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How Political Parties Mobilize Religion: Lessons from Mexico and Turkey (Religious Engagement in Democratic Politics)
by Luis Felipe MantillaPolitical mobilization tends to take different forms in contemporary Catholic- and Sunni-majority countries. Luis Felipe Mantilla attributes this dynamic to changes taking place in religious communities and the political institutions that govern religious political engagement. In How Political Parties Mobilize Religion, Mantillaevenhandedly traces the emergence and success of religious parties in Mexico and Turkey, two countries shaped by assertive secular regimes. In doing so, he demonstrates that religious parties are highly responsive to political institutions, such as electoral laws, as well as to the structure of broader religious communities. Whereas in both countries, the electoral success of religious mobilizers was initially a boon for democracy, in Mexico it was marred by political mismanagement and became entangled with persistent corruption and escalating violence. In Turkey, the democratic credentials of religious mobilizers were profoundly eroded as the government became increasingly autocratic, concentrating power in very few hands and rolling back basic liberal rights. Mantilla investigates the role religious mobilization plays in the evolution of electoral politics and democratic institutions, and to what extent their trajectories reflect broader trends in political Catholicism and Islam.
How Psychedelics Can Help Save the World: Visionary and Indigenous Voices Speak Out
by Stephen Gray• With contributions from Christopher Bache, Zoe Helene, Dennis McKenna, Martina Hoffmann, The Dank Duchess, Jamie Wheal, Grandmother Maria Alice, and others• Explores the immense healing intelligence of nature, the wisdom of ancient Indigenous prophecies and shamanic practices, the importance of the Divine Feminine for environmental regeneration, and the crucial role of psychedelic and entheogenic plants in initiating transformations of consciousnessExploring the way forward for humanity in the face of unprecedented crisis, more than 25 contributors show how the wisdom of Indigenous peoples and the power of psychedelics can help us enact the radical shift in consciousness necessary to navigate the collapse of the old world order and the birth of a new consciousness.We hear from psychedelic visionaries Christopher Bache, Zoe Helene, Wade Davis, Chris Kilham, Laurel Sugden, and others on the promise of psychedelic medicines for spiritual and healing work. We learn about Indigenous stories to support our transformation from Native American leader Solana Booth, ancestral memory from Grandmother Maria Alice Campos Freire, cannabis&’s role in world building from Minelli Eustàcio-Costa, the ritual roots of talking plants from Michael Stuart Ani, and alchemy across the arc of time from shaman Ya&’Acov Darling Khan. We also hear from cannabis grower The Dank Duchess; Tyson Yunkaporta, Australian Aboriginal artist and scholar; visionary artist Martina Hoffmann; activist Duane Elgin; Kohenet Rachel Kann, ordained Jewish priestess and ceremonialist; and several other wise leaders for our time. Throughout these profound essays we are reminded of the immense healing intelligence of our plant allies, of the wisdom of shamanic practices, of the importance of the Divine Feminine for environmental regeneration, and of the crucial role of entheogenic plants in initiating transformations of consciousness and healing our world&’s collective disconnection from Spirit.
How Reason Can Lead to God: A Philosopher's Bridge to Faith
by Joshua RasmussenDo you seek the truth?
How Religion Evolved: Explaining the Living Dead, Talking Idols, and Mesmerizing Monuments
by Brian McVeighWhy did many religious leaders—Moses, Old Testament prophets, Zoroaster—claim they heard divine voices? Why do ancient civilizations exhibit key similarities, e.g., the "living dead" (treating the dead as if they were still alive); "speaking idols" (care and feeding of effigies); monumental mortuary architecture and "houses of gods" (pyramids, ziggurats, temples)? How do we explain strange behaviour such as spirit possession, speaking in tongues, channelling, hypnosis, and schizophrenic hallucinations? Are these lingering vestiges of an older mentality?Brian J. McVeigh answers these riddles by updating "bicameralism." First proposed by the psychologist Julian Jaynes, this theory postulates that an earlier mentality existed: a "human" (the brain's left hemisphere) heard voices of "gods" or "ancestors" (the brain's right hemisphere). Therefore, ancient religious texts reporting divine voices were recounting of audio-visual hallucinations—a method of social control when early populations expanded. As growing political economic complexity destabilized god-governed states in the late second millennium BCE, divine voices became inadequate.Eventually, humans had to culturally acquire new cognitive skills (modern religions) to accommodate increasing social pressures: selves replaced the gods and history witnessed an "inward turn." This psychological interiorization of spiritual experience laid the foundations for the world's great religions and philosophies that arose in India, China, Greece, and the Middle East in the middle of the first millennium BCE.
How Shall We Know Christ At His Coming?
by Max HeindelHow Shall We Know Christ At His Coming? by Max Heindel is a profound and thought-provoking exploration of the esoteric and spiritual understanding of Christ’s Second Coming. As the founder of The Rosicrucian Fellowship and a leading figure in the early 20th-century esoteric movement, Heindel offers readers a unique perspective on this pivotal event in Christian eschatology, blending Christian mysticism with Rosicrucian teachings.In this insightful work, Heindel delves into the deeper, spiritual significance of Christ’s return, challenging conventional interpretations and urging readers to consider the event not merely as a future occurrence but as an ongoing, inner transformation. Heindel explores the idea that Christ’s Second Coming will manifest through the awakening of the Christ consciousness within individuals, leading to a collective spiritual evolution and a new era of peace and enlightenment.How Shall We Know Christ At His Coming? addresses key questions about the nature of Christ’s return, the signs that will accompany it, and how individuals can prepare themselves to recognize and embrace this profound event. Heindel emphasizes the importance of living a life of purity, selflessness, and spiritual awareness as essential steps toward developing the inner Christ consciousness.Heindel’s teachings draw on a rich tapestry of biblical references, esoteric symbolism, and spiritual insight, making this book a valuable resource for both Christian mystics and those interested in esoteric Christianity. His clear and engaging writing style makes complex spiritual concepts accessible, inviting readers to deepen their understanding of Christ’s role in the spiritual evolution of humanity.How Shall We Know Christ At His Coming? is an essential read for anyone seeking a deeper, more mystical understanding of Christ’s return and its implications for personal and collective spiritual growth. Max Heindel’s work continues to inspire and guide spiritual seekers, offering a timeless message of hope and transformation.
How Sherlock Pulled the Trick: Spiritualism and the Pseudoscientific Method
by Brian McCuskeyA masterful combination of literary study and author biography, How Sherlock Pulled the Trick guides us through the parallel careers of two inseparable men: Sherlock Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Reconsidering Holmes in light of Doyle’s well-known belief in Victorian spiritualism, Brian McCuskey argues that the so-called scientific detective follows the same circular logic, along the same trail of questionable evidence, that led Doyle to the séance room.Holmes’s first case, A Study in Scarlet, was published in 1887, when natural scientists and religious apologists were hotly debating their differences in the London press. In this environment, Doyle became convinced that spiritualism, as a universal faith based on material evidence, resolved the conflict between science and religion. The character of Holmes, with his infallible logic, was Doyle’s good faith solution to the cultural conflicts of his day. Yet this solution has evolved into a new problem. Sherlock Holmes now authorizes the pseudoscience that corrupts our public sphere, defying logic, revising history, and promoting conspiracy theories. As this book demonstrates, wearing a deerstalker does not make you a mastermind—more likely, it marks you as a crackpot.Fascinating and highly readable, How Sherlock Pulled the Trick returns the iconic Holmes to his mystical origins.
How Sherlock Pulled the Trick: Spiritualism and the Pseudoscientific Method
by Brian McCuskeyA masterful combination of literary study and author biography, How Sherlock Pulled the Trick guides us through the parallel careers of two inseparable men: Sherlock Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Reconsidering Holmes in light of Doyle’s well-known belief in Victorian spiritualism, Brian McCuskey argues that the so-called scientific detective follows the same circular logic, along the same trail of questionable evidence, that led Doyle to the séance room.Holmes’s first case, A Study in Scarlet, was published in 1887, when natural scientists and religious apologists were hotly debating their differences in the London press. In this environment, Doyle became convinced that spiritualism, as a universal faith based on material evidence, resolved the conflict between science and religion. The character of Holmes, with his infallible logic, was Doyle’s good faith solution to the cultural conflicts of his day. Yet this solution has evolved into a new problem. Sherlock Holmes now authorizes the pseudoscience that corrupts our public sphere, defying logic, revising history, and promoting conspiracy theories. As this book demonstrates, wearing a deerstalker does not make you a mastermind—more likely, it marks you as a crackpot.Fascinating and highly readable, How Sherlock Pulled the Trick returns the iconic Holmes to his mystical origins.
How Should a Christian Date?: It's Not as Complicated as You Think
by Eric DemeterPitch the Christian dating rulebook out the window. There&’s a better way!No matter what you might have heard, God didn&’t mandate a divine way to date. What He did do, in the Bible, is lay out principles for wise and healthy relational living among believers. His boundaries for us are wise and good. But exactly how you apply God&’s principles to your dating life is up to you to figure out. All you need is guidance, not micromanagement.How Should a Christian Date? doesn&’t try to boss you around. It just offers wisdom about the relevant principles in God&’s Word. Eric Demeter—a single guy who has given this subject a lot of thought—separates the truths of Scripture from the baggage of Christian dating subculture. He talks to you like a big brother or favorite uncle, not your mother. You&’ll cover topics such as:Busting 12 Myths of Christian DatingHow to Meet People & Have a Good First DateClearing the Fog in Sex and Physical AffectionGetting the Best from a BreakupTake Dating One Stage at a TimeThere isn&’t one &“Christian&” way to date. But there are ways that Christians should handle themselves while dating . . . and those are the truths to live by.
How Should a Christian Date?: It's Not as Complicated as You Think
by Eric DemeterPitch the Christian dating rulebook out the window. There&’s a better way!No matter what you might have heard, God didn&’t mandate a divine way to date. What He did do, in the Bible, is lay out principles for wise and healthy relational living among believers. His boundaries for us are wise and good. But exactly how you apply God&’s principles to your dating life is up to you to figure out. All you need is guidance, not micromanagement.How Should a Christian Date? doesn&’t try to boss you around. It just offers wisdom about the relevant principles in God&’s Word. Eric Demeter—a single guy who has given this subject a lot of thought—separates the truths of Scripture from the baggage of Christian dating subculture. He talks to you like a big brother or favorite uncle, not your mother. You&’ll cover topics such as:Busting 12 Myths of Christian DatingHow to Meet People & Have a Good First DateClearing the Fog in Sex and Physical AffectionGetting the Best from a BreakupTake Dating One Stage at a TimeThere isn&’t one &“Christian&” way to date. But there are ways that Christians should handle themselves while dating . . . and those are the truths to live by.
How Should Christians Vote?
by Tony EvansChristians are a large and influential voting block today. But as each governmental election approaches, an increasing polarity occurs within those claiming the Christian faith. This comes as a result of party-voting rather than voting according to Biblical mandates and authority. To refocus correctly, Dr. Tony Evans goes back to the basics and teaches on how God established government as a divine institution whose tasks include promoting the well-being of those within its realm and protection from evil. Scripture trumps all political alliances making the voting decision a critical opportunity for Christians to promote God's Word and His values through whom they elect. In the face of increasing emotions the Christians representing God's kingdom values should communicate His truths in a manner reflective of the King - in a gracious and strategic way. Dr. Evans also looks at the necessary qualities in a good candidate which include intellect, education, competency, skill and spiritual beliefs - whether certain issues are non-negotiables, and how a responsible citizen is to research a candidates' position in order to evaluate it against God's Word.
How Should Christians Vote?
by Tony EvansChristians are a large and influential voting block today. But as each governmental election approaches, an increasing polarity occurs within those claiming the Christian faith. This comes as a result of party-voting rather than voting according to Biblical mandates and authority. To refocus correctly, Dr. Tony Evans goes back to the basics and teaches on how God established government as a divine institution whose tasks include promoting the well-being of those within its realm and protection from evil. Scripture trumps all political alliances making the voting decision a critical opportunity for Christians to promote God's Word and His values through whom they elect. In the face of increasing emotions the Christians representing God's kingdom values should communicate His truths in a manner reflective of the King - in a gracious and strategic way. Dr. Evans also looks at the necessary qualities in a good candidate which include intellect, education, competency, skill and spiritual beliefs - whether certain issues are non-negotiables, and how a responsible citizen is to research a candidates' position in order to evaluate it against God's Word.
How Should Humanity Steer the Future?
by Anthony Aguirre Brendan Foster Zeeya MeraliThe fourteen award-winning essays in this volume discuss a range of novel ideas and controversial topics that could decisively influence the course of human life on Earth. Their authors address, in accessible language, issues as diverse as: enabling our social systems to learn; research in biological engineering and artificial intelligence; mending and enhancing minds; improving the way we do, and teach, science; living in the here and now; and the value of play. The essays are enhanced versions of the prize-winning entries submitted to the Foundational Questions Institute (FQXi) essay competition in 2014. FQXi, catalyzes, supports, and disseminates research on questions at the foundations of physics and cosmology, particularly new frontiers and innovative ideas integral to a deep understanding of reality, but unlikely to be supported by conventional funding sources.
How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture
by Francis A. Schaeffer" This book is a personal analysis of the key moments in history which have formed our present culture, and the thinking of the men who brought those moments to pass. This study is made in the hope that light may be shed upon the major characteristics of our age and that solutions may be found to the myriad of problems which face us as we look toward the end of the twentieth century. " With these words, Dr. Francis A Schaeffer begins this monumental work on the condition and direction of Western civilization. As one of the foremost evangelical thinkers of our day, Dr. Schaeffer has long pondered the fate of declining Western culture, and concludes that not only have we lost sight of our roots, but of our direction as well. Dr. Schaeffer begins his brilliant analysis with the fall of Rome, tracing Western man's progression throughout the ensuing ages. From ancient Roman times to the Middle Ages, through the Renaissance, the Reformation and the Enlightenment, up to our present scientific Atomic Age, each step of our cultural development is scrutinized. Drawing upon forty years of study in theology, philosophy, history, sociology and the arts, Dr. Schaeffer traces the causes and effects of human thought and action as they are played out in life and society. From his depth of knowledge and Christian commitment, Dr. Schaeffer contemplates the reasons for modern society's very sorry state of affairs and presents the only viable alternative: living by the Christian ethic, acceptance of God's revelation, and total affirmation of the Bible's morals, values and meaning.
How Soon is Now: From Personal Initiation to Global Transformation
by Daniel Pinchbeck Russell Brand StingWe are on the brink of an ecological mega-crisis, threatening the future of life on earth, and our actions over the next few years may well determine the destiny of our descendants. Between a manifesto and a tactical plan of action, How Soon is Now? by radical futurist and philosopher Daniel Pinchbeck, outlines a vision for a mass social movement that will address this crisis. Drawing on extensive research, Daniel Pinchbeck presents a compelling argument for the need for change on a global basis. The central thesis is that humanity has unconsciously self-willed ecological catastrophe to bring about a transcendence of our current condition. We are facing an initiatory ordeal on a planetary scale. We can understand that this initiation is necessary for us to evolve from one state of being – our current level of consciousness – to the next. Overcoming outmoded ideologies, we will realize ourselves as one unified being, a planetary super-organism in a symbiotic relationship with the Earth's ecology and the entire web of life. Covering everything from energy and agriculture, to culture, politics, media and ideology, How Soon Is Now? is ultimately about the nature of the human soul and the future of our current world. Pinchbeck calls for an intentional redesign of our current systems, transforming unjust and elitist structures into participatory, democratic, and inclusive ones. His viewpoint integrates indigenous design principles and Eastern metaphysics with social ecology and radical political thought in a new synthesis.
How Strong Women Pray
by Bonnie St. JohnBonnie St. John profiles some of today's most prominent women and how prayer has impacted their lives.
How Survivors of Abuse Relate to God: The Authentic Spirituality of the Annihilated Soul (Explorations in Practical, Pastoral and Empirical Theology)
by Susan ShooterGrappling with theological issues raised by abuse, this book argues that the Church should be challenged, and ministered to, by survivors. Paying careful attention to her interviews with Christian women survivors, Shooter finds that through painful experiences of transformation they have surprisingly become potential agents of transformation for others. Shooter brings the survivors' narratives into dialogue with the story of Job and with medieval mystic Marguerite Porete's spirituality of 'annihilation'. Culminating in an engagement with contemporary feminist theology concerning power and powerlessness, there emerges a set of principles for authentic community spirituality which crosses boundaries with God, supports appropriate human boundaries and, crucially, listens attentively. Appealing to Church leaders, students, practitioners and practical theologians, this book offers a creative and ethical theological enquiry as well as some spiritual anchor points for survivors.
How Sweet It Is: Who I Am With You, Cross My Heart, How Sweet It Is (A Legacy of Faith Novel #3)
by Robin Lee HatcherHe lost his brother. She lost her dream. Together, they might find what they&’re really looking for.Holly Stanford is doing the best she can with the restaurant she inherited from her late uncle. But after her fiancé abandons her and the business, Holly regrets having given up her dream of becoming a pastry chef. Now a few bad financial decisions might cost her everything, including her hope for the future.Jed Henning has done well with his new company despite his prodigal brother&’s behavior. When Jed&‘s father, the controlling member of the board of directors, temporarily suspends operations until his sons work out their differences, Jed resentfully chases his brother, Chris, to Boise. There Jed rents a basement apartment from Holly and hopes to convince Chris to get his act together before their company collapses.Unaware that Holly is the one person who can help him get through to Chris, Jed starts the tough work of reconciliation armed with little more than a few family photographs, a stack of old letters, and a Bible that belonged to his great-grandfather, Andrew Henning. And as romance blossoms between Holly and Jed, the story of Jed&’s great-grandfather highlights the power of God across the generations and the legacy of a family&’s courageous faith.
How Sweet the Sound
by Vanessa MillerShar Gracey wants nothing more than to sing the Lord's praises, so she jumps at the chance to join a traveling choir led by the father of black gospel music, Thomas A. Dorsey. Better yet, the opportunity will give her money to pay for her ailing mother's medical care. While on tour she falls under the tutelage of gospel great Mahalia Jackson--and falls for the handsome but not-so-great Nicoli James, whose desires for Shar are fueled by his own greed. Shar would do anything for Nicoli--and he knows it--so when his life is threatened after a night of gambling, Shar agrees to help pay Nicoli's debt, only to have her faith and dreams shattered. Reeling from the betrayal, Shar loses her voice and she believes that she will never sing again. She has no place to run except back home to her seriously ill mother--and the man she left behind, who would move heaven and earth to make Shar's pain go away. Even if it means he has to let her go . . . again.
How Sweet the Sound
by Vanessa MillerShar Gracey wants nothing more than to sing the Lord's praises, so she jumps at the chance to join a traveling choir led by the father of black gospel music, Thomas A. Dorsey. Better yet, the opportunity will give her money to pay for her ailing mother's medical care. While on tour she falls under the tutelage of gospel great Mahalia Jackson--and falls for the handsome but not-so-great Nicoli James, whose desires for Shar are fueled by his own greed. Shar would do anything for Nicoli--and he knows it--so when his life is threatened after a night of gambling, Shar agrees to help pay Nicoli's debt, only to have her faith and dreams shattered. Reeling from the betrayal, Shar loses her voice and she believes that she will never sing again. She has no place to run except back home to her seriously ill mother--and the man she left behind, who would move heaven and earth to make Shar's pain go away. Even if it means he has to let her go . . . again.
How Sweet the Sound
by Amy K. SorrellsA Southern Novel of Second Chances From a distance, the Harlans appear to be the perfect Southern family. Wealth and local fame mask the drama and dysfunction swirling through their family line. But as the summer heats up, a flood tide of long hidden secrets surface. Devastation from a rape followed by the murder of two family members brings three generations of the Harlans together on their pecan plantation in Bay Spring, Alabama. Chief among them is Anniston, who by the time she turned thirteen thought she'd seen it all. But as her heart awakens to the possibility of love, she begins to deal with her loneliness and grief. This tender coming-of-age tale, inspired by the story of Tamar in 2 Samuel 13, shows how true healing and hope comes only from God. Though our earthly family can wound and disappoint, our heavenly Father brings freedom to those long held captive through His mercy and grace.
How the Arabian Nights Inspired the American Dream, 1790-1935
by Susan NanceAmericans have always shown a fascination with the people, customs, and legends of the "East"--witness the popularity of the stories of theArabian Nights, the performances of Arab belly dancers and acrobats, the feats of turban-wearing vaudeville magicians, and even the antics of fez-topped Shriners. In this captivating volume, Susan Nance provides a social and cultural history of this highly popular genre of Easternized performance in America up to the Great Depression. According to Nance, these traditions reveal how a broad spectrum of Americans, including recent immigrants and impersonators, behaved as producers and consumers in a rapidly developing capitalist economy. In admiration of theArabian Nights, people creatively reenacted Eastern life, but these performances were also demonstrations of Americans' own identities, Nance argues. The story of Aladdin, made suddenly rich by rubbing an old lamp, stood as a particularly apt metaphor for how consumer capitalism might benefit each person. The leisure, abundance, and contentment that many imagined were typical of Eastern life were the same characteristics used to define "the American dream. " The recent success of Disney'sAladdinmovies suggests that many Americans still welcome an interpretation of the East as a site of incredible riches, romance, and happy endings. This abundantly illustrated account is the first by a historian to explain why and how so many Americans sought out such cultural engagement with the Eastern world long before geopolitical concerns became paramount.
How the Bible Actually Works: In Which I Explain How An Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers -- and Why That's Great News (G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects)
by Peter EnnsControversial evangelical Bible scholar, popular blogger and podcast host of The Bible for Normal People, and author of The Bible Tells Me So and The Sin of Certainty explains that the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth by refusing to provide us with easy answers but instead forces us to acquire wisdom. For many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. But the Bible is not static, Peter Enns argues. It does not hold easy answers to the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not only offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers to spiritual questions, cultivating God’s wisdom within us. <P><P>“The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible’s true subject matter,” writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. The Bible, in other words, really isn’t the problem; having the wrong expectation is what interferes with our reading.Rather than considering the Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today. How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that “being right” is the most important measure of faith, Enns’s freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God—which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.
How the Bible Actually Works: In which I Explain how an Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads us to Wisdom rather than Answers - and why that's Great News
by Peter Enns'Seldom will you encounter such a fine combination of historical scholarship, interesting reading, and clever humour in one Biblical study. And then filled with faith and hope besides! Peter Enns does it again!' Richard Rohr, author of Falling UpwardFor many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. But the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth, argues Bible scholar Peter Enns. It does not hold easy answers to the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not only offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers to spiritual questions, cultivating God's wisdom within us.'The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible's true subject matter', writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. The Bible, in other words, really isn't the problem; having the wrong expectation is what interferes with our reading.Rather than considering the Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today.How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that 'being right' is the most important measure of faith, Enns's freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God - which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.
How the Bible Became Holy
by Michael L SatlowBeginning with Walt Whitman singing hymns at a wounded soldier's bedside during the Civil War, this surprising and vivid anthology ranges straight through to the twenty-first century to end with Francine Prose crying tears of complicated joy at the sight of Whitman's words in Zuccotti Park during the brief days of the Occupy movement. The first anthology of its kind, Radiant Truths gathers an exquisite selection of writings by both well-known and forgotten American authors and thinkers, each engaged in the challenges of writing about religion, of documenting "things unseen." Their contributions to the genre of literary journalism-the telling of factual stories using the techniques of fiction and poetry-make this volume one of the most exciting anthologies of creative nonfiction to have emerged in years. Jeff Sharlet presents an evocative selection of writings that illuminate the evolution of the American genre of documentary prose. Each entry may be savored separately, but together the works enrich one another, engaging in an implicit and continuing conversation that reaches across time and generations.Including works by: Walt Whitman Henry David Thoreau Mark Twain Meridel Le Sueur Zora Neale Hurston Mary McCarthy James Baldwin Norman Mailer Ellen Willis Anne Fadiman John Jeremiah Sullivan Francine Prose Garry Wills and many others
How the Bible Was Formed: A Zondervan Digital Short
by Gregg AllisonDerived from Gregg Allison’s magisterial Historical Theology, this digital short provides a concise but thorough history of how both New Testament and Old Testament books were identified as Scripture and incorporated into the final canon. Attention is paid to differences between the Catholic and Protestant canons and to debates about the inclusion of apocryphal books. The equivalent of a series of lectures on Scripture’s formation, with extensive footnoting for further reading, this digital short provides a one-stop reference resource on a foundational matter of Christian doctrine and worship.