysics of Sufism, Rawandi studied and worshiped in Cyprus, convinced he had found the answers to life's questions. When doubts emerged for which the traditionalist authors had no answers and the Salman Rushdie affair divided Islam, Rawandi sought to critically evaluate Sufism by reviewing its origins and the best arguments for its views.
In Islamic Mysticism, Rawandi contends that unreliable sources seriously undermine the classical account of Islam and Sufism. His detailed study of the philosophy of religion -especially the work of traditionalists such as RenT Guenon and Frithjof Schuon - helps to develop a critical analysis of Islam from the inside out. Particular attention is given to great Islamic mystic Ibn Arabi, who is taken as representative of Sufism in its highest development. Rawandi offers a critical, secular perspective on Sufism and concludes that mystical experience is not a trustworthy validation of religion.

"Quiara Hudes is in her own league. Her sentences will take your breath away. How lucky we are to have her telling our stories." - Lin-Manuel Miranda From the Pulitzer-prize winning playwright behind IN THE HEIGHTS comes a spellbinding coming-of-age story, and a vibrant and life-affirming celebration of the women who guide us. Born in Philadelphia to a Jewish father and an enigmatic Puerto Rican mother, Quiara Alegria Hudes had a love-and-trouble-filled upbringing, haunted by the unspoken, untold family secrets of the barrio. In the face of real world wounds, the powerful, Orisha-like women of her family possessed a strength, joy and sensuality that left a young Quiara awe struck. She vowed to tell their stories. But confronted by a world that treated her like an outsider, Quiara knew she must find a new language, one which reflected the multiple cultures that raised this Puerto Rican child of North Philly. Written and spoken, English and Spanish, sacred and profane - as her search for a way to share her family's story deepened, an artist emerged, ready to speak her truth. An inspired exploration of home, family and memory, My BROKEN LANGUAGE is the story of a sharp-eyed observer who finds her voice and learns to boldly tell the stories that only she can tell.

This expanded edition of the authors' original book adds much more into every time period on this misunderstood and enigmatic being. The she-demon from the Babylonian empire is far from an antiquated figure of myth and lore of days gone by. If anything, there has been a renewed interest in Lilith which has led modern artists and writers to embrace the archetype with still more fervor than in any time in the past. Like the phoenix which rises from the ashes of its former self, Lilith is reborn each time her character is reinterpreted and retold. This reshaping of the screeching demoness serves to reflect each generation's views of the feminine role in society, or in our day and age, how we redefine ourselves with one another. As we grow and change with Lilith survives the millennia, because she is truly the singular best archetype for the changing role of women.Learn Lilith's darkest secrets as the author unveils her origins and brings you forward in time to discover this misunderstood figures evolution.

My journey began when I was a child and I was repeatedly attacked by a demon. As a young adult I wanted to learn more about my supernatural experiences. I began journaling my dreams and I saw a pattern emerge. What I was dreaming about days, weeks, or years before was happening in my waking life. My encounter with my twin soul at the age of twenty-four would forever change me. When my eyes met his eyes I felt Eternity open up. I wanted to know what was this consciousness behind this awareness. I began my esoteric studies and found in religious text answers to what I have experienced throughout my life. I had my kundalini awakening at the age of thirty-two. This was due to a psychological crisis when my marriage was falling apart. I also contribute my yearning for God and years of yoga to my awakening. I began blogging three years after my awakening. After twenty years of journaling my dreams, insights, and encounters with other beings; I finally saw the meaning they had for me. I finally had gained the confidence to publicly share my journals. Now I am thirty-eight and have strung together all of my life experiences and found they do serve a higher purpose. God's abode is within every human heart. All one needs to do is yearn for God. God does speak through dreams. God also does reveal Himself to the devote Seeker. One must die to ego for God to reveal His secret.

A Hebrew-English text, with both English and Hebrew on each page, read like an English text from left to right

This study challenges the conventional image of the tenth-century Sufi mystic Al-Husayn Ibn Mansur al-Hallag (d. 929) as an anti-philosophical mystic. Unlike the predominantly theological or text-historical studies which constitute much of the scholarly literature on Hallag, this study is completely philosophical in nature, placing Hallag within the tradition of Graeco-Arabic philosophy and emphasizing, in a positive light, his continuity with the pagan Neoplatonism of Plotinus and Proclus.

Mysticism is Evelyn Underhill's timeless manual, which offers thorough and rich guidance to the principles of mystical Christianity. A classic since its publication in 1911, Mysticism remains an authority on its subject. Despite more modern works providing a more updated or formal analysis of Christian mysticism, none do so with the passion and splendour with which Underhill tackles the subject. Having herself had spiritual experiences, the author mentions that such events inspire those who feel them to action rather than to continual idle reflection of the divine. This publication is derived from treasured 12th edition, renowned for its mindful revisions and additions Underhill appended. In reaction to earlier reviews, additional notes are appended to clarify some of the deeper passages and aid the comprehensive flow of the chapters.