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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Non-Christian sacred works & liturgy
Much of the Old Testament narrates what it claims to be the history of Israel. However, a close reading of the biblical text in conjunction with other literary and archaeological evidence indicates that the "history" provided by the Old Testament is frequently inaccurate or untrue. Marc Zvi Brettler explores alternative ways of reading the biblical texts. Through an indepth analysis of texts from the "Book of Chronicles", "Genesis", "Deuteronomy", "Judges" and "Samuel", Brettler shows how the biblical historians were influenced by four key factors: typology, interpretation of earlier texts, satire and ideology. This work demonstrates how the historian, by taking account of this model of history writing, can start to piece together the history of ancient Israel using the Hebrew Bible as a source.
The wisdom of Buddhism is to be found in its Scriptures, and this book attempts to compile a selection from Buddhist writings. The Scriptures used by the Zen School of China and Japan are well represented, and chapters discuss such topics as the Buddha, Tibetan Buddhism, concentration and meditation, the Buddhist order, and Nirvana. In this anthology, the source of each item is given, whilst a glossary and index have been added.
The "Lotus of the Wonderful (or Mystic) Law" is the most important religious book of the Far East, and has been described as "The Gospel of Half Asia". It is also the chief scripture of Buddhism in China, and therefore the chief source of consolation of the many millions of Buddhists in East Asia. It is justifiable to consider it as one of the greatest and most formative books of the world, and the text is here translated for the use of the Western student whilst an endeavour is made to reveal the contour of the most spiritual drama known in the Far East.
This book investigates two matters which initially appear unconnected: the nature of Buddha's enlightenment and the meaning of Buddhist symbolism. It concludes that these are in fact connected because they ultimately deal with meditative practice. The authors examine the relationship that appears to exist between Buddhist meditative techniques and certain examples of Buddhist symbolism as found in the earliest Pali texts and in the so-called twilight language of the tantras. In doing so, they bring together two approaches of Buddhist hermeneutics which in the past have never been properly integrated: the meditative-descriptive approach and the scholarly-historical approach. The result is an original interpretation of the higher stages of the Buddhist path of enlightenment, and of key aspects of Buddhist cosmology and doctrine.
Jung's interest in the East was deep-rooted and life-long, and the
traditional teachings of China and India played an important role
in his personal and intellectual development, as well as in the
formations of the ideas and practices that are central to Jungian
psychology.
1997 was the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls explores the evidence about calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Hebrew Bible and other ancient Jewish texts. James C. VanderKam examines the pertinent texts, their sources and the different uses to which people put calendrical information in the Christian world. Calendars in the Dead Sea Scrolls provides a valuable addition to the Dead Sea Scrolls Series and contributes to the elucidation of the scroll texts themselves and their relation to other Biblical texts.
Love has always been the need. Jesus has always been the answer. "The world is hurting for love," writes pastor and Bible teacher Charles Stanley. "Because God is infinite and full of compassion, He heard our cries and responded in the form of a perfect gift, Jesus." Consider this simple truth: all the wonderful attributes of God would be meaningless unless God was also a "giver." He loves the world, and the evidence of that love is that he "gave" His Son. From this simple but profound premise, Dr. Stanley unfolds the riches of the giver and the glories of the gift. Stanley explores the many dimensions of God's generous nature, first in His character, then in the revelation of Himself through His Son, and finally in the impact of His magnificent gift. Written in a warm, daily devotional format, "A Gift of Love" will cause the height and depth of God's love to shine in your heart.
Heartbreaking losses can steal the cheer from anyone's life. But here's a way to overcome the tribulations that threaten your happiness and shadow your days. In this clever and inspirational book, experienced counselor and popular speaker Marilyn Meberg shows you how to triumph and choose to laugh instead of cry. With warm encouragement, contagious enthusiasm, and a dash of mischievous humor, she shares the powerful medicine of God's Word. As the light of His love courses through your heart, you'll soon find yourself agreeing: "I'd Rather Be Laughing "
The essence of the Christian life is Jesus-and when everything you do is aimed at glorifying Him, the life-changing consequences are limitless In this new trade paper edition, best-selling author Franklin Graham and Ross Rhoads offer thirty compassionate yet uncompromising devotionals that will inspire and challenge readers to embrace a life devoted to Jesus. Insightful and personal, "All For Jesus" helps readers develop the qualities of focused, wholehearted discipleship, while showing how to fully embrace a life lived all for Jesus.
Refractions of the Scriptural is a transdisciplinary collection of essays that seeks to construct a new field of scholarly inquiry with scriptures as a fraught category, analytical wedge, and site for excavation and problematization. The book focuses on the ways in which individual and social bodies manipulate-and are manipulated by- the politics and power encoded in language and formalized canonical knowledge. Scriptures, in this sense, function as complex phenomena that are instrumental to social conservatism as well as social critique and social change. The essays in this volume, written by established and up-and-coming scholars across a wide range of disciplines, seek to locate, engage, and interpret the ways in which the scriptural shapes and reshapes people and the dynamics of identity formation. The chapters are organized around four domains or types of inquiry: the cognitive, the conscientized, the inscriptive, and the formative. It will be of interest to scholars of religion, as well as those interested more broadly in critical social and historical studies.
""During my boxing career, you did not see the real Muhammad Ali.
You just saw a little boxing. You saw only a part of me. After I
retired from boxing my true work began. I have embarked on a
journey of love.""
Preface by R. J. Serjeant.
A radical reassessment of the role of Mary the mother of Jesus and other women in the early Church Despite the commonly held assumption that the Bible says little about the mother of Jesus, there are many indications that Mary preceded and inspired her son in fostering the emergence of a new faith community. In the Gospel of John, Mary instigates Jesus' first miracle, and in all four gospels she is present at the crucifixion, suggesting hers was a place of unparalleled importance in the Christian story. Setting aside presuppositions based on doctrine, Chris Maunder returns to the New Testament to answer the question 'Who was Mary?' He re-examines the virgin conception of Jesus, Mary's contribution to Jesus' ministry, and her central role in the events of the crucifixion and the resurrection. In so doing, Maunder casts a thought-provoking new light on Mary and the women, including Mary Magdalene, who stood alongside her.
A modernized, queer reading of the Torah In the Jewish tradition, reading of the Torah follows a calendar cycle, with a specific portion assigned each week. These weekly portions, read aloud in synagogues around the world, have been subject to interpretation and commentary for centuries. Following on this ancient tradition, Torah Queeries brings together some of the world's leading rabbis, scholars, and writers to interpret the Torah through a "bent lens". With commentaries on the fifty-four weekly Torah portions and six major Jewish holidays, the concise yet substantive writings collected here open up stimulating new insights and highlight previously neglected perspectives. This incredibly rich collection unites the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight-allied writers, including some of the most central figures in contemporary American Judaism. All bring to the table unique methods of reading and interpreting that allow the Torah to speak to modern concerns of sexuality, identity, gender, and LGBT life. Torah Queeries offers cultural critique, social commentary, and a vision of community transformation, all done through biblical interpretation. Written to engage readers, draw them in, and, at times, provoke them, Torah Queeries examines topics as divergent as the Levitical sexual prohibitions, the experience of the Exodus, the rape of Dinah, the life of Joseph, and the ritual practices of the ancient Israelites. Most powerfully, the commentaries here chart a future of inclusion and social justice deeply rooted in the Jewish textual tradition. A labor of intellectual rigor, social justice, and personal passions, Torah Queeries is an exciting and important contribution to the project of democratizing Jewish communities, and an essential guide to understanding the intersection of queerness and Jewishness.
The Mandate of Heaven was originally given to King Wen in the 11th century BC. King Wen is credited with founding the Zhou dynasty after he received the Mandate from Heaven to attack and overthrow the Shang dynasty. King Wen is also credited with creating the ancient oracle known as the Yijing or Book of Changes. This book validates King Wen's association with the Changes. It uncovers in the Changes a record of a total solar eclipse that was witnessed at King Wen's capital of Feng by his son King Wu, shortly after King Wen had died (before he had a chance to launch the full invasion). The sense of this eclipse as an actual event has been overlooked for three millennia. It provides an account of the events surrounding the conquest of the Shang and founding of the Zhou dynasty that has never been told. It shows how the earliest layer of the Book of Changes (the Zhouyi) has preserved a hidden history of the Conquest.
First published in 1995. The volume is divided into four sections: The introduction places the position of the Buddhist Tantras within Mahayana Buddhism and recalls their early literary history, especially the Guhyasamahatantra; the section also covers Buddhist Genesis and the Tantric tradition. Next is the he foundations of the Buddhist Tantras are discussed and the Tantric presentation of divinity; the preparation of disciples and the meaning of initiation; symbolism of the mandala-palace Tantric ritual and the twilight language. The third section explores the Tantric teachings of the inner Zodiac and the fivefold ritual symbolism of passion. The bibliographical research contains an analysis of the Tantric section of the Kanjur exegesis and a selected Western Bibliography of the Buddhist Tantras with comments.
"All of us can talk but very few of us communicate." Transform your marriage into the rich and joyful relationship you always reamed it could be-in just 10 minutes a day! With clarity, wit, and insight, Fred and Florence Littauer share from their thirty years of experience working with couples and offer practical advice on how to add zest and meaning to your relationship. In Daily Marriage Builders for couples, you and your spouse will find 120 appealing, quick-to-read chapters that help you: 1. Communicate without conflict Learn how to make time for each other despite your busy lifestyle Understand your personality differences Know God's plan for your life Stay faithful to each other Break down barriers to communications 2. Discover new ways to laugh together Turn talking into meaningful conversation Increase your understanding of each other's feelings, attitudes and motivators Strengthen the spiritual foundation of your marriage and nurture the bond between you Overcome common marriage problems Share cherished memories-and create new ones
The gospel writers were masters of 'Midrash', a popular literary technique in the ancient Jewish world. Midrash enables authors to promote their ideas by weaving them into well known biblical themes. The gospels contain coded, midrashic, messages that would have resonated with their contemporary Jewish audience. Approaching the "New Testament" from a midrashic perspective leads to a radically new picture of Jesus as a political leader. Not, as is often claimed a revolutionary against Roman occupation. One prominent theme, that of the Holy Grail, which is central to an understanding of the revolutionary agenda, was virtually (but not quite) written out the gospels, only to resurface in medieval Christian folk lore. The failure of Jesus' revolution came about, not with his crucifixion, but long before with the imprisonment and subsequent execution of John the Baptist, the only qualifying candidate for high office in the revolutionary scheme. From this time forward Jesus and his disciples faced an uphill struggle. Their ultimate demise was inevitable, and Jesus knew this, as the narrative bears out. |
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