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A Chaos of Delight: Science, Religion and Myth and the Shaping of Western Thought
by Geoffrey DobsonHumans throughout history have sought ways of understanding their place within the world. Religion, science and myth have been at the forefront of this quest for meaning. A Chaos of Delight examines how various cultures – from the early Sumerians, Egyptians and Greeks to contemporary Western society – have looked at the same phenomena and devised totally different world views. The rise of modern science is examined, alongside questions of evolution and the origins of life. This comprehensive volume is an essential read for students and scholars interested in the history of ideas and the role of religion, science and myth in the development of Western thought.
A Chariot to Freedom: Guidance from the Great Masters on the Vajrayana Preliminary Practices
by Shechen GyaltsapA unique commentary on the preliminary practices of Vajrayāna Buddhism, from a beloved Nyingma master.A Chariot to Freedom is one of the most beloved presentations of the preliminary practices, or ngöndro, that form the foundation of the Vajrayāna Buddhist path. This set of practices, common to all schools of Himalayan Buddhism, is what nearly every practitioner begins with, yet it also constitutes a complete method in and of itself. Although ngöndro are considered a prerequisite for further teachings and initiations into other practices, many of even the most accomplished masters continue to engage in them every day.Most of the other excellent works on these foundational techniques are specific to a particular tradition, but this text is widely considered to be exemplary, in part, because it is applicable to all traditions of ngöndro. Drawing from the original words of the Buddha in the sūtras and from later treatises by such masters as Nāgārjuna, Shāntideva, and Guru Padmasambhava, Shechen Gyaltsap&’s commentary is a wonderfully curated anthology of Buddhist teachings on the preliminary practices of Vajrayāna Buddhism. It covers the thoughts that turn one&’s mind away from ordinary pursuits and toward enlightenment, taking refuge, arousing the mind set on enlightenment (bodhichitta), purification, maṇḍala offering, and Guru Yoga.Shechen Gyaltsap explains why each practice is beneficial and provides profound and eminently useful guidance for practitioners, while simultaneously transmitting the wisdom of generations of Buddhist masters.
A Charles Dickens Devotional
by Thomas NelsonA unique, beautiful devotional that offers words and themes from one of the best-loved authors of all time.Charles Dickens was born 200 years ago, yet he crafted stories that translate well to a modern Christian’s daily life. A Charles Dickens Devotional combines 104 short excerpts from his classic novels with Scripture and new devotional thoughts to create meaningful readings for both longtime Dickens fans and Christian readers who are meeting Oliver Twist for the first time. This title joins A Jane Austen Devotional as part of the new Devotional Classics series and includes excerpts from Dickens' Great Expectations, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Oliver Twist, and A Christmas Carol.
A Charles Martin Collection: When Crickets Cry, Chasing Fireflies, and Wrapped in Rain
by Charles MartinThree novels from New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin now available in one e-book collection. When Crickets Cry A man with a painful past. A child with a doubtful future. And a shared journey toward healing for both their hearts. It begins on the shaded town square in a sleepy Southern town. A spirited seven-year-old has a brisk business at her lemonade stand. But the little girl's pretty yellow dress can't quite hide the ugly scar on her chest. Her latest customer, a bearded stranger, drains his cup and heads to his car, his mind on a boat he's restoring at a nearby lake. The stranger understands more about the scar than he wants to admit. And the beat-up bread truck careening around the corner with its radio blaring is about to change the trajectory of both their lives. Before it's over, they'll both know there are painful reasons why crickets cry . . . and that miracles lurk around unexpected corners. Chasing Fireflies They have one summer to find what was lost long ago. "Never settle for less than the truth," she told him. But when you don't even know your real name, the truth gets a little complicated. It can nestle so close to home it's hard to see. It can even flourish inside a lie. And as Chase Walker discovered, learning the truth about who you are can be as elusive--and as magical--as chasing fireflies on a summer night. A haunting story about fishing, baseball, home cooking, and other matters of life and death. Wrapped in Rain An internationally famous photographer, Tucker Mason, has traveled the world, capturing things other people don't see. But what Tucker himself can't see is how to let go of the past and forgive his father. On a sprawling Southern estate, Tucker and his younger brother, Mutt, were raised by their housekeeper, Miss Ella Rain, who loved the motherless boys like her own. Hiring her to take care of Waverly Hall and the boys was the only good thing their father ever did. When his brother escapes from a mental hospital and an old girlfriend appears with her son and a black eye, Tucker is forced to return home and face the agony of his own tragic past. Though Miss Ella has been gone for many years, Tuck can still hear her voice--and her prayers. But finding peace and starting anew will take a measure of grace that Tucker scarcely believes in. , Mutt, were raised by their housekeeper, Miss Ella Rain, who loved the motherless boys like her own. Hiring her to take care of Waverly Hall and the boys was the only good thing their father ever did. When his brother escapes from a mental hospital and an old girlfriend appears with her son and a black eye, Tucker is forced to return home and face the agony of his own tragic past. Though Miss Ella has been gone for many years, Tuck can still hear her voice--and her prayers. But finding peace and starting anew will take a measure of grace that Tucker scarcely believes in.
A Charmed Life
by Jenny B. JonesNew York's social darling just woke up in a nightmare: Oklahoma. Problem is, it's right where God wants her. Bella Kirkwood had it all--A-list friends, Broadway in her backyard, Daddy's credit card. Then her father decided to trade in her mother for a newer model. After that, her mom fell in love with a man she met on the Internet and moved the family to Truman, Oklahoma. To a farm no less! But that's just the beginning of Bella's problems. Her semi-pro-wrestler stepdad signs up the family for a reality TV show. As if having a camera crew follow her around isn't bad enough, Bella discovers a conspiracy against the Truman High prom queen candidates. And that's before the arrival of the Fritz Family Carnival with its creepy clown.Bella is one skinny-mocha frappe away from a total meltdown. How can a girl go on when her charmed life is gone and God appears to be giving her the total smack down?
A Cheerful and Comfortable Faith: Anglican Religious Practice in the Elite Households of Eighteenth-Century Virginia
by Lauren F. WinnerThis enlightening book examines the physical objects found in elite Virginia households of the eighteenth century to discover what they can tell us about their owners' lives and religious practices. Lauren F. Winner looks closely at punch bowls, needlework, mourning jewelry, baptismal gowns, biscuit molds, cookbooks, and many other items, illuminating the ways Anglicanism influenced daily activities and attitudes in colonial Virginia, particularly in the households of the gentry.
A Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas
by Jack Canfield Mark Victor HansenThe Most Wonderful Time of the Year Children experience Christmas through magic, anticipation, and learning about the baby Jesus. As we mature, we experience Christmas through the gifts we give, the love we share, and the magic we create for others. A Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas brings back the memories of childhood through the eyes of children on Christmas day and inspires good deeds by reminding us how the smallest gesture can truly change a life. Go back in time through genuine stories of hope and kindness and see how people find the true meaning of the season through unexpected miracles and those they meet along the way. Peek into the life of one family as they visit a relative at a nursing home on Christmas and how a cup of ice cream and a few moments of time brighten up the day for those who live there. Read about one woman's journey through surviving the loss of her husband and how the love and warmth of her family at Christmas strengthens her. Enjoy a sweet tale of how an old doll dressed in new clothes becomes the most precious gift and cherished memory a child ever receives. And, of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without a few stories celebrating the wonderment and joy children experience throughout this very special season.
A Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas
by Jack Canfield Mark Victor HansenThe Most Wonderful Time of the Year Children experience Christmas through magic, anticipation, and learning about the baby Jesus. As we mature, we experience Christmas through the gifts we give, the love we share, and the magic we create for others. A Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas brings back the memories of childhood through the eyes of children on Christmas day and inspires good deeds by reminding us how the smallest gesture can truly change a life. Go back in time through genuine stories of hope and kindness and see how people find the true meaning of the season through unexpected miracles and those they meet along the way. Peek into the life of one family as they visit a relative at a nursing home on Christmas and how a cup of ice cream and a few moments of time brighten up the day for those who live there. Read about one woman's journey through surviving the loss of her husband and how the love and warmth of her family at Christmas strengthens her. Enjoy a sweet tale of how an old doll dressed in new clothes becomes the most precious gift and cherished memory a child ever receives. And, of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without a few stories celebrating the wonderment and joy children experience throughout this very special season.
A Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas: Stories to Warm your Heart and Share with Family During the Holidays
by Jack Canfield Mark Victor HansenThe Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Children experience Christmas through magic, anticipation, and learning about the baby Jesus. As we mature, we experience Christmas through the gifts we give, the love we share, and the magic we create for others. A Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas brings back the memories of childhood through the eyes of children on Christmas day and inspires good deeds by reminding us how the smallest gesture can truly change a life. Go back in time through genuine stories of hope and kindness and see how people find the true meaning of the season through unexpected miracles and those they meet along the way. Peek into the life of one family as they visit a relative at a nursing home on Christmas and how a cup of ice cream and a few moments of time brighten up the day for those who live there. Read about one woman's journey through surviving the loss of her husband and how the love and warmth of her family at Christmas strengthens her. Enjoy a sweet tale of how an old doll dressed in new clothes becomes the most precious gift and cherished memory a child ever receives. And, of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without a few stories celebrating the wonderment and joy children experience throughout this very special season.
A Chicken's Guide to Talking Turkey with Your Kids About Sex
by Kevin Leman Kathy Flores BellYou’re already establishing a track record with your kid by how you listen, by what you say when you’re angry, and by how you treat your spouse. We like to surprise parents who ask us, “When do I start talking about sex?” The answer is, you’ve already started. As difficult as talking with your child about sex, peer pressure, and self-image may seem, you can do it—and you must. Your child’s future depends on it. Fortunately, you’ve got plenty of guidance and insight available in A Chicken’s Guide to Talking Turkey with Your Kids about Sex. Family psychologist Dr. Kevin Leman and sexuality educator Kathy Flores Bell guide you safely along the sometimes rocky road of pubescence as your child heads toward adolescence. This practical and engaging book covers his or her development not just from the waist down, but also from the neck up, where the important decisions about sex are made. Illustrated with real life scenarios, this book is filled with practical knowledge and biblical wisdom. It is a book of firsts: first bra, first shave, first period, first nocturnal emission, first school dance, first discussion about relating to the opposite sex. A Chicken’s Guide takes on the difficult things parents face with their kids today, such as dating relationships, sexual activity and “rite of passage” attitudes, STDs, molestation, and more. Leman and Bell take you beyond sex education and frank conversations to cultivating a relationship with your child. Get ready to acquire some unanticipated life skills in the process. Moms, discover how to buy that first athletic supporter for your son in Little League. Dads, learn how to navigate the feminine hygiene aisle at the supermarket for your daughter. You’ll do more than meet your child’s physical needs. You’ll create the trust, support, and security he or she needs in your relationship. And in turn, you’ll gain a credible voice on such intimate topics as what sexual intercourse is and why to abstain from sex until marriage. With Bell’s expert yet simple knowledge of the dynamics of human sexuality and Dr. Leman’s winsome, lighthearted approach, you’ll gain confidence for those difficult but essential talks. Here are the tools you need to help your kids not only understand their growing bodies, but cope with the temptations and social pressures that go with them.
A Child Shall Lead Them
by Carole Gift PageSWEET CHARITYWhen social worker Brianna Rowlands set out to locate an orphaned infant's next of kin, romance was the last thing on her mind. But the moment she met dashing attorney Eric Wingate, she was smitten-and so was his cooing newborn niece. If only the three of them could become a real family....Eric couldn't possibly squeeze fatherhood-or marriage-into his hectic agenda. Yet now that his arms had cradled precious baby Charity-and embraced the lovely Brianna-he found himself reluctant to let go. Perhaps somehow-Lord willing-he wouldn't have to....
A Child al Confino: The True Story of a Jewish Boy and His Mother in Mussolini's Italy
by Eric LametEric Lamet was only seven years old when the Nazis invaded Vienna-and changed his life and the lives of all European Jews forever. Five days after Hitler marched in, Eric Lamet and his parents fled for their lives. Unable to remain together, the family split-he and his mother hid out in Italy, while his father returned to his native Poland and an even darker fate. In this remarkable feat of memory and imagination, Lamet recreates the Italy he knew from the perspective of the scared and lonely child he once was. We not only see the hardships and terrors faced by foreign Jews in Fascist Italy, but also the friends Eric makes and his mother's valiant efforts to make a home for him. In a style as original as his story, the author vividly recalls a terrible time yet imbues his recollections with humor, humanity, and wit. With a rare compassion toward friend and foe alike, little Eric Lamet shows us that there is light to be found in the darkest places-and that we should remember the good as well as the bad.
A Child is Born
by Margaret Wise BrownWith her usual gentleness and warmth, Margaret Wise Brown tells little ones about the night Jesus was born: "O come, country shepherds O follow the light And welcome the baby This blessed night..." Other books by this author are available in this library.
A Child's Christmas Wish
by Erica VetschA Baby for ChristmasThe only Christmas gift Oscar Rabb’s four-year-old daughter prays for is one the widower can’t provide: a baby sibling. And when his neighbor’s house burns down, he’s willing to open his home to pregnant and widowed Kate Amaker and her in-laws—but not his heart. Even if his little girl’s convinced Kate’s unborn child is the answer to her wish.Kate quickly sees the generous but aloof Oscar has little interest in growing closer to his houseguests. Still, she intends to make the coming Christmas a season to remember for his daughter. And as Oscar starts to open up to her, Kate can’t help picturing just how wonderful the holidays—and a future together—might be.
A Childlike Heart: How to Become Great in God's Kingdom
by Alan D. WrightTo all of us too-serious, on-the-edge, busy-and-preoccupied adults, Alan Wright offers a reminder of Jesus' words regarding the heart of the child: "Of such is the kingdom of God." In this new trade-paper edition of A Chance at Childhood Again, Wright reveals how we can recapture the unbridled freedom we once relished. As he watched his own son discover the world for the first time, he realized that the carefree, wonder-filled attitude of youth is possible in adulthood. As we look back with nostalgia and appreciation at the simple pleasures of our growing-up years, Wright explains, we will rediscover how our days can be characterized by a spirit of adventure and wide-eyed joy in the Lord.From the Trade Paperback edition.
A Chinese Bestiary: Strange Creatures from the Guideways Through Mountains and Seas
by Richard E. StrassbergThe Guideways through Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing) is a unique and enduring record of a wide range of beliefs held by the ancient Chinese about their world, encompassing religion, mythology, geography, flora, fauna, minerals, and medicine. An encyclopedic cosmography mostly compiled from the Warring States period to the Western Han dynasty (c. 4th--c. 1st cent. B.C.E.), it has been repeatedly hand-copied, reprinted, and re-edited through the centuries into our own time. Since the nineteenth century, it has also attracted the attention of foreign scholars and in recent years has been translated into at least five different languages.
A Chinese Jesuit Catechism: Giulio Aleni’s Four Character Classic 四字經文 (Christianity in Modern China)
by Anthony E. ClarkThis book is the first scholarly study of the famous Jesuit Chinese children’s primer, the Four Character Classic, written by Giulio Aleni (1582–1649) while living in Fujian, China. This book also includes masterful translations of both Wang Yinglin’s (1551–1602) hallowed Confucian Three Character Classic and Aleni’s Chinese catechism that was published during the Qing (1644–1911). Clark’s careful reading of the Four Character Classic provides new insights into an area of the Jesuit mission in early modern China that has so far been given little attention, the education of children. This book underscores how Aleni’s published work functions as a good example of the Jesuit use of normative Chinese print culture to serve the catechetical exigencies of the Catholic mission in East Asia, particularly his meticulous imitation of Confucian children’s primers to promote decidedly Christian content.
A Choice of Gods
by Clifford D. SimakA handful of humans and a multitude of robots create a new society on a mysteriously abandoned Earth in this breathtaking science fiction classic from one of the genre's acknowledged mastersWhat if you woke up one morning on Earth . . . and no one else was there? That is the reality that greeted a handful of humans, including Jason Whitney, his wife Martha, and the remnants of a tribe of Native Americans in the year 2135. Their inexplicable abandonment had unexpected benefits: the eventual development of mental telepathy and other extrasensory powers, inner peace, and best of all, near-immortality. Now, five thousand years later, most of the remaining humans live a tranquil, pastoral life, leaving technological and religious exploration to the masses of robot servants who no longer have humans to serve. But the unexpected reappearance of Jason's brother, who had teleported to the stars many years before, threatens to change everything yet again--for John Whitney is the bearer of startling information about where Earth's population went and why--and the most disturbing news of all: They may finally be coming home again. Nominated for the Hugo Award when it first appeared in print more than forty years ago, Clifford D. Simak's brilliant and thought-provoking A Choice of Gods has lost nothing of its power to astonish and intrigue. A masterwork of speculative fiction, intelligent and ingenious, it is classic Simak, standing tall among the very best science fiction that has ever been written.
A Choice to Cherish
by Alan MakiAlan is asked to go and stay with his grandfather, who is dying. His grandfather has been estranged from his family. Alan spends time with him, gets to know him, and sets in motion the final meeting between his dad and grandpa. A story of forgiveness.
A Choice to Forgive: An Amish Christmas Novella (Amish Christmas Novellas)
by Beth WisemanAfter Daniel disappeared that long-ago Christmas Eve, Lydia built a life with his brother. But now she's a widow and Daniel has reappeared, asking for forgiveness. Can she go back to her normal life with her long-lost love as her neighbor?
A Chorus of Prophetic Voices
by Mark McEntireWhile there are many textbooks about the prophetic literature, most have taken either a historical or literary approach to studying the prophets. A Chorus of Prophetic Voices, by contrast, draws on both historical and literary approaches by paying careful attention to the prophets as narrative characters. It considers each unique prophetic voice in the canon, in its fully developed literary form, while also listening to what these voices say together about a particular experience in Israel's story. It presents these four scrolls--Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Book of the Twelve--as works produced in the aftermath of destruction, works that employ prophetic characters, and as the words uttered during the crises. The prophetic literature became for Israel, living in a context of dispersion and imperial domination, a portable and adaptable resource at once both challenging and comforting. This book provides the fullest picture available for introducing students to the prophetic literature by valuing the role of the original prophetic characters, the finished state of the books that bear their names, the separate historical crises in the life of Israel they address, and the "chorus of prophetic voices" one hears when reading them as part of a coherent literary corpus.
A Chosen Calling: Jews in Science in the Twentieth Century (Medicine, Science, and Religion in Historical Context)
by Noah J. EfronQuestions traditional explanations for Jewish excellence in science in the United States, the Soviet Union, and Palestine in the twentieth century.Scholars have struggled for decades to explain why Jews have succeeded extravagantly in modern science. A variety of controversial theories—from such intellects as C. P. Snow, Norbert Wiener, and Nathaniel Weyl—have been promoted. Snow hypothesized an evolved genetic predisposition to scientific success. Wiener suggested that the breeding habits of Jews sustained hereditary qualities conducive for learning. Economist and eugenicist Weyl attributed Jewish intellectual eminence to "seventeen centuries of breeding for scholars."Rejecting the idea that Jews have done well in science because of uniquely Jewish traits, Jewish brains, and Jewish habits of mind, historian of science Noah J. Efron approaches the Jewish affinity for science through the geographic and cultural circumstances of Jews who were compelled to settle in new worlds in the early twentieth century.Seeking relief from religious persecution, millions of Jews resettled in the United States, Palestine, and the Soviet Union, with large concentrations of settlers in New York, Tel Aviv, and Moscow. Science played a large role in the lives and livelihoods of these immigrants: it was a universal force that transcended the arbitrary Old World orders that had long ensured the exclusion of all but a few Jews from the seats of power, wealth, and public esteem. Although the three destinations were far apart geographically, the links among the communities were enduring and spirited. This shared experience—of facing the future in new worlds, both physical and conceptual—provided a generation of Jews with opportunities unlike any their parents and grandparents had known.The tumultuous recent century of Jewish history, which saw both a methodical campaign to blot out Europe's Jews and the inexorable absorption of Western Jews into the societies in which they now live, is illuminated by the place of honor science held in Jewish imaginations. Science was central to their dreams of creating new worlds—welcoming worlds—for a persecuted people.This provocative work will appeal to historians of science as well as scholars of religion, Jewish studies, and Zionism.
A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism
by Forrest Church John BuehrensFor those contemplating religious choices, Unitarian Universalism offers an appealing alternative to religious denominations that stress theological creeds over individual conviction and belief. In this new edition of the classic introductory text on Unitarian Universalism, which includes a revealing, entertaining foreword by best-selling author Robert Fulghum (All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It), a new preface by UU moderator Denise Davidoff, and two new chapters by the authors, John Buehrens and Forrest Church explore the many sources of the living tradition of their chosen faith.
A Chosen Few: The Resurrection of European Jewry
by Mark KurlanskyA POWERFUL, DEEPLY MOVING NARRATIVE OF HOPE REBORN IN THE SHADOW OF DESPAIR. Fifty years after it was bombed to rubble, Berlin is once again a city in which Jews gather for the Passover seder. Paris and Antwerp have recently emerged as important new centers of Jewish culture. Small but proud Jewish communities are revitalizing the ancient centers of Budapest, Prague, and Amsterdam. These brave, determined Jewish men and women have chosen to settle-or remain-in Europe after the devastation of the Holocaust, but they have paid a price. Among the unexpected dangers, they have had to cope with an alarming resurgence of Nazism in Europe, the spread of Arab terrorism, and the impact of the Jewish state on European life.Delving into the intimate stories of European Jews from all walks of life, Kurlansky weaves together a vivid tapestry of individuals sustaining their traditions, and flourishing, in the shadow of history. An inspiring story of a tenacious people who have rebuilt their lives in the face of incomprehensible horror, A Chosen Few is a testament to cultural survival and a celebration of the deep bonds that endure between Jews and European civilization."Consistently absorbing . . . A Chosen Few investigates the relatively uncharted territory of an encouraging phenomenon."-Los Angeles Times. "I can think of no book that portrays with such intelligence, historical understanding, and journalistic flair what life has been like for Jews determined to build lives in Europe."-SUSAN MIRON.