Reconceiving Religious Conflict deconstructs instances of religious conflict within the formative centuries of Christianity, the first six centuries CE. It explores the theoretical foundations of religious conflict; the dynamics of religious conflict within the context of persecution and martyrdom; the social and moral intersections that undergird the phenomenon of religious conflict; and the relationship between religious conflict and religious identity. It is unique in that it does not solely focus on religious violence as it is physically manifested, but on religious conflict (and tolerance), looking too at dynamics of religious discourse and practice that often precede and accompany overt religious violence.

Gnostic religion is the expression of a religious worldview which is dominated by the concept of Gnosis, an esoteric knowledge of God and the human being which grants salvation to those who possess it. Roelof van den Broek presents here a fresh approach to the gnostic current of Late Antiquity within its historical and religious context, based on sources in Greek, Latin and Coptic, including discussions of the individual works of preserved gnostic literature. Van den Broek explores the various gnostic interpretations of the Christian faith that were current in the second and third centuries, whilst showing that despite its influence on early Christianity, gnostic religion was not a typically Christian phenomenon. This book will be of interest to theologians, historians of religion, students and scholars of the history of Late Antiquity and early Christianity, as well as specialists in ancient gnostic and hermetic traditions.

'What would we be without love? We would inevitably become isolated and gradually lose all connection with our fellow human beings and our fellow creatures in the natural world.' - Rudolf Steiner In this rich, previously-untranslated collection of lectures, Rudolf Steiner approaches and illumines the figure of Christ from manifold directions and perspectives. Christ, the being of love, is for the body of the Earth what the heart is within our individual organism. Given throughout 1911 - the year before Rudolf Steiner split from the theosophists citing fundamental disagreements over the true nature of Christianity - the lectures reflect Steiner's intensifying emphasis on the central deed of the Christ being in Earth evolution, whilst in tandem demonstrating the truths of reincarnation and karma. He reveals profound vistas of human development and paths of advancement over many lifetimes, in which Christ is to be our steadfast companion and exemplar. Lectures include: 'Faith, Love, Hope'; 'Original Sin and Grace'; 'The Effect of Moral Qualities on Karma'; 'The Importance of Spiritual Enquiry for Moral Action'; 'Wisdom, Prayerfulness and Certainty in Life'; 'The Birth of the Sun Spirit as Earth Spirit'; 'The Threefold Call from the World of Spirit'; 'Christmas - A Festival of Inspiration'; 'The I at Work Upon the Child and How this Relates to the Christ Being'; 'Ossian and Fingal's Cave', and many more. Translated by Matthew Barton, this volume features an introduction, notes and index.

Magic: The Basics is a concise and engaging introduction to magic in world history and contemporary societies. Presenting magic as a global phenomenon which has manifested in all human cultures, this book takes a thematic approach which explores the historical, social, and cultural aspects of magic.

Key features include:

attempts to define magic either in universal or more particular terms, and to contrast it with other broad and potentially fluid categories such as religion and science;

an examination of different forms of magical practice and the purposes for which magic has been used;

debates about magic’s effectiveness, its reality, and its morality;

an exploration of magic’s association with certain social factors, such as gender, ethnicity and education, among others.

Offering a global perspective of magic from antiquity through to the modern era and including a glossary of key terms, suggestions for further reading and case studies throughout, Magic: The Basics is essential reading for anyone seeking to learn more about the academic study of magic.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction: A Magical World

Chapter 1: The Meanings of Magic

Chapter 2: Magical Acts

Chapter 3: Magic Contested and Condemned

Chapter 4: Magical Identities

Chapter 5: The Reality of Magic

Chapter 6: Magic in the Modern World

Glossary

Further Reading

In this practical guide to attaining your true Divine Identity, Denmark's leading spiritual teacher Lars Muhl reveals exactly how to connect with your magnificent inner power and attain your highest possible potential. Muhl invites us to join him on a journey to the Qumran Caves in the Judean desert to discover The Book of Asaph. The journey and the sacred text itself offer a breath-taking metaphor for the process of spiritual Enlightenment. Lars Muhl considers The Light Within a Human Heart his most profound and powerful work. It is for all who wish to embrace their endless magic and enter Heaven on earth, remaining beautifully Present despite the inevitable difficulties of life. When we move, breathe and live in our Inner Light, we have returned home.

In Freud's Early Psychoanalysis, Witch Trials and the Inquisitorial Method: The Harsh Therapy, author Kathleen Duffy asks why Freud compared his 'hysterical' patients to the accused women in the witch trials, and his 'psychoanalytical' treatment to the inquisitorial method of their judges. He wrote in 1897 to Wilhelm Fliess: 'I ... understand the harsh therapy of the witches' judges'. This book proves that Freud's view of his method as inquisitorial was both serious and accurate. In this multidisciplinary and in-depth examination, Duffy demonstrates that Freud carefully studied the witch trial literature to develop the supposed parallels between his patients and the witches and between his own psychoanalytic method and the judges' inquisitorial extraction of 'confessions', by torture if necessary. She examines in meticulous detail both the witch trial literature that Freud studied and his own case studies, papers, letters and other writings. She shows that the various stages of his developing early psychoanalytic method, from the 'Katharina' case of 1893, through the so-called seduction theory of 1896 and its retraction, to the 'Dora' case of 1900, were indeed in many respects inquisitorial and invalidated his patients' experience. This book demonstrates with devastating effect the destructive consequences of Freud's nineteenth-century inquisitorial practice. This raises the question about the extent to which his mature practice and psychoanalysis and psychotherapy today, despite great achievements, remain at times inquisitorial and consequently untrustworthy. This book will therefore be invaluable not only to academics, practitioners and students of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, literature, history and cultural studies, but also to those seeking professional psychoanalytic or psychotherapeutic help.

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.

What if our teeth are a reflection of who we are? What if dental problems such as toothache, decay and malpositioning illustrate the deep functioning of our true self? What if, by harmonizing our mouths, we could allay many of our physical and mental ills? After years of dental practice, Michel Montaud made a breakthrough that would change his life and work completely. Without being fully conscious of what he was doing, he engaged in a dental therapy which would prove to be remarkably effective, going beyond the simple framework of mouth and teeth to extend to the human being as a whole. This guided self-therapy, which he refers to as Dentosophy, is a true alternative to the drastic measures of extraction, surgery and orthodontics. From personal experience, the author states that this approach can even remedy ailments such as chronic rhinitis and otitis, eczema, allergies, asthma, back problems and sleep disorders. Montaud describes his personal journey of discovery, initially to help his suffering son. Now, after decades of experience and numerous eloquent clinical results, he demonstrates that this human-based approach to our mouth and teeth can stimulate, at any age, the extraordinary healing potential of our bodies. With case studies and supporting photographic evidence, he shows that Dentosophy improves the general health of patients, both physical and mental. This illustrated and accessible book offers an exciting new perspective on our teeth and their innate wisdom.

This is a book of encouraging insights pertinent to our times and needs. It covers hundreds of subjects relating to today's important issues, making this a book every student will treasure. It deals with such timely topics as: Where are the Sages and Seers, Shifting our Centre of Consciousness, Altruism, The Guardian Angel, Rules of Conduct, and Misuse of the Free Will and Kindness. The short, brilliant articles are gems of esoteric teaching that can be easily assimilated.

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831 91), writer, traveller and spiritualist, is well known for her role in nineteenth-century theosophy. Born in the Ukraine, Blavatsky travelled extensively and claimed to have spent seven years studying esoteric mysteries in Tibet. From 1863 she began working as a medium and later counted W. B. Yeats among her followers. In 1875 she founded the Theosophical Society with Henry Steel Olcott. Influenced by Eastern philosophy and the Templars, Freemasons and Rosicrucians, the Society aimed to unravel the occult mysteries of nature. First published in 1877, this book outlines theosophy's precepts. The book is a mishmash of Hermetic philosophy, Christian history and Asian theology, and was allegedly dictated astrally from authorities including Plato, Solomon and Roger Bacon. In Volume 1, Blavatsky addresses the 'infallibility of science', attacking the methods of Darwin and others by arguing that scientific truth can only be accessed through occult understanding.

Recent theological scholarship has shown increasing interest in patristic exegesis. The way early Christians read scripture has attracted not only historians, but also systematic and exegetical scholars. However, the Christian reading of scripture before Origen has been neglected or, more often, dominated by Gnostic perspectives. This study uses the writings of Irenaeus to argue that there was a rich Christian engagement with scripture long before Origen and the supposed conflict between Antioch and Alexandria. This is a focused examination of specific exegetical themes that undergird Irenaeus' argument against his opponents. However, whereas many works interpret Irenaeus only as he relates to certain Gnostic teachings, this book recognizes the broader context of the second century and explores the profound questions facing early Christians in an era of martyrdom. It shows that Irenaeus is interested, not simply in expounding the original intent of individual texts, but in demonstrating how individual texts fit into the one catholic narrative of salvation. This in turn, he hopes, will cause his audience to see their place as individuals in the same narrative. Using insightful close reading of Irenaeus, allied with a firm grounding in the context in which he wrote, this book will be vital reading for scholars of the early Church as well as those with interests in patristics and the development of Christian exegesis.

George Robert Stow Mead (1863 1933) was for twenty-five years a prominent member of the Theosophical Society and worked closely with its founder, Helena Blavatsky. He was fascinated both by eastern religions and by western esotericism, including gnosticism, and published widely in these areas. Pistis Sophia, an important, probably second-century, text preserved in a Coptic manuscript, presents complex gnostic teachings in 'gospel' format, as having been addressed by Jesus Christ to his disciples after the resurrection. This translation, based on a Latin version published in 1851, appeared in 1896 and was the first English version of a major gnostic work. The book also includes passages from the Books of the Saviour found in the same manuscript. Mead's introduction discusses the origin of the texts and highlights their difficulty. It also describes the upsurge of scholarly interest in Gnosticism in the mid-nineteenth century and the mysterious history of the manuscript itself.

Francis Crawford Burkitt (1864-1935) was a prominent theologian and biblical scholar. Originally published in 1932, this book contains the substance of five lectures delivered by Burkitt during October 1931 at Union Theological Seminary, New York, as the Morse Lectures for that year. Various aspects of the relationship between Church doctrine and Gnostic thought are discussed, providing a highly informative analysis of a complicated topic. Rigorous and thought-provoking, this text will be of value to anyone with an interest in the early development of Christianity and biblical scholarship in general.

Lethal Spots, Vital Secrets provides an ethnographic study of varmakkalai, or "the art of the vital spots," a South Indian esoteric tradition that combines medical practice and martial arts. Although siddha medicine is officially part of the Indian Government's medically pluralistic health-care system, very little of a reliable nature has been written about it. Drawing on a diverse array of materials, including Tamil manuscripts, interviews with practitioners, and his own personal experience as an apprentice, Sieler traces the practices of varmakkalai both in different religious traditions-such as Yoga and Ayurveda-and within various combat practices. His argument is based on in-depth ethnographic research in the southernmost region of India, where hereditary medico-martial practitioners learn their occupation from relatives or skilled gurus through an esoteric, spiritual education system. Rituals of secrecy and apprenticeship in varmakkalai are among the important focal points of Sieler's study. Practitioners protect their esoteric knowledge, but they also engage in a kind of "lure and withdrawal"--a performance of secrecy--because secrecy functions as what might be called "symbolic capital." Sieler argues that varmakkalai is, above all, a matter of texts in practice; knowledge transmission between teacher and student conveys tacit, non-verbal knowledge, and constitutes a "moral economy." It is not merely plain facts that are communicated, but also moral obligations, ethical conduct and tacit, bodily knowledge. Lethal Spots, Vital Secrets will be of interest to students of religion, medical anthropologists, historians of medicine, indologists, and martial arts and performance studies.

Frederick Leigh Gardner (1857-1930) was a well-known British occultist who belonged to societies including the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Freemasons, the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia and the Theosophical Society. Born to spiritualist parents, Gardner worked as a stockbroker and later became an antiquarian bookseller. He planned a detailed catalogue of books on the occult sciences to cover Rosicrucian, astrological, Masonic and alchemical writings. Volume 4 was never published; the others were printed privately between 1903 and 1912 in runs of 300 copies each, and reprinted in 1923. This single-volume reissue of Gardner's important reference work contains the first editions of all three volumes, including the now extremely rare Volume 3. Introductions by Gardner's friend William Wynn Westcott (1848-1925), coroner, ceremonial magician, and Supreme Magus of the Rosicrucians of England, respectively cover the history of the Rosicrucians, the history of astrology, and English Masonic Lodge histories.

The renowned lawyer and journalist Henry Steel Olcott (1832 1907) published this work in 1885. In this work Olcott carefully lays out his arguments for the basis of theosophy, arguing for the truth of all religions because they share the same ancient roots or 'ur-religion'. As a founding member and the first president of the Theosophical Society, Olcott uses the work to set out the aims and objectives of the Society and attempts to reconcile his spiritual beliefs with science, reason and modernity. The work also includes accounts of his attempted empirical investigations into hypnotism, mesmerism and other spiritualist activities. The final chapters include discussions of India, Buddhism and Zoroastrian religion. The work was deeply influenced by Helena Blavatsky (1831 1891), then Olcott's close friend but later his opponent. It is a key text of the nineteenth-century theosophical movement and is an indispensable source for research into Victorian occult philosophy.

Austrian philosopher, playwright, and artist Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) is perhaps best known as an educational philosopher and reformer, the founder of Steiner (or Waldorf) schools located around the world. These schools' philosophy represents the priorities Steiner discusses in Theosophy: the development of body, soul, and spirit. Goethe was an important influence on Steiner, and he edited the poet's scientific works (1889-1896). Steiner was an active member and leader of the German branch of Madame Blavatsky's Theosophical Society, eventually broke away from theosophy, as he developed his own spiritual philosophy termed 'anthroposophy'; this philosophical movement asserted the potential of realizing a spiritual reality through cognition. This 1910 translation by Elizabeth Douglas Shields is of the book's third German edition; it was first published in 1904. This work will be of particular interest to historians of philosophy, of spiritual movements and of education.

Ukrainian-born Madame Helena Blavatsky (1831-1891) was a co-founder of the theosophy movement in the United States, which she later extended to Europe and India, though her later years were dogged by ill health and controversy. In this book, published in 1886, A. P. Sinnett (1840-1921), a fellow theosophist and writer, sets out a defence of Blavatsky, writing that 'I have reason to believe that the attempt will respond to the wishes of a great many people ... who regard the current aspersion on Mme. Blavatsky's character with profound indignation'. He outlines the many extraordinary events in her life, covering her childhood in Russia and claims to an early connection with the supernatural world, her brief unhappy marriage and decade of extensive global travels, her time of study in India, and the criticism she received about some of her 'phenomena' and practices.

Anna Kingsford (1846 1888) published her first book at the age of 13. A passionate anti-vivisectionist, she also championed womens' rights and vegetarianism. Leaving behind her husband and daughter, she travelled to France to study medicine, accompanied by the writer Edward Maitland. The pair shared a fascination with the spiritual and became leading members of the Theosophical and Hermetic societies. This book, first published anonymously in 1882, is a collection of lectures on theosophical topics delivered to a private audience in summer 1881. It explores the basis of all religions, the nature of the soul, spiritualism and the feminine aspect of the divine, and also discusses blood sacrifice, vegetarianism, pantheism and the teachings of the Kabbalah and the Bhagavad Gita. The author hoped this wide-ranging study of allegories, symbols and myths would 'restore and rehabilitate the truth', reconciling mind and heart, religion and science, and promoting liberty and reason.

Henry Steel Olcott (1832 1907), co-founder of the Theosophical Society, was a versatile man. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of American agricultural education and also served in the U.S. War Department. Later Olcott was admitted to the New York Bar and became interested in psychology and spiritualism, travelling to India and Sri Lanka with Madame Blavatsky to explore eastern spiritual traditions, especially Buddhism. In this volume (published in 1900) Olcott chronicles how he and Madame Blavatsky journeyed to India and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in the years 1878 to 1883 to oversee the foundation of new branches of their Society. This is part classic travel writing in which the author gives breathless descriptions of the beauty of Indian nature, culture and philosophy and part characterisation of Madame Blavatsky's 'psychological eccentricities' as Olcott experiences them. To him she was and remained 'an insoluble riddle'.

Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907), co-founder of the Theosophical Society, was a versatile man. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of American agricultural education and also served in the U.S. War Department. Later Olcott was admitted to the New York Bar and became interested in psychology and spiritualism, travelling to India and Sri Lanka with Madame Blavatsky to explore eastern spiritual traditions, especially Buddhism. In this polemical volume (first published in 1932), Olcott describes his view of the history of the Society between 1893 and 1896: conflicts and long-standing tensions had led to a split in 1895, precipitated by a clash between Olcott and William Judge, Vice-President of the Society in America. After the split Olcott carried on travelling widely and lecturing, having established a study centre in Chennai, India, for the movement now known as the Theosophical Society - Adyar.

Henry Steel Olcott (1832 1907), co-founder of the Theosophical Society, was a versatile man. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of American agricultural education and also served in the U.S. War Department. Later Olcott was admitted to the New York Bar and became interested in psychology and spiritualism, travelling to India and Sri Lanka with Madame Blavatsky to explore eastern spiritual traditions, especially Buddhism. This volume (1895) describes the first meeting between Olcott and Madame Blavatsky and the founding of the Theosophical Society in 1875. Olcott continued to practise as a lawyer (and supported the Society financially) while in the evenings he and Madame Blavatsky would entertain visitors or collaborate on the book Isis Unveiled. The author portrays his friend as a spiritual medium and describes how Madame Blavatsky's body was from time to time possessed by other 'entities'.

Hargrave Jennings' 1870 work joins the debates of the nineteenth century that sought to determine the relationships between modern science, religion, and the supernatural. A prolific writer and an occultist, Jennings (1817 1890) had previously published on the religions of India. He spent two decades researching and writing this work, which is the first history in English of the Rosicrucians. As he states, his 1858 Curious Things of the Outside World first asserted the ideas he elaborates in this text, and he is not a member of the Rosicrucian sect, simply a historian of it. This was his best-known book, in which the discussion extends to the Kabbalah, Gnosticism, the Druids, and ancient and medieval cultures; five editions were subsequently printed, and it was translated into German in 1912. It will interest scholars of the history of ideas, of the relationship of science and magic, and of the occult.

German-born Sanskritist and philologist Max M ller (1823 1900) was a pioneer in the field of comparative mythology and religion. Settling in England in 1846, during his distinguished career he served as Taylorian professor of modern European languages, curator of the Bodleian Library and Oxford's first professor of comparative philology. The content of this book was originally presented as part of a lecture series delivered at the University of Glasgow in 1893, where M ller was serving as the Gifford Lecturer. M ller's aim in presenting these lectures was to show that the only way of properly understanding religious phenomena was through utilising historical method. The three volumes preceding this one focused on 'physical religion', 'natural religion' and 'anthropological religion'; this fourth book, on theosophy, contains fifteen lectures, the subject matter ranging from Alexandrian Christianity and the eschatology of Plato to the journey of the soul after death.