Behind the stereotype of a solitary meditator closing his eyes to the world, meditation always takes place in close interaction with the surrounding culture. Meditation and Culture: The Interplay of Practice and Context explores cases in which the relation between meditative practice and cultural context is particularly complex. The internationally-renowned contributors discuss practices that travel from one culture to another, or are surrounded by competing cultures. They explore cultures that bring together competing practices, or that are themselves mosaics of elements of different origins. They seek to answer the question: What is the relationship between meditation and culture? The effects of meditation may arise from its symbolic value within larger webs of cultural meaning, as in the contextual view that still dominates cultural and religious studies. They may also be psychobiological responses to the practice itself, the cultural context merely acting as a catalyst for processes originating in the body and mind of the practitioner. Meditation and Culture gives no single definitive explanation, but taken together, the different viewpoints presented point to the complexity of the relationship.

This monograph explores the nature of the Elijah traditions in rabbinic literature and their connection to the wisdom tradition. By examining the diverse Elijah traditions in connection to the wisdom and apocalyptic traditions, Alouf-Aboody sheds new light on the manner in which Elijah's role developed in rabbinic literature.

If prayer has ever felt frustrating, complicated, laborious or even useless to you, this book has the potential to give you a fresh perspective on the heart of prayer. The author shares her experience of crying out, "Lord, teach me to pray " and the Holy Spirit's response to her cries. Included are six lessons about the principles of prayer and the author's gained insight into why prayer is a necessity; the very heartbeat of a believer. These insights can move you into a place of simplicity and rest in prayer and reveal that prayer is not something you do, but rather someone you become; a pray-er.