Poet, artist, visionary and author of the unofficial English national anthem 'Jerusalem', William Blake is an archetypal misunderstood genius. In this radical new biography, we return to a world of riots, revolutions and radicals, discuss movements from the Levellers of the sixteenth century to the psychedelic counterculture of the 1960s, and explore the latest discoveries in neurobiology, quantum physics and comparative religion to look afresh at Blake's life and work - and, crucially, his mind. Taking the reader on wild detours into unfamiliar territory, John Higgs places the bewildering eccentricities of a most singular artist into context and shows us how Blake can help us better understand ourselves.

Focusing on Rumi, the best-selling Persian mystical poet of the 13th century, this book investigates the reception of his work and thought in North America and Europe - and the phenomenon of 'Rumimania' - to elucidate the complexities of intercultural communication between the West and the Iranian and Islamic worlds. Presenting tens of examples from the original and translated texts, the book is a critical analysis of various dimensions of this reception, outlining the difficulties of translating the text but also exploring how translators of various times and languages have performed, and explaining why the quality of reception varies. Topics analysed include the linguistic and pragmatic issues of translation, comparative stylistics and poetics, and non-textual factors like the translator's beliefs and the political and ideological aspects of translation. Using a broad theoretical framework, the author highlights the difficulties of intercultural communication from linguistic, semiotic, stylistic, poetic, ethical, and sociocultural perspectives. Ultimately, the author shares his reflections on the semiotic specificities of Rumi's mystical discourse and the ethics of translation generally. The book will be valuable to scholars and students of Islamic philosophy, Iranian studies, and translation studies, but will appeal to anyone interested in the cultural dichotomies of the West and Islam.

From the man who has inspired millions of people to transform their lives and create their heart's desire comes his latest book on seeking and embracing the power source within. Deepak Chopra has made clear his conviction that it is within the potential of every human being to live an enriching, self-aware, magnificent life. But to reach that state of empowerment is a difficult task, calling for courage, will power and - often - guidance.

In Self-Power, Chopra offers that guidance and encouragement, while inspiring his readers to take their lives into their own capable hands no matter what challenges they may confront, be they job loss, financial difficulties, relationship issues, health problems or spiritual questions.

Faithful. Triune. Beyond comparison. Triumphant over all. These words barely begin to describe the God we serve, yet he invites us to have a relationship with him. What could be more important than knowing this all-surpassing God? These five easy-to-use studies, based on J. I. Packer's bestselling classic Knowing God, explore the character and actions of God throughout Scripture. They encourage us to look for God every time we read the Bible and to deepen our understanding, trust, and worship in response. As companions to the IVP Signature Collection, IVP Signature Bible Studies help individuals and groups explore and apply biblical truths. Each session features an insightful quotation by Packer matched with a Scripture passage, reflection questions, and application ideas that will equip readers to gain a fuller knowledge of the God we worship. A leader's guide and list of suggested resources are also included.

What Are Spiritual Gifts? The subject of spiritual gifts can seem complicated: Who has spiritual gifts--"spiritual people" or everybody? What are spiritual gifts anyway? Understanding Spiritual Gifts takes you straight to God's Word to discover answers from the Gift-Giver Himself. As you dig into Bible passages about God's design for each of us, you'll find out that spiritual gifts aren't complicated--but they are life-changing. Here you will uncover what spiritual gifts are, where they come from, who has them, how they are received, and how they work within the church. As you study, you will have a new vision for how you can use your God-given gifts to bring hope to your home, your church, and a hurting world. 40 Minutes a Week Could Change Your Life! The 40-Minute Bible Studies series from the teaching team at Precept Ministries International tackles the topics that matter to you. These inductive study guides, designed to be completed in just six 40-minute lessons with no homework required, help you discover for yourself what God says and how it applies to your life today. With the leader's notes and Bible passages included right in the book, each self-contained study is a powerful resource for personal growth and small-group discussion.

A "brilliant and fascinating" (Eben Alexander, MD, author of Proof of Heaven) exploration-rich with powerful personal stories and convincing research-of the many ways the living can and do accompany the dying on their journey into the afterlife. In 2000, end-of-life therapist William Peters was volunteering at the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco when he had an extraordinary experience as he was reading aloud to a patient: he suddenly felt himself floating midair, completely out of his body. The patient, who was also aloft, looked at him and smiled. The next moment, Peters felt himself return to his body...but his patient never regained consciousness and died. Perplexed and stunned by what had happened, Peters began searching for other people who'd shared similar experiences. He would spend the next twenty years gathering and meticulously categorizing their stories to identify key patterns and features of what is now known as the "shared crossing" experience. The similarities, which cut across continents and cultures and include awe-inspiring visual and sensory effects, and powerful emotional aftershocks. The book is filled with "moving and tender" (Jack Kornfield, PhD, author of A Path with Heart) tales of spouses seeing their loved ones reach the other side after decades together and bereaved parents who share their children's entry into the afterlife. Applying rigorous research, Peters digs into the effects of these shared crossing experiences impart-liberation at the sight of a loved one finding joy, a sense of reconciliation if the relationship was fraught-and explores questions like: What can explain these shared death experiences? How can we increase our likelihood of having one? What do these experiences tell us about what lies beyond? And, most importantly, how can they help take away the string of death and better prepare us for our own final moments? How can we have both a better life and a better death?

Dubbed 'a heroic gate-crasher' by New York Times bestselling author Glennon Doyle, Brian McLaren explores reasons to leave or stay within the church and if so, how ... Do I Stay Christian? addresses in public the powerful question that surprising numbers of people - including pastors, priests and other religious leaders - are asking in private. Picking up where Brian's warmly received Faith After Doubt (2021) leaves off, Do I Stay Christian? is not McLaren's attempt to persuade Christians to dig in their heels or run for the exit. Instead, he combines his own experience with that of thousands of people who have confided in him over the years to help readers make a responsible, honest, ethical decision about their religious identity. There is a way to say both yes and no to the question of staying Christian, McLaren says, by shifting the focus from whether we stay Christian to how we stay human. If Do I Stay Christian? is the question you're asking - or if it's a question that someone you love is asking - this is the book you've been waiting for. 'Brian's new book on remaining Christian knocks it out of the ballpark in terms of framing and naming the questions. I cannot stop reading it. Thank you, Brian!' Fr Richard Rohr, OFM, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, author of The Universal Christ

St. Augustine, Thomas Merton, Fredrick Buechner, Evelyn Underhill, A.W. Tozer, G.K. Chesterton, Thomas More, Martin Luther King, Jr., Amy Carmichael, Simone Weil, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Hildegard of Bingen, John Milton, Dorothy Day, Leo Tolstoy, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and more. . .

From nearly two thousand years of Christian writing comes Spiritual Classcs,fifty-two selections complete with a profile of each author, guided meditations for group and individual use, and reflections containing questions and exercises. Editors Richard Foster and Emilie Griffith offer their expertise by selecting inspirational writings and including their own commentary and recommendations for further guided reading and exploration.

The Mysticism and Magic of Tarot Cards and the Passion of Italian Illustration in One Enchanted Deck#1 New Release in Mysticism Tarot cards, witchcraft, and magical folklore. There is an invisible population living in our midst-enchanted "little people" including elves, fairies, and other magical creatures. They exist all over the world, and while they may be called by a variety of names, their mystical qualities are the same. Rider-Waite tarot deck quality. This exquisitely illustrated set of 78 tarot cards made in the Rider-Waite-Smith standard reveals the magical stories of these mystical creatures to help us better understand both them and ourselves. Illustrated by Otto Gabos, a celebrated Italian comic artist and illustrator, Faeries and Enchanted Creatures is a unique gift for collectors and tarot card enthusiasts. Tarot card magic from a scholar. The guidebook that accompanies the tarot cards describes the peculiarities of the magical creatures in the card deck in detail. It is authored by Francesca Matteoni, a scholar with expertise in the history of religion, anthropology of magic and witchcraft, and mysticism and magic in the Renaissance. She teaches at American universities in Florence, Italy and holds workshops on tarot cards, fables, and poetry. In this 78 tarot card deck and guidebook, find: Creatures related to well-known traditions, such as the Leprechaun-Magician or the Anguana-High Priestess in the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana Tarot card expertise and Italian craftsmanship An ideal companion for self-exploration and insight If you are new to tarot card magic or a fan of The Rider Tarot Deck, Light Seer's Tarot, or The Modern Witch Tarot Deck, Faeries and Enchanted Creatures: Tarot Card Magic and Mysticism (78 Tarot Cards and Guidebook) is for you.

It has been argued that the mystical Sufi form of Islam is the most sensitive to other cultures, being accommodative to other traditions and generally tolerant to peoples of other faiths. It readily becomes integrated into local cultures and they are similarly often infused into Sufism. Examples of this reciprocity are commonly reflected in Sufi poetry, music, hagiographic genres, memoires, and in the ritualistic practices of Sufi traditions. This volume shows how this often-side-lined tradition functions in the societies in which it is found, and demonstrates how it relates to mainstream Islam. The focus of this book ranges from reflecting Sufi themes in the Qur'anic calligraphy to movies, from ideals to everyday practices, from legends to actual history, from gender segregation to gender transgression, and from legalism to spiritualism. Consequently, the international panel of contributors to this volume are trained in a range of disciplines that include religious studies, history, comparative literature, anthropology, and ethnography. Covering Southeast Asia to West Africa as well as South Asia and the West, they address both historical and contemporary issues, shedding light on Sufism's adaptability. This book sets aside conventional methods of understanding Islam, such as theological, juridical, and philosophical, in favour of analysing its cultural impact. As such, it will be of great interest to all scholars of Islamic Studies, the Sociology of Religion, Religion and Media, as well as Religious Studies and Area Studies more generally.

Analyzing the intersection between Sufism and philosophy, this volume is a sweeping examination of the mystical philosophy of Muhyi-l-Din Ibn al-'Arabi (d. 637/1240), one of the most influential and original thinkers of the Islamic world. This book systematically covers Ibn al-'Arabi's ontology, theology, epistemology, teleology, spiritual anthropology and eschatology. While philosophy uses deductive reasoning to discover the fundamental nature of existence and Sufism relies on spiritual experience, it was not until the school of Ibn al-'Arabi that philosophy and Sufism converged into a single framework by elaborating spiritual doctrines in precise philosophical language. Contextualizing the historical development of Ibn al-'Arabi's school, the work draws from the earliest commentators of Ibn al-'Arabi's oeuvre, Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi (d. 673/1274), 'Abd al-Razzaq al-Kashani (d. ca. 730/1330) and Dawud al-Qaysari (d. 751/1350), but also draws from the medieval heirs of his doctrines Sayyid Haydar Amuli (d. 787/1385), the pivotal intellectual and mystical figure of Persia who recast philosophical Sufism within the framework of Twelver Shi'ism and 'Abd al-Rahman Jami (d. 898/1492), the key figure in the dissemination of Ibn al-'Arabi's ideas in the Persianate world as well as the Ottoman Empire, India, China and East Asia via Central Asia. Lucidly written and comprehensive in scope, with careful treatments of the key authors, Philosophical Sufism is a highly accessible introductory text for students and researchers interested in Islam, philosophy, religion and the Middle East.

This is a chronological history of the Sufi tradition, divided in to three sections, early, middle and modern periods. The book comprises 35 independent chapters with easily identifiable themes and/or geographical threads, all written by recognised experts in the field. The volume outlines the origins and early developments of Sufism by assessing the formative thinkers and practitioners and investigating specific pietistic themes. The middle period contains an examination of the emergence of the Sufi Orders and illustrates the diversity of the tradition. This middle period also analyses the fate of Sufism during the time of the Gunpowder Empires. Finally, the end period includes representative surveys of Sufism in several countries, both in the West and in traditional "Islamic" regions. This comprehensive and up-to-date collection of studies provides a guide to the Sufi tradition. The Handbook is a valuable resource for students and researchers with an interest in religion, Islamic Studies and Middle Eastern Studies.

Prayer Journal for Women: 52 Weeks Scripture, Devotional, & Guided Prayer Journal includes Scripture verses, reflections on the Word, and journaling prompts to guide your walk with God and strengthen your faith. Verses are organized thematically: Love & Inner Beauty - Provision & Faithfulness - God's Love - Adversity & Trials - Awe & Sovereignty - Strength Through Faith - Fear - Grace & Forgiveness A perfect companion for individual worship or for group Bible study, this 12-month journal features: A generous 8 x 10 trim size with plenty of space to write Four full pages for each week of the year Original illustrations on each page by author and artist Shannon Roberts Each week includes: Scripture - An inspiring Bible verse to reflect and meditate on throughout your week, giving you time to memorize the verse and ingrain it into your heart and soul. Reflect - A "Reflect" page with thoughts and questions prompted by the weekly Scripture verse, along with space to record your own thoughts and responses. Journal - Two full pages to journal your praise for God, your prayer requests, the things on your heart, and how you wish to be taught and guided, as well as a Bible verse about the power of prayer. Answered Prayers - A tracker with space to record your prayers, so you can see how God moves in your life throughout the course of a year.

Find calm 365 days of the year with this little book of tips and quotes. It'll transport you to a peaceful place, where you can focus on being present and reap the rewards of a more relaxed life. Staying calm is about how you deal with your emotions, and this little book is here to help you pinpoint what makes you stressed so you can stay in charge of your feelings. Within these pages are simple but effective tips on how to: Use breathing techniques and meditation to help you feel grounded Practise mindfulness to avoid catastrophizing Improve your health and well-being for a happier mind As well as its many practical ideas, 365 Days of Calm includes a range of insightful quotes, from Lao Tzu to Cara Delevingne, to help restore the peace in your day. Learning how to create calm in your life will boost your well-being, mental health and inner strength, helping you to become a happier and healthier person.

Focuses on one particular treasure from surviving Persian manuscripts in India. Addresses controversial topics in religion, such as the struggles between Shi'a and Sunni Muslims, and the controversies between Shuhudis and Wujudis. Clarifies and systematizes 'Andalib's Sufism.

An Ignatian Spirituality Reader is a collection of the finest short essays on Ignatian spirituality and its founder, Ignatius Loyola. The eighteen offerings are conveniently organized by theme. George Wl. Traub, SJ, provides an introduction, suggested further readings, and a short glossary of key terms and concepts for each section. The selections compiled here are written by a veritable "Who's Who" of Ignatian spirituality experts (including Howard Gray, SJ; William A. Barry, SJ; Dennis Hamm, SJ; Ron Hansen; and many others). The entries will be of particular interst to those involved in all forms of Jesuit ministry, but also to any lay individual seeking to broaden his or her understanding of Ignatian practices and principles.

The Good News is still good news.

We live in a time of constant crisis -- of anxiety and insecurity. We are unsure of who and what to trust, no matter how anchored and seemingly untouchable the source.

The Catholic Church is certainly no stranger to this controversy, and for many people it is the very source of one's crisis. For all these reasons, we ask ourselves the haunting question, "Why do we believe?"

Father Benedict J. Groeschel knows that asking "Why believe?" can be an important and positive step toward deepening one's relationship with Christ and His Church. The popular author, psychologist, and teacher knows firsthand the doubts and questions experienced on every journey of faith -- as well as the answers people seek. Focusing on how the Good News is still good news, Father Groeschel offers clear and concise answers about science, about Scripture, and about the Church itself.

Renew your faith in God, in Christ, and in the Church.

"I Am With You will bring peace and consolation to all who read it." Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster During his work as a hospital chaplain, John Woolley received many words of divine encouragement from the Lord during prayer. He has passed on these words in a series of titles which have inspired and uplifted tens of thousands, even changed their lives. I Am With You was first published in 1985 as a hardback, and since 2005 has been published in paperback. This is the first in the series of devotional books of "heart whispers" which John Woolley received. Companion volumes published by O-Books are Abide in My Love, I Am With You; for Young People and the Young At Heart, Many Mansions and My Burden is Light.