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A Naturalist in Western China With Vasculum, Camera and Gun Vol. II (A Naturalist in Western China With Vasculum, Camera and Gun #2)
by Ernest Henry Wilson Charles Sprague SargentFrom his years of work in Western China in the early 1900s, Ernest Henry Wilson introduced numerous new plants to the gardens of Europe and North America. In this book the author describes expeditions on behalf of the famous nursery of Veitch & Sons to find and collect seeds, bulbs, plants and also herbarium material for Kew Gardens. He paints a vivid picture of the natural history of the region and of the culture and customs of the people.-Print ed.
A Naturalistic Afterlife: Evolution, Ordinary Existence, Eternity
by David HarmonThis book provides a fresh look at one of the most enduring, absorbing, and universal questions human beings face: What happens to us after we die? In secular thought, the standard answer is simple: we disappear into oblivion. David Harmon takes us in a different direction, by making the case that a nonconscious portion of our personality survives death--literally, not figuratively--and explains how this kind of naturalistic afterlife can be emotionally relevant to us while we are still living. Combining insights from the arts, history, philosophy, and science, a compelling argument takes shape for an afterlife without God.
Naturalizing God?: A Critical Evaluation of Religious Naturalism
by Mikael LeidenhagCan nature be considered a religious object? Religious naturalists answer yes, as they seek to carve out a middle path between supernaturalism and atheistic secularism. In this book, Mikael Leidenhag critically examines the religious proposals, philosophical commitments, and ecological ambitions of key religious naturalists, including Willem B. Drees, Charley D. Hardwick, Donald Crosby, Ursula Goodenough, Stuart Kauffman, Gordon Kaufman, Karl Peters, and Loyal Rue. Leidenhag argues that contemporary religious naturalism faces several problems, both with regard to its understanding of naturalism and the ways in which it seeks to uphold a religious conception of reality. He evaluates possible routes for moving forward, considering naturalistic and theistic proposals. He also analyzes the philosophical thesis of panpsychism, the idea that mind is a pervasive feature of the universe and reaches down to the fundamental levels of reality. The author concludes that panpsychism offers the most promising framework against which to understand the metaphysics and eco-ethical ambitions of religious naturalism.
The Naturalness of Religious Ideas: A Cognitive Theory of Religion
by Pascal BoyerWhy do people have religious ideas? And why thosereligious ideas? The main theme of Pascal Boyer's work is that important aspects of religious representations are constrained by universal properties of the human mind-brain. Experimental results from developmental psychology, he says, can explain why certain religious representations are more likely to be acquired, stored, and transmitted by human minds. Considering these universal constraints, Boyer proposes an exciting new answer to the question of why similar religious representations are found in so many different cultures. His work will be widely discussed by cultural anthropologists, psychologists, and students of religion, history, and philosophy.
The Nature and Destiny of Man: Human Nature
by Reinhold NiebuhrHis thesis is "individual selfhood is expressed in the self's capacity for self-transcendence and not in its rational capacity for conceptual and analytic procedures"
The Nature and Mission of Theology: Essays to Orient Theology in Today's Debates
by Joseph RatzingerCardinal Ratzinger wrote this book in response to the dialogue going on today concerning theology and the clarification of its methods, its mission and its limits which he thinks has become urgent. Ratzinger states: "To do theology-as the Magisterium understands theology-it is not sufficient merely to calculate how much religion can reasonably be expected of man and to utilize bits and pieces of the Christian tradition accordingly. Theology is born when the arbitrary judgment of reason encounters a limit, in that we discover something which we have not excogitated ourselves but which has been revealed to us. For this reason, not every religious theory has the right to label itself as Christian or Catholic theology simply because it wishes to do so; whoever would lay claim to this title is obligated to accept as meaningful the prior given which goes along with it."
The Nature and Rationale of Zen/Chan and Enlightenment: The Mind of a Pre-Natal Baby (Routledge Studies in Asian Religion)
by Ming Dong GuThis book initiates a paradigm shift away from Zen/Chan as quintessentially Buddhist and examines what makes Chan thought and practice unique and original through an interdisciplinary investigation of the nature and rationale of Chan and its enlightenment. Exploring how enlightenment is achieved through Chan practice and how this differs from other forms of Buddhism, the book offers an entirely new view of Chan that embraces historical scholarship, philosophical inquiry, textual analysis, psychological studies, Chan practice, and neuroscientific research and locates the core of Chan in its founder Huineng’s theory of no thinking which creatively integrates the Taoist ideas of zuowang (forgetting in seated meditation) and xinzhai (fast of heart-mind) with his personal experiences of enlightenment. It concludes that Chan is the crystallization of an innovative synthesis of Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism as well as other resources of somatic and spiritual cultivation, and enlightenment is a momentary return to the mental state of a baby before birth. This book will appeal to students and scholars of religion, philosophy and neuroscience. It will also offer new insights to thinkers, writers, artists, therapists and neuroscientists as well as those practicing Zen, Mindfulness and psychotherapy.
Nature and Supernature (St. Michael's Lectures #Vol. 1973)
by E. L. MascallIn the fall of 1972, St. Michael’s Jesuit School of Philosophy and Letters at Gonzaga University inaugurated the St. Michael’s Lectures as a forum for outstanding international scholars to examine the question of God in modern thought. The theme for the lecture series is much the same as that of the famous Gifford Lectures, but the approach is not only philosophical but also theological. <p><p>The uniqueness lies primarily in the dynamic inherent in the structure of the series. A lecture in a tripartite form (over a three-day period) is given each fall. As the series unfolds, each lecturer is to enter into dialogue with the immediately preceding lecturer and, to the extent that he wishes, he may respond to other former lecturers in the series. At the same time, each expands the discussion by his or her own creative contribution. As a result there will develop an ongoing exchange among thinkers of international reputation.
Nature and the Environment in Amish Life (Young Center Books in Anabaptist and Pietist Studies)
by David L. McConnell Marilyn D. LovelessThe Amish relationship to the environment is much more complicated than you might think.The pastoral image of Amish communities living simply and in touch with the land strikes a deep chord with many Americans. Environmentalists have lauded the Amish as iconic models for a way of life that is local, self-sufficient, and in harmony with nature. But the Amish themselves do not always embrace their ecological reputation, and critics have long questioned the portrayal of the Amish as models of environmental stewardship.In Nature and the Environment in Amish Life, David L. McConnell and Marilyn D. Loveless examine how this prevailing notion of the environmentally conscious Amish fits with the changing realities of their lives. Drawing on 150 interviews conducted over the course of 7 years, as well as a survey of household resource use among Amish and non-Amish people, they explore how the Amish understand nature in their daily lives and how their actions impact the natural world. Arguing that there is considerable diversity in Amish engagements with nature at home, at school, at work, and outdoors, McConnell and Loveless show how the Amish response to regional and global environmental issues, such as watershed pollution and climate change, reveals their deep skepticism of environmentalists. They also demonstrate that Amish households are not uniformly lower in resource use compared to their rural, non-Amish neighbors, though aspects of their home economy are relatively self-sufficient.The first comprehensive study of Amish understandings of the natural world, this compelling book complicates the image of the Amish and provides a more realistic understanding of the Amish relationship with the environment.
Nature as Sacred Ground: A Metaphysics for Religious Naturalism
by Donald A. CrosbyNature as Sacred Ground explores a metaphysics for religious naturalism. Donald A. Crosby discusses major aspects of reality implicit in his ongoing explication of Religion of Nature, a religious outlook that holds the natural world to be the only world, one with no supernatural domains, presences, or powers behind it. Nature as thus envisioned is far more than just a system of facts and factual relations. It also has profoundly important valuative dimensions, including what Crosby regards as nature's intrinsically sacred value. The search for comprehensive metaphysical clarity and understanding is a substantial part of this work's undertaking. Yet this endeavor also reminds us that, while it is good to think deeply and systematically about major features of reality and their relations to one another, we also need to reflect tirelessly about how to respond to metaphysical concepts that call for decision and action.
Nature, Culture and Religion at the Crossroads of Asia (Social Science Press Ser.)
by Marie Lecomte-TilouineThis book explores how ethnic groups living in the Himalayan regions understand nature and culture. The first part addresses the opposition between nature and culture in Asia’s major religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Shamanism. The second part brings together specialists of different representative groups living in the heterogeneous Himalayan region. They examine how these indigenous groups perceive their world. This includes understanding their mythic past, in particular, the place of animals and spirits in the world of humans as they see it and the role of ritual in the everyday lives of these people. The book takes into account how these various perceptions of the Himalayan peoples are shaped by a globalized world. The volume thus provides new ways of viewing the relationship between humans and their environment.
Nature Girl: A Guide to Caring for God's Creation
by Karen Whiting Rebecca WhiteLove God, Love the Planet As you become an expert in all things green, Nature Girl offers fun ways to care for God’s creations while enjoying the wonders of nature! With activities, recipes, science experiments, and much more, you can discover how to create recycled jewelry, plan a spa day with friends, make your own earth-friendly skin care products, or team up to clean a park or a neighbor’s yard. Each chapter covers different topics, like water, air, energy, and recycling, and includes crafts, Scripture, games, quizzes, interviews with experts, and quotes from real girls like you. From the itty-bitty flowers at your feet to the air high above your head, discover how you can make a difference for our planet.
Nature Is Enough: Religious Naturalism and the Meaning of Life
by Loyal RueNature is enough: enough to allow us to find meaning in life and to answer our religious sensibilities. This is the position of religious naturalists, who deny the existence of a deity and a supernatural realm. In this book, Loyal Rue answers critics by describing how religious naturalism can provide a satisfying vision of the meaning of human existence.The work begins with a discussion of how to evaluate the meaning of life itself, referencing a range of thought from ancient Greek philosophy to the Abrahamic traditions to the Enlightenment to contemporary process and postmodern philosophies. Ultimately proposing meaning as an emergent property of living organisms, Rue writes that a meaningful life comes through happiness and virtue. Spiritual qualities that combine evolutionary cosmology and biocentric morality are described: reverence, gratitude, awe, humility, relatedness, compassion, and hope. Rue looks at why religious naturalism is not currently more of a movement, but nevertheless predicts that it will become the prevailing religious sensibility.
Nature, Man and Woman
by Alan W. WattsA provocative and enduring work that reexamines humanity's place in the natural world -- and the spirit's relation to the flesh -- in the light of Chinese Taoism.That human beings stand separate from a nature that must be controlled, that the mind is somehow superior to the body, and that all sexuality entails a seduction -- a danger and a problem-are all assumptions upon which much of Western thought and culture is based. And all of them in some way underlie our exploitation of the earth, our distrust of emotion, and our loneliness and reluctance to love.Few books have challenged those assumptions as directly as this erudite and engaging work by the author of The Way of Zen. Drawing on the precepts of Taoism, Alan Watts offers an alternative vision of man and the universe -- one in which the distinctions between self and other, spirit and matter give way to a more holistic way of seeing. Nature, Man and Woman is a book of great elegance and far-reaching implication -- one of those rare texts that can change the way we think, feel, and love.
The Nature of Creation: Examining the Bible and Science (Biblical Challenges in the Contemporary World)
by Mark HarrisIt is generally assumed that science and religion are at war. Many now claim that science has made religious belief redundant; others have turned to a literalist interpretation of biblical creation to reject or revise science; others try to resolve Darwin with Genesis. "The Nature of Creation" addresses this complex debate by engaging with both modern science and biblical scholarship together. Creation is central to Christian theology and the Bible, and has become the chosen battleground for scientists, atheists and creationists alike. "The Nature of Creation" presents a sustained historical investigation of what the creation texts of the Bible have to say and how this relates to modern scientific ideas of beginnings. The book aims to demonstrate what science and religion can share, and how they differ and ought to differ.
The Nature of God (Gleanings Series Arthur Pink)
by Arthur W. PinkHe is just-yet merciful. He is above all-yet He sent His Son to die for us. Arthur W. Pink's classic meditation on God's personality and power has inspired readers for generations. He leads readers through reflections on 45 facets of God's personality. Ideal for personal reflection and daily Bible study, this book will help readers develop a deeper, richer love for the One who calls us His own.
The Nature of God (Gleanings Series Arthur Pink)
by Arthur W. PinkHe is just-yet merciful. He is above all-yet He sent His Son to die for us. Arthur W. Pink's classic meditation on God's personality and power has inspired readers for generations. He leads readers through reflections on 45 facets of God's personality. Ideal for personal reflection and daily Bible study, this book will help readers develop a deeper, richer love for the One who calls us His own.
The Nature of Mind
by Patrul RinpochePatrul Rinpoche's collection of the Dzogchen teachings of Aro Yeshe Jungne illuminated by practical meditation instructions that can be applied on-the-go in daily life by students of all backgrounds. Patrul Rinpoche, the beloved nineteenth-century master best known for Words of My Perfect Teacher, collected the teachings of the tenth-century adept Aro Yeshe Jungne and synthesized them into the short text translated here as Clear Elucidation of True Nature. How to put these essential teachings into practice is the subject of the lively commentary by the two Khenpo brothers, the late Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche. The Dzogchen meditation instructions of the Aro lineage are divided into nine sets, or nine levels, with specific instructions for each on how to identify the nature of the mind, how to abide in it as a way of life, and how to liberate turbulent thoughts and emotions when they arise. The commentary enfolds this instruction into a broad general teaching suitable for beginners that serves as an introduction to Dzogchen meditation, to the Nyingma tradition, and to basic Buddhism. Succinct and easy to read, the text encapsulates the entire path of the nine levels of study and practice described in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. As a result, it has much to offer both beginners and longtime meditators to support their understanding and practice.
The Nature of the Atonement: Four Views (Spectrum Multiview Book Series)
by Gregory A. Boyd Joel B. Green Thomas R. Schreiner Bruce ReichenbachChristus VictorChristus Victor
The Nature of the Gods (Oxford World's Classics Ser.)
by CiceroTowards the end of his life, Cicero turned away from his oratorical and political career and looked instead to matters of philosophy and religion. The dialogue The Nature of the Gods both explores his own views on these subjects, as a monotheist and member of the Academic School, and considers the opinion of other philosophical schools of the Hellenistic age through the figures of Velleius the Epicurean and Balbus the Stoic. Eloquent, clearly argued and surprisingly modern, it focuses upon a series of fundamental religious questions including: is there a God? If so, does he answer prayers, or intervene in human affairs? Does he know the future? Does morality need the support of religion? Profoundly influential on later thinkers, such as Saint Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, this is a fascinating consideration of fundamental issues of faith and philosophical thought.
The Nature of the Religious Right: The Struggle between Conservative Evangelicals and the Environmental Movement
by Neall W. PogueIn The Nature of the Religious Right, Neall W. Pogue examines how white conservative evangelical Christians became a political force known for hostility toward environmental legislation. Before the 1990s, this group used ideas of nature to help construct the religious right movement while developing theologically based, eco-friendly philosophies that can be described as Christian environmental stewardship. On the twentieth anniversary of Earth Day in 1990, members of this conservative evangelical community tried to turn their eco-friendly philosophies into action. Yet this attempt was overwhelmed by a growing number in the leadership who made anti-environmentalism the accepted position through public ridicule, conspiracy theories, and cherry-picked science.Through analysis of rhetoric, political expediency, and theological imperatives, The Nature of the Religious Right explains how ideas of nature played a role in constructing the conservative evangelical political movement, why Christian environmental stewardship was supported by members of the community for so long, and why they turned against it so decidedly beginning in the 1990s.
The Nature of the Soul: The Soul as Narrative (Routledge New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Studies)
by Terrance W. KleinThis book offers a contemporary Christian explication of the word 'soul' that uses Wittgenstein and his interpreters to suggest that human intelligence and desire cannot be 'mapped into the world' that is described by science and metaphysics. It examines the Aristotelian notion of the soul as one who acts in the world, and suggests that we construct ourselves, our narratives, by our actions in history. Drawing upon the resurrection accounts of the gospels, where Jesus is presented as having been 'translated into the liturgy' it speculates that the core of the human person, his or her intelligence, can be translated into other material mediums, all the while maintaining personal identity. Reading Aquinas according to the insights of contemporary figures in Anglo-American philosophy of language, Klein argues that, ultimately, to be a soul is to be a narrative destined for Christic incorporation into the Book of Life spoken of in Revelation.
Nature, Space and the Sacred: Transdisciplinary Perspectives
by S. Bergmann H. Bedford-StrohmNature, Space and the Sacred offers the first investigative mapping of a new and highly significant agenda: the spatial interactions between religion, nature and culture. In this ground-breaking work, different concepts of religion, theology, space and place and their internal relations are discussed in an impressive range of approaches. Weaving together a diversity of perspectives, this book presents an innovative and truly transdisciplinary environmental science. Its broad range offers a rich exchange of insights, methods and theoretical engagements.
Nature Spirits, Spirit Guides, and Ghosts
by Atala Dorothy ToyBoulders laugh, trees talk, and practically each patch of ground has meaning, in Atala Toy's experience. Faeries, angels, ghosts, orbs, and spirits of place are just some of the life forms with which she helps us attune-and shows us how to record their image! Readers will cherish her rare combination of esoteric wisdom and practical guidance. With substantive clarity, she explains time travel, portals, dowsing, negative and positive vortexes, balls of energy known as merkabahs, ley lines, and orbs-the plasma of some life form visible to human eyes or to cameras, many of which are nature spirits who enjoy being around happy energy and so are often seen at parties and spiritual gatherings.A professional interdimensional communicator, Atala is up to the minute in her understanding of the emerging field of spiritual sciences and the correlations between modern physics and ancient metaphysical traditions that perceive the oneness of all nature. We all communicate interdimensionally every day, she says. We just don't know it, and so we lose out on the many ways to receive help from the other life forms who share our space. Drawing on her own and her clients' experiences, she teaches through colorful stories and her own powerful photographs. Titles include "The Ghost Who Washed Dishes," "The Haunted Hotel," "The Guardian of the Spring," "The Horse Who Knew More Than His Owners," "The Jilted House," "The Stranded Gnome," "The Moss Faery," "The Owl on Turtle Island," and "The Balsam Who Loved the Birch." She also includes lessons explaining the energetic principles of the situation; simple exercises for mastering the principle contained in the story; and tips for photographing other life forms using technology available to anyone, such as digital or even cell phone cameras. By entering the fascinating realm of this book, the reader will join the growing number of people aware of subtle energy and able to see through the veils between dimensions. Not only is this possibility personally enriching, it serves a broader purpose as well. Needless to say, the planet and everything on it is at a critical juncture. In damaging the earth, we have damaged the nature beings' home as well. It is therefore strongly in their interest to assist us in transforming the earth into something better. This book shows us how to learn from and enjoy them in a most delightful way
Nature Spirits, Spirit Guides, and Ghosts
by Atala Dorothy ToyBoulders laugh, trees talk, and practically each patch of ground has meaning, in Atala Toy's experience. Faeries, angels, ghosts, orbs, and spirits of place are just some of the life forms with which she helps us attune-and shows us how to record their image! Readers will cherish her rare combination of esoteric wisdom and practical guidance. With substantive clarity, she explains time travel, portals, dowsing, negative and positive vortexes, balls of energy known as merkabahs, ley lines, and orbs-the plasma of some life form visible to human eyes or to cameras, many of which are nature spirits who enjoy being around happy energy and so are often seen at parties and spiritual gatherings. A professional interdimensional communicator, Atala is up to the minute in her understanding of the emerging field of spiritual sciences and the correlations between modern physics and ancient metaphysical traditions that perceive the oneness of all nature. We all communicate interdimensionally every day, she says. We just don't know it, and so we lose out on the many ways to receive help from the other life forms who share our space. Drawing on her own and her clients' experiences, she teaches through colorful stories and her own powerful photographs. Titles include "The Ghost Who Washed Dishes," "The Haunted Hotel," "The Guardian of the Spring," "The Horse Who Knew More Than His Owners," "The Jilted House," "The Stranded Gnome," "The Moss Faery," "The Owl on Turtle Island," and "The Balsam Who Loved the Birch." She also includes lessons explaining the energetic principles of the situation; simple exercises for mastering the principle contained in the story; and tips for photographing other life forms using technology available to anyone, such as digital or even cell phone cameras.By entering the fascinating realm of this book, the reader will join the growing number of people aware of subtle energy and able to see through the veils between dimensions. Not only is this possibility personally enriching, it serves a broader purpose as well. Needless to say, the planet and everything on it is at a critical juncture. In damaging the earth, we have damaged the nature beings' home as well. It is therefore strongly in their interest to assist us in transforming the earth into something better. This book shows us how to learn from and enjoy them in a most delightful way.