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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Religious institutions & organizations
The teacher probes the Western problems of conformity and loss of personal values while offering a fresh approach to self-understanding and the meaning of personal freedom and mature love.
Detailed study of monastic life of the English white canons, based
on 15c visitation records. Monasteries were a dominant feature of
the landscape of medieval England, but although much critical
attention has been devoted to them, comparatively little has been
written on the thirty abbeys of the English
Premonstratensians[`White Canons'], a gap which this book, the
first detailed study since the early 1950s, seeks to fill. Centred
upon the remarkable visitation records of Richard Redman [d.1505],
commissary-general and visitor of the English Premonstratensian
abbeys, it covers topics such as the foundation and development of
the English Premonstratensian province; Redman's visitation of the
Premonstratensian abbeys; conventual food and clothing;
misdemeanours, such as sexual immorality and apostasy; liturgical
observances; spirituality and learning; and English
Premonstratensian libraries. It thus offers evidence for the
vitality of the English Premonstratensians, as well as
re-evaluating their monastic observances.
Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved and well-known
saints in the Catholic church. In this biography, G. K. Chesterton
relays the unique and inspirational life of the humble saint.
Starting life as a wealthy young man full of life and spirit,
Francis soon joined the war between Assisi and Perugia and
returned, ill and downtrodden. He ended up joining the papal forces
and after witnessing a poor man begging for alms his spirit was
renewed and he was inspired to start a new life of humble poverty.
Though not yet officially part of the Catholic papacy, Francis soon
amassed a following in Assisi and traveled to Rome to get approval
from Pope Innocent III to form what is known today as the
Franciscan Order. The Order devotes themselves to living in poverty
yet giving generously to the needy. Today, Saint Francis is the
patron saint of animals and ecology, having showed his love for all
of God's creation early in his life. This new edition of the
biography of Saint Francis will be an inspiration for all readers,
secular and religious alike.
'Touching Cloth can be compared to Adam Kay's This Is Going to Hurt
and the writings of the Secret Barrister' Observer 'I laughed my
way through this... Funny, fascinating, and gorgeously humane'
Marina Hyde 'Funny and touching in equal measure' Tom Holland A
laugh-out-loud memoir of becoming a 21st-century priest, Touching
Cloth is also a love letter to the Prayer Book, Liverpool,
funerals, cake tins, lager and, above all, to what the Church of
England can be at its best. The very word 'reverend' inspires
solemnity. To be a priest is to dedicate one's life to quiet prayer
and spiritual contemplation. Isn't it? Fergus Butler-Gallie reveals
what it's like to become a priest in the twenty-first century. Find
out why black really is slimming, how to keep a straight face when
someone is inadvertently hot-boxing a funeral, and which
royal-themed biscuit tin can best contain a very loud personal
alarm that no one knows how to switch off. Spot a sweet old lady
trying to pay for a taxi with coinage from fascist Spain?
Congratulations, shepherd, she's your problem now. Behind the daily
scrapes is an all-too-human love letter to the Church of England,
and the amazing variety of people who manage to keep it going,
providing a listening ear, company and community at a time when so
many people desperately need it, as well as a reflection on what it
means to follow a spiritual path amid the chaos of the modern
world.
25th Anniversary Edition Over 3 Million Copies Sold 'I couldn't
give this book a higher recommendation' BILLY CONNOLLY Written by
the Buddhist meditation master and popular international speaker
Sogyal Rinpoche, this highly acclaimed book clarifies the majestic
vision of life and death that underlies the Tibetan Buddhist
tradition. It includes not only a lucid, inspiring and complete
introduction to the practice of meditation, but also advice on how
to care for the dying with love and compassion, and how to bring
them help of a spiritual kind. But there is much more besides in
this classic work, which was written to inspire all who read it to
begin the journey to enlightenment and so become 'servants of
peace'.
From his many births to his deathbed deeds, this authoritative
biography unites the Buddha of history with the Buddha of legend in
a bid to reveal the lasting spiritual relevance at the heart of the
Buddhist tradition. Acclaimed scholar John Strong examines not only
the historical texts, but also the supernatural accounts that
surround this great religious figure, uncovering the roots of many
Buddhist beliefs and practices. Accompanied by helpful charts and
tables, and drawing on a vast array of primary sources, the text
also features such key topics as: biographical accounts from all
the Buddhist schools, an analysis of the Buddha's enlightenment,
the life of the Buddha as depicted by Buddhist art and rituals, and
the relics of Siddhartha Gautama, and how they continue his story,
even after his lifetime.
A practical and inspiring approach to tackling our environmental
crisis, from a master spiritual teacher. We can heal our earth by
choosing a simpler, more fulfilling lifestyle, as trustees of a
compassionate universe. Eknath Easwaran presents a penetrating
analysis of the spiritual roots of our current predicament and
offers a realistic and hopeful way forward. Each of us has a role
to play in making wise choices, and each of us can genuinely make a
difference. Drawing inspiration and insight from Mahatma Gandhi,
Saint Francis, and his own experience of living in the East and the
West, Easwaran shows the connections between individual thoughts
and actions that move beyond consumerism to the unity of life.
Mahatma Gandhi formulated a series of diagnoses of our seemingly
perpetual state of crisis, which he called "the seven social sins":
knowledge without character, science without humanity, wealth
without work, commerce without morality, politics without
principles, pleasure without conscience, and worship without
self-sacrifice. Easwaran explores each of these diagnoses in turn
and presents an alternative hypothesis of who we are and how we fit
into the universe. This is ecology as a great adventure, filled
with the challenges and rewards of inner growth. Easwaran tells us
that "once we open our eyes to cooperation, artistry, thrift, and
compassion, we begin to see thousands of little things we can do to
help restore the environment - and restore dignity and deeper
fulfillment to our own lives." Eknath Easwaran is renowned as a
teacher of meditation and for his translations of the Indian
scriptures. His writings express timeless spiritual insights and
are illustrated by stories from East and West. His books reflect
two cultures: India, where he grew up in a self-supporting agrarian
village, and the United States, where he taught and lectured for
over thirty years. His early experiences of living in harmony with
nature, his firsthand acquaintance with Gandhi's India, and his
long familiarity with an American audience have resulted in this
book: a deeply thoughtful examination of our present situation, and
a blueprint for living as trustees of a compassionate universe, in
a world that we would want our children and grandchildren to
inherit.
The first book written about Mongolian and Siberian shamanism by a
shaman trained in that tradition.
- A thorough introduction to Mongolian and Siberian shamanic
beliefs and practices, which, until the collapse of the Soviet
Union, were banned from being practiced.
- Includes rituals for healing and divination techniques.
In traditional Mongolian-Buryat culture, shamans play an important
role maintaining the tegsh, the "balance" of the community. They
counsel a path of moderation in one's actions and reverence for the
natural world, which they view as mother to humanity. Mongolians
believe that if natural resources are taken without thanking the
spirits for what they have given, those resources will not be
replaced. Unlike many other cultures whose shamanic traditions were
undermined by modern civilization, shamans in the remote areas of
southern Siberia and Mongolia are still the guardians of the
environment, the community, and the natural order.
"Riding Windhorses" is the first book written on Mongolian and
Siberian shamanism by a shaman trained in that tradition. A
thorough introduction to Mongolian/Siberian shamanic beliefs and
practices, it includes working knowledge of the basic rituals and
various healing and divination techniques. Many of the rituals and
beliefs described here have never been published and are the direct
teachings of the author's own shaman mentors.
This book is devoted to resonant energy conversion in power
electronics. It is a practical, systematic guide to the analysis
and design of various dc-dc resonant inverters, high-frequency
rectifiers, and dc-dc resonant converters that are building blocks
of many of today's high-frequency energy processors. Designed to
function as both a superior senior-to-graduate level textbook for
electrical engineering courses and a valuable professional
reference for practicing engineers, it provides students and
engineers with a solid grasp of existing high-frequency technology,
while acquainting them with a number of easy-to-use tools for the
analysis and design of resonant power circuits. Resonant power
conversion technology is now a very hot area and in the center of
the renewable energy and energy harvesting technologies.
Keeping Religious Institutions Secure explores the unique
vulnerabilities that churches, synagogues, and mosques face in
regards to security, making them attractive to criminals who see
them as easy targets. The text illustrates why all places of
worship should think about security and the types of breaches that
can drive people away. The book focuses on the most frequent
security concerns experienced by houses of worship, including
embezzlement, vandalism, assault, hate crime, and in rare cases, an
active shooter-and how to help prevent them from occurring.
Beginning with an overview of the basic security concepts and
principles that can enhance the security of any religious facility,
it then delves deeply into the particular security concerns of
houses of worship, including the use of volunteers, protecting
religious leaders, ensuring safety for children and teens,
interacting with local law enforcement, handling the media, and
much more.
Pastors and counselors regularly minister to people whose marriages
or families are in crisis. Tempers run high and feelings are
brought low when a marriage is hurting or a family is in disarray.
Pastors and counselors need practical, biblical help in order to
connect their theological training to the reality of modern messy
relationships. These how-to training manuals provide relevant,
user-friendly equipping for pastors, counselors, lay leaders,
educators, and students, enabling them to competently and
compassionately relate God's Word to marriage and family life.
This is the standard Book of Common Prayer and Administration of
the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church
together with The Psalter or Psalms of David according to use in
the Episcopal Church in the United States as authorized in 1979.
Irreconcilable differences drive the division between progressive
and conservative Christians-is there a divorce coming? Much
attention has been paid to political polarization in America, but
far less to the growing schism between progressive and conservative
Christians. In this groundbreaking new book, George Yancey and
Ashlee Quosigk offer the provocative contention that progressive
and conservative Christianities have diverged so much in their core
values that they ought to be thought of as two separate religions.
The authors draw on both quantitative data and interviews to
uncover how progressive and conservative Christians determine with
whom they align themselves religiously, and how they distinguish
themselves from each other. They find that progressive Christians
emphasize political agreement relating to social justice issues as
they determine who is part of their in-group, and focus less on
theological agreement. Among conservative Christians, on the other
hand, the major concern is whether one agrees with them on core
theological points. Progressive and conservative Christians thus
use entirely different factors in determining their social identity
and moral values. In a time when religion and politics have never
seemed so intertwined, One Faith No Longer offers a timely and
compelling reframing of an age-old conflict.
This companion to "History of the World Christian Movement explores
how varied and multi-cultural Christian origins and history really
are.
Exploring the subjectivity of the Qur'an's meaning in the world,
this book analyses Qur'anic referencing in Muslim political
rhetoric. Informed by classical Arabic-Islamic rhetorical theory,
the author examines Arabic documents attributed to the 'Abbasid
Caliph al-Ma'mun (r. 813-833), whose rule coincided with the
maturation of classical Islamic political thought and literary
culture. She demonstrates how Qur'anic referencing functions as
tropological exegesis, whereby verses in the Qur'an are
reinterpreted through the lens of subjective experience. At the
same time socio-historical experiences are understood in terms of
the Qur'an's moral typology, which consists of interrelated
polarities that define good and bad moral characters in mutual
orientation. Through strategic deployment of scriptural references
within the logical scheme of rhetorical argument, the Caliph
constructs moral analogies between paradigmatic characters in the
Qur'an and people in his social milieu, and situates himself as
moral reformer and guide, in order to persuade his audiences of the
necessity of the Caliphate and the religio-moral imperative of
obedience to his authority. The Ma'munid case study is indicative
of the nature and function of Qur'anic referencing across
historical periods, and thus contributes to broader conversations
about the impact of the Qur'an on the shaping of Islamic
civilization. This book is an invaluable resource for those with an
interest in Early Islamic History, Islam and the rhetoric of
contemporary Middle East regional and global Islamic politics.
The foundation of discipleship is sound, scriptural doctrine. The
value of sound doctrine is often misunderstood by the modern
church. While it can be dry and dull, when it flows from the story
of Scripture, it can be full of life and love. This kind of
doctrine, steeped in Scripture, is critical for disciple-making.
And it's often overlooked by modern pastors. In Hearers and Doers,
Kevin Vanhoozer makes the case that pastors, as pastor-theologians,
ought to interpret Scripture theologically to articulate doctrine
and help cultivate disciples. scriptural doctrine is vital to the
life of the church, and local pastor-theologians should be the ones
delivering it to their communities. With arresting prose and
striking metaphors, Vanhoozer addresses the most pressing problems
in the modern church with one answer: teach sound, scriptural
doctrine to make disciples.
This volume offers a comprehensive discussion of the contemporary
debates within political Islam, providing an in-depth analysis of
the specific movements, countries and regions in the Arab world and
Israel. The contributors contend that the evolution of Islamic
movements is contextual rather than ideological. Therefore, Islamic
movements are best understood individually within their own
historical, socio-political and cultural setting. Political Islam
is an essential reference for academics, researchers and the media,
as well as general readers with an interest in Islamic political
debates. Contributors include Abdullah Baabood, Youcef Bouandel,
Abdelwahab El-Affendi, Kamal Helbawy, Roel Meijer, Ibrahim
Moussawi, Tariq Ramadan, Tilde Rosmer, Murad Batal al-Shishani,
Sara Silvestri and Camille Tawil.
You ve heard lots of biblical answers, but the question remains . .
. How Do You Grow? Our desire to grow runs deep. Yet the issues in
our lives that we wish would change often stay the same, even with
our best efforts to build ourselves up spiritually. What does
growth look like---and how can we grow? Unpacking the practical and
passionate theology that forms the backbone of their counseling,
Drs. Henry Cloud and John Townsend shatter popular misconceptions
about how God operates and how growth happens. You ll discover
.What the essential processes are that make people grow .How those
processes fit into a biblical understanding of spiritual growth and
theology .How spiritual growth and real-life issues are one and the
same .What the specific tasks and tips are that will help pastors,
counselors, and others who assist people in growing---and what your
own responsibilities are in your personal growth Shining focused
light on the great doctrines and themes of Christianity, How People
Grow shows why all personal growth is spiritual growth. Designed
for use with How People Grow, the How People Grow Workbook will
help you translate biblical principles into a practical path of
growth in all the vital areas of your life---your relationship with
God, your marriage and family life, your friendships, your sticking
points, your personal development, and everything that life is
about. Suitable for personal or small group use, this fascinating,
hands-on volume is filled with true-life examples, questions for
reflection or discussion, Tips for Growers, and probing insights
that can help you experience the kind of change and growth you ve
longed for---and that Jesus has promised."
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