- Table View
- List View
Heaven's Bankers: Inside the Hidden World of Islamic Finance
by Harris IrfanA trillion dollar financial industry is revolutionising the global economy. Governments and corporations across the Islamic world are increasingly turning to finance that complies with Sharia law in order to fund economic growth. Even in the West, Islamic finance is rapidly becoming an important alternative source of funding at a time when the conventional finance industry is reeling from the effects of the financial crisis.From its origins in the seventh century, Islamic finance has sought to develop core ethical principles that are based in the foundations of Islam and Shari’a. By engaging critically with the complexities of international finance, it has evolved and adapted into a world emerging from the economic and moral aftermath of a global financial crisis. But with an increasing Western interest, is it able to remain true to the principles of its faith? Can it maintain its ideals of social justice? Or is Islamic finance guilty of the very dangers it seeks to avoid?In Heaven’s Bankers, Harris Irfan, one of the world’s leading Islamic finance bankers, gives unparalleled insight into the heart of this secretive industry. From his personal experience of working with leading bankers, scholars and lawyers, he debunks the myths of Islamic banking, analyses its greatest deals and looks to the future of a system that has reprioritised the very nature of money itself.
Heaven's Bankers: Inside the Hidden World of Islamic Finance
by Harris IrfanA leading Islamic finance banker sheds light on an industry with growing global influence: &“A superb introduction to a fascinating subject&” (Financial Times) A trillion-dollar financial industry has revolutionized the global economy. Governments and corporations across the Islamic world have turned to finance that complies with Shari&‘a law in order to fund economic growth. Even in the West, Islamic finance became an important alternative source of funding when the conventional finance industry was reeling from the effects of the financial crisis. From its origins in the seventh century, Islamic finance has sought to develop core ethical principles that are based in the foundations of Islam and Shari&‘a. But with an increasing Western interest, is it able to remain true to the principles of its faith? Can it maintain its ideals of social justice? Or is Islamic finance guilty of the very dangers it seeks to avoid. In Heaven's Bankers, Harris Irfan, one of the world's leading Islamic finance bankers, gives unparalleled insight into the heart of this secretive industry. From his personal experience of working with leading bankers, scholars and lawyers, he debunks the myths of Islamic banking, analyzes its greatest deals, and looks to the future of a system that has reprioritized the very nature of money itself.
Heaven's Bride: The Unprintable Life of Ida C. Craddock, American Mystic, Scholar, Sexologist, Martyr, and Madwoman
by Leigh Eric SchmidtThe nineteenth-century eccentric Ida C. Craddock was by turns a secular freethinker, a religious visionary, a civil-liberties advocate, and a resolute defender of belly-dancing. Arrested and tried repeatedly on obscenity charges, she was deemed a danger to public morality for her candor about sexuality. By the end of her life Craddock, the nemesis of the notorious vice crusader Anthony Comstock, had become a favorite of free-speech defenders and women's rights activists. She soon became as well the case-history darling of one of America's earliest and most determined Freudians.In Heaven's Bride, prize-winning historian Leigh Eric Schmidt offers a rich biography of this forgotten mystic, who occupied the seemingly incongruous roles of yoga priestess, suppressed sexologist, and suspected madwoman. In Schmidt's evocative telling, Craddock's story reveals the beginning of the end of Christian America, a harbinger of spiritual variety and sexual revolution.
The Heavens Declare
by Prof. Maurice Thaddeus BrackbillIf you thrill at the sight of the heavenly blue backdrop with innumerable silver stars twinkling at you so far below on the spinning earth, come, draw up your chair and share this book. This book is written to give the reader a greater appreciation of the stars in the heavens, and of the God who created them.“With humor and whimsy and inspiration, and with scientific acceptability that heightens these other qualities, Maurice T. Brackbill shares his viewpoint of the heavens in this delightful series of essays. Through everything he writes shines his deep feeling for the eternal and universal meanings behind the sensible reality.“Professor Brackbill’s book is in your hands. You will read it, and will reread it to others, and you’ll reread it to yourself, time and time again. Preachers will find in this volume the texts for many sermons, kindergarten teachers will discover that the thinking fits into the capability of the youngest mind, and the student will recognize the sound science which mantles every vivid paragraph. Everyone who reads will sense and approve the deep spiritual motivation which underlies the science.”—ARMAND N. SPITZ
Heaven's Embrace: My Awesome Encounter With a Woman I Thought Must Have Been an Angel
by Barbra LesterIn desperate times, it&’s reassuring to know that God is nearer to us than we could ever imagine. Heavens Embrace is based on a personal encounter the author had with a remarkable woman on a train that she believes was an angel. This powerful and divine appointment dramatically changed her life and it is this testimony that she now shares to glorify and magnify our Lord Jesus Christ.
Heaven's Gate: Postmodernity and Popular Culture in a Suicide Group (Routledge New Religions)
by George D. ChryssidesOn March 26, 1997, the bodies of 39 men and women were found in an opulent mansion outside San Diego, all victims of a mass suicide. Messages left by the Heaven's Gate group indicate that they believed they were stepping out of their 'physical containers' in order to ascend to a UFO that was arriving in the wake of the Hale-Bopp comet. The Heaven's Gate suicides were part of a series of major incidents involving New Religions in the 1990s, as the new millennium approached. Despite the major attention that Heaven's Gate attracted at the time of the suicides, there have been relatively few scholarly studies. This anthology on Heaven's Gate includes a combination of articles previously published in academic journals, some new writings from experts in the field, and some original Heaven's Gate documents. All the material is expertly brought together under the editorship of George D. Chryssides.
Heaven's Gate: America's UFO Religion
by Benjamin E. Zeller2015 Best Book Award from the Communal Studies AssociationThe captivating story of the people of Heaven’s Gate, a religious group focused on transcending humanity and the Earth, and seeking salvation in the literal heavens on board a UFOIn March 1997, thirty-nine people in Rancho Santa Fe, California, ritually terminated their lives. To outsiders, it was a mass suicide. To insiders, it was a graduation. This act was the culmination of over two decades of spiritual and social development for the members of Heaven’s Gate.In this fascinating overview, Benjamin Zeller not only explores the question of why the members of Heaven’s Gate committed ritual suicides, but interrogates the origin and evolution of the religion, its appeal, and its practices. By tracking the development of the history, social structure, and worldview of Heaven’s Gate, Zeller draws out the ways in which the movement was both a reflection and a microcosm of larger American culture. The group emerged out of engagement with Evangelical Christianity, the New Age movement, science fiction and UFOs, and conspiracy theories, and it evolved in response to the religious quests of baby boomers, new religions of the counterculture, and the narcissistic pessimism of the 1990s. Thus, Heaven’s Gate not only reflects the context of its environment, but also reveals how those forces interacted in the form of a single religious body. In the only book-length study of Heaven’s Gate, Zeller traces the roots of the movement, examines its beliefs and practices, and tells the captivating story of its people.
Heaven's Heroes
by David Shibley"God had an only Son and He was a missionary." With these words, David Livingstone confirmed that he, too, would spend his life telling people in far-off lands about the love of God. This explorer, doctor, author, and missionary longed to see "the smoke of a thousand villages," because huddled around African tribal fires were people who might never hear the story of God's love unless missionaries obeyed God's call to serve Him. David Livingstone is one of 22 men and women whose exciting adventures will be enjoyed by the whole family. As you read each of these wonderful stories aloud during family times or on your own, you will see how you, too, can reach out to your world through deeds and prayer to tell others the good news about Jesus and His love.
Heaven's Interpreters: Women Writers and Religious Agency in Nineteenth-Century America
by Ashley ReedIn Heaven's Interpreters, Ashley Reed reveals how nineteenth-century American women writers transformed the public sphere by using the imaginative power of fiction to craft new models of religious identity and agency. Women writers of the antebellum period, Reed contends, embraced theological concepts to gain access to the literary sphere, challenging the notion that theological discourse was exclusively oppressive and served to deny women their own voice. Attending to modes of being and believing in works by Augusta Jane Evans, Harriet Jacobs, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Elizabeth Oakes Smith, Elizabeth Stoddard, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Susan Warner, Reed illuminates how these writers infused the secular space of fiction with religious ideas and debates, imagining new possibilities for women's individual agency and collective action.Thanks to generous funding from Virginia Tech and its participation in TOME (Toward an Open Monograph Ecosystem), the ebook editions of this book are available as Open Access volumes from Cornell Open (cornellopen.org) and other repositories.
Heaven's Kiss
by Lois RicherDanielle DeWitt returned home to a run-down ranch and a mountain of debt. Salvaging her father’s legacy would mean an end to her dreams and a test of her faith. But even as Dani struggled to accept God’s plan, He sent her a man who could make new dreams come true. If only she could convince her heaven-sent hero that Blessing, Colorado, was where he belonged.Settling down—even in a town as charming as Blessing—was a scary proposition to physician Lucas Lawrence. Then the good doctor met Dani DeWitt, and everything changed. He yearned to share his life with her, but could he give up his bachelor, carefree ways?
Heaven's Lessons: Ten Things I Learned About God When I Died
by Steve Sjogren"If you'd asked me who God is on December 9, the year of my accident, I would have been able to give you a fairly cohesive but theoretical answer. A day later all of that changed."A simple surgery went horribly wrong. Steve Sjogren died on the operating table. He encountered a heavenly world where he felt infinite peace. And then he had to come back--back to a physical reality filled with pain and disability and an endless line of tests. The drama of dying suddenly paled in comparison to the trauma of living. Sjogren could not face this new existence with his same old comfortable understanding of God. "I had minimized God," Sjogren says. "Somehow, over time, he had become fairly predictable--like he could be outlined, fully grasped, and contained in a neat set of mere ideas. Now I saw that he apparently wasn't all that impressed with my cool little notebooks." One day in heaven followed by hundreds in agony forged a deeper and stronger faith than Sjogren could have crafted on his own. In Heaven's Lessons, Sjogren shares his experiences and the life-changing ways they have affected his perspective on success, suffering, and the mysteries of God.Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l4jugXqiBU
Heaven's Light Breaking: A 25-Day Advent Devotional
by Greg LauriePrepare your heart for Christmas with Heaven's Light Breaking: a beautiful, giftable 25-day Advent devotional from beloved pastor and bestselling author Greg Laurie. This Christmas, take time each day to slow down and focus on the joy of the season. In Heaven&’s Light Breaking: A 25 Day Advent Devotional, best-selling author and pastor Greg Laurie shares wisdom, Scripture, and prayers designed to help you connect with God and find hope and peace amid the holiday rush. From the miracle of the virgin birth to the visit from the magi, Heaven's Light Breaking offers a fresh perspective on the most treasured days of the year. Each of Laurie's warm and engaging readings will uplift your spirit, inspire your thinking, and encourage you to savor the special nature of the Christmas season. Whether you read each day&’s devotional entry alone or with your loved ones, let the warmth and love of God's presence fill your heart and soul as you mindfully celebrate Christ&’s wondrous birth this advent.
Heaven's My Destination: A Novel
by Thornton Wilder“If John Steinbeck’s mighty Grapes of Wrath is the tragic novel of the Great Depression, then Heaven’s My Destination is its comic masterpiece. —J.D. McClatchyA hilarious tale about goodness in a fallen world, Heaven’s My Destination introduces George Marvin Brush, one of Thornton Wilder's most memorable characters. Brush, a traveling textbook salesman, is a fervent religious convert who is determined to lead a good life. With sad and sometimes hilarious consequences, his travels take him through smoking cars, bawdy houses, banks, and campgrounds from Texas to Illinois—and into the soul of Depression-era America itself. This special edition includes an updated afterword by Wilder’s nephew, Tappan Wilder, with illuminating material about the author and book.
Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality and Utopia
by Michael ShermerA scientific exploration into humanity's obsession with the afterlife and the quest for immortality from the bestselling author and sceptic Michael ShermerIn his most ambitious work yet, Shermer sets out to discover what drives humans' belief in life after death. For millennia, the awareness of our own mortality and failings has led to religions concocting comforting notions of an afterlife, of heaven and hell, utopias and dystopias, and of the perfectibility of human nature.Heavens on Earth explores the numerous manifestations of the afterlife - a place where souls might go after the death of the physical body. Religious leaders have toiled to make sense of this place that a surprisingly high percentage of people believe exists, but from which no one has ever returned to report what it is really like.This is one of the most profound questions of the human condition and has long driven philosophers and theologians to try to understand the meaning and purpose of life for mortal beings, and how we can transcend mortality. Shermer details recent scientific attempts to achieve immortality by radical life extentionists, extropians, transhumanists, cryonicists and mind-uploaders, along with utopians who have attempted to create heaven on earth. Heavens on Earth concludes with an uplifting paean to purpose and progress and what we can do in the here-and-now, whether or not there is a hereafter.
Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopia
by Michael ShermerA scientific exploration into humanity’s obsession with the afterlife and quest for immortality from the bestselling author and skeptic Michael ShermerIn his most ambitious work yet, Shermer sets out to discover what drives humans’ belief in life after death, focusing on recent scientific attempts to achieve immortality along with utopian attempts to create heaven on earth. For millennia, religions have concocted numerous manifestations of heaven and the afterlife, and though no one has ever returned from such a place to report what it is really like—or that it even exists—today science and technology are being used to try to make it happen in our lifetime. From radical life extension to cryonic suspension to mind uploading, Shermer considers how realistic these attempts are from a proper skeptical perspective. Heavens on Earth concludes with an uplifting paean to purpose and progress and how we can live well in the here-and-now, whether or not there is a hereafter.
Heaven's Password
by Nick KalivodaScripture passages on the topic of salvation explained and interpreted.
Heavens to Betsy
by Beth PattilloBlessed Are the Fabulous. Life would be perfect for Reverend Betsy Blessing if it weren't for parishioners who keel over during her sermons, steal money from the collection box, and set her up with ex-cons. Not to mention the very inconvenient feelings she is suddenly having for her long-time friend, fellow seminarian, and verbal sparring partner, David Swenson. It isn't until Betsy is thrust into the position of senior minister for her church, however, that she discovers the real cause of her discontent: her fear of failing has become stronger than her faith in herself. Is it really possible to keep a good woman down? Can Betsy reclaim her confidence while reconciling her clerical robe with high heels and the right shade of lipstick? A fun-loving look at a single girl's life on the other side of the altar, "Heavens to Betsy "is also a hilarious and joyful celebration of strong, stylish, and faithful womanhood.
Heaven's Wager: A Novel (The Martyr's Song Series #1)
by Ted DekkerIt was an absolutely perfect day . . . until everything went absolutely perfectly wrong.Kent Anthony is a brilliant software engineer who is cashing in on a brilliant career. He&’s finally living the idyllic life, far from thoughts of theft and murder and other kinds of horrible criminal behavior.He&’s left his past far behind. Or so he thinks.In his very first novel, New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker delivers a fascinating story of the almost perfect crime, interwoven with a tale of bittersweet love that is almost enough to save a soul. Heaven&’s Wager is a story that will bring you face-to-face with a hidden world more real than most people ever realize—a world where the unseen is more powerful than anything seen.Praise for Heaven&’s Wager:&“Well, well, guess what I&’ve found. A fiction writer with a rare knack for a compelling story, an expansive reservoir of clever ideas, and a unique dry wit that makes me laugh.&” —Frank Peretti, New York Times bestselling author&“Rarely does a novel grip a reader&’s heart and soul the way Heaven&’s Wager does. Dekker is among a very small number of writers who have mastered the challenge of blending sound theology with knock-your-socks-off storytelling.&” —Robert Liparulo, bestselling authorBook 1 in the Heaven/Martyr&’s Song trilogyBonus book 1.5: The Martyr&’s SongBook 2: When Heaven WeepsBook 3: Thunder of HeavenBook length: appr. 80,000 words
Heaven's War
by Scott JonesDuring the Six-Day War in 1967, Bethlehem and east Jerusalem were captured by the Israelis, and sovereign dominion of the holy city returned to the Jews for the first time in over two thousand years. At that time, a Dead Sea artifact known as the Temple Scroll was confiscated by the Israeli government, and no Dead Sea Scrolls have surfaced in any official quarter since--although secret, Black Market purchases continue to this day...Andrei Vartanyan--A ruthless, special intelligence operative for the former Soviet Union, Vartanyan has a reputation for getting what he wants at any cost. Now he's hot on the trail of a lost scroll rumored to hold the key to unlocking the secrets of 64 hidden treasure sites described in the famous Copper Scroll. And he'll stop at nothing--not even murder--to get it.Jack Calumet--One of the most proficient operatives the CIA has ever fielded, Calumet has gone up against Vartanyan once before, outfoxing him and levying a brilliant disinformation coup against the Russian and his comrades...but losing the woman he loved in the process.Now Jack Calumet wants revenge. But a shocking discovery with worldwide implications makes it clear that there is more to this top secret operation than he ever dreamed. As the British, the Russians, the Arabs, the Israelis...and even the Vatican join in the chase, the story races to a climactic confrontation, and the two sworn enemies square off once again. Only this time, the stakes are higher than ever before, and a powerful revelation concerning the Word of God and the foundation upon which it is based will stand or fall as Heaven's War reaches its final battle.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Heaven’s Wrath: The Protestant Reformation and the Dutch West India Company in the Atlantic World (New Netherland Institute Studies)
by D. L. NoorlanderHeaven's Wrath explores the religious thought and religious rites of the early Dutch Atlantic world. D. L. Noorlander argues that the Reformed Church and the West India Company forged and maintained a close union, with considerable consequences across the seventeenth century.Noorlander questions the core assumptions about why the Dutch failed to establish a durable empire in America. He downplays the usual commercial explanations and places the focus instead on the tremendous expenses incurred in the Calvinist-backed war and the Reformed Church's meticulous, worried management of colonial affairs. By pinpointing the issues that hampered the size and import of the Dutch Atlantic world, Noorlander revises core notions about the organization and aims of the Dutch empire, the culture of the West India Company, and the very shape of Dutch society.Open Access edition funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Heavenwards
by Joseph Kentenich Jonathan NiehausWhile Father Joseph Kentenich, founder of the Schoenstatt movement in 1914, was being held in Dachau concentration camp from 1942-45, he wrote these prayers. Somehow they were smuggled out of the camp. After he was liberated at the end of the war, they were published in this book, originally in German.
Heavy Metal Music, Texts, and Nationhood: (Re)sounding Whiteness (Leisure Studies in a Global Era)
by Catherine HoadThis book addresses how whiteness is represented in heavy metal scenes and practices, both as a site of academic inquiry and force of cultural significance. The author argues that whiteness, and more specifically white masculinity, has been given normative value which obscures the contributions of women and people of colour, and affirms the exclusory understandings of ‘belonging’ which have featured in the metal scenes of Norway, South Africa, and Australia. Utilizing critical discourse analysis and critical textual analysis of musical texts, promotional material, and participant-based observation ethnographies, it explores how the texts, discourses, and practices produced and articulated by metal scene members and scholars alike have presented heavy metal as a white, masculine pastime, yet also considers the vital work done by scene members to confront expressions of exclusory misogyny and racism when they emerge in metal scenes. The book will be of interest to researchers and scholars in the fields of metal music studies, leisure studies, sociology of culture and sociology of racism.
Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and / Kabbala
by VariousFrom Project Gutenberg
The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Companion
by John BartonThis book brings together some of the world's most exciting scholars from across a variety of disciplines to provide a concise and accessible guide to the Hebrew Bible. It covers every major genre of book in the Old Testament together with in-depth discussions of major themes such as human nature, covenant, creation, ethics, ritual and purity, sacred space, and monotheism. This authoritative overview sets each book within its historical and cultural context in the ancient Near East, paying special attention to its sociological setting. It provides new insights into the reception of the books and the different ways they have been studied, from historical-critical enquiry to modern advocacy approaches such as feminism and liberation theology. It also includes a guide to biblical translations and textual criticism and helpful suggestions for further reading.Featuring contributions from experts with backgrounds in the Jewish and Christian faith traditions as well as secular scholars in the humanities and social sciences, The Hebrew Bible is the perfect starting place for anyone seeking a user-friendly introduction to the Old Testament, and an invaluable reference book for students and teachers.
The Hebrew Bible: A Contemporary Introduction to the Christian Old Testament and the Jewish Tanakh
by David M. CarrDiscover the historical and social context of one of the most influential works ever written with this authoritative new resource The newly revised second edition of The Hebrew Bible: A Contemporary Introduction to the Christian Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh delivers a brief and up-to-date introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in the broader context of world history. Its treatment of the formation of the Bible amidst different historical periods allows readers to understand the biblical texts in context. It also introduces readers to scholarly methods used to explore the formation of the Hebrew Bible and its later interpretation by Jews and Christians. Written by a leading scholar in the field, this new edition incorporates the most recent research on the archaeology and history of early Israel, the formation of the Pentateuch, and the development of the historical and poetic books. Students will benefit from the inclusion of study questions in each chapter, focus texts from the Bible that illustrate major points, timelines, illustrations, photographs and a glossary to help them retain knowledge. The book also includes: A deepened and up-to-date focus on recent methods of biblical study, including trauma studies, African American, womanist, and ecocritical approaches to the Bible An orientation to multiple bibles, translations and digital resources for study of the Bible An exploration of the emergence of ancient Israel, its first oral traditions and its earliest writings Discussions of how major features of the Bible reflect communal experiences of trauma and resilience as Israel survived under successive empires of the Ancient Near East. Fuller treatment of the final formation of biblical books in early Judaism, including coverage of diverse early Jewish texts (e.g. Ben Sira, Enoch, Judith) that were revered as scripture before there were more clearly defined Jewish and Christian Bibles Designed for students of seminary courses and undergraduate students taking an introduction to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, this second edition of The Hebrew Bible also will interest general readers with interest in the formation of the Bible.