Showing titles in Religious Studies

Drawing on the wisdom of 2,500 years of contemplative non-religious writing on all that it means to be human - from the origins of the universe to small matters of courtesy and kindness in everyday life - A. C. Grayling, Britain's most popular philosopher, has created a secular bible. This book is designed as a narrative and also to be dipped into for inspiration, encouragement and consolation, The Good Book offers a thoughtful, non-religious alternative to the many people who do not follow one of the world's great religions.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Andrew Klavan explores how artists' imaginative engagement with the darkness can point the way to living beautifully in the midst of a tragic world. “Andrew Klavan's book illuminates even as it explores the deepest darkness, finding truth and beauty in art...

Margaret Starbird's theological beliefs were profoundly shaken when she read Holy Blood, Holy Grail, a book that dared to suggest that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalen and that their descendants carried on his holy bloodline in Western Europe. Shocked by such heresy, this Roman Catholic scholar set out to refute it but instead found new and compelling evidence for the existence of the bride of Jesus - the same enigmatic woman who anointed him with precious unguent from her "alabaster jar".

Marc Headley provides an insider's view of life as a member of Scientology's "Sea Organization". Marc worked at Scientology's secret desert compound, which houses all Scientology management, for 15 years. The 500-acre property is located deep in the California desert. The local townspeople were told lectures and films were made there. But is that all that was happening? It is the location of a multi-million-dollar home for L. Ron Hubbard, built two decades after his death. It is the home of Scientology's current leader, David Miscavige.

Increasingly astronomers recognize that if the cosmos had not unfolded exactly as it did, humanity would not, could not, exist. Yet, these researchers - along with countless ordinary folks - resist belief in the biblical creator. Why? They say a loving God would have made a better home for us, one without trouble and tragedy. In Why the Universe Is the Way It Is, Hugh Ross draws from his depth of study in both science and Scripture to explain how the universe's design fulfills several distinct purposes. 

In Preaching Deconstruction, Robert M. Price applies the philosophy of Jacques Derrida and the radical theology of Thomas J.J. Altizer to real questions of spirituality and biblical interpretation across a dozen unique sermons. Price preaches from both the Old and New Testaments, as well as the Koran and the Gospel of Thomas. Other influences on these sermons, delivered in a Baptist church toward the end of Price's pastorate, include Paul Tillich, Paul de Man, Rudolf Bultmann, Robert W. Chambers, Ingmar Bergman, Malcolm Boyd, and Thomas Ligotti.

In Counterfeit Christs, Trent looks at eighteen phony versions of Jesus that we encounter today. Some are the creation of non-Christians: like skeptics who dismiss Jesus as a fictional composite of ancient myths, secular humanists who think he was just a Nice Man, or adherents of other religions who claim him as a prophet or guru in their own tradition.

The mantram, or mantra, is a short, powerful spiritual formula from the world’s great traditions, repeated silently in the mind, anytime, anywhere. Use it when you’re ill or anxious, tired, or restless, and the mantram will guide and comfort you like a true friend. The mantram can help you to steady the mind and focus your thoughts, replenish your energy and willpower, free your mind from anxiety, anger, or resentment, access your deepest resources of strength, patience, and love.

Easwaran's classic manual is a unique source of practical spiritual support for new and experienced meditators and gives all the instruction needed to establish a vibrant meditation practice and keep it going. In passage meditation you focus attention on passages, or texts, drawn from all the world's sacred traditions. You choose the passages that appeal to you, so this universal method stays fresh and inspiring, prompting you to live out your highest ideals.

Discover the beguiling history of witchcraft, magic, and superstition through the centuries and across the world in this stunningly audiobook. A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most interesting and often controversial subjects in the...

Find inspiration to live faithfully today from the example of 40 heroes of faith from the Bible. The characters we meet in the Bible play a huge role in our lives. Whether we personally relate to Joseph's dedication to serving the Lord even when he was confused or we understand when Mary...

Perhaps more relevant than ever before, Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis is his original and bestselling classic. In Velvet Elvis, Bell invites readers to wrestle with their faith, and offers a radical new perspective on Jesus, the church, and Christianity today. We know there's something more. We...

Audiobook narrated by Lee Strobel. New York Times bestselling author Lee Strobel trains his investigative sights on the hot-button question: is it really credible to believe God intervenes supernaturally in people's lives today? This provocative book starts with an unlikely interview in which...

Despite the recent ferocious public debate about belief, the concept most central to the discussion "God" frequently remains vaguely and obscurely described. Are those engaged in these arguments even talking about the same thing? In a wide-ranging response to this confusion, esteemed scholar David Bentley Hart pursues a clarification of how the word "God” functions in the world’s great theistic faiths.

In an era of rapid growth of false religions worldwide, Christians need information they can trust. This comprehensive new edition of the leading book on cults will equip you - no matter your background - to understand and use biblical truth to counter false religions, including many that masquerade as mainstream Christianity. Reflecting the developments in cults and world religions in recent years, this edition, updated by expert Jill Martin Rische (daughter of Walter Martin), gives you the authoritative information you need to know. 

Millions of readers have turned to Elaine Pagels for her clear and insightful books about the Gnostic Gospels—the teachings of Jesus that have been lost for centuries. Sounds True is proud to present the first widely available audio recording of this extraordinary scholar as she explores the...

In October 1894, the torn fragments of an unsigned memo containing military secrets were retrieved by a cleaning lady from the waste paper basket of Colonel Maximilien von Schwartzkoppen of the German embassy in Paris. When French intelligence discovered they harboured a spy in their midst, Captain Dreyfus, on slender evidence, was charged with selling military secrets to the Germans, found guilty of treason by unanimous verdict and sentenced to life imprisonment on the notorious Devil's Island.

Louis Markos, acclaimed author of From Plato to Christ and Passing the Torch, gives you a seat at his table for an international potluck dinner held in his home, where guests from many faith traditions and walks of life engage in spirited discussion about faith, miracles, and the meaning of life...

What if the beings we call "aliens" are not invaders, but messengers from higher realms of consciousness, warning us against the dead-end path we are racing toward? What if the true threat to humanity is not an alien invasion, but rather our surrender to machines? And what if the antidote resides in wisdom we abandoned long ago? Alien Goddess enters this urgent conversation with a perspective no one else is offering.

Although all the titles of the Nag Hammadi library are not known, many people have heard about its most famous components: The Gospel of Thomas - at one time it was discussed whether it should be included in the New Testament - and The Gospel of Philip, which tried to revive the debate around the identity of Mary Magdalene: "Why do you love her more than all of us?" asks a disconcerted Peter to Jesus. Finally, the Nag Hammadi texts have led many scholars to reconsider the rigid canons imposed by the early Church, and the readers to find a more intimate religion that turned upside down many postulates of Christian orthodoxy.