Recent years have seen increasing numbers of Protestant and Catholic Christians converting to Eastern Orthodox Christianity. In this book D. Oliver Herbel examines Christian converts to Orthodoxy who served as exemplars and leaders for convert movements in America during the twentieth century. These convert groups include Carpatho Rusyns, African Americans, and Evangelicals. Religious mavericks have a long history in Americaa tradition of being anti-tradition. Converts to orthodoxy reject such individualism by embracing an ancient form of Christianity even as they exemplify it by choosing their own religious paths. Drawing on archival resources including Rusyn and Russian newspapers, unpublished internal church documents, personal archives, and personal interviews, Herbel presents a close examination of the theological reasons for the exemplary converts' own conversions as well as the reasons they offered to persuade those who followed them. He considers the conversions within the context of the American anti-tradition, and of racial and ethnic tensions in America. This book offers the first serious investigation of this important trend in American religion and the first in-depth investigation of any kind of African-American Orthodoxy.

Central to the Christian life is the practice of prayer. But what, theologically speaking, is going on when we pray? What does prayer have to do with religious belief and action? Does prayer make a difference? Prayer: A Guide for the Perplexed addresses these and other key questions regarding the Christian theology of prayer. Beginning with Evagrius of Ponticus's 'On Prayer', Ashley Cocksworth finds in this early document a profound expression of the 'integrity' of the experience of prayer and theological thought. Seeking throughout to integrate systematic theology and the spirituality of prayer, individual chapters explore the meaning of some of the core doctrines of lived Christian faith - the Trinity, creation, providence, and the Christian life - as they relate to the practice of prayer. Complete with an annotated bibliography of sources on prayer to promote further reading, this volume appeals to academics and general readers alike.

A volume in Transforming Education for the Future Series Editors Jing Lin, University of Maryland and Rebecca L. Oxford, Alabama A & M University This book will expand the horizon of higher education, helping students, faculty and administrators to return to their roots and be in touch with their whole being. This book stresses that learning is much more than just accumulating knowledge and skills. Learning includes knowing ourselves-mind, body, and spirit. The learning of compassion, care, and service are as crucial or even more important in higher education in order for universities to address students' individual needs and the society's needs. Higher education must contribute to a better world. The book acknowledges that knowing not only comes from outside, but also comes from within. Wisdom is what guides students to be whole, true to themselves while learning. There are many ancient and modern approaches to gaining wisdom and wellness. This book talks about contemplative methods, such as meditation, qigong, yoga, arts, and dance, that help people gain wisdom and balance in their lives and enhance their ability to be reflective and transformative educators and learners.

In this easy-to-read, biblically based book, Gwendolyn Crumbly takes you on a journey through her struggle to identify, accept, and seek healing from personal struggles. Desperately seeking inner peace, she faced adversity, criticism, and multiple emotional challenges. If you are faced with recurring problems that seem to keep you stuck in the maze of repetitive destructive behaviors, hobbling along yet going nowhere, you just may be suffering from the "Mephibosheth Syndrome." The Word of God will lead you to the King's table and return you to your place of divine inheritance. You are about to embark on a true spiritual journey. This book is for anyone who is ready to be healed from their brokenness and start a new life fully restored.

"The Egypt Experience" is an uplifting, inspirational book. A book that will inspire the reader to forge ahead and never to give up when faced with difficult or adverse situations. "The Egypt Experience" gives us to know that somewhere in our lives we will face some rough times but that God will always be there to see us through until the end and that we are never alone. "The Egypt Experience" gives the readers the blessed assurance that God is still in control of our lives and He will always protect and provide for His children.

"Does God Exist? Yes, Here Is the Evidence" considers one of life's most enduring questions. To find an answer, Hendrick Park follows a trail of evidence that uncovers arguments for the existence of God in the characteristics of the natural world, in the moral and religious experiences of people's lives, and in the knowledge contained in divine revelation.

Presented in three parts corresponding to the types of evidence, this exploration draws upon the work of a variety of scientists, philosophers, and theologians. In addition, narratives of Park's personal encounters with the actions of God in his own life provide illustrations that amplify the conclusions expressed by authorities in the various fields of thought.

If you believe in God, but wonder about the reasons for faith that reside in the natural world, human experience, and divine revelation, then "Does God Exist? Yes, Here Is the Evidence" will help to strengthen the foundations of your faith. By asking this one big question-does God exist-you may find yourself asking and then seeking answers to other deep questions about your ultimate destiny with God. "Does God Exist? Yes, Here Is the Evidence" will serve as your guide along the way.

From the dawning of time, human beings have been spiritual in nature. Every person has an inborn spiritual self to discover. The universe gives everyone clues that can potentially alter and shape their life, but they are often missed or not fully understood.

We are living in an age of spirit, and spirit's desire is to inspire, guide and transform every life. Dancing in the Streets seeks to put you in touch with the language of spirit and enhance your personal connection to the divine. Through synchronistic and spiritual stories and anecdotes, author Nina Darrell offers openings into the language of spirit in new ways. Learn how to interpret spirit's guidance for your life, and discover where spirit has been leading you all along.

You can be inspired and engage with a universe that is always willing to teach and communicate with you. Are you ready to learn?