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The Origin of the Soul: A Conversation (Routledge New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology and Biblical Studies)
by Joshua R Farris Joanna LeidenhagThe Origin of the Soul is a contemporary retrieval of an important theological discussion throughout history. The origin of the soul is thought by many to be an outdated discussion that is theologically antiquated. And, yet, in recent years, there has been a renewed and growing interest not only in the soul, immaterial substances and theistic explanations for the origins of consciousness, but a more vibrant interest in the origins of the soul and the implications it has for numerous theological topics. This is due, in part, to the growing recognition in theistic circles that we are not material beings--at least not solely, but rather we are ensouled beings and it is this part, aspect, or feature of us that needs some explaining beyond biological evolution. The conversation that takes place in this volume will be of interest to scholars and students of both theology and philosophy.
Origin(s) of Design in Nature
by Liz Swan Richard Gordon Joseph SeckbachOrigin(s) of Design in Nature is a collection of over 40 articles from prominent researchers in the life, physical, and social sciences, medicine, and the philosophy of science that all address the philosophical and scientific question of how design emerged in the natural world. The volume offers a large variety of perspectives on the design debate including progressive accounts from artificial life, embryology, complexity, cosmology, theology and the philosophy of biology. This book is volume 23 of the series, Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology. www.springer.com/series/5775
The Original Atheists
by S. T. JoshiThis is the first anthology ever published to feature the writings of leading eighteenth-century thinkers on the subjects of atheism, religion, freethought, and secularism. Editor S. T. Joshi has compiled notable essays by writers from Germany, France, England, and early America. The contributors include Denis Diderot (a principal author of the multivolume French Encyclopédie), Baron d'Holbach (System of Nature, 1770), Voltaire (Philosophical Dictionary), David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Ethan Allen, Thomas Paine, and other lesser-known thinkers. With a comprehensive introduction providing the intellectual and cultural context of the essays, this outstanding compilation will be of interest to students of philosophy, religious studies, and eighteenth-century intellectual history. From the Trade Paperback edition.
Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality
by Matthew FoxIn this reissue of a critically acclaimed bestseller, maverick theologian Matthew Fox provides a daring view of historical Christianity and a theologically sound basis for personal discovery of spiritual liberation.
The Original Buddhist Psychology: What the Abhidharma Tells Us About How We Think, Feel, and Experience Life
by Beth JacobsThe Abhidharma, one of the three major text collections of the original Buddhist canon, frames the psychological system of Buddhism, explaining the workings of reality and the nature of the human mind. It is composed of detailed matrixes and lists that outline the interaction of consciousness and reality, the essence of perception and experience, and the reasons and methods behind mindfulness and meditation. Because of its complexity, the Abhidharma has traditionally been reserved only for academic or monastic study; now, for the first time, clinical psychologist Beth Jacobs brings this dynamic body of work to general readers, using practical explanation, personal stories, and vivid examples to gently untangle the technical aspects of the Abhidharma. Drawing on decades of experience as both a therapist and a Buddhist, Jacobs illuminates this classic area of Buddhist thought, highlighting the ways it can broaden and deepen our experience of the human psyche and offering profound insights into spiritual practice.
Original Christianity: A New Key to Understanding the Gospel of Thomas and Other Lost Scriptures
by Peter Novak“Offers more information about the first-century world of early Christians, asking, ‘Could Christ’s original teachings have truly been lost?’” —Foreword Reviews“Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death.” —from the Gospel of ThomasThe work of scholars such as Elaine Pagels and Marvin Meyer have captured the imagination of the public by setting forth the Gospel of Thomas and other lost teachings of Jesus. Now Peter Novak, in Original Christianity, brings forth a critical element essential for fully understanding these scriptures.Novak argues that the authors of these early texts subscribed to the Binary Soul Doctrine—an ancient belief system that allows for both reincarnation and an eternal afterlife. Novak’s interdisciplinary approach offers fresh insights on the beliefs and politics of the early church founders. He points out that reincarnation was a commonly held Christian belief until it was voted out of “official” Christianity and the record expunged. This newfound key reveals the true identities of many mysterious Biblical figures, such as Lazarus, Barabbas, Judas, and especially the Apostle Thomas, who may not only have been Jesus’ identical twin brother, but indeed a second Christ in his own right, who lived to produce a genetically identical bloodline.More important still, the rediscovery of the lost theology of Original Christianity means Christ’s central message of personal integrity can again take center stage.
The Original Frontier: A Serious Seeker's Guide to Zen
by Michael EllistonA manual for creatively integrating Zen practice into everyday life without disrupting your routineA unique approach to introduce Zen to new practitioners and to guide maturing studentsThe ultimate in spiritual do-it-yourself, operating on the deepest levels of the mind
The Original I Ching
by Margaret J. PearsonFirst among the ancient classics, the I Ching or Book of Changes is one of the world's most influential books, comparable to the Bible, the Koran, and the Upanishads.The I Ching's purpose is universal: to provide good counsel to its users in making decisions during times of change. Since its origins about 3,000 years ago, it has become a compendium of wisdom used by people of many cultures and eras.This groundbreaking new translation by Dr. Margaret Pearson is based on the text created during the first centuries of the Zhou Dynasty, study of documents showing how it was used in the dynasty, and on current archaeological research findings. Her translation removes centuries of encrusted inaccuracies to better reveal the I Ching's core truths for today's readers.Whether you are interested in trying this millennia-tested method of making wise choices or in understanding the world view of the early Chinese, this edition is essential reading.
The Original I Ching
by Margaret J. PearsonFirst among the ancient classics, the I Ching or Book of Changes is one of the world's most influential books, comparable to the Bible, the Koran, and the Upanishads.The I Ching's purpose is universal: to provide good counsel to its users in making decisions during times of change. Since its origins about 3,000 years ago, it has become a compendium of wisdom used by people of many cultures and eras.This groundbreaking new translation by Dr. Margaret Pearson is based on the text created during the first centuries of the Zhou Dynasty, study of documents showing how it was used in the dynasty, and on current archaeological research findings. Her translation removes centuries of encrusted inaccuracies to better reveal the I Ching's core truths for today's readers.Whether you are interested in trying this millennia-tested method of making wise choices or in understanding the world view of the early Chinese, this edition is essential reading.
The Original I Ching : The Eranos I Ching Project
by Rudolf Ritsema Shantena Augusto SabbadiniOften referred to as the Eranos edition, this revised and updated translation offers the most substantial advance in I Ching since Richard Wilhelm introduced the oracle to the West in the 1920s.The I Ching is one of the oldest Chinese texts and the world’s oldest oracle. Accumulated from over 2,500 years of diviners, sages and shamans and born out of the oral tradition, the I Ching as we know it today is a collection of texts, imagery and advice, philosophy and poetry, divided into 64 chapters. There are 64 hexagrams, created from a collection of six lines, either broken or solid. In order to “read” from the book, you must cast a hexagram. The traditional method required yarrow sticks but nowadays is based on tossing three coins six times.The Original I Ching Oracle or Book of Changes was inspired by Carl Gustav Jung's insights into the psyche and researched for more than 60 years through the Eranos Foundation of Switzerland. It presents the oracular core of the I Ching as a psychological tool: the symbols interact with our minds in the same way dream images do.
The Original Inspirational Bathroom Book: Facts, Stories, and Humor from the Good Book
by W. B. FreemanToilet trivia? Not exactly. These are lighthearted, funny, and informative biblical facts in a popular "bathroom book" format, the first in a four book series. More than just "bathroom reading," these short, pithy pieces--including stories, jokes, little-known facts, brief biographies, quotes, word puzzles, and quizzes--offer fascinating information for anyone with a few minutes to spare. Features include "Ten People You Didn't Know Were in the Bible," "A Salty Start" (a surprising cultural practice from biblical days), and "God's Plan, and a Bet Gone Wrong" (a succinct retelling of Samson's life), along with other trivia, heartwarming stories, and humorous anecdotes.
Original Intent: The Courts, The Constitution and Religion
by David BartonIn their own words, the Supreme Court has become "a national theology board," "a super board of education," and amateur psychologists on a "psycho-journey." The result has been a virtual rewriting of the liberties enumerated in the Constitution. A direct victim of this judicial micromanagement has been the religious aspect of the First Amendment. For example, the Court now interprets that Amendment under: a "Lemon Test" absurdly requiring religious expression to be secular, an "Endorsement Test" pursuing an impossible neutrality between religion and secularism, and a "Psychological Coercion Test" allowing a single dissenter to silence an entire community's religious expression. Additional casualties of judicial activism have included protections for State's rights, local controls, separation of powers, legislative supremacy, and numerous other constitutional provisions. Why did earlier Courts protect these powers for generations, and what has caused their erosion by contemporary Courts? Original Intent answers these questions. By relying on thousands of primary sources, Original Intent documents (in the Founding Fathers' own words) not only the plan for limited government originally set forth in the Constitution and Bill of Rights but how that vision can once again become reality.
Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening
by Henry ShukmanThe essential meditation guide for the twenty-first century: renowned mindfulness teacher Henry Shukman replaces the concept of original sin with original love, teaching us to tap into the love that shapes our world and can transform who we are. An increasing number of people today feel disconnected, disengaged, and lonely. Many of us are seeking solace, beginning with ourselves. Original Love is the secular spiritual handbook we need to ease our troubles and find the highest possible happiness.Henry Shukman, spiritual director of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, provides a way forward based on four paths—Mindfulness, Support, Absorption, and Awakening—that promote growth and healing through meditation for practitioners of any level. And it works! Shukman includes inspiring stories from the students of his Original Love program that reveal how it has transformed their lives.Urgently needed, Original Love helps us create peace for ourselves and our times byreducing stress, anxiety, and depression;relaxing the mind and body;easing feelings of worry, regret, anger, and irritation;and improving decision-making and executive functioning.Finding a sense of love is a critical purpose of meditation. Finding your way back to the loving peace that lives at the center of things is Original Love.
Original Magic: The Rituals and Initiations of the Persian Magi
by Stephen E. FlowersA complete guide to the theory, practice, and history of Mazdan magic, the first organized system of magic • Provides a complete curriculum of magical study and initiation centered on exercises keyed to the sacred Zoroastrian calendar • Details advanced magical rituals and practices based on archaic Persian formulas, including fire rituals and divine invocations • Explores the history and lore of Persian magic, explaining how the author reconstructed the original Mazdan system of magic Stephen Flowers explores the history, theory, practice, rituals, and initiations of the Mazdan magical system practiced by the Magi of ancient Persia, who were so skilled and famed for their effectiveness that their name came to mean what we today call “magic.” The prestige and reputation of the Magian priests of Mazda is perhaps most iconically recorded in the Christian story of the Three Wise Men who visited newborn Jesus. The author explains how the religious branch of the Mazdan magical system, founded by the Prophet Zarathustra, is known in the West under the name Zoroastrianism. He reveals how the Zoroastrian religion, which acts as a matrix for the symbols and formulas of the original form of magic, has existed for almost four thousand years with roots going back even deeper into the Indo-European past. The author reveals how all other known systems of magic have borrowed from this tradition, providing the clues that enabled him to reformulate the original Mazdan system. He reviews what the Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, Christians, and Chinese said about the Iranian-Persian tradition of the Mazdans and their invention of a magical technology. He explains how the ultimate aim of the original form of magic was not only individual wisdom, self-development, and empowerment, but also the overall betterment of the world. Outlining the theoretical principles of this method, which can be applied in practical ways to deepen the effectiveness of these magical operations, the author details a complete curriculum of magical study and initiation based on a series of graded exercises keyed to the sacred Zoroastrian calendar. He then offers a series of more advanced magical rituals and practices based on archaic Persian formulas, including fire rituals and divine invocations. Providing a manual for the original magical system used by the members of the Great Fellowship, this book guides you toward the comprehensive practice of the Mazdan philosophy, the ultimate outcome of which is ushta: Happiness.
The Original Meaning of the Yijing: Commentary on the Scripture of Change (Translations from the Asian Classics)
by Xi ZhuThe Yijing (I Ching), or Scripture of Change, is traditionally considered the first and most profound of the Chinese classics. Originally a divination manual based on trigrams and hexagrams, by the beginning of the first millennium it had acquired written explanations and a series of appendices attributed to Confucius, which transformed it into a work of wisdom literature as well as divination. Over the centuries, hundreds of commentaries were written on it, but for the past thousand years, one of the most influential has been that of Zhu Xi (1130–1200), who synthesized the major interpretive approaches to the text and integrated it into his system of moral self-cultivation.Joseph A. Adler’s translation of the Yijing includes for the first time in English Zhu Xi’s commentary in full. Adler explores Zhu Xi’s interpretation of the text and situates it in the context of his overall theoretical system. Zhu Xi held that the Yijing was originally composed for the purpose of divination by the mythic sage Fuxi, who intended to create a system to aid decision making. The text’s meaning, therefore, could not be captured by a single commentator; it would emerge for each person through the process of divination. This translation makes available to the English-language audience a crucial text in the history of Chinese religion and philosophy, with an introduction and translator’s notes that explain its intellectual and historical context.
The Original Memoirs of Charles G. Finney
by Garth M. Rosell Richard DupuisIn 1989, the first complete, restored text of revivalist Charles Finney’s memoirs was published by Zondervan. Until then, all editions had reflected editorial liberties introduced in the first 19th-century publication, edited after Finney’s death. The restored text—the culmination of over ten years of research by editors Garth Rosell and Richard Dupuis—brought to light Finney’s entire memoirs in their original language. Longstanding omissions and inaccuracies were corrected. Comprehensive annotations supplied detailed, phrase-by-phrase and even word-by-word explanations. The 1989 edition was a scholar’s and historian’s delight. However, the average reader who simply wants to read what Finney wrote doesn’t need the scholarly minutiae. This new edition provides the complete, restored text of Finney’s memoirs with no unnecessary details to obstruct a straightforward read. In bold, untouched language, Finney’s thoughts march across the page with fascinating clarity and cohesiveness. For students of revival or anyone interested in the life of one of America’s foremost evangelists, here in his own words is Charles Finney: his life, his thoughts, his struggles and accomplishments, and his abiding love for God and enduring commitment to the gospel of Christ.
Original Perfection
by Keith Dowman Tulku Pema RigdzinThese early, foundational Dzogchen texts--clear, lyrical, and rich in metaphor--were smuggled into Tibet in the eighth century on white silk, written in goat-milk ink that would become visible only when exposed to heat. These five texts are the root of Dzogchen practice, the main practice of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Vairotsana, a master among the first generation of Tibetan Buddhists, reveals here a truth that is at once simple and deeply profound: that all existence--life itself, everyone one of us--is originally perfect, just as is. Keith Dowman's sparkling translation and commentary provide insight and historical background, walking the reader through the truths encountered in this remarkable book.
Original Selfishness: Original Sin and Evil in the Light of Evolution
by Daryl P. Domning Monika K. HellwigThis book defends a startling idea: that the age-old theological and philosophical problems of original sin and evil, long thought intractable, have already been solved. The solution has come from the very scientific discovery that many consider the most mortal threat to traditional religion: evolution. Daryl P. Domning explains in straightforward terms the workings of modern evolutionary theory, Darwinian natural selection, and how this has brought forth life and the human mind. He counters objections to Darwinism that are raised by some believers and emphasizes that the evolutionary process necessarily enforces selfish behavior on all living things. This account of both physical and moral evil is arguably more consistent with traditional Christian teachings than are the explanations given by most contemporary "evolutionary" theologians themselves. The prominent theologian, Monika K. Hellwig, dialogues with Daryl Domning throughout the book to present a balanced reappraisal of the doctrine of original sin from both a scientist's and theologian's perspective.
Original Sin: Illuminating the Riddle (New Studies in Biblical Theology #Volume 5)
by Henri BlocherWe live in a world shot through with evil. The twentieth century has witnessed suffering and human cruelty on a scale never before imagined. Yet, paradoxically, in recent years the doctrine of original sin has suffered neglect and ridicule. In this philosophically sophisticated treatment of the biblical evidence for original sin, Henri Blocher offers a robust response. Interacting with the best theological thinking on the subject, this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume shows that while the nature of original sin is a mystery—even a riddle—only belief in it makes sense of evil and wrongdoing. After a general survey of the biblical evidence, Blocher moves on to discuss the two key texts. First, he considers the relation of the Eden story of Genesis 2 and 3 to modern scientific, literary and theological thinking. Then, he offers a new and groundbreaking interpretation of Romans 5, where Paul discusses Christ and Adam. From this exegetical foundation, he goes on to show how the doctrine of original sin makes sense of the paradoxes of human existence. In the final chapter, he discusses the intellectual difficulties that some feel remain with the doctrine itself. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead
Original Sin
by David C. HillmanORIGINAL SIN is an investigation of sacred Christian mysteries of antiquity to show the historic link between the use of drugs and ritualized sex embedded in Western religion.ORIGINAL SIN is an investigation of the first acts of pedophilia within the Christian church. It is a book about the promotion and defense of child rape as a sacred Christian mystery.The West's most venerated social, religious and political ideals stem from a cultural war waged against the human body. ORIGINAL SIN reveals the origin of this war.Using the influence of the first Christian Emperors, and the "moral authority" of their political organization, powerful bishops of the early Church promoted the performance of sacred "mysteries" in which young children were starved, drugged, and sodomized. In ceremonies meant to test their "purity", exorcist priests victimized young children from the ranks of the orphans and homeless who populated the large cities of the ancient world.ORIGINAL SIN focuses on the writings of Christian priests themselves and the pagans who condemned their immoral activities. It shows that Church actively promoted and defended the rape of children, and that such crimes were present from the very earliest days of Christianity.ORIGINAL SIN draws from ancient internal documents, written by venerated church leaders - written in Latin - who actively promoted the rape and molestation of children. Bishops, monks and priests of the early Church successfully defended themselves from legal prosecution for centuries. As the Roman public railed on priests for sexually exploiting children, the church leadership used its growing political influence to prevent any of the child rapists within the clergy from coming to justice.ORIGINAL SIN also traces the divine feminine voice through Western history. The potent combination of natural drugs and the feminine voice is the basis for western civilization. ORIGINAL SIN explores the foundation of western society as the product of a peculiar interaction chemical and biological forcesThe pagan world was aware of the sexual crimes committed against these orphans, and waged a lengthy campaign against the priests who perpetrated these rapes.Christian priests claimed that by sodomizing children, they were saving them from possession by the demons of the pagan religions. Christian theologians justified these acts of rape by pointing to some of the earliest writings of the apostles and even the acts of Jesus himself. Exorcist priests specifically victimized young children from the ranks of the orphans and homeless who populated the large cities of the ancient world. The pagan world was aware of the sexual crimes committed against these orphans, and waged a lengthy campaign against the priests who perpetrated these rapes.The Christian hierarchy claimed these children were being "sexually tested" in order to prevent them from being used in pagan rituals that required the same children to remain sexually inexperienced. Christian priests claimed that by sodomizing children, they were saving them from possession by the demons of the pagan religions.Christian theologians justified these acts of rape by pointing to some of the earliest writings of the apostles and even the acts of Jesus himself. In the early church, groups of Christians in Asia Minor even formed their own associations that claimed the performance of such acts was a means of assuring the salvation of both the victims and the perpetrators.The potent combination of natural drugs and the feminine voice is the basis for western civilization. ORIGINAL SIN explores the foundation of western society as the product of a peculiar interaction chemical and biological forces.Some early church fathers believed Jesus had several relationships with young boys. Prominent church leaders argued that the apostle Mark was aware of this when he wrote in his gospel that Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane in the presence of a naked teenage boy. --------Note: The material in Hillman's first book, CHEMICAL MUSE, and here in ORIGINAL SIN was part of His di...
Original Sin: A Cultural History
by Alan Jacobs“[A]n engaging and lucid work by a sophisticated Evangelical from the American South. . . . For all its American bias, Alan Jacobs’s highly readably ORIGINAL SIN might fill one of the gaps in the post-Christian memory banks.” — Times Literary Supplement (London)“One wouldn’t expect a book about original sin to be entertaining, but Jacobs makes it so with deft prose and a touch of humor.” — Christian Century“Jacobs is a superb writer whose work is beginning to get the wider notice it has long deserved.” — Books & Culture ("Top Ten Books of the Year")Alan Jacobs presents an engagingly written, eminently humane, and insightful account of an all-important subject that is both timeless and timely. — George Marsden, author of Jonathan Edwards: A Life“Alan Jacobs’ cultural history of the controversies that Saint Augustine’s concept gave birth to is fascinating, entertaining, wonderfully researched, and thoroughly even-tempered, giving even the most disagreeable voices their say. Original Sin may well become the definitive book on the subject.” — Ron Hansen , Author of Exiles and A Stay Against ConfusionI do not believe in original sin. I do believe in Alan Jacobs. He is one the smartest and wittiest writers around on matters involving religion, and ORIGINAL SIN is a gem. — Alan Wolfe, Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, Boston CollegeIn this brilliant account, Wheaton College literature professor Jacobs traces the idea of original sin from the Bible to the present day. . . . In his hands these abstruse theological disputes are utterly engrossing. — Publishers Weekly, starred review“With extraordinary erudition and just enough lightness of touch to leaven the lump, Alan Jacobs traces the tangled ways that we have tried to think about human cussedness. — Frederick Buechner, author of Secrets in the DarkReplete with examples drawn from a number of different cultural expressions, including literature, film, and philosophy, [Original Sin] is intended to introduce a broad genearl audience to the complexity of explaining how human beings act evilly toward one another. — Library JournalA brilliantly illuminating, deeply thought-provoking intellectual journey. — Booklist“A strangely entertaining cultural survey . . . ” — The Wall Street JournalJacobs’s discussion is terrifically worthwhile for exposing how the idea of “evil,” as enunciated iwthin the doctrine, undergoes permutations and translations over time — BN.comSplendid...a book endeavoring to help us say and do something about the sin which so easily ensares. Strikingly, Jacobs argues that the ‘confraternity’ of humanity is best grounded not in our being made in the image of God but in our being made sinful in Adam. Truly a revolutionary thought—that the roots of our common humanity might be found, not in our dignity or even our potential, but in our depravity.” — Books & Culture“A deep pool of wisdom . . . an expression of what’s wrong with all of us. Jacobs’ prose often sings . . . Careful when you open this book--it could keep you up at nights.” — Christianity Today“Follows the history of thinking about original sin from Augustine to ‘Hellboy’ and rewards the curious reader with unique knowledge (of good and evil) on every page.” — Beliefnet (Best Religious Book of the Year)“Jacobs’s flowing prose keeps the book moving at a nice pace.” — Weekly Standard
Original Sin and Everyday Protestants: The Theology of Reinhold Niebuhr, Billy Graham, and Paul Tillich in an Age of Anxiety
by Andrew FinstuenIn the years following World War II, American Protestantism experienced tremendous growth, but conventional wisdom holds that midcentury Protestants practiced an optimistic, progressive, complacent, and materialist faith. InOriginal Sin and Everyday Protestants, historian Andrew Finstuen argues against this prevailing view, showing that theological issues in general--and the ancient Christian doctrine of original sin in particular--became newly important to both the culture at large and to a generation of American Protestants during a postwar "age of anxiety" as the Cold War took root. Finstuen focuses on three giants of Protestant thought--Billy Graham, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Paul Tillich--men who were among the era's best known public figures. He argues that each thinker's strong commitment to the doctrine of original sin was a powerful element of the broad public influence that they enjoyed. Drawing on extensive correspondence from everyday Protestants, the book captures the voices of the people in the pews, revealing that the ordinary, rank-and-file Protestants were indeed thinking about Christian doctrine and especially about "good" and "evil" in human nature. Finstuen concludes that the theological concerns of ordinary American Christians were generally more complicated and serious than is commonly assumed, correcting the view that postwar American culture was becoming more and more secular from the late 1940s through the 1950s.
Original Sin and the Fall: Five Views (Spectrum Multiview Book Series)
by Chad V. Meister James B. Stump"What is this that you have done?"Views and Contributors:An Augustinian-Reformed View (Hans Madueme, Covenant College)A Moderate Reformed View (Oliver Crisp, The University of St. Andrews)A Wesleyan View (Joel B. Green, Fuller Theological Seminary)An Eastern Orthodox View (Andrew Louth, Durham University)A Reconceived View (Tatha Wiley, University of St. Thomas)
Original Sinners
by John R CoatsIn this vivid, original interpretation of Genesis, former Episcopal priest John R. Coats takes readers on a journey through the ancient text, inviting them to see its characters in a new light, not as religious icons, but as people whose day-to-day concerns, triumphs, and failures are like our own. In Coats's telling, the relationships of Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, and Joseph and his brothers take on stunning contemporary relevance as these characters find themselves confronted with extraordinary situations and circumstances that they'd neither asked for nor had anything to say about. Using stories from his life as well as the lives of people he's known, Coats creates a rubric you can use to examine your own life and to discover aspects of yourself in the characters whose lives unfold in these primordial stories. How has Eve's story shaped yours? Is your life reflected in Jacob's evolution to wisdom? In Joseph's youthful arrogance? Coats explores the strengths and weaknesses of the men and women in Genesis, pulling back the wrappings that have hidden their humanity to reveal the vibrant drama of these foundational narratives. "Different clothing, yes, and language, and customs, yet at the human level," he writes, "they were just as greedy and generous as we are, as gullible and crafty, as moronic and brilliant, as cowardly and brave. They are us, their stories, our stories, mirrors in which to see our best and worst selves."
Original Sins: A Memoir
by Matt Rowland Hill&“A shattering portrait of addiction—generously open, desperately honest and confronting.&” —Catherine Cho, author of Inferno: A Memoir of Motherhood and MadnessAn electrifying debut memoir of a pastor&’s son chronicling his loss of faith, his addiction to heroin and our universal quest to find something to believe in Matt Rowland Hill had two great loves in his life: Jesus and heroin. The son of an evangelical minister, Hill grew up with an unwavering devotion to the tenets of his parents&’ Baptist church. But by high school, he began to experience a crisis of faith. To fill the void, he turned to literature, and then to heroin and cocaine. By his twenties, Hill&’s substance abuse escalated into a full-on addiction. As he grew increasingly suicidal, he knew he had to come to terms with both religion and drugs to survive. Hill&’s debut is an extraordinary, gorgeously crafted memoir of faith, family, loss, shame and addiction. But ultimately, Original Sins is a raw portrait of survival—of growing up and learning how to live.