A personal invitation to walk with God through one of the great classics of Christian spirituality. This book of daily devotions is based upon The Cloud of Unknowing. In this edition Robinson sought to remain as true as possible to the voice of this medieval classic. Cloud Devotion follows the original Middle English text sentence by sentence, with Robinson's own translation and paraphrase, divided work into 366 small portions, with a Scripture passage related to the theme from each daily reading. "My heart has yearned for this book. I wanted a guide to help me savor and reflect on the spiritual classic The Cloud of Unknowing. David has insightfully discerned how we might do this. The partnership of this unknown, ancient writer and this known, living pastor is masterful. I invite you into the clouds with the slow reading of this book." -Dr. MaryKate Morse, author and mentor-professor of formation and leadership

Ours is the first generation in modern times to understand the truly universal human condition and to seek to bring all peoples of the earth together in peace and harmony. We are the first generation to truly understand that we are faced with the challenge of either inhabiting our planet harmoniously or not inhabiting it at all.<p> Filling our future is the fundamentalism that threatens to pit one religion against another. But, our different relationships and understandings of G-d should not be the reason for conflict but the source of goodwill in building our relationships with one another and our ability to understand others. The covenant with the Jewish people was not the first made between the Almighty and mankind.<p> Before the revelation at Mt. Sinai, G-d commanded Adam and then made a covenant with Noah, giving them the guidelines for the universal religion of mankind. The most well-known part of this covenant is the seven universal commandments, or the Seven Noahide Laws. For this reason, Judaism and Jews do not proselytize, but rather seek to guide the nations of the world in developing their own relationship with the Almighty and implementing these potentially unifying laws of basic human nature.<p> This book offers you a glimpse into the tremendous mystical power and meaning of G-d's covenant with humanity and the Seven Noahide Laws, as explained in Kabbalah. It focuses on their spiritual and inner dimensions and inspires a deeper look at our best hope for achieving world peace and a better future for all beings.

Mysticism is an element of religion or spirituality which emphasizes direct apprehension of the divine, whether the divine is understood from a theistic or non-theistic perspective. The author argues that such "mystical" experiences can be gained through the practice of specialized techniques of spiritual transformation, techniques which have been passed down through the ages by Traditions of Masters (or "Holy Traditions"). These esoteric traditions are made up of masters and students, who share secret doctrines and rituals; and they can be found in cultures from the Upper Paleolithic Period through the present. The Global Mystical Tradition studies these traditions, their mystical experiences, and practices, from a global syncretistic perspective, noting similarities and in some cases interaction between the "Holy Traditions" of different cultures.

Islam is often seen as a religious tradition in which hell does not play a particularly prominent role. This volume challenges this hackneyed view. Locating Hell in Islamic Traditions is the first book-length analytic study of the Muslim hell. It maps out a broad spectrum of Islamic attitudes toward hell, from the Quranic vision(s) of hell to the pious cultivation of the fear of the afterlife, theological speculations, metaphorical and psychological understandings, and the modern transformations of hell. Contributors: Frederick Colby, Daniel de Smet, Christiane Gruber, Jon Hoover, Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Christian Lange, Christopher Melchert, Simon O'Meara, Samuela Pagani, Tommaso Tesei, Roberto Tottoli, Wim Raven, and Richard van Leeuwen.

Representing Jewish Thought originated in the conference, convened in honour of Professor Ada Rapoport-Albert, on the theme of visual representations of Jewish thought from antiquity to the early modern period. The volume encompasses essays on various modes and media of transmitting and re/presenting thought, pertinent to Jewish past and present. It explores several approaches to the study of the transmission of ideas in historical sources, zooming in on textual and visual hermeneutics to material and textual culture to performative arts. The volume has brought together scholars from different subfields of Jewish Studies, covering thousands of years of Jewish history, who invite further scholarly reflection on the expression, transmission, and organisation of knowledge in Jewish contexts.

This volume is a basic resource for anyone interested in Kabbalah. While written in a clear and lucid manner suitable for the beginner, even the advanced student will find a wealth of new information and insight. Rabbi Ginsburgh explains how the many parallel and seemingly contradictory systems of Kabbalistic thought are part of a larger systematic and orderly structure. In essence this book is an introduction to all of Rabbi Ginsburgh's many writings.

In Dervishes and Islam in Bosnia, Ines Asceric-Todd explores the involvement of Sufi orders in the formation of Muslim society in the first two centuries of Ottoman rule in Bosnia (15th - 16th centuries C.E.). Using a wide range of primary sources, Asceric-Todd shows that Sufi traditions and the activities of dervish orders were at the heart of the religious, cultural, socio-economic and political dynamics in Bosnia in the period which witnessed the emergence of Bosnian Muslim society and the most intensive phase of conversions of the Bosnian population to Islam. In the process, she also challenges some of the established views regarding Ottoman guilds and the subject of futuwwa (Sufi code of honour).

A document of paramount historical importance, not only in terms of Christianity but also with respect to the development of Western religion. It chronicles the teachings of Jesus, who explains life's mysteries to his disciples and Mary Magdalene. Their discussions take place after Christ's resurrection and include accounts of his ascension into heaven.

Moses Maimonides-a proud heir to the Andalusian tradition of Aristotelian philosophy-crafted a bold and original philosophical interpretation of Torah and Judaism. His son Abraham Maimonides is a fascinating maverick whose Torah commentary mediates between the philosophical interpretations of his father, the contextual approach of Biblical exegetes such as Saadya, and the Sufi-flavored illuminative mysticism of his Egyptian Pietist circle. This pioneering study explores the intersecting approaches of Moses and Abraham Maimonides to the spark of divine illumination and revelation of the divine name Ehyeh asher Ehyeh, "I am that I am / I will be who I will be.

Kabbalah in America includes chapters from leading experts in a variety of fields and is the first-ever comprehensive treatment of the title subject from colonial times until the present. Until recently, Kabbalah studies have not extensively covered America, despite America's centrality in modern and contemporary formations. There exist scattered treatments, but no inclusive expositions. This volume most certainly fills the gap. It is comprised of 21 articles in eight sections, including Kabbalah in Colonial America; Nineteenth-Century Western Esotericism; The Nineteenth-Century Jewish Interface; Early Twentieth-Century Rational Scholars; The Post-War Counterculture; Liberal American Denominationalism; Ultra-Orthodoxy, American Hasidism and the 'Other'; and Contemporary American Ritual and Thought. This volume will be sure to set the tone for all future scholarship on American Kabbalah.

In Tafsir as Mystical Experience, Todd Lawson shows how the Quran may be engaged with for meaning and understanding, the usual goal of mystical exegesis, and also how it may be engaged with through tafsir in a quest for spiritual or mystical experience. In this earliest of the Bab's extended works, written before his public claim to be the return of the hidden Imam, the act of reading is shown to be something akin to holy communion in which the sacred text is both entrance upon and destination of the mystic quest. The Quran here is a door to an "abode of glory" and an abiding spiritual encounter with the divine through the prophet, his daughter Fatima and the twelve Imams of Ithna-'ashari Shi'ism who inhabit the letters, words, verses and suras of the Book. Cover calligraphy by Burhan Zahrai of Quran 53:11

Integrating patristics and early Jewish mysticism, this book examines Gregory of Nyssa's tabernacle imagery, as found in Life of Moses 2. 170-201. Previous scholarship has often focused on Gregory's interpretation of the darkness on Mount Sinai as divine incomprehensibility. However, true to Exodus, Gregory continues with Moses's vision of the tabernacle 'not made with hands' received within that darkness. This innovative methodology of heuristic comparison doesn't strive to prove influence, but to use heavenly ascent texts as a foil, in order to shed new light on Gregory's imagery. Ann Conway-Jones presents a well-rounded, nuanced understanding of Gregory's exegesis, in which mysticism, theology, and politics are intertwined. Heavenly ascent texts use descriptions of religious experience to claim authoritative knowledge. For Gregory, the high point of Moses's ascent into the darkness of Mount Sinai is the mystery of Christian doctrine. The heavenly tabernacle is a type of the heavenly Christ. This mystery is beyond intellectual comprehension, it can only be grasped by faith; and only the select few, destined for positions of responsibility, should even attempt to do so.

Modern Spiritual Masters Series. Selections and a short biography offer the wisdom of the Anglican writer, an outstanding voice in twentieth-century spirituality and a modern pioneer in the mysticism of everyday life.

Jeg baerer pa en hemmelighet. En fryktelig hemmelighet, som har rykket meg ut av meg selv. En grufull hemmelighet, som har isolert meg fra menneskene rundt meg. En forferdelig hemmelighet, som skal vederfares alt folket Jeg har levd mitt liv sa stilltiende som mulig, for ikke a vekke ham. Jeg har bestrebet meg pa et sa normalt liv som mulig, for ikke a terge ham. For sa lenge han sover, kan jeg leve i fred. Sa lenge han ikke vekkes, kan vi alle leve videre. Dog folger hennes stemme meg stadig, paminnende om min kunnskap. Hun sier det er min plikt a huske hans dunkle hemmelighet, for at ikke mennesket skal ga til grunne; for hans sovn vil ikke vare til evig tid. Hun er min muse, hun er erindringens stemme. Hun ber meg nedtegne den store beretning om Guds sanne natur..

This is no ordinary reprint of common magical squares found in Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Not even close This Occult Encyclopedia contains hundreds of new magical squares based on secret esoteric techniques developed by master sages of the ancient Near East. Did you know that there are four forms of each magic square corresponding with each of the Elements? Did you know that from each square you can extract up to 8 Angels and 8 Genies that are specific to THAT square? Did you know there is a secret mathematical code embedded in all magic squares? There is much more to the art of magic squares than even the most seasoned modern-day ceremonial magician is aware of. The Occult Encyclopedia of Magical Squares contains information that will make a difference in how you approach talismanic magic. It also contains hundreds of ready and finished squares for: Archangels and Angels of the Zodiac Archangels and Angels of the Planets Planetary Intelligences and Spirits Olympic Spirits Lords of Zodiacal Triplicities by Day and Night Angels Ruling the 12 Houses Angels of Astrological Decanates and Quinances You will get hundreds of magic squares to facilitate the evocation and aid of over 200 spiritual beings. This book is a must-have for serious seekers, no matter which magical tradition you follow.

An interdisciplinary study of the supernatural and the occult in fin-de-siecle France (1870-1914), the present volume examines the explosion of interest in devil-worship, magic and mysticism both from a historical perspective and through analysis of key literary works of the period.