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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Religious experience
"Know Thyself." Such was the advice constantly offered over 2,000
years ago by the famed Greek Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. It was
given in response to those who sought her counsel regarding the
course their destiny was likely to take. It is still sound advice
for most of us in the modern world. To come to "really" know
oneself-discover one's distinctive temperament and
character-requires frequent self-scrutiny. It is well nigh
impossible to know what makes one "tick" without recognizing the
nature of one's attitudes and responses to life in the outside
world, while also acknowledging the highly personal inner
psychological drives of feeling, thought and imagination. The
consciousness that impels us is psychologically deep and
wide-ranging. The search for the essential Self requires a
"Sherlock Holmes" mentality and discipline: it's a hell of a job to
unify outer and inner "consciousnesses." This book should help.
Every chapter can be seen and read as its own "story" describing an
especially significant aspect of consciousness. Cumulatively, they
are meant to help readers attain a sense of their own
body-mind-spirit complexes and "who" they are as entities unto
themselves. And then to ask the question as to where "reality" is
to be found: in the mental life of thoughts and feelings. . . or in
physical encounters with the material world of time and space?
Al-Ghazali (d. 505/1111) is one of the most influential thinkers of
Islam. There is hardly a genre of Islamic literature where he is
not regarded as a major authority. Islamic Law, Sufism, ethics,
philosophy, and theology are all deeply shaped by him. Yet in the
past thirty years, the field of Ghazali-studies has been shaken by
the realization that Avicenna (Ibn Sina, d. 428/1037) and other
philosophers had a strong influence on him. Now, after the 900th
anniversary at his death, the field emerges stronger than ever.
This second volume of Islam and Rationality: The Impact of
al-Ghazali brings together twelve leading experts on al-Ghazali who
write about his thought and the impact it had on later Muslim
thinkers. Contributors are: Anna Ayse Akasoy, Ahmed El Shamsy,
Kenneth Garden, Frank Griffel, Jules Janssens, Damien Janos, Taneli
Kukkonen, Stephen Ogden, M. Sait OEzervarli, Martin Riexinger,
Ulrich Rudolph, and Ayman Shihadeh.
Practical Mysticism is an outstanding guide to experiencing and
understanding mystical experiences by renowned scholar Evelyn
Underhill. Underhill's books are appreciated and praised to this
day by scholars and enthusiasts of spiritualism, and even
psychologists seeking explanation of the spiritual component of
human behaviour. In Practical Mysticism, the author introduces and
unveils key tenets of mysticism for the ordinary reader. Highly
inclusive, Underhill proposes that the spiritual discoveries and
self-discovery of mysticism are available to every person, and that
all it takes is the will and persistence to embark on the voyage.
Although praised for her work on Christian mysticism, Underhill is
careful to note that her general take on spiritual experiences is
not tied to one, or indeed any, formal religion. Rather she is of
the opinion that the journey to spiritual awakening is a vital one
for those wishing to better understand and come to terms with the
complex universe we live in.
While the churches are emptying, other virtual religious places -
as the religious websites - seem to be filling up. The researcher
focusing on religion and internet or digital religion as an object
of study must seek answers to a number of questions. Is
computer-mediated religious communication a particular
communication process whose object is what we conventionally call
religion? Or is it a modern, independent form of religious
expressiveness that finds its new-born status in the web and its
particular language? To examine the questions above, and others,
the book collects more empirical data, claiming that the Internet
will have a specific or novel impact on how religious traditions
are interpreted. The blurring of previous boundaries
(offline/online, virtual/local, illegitimate/legitimate religion)
is another theme common to all the contributions in this volume.
Fifty-Two Weeks with God is composed of fifty-two meditations on
God, God's creation, and men and women who gave their lives for
others. The book begins with New Year, the time we think of what we
have done before and repent and resolve to correct ourselves. We
sit in awe at God's magnificent creation and what He has done for
us. We meditate on the lives of others who felt the call to follow
Christ and care for those in need. We meditate on the innocent
children whose characters and beliefs we mold as we care for them
by word and deed. We meditate on the spirit of God, the spirit of
love and truth. We meditate on God's promise for us to be with him
in the warmth of his love for eternity if we follow His example and
teaching.
"Whatever is true, whatever is good, whatever is honorable,
whatever is of good report. Whatever is lovely, whatever is pure;
think on these things (Philippians 4:8)."
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