Humorous anecdotes and touching insights inspire readers to reach out with encouragement to people who are hurting and need help. Learn how to make others feel special, mend broken dreams and share the affirming message of the gospel through encouragement.

Who and what are marriage and sex for? Whose practices and which ways of talking to god can count as religion? Lucinda Ramberg considers these questions based on two years of ethnographic research on an ongoing South Indian practice of dedication in which girls, and sometimes boys, are married to a goddess. Called "devadasis," or "jogatis," those dedicated become female and male women who conduct the rites of the goddess outside the walls of her main temple and transact in sex outside the bounds of conjugal matrimony. Marriage to the goddess, as well as the rites that the dedication ceremony authorizes "jogatis" to perform, have long been seen as illegitimate and criminalized. Kinship with the goddess is productive for the families who dedicate their children, Ramberg argues, and yet it cannot conform to modern conceptions of gender, family, or religion. This nonconformity, she suggests, speaks to the limitations of modern categories, as well as to the possibilities of relations--between and among humans and deities--that exceed such categories.

"Wisdom Wide and Deep" is a comprehensive guide to an in-depth training that emphasizes the application of concentrated attention ("jhana") to profound and liberating insight ("vipassana"). With calm, tranquility, and composure established through a practical experience of jhana meditators are able to halt the seemingly endless battle against hindrances, eliminate distraction, and facilitate a penetrative insight into the subtle nature of matter and mind. It was for this reason the Buddha frequently exhorted his students,
"Wisdom Wide and Deep" follows and amplifies the teachings in Shaila Catherine's acclaimed first book, "Focused and Fearless: A Meditator's Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity." Readers will learn to develop this profound stability, sustain an in-depth examination of the nuances of mind and matter, and ultimately unravel deeply conditioned patterns that perpetuate suffering. This fully detailed manual for the mind sure to become a trusted companion to many inner explorers.

For some, the idea of an Islamic state serves to fulfill aspirations for cultural sovereignty and new forms of ethical political practice. For others, it violates the proper domains of both religion and politics. Yet, while there has been much discussion of the idea and ideals of the Islamic state, its possibilities and impossibilities, surprisingly little has been written about how this political formation is lived. For Love of the Prophet looks at the Republic of Sudan's twenty-five-year experiment with Islamic statehood. Focusing not on state institutions, but rather on the daily life that goes on in their shadows, Noah Salomon's careful ethnography examines the lasting effects of state Islamization on Sudanese society through a study of the individuals and organizations working in its midst. Salomon investigates Sudan at a crucial moment in its history--balanced between unity and partition, secular and religious politics, peace and war--when those who desired an Islamic state were rethinking the political form under which they had lived for nearly a generation. Countering the dominant discourse, Salomon depicts contemporary Islamic politics not as a response to secularism and Westernization but as a node in a much longer conversation within Islamic thought, augmented and reappropriated as state projects of Islamic reform became objects of debate and controversy. Among the first books to delve into the making of the modern Islamic state, For Love of the Prophet reveals both novel political ideals and new articulations of Islam as it is rethought through the lens of the nation.

What we understand by the 'Middle East' has changed over time and across space. While scholars agree that the geographical 'core' of the Middle East is the Arabian Peninsula, the boundaries are less clear. How far back in time should we go to define the Middle East? How far south and east should we move on the African continent? And how do we deal with the minority religions in the region, and those who migrate to the West? Across this handbook's 52 chapters, the leading sociologists writing on the Middle East share their standpoint on these questions. Taking the featured scholars as constitutive of the field, the handbook reshapes studies on the region by piecing together our knowledge on the Middle East from their path-defining contributions. The volume is divided into four parts covering sociologists' perspectives on: * Social transformations and social conflict; from Israel-Palestine and the Iranian Revolution, to the Arab Uprisings and the Syrian War * The region's economic, religious and political activities; including the impact of the spread of Western modernity; the effects of neo-liberalism; and how Islam shapes the region's life and politics * People's everyday practices as they have shaped our understanding of culture, consumption, gender and sexuality * The diasporas from the Middle East in Europe and North America, which put the Middle East in dialogue with other regions of the world. The global approach and wide-ranging topics represent how sociologists enable us to redefine the boundaries and identities of the Middle East today.

Every thinking person wants to lead a life of meaning and purpose. For thousands of years, holy books have told us that such a life is available only through obedience and submission to some higher power. Today, the faithful keep popular devotionals and tracts within easy reach on bedside tables and mobile devices, all communicating this common message: "Life is meaningless without God." Former pastor Dan Barker eloquently, powerfully, and rationally upends this long-held belief in life-driven purpose. Offering words of enrichment, emancipation, and inspiration, he reminds us how millions of atheists lead happy, loving, moral, and purpose-filled lives. Practicing what he preaches, he also demonstrates through his own personal journey that life is valuable for its own sake--that meaning and purpose come not from above, but from within.

In Jezebel Unhinged Tamura Lomax traces the use of the jezebel trope in the black church and in black popular culture, showing how it is pivotal to reinforcing men's cultural and institutional power to discipline and define black girlhood and womanhood. Drawing on writing by medieval thinkers and travelers, Enlightenment theories of race, the commodification of women's bodies under slavery, and the work of Tyler Perry and Bishop T. D. Jakes, Lomax shows how black women are written into religious and cultural history as sites of sexual deviation. She identifies a contemporary black church culture where figures such as Jakes use the jezebel stereotype to suggest a divine approval of the "lady" while condemning girls and women seen as "hos." The stereotype preserves gender hierarchy, black patriarchy, and heteronormativity in black communities, cultures, and institutions. In response, black women and girls resist, appropriate, and play with the stereotype's meanings. Healing the black church, Lomax contends, will require ceaseless refusal of the idea that sin resides in black women's bodies, thus disentangling black women and girls from the jezebel narrative's oppressive yoke.

Of all Michael Ramsey's many books, The Christian Priest Today is perhaps the best loved and most enduring. The main part of the volume is composed of charges to ordination candidates, with an emphasis on the intellectual and devotional life of the minister in an increasingly self-sufficient world. Later chapters reflect on the ministry of the laity, the theology of priesthood and the roles of bishop and presbyter in the context of the practical meaning of divine vocation. 'Michael Ramsay's profound simplicity leaps off the page . . . The Christian Priest Today can be read with great and lasting benefit by anyone interested in this strange and magnificent vocation.' John Pritchard, author of The Life and Work of a Priest

"A deeply relatable, comforting guide for anyone who ever feels overwhelmed by parenthood . . . does not shy away from matters like the author's postpartum depression, loneliness, and financial strain. This authenticity sets Even God Had Bad Parenting Days apart from other parenting books." --Leah Grisham, The Jewish Book Council "Heartfelt, funny, and poignant" --The Jewish Review "A multidimensional work of meditation and love" --Mikhal Wiener, Lilith New parents get overwhelmed, regularly pushed to their limits and confused by contradictory feelings of elation and near-despair. To soothe the frazzled and lift their spirits, writer and Bible scholar Alicia Jo Rabins has created "Even God Had Bad Parenting Days: ancient Jewish wisdom for new parents." Humorous, self-reflective, and comforting, Rabins' musings on both heartening and cringe-worthy biblical examples of parenting can help any caregiver see beyond the detritus of day-to-day living with young children and recapture a sense of wonder at the process of raising small humans. Parents do worry about their failed attempts to be perfect, and these short, personal essays can lead them to new perspectives and even to embrace a vital concept that English psychologist and pediatrician D.W. Winnicott called "the good enough parent." The supportive and inspirational writings of this gentle parenting book can help any soul embarked upon this wild, sacred work recognize the wisdom of poet Norman Fischer's advice that "the only transcendence is fully embracing the ups and downs." This collection draws on Alicia Jo Rabins' years of experience as a writer, Bible scholar, and feminist Jewish educator, and is based on her popular series of articles on parenting for Kveller.

With its five thematic sections covering genres from cantorial to classical to klezmer, this pioneering multi-disciplinary volume presents rich coverage of the work of musicians of Jewish origin in the Polish lands. It opens with the musical consequences of developments in Jewish religious practice: the spread of hasidism in the eighteenth century meant that popular melodies replaced traditional cantorial music, while the greater acculturation of Jews in the nineteenth century brought with it synagogue choirs. Jewish involvement in popular culture included performances for the wider public, Yiddish songs and the Yiddish theatre, and contributions of many different sorts---technical and commercial as well as creative---in the interwar years. Chapters on the classical music scene cover Jewish musical institutions, organizations, and education; individual composers and musicians; and a consideration of music and Jewish national identity. One section is devoted to the Holocaust as reflected in Jewish music, and the final section deals with the afterlife of Jewish musical creativity in Poland, particularly the resurgence of interest in klezmer music. The essays in this collection do not attempt to to define what may well be undefinable---what 'Jewish music' is. Rather, they provide an original and much-needed exploration of the activities and creativity of 'musicians of the Jewish faith'. CONTRIBUTORS: Eliyana R. Adler, Michael Aylward, Slawomir Dobrzanski, Paula Eisenstein-Baker, Beth Holmgren, Sylwia Jakubczyk-Sleczka, Daniel Katz, James Loeffler, Michael Lukin, Filip Mazurczak, Bozena Muszkalska, Julia Riegel, Ronald Robboy, Robert Rothstein, Joel E. Rubin, Adam J. Sacks, Amanda (Miryem-Khaye) Seigel, Eleanor Shapiro, Carla Shapreau, Tamara Sztyma, Bella Szwarcman-Czarnota, Joseph Toltz, Maja Trochimczyk, Magdalena Waligorska, Bret Werb, Akiva Zimmerman

Life today is full of difficulties--loss, sadness, fear. In the midst of these challenges, joy often feels impossible or out of reach. But Jesus has more for His followers than a life of striving, pain, and discontent. If you love Jesus Calling, you'll enjoy Jesus Always. With Scripture and personal reflections, the #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Young brings Jesus' message of joy--for today and every day with this 365-day devotional. Jesus Always has sold over 2 million copies! This leathersoft large deluxe edition: Is perfect for gifting Is a keepsake for regular readers Includes easy-to-read large type, and full Scriptures By taking the time to draw near to Him with Jesus Always, you will discover how to: Intimately and gently connect with Jesus--the One who meets you where you are Identify joy-filled reminders from the Word of God Process challenging situations, anxiety, and grief with a hopeful outlook Strengthen your faith and create a deeper bond with Jesus Written as if Jesus Himself is speaking directly to the reader, Jesus Always invites you into a new way of living--a life of joy.

Originally published: Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman & Holman Pub., c2010.

Tell Me a Story: 30 Children's Sermons Based on Best-Loved Books, the fourth book of children's sermons created by Vos Wezeman and Liechty, is designed for clergy and lay leaders to use in preaching to children from kindergarten through upper-elementary school. This creative resource links the ordinary Sundays and special days of the church year to best-loved children's books such as I'll Always Love You; The Selfish Giant; Miss Fannie's Hat; and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, to name a few.

Laura Story's husband, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumor early in their
marriage. In a moment their life plans changed drastically. After wondering about
their ability to be parents and a struggle with infertility, Laura gave birth to three
children, including twin boys, in three years' time. Then a sonogram at thirty-seven
weeks revealed an unexpected issue with their fourth child.

No life is without trouble, but when you face one challenging situation after another,
your days can begin to feel desperately hopeless. But for God . . . who truly uses all
things for our good, every circumstance can become a perfect opportunity to
demonstrate how much we can trust him. The very act of completely surrendering our
will to His can become the one act that will change your life forever.

In I Give Up, Laura uses her story to show why surrender to God is important and
how we can go about doing it. She shares how surrendering expectations is not a
step-by-step process but a willful decision to wait on God, trusting that He and His
word are true.

In this six-session study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately) she explains:

• why surrender is a good thing
• what we surrender exactly
• whom we surrender to
• how we surrender
• how our surrender affects the lives of others
• what we gain when we let go

Though surrender sometimes flies in the face of our instincts, hopes, and dreams, it's
never without benefit. A surrendered life includes the surprise of a truly full and
satisfying existence where trust is reasonable, reconciliation is possible, and
relationships can heal.

Designed for use with the I Give Up Video Study (sold separately).

"Al-Ghazali on the Manners Relating to Eating" is the eleventh chapter of the "Revival of the Religious Sciences" (Ihya Ulum al-Din), which is widely regarded as the greatest work of Muslim spirituality. In "Al-Ghazali on the Manners Relating to Eating", Abu Hamid al-Ghazali helps to bring to light the religious and spiritual dimensions of one of the most basic of human needs: eating and the conduct connected with it.---First, Ghazali discusses what a person must uphold when eating by himself: that the food is lawful, that both the person and the surroundings should be clean, that one must be content with what is available, and how the person should conduct himself while eating and after eating. Ghazali then proceeds to discuss eating in company and says that to all the above should be added the necessity of courtesy, conversation and the proper presentation of food. Finally, Ghazali expounds the virtues of hospitality and generosity and the conduct of the host as well as that of the guest. Other topics that are discussed are: abstention from food, fasting and general health. Whilst the focus of this chapter of the "Revival" is upon the question of eating, Ghazali also presents the importance of aligning every aspect of one's life with religion and spirituality. Referring extensively to the example of the Prophet and to that of the early Sufis, Ghazali illustrates how the simple activity of eating can encourage numerous virtues that are themselves necessary for the remainder of the spiritual life.---In this new edition, the Islamic Texts Society has included the translation of Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's own Introduction to the "Revival of the Religious Sciences" which gives the reasons that caused him to write the work, the structure of the whole of the "Revival" and places each of the chapters in the context of the others.

"Politics of Piety" is a groundbreaking analysis of Islamist cultural politics through the ethnography of a thriving, grassroots women's piety movement in the mosques of Cairo, Egypt. Unlike those organized Islamist activities that seek to seize or transform the state, this is a moral reform movement whose orthodox practices are commonly viewed as inconsequential to Egypt's political landscape. Saba Mahmood's compelling exposition of these practices challenges this assumption by showing how the ethical and the political are indelibly linked within the context of such movements.

Not only is this book a sensitive ethnography of a critical but largely ignored dimension of the Islamic revival, it is also an unflinching critique of the secular-liberal assumptions by which some people hold such movements to account. The book addresses three central questions: How do movements of moral reform help us rethink the normative liberal account of politics? How does the adherence of women to the patriarchal norms at the core of such movements parochialize key assumptions within feminist theory about freedom, agency, authority, and the human subject? How does a consideration of debates about embodied religious rituals among Islamists and their secular critics help us understand the conceptual relationship between bodily form and political imaginaries? "Politics of Piety" is essential reading for anyone interested in issues at the nexus of ethics and politics, embodiment and gender, and liberalism and postcolonialism.

In a substantial new preface, Mahmood addresses the controversy sparked by the original publication of her book and the scholarly discussions that have ensued.