Religion

C.S. Lewis's famous inspirational work on the nature of love.'The Four Loves' divides love into four categories: Affection, Friendship, Eros and Charity. The first three are loves which come naturally to the human race. Charity, however, the Gift-love of God, is divine in its source and expression, and without the sweetening grace of this supernatural love, the natural loves become distorted and even dangerous.

You are what you love. But you might not love what you think.In this book, award-winning author James K. A. Smith shows that who and what we worship fundamentally shape our hearts. And while we desire to shape culture, we are not often aware of how culture shapes us. We might not realize the ways our hearts are being taught to love rival gods instead of the One for whom we were made. Smith helps readers recognize the formative power of culture and the transformative possibilities of Christian practices. He explains that worship is the "imagination station" that incubates our loves and longings so that our cultural endeavors are indexed toward God and his kingdom. This is why the church and worshiping in a local community of believers should be the hub and heart of Christian formation and discipleship. Following the publication of his influential work Desiring the Kingdom, Smith received numerous requests from pastors and leaders for a more accessible version of that book's content. No mere abridgment, this new book draws on years of Smith's popular presentations on the ideas in Desiring the Kingdom to offer a fresh, bottom-up rearticulation. The author creatively uses film, literature, and music illustrations to engage readers and includes new material on marriage, family, youth ministry, and faith and work. He also suggests individual and communal practices for shaping the Christian life.

SOON TO BE A NETFLIX SERIES Deborah Feldman's bestselling memoir of escaping from a strict Hasidic community includes a new afterword by the author detailing her life after leaving her husband and forging new beginnings for herself and her young son.

Craft your own magic with this comprehensive guide to creating, customising, and casting unique spells, charms, and potions.

"This important guidebook shows in detail and with great humor and insight the way to practice the Buddha's universal teachings here in the West. Jack Kornfield is a wonderful storyteller and a great teacher."-Thich Nhat Hanh"Jack is helping to pave the path for American Buddhism, bringing essential basics into our crazy modern lives. And the language he uses is as simple and as lovely as our breath."-Natalie Goldberg Perhaps the most important book yet written on meditation, the process of inner transformation, and the integration of spiritual practice into our American way of life, A Path with Heart brings alive one by one the challenges of spiritual living in the modern world. Written by a teacher, psychologist, and meditation master of international renown, this warm, inspiring, and expert book touches on a wide range of essential issues including many rarely addressed in spiritual books. From compassion, addiction, and psychological and emotional healing, to dealing with problems involving relationships and sexuality, to the creation of a Zen-like simplicity and balance in all facets of life, it speaks to the concerns of many modern spiritual seekers, both those beginning on the path and those with years of experience. A Path with Heart is filled with practical techniques, guided meditations, stories, koans, and other gems of wisdom that can help ease your journey through the world. The author's own profound-and sometimes humorous-experiences and gentle assistance will skillfully guide you through the obstacles and trials of spiritual and contemporary life to bring a clarity of perception and a sense of the sacred into your everyday experience. Reading this book will touch your heart and remind you of the promises inherent in meditation and in a life of the spirit: the blossoming of inner peace, wholeness, and understanding, and the achievement of a happiness that is not dependent on external conditions. Sure to be a classic, A Path with Heart shows us how we can bring our spirituality to flower every day of our lives. It is a wise and gentle guidebook for an odyssey into the soul that enables us to achieve a deeper, more satisfying life in the world.

The ultimate guide to wicca and witchcraft for a modern mystical audience

Find your voice, speak your truth, listen deeply-a guide to more meaningful and mindful conversations.We spend so much of our lives talking to each other, but how much are we simply running on automatic-relying on old habits and hoping for the best? Are we able to truly hear others and speak our mind in a clear and kind way, without needing to get defensive or go on the attack? In this groundbreaking synthesis of mindfulness, somatics, and Nonviolent Communication, Oren Jay Sofer offers simple yet powerful practices to develop healthy, effective, and satisfying ways of communicating. The techniques in Say What You Mean will help you to: · Feel confident during conversation · Stay focused on what really matters in an interaction · Listen for the authentic concerns behind what others say · Reduce anxiety before and during difficult conversations · Find nourishment in day-to-day interactions

More than half of American adults and more than seventy-five percent of young Americans believe in intelligent extraterrestrial life. This level of belief rivals that of belief in God. In American Cosmic, D.W. Pasulka examines the mechanisms that foster a thriving belief in extraterrestrial life. Her work takes her from Silicon Valley to the Vatican Secret Archive and reveals how media has supplanted religion as a cultural authority that offers believersanswers about non-human intelligent life.

A comprehensive guide to the understanding and practicing Buddhist meditationThe very idea that the teachings can be mastered will arouse controversy within Buddhist circles. Even so, Ingram insists that enlightenment is an attainable goal, once our fanciful notions of it are stripped away, and we have learned to use meditation as a method for examining reality rather than an opportunity to wallow in self-absorbed mind-noise.Ingram sets out concisely the difference between concentration-based and insight (vipassana) meditation; he provides example practices; and most importantly he presents detailed maps of the states of mind we are likely to encounter, and the stages we must negotiate as we move through clearly-defined cycles of insight.Its easy to feel overawed, at first, by Ingram's assurance and ease in the higher levels of consciousness, but consistently he writes as a down-to-earth and compassionate guide, and to the practitioner willing to commit themselves this is a glittering gift of a book.In this new edition of the bestselling book, the author rearranges, revises and expands upon the original material, as well as adding new sections that bring further clarity to his ideas.

With its affordable price and beautiful design options, the NKJV Gift and Award Bible is a great choice for celebrating milestones and special achievements.

Shows the way to love and forgiveness. Featuring entertaining examples, stories and real-life applications, this guide is suitable for longtime ACIM students and newcomers alike.

Today's challenges can make a fulfilling marriage seem like an impossible dream. Yet God delights in doing the impossible if only we would ask! Stormie Omartian shares how God can strengthen your marriage as you pray for your husband concerning key areas in his life.

Awaken the High Priestess Within... The High Priest or Priestess within you walks the path of divine love, power and wisdom. This is the path of spiritual self-mastery where we are initiated through the darkness of struggle into the light of love. Learn to apply the Ancient Mystery teachings of Isis in practical ways to help you navigate through the experiences and challenges in your daily life. Allow the Goddess, this sacred priestess, initiate, magician and healer to help you reactivate your own soul talents of healing, magic and more as you journey with her from darkness and uncertainty into light, love and power.  

The complete history of the world, from the beginning of time to the present day, based on the beliefs and writings of the secret societies.

The One Year Bible, which helps you read the entire Bible in one year in as little as 15 minutes a day, has a fresh, new look. The One Year Bible guides readers through God''s Word with daily readings from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs.

First book in the "Don Juan" series. The author meets Don Juan and is introduced to his magical world and philosophy by means of hallucinogenic plants and special exercises.

For generations, the Book of Genesis has been treated by scholars as a collection of documents by various hands expressing different factional interests, with borrowings from other ancient literatures that mark the text as derivative. In other words, academic interpretation of Genesis has centred on the question of its basic coherency, just as fundamentalist interpretation has centred on the question of the appropriateness of reading it as literally true.Both of these approaches preclude an appreciation of its greatness as literature, its rich articulation and exploration of themes that resonate through the whole of Scripture. Marilynne Robinson's new book is a powerful consideration of the profound meanings and promise of God's enduring covenant with man. Her magisterial book radiates gratitude for the constancy and benevolence of God's abiding faith in Creation.

Complete and unabridged, this is The Qur’an in an elegantly designed, hardcover edition.

Put yourself back in control of your mind and your life with these meditation practices proven by neuroscientific research.In this modern digital age, many of us feel overwhelmed, panicked and short on time. The practice of meditation is an ancient and scientifically proven antidote to that frenzied feeling. Combining scientific expertise and spiritual wisdom, this is a practical guide on how it can help you feel calm and in control.With chapters on Breathing, Compassion and Worry, it is full of empirically proven and easy-to-follow exercises that will help you tackle mental obstacles, including issues such as self-doubt and negative thought patterns. This is a fresh perspective on meditation that will uplift and soothe your mind, whether you're new to it or not.PRE-ORDER THE LATEST BOOK FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, DANIEL GOLEMAN

'The perfect guide for a course correction in life' Deepak ChopraFor decades, people have turned to the inspiring words of pioneering Zen scholar Alan Watts for guidance, support and spiritual sustenance. In this thought-provoking collection of aphorisms and quotations, Watts reminds us all to slow down, to recognize we are not the universe but part of it and to enjoy each moment that composes our lives. This is a timeless work to reflect upon, to live by and to read for inspiration, knowledge and growth.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER As seen on The Joe Rogan Experience!A groundbreaking dive into the role psychedelics have played in the origins of Western civilization, and a real-life quest for the Holy Grail.The most influential religious historian of the twentieth century, Huston Smith, once referred to it as the "best-kept secret" in history. Did the Ancient Greeks use drugs to find God? And did the earliest Christians inherit the same, secret tradition? A profound knowledge of visionary plants, herbs and fungi passed from one generation to the next, ever since the Stone Age?There is zero archaeological evidence for the original Eucharist - the sacred wine said to guarantee life after death for those who drink the blood of Jesus. The Holy Grail and its miraculous contents have never been found. In the absence of any hard data, whatever happened at the Last Supper remains an article of faith for today's 2.5 billion Christians. In an unprecedented search for real answers, The Immortality Key examines the archaic roots of the ritual that is performed every Sunday for nearly one third of the planet. Religion and science converge to paint a radical picture of Christianity's founding event...and, after centuries of debate, to solve history's greatest puzzle once and for all.Before the birth of Jesus, the Ancient Greeks found salvation in their own sacraments. Sacred beverages were routinely consumed as part of the so-called Ancient Mysteries - elaborate rites that led initiates to the brink of death. The best and brightest from Athens and Rome flocked to the spiritual capital of Eleusis, where a holy beer unleashed heavenly visions for two thousand years. Others drank the holy wine of Dionysus to become one with the god. In the 1970s, renegade scholars claimed this beer and wine - the original sacraments of Western civilization - were spiked with mind-altering drugs. In recent years, vindication for the disgraced theory has been quietly mounting in the laboratory. The constantly advancing fields of archaeobotany and archaeochemistry have hinted at the enduring use of hallucinogenic drinks in antiquity. And with a single dose of psilocybin, the psychopharmacologists at Johns Hopkins and NYU are now turning self-proclaimed atheists into instant believers. But the smoking gun remains elusive.If these sacraments survived for thousands of years in our remote prehistory, from the Stone Age to the Ancient Greeks, did they also survive into the age of Jesus? Was the Eucharist of the earliest Christians, in fact, a psychedelic Eucharist?With an unquenchable thirst for evidence, Brian C. Muraresku takes the reader on his twelve-year global hunt for proof. He tours the ruins of Greece with its government archaeologists. He gains access to the hidden collections of the Louvre Museum to show the continuity from pagan to Christian wine. He unravels the Ancient Greek of the New Testament with a Catholic priest. He spelunks into the catacombs under the streets of Rome to decipher the lost symbols of Christianity's oldest monuments. He breaches the secret archives of the Vatican to unearth manuscripts never before translated into English. And with leads from the archaeological chemists at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he unveils the first scientific data for the ritual use of psychedelic drugs in classical antiquity.The Immortality Key reconstructs the suppressed history of women consecrating a forbidden, drugged Eucharist that was later banned by the Church Fathers. Women who were then targeted as witches during the Inquisition, when Europe's sacred pharmacology largely disappeared. Have the scientists of today resurrected this lost technology? Is Christianity capable of returning to its roots?Featuring a Foreword by Graham Hancock, the New York Times bestselling author of America Before: The Key to Earth's Lost Civilization.

Brought to you by Penguin. A comforting book that will offer relief to anyone moving through intense grief and loss, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh shares accessible, healing words of wisdom to transform our suffering.In the immediate aftermath of a loss, sometimes it is all we can do to keep breathing. With his signature clarity and compassion, Thich Nhat Hanh will guide you through the storm of emotions surrounding the death of a loved one.How To Live When A Loved One Dies offers powerful practices such as mindful breathing that will help you reconcile with death and loss, feel connected to your loved one long after they have gone and transform your grief into healing and joy.(c) Thich Nhat Hanh 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021