A preeminent scientist -- and the world's most prominent atheist -- asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11.
With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence. The God Delusion makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong but potentially deadly. It also offers exhilarating insight into the advantages of atheism to the individual and society, not the least of which is a clearer, truer appreciation of the universe's wonders than any faith could ever muster.

The Witchcraft Reader offers a wide range of historical perspectives on the subject of witchcraft in a single, accessible volume, exploring the enduring hold that it has on human imagination. The witch trials of the late Middle Ages and the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries have inspired a huge and expanding scholarly literature, as well as an outpouring of popular representations. This fully revised and enlarged third edition brings together many of the best and most important works in the field. It explores the origins of witchcraft prosecutions in learned and popular culture, fears of an imaginary witch cult, the role of religious division and ideas about the Devil, the gendering of suspects, the making of confessions and the decline of witch beliefs. An expanded final section explores the various "revivals" and images of witchcraft that continue to flourish in contemporary Western culture. Equipped with an extensive introduction that foregrounds significant debates and themes in the study of witchcraft, providing the extracts with a critical context, The Witchcraft Reader is essential reading for anyone with an interest in this fascinating subject.

The author developed this booklet from talks that were held for members of the Anthroposophical Society. These became occasions for many to question potential membership of the First Class in a more conscious way, and for some to take the decisive step of entering the Michael School. 'This experience gave rise to the occasion for printing this lecture separately for interested individuals, as a stimulus to consider their relationship to the Michael School on Earth against the background of the karma that guides human beings in their present incarnation to anthroposophy. In this sense, the present text may well be an aid for some interested individuals to grasp to its full extent the unique significance of the establishment of the Esoteric School - carried out as it was by Rudolf Steiner based on the Michael Spirit - so as to gain the courage and will to become a member out of full inner conviction.' (From the Preface)

'The Pistis Sophia' is a sophisticated and deeply mystical teaching given by Jesus about the suffering of Sophia as she attempts to ascend to the highest spiritual truth. This scripture is remarkable for its profound mysticism, its clear rebuke of unethical behaviour and its perspective on the spiritual role of women. Having read this text, it becomes very clear why the established religious powers attempted to obliterate the Gnostics, but failed. Study of this teaching, also, inspires a re-evaluation of how the Christian Gospels have been interpreted for centuries.

Many individuals with autism are highly intelligent and gifted, but some are effectively imprisoned in their bodies and unable to communicate verbally. However, developments in technology have enabled autistic people to transmit their thoughts directly. In this true account, three autistic people, two of them brothers, speak via the method of 'facilitated communication', with the aid of a computer keypad. What is conveyed are not just everyday thoughts and experiences, but surprising and sometimes shattering spiritual and metaphysical perceptions. The conversations reveal remarkable clairvoyant gifts, such as the ability to read other people's thoughts, to see past lives, and to communicate with supernatural entities. Erik speaks of a past life during the Second World War, and the horrendous experience of being killed at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. As a result of this, his soul had no desire to reincarnate on earth - although he also describes encounters with Christ, and how these eventually led to his present life. Andreas speaks of his perceptions of elemental beings - nature spirits - and how we can develop more intimate contact with such entities, for example through special kinds of music. He also describes Christ's workings in nature as well as his Second Coming. Each of the interviewees discuss meditation and how it can engender vital spiritual processes and perceptions. Together, their insights provide an astonishing glimpse into the way some people with autism appear to experience the world, and how their knowledge can enrich our own. Additional interviews with educators and therapists, working with people with disabilities in the autistic spectrum, give a broad view of progressive and inspirational educational methods.

Speaking to audiences in Denmark, Germany and France, Rudolf Steiner discusses a wide range of topics: from positive and negative human soul capacities, true self-knowledge and karma, to changes in human consciousness, from ancient times to the modern era - all in the context of the incarnation of Christ on earth. The lectures illustrate the diversity of Steiner's approach when speaking to different audiences. Reflecting on the polymath Novalis, for example, he is urgent about the responsibility of spiritual science to help humanity awaken to the new age. A few months later, talking of Hegel and deploring the fact that an interest in spiritual matters often fails to be accompanied by an equal interest in logical thought, Steiner uses a dispassionate, philosophical tone. But throughout the lectures he is consistent in his view that spiritual science does not reject conventional science. Trained philosophical thinking leads to different conclusions than materialism, he says, but there is nothing in the field of spiritual science that need be rejected by rigorous scientific thought. Although the lectures were given to a variety of audiences, ideas recur from different perspectives and in different contexts, with strong thematic links binding them together. These include the relationship between philosophy and science; the nature of clairvoyance; Christ's presence in the etheric realm; reincarnation and karma; the mystery drama The Portal of Initiation; Christmas and its symbols; and the transformation of consciousness that occurred when Christ incarnated physically on earth. In the final lectures, Rudolf Steiner speaks inspiringly about the Christmas festival, contrasting the feeling of inwardness that people used to experience with the hectic cultural environment of modern cities. However, this does not lead Steiner to be nostalgic about the past. Rather, he states, we should seek to recreate a mood of inwardness in a new way, appropriate to our modern age and consciousness. These lectures give us the tools to bring such a contemporary spiritual approach to our lives.

Science and Magic in the Modern World is a unique text that explores the role of magical thinking in everyday life. It provides an excellent psychological look at the subconscious belief in magic in both popular culture and society, as well as experimental research that considers human consciousness as a derivative of belief in the supernatural, thus showing that our feelings, emotions, attitudes and other psychological processes follow the laws of magic. This book synthesises the science of 'natural' phenomena and the magic of the 'supernatural' to present an interesting look at the juxtaposition of the inner and outer selves. Fusing research into psychological disorders, subconscious feelings, as well as the rising presence of artificial intelligence, this book demonstrates how an engagement with magical thinking can enhance one's creativity and cognitive skills. Science and Magic in the Modern World is an invaluable resource for those studying consciousness, as well as those looking at the effect of magical thinking on religion, politics, science and society.

As religion and politics become ever more intertwined, relationships between religion and political parties are of increasing global political significance. This handbook responds to that development, providing important results of current research involving religion and politics, focusing on: democratisation, democracy, party platform formation, party moderation and secularisation, social constituency representation and interest articulation. Covering core issues, new debates, and country case studies, the handbook provides a comprehensive overview of fundamentals and new directions in the subject. Adopting a comparative approach, it examines the relationships between religion and political parties in a variety of contexts, regions and countries with a focus on Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism and Hinduism. Contributions cover such topics as: religion, secularisation and modernisation; religious fundamentalism and terrorism; the role of religion in conflict resolution and peacebuilding; religion and its connection to state, democratisation and democracy; and regional case studies covering Asia, the Americas, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa. This comprehensive handbook provides crucial information for students, researchers and professionals researching the topics of politics, religion, comparative politics, secularism, religious movements, political parties and interest groups, and religion and sociology.

In 1996, a revered Hawaiian elder befriended an American anthropologist, and from their rare and intimate rapport, something miraculous emerged. Through the words and teachings of the kahuna wisdom-keeper Hale Makua, Dr. Hank Wesselman was gifted with an enhanced perspective into the sacred knowledge of ancient Hawaii. Before his passing, elder Makua encouraged Dr. Wesselman to convey much of what had passed between them to the wider world, giving him permission to share his spiritual knowledge. Now, with The Bowl of Light, you are invited to share in the sacred wisdom of one of the world's most powerful indigenous traditions, including:

• The Bowl of Light how we can restore our natural divine radiance
• The three directives of the spiritual warrior love with humility, live with reverence, and know with self-discipline
• Rituals for communing with nature, receiving wisdom from the spirit world, purifying our consciousness, and more
• The Ancestral Grand Plan exploring the path our ancestors set in motion millennia ago, and how the Plan is playing out across the world today

Im Mittelpunkt des Bandes steht die eingehende Kommentierung der ersten beiden Bucher des Adamantius-Dialogs, eines wichtigen antimarkionitischen Textes aus dem 4. Jahrhundert. Grundlage ist eine neue kritische Lesung des Textes der Handschrift codex Venetus gr. 496, da die GCS-Ausgabe von Bakhuyzen (1901) bekanntermassen fehlerhaft ist. Die ausfuhrliche Einleitung behandelt den gesamten Dialog einschliesslich, unter anderem, Text- und Quellenkritik und historischem Hintergrund.

Using the events of 9/11 and Pearl Harbor as his backdrop, T.H. Meyer studies questions of reality, truth and evil, offering important new perspectives. He shows that Anglo-American political practice (influenced by secret societies such as Skull and Bones) is based on an ideology of polarity and conflict. Meyer offers instances of this tendency, encouraging what Huntington famously referred to as a 'clash of civilizations'. For example, a week before George Bush senior spoke in Congress about the need for a 'new world order', a 'humorous' cartoon map in the Economist divided the world's continents into religious and philosophical blocks, creating a new region called 'Islamistan'. In 1997, Brzezinski wrote openly of US geostrategic plans, stating that it would be hard to achieve such goals 'except in the circumstances of a truly massive and widely perceived direct external threat'. This, apparently, was granted with the events of 9/11, and the subsequent launch of a 'war on terror'. The immediate comparisons, led by George W. Bush, with Pearl Harbor demand a reassessment of the events of 1941. Meyer points to conclusive evidence which suggests that Roosevelt deliberately provoked the attacks and failed to pass on intelligence to US Navy chiefs. Could it be possible that certain members of the US elite likewise deliberately remained passive before 9/11? Why, only two weeks after the attacks, were celebrations held at CIA headquarters in which Bush profusely thanked the secret services '...on behalf of the American people'? In contrast to the divisive thinking and 'conflict-management' of leading representatives of the Anglo-American elite (inspired by a contorted reading of some basic insights of the philosopher Hegel), the author shows how the holistic approach of Rudolf Steiner and Mabel Collins offers a radical, alternative way to deal with polarities, leading to the overcoming of conflict.

Salomos Oder er en poetisk skatt fra tidlig kristen mysterietradisjon. De ble skrevet i tiden mellom Jesu' dod og 300-tallet. Dette verket er i sin poetiske form gjennomtrukket av ekstatisk mystikk og andelig kjaerlighet, og er derfor saeregent for sin samtid. Odenes opphav er imidlertid fortsatt uklar, selv om de kan synes a vaere pavirket av en urkristen tradisjon som gikk under betegnelsen gnostisisme, pa grunn av vektleggingen av den mystiske og andelige erkjennelsen. Verket forsvant imidlertid for middelalderen, og ble regnet som tapt, i likhet med tekstene til mange andre tidlige kristne retninger. Ved en tilfeldighet ble de gjenfunnet, og brakt til England, hvor Rendel Harris oppdaget dem i 1909, uten at noen visste hvilken poetisk skatt de hadde brakt med seg fra Midtosten. Rendel Harris, som oppdaget odene i den usorterte forsendelsen, oversatte Salomos Oder til engelsk. Hundre ar etter presenteres Odene i norsk oversettelse, slik at de kan vaere til glede og inspirasjon for nye lesergrup

Emil Bock lectured widely on Rudolf Steiner after the Second World War, and during the course of his research he uncovered many previously unknown aspects of Steiner's life. The Life and Times of Rudolf Steiner brings together the two volumes of this insightful work, which were previously available separately, in one comprehensive book. Part one introduces the great range of people who surrounded and influenced Steiner. Bock tracked down the mysterious 'Felix the herb gatherer', from Steiner's youth, and describes the Viennese social circles and coffee houses frequented by Steiner in his student days. He also details Steiner's meeting with Friedrich Nietzsche, and the various literary, artistic and eccentric people from Steiner's time in Berlin. Part two reveals some of the themes and ideas in Steiner's work - the early years of Jesus, the Christmas festival and the break from the Theosophical Society to the Anthroposophical Society - as well as exploring the nature of destiny. Bock also examines the circle of people around Steiner at this time and, using Steiner's ideas on karma and reincarnation, draws interesting parallels with Rome, Byzantium, Ephesus and the Grail Castle.

A-ha! Working through a topic or question, a shaft of sudden inspiration hits. The cloud of fragmented ideas and thoughts clear as a whole picture begins to form coherently in your mind. What you have now worked out - in an unexpected, exciting eureka moment - will stay with you forever. All teachers seek this experience for their students. Liz Attwell explores theories of education to argue that traditional teaching, 'filling buckets', must be replaced by dynamic, progressive teaching that promotes active learning - not just 'lighting a fire', but knowing how to lay the sticks and finding the matches too. This progressive approach seeks to create a basis for inner awakening and original insight, in order for students ultimately to come to their own a-ha moments. In A Drop of Light, Liz Attwell presents her original research into the phenomenon of a-ha moments, offering a theoretical background as well as practical advice to give teachers the tools, lesson plans, anecdotes and inspiration to bring living thinking to their own classrooms. Goethe's approach and Rudolf Steiner's pedagogical ideas make an important contribution, but Attwell advises that teachers following Steiner's philosophy should enter into dialogue with educators from other backgrounds. Working together, enlightened teachers around the world can help schools and colleges to become true learning communities.

The warmth and humanity of this collection of Judge's letters has inspired many seekers on the Path. In clear, compelling language, the author shows that in our search for spirit, the need is not to escape the world but to help transform it through our constant effort to be compassionate, resolute, and wise in daily life.

New Religious Movements: Challenge & Response is the most comprehensive, wide-ranging study on the global impact of new religions.
* New religions discussed include Hare Krishna, Sikh Dharma, The Unification Church, The Church of Scientology, The Jesus People and Wicca.
* Focuses on the rise of new religious movements in Italy, Brazil, United States, Germany and Britain. * The contributors are among the most respected and reputable experts in the field.

In God as Reason: Essays in Philosophical Theology, Vittorio Hoesle presents a systematic exploration of the relation between theology and philosophy. In examining the problems and historical precursors of rational theology, he calls on philosophy, theology, history of science, and the history of ideas to find an interpretation of Christianity that is compatible with a genuine commitment to reason. The essays in the first part of God as Reason deal with issues of philosophical theology. Hoesle sketches the challenges that a rationalist theology must face and discusses some of the central ones, such as the possibility of a teleological interpretation of nature after Darwin, the theodicy issue, freedom versus determinism, the mindbody problem, and the relation in general between religion, theology, and philosophy. In the essays of the second part, Hoesle studies the historical development of philosophical approaches to the Bible, the continuity between the New Testament concept of pneuma and the concept of Geist (spirit) in German idealism, and the rationalist theologies of Anselm, Abelard, Llull, and Nicholas of Cusa, whose innovative philosophy of mathematics is the topic of one of the chapters. The book concludes with a thorough evaluation of Charles Taylor's theory of secularization. This ambitious work will interest students and scholars of philosophical theology and philosophy of religion as well as historians of ideas and science.

The Gnostic World is an outstanding guide to Gnosticism, written by a distinguished international team of experts to explore Gnostic movements from the distant past until today. These themes are examined across sixty-seven chapters in a variety of contexts, from the ancient pre-Christian to the contemporary. The volume considers the intersection of Gnosticism with Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Indic practices and beliefs, and also with new religious movements, such as Theosophy, Scientology, Western Sufism, and the Nation of Islam. This comprehensive handbook will be an invaluable resource for religious studies students, scholars, and researchers of Gnostic doctrine and history.

Book Three of the Law of One builds on the information presented in Books One and Two, continuing the exploration of the nature and balancing of the energy centers or chakras, sexual energy transfers, healing, reincarnation, meditation, and Wanderers. The nature of psychic prophecy is explored in Book Three, as are the nature and ramifications of what are usually called psychic attacks. A good deal of information is given on the principles of ritual magic in general and white magic in particular, and a beginning is made in the study of the archetypical mind, which is the mind of the Logos and serves as a kind of blueprint for our evolutionary process and which serves as the foundation concept for each of our individual minds.

Gnosticism is far more than an ancient Christian and Jewish heresy. It arises in many religions as the belief in a radical dualism both in human beings and the cosmos: immateriality is perceived as good and matter as evil. In the modern age, Gnosticism is very much alive, focused on the belief that human beings are alienated from their true selves. Modern Gnosticism continues to espouse a radical dualism, but this can take a psychological, social and political, rather than a metaphysical form. Among the writers and thinkers of the last two centuries who can be labelled Gnostics are: Hegel, Blake, Goethe, Schelling, Emerson, Melville, Byron, Yeats, Hesse and Toynbee. This text is a collection of 16 essays illuminating Gnosticism in its relation to such issues as Jungian thought, the nature of evil, the place of the feminine, communism and fascism, existentialism, Christian scriptures, Kafka and Buddhism.

I 1460 kom munken Leonardo de Pistoia til Cosimo de Medicis hoff i Italia, med en samling greske traktater. Disse skulle vise seg for ettertiden a bli grunnsteinen i den sakalte hermetiske laere. Tekstenes hovedperson er den mytiske vismannen Hermes Trismegistus som har likhetstrekk med sa vel Bibelens Moses som romernes Merkur og egypternes Thoth. Det er disse traktatene som for ettertiden er blitt kalt Corpus Hermeticum, og som apenbarer en personlig erkjennelseslaere. Verket har i arhundrene etter det ble tilgjengliggjort gatt sin seiersgang gjennom filosofiske og religiose kretser. Det har fascinert, inspirert og provosert, og tekstenes rikdom har en dybde som evner a gripe sa vel forskere, som menn og kvinner pa soken etter andelig veiledning pa livets stier, pa vei mot menneskets fullbyrdels

Rudolf Steiner painted his Archetypal Plant watercolour in 1924, at a time when contemporary scientific methodologies were emerging and nature was being examined under the microscope. In contrast to the dissecting tendencies of natural science, however, Steiner's painting depicts the living, dynamic potential which stands behind the plant - lifting us out of the specific genus and providing an image of the growing and formative forces inherent within each individual plant. Researching Rudolf Steiner's painting of the Archetypal Plant can help reconnect our outer sense-perceptions with the inner realm of imaginative cognition, releasing us from the spell of matter. To support and enliven such research work and processes, Angela Lord surveys her subject-matter from various aspects, including the historical, evolutionary relationships we share with plants; the representation of plants in art and architecture; plant myths and legends; poetry inspired by flower imagery; cosmic aspects of nature, including earth's relationships to the sun, moon, planets and stars; formative, creative forces of colours and their relationships to plant forms; and finally, working artistically and painting the Archetypal Plant motif itself. In developing a broad overview, the author forms a deeper, more complete picture of the plant world, paying homage to its diverse characteristics, and stimulating new perceptions and perspectives. This book is richly illustrated with full-colour images.