|
Books > Religion & Spirituality > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Worship
Walking is an essentially human activity. From a basic means of
transport and opportunity for leisure through to being a religious
act, walking has served as a significant philosophical, literary
and historical subject. Thoreau's 1851 lecture on Walking or the
Romantic walks of the Wordsworths at Grasmere in the early 19th
Century, for example, helped create a philosophical foundation for
the importance of the act of walking as an act of engagement with
nature. Similarly, and sometimes inseparable from secular
appreciation, pilgrimage trails provide opportunities for finding
self and others in the travails of the walk. More recently, walking
has been embraced as a means of encouraging greater health and
well-being, community improvement and more sustainable means of
travel. Yet despite the significance of the subject of walking
there is as yet no integrated treatment of the subject in the
social science literature. This handbook therefore brings together
a number of the main themes on the study of walking from different
disciplines and literatures into a single volume that can be
accessed from across the social sciences. It is divided into five
main sections: culture, society and historical context; social
practices, perceptions and behaviours; hiking trails and pilgrimage
routes; health, well-being and psychology; and method, planning and
design. Each of these highlights current approaches and major
themes in research on walking in a range of different environments.
This handbook carves out a unique niche in the study of walking.
The international and cross-disciplinary nature of the
contributions of the book are expected to be of interest to
numerous academic fields in the social and health sciences, as well
as to urban and regional planners and those in charge of the
management of outdoor recreation and tourism globally.
The Kanwar is India's largest annual religious pilgrimage. Millions
of participants gather sacred water from the Ganga and carry it
across hundreds of miles to dispense as offerings in Siva shrines.
These devotees-called bhola, gullible or fools, and seen as
miscreants by many Indians-are mostly young, destitute men, who
have been left behind in the globalizing economy. But for these
young men, the ordeal of the pilgrimage is no foolish pursuit, but
a means to master their anxieties and attest their good faith in
unfavorable social conditions. Vikash Singh walked with the
pilgrims of the Kanwar procession, and with this book, he
highlights how the procession offers a social space where
participants can prove their talents, resolve, and moral worth.
Working across social theory, phenomenology, Indian metaphysics,
and psychoanalysis, Singh shows that the pilgrimage provides a
place in which participants can simultaneously recreate and prepare
for the poor, informal economy and inevitable social uncertainties.
In identifying with Siva, who is both Master of the World and yet a
pathetic drunkard, participants demonstrate their own sovereignty
and desirability despite their stigmatized status. Uprising of the
Fools shows how religion today is not a retreat into tradition, but
an alternative forum for recognition and resistance within a
rampant global neoliberalism.
There are times in life when we are caught utterly unprepared: a
death in the family, the end of a relationship, a health crisis.
These are the times when the solid ground we thought we stood on
disappears beneath our feet, leaving us reeling and heartbroken, as
we stumble back to our faith. The Days of Awe encompass the weeks
preceding Rosh Hashanah up to Yom Kippur, a period in which Jews
take part in a series of rituals and prayers that reenact the
journey of the soul through the world from birth to death. This is
a period of contemplation and repentance, comparable to Lent and
Ramadan. Yet, for Rabbi Alan Lew, the real purpose of this annual
passage is for us to experience brokenheartedness and open our
heart to God. In This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared,
Lew has marked out a journey of seven distinct stages, one that
draws on these rituals to awaken our soul and wholly transform us.
Weaving together Torah readings, Buddhist parables, Jewish fables
and stories from his own life, Lew lays bare the meanings of this
ancient Jewish passage. He reveals the path from terror to
acceptance, confusion to clarity, doubt to belief, and from
complacency to awe. In the tradition of When Bad Things Happen to
Good People, This Is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared enables
believers of all faiths to reconnect to their faith with a passion
and intimacy that will resonate throughout the year.
Heartfelt reflections to comfort new moms during the first three
months with baby. The first three months with your baby are filled
with lots of feelings and life changes. This book of inspirational
quotes and original artwork gently guides you through your fourth
trimester and empowers you to give yourself grace, accept your
changing body, and trust your mothering intuition. Whether you're a
first-time mom or having your next one, this book is the perfect
pick-me-up whenever you need reassurance that you've got this. *
Comforting daily reflections for the first 12 weeks after birth
(broken out by weeks) * Encouraging messages touching upon
everything from bonding with your baby to accepting changes to your
body * Stylish hand-drawn lettering and illustrations * Beautiful
soft-touch cover and original artwork A great baby shower gift for
anyone that wants to help mom and baby adjust to their beautiful
new life together! "What a beautiful book! As a new mom, I'm so
thankful for something that encourages me and other moms right
where we are." -Sadie Robertson Huff
'The monk who taught the world mindfulness' Time This is the
definitive book on mindfulness from the beloved Zen master and
Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh. With his signature
clarity and warmth, he shares practical exercises and anecdotes to
help us arrive at greater self-understanding and peacefulness,
whether we are beginners or advanced students. Beautifully written,
The Miracle of Mindfulness is the essential guide to welcoming
presence in your life and truly living in the moment from the
father of mindfulness. 'One of the most influential spiritual
leaders of our times' Oprah
The Kanwar is India's largest annual religious pilgrimage. Millions
of participants gather sacred water from the Ganga and carry it
across hundreds of miles to dispense as offerings in Siva shrines.
These devotees-called bhola, gullible or fools, and seen as
miscreants by many Indians-are mostly young, destitute men, who
have been left behind in the globalizing economy. But for these
young men, the ordeal of the pilgrimage is no foolish pursuit, but
a means to master their anxieties and attest their good faith in
unfavorable social conditions. Vikash Singh walked with the
pilgrims of the Kanwar procession, and with this book, he
highlights how the procession offers a social space where
participants can prove their talents, resolve, and moral worth.
Working across social theory, phenomenology, Indian metaphysics,
and psychoanalysis, Singh shows that the pilgrimage provides a
place in which participants can simultaneously recreate and prepare
for the poor, informal economy and inevitable social uncertainties.
In identifying with Siva, who is both Master of the World and yet a
pathetic drunkard, participants demonstrate their own sovereignty
and desirability despite their stigmatized status. Uprising of the
Fools shows how religion today is not a retreat into tradition, but
an alternative forum for recognition and resistance within a
rampant global neoliberalism.
An Introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism, third edition, offers a
comprehensive study of a contemporary form of Hinduism. Begun as a
revival and reform movement in India 200 years ago, it has now
become one of the fastest growing and most prominent forms of
Hinduism. The Swaminarayan Hindu transnational network of temples
and institutions is expanding in India, East Africa, the UK, USA,
Australasia, and in other African and Asian cities. The devotion,
rituals, and discipline taught by its founder, Sahajanand Swami
(1781-1830) and elaborated by current leaders in major festivals,
diverse media, and over the Internet, help preserve ethnic and
religious identity in many modern cultural and political contexts.
Swaminarayan Hinduism, here described through its history,
divisions, leaders, theology and practices, provides valuable case
studies of contemporary Hinduism, religion, migrants, and
transnationalism. This new edition includes up-to-date information
about growth, geographic expansion, leadership transitions, and
impact of Swaminarayan institutions in India and abroad.
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.
Buddha Heruka is a manifestation of all the Buddhas' enlightened
compassion, and by relying upon him we can swiftly attain a pure
selfless joy and bring true happiness to others. Geshe Kelsang
first explains with great clarity and precision how we can practise
the sublime meditations of Heruka body mandala, and thereby
gradually transform our ordinary world and experiences, bringing us
closer to Buddhahood. He then provides definitive instructions on
the completion stage practices that lead to the supreme bliss of
full enlightenment in this one lifetime. This is a treasury of
practical instructions for those seriously interested in following
the Tantric path.
Cuba's patron saint, the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, also called
Cachita, is a potent symbol of Cuban national identity. Jalane D.
Schmidt shows how groups as diverse as Indians and African slaves,
Spanish colonial officials, Cuban independence soldiers, Catholic
authorities and laypeople, intellectuals, journalists and artists,
practitioners of spiritism and Santeria, activists, politicians,
and revolutionaries each have constructed and disputed the meanings
of the Virgin. Schmidt examines the occasions from 1936 to 2012
when the Virgin's beloved, original brown-skinned effigy was
removed from her national shrine in the majority black- and
mixed-race mountaintop village of El Cobre and brought into Cuba's
cities. There, devotees venerated and followed Cachita's image
through urban streets, amassing at large-scale public ceremonies in
her honor that promoted competing claims about Cuban religion,
race, and political ideology. Schmidt compares these religious
rituals to other contemporaneous Cuban street events, including
carnival, protests, and revolutionary rallies, where organizers
stage performances of contested definitions of Cubanness. Schmidt
provides a comprehensive treatment of Cuban religions, history, and
culture, interpreted through the prism of Cachita.
Bring Jewish values to life with an engaging blend of mitzvot
middot and timeless Jewish wisdom.
This book highlights the history of Islamic popular devotional art
and visual culture in 20th-century India, weaving the personal
narrative of the author's journey through his understanding of the
faith. It begins with an introductory exploration of how the basic
and universal image of Mecca and Medina may have been imported into
Indian popular print culture and what variants it resulted in here.
Besides providing a historical context of the pre-print culture of
popular Muslim visuality, the book also explores the impact the
1947 Partition of India may have made on the calendar art in South
Asia. A significant portion of the book focuses on the contemporary
prints of different localised images found in India and what role
these play in the users' lives, especially in the augmentation of
their popular faith and cultural practices. The volume also
compares the images published in India with some of those available
in Pakistan to reflect different socio-political trajectories.
Finally, it discusses why such a vibrant visual culture continues
to thrive among South Asian Muslims despite the questions raised by
the orthodoxy on its legitimacy in Islam, and why images and
popular visual cultures are inevitable for popular piety despite
the orthodox Muslims' increasing dissociation from them. This work
is one of the first books on Indian Muslim poster art, with rare
images and simple narratives, anecdotes about rituals, ceremonies
and cultural traditions running parallel to research findings. This
second edition contains a new Afterword that discusses challenges
to religious plurality arising on account of changing political
landscapes, economic liberalisation, technology and new media, and
socio-religious developments. It will appeal to the lay reader as
well as the specialist and will be especially useful to researchers
and scholars in popular culture, media and cultural studies, visual
art and performance studies, and sociology and social anthropology.
A Thankfulness Daily Devotional for WomenSaying grace before a meal
is one of our loveliest time-honored traditions. Let Us Give Thanks
is your essential prayerbook for giving thanks, offering 365
beautiful blessings for every day of the year. Devotional prayers
for every supper. From eighteenth-century Thanksgiving prayers to
sincere expressions of thankfulness by Anne Lamott, Mark Nepo,
Thich Nhat Hahn, Alice Walker, and more, blogger and bestselling
author Becca Anderson's gathering of graces shows us how to begin
each meal with an open heart. Coming from a long line of religious
teachers, Becca brings a deep understanding of practiced gratitude
to this daily devotional for women, men, families, friends, or
anyone wanting to give thanks a try. Inspirational meditations
year-round. Whether you're accustomed to giving a blessing or new
to this sacred art, this bounty of blessings brings spirituality to
your meals and special gatherings, helping you to give thanks each
day. The graces compiled here are universal, with special attention
paid to how easily the words can be spoken by the whole family-kids
included. Let Us Give Thanks offers: 365 thankful thoughts-a new
grace for every family meal Spiritual meditations from the Bible,
Native American texts, and Buddhism A daily devotional for women,
men, or anyone dedicated to gratefulness, with inspiration from a
variety of sources If you enjoyed Good Days Start With Gratitude;
Worry Less, Pray More; or A Year of Positive Thinking, you'll love
Let Us Give Thanks.
Your Prayers Are Powerful If God is all-powerful, why does He need
us to pray? If we pray and nothing happens, does this mean that God
isn't listening? If you've ever felt that your prayers don't count,
"Intercessory Prayer" will show you just how vital your prayers
are. In this book, pastor and teacher Dutch Sheets explains the
nuts and bolts of prayer with wisdom, gentleness, and humor. This
book will inspire you, give you the courage to pray for the
"impossible," and help you find the persistence to see your prayers
to completion. Discover your role as a prayer warrior--it can mean
the difference between heaven and hell for someone you know!
Although there is an obvious association between pilgrimage and
place, relatively little research has centred directly on the role
of architecture. Architecture and Pilgrimage, 1000-1500: Southern
Europe and Beyond synthesizes the work of a distinguished
international group of scholars. It takes a broad view of
architecture, to include cities, routes, ritual topographies and
human interaction with the natural environment, as well as specific
buildings and shrines, and considers how these were perceived,
represented and remembered. The essays explore both the ways in
which the physical embodiment of pilgrimage cultures is shared, and
what we can learn from the differences. The chosen period reflects
the flowering of medieval and early modern pilgrimage. The
perspective is that of the pilgrim journeying within - or embarking
from - Southern Europe, with a particular emphasis on Italy. The
book pursues the connections between pilgrimage and architecture
through the investigation of such issues as theology, liturgy,
patronage, miracles and healing, relics, and individual and
communal memory. Moreover, it explores how pilgrimage may be
regarded on various levels, from a physical journey towards a holy
site to a more symbolic and internalized idea of pilgrimage of the
soul.
Thomas Keating was a Cistercian monk who founded the worldwide
'Contemplative Outreach', teaching people the art of meditation.
Invitation to Love provides a road map for the journey that begins
when Centering Prayer is seriously undertaken. Pointing to some of
the recognizable landmarks on this journey, as well as to its
ultimate destination, Father Keating addresses common questions
regarding contemplative practice: How will it affect my life? Where
does it lead us spiritually? What obstacles will I encounter along
the way? How does it work? Following on from Open Mind, Open Heart,
this book establishes a dialogue between the insights of
contemporary psychology and the classic Christian spiritual
masters, providing a solid conceptual background for the practice
of Centering Prayer. This is a practical book, articulating the
stages of the process of spiritual growth, and outlining how we
might develop a deeper relationship with God and move from
contemplation to action.
|
|