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The First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty-Day Journal through the Canon of St. Andrew
by Frederica Mathewes-GreenJoin Frederica Mathewes-Green on a guided retreat through an ancient Orthodox text. Regardless of your denominational background, First Fruits of Prayer will bring to life the prayer experience of first millennium Christianity through immersion in this poetic hymn, an extraordinarily beautiful work that is still chanted by Christians around the world each Lent. It weaves together Old and New Testament Scriptures with prayers of hope and repentance and offers ancient ways of seeing Christ that still feel new today. “Fascinating and sometimes magisterial.... A skilled interpreter of the theology and history of the Orthodox tradition, Mathewes-Green arranges the Great Canon of St. Andrew...into 40 readings accompanied by scriptural references, commentary, theological reflection and questions.” —Publishers Weekly“Rick Warren gave us 40 days of purpose. Frederica Mathewes-Green gives us 40 days of deep prayer and reflection.... This is destined to become a devotional class for generations to come.”—Dallas Morning News
The First Ghosts: A rich history of ancient ghosts and ghost stories from the British Museum curator
by Irving Finkel'A fascinating journey' - Yorkshire Post'Marvellous...Finkel is an expert in Mesopotamian cultures at the British Museum, and is one of the most clever, and nicest, of people it has ever been my pleasure to encounter...A fascinating journey' - The ScotsmanThere are few things more in common across cultures than the belief in ghosts. Ghosts inhabit something of the very essence of what it is to be human. Whether we personally 'believe' or not, we are all aware of ghosts and the rich mythologies and rituals surrounding them. They have inspired, fascinated and frightened us for centuries - yet most of us are only familiar with the vengeful apparitions of Shakespeare, or the ghastly spectres haunting the pages of 19th century gothic literature. But their origins are much, much older...The First Ghosts: Most Ancient of Legacies takes us back to the very beginning. A world-renowned authority on cuneiform, the form of writing on clay tablets which dates back to 3400BC, Irving Finkel has embarked upon an ancient ghost hunt, scouring these tablets to unlock the secrets of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians to breathe new life into the first ghost stories ever written. In The First Ghosts, he uncovers an extraordinarily rich seam of ancient spirit wisdom which has remained hidden for nearly 4000 years, covering practical details of how to live with ghosts, how to get rid of them and bring them back, and how to avoid becoming one, as well as exploring more philosophical questions: what are ghosts, why does the idea of them remain so powerful despite the lack of concrete evidence, and what do they tell us about being human?
The First Ghosts: A rich history of ancient ghosts and ghost stories from the British Museum curator
by Irving Finkel'Marvellous...Finkel is an expert in Mesopotamian cultures at the British Museum, and is one of the most clever, and nicest, of people it has ever been my pleasure to encounter...A fascinating journey' - The ScotsmanThere are few things more in common across cultures than the belief in ghosts. Ghosts inhabit something of the very essence of what it is to be human. Whether we personally 'believe' or not, we are all aware of ghosts and the rich mythologies and rituals surrounding them. They have inspired, fascinated and frightened us for centuries - yet most of us are only familiar with the vengeful apparitions of Shakespeare, or the ghastly spectres haunting the pages of 19th century gothic literature. But their origins are much, much older...The First Ghosts: Most Ancient of Legacies takes us back to the very beginning. A world-renowned authority on cuneiform, the form of writing on clay tablets which dates back to 3400BC, Irving Finkel has embarked upon an ancient ghost hunt, scouring these tablets to unlock the secrets of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians to breathe new life into the first ghost stories ever written. In The First Ghosts, he uncovers an extraordinarily rich seam of ancient spirit wisdom which has remained hidden for nearly 4000 years, covering practical details of how to live with ghosts, how to get rid of them and bring them back, and how to avoid becoming one, as well as exploring more philosophical questions: what are ghosts, why does the idea of them remain so powerful despite the lack of concrete evidence, and what do they tell us about being human?
The First Ghosts: A rich history of ancient ghosts and ghost stories from the British Museum curator
by Irving FinkelDr Irving Finkel, curator at the British Museum, explores why the belief in ghosts is what makes us human.There are few things more in common across cultures than the belief in ghosts. Ghosts inhabit something of the very essence of what it is to be human. Whether we personally 'believe' or not, we are all aware of ghosts and the rich mythologies and rituals surrounding them. They have inspired, fascinated and frightened us for centuries - yet most of us are only familiar with the vengeful apparitions of Shakespeare, or the ghastly spectres haunting the pages of 19th century gothic literature. But their origins are much, much older...The First Ghosts: Most Ancient of Legacies takes us back to the very beginning. A world-renowned authority on cuneiform, the form of writing on clay tablets which dates back to 3400BC, Irving Finkel has embarked upon an ancient ghost hunt, scouring these tablets to unlock the secrets of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians to breathe new life into the first ghost stories ever written. In The First Ghosts, he uncovers an extraordinarily rich seam of ancient spirit wisdom which has remained hidden for nearly 4000 years, covering practical details of how to live with ghosts, how to get rid of them and bring them back, and how to avoid becoming one, as well as exploring more philosophical questions: what are ghosts, why does the idea of them remain so powerful despite the lack of concrete evidence, and what do they tell us about being human?(P) 2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
The First Grace: Rediscovering the Natural Law in a Post-Christian World
by Russell HittingerIn the book’s first section, Hittinger defines the natural law, considers its proper relationship to moral theology and the positive law, and explains how and when judges should be guided by natural law considerations. Then, in the book’s second section, he contends with a number of controversial legal and cultural issues from a natural law perspective. Among other things, he shows how the modern propensity to make all sorts of “rights claims” undermines the idea of limited government; how the liberal legal culture’s idea of privacy elevates the individual to the status of a sovereign; and how the Supreme Court has come to cast religion as a dangerous phenomenon from which children must be protected.Whether discussing the nature of liberalism, the constitutional and moral problems posed by judicial usurpation, or the dangers of technology, Hittinger convincingly demonstrates that in our post-Christian world it is more crucial than ever that we recover older, wiser notions of the concepts of freedom and law—since to oppose them is to misunderstand both profoundly.
The First Grace: Rediscovering the Natural Law in a Post-Christian World
by Russell HittingerThe last two decades or so have seen a marked resurgence of interest in natural law thought, a movement in which Russell Hittinger has been a major figure. The First Grace: Rediscovering the Natural Law in a Post-Christian World reveals the power and subtlety of Hittinger's philosophical work and cultural criticism. Whether discussing the nature of liberalism, the constitutional and moral problems posed by judicial usurpation, or the dangers of technology, Hittinger convincingly demonstrates that in our post-Christian world it is more crucial than ever that we recover older, wiser notions of the concepts of freedom and law - and that we see that to place these two concepts in opposition is to misunderstand both profoundly.
First Grade Elves: (First Grade Is the Best! Series)
by Joanne RyderIt's the holiday season! Mrs. Lee's first graders decide to become secret elves and do something nice for their classmates. Robin's secret elf finds her lost mitten and leaves a snowflake as a sign. Meg's elf gives her some stickers--and a snowflake. And someone is doing nice things for Matt. But is it the work of his secret elf? Or is it just holiday magic? At Christmas, anything is possible--especially in the first grade! This story expresses the fun and excitement of secret giving and receiving
First Hired, Last Fired: How to Become Irreplaceable in Any Job Market
by Anita Agers-BrooksUnemployment is a daunting concern for people all across the nation. Layoffs and corporate downsizing threatens jobs now more than ever. FIRST HIRED, LAST FIRED shows how to discover simple secrets from an ancient text that can make anyone irreplaceable.Today's employees face terror and stress at the prospect of losing their jobs, and finding new ones. The global climate reeks of confusion, fear, anxiety, and competition while people clamber for jobs. Layoffs and shrinking markets choke confidence from qualified workers.FIRST HIRED, LAST FIRED shows readers how to use the valuable wisdom found in the ancient text of the Bible to avoid becoming disposable in this challenging marketplace. Through timeless wisdom, simple solutions, and easy-to-apply principles, readers will find meaning in their work lives, and deep satisfaction from committing to a job well done. Through practice, the reader will learn to look deeper into the Bible for relevant help with current issues.
The First Hostage (J. B. Collins Series #2)
by Joel C. Rosenberg"The president of the United States... is missing. "With these words, New York Times journalist J. B. Collins, reporting from the scene of a devastating attack by ISIS terrorists in Amman, Jordan, puts the entire world on high alert. The leaders of Israel and Palestine are critically injured, Jordan's king is fighting for his life, and the U. S. president is missing and presumed captured. As the U. S. government faces a constitutional crisis and Jordan battles for its very existence, Collins must do his best to keep the world informed while working to convince the FBI that his stories are not responsible for the terror attack on the Jordanian capital. And ISIS still has chemical weapons... Struggling to clear his name, Collins and the Secret Service try frantically to locate and rescue the leader of the free world before ISIS's threats become a catastrophic reality.
First Impressions: Off Screen Conversations with a Bachelor on Race, Family, and Forgiveness
by Matt JamesMatt James, the first Black bachelor on ABC&’s beloved television show, The Bachelor, shares his views on the controversial topics that defined his season and confronts matters of race, opportunity, and his biracial identity head on. When The Bachelor franchise announced Matt James as the first Black lead, it was celebrated as long-overdue progress on the primetime show. America fell in love with Matt—the Christian, former NFL athlete, and nonprofit CEO—who charmed millions of viewers each week. But the off-screen conversations around the show revealed the realities and inescapable challenges of being Black in America and the depth of racism that still exists. On the show, Matt could only go so far in sharing his own story with America. In First Impressions, Matt shares his views on controversial topics like race and opportunity that defined his season on The Bachelor. Matt lives at the intersection of these important issues and shares the wisdom his experience has granted him. Matt describes the joys and difficulties of being the youngest of two Black sons, raised by a single, working-class, white mother in Raleigh, North Carolina. He elaborates on the spiritual closeness and sense of duty he felt for his mother, but also the complex relationships he had with the many male figures in his life: his prejudiced, Italian grandfather, who had trouble accepting Matt as his own; his father, whose womanizing and petty crime put strain on the family; and his older brother, who was Matt&’s protector in youth, but who struggled with the long shadow of their father&’s legacy. Simultaneously inspirational and informative, First Impressions will leave readers with a deeper understanding of the life experiences that prepared Matt for such a divisive moment in television history.
First Impressions: An Amish Tale of Pride and Prejudice (The Amish Classics #1)
by Sarah PriceWill pride and prejudice keep the Blank sisters from finding love? With five daughters and no sons, Daed and Maem Blank are anxious to find their girls suitors who might eventually take over their family farm. When news arrives that Charles Beachey, the son of a prominent Amish farmer, will be returning from Ohio with his cousin Frederick, they are hopeful that the young men might be good matches for their daughters. The oldest daughter, Jane, starts courting Charles, a well-mannered and very respectful young man, but her younger sister Lizzie is not interested in either courtship or Frederick. In fact, she wants nothing to do with him, finding him full of pride and disdain for her family’s way of life. But in a community and culture where pride is scorned, Lizzie must learn that first impressions can be dangerous and people are not always who they seem to be. This Amish retelling of the popular Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice is a beautiful take on the power of love to overcome class boundaries and prejudices that will win your heart.
First Isaiah and the Disappearance of the Gods (Critical Studies in the Hebrew Bible #12)
by Matthew J. LynchIsaiah 1–39 uses the unique term אלילים—usually translated as "idols"— more than anywhere else in the Hebrew Bible. Using this linguistic phenomenon as a point of departure, Matthew J. Lynch reexamines the rhetorical strategies of First Isaiah, revealing a stronger monotheizing rhetoric than previously recognized.Standard accounts of Israelite religion frequently insist that monotheism reached its apex during the exile, and especially in Deutero-Isaiah. By contrast, Lynch’s study brings to light an equally potent mode of monotheizing in First Isaiah. Lynch identifies three related rhetorical tendencies that emphasize yhwh’s supreme uniqueness: a rhetoric of avoidance, referring to other deities as idols (אלילים) to avoid conferring on them the status of gods (אלוהים); a rhetoric of exaltation, emphasizing yhwh’s truly exalted status in opposition to all that which exalted itself; and a rhetoric of abasement, fully subjugating all other claimants to absolute power—whether human or divine—before the divine king.Succinctly and persuasively argued, Lynch’s book will change how biblical scholars understand the nature and development of Israelite monotheism.
First Isaiah and the Disappearance of the Gods (Critical Studies in the Hebrew Bible)
by Matthew J. LynchIsaiah 1–39 uses the unique term אלילים—usually translated as “idols”— more than anywhere else in the Hebrew Bible. Using this linguistic phenomenon as a point of departure, Matthew J. Lynch reexamines the rhetorical strategies of First Isaiah, revealing a stronger monotheizing rhetoric than previously recognized.Standard accounts of Israelite religion frequently insist that monotheism reached its apex during the exile, and especially in Deutero-Isaiah. By contrast, Lynch’s study brings to light an equally potent mode of monotheizing in First Isaiah. Lynch identifies three related rhetorical tendencies that emphasize yhwh’s supreme uniqueness: a rhetoric of avoidance, referring to other deities as idols (אלילים) to avoid conferring on them the status of gods (אלוהים); a rhetoric of exaltation, emphasizing yhwh’s truly exalted status in opposition to all that which exalted itself; and a rhetoric of abasement, fully subjugating all other claimants to absolute power—whether human or divine—before the divine king.Succinctly and persuasively argued, Lynch’s book will change how biblical scholars understand the nature and development of Israelite monotheism.
The First Islamic Classic in Chinese: Wang Daiyu's Real Commentary on the True Teaching
by Sachiko MurataPublished in 1642, Wang Daiyu's Real Commentary on the True Teaching was the first significant presentation of Islam in the Chinese language by a Muslim scholar. It set the standard for the expression of Islamic theology, Sufism, and ethics in Chinese, and became the literary foundation of a school of thought that has been called "Muslim Confucianism." In contrast to Muslim scholars writing in every other language, Wang avoided Arabic words, opting instead to reconfigure the religion in terms of Chinese concepts and categories. Employing the terminology of Neo-Confucian philosophy, his overview of Islam is thus both congenial to the mainstream Islamic tradition and reaffirms Confucian teachings about the human duty to establish harmony between heaven and earth. This book will appeal to those curious about the manner in which Islam has flourished in China over the past thousand years, as well as those interested in dialogue among religions and the significance of religious diversity.
The First Jesuits
by John W. O'MalleyJohn W. O’Malley gives us the most comprehensive account ever written of the Society of Jesus in its founding years, one that heightens and transforms our understanding of the Jesuits in history and today. Following the Society from 1540 through 1565, O’Malley shows how this sense of mission evolved. He looks at everything—the Jesuits’ teaching, their preaching, their casuistry, their work with orphans and prostitutes, their attitudes toward Jews and “New Christians,” and their relationship to the Reformation. All are taken in by the sweep of O’Malley’s story as he details the Society’s manifold activities in Europe, Brazil, and India.
The First Judgement: The First Judgement P/b (Chronicles of Brothers #2)
by Wendy AlecThe saga continues…Banished from heaven, Lucifer, King of Perdition, presides over hell. Fired by hatred, he has a single goal: to lure unwitting mankind into damnation. And little by little, he is succeeding.But the omens point to a shift in the balance of power. A star burns brightly over planet Earth, heralding the arrival of a child king. The Nazarene. Humiliated, Lucifer is returned to Perdition, mutinous and defiant.Summoning the councils of hell, Lucifer conspires again against the race of men. The fallen will visit the Earth. A new Messiah will be cloned – an earthly emissary to carry out his twisted plans…&“There could be no bigger canvas for film-making.&” – Mark Ordesky (Executive Producer – Lord of the Rings) &“Alec not only re-frames pre-history; she also imaginatively illustrates how the realm of spirit impacts the contemporary material world.&” Ileen Maisel (Executive Producer for the Golden Compass) &“This is the best work of fiction I have read since the last installment of Dean Koontz&’ Frankenstein series&” Jim McDonald – 1340Mag – Online Entertainment Magazine.
The First Letter to the Corinthians (The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC))
by Roy E. Ciampa Brian S. RosnerThis careful, sometimes innovative, mid-level commentary touches on an astonishingly wide swath of important, sensitive issues — theological and pastoral — that have urgent resonances in twenty-first-century life. Roy Ciampa and Brian Rosner reveal how 1 Corinthians directly addresses the claims of unity and truth, church discipline, sexual matters, the Lord’s supper, the nature of love, Christian leadership, and many other significant topics.Those who preach and teach 1 Corinthians will be grateful to Ciampa and Rosner for years to come and scholars will be challenged to see this letter with fresh eyes.
First Light (The A.D. Chronicles, Book #1)
by Brock Thoene Bodie ThoeneSpiritual and political darkness shroud the world's holiest and most turbulent city. Ruled by Rome and manipulated by religious rulers with only selfish interests in mind, the people of Jerusalem wonder if their Deliverer will ever come. Susanna and Manaen desperately search for hope and meaning - in a world where their love is forbidden. Others pray and wait for light, the True Light of Messiah, to dawn. Peniel the beggar, Marcus the Roman Centurion, Zadok the Chief Shepherd of Israel, and his three adopted orphan boys - all long for a vision of hope. Now a healer named Yeshua walks the streets of Jerusalem. Is he the true Messiah? Or only another imposter, like so many before him?
First Light in Morning Star (The Maidels of Morning Star #2)
by Charlotte HubbardFounded by five enterprising Amish maidels, the new Morningstar Marketplace is a joyoussuccess. What&’s even more remarkable is the gift the business bestows upon each of these unmarried women—the unexpected blessing of love . . . Leaving Flaud&’s Furniture to teach at the community&’s new school is a joy for Lydianne Christner. Old Order Amish, but new to Morning Star, she&’s grateful that the congregation trusts her with the position—but she panics when handsome Bishop Jeremiah Shetler asks about the life she left behind. If anyone discovers the secret she&’s hiding, she would, quite rightly, be shunned. A widower, Bishop Jeremiah admires young Lydianne&’s youthful energy and skill with the children. He&’s also curious about her past, and the burden he senses on her heart. When his request to court her is refused, he&’s stung, and lonelier than ever. It isn&’t until a crisis prompts a tearful Lydianne to confess to him that Jeremiah is faced with a choice that requires all of his faith—and teaches them both that love and forgiveness go hand in hand. Praise for the novels of Charlotte Hubbard &“Hubbard firmly grounds the storyline in the principle of Amish grace.&”—Publishers Weekly &“Hubbard writes of healing and brave new beginnings from a refreshingly feminist perspective.&”—Booklist Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com
The First Love
by Beverly LewisIt's the summer of 1951, and Maggie Esh is in need of some hope. Sweet-spirite and uncommonly pretty despite struggling with illness, she is used to being treated kindly by the young men of her Old Order Amish church district. Yet Maggie wishes she were more like other courting-age girls so she could live a normal, healthy life. When tent revival meetings come to the area, the words of the preacher cause her to reconsider what she knows about faith. Can she learn to trust God even when hope seems a distant dream?
First Love and Other Sorrows: Stories (Contemporaries Ser. #Vol. 149)
by Harold BrodkeyIn the vein of John Cheever and J. D. Salinger, this powerful collection of short stories chronicles the loss of innocence, the harsh cruelty of social distinctions, and the anguish of young loveFirst Love and Other Sorrows is the hauntingly beautiful debut collection of short stories from American master Harold Brodkey. Written when the author was in his twenties, these strong, affecting tales recall the intoxicating joy of young, springtime love, while lamenting the betrayal of dreams and false ideals in the glaring light of reality. Set in the Midwest during the 1950s, First Love and Other Sorrows centers around a Jewish family that has recently lost its patriarch--and with him the world of privilege. Through the eyes of a son, a sister, and a mother--each one struggling to find a foothold in both family and society--these stories explore class prejudice, obsessive love, and the tragic foibles and emotional truths of being human. First Love and Other Sorrows is masterful fiction from an extraordinary literary artist.
The First Love Story: Adam, Eve, and Us
by Bruce FeilerFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Walking the Bible and Abraham comes a revelatory journey across four continents and 4,000 years exploring how Adam and Eve introduced the idea of love into the world, and how they continue to shape our deepest feelings about relationships, family, and togetherness.Since antiquity, one story has stood at the center of every conversation about men and women. One couple has been the battleground for human relationships and sexual identity. That couple is Adam and Eve. Yet instead of celebrating them, history has blamed them for bringing sin, deceit, and death into the world. In this fresh retelling of their story, New York Times columnist and PBS host Bruce Feiler travels from the Garden of Eden in Iraq to the Sistine Chapel in Rome, from John Milton’s London to Mae West’s Hollywood, discovering how Adam and Eve should be hailed as exemplars of a long-term, healthy, resilient relationship. At a time of discord and fear over the strength of our social fabric, Feiler shows how history’s first couple can again be role models for unity, forgiveness, and love. Containing all the humor, insight, and wisdom that have endeared Bruce Feiler to readers around the world, The First Love Story is an unforgettable journey that restores Adam and Eve to their rightful place as central figures in our culture's imagination and reminds us that even our most familiar stories still have the ability to surprise, inspire, and guide us today.From the Hardcover edition.
First Mates
by Cecelia DowdyA cruise around the Caribbean offered just what Rainy Jackson needed to get over her faithless ex-fiancé -- sun, swimming and solitude. As the heat sank into her bones, she began to feel interest in the world again... and in handsome fellow passenger Winston Michaels.Winston had also hoped for time alone to reflect. But finding a friend in faith in the lovely Rainy helped him deal with his twin sister' s death without relying on unhealthy means of deadening the pain. And Winston' s outlook brightened further when dates back home in Miami brought him and Rainy even closer. Would Rainy be the one to share Winston' s life voyage?
The First Miracle
by Jeffrey ArcherFrom the book jacket. "From one of the world's greatest storytellers, Jeffrey Archer, and featuring illustrations from renowned British artist Craigie Aitchison, here is a Christmas treasure to delight children of all ages--one in which the story of the Nativity takes an unexpected turn." [Note to readers. All paintings are described.] "In the forty-third year of the reign of the Emperor Augustus Caesar, ruler of half the known world, a mischievous thirteen-year-old Roman boy is sent on an errand by his mother. On the way he encounters all the usual sights and sounds of village life in Judaea. But that evening Bethlehem is even more crowded than usual, since his father, the governor of the province, has ordered a census so he can tax all the emperor's subjects. Then the boy comes across a sight he will never forget--a man and his pregnant wife are being turned away from an inn, and are preparing to spend the night in a stable....With a marvelous final double twist that could have come only from the pen of Jeffrey Archer, The First Miracle is destined to take its place beside Dickens's A Christmas Carol and Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales as, classic of the season. JEFFREY ARCHER is one of England's most leading political figures and one of the world's most successful writers. All of his story collections and novels from 1974's Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less to 1994's Twelve Red Herrings--have been international bestsellers. CRAIGIE AITCHISON is one of Britain's most celebrated artists. He is a Royal Academician and his highly sought- after paintings appear in numerous public and private collections."
The First Modern Jew: Spinoza and the History of an Image
by Daniel B. SchwartzPioneering biblical critic, theorist of democracy, and legendary conflater of God and nature, Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677) was excommunicated by the Sephardic Jews of Amsterdam in 1656 for his "horrible heresies" and "monstrous deeds." Yet, over the past three centuries, Spinoza's rupture with traditional Jewish beliefs and practices has elevated him to a prominent place in genealogies of Jewish modernity. The First Modern Jew provides a riveting look at how Spinoza went from being one of Judaism's most notorious outcasts to one of its most celebrated, if still highly controversial, cultural icons, and a powerful and protean symbol of the first modern secular Jew. Ranging from Amsterdam to Palestine and back again to Europe, the book chronicles Spinoza's posthumous odyssey from marginalized heretic to hero, the exemplar of a whole host of Jewish identities, including cosmopolitan, nationalist, reformist, and rejectionist. Daniel Schwartz shows that in fashioning Spinoza into "the first modern Jew," generations of Jewish intellectuals--German liberals, East European maskilim, secular Zionists, and Yiddishists--have projected their own dilemmas of identity onto him, reshaping the Amsterdam thinker in their own image. The many afterlives of Spinoza are a kind of looking glass into the struggles of Jewish writers over where to draw the boundaries of Jewishness and whether a secular Jewish identity is indeed possible. Cumulatively, these afterlives offer a kaleidoscopic view of modern Jewish cultureand a vivid history of an obsession with Spinoza that continues to this day.