Eighteenth-century and Romantic readers had a peculiar habit of calling personified abstractions "sublime." This has always seemed mysterious, since the same readers so often expressed a feeling that there was something wrong with turning ideas into people--or, worse, turning people into ideas. In this wide-ranging, carefully argued study, Steven Knapp explains the connection between personification and the aesthetics of the sublime.

Personifications, such as Milton's controversial figures of Sin and Death in "Paradise Lost," were seen to embody a unique combination of imaginative power and overt fictionality, and these, Knapp shows, were exactly the conflicting requirements of the sublime in general. He argues that the uneasiness readers felt toward sublime personifications was symptomatic of broader ambivalences toward archaic beliefs, political and religious violence, and poetic fiction as such.

Drawing on recent interpretations of Romanticism, allegory, and the sublime, Knapp provides important new readings of Coleridge, Wordsworth, Kant, and William Collins. His provocative thesis sheds new light on the relationship between Romanticism and the eighteenth century.

Does it make sense - can it make sense - for someone who appreciates the explanatory power of modern science to continue believing in a traditional religious account of the ultimate nature and purpose of our universe? This book is intended for those who care about that question and are dissatisfied with the rigid dichotomies that dominate the contemporary debate. The extremists won't be interested - those who assume that science answers all the questions that matter, and those so certain of their religious faith that dialogue with science, philosophy, or other faith traditions seems unnecessary. But far more people today recognize that matters of faith are complex, that doubt is endemic to belief, and that dialogue is indispensable in our day.
In eight probing chapters, the authors of The Predicament of Belief consider the most urgent reasons for doubting that religious claims - in particular, those embedded in the Christian tradition - are likely to be true. They develop a version of Christian faith that preserves the tradition's core insights but also gauges the varying degrees of certainty with which those insights can still be affirmed. Along the way, they address such questions as the ultimate origin of the universe, the existence of innocent suffering, the challenge of religious plurality, and how to understand the extraordinary claim that an ancient teacher rose from the dead. They end with a discussion of what their conclusions imply about the present state and future structure of churches and other communities in which Christian affirmations are made.

Does it make sense - can it make sense - for someone who appreciates the explanatory power of modern science to continue believing in a traditional religious account of the ultimate nature and purpose of our universe? This book is intended for those who care about that question and are dissatisfied with the rigid dichotomies that dominate the contemporary debate. The extremists won't be interested - those who assume that science answers all the questions that matter, and those so certain of their religious faith that dialogue with science, philosophy, or other faith traditions seems unnecessary. But far more people today recognize that matters of faith are complex, that doubt is endemic to belief, and that dialogue is indispensable in our day.
In eight probing chapters, the authors of The Predicament of Belief consider the most urgent reasons for doubting that religious claims--in particular, those embedded in the Christian tradition--are likely to be true. They develop a version of Christian faith that preserves the tradition's core insights but also gauges the varying degrees of certainty with which those insights can still be affirmed. Along the way, they address such questions as the ultimate origin of the universe, the existence of innocent suffering, the challenge of religious plurality, and how to understand the extraordinary claim that an ancient teacher rose from the dead. They end with a discussion of what their conclusions imply about the present state and future structure of churches and other communities in which Christian affirmations are made.

Using mantras or prayers can help us do many things, depending on our intention. First of all, it is an ancient method that has been used successfully to raise our consciousness, our attitude, aim of life, and outlook, and prepare ourselves for perceiving higher states of being. The Sanskrit mantras within this volume offer such things as the knowledge and insights for spiritual progress, including higher perceptions and understandings of the Absolute or God, as well as the sound vibrations for awakening our higher awareness, invoking the positive energies to help us overcome obstacles and oppositions, or to assist in healing our minds and bodies from disease or negativity. They can provide the means for requesting protection on our spiritual path, or from enemies, ghosts, demons, or for receiving many other benefits. In this way, they offer a process for acquiring blessings of all kinds, both material and spiritual. There is something for every need. Some of what you will find includes: The most highly recommended mantras for spiritual realization in this age. A variety of prayers and gayatris to Krishna, Vishnu and other avatars, Goddess Lakshmi for financial well-being, Shiva, Durga, Ganesh, Devi, Indra, Sarasvati, etc., and Surya the Sun-god, the planets, and for all the days of the week. Powerful prayers of spiritual insight in Shiva's Song, along with the Bhajan Govindam by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, the Purusha Sukta, Brahma-samhita, Isha Upanishad, Narayana Suktam, and Hanuman Chalisa. Prayers and mantras to Sri Chaitanya and Nityananda. Strong prayers for protection from Lord Narasimha. The protective shield from Lord Narayana. Lists of the 108 names of Lord Krishna, Radhika, Goddess Devi, Shiva, and Sri Rama. The Vishnu-Sahasranama or thousand names of Vishnu, Balarama, Gopala, Radharani, and additional lists of the sacred names of the Vedic Divinities; And many other prayers, mantras and stotras for an assortment of blessings and benefits.

Revised and Expanded The Vedic Prophecies take you to the end of time This is the first book ever to present the unique predictions found in the ancient Vedic texts of India. These prophecies are like no others and will provide you with a very different view of the future and how things fit together in the plan for the universe. Now you can discover the amazing secrets that are hidden in the oldest spiritual writings on the planet. Find out what they say about the distant future, and what the seers of long ago saw in their visions of the destiny of the world. This book will reveal predictions of deteriorating social changes and how to avoid them; future droughts and famines; low-class rulers and evil governments; whether there will be another appearance (second coming) of God; and predictions of a new spiritual awareness and how it will spread around the world. You will also learn the answers to such questions as: Does the future get worse or better? Will there be future world wars or global disasters? What lies beyond the predictions of Nostradamus, the Mayan prophecies, or the Biblical apocalypse? Are we in the end times? How to recognize them if we are. Does the world come to an end? If so, when and how? Now you can find out what the future holds. The Vedic Prophecies carry an important message and warning for all humanity, which needs to be understood now

The Secret Teachings of the Vedas provides one of the best reviews of ancient Eastern philosophy and summarizes some of the most elevated and important of all spiritual knowledge. This timeless and enlightening information is explained in a clear and concise way and is essential for all who want to increase their spiritual understanding and awareness. This is a book that can give you a new perspective of who you are and where you fit into the scheme of things. Is This Book For You? Yes, if you want to understand: the science of the soul and the eternal characteristics of your real spiritual identity; the scientific evidence that indicates consciousness is separate from, but interacts with, the body; how to attain the highest happiness and freedom from the cause of suffering; the real unity between us all which is beyond bodily identification; reincarnation and how to determine what your next life will be by the actions you perform and the consciousness you develop; reincarnation found in Christianity; life after death--heaven, hell, or beyond; the law of karma and how you accumulate good or bad karma that will affect your future; how residents of a country collectively create national karma; what is the spiritual realm as described in the Vedic texts; the nature of the Absolute Truth--personal God or impersonal force; how to recognize the existence of the Supreme; why we exist at all; and much more. There is also an explanation of what the Vedas are, how they were compiled, and how they have influenced Western culture for many years. This book supplies the straightforward answers to questions that are not resolved in other religions or philosophies, and condenses information from a wide variety of sources that would take a person years to assemble. It also uses many quotations from numerous Vedic texts that will show you the lofty insight and wisdom they have held for thousands of years.