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Sacred Plunder: Venice and the Aftermath of the Fourth Crusade
by David M. PerryIn Sacred Plunder, David Perry argues that plundered relics, and narratives about them, played a central role in shaping the memorial legacy of the Fourth Crusade and the development of Venice’s civic identity in the thirteenth century. After the Fourth Crusade ended in 1204, the disputes over the memory and meaning of the conquest began. Many crusaders faced accusations of impiety, sacrilege, violence, and theft. In their own defense, they produced hagiographical narratives about the movement of relics—a medieval genre called translatio—that restated their own versions of events and shaped the memory of the crusade. The recipients of relics commissioned these unique texts in order to exempt both the objects and the people involved with their theft from broader scrutiny or criticism. Perry further demonstrates how these narratives became a focal point for cultural transformation and an argument for the creation of the new Venetian empire as the city moved from an era of mercantile expansion to one of imperial conquest in the thirteenth century.
The Sacred Promise
by Gary E. Schwartz John EdwardSacred Promise brings us into the laboratory of scientist Dr. Gary Schwartz, where he establishes the existence of Spirit by its own Willful Intent--a proof of concept for deceased spirits. The author takes readers on a personal journey into the world of angels and spirits and reveals their existence and desire to help. Dr. Schwartz candidly discusses the challenges as well as the rewards of connecting with Spirit. He poses several important questions. What if our feelings of emptiness, loneliness, hopelessness, and meaninglessness are actually fostered by our belief in a "spiritless" Universe? What if our physical hunger is symptomatic of a greater spiritual hunger? What if Spirit is actually all around us, ready to fill us with energy, hope, and direction, if we are ready to ingest it? What if Spirit is like air and water, readily available for us to draw within; that is, if we choose to seek it? Sacred Promise shows how we can attune ourselves and receive this guidance from Spirit, which is all scientifically documented by Dr. Schwartz experiments and research. Prepare to suspend your beliefs about Spirit.
The Sacred Quest: An Invitation to the Study of Religion (Sixth Edition)
by Lawrence Cunningham John KelsayExamines the main ideas that characterize all religious thought and practice. The Sacred Quest takes a thematic and comparative approach to the study of religion. It gives equal weight to theoretical issues and practices reflected in the major world religions. The text identifies the theoretical issues surrounding the study of religion and focuses on fundamental topics such as ritual and sacred language. Learning Goals Upon completing this book readers will be able to: Recognize main ideas that characterize all religious thought and practice Identify theoretical issues surrounding the study of religion Recognize fundamental topics of religion: ritual, sacred communication, and morality.
Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina
by Michael CaseyExamines the Western tradition of lectio divina (a spiritual and prayerful approach to reading the sacred texts) in order to help readers expand their spiritual approach to living.
Sacred Relationships: The Practice of Intimate Erotic Love
by Padma Aon Prakasha Anaiya SophiaA workbook on divine sexual expression, sacred relationship, and uniting the Divine Feminine and Masculine• Explains how to transform your relationship into an initiatory temple of spiritual development and ignite the alchemical process of Sacred Marriage--union with God• Offers female specific, male specific, and couples exercises for self-awakening, womb pulsing, yoni-lingam evolution, and a series of sacred body rites • Integrates wisdom from shamanic, gnostic, tantric, and alchemical traditions with sacred sexual practices, including teachings from the Temples of Isis Sexuality is one of our core soul qualities, best evidenced by the design of our physical and spiritual bodies and their inherent propensity for sexual expression. By embracing your sexual power in a loving union, you can enact a sacred trinity between your two souls and the Divine, transforming your relationship into an initiatory temple of spiritual development and awakening yourselves to divine gnosis, direct knowing of God, through sacred body rites.In this workbook, Anaiya Sophia and Padma Aon Prakasha explain how to reactivate your primal sexual expression in harmony with the Divine, navigate the waters of Divine Relationship with a partner, and ignite the alchemical process of Sacred Marriage or Hieros Gamos--union with God. Integrating shamanic, gnostic, tantric, and alchemical traditions with sacred sexual practices, including teachings from the Temples of Isis, they explore how to unite the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine energies within each of us and experience the Great Work of sexual alchemy. They explain how, when two lovers come together and abandon themselves to loving each other, they re-enact the primal union of the Cosmic Couple, Shiva and Shakti, that created the universe.Weaving together mystical feminine wisdom, transcendent masculine consciousness, and sexual psychology, the authors offer practical tools to balance your masculine and feminine energies, help with relationship obstacles, and bring about sexual healing, emotional clearing, spiritual growth, and physical release. Offering female specific, male specific, and couples exercises, they detail practices for self-awakening, womb pulsing, yoni-lingam evolution, and a series of sacred body rites. Through these heart-opening practices, you can not only deepen your connection with the Divine but also develop a loving connection with yourself, with your partner, and with the world around.
Sacred Resistance: A Practical Guide to Christian Witness and Dissent
by Ginger Gaines-CirelliIn the midst of polarized communities and nations, religious leaders across the theological spectrum are seeking help with how to respond and lead in troubled times. The need for courage to speak out and act is ever-present, because every generation faces a new set of fears and troubles. Author Ginger Gaines-Cirelli pastors a church in the heart of Washington DC, adjacent to the White House, which actively works to bring justice and help for marginalized communities, refugees and immigrants, and the endangered earth. She inspires and leads this work through preaching and by organizing and developing strong leaders, deeply rooted in a well-developed theological understanding. Pastoral warmth and compassion characterize the recommended practices. Sacred Resistance addresses these questions, among others: • When Christians see that something is wrong in our nation or community, how and when should we respond? • When we see multiple instances of 'wrong', how do we choose which ones to address? • How can pastors and other leaders faithfully take risks without violating relationships with the congregation or denomination? • What historical, biblical, and theological safety nets can be relied on? • How can we take care of ourselves and one another, so that our ministries and lives are sustained?
Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity
by Saundra Dalton-SmithStaying busy is easy. Staying well rested-now there's a challenge.How can you keep your energy, happiness, creativity, and relationships fresh and thriving in the midst of never-ending family demands, career pressures, and the stress of everyday life? In SACRED REST, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a board-certified internal medicine doctor, reveals why rest can no longer remain optional. Dr. Dalton-Smith shares seven types of rest she has found lacking in the lives of those she encounters in her clinical practice and research-physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, sensory, social, creative-and why a deficiency in any one of these types of rest can have unfavorable effects on your health, happiness, relationships, creativity, and productivity. SACRED REST combines the science of rest, the spirituality of rest, the gifts of rest, and the resulting fruit of rest. It shows rest as something sacred, valuable, and worthy of our respect.By combining scientific research with personal stories, spiritual insight, and practical next steps, SACRED REST gives the weary permission to embrace rest, set boundaries, and seek sanctuary without any guilt, shame, or fear.
Sacred Rest: Finding the Sabbath in the Everyday
by Thomas NelsonIf only there were more hours in a day . . .Your to-do list is beyond taming, and your commitments are unavoidable. How could you allow yourself to rest in busy times like these? What would rest even look like in your life?Author Cheryl Wunderlich knows these questions well. After years caught up in the whirlwind of family life, motherhood, work, and ministry, she couldn’t imagine allowing rest for herself—until cancer forced her to stop. In her crushing battle with exhaustion, she began to hear God’s still, small voice inviting her to hope, be restored, and to find deep soul-quenching rest in Him. God’s rest was her way back to life.These 100 devotions offer prayers, Scripture verses, personal insights, and biblical perspectives on God’s loving gift and command to us: Rest. Be still. You can experience both rewarding work and rejuvenating rest. Accept God’s invitation, and taste the welcome relief of a life balanced in His rest.
Sacred Retreat: Using Natural Cycles to Recharge Your Life
by Pia Orleane Barbara Hand ClowRestoring our biological cycles to heal ourselves, our culture, and our planet • Shows how, just like the tides and the moon phases, both women and men have biological cycles of growth and renewal necessary for healthy bodies and minds • Explains how the seclusion of women during menstruation and of men during vision quests offers a cleansing process for body and mind to awaken innate creativity and sensitivity, re-attune us with the deeper rhythms of the body and nature, and restore harmony between the divine feminine and divine masculine • Reveals how the need for sacred retreat was forgotten when the divine feminine was suppressed by patriarchal culture All of life is interwoven into a living system of cycles, from Earth’s seasons to the enzymatic pathways that provide energy to a cell. Waxing and waning from times of growth to times of rest, renewal, and healing, cycles map the most auspicious time for everything in life. Both women and men have biological cycles of active growth and quiet renewal, led by our hormones. By understanding how everything in life moves in cycles, you can become more aware of and comfortable with your own cyclic nature, something that has been forgotten by the modern world’s linear views of time. Drawing on the wisdom of ancient cultures, the natural cycles of life, and her own groundbreaking research, Pia Orleane, Ph.D., offers a template for how we can restore balance to our emotions and health, ease tensions between the sexes, and heal our fractured culture by honoring divine feminine consciousness and re-embracing natural cycles, including our innate need for rest and retreat. She explains the biology of how our bodies operate by hormones released in cycles and shows how balanced hormones help eliminate anger, depression, insomnia, anxiety, and fatigue. Exploring ancient traditions and rituals surrounding blood and sacred retreat, she explains how the seclusion of women during menstruation and of men during vision quests offered a cleansing process for body and mind, alone time to clear suppressed emotions, awaken our innate creativity and sensitivity, re-attune us with the deeper rhythms of the body and nature, and restore harmony between the genders and balance between the divine feminine and masculine. Outlining the sacred retreat process, the author explores dream cycles, divine sexuality, and practices for reconnecting to nature, increasing creativity and intuition, and clearing suppressed emotions. She also looks at the benefits for women and men of separate sleeping during menstruation. Through this wisdom, we can restore our natural cycles, allow the divine feminine to once again blossom alongside the divine masculine, and, with the return of balance, heal our world and our hearts.
Sacred Revenge in Oceania (Elements in Religion and Violence)
by Pamela J. Stewart Andrew StrathernRevenge is an important motivation in human affairs relating to conflict and violence, and it is a notable feature in many societies within Oceania, where revenge is traditionally a sacred duty to the dead whose spirits demand it. Revenge instantiates a norm of reciprocity in the cosmos, ensuring a balance between violent and peaceful sequences of ritual action. Revenge further remains an important hidden factor in processes of violence beyond Oceania, revealing deep human propensities for retaliatory acts and the tendency to elevate these into principles of legitimacy. Sacred revenge may also be transcended through practices of wealth exchange.
Sacred Rhetorical Education in 19th Century America: Austin Phelps at Andover Theological Seminary (Routledge Studies in Rhetoric and Communication)
by Michael-John DePalmaThis book offers new insight into the ways rhetorical educators’ religious motives influenced the shape of nineteenth-century rhetorical education and invites scholars of writing and rhetoric to consider what the study of religiously-animated pedagogies might reveal about rhetorical education itself. The author studies the rhetorical pedagogy of Austin Phelps, the prominent preacher and professor of sacred rhetoric at Andover Theological Seminary, and his theologically-motivated adaptation of rhetorical education to fit the exigencies of preachers at the first graduate seminary in the United States. In disclosing how Phelps was guided by his Christian motives, the book offers a thorough examination of how professional rhetoric was taught, learned, and practiced in nineteenth-century America. It also provides an enriched understanding of rhetorical theories and pedagogies in American seminaries, and contributes deepened awareness of the ways religious motives can function as resources that enable the reshaping of rhetorical theory and pedagogy in generative ways. Exploring the implications of Phelps’s rhetorical theory and pedagogy for future studies of religious rhetoric, histories of rhetorical education, and twenty-first century writing pedagogy,this book will be essential reading for scholars and students of rhetoric, education, American history, religious education, and writing studies.
Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation (Transforming Resources)
by Ruth Haley BartonWinner of a 2006 Logos Book Award! Do you long for a deep, fundamental change in your life with God? Do you desire a greater intimacy with God? Do you wonder how you might truly live your life as God created you to live it? Spiritual disciplines are activities that open us to God's transforming love and the changes that only God can bring about in our lives. Picking up on the monastic tradition of creating a "rule of life" that allows for regular space for the practice of the spiritual disciplines, this book takes you more deeply into understanding seven key disciplines along with practical ideas for weaving them into everyday life. Each chapter includes exercises to help you begin the practices--individually and in a group context. The final chapter puts it all together in a way that will help you arrange your life for spiritual transformation. The choice to establish your own sacred rhythm is the most important choice you can make with your life.
Sacred Rhythms
by Brother Francis Wagner Rev Justin DuvallSacred Rhythms: The Monastic Way Every Day is a compilation of reflections originally published in our Notes from a Monastery series. Gathered here under the themes of prayer, work, faithfulness, and conversion, these meditations showcase the knowledge of religious and lay authors familiar with the Benedictine way of life.
The Sacred Rights of Conscience: Selected Readings on Religious Liberty and Church-State Relations in the American Founding
by Daniel L. Dreisbach Mark David HallReligion is woven tightly into the fabric of the American experiment. In the traditional telling of the story, early colonists crossed the Atlantic Ocean's treacherous waters to escape religious persecution in the Old World and to search for religious liberty in the New World.
The Sacred Ripple
by Ms. Marian NewellDo you lack HOPE? Where do you place your HOPE? Are you stuck in a pit of GRIEF? Do you wonder if or when God is going to RESTORE your life? In the middle of mind-numbing grief, HOPE happened—undeniable, lasting hope! In The Sacred Ripple Marian Newell seeks to comfort others with the comfort she has received from God.
The Sacred Rite of Magical Love: A Ceremony of Word and Flesh
by Donald Traxler Maria De NaglowskaThe first English translation of Maria de Naglowska’s sexually magical novella, Le rite sacré de l’amour magique • Contains autobiographical material from Maria de Naglowska’s life • Continues, in symbolic story form, the sexual initiatory teachings expounded in Naglowska’s The Light of Sex and Advanced Sex Magic • Includes a summary of Naglowska’s religious doctrine in her own words Available for the first time in English, The Sacred Rite of Magical Love is a mystical, sexually magical novella written by Maria de Naglowska--the Russian mystic and esoteric high priestess of 1930s Paris. Her religious system, called the Third Term of the Trinity, taught the importance of sex for the upliftment of humanity. A natural continuation of Naglowska’s The Light of Sex and Advanced Sex Magic, this volume also contains autobiographical material from Maria de Naglowska’s life. Full of symbolic language and hidden meanings, the story follows a young woman named Xenophonta as she experiences the apparition of a dark force, whom she calls the Master of the Past and to whom she dedicates her heart and her service. En route to a midnight rendezvous with him, Xenophonta encounters a young Cossack, Micha, who sexually accosts her. Telling Micha that she already belongs to another, she escapes to keep her rendezvous. Micha, now jealous, follows her and ends up taking part in a strange, mystical ceremony that transforms him, through the magic of word and flesh. With a preface discussing the Sacred Triangle and the magical symbol of the AUM Clock, both central symbols in Naglowska’s religious system as well as in the story, the book also includes a summary of the doctrine of the Third Term of the Trinity in de Naglowska’s own words--important to any student of the Western Mystery tradition.
Sacred Ritual, Profane Space: The Roman House as Early Christian Meeting Place (Studies in Christianity and Judaism Series #1)
by Jenn CiancaThe first three centuries of Christianity are increasingly seen in modern scholarship as sites of complexity. Sacred Ritual, Profane Space examines the Christian meeting places of the time and overturns long-held notions about the earliest Christians as utopian rather than place-bound people. <P><P> By mapping what is known from early Christian texts onto the archaeological data for Roman domestic spaces, Jenn Cianca provides a new lens for examining the relationship between early Christianity and sites of worship. She proposes that not only were Roman homes sacred sites in their own right but they were also considered sacred by the Christian communities that used them. In many cases, meeting space would have included the presence of the Roman domestic cult shrines. <P><P>Despite the fact that the domestic cult was polytheistic, Cianca asserts that its practices likely continued in places used for worship by Christians. She also argues that continued practice of the domestic cult in Roman domestic spaces did not preclude Christians from using houses as churches or from understanding their rituals or their meeting places as sacred. <P><P> Raising a host of questions about identity, ritual affiliation, and domestic practice, Sacred Ritual, Profane Space demonstrates how sacred space was constructed through ritual enactment in early Christian communities.
Sacred Rituals: A Simple Book of Everyday Prayer
by Nóirín Ní RiainThe human soul longs for connection. The deepest form of this is connection to a higher power. In Sacred Rituals, renowned interfaith minister and spiritual singer Nóirín Ní Riain provides us with the tools and confidence to create meaningful rituals that connect us to our own Higher Source, offering us a sense of deep and lasting peace in our lives.Drawing from the traditions which have fed her own heart - both Celtic and Christian - and with personal stories and guidance for creating spiritual space and practice, Sacred Rituals is a valuable book for people of all faiths and none who are searching for deeper meaning in today's world.'Prayer through ritual is where the human heart meets the Divine heart' Nóirín Ní Riain
Sacred Rituals: A Simple Book of Everyday Prayer
by Nóirín Ní RiainThe human soul longs for connection. The deepest form of this is connection to a higher power. In Sacred Rituals, renowned interfaith minister and spiritual singer Nóirín Ní Riain provides us with the tools and confidence to create meaningful rituals that connect us to our own Higher Source, offering us a sense of deep and lasting peace in our lives.Drawing from the traditions which have fed her own heart - both Celtic and Christian - and with personal stories and guidance for creating spiritual space and practice, Sacred Rituals is a valuable book for people of all faiths and none who are searching for deeper meaning in today's world.'Prayer through ritual is where the human heart meets the Divine heart' Nóirín Ní Riain
Sacred Rituals: A Simple Book of Everyday Prayer
by Nóirín Ní RiainThe human soul longs for connection. The deepest form of this is connection to a higher power. In Sacred Rituals, renowned interfaith minister and spiritual singer Nóirín Ní Riain provides us with the tools and confidence to create meaningful rituals that connect us to our own Higher Source, offering us a sense of deep and lasting peace in our lives.Drawing from the traditions which have fed her own heart - both Celtic and Christian - and with personal stories and guidance for creating spiritual space and practice, Sacred Rituals is a valuable book for people of all faiths and none who are searching for deeper meaning in today's world.'Prayer through ritual is where the human heart meets the Divine heart' Nóirín Ní Riain
The Sacred Romance: Drawing Closer to the Heart of God (Walker Large Print Ser.)
by John EldredgeFrom childhood on, something or Someone has called us on a journey of the heart. It is a journey full of intimacy, adventure, and beauty?but like any fairy tale it is also fraught with more than a little danger. To ignore this whispered call is to become one of the living dead who carry on their lives divorced from their most intimate selves, their heart. The Sacred Romance calls to us in our fondest memories, our greatest loves, our noblest achievements, even our deepest hurts. The reward is worth the risk. God Himself longs for us, if we are but willing . . . The Sacred Romance strikes a chord in us because more than in any other age, we have lost touch with our hearts. We have left that essential part of ourselves behind in the pursuit of efficiency, success, and even Christian service. If you long for something more, even if you don't know what that something is, then open this profound book. Before long you will find yourself eagerly turning the pages to find out what happens next. The Sacred Romance is the story of our lives; it is God's story. It is His invitation to experience His unfathomable love for us.
The Sacred Romance: Drawing Closer to the Heart of God
by John Eldredge Brent CurtisThis book strives to direct our lives into true communion with God.
Sacred Roots: Why the Church Still Matters
by Barna Group Jon Tyson"Why should I invest myself in something that I'm not sure does any good?" This is a question many people today are asking about the church. Data shows young people are leaving the church, especially in urban contexts. Yet as Jon Tyson will show you in this Barna Frame, the church has much to offer cities—and individuals—in the 21st century. Whether you come with an open-mind, skeptical, or already committed to your local church, join Jon Tyson, lead pastor of Trinity Grace Church in New York City, as he makes the case for why church matters.
Sacred Schisms: How Religions Divide
by James R. Lewis Sarah M. LewisSchism (from the Greek 'to split') refers to a group that breaks away from another, usually larger organisation and forms a new organisation. Though the term is typically confined to religious schisms, it can be extended to other kinds of breakaway groups. Because schisms emerge out of controversies, the term has negative connotations. Though they are an important component of many analyses, schisms in general have not been subjected to systematic analysis. This volume provides the first book-length study of religious schisms as a general phenomenon. Some chapters examine specific case studies while others provide surveys of the history of schisms within larger religious traditions, such as Islam and Buddhism. Other chapters are more theoretically focused. Examples are drawn from a wide variety of different traditions and geographical areas, from early Mediterranean Christianity to modern Japanese New Religions, and from the Jehovah's Witnesses to Neo-Pagans.
Sacred Science: Person-Centred Inquiry into the Spiritual and the Subtle
by John HeronThis book breaks new ground in transpersonal pscyhology. It argues for a people-based, person-centred religion which hold that spiritual authority is wihtin each individual, and that spiritual initiation is a path of lived inquiry, for which all traditional systems are a secondary resource. Sacred Science will be of interest to all those who believe in the emergence of the self-determining human spirit within the field of religious belief and practice. It is written for the general reader, yet specialists in transpersonal studies will find that it addresses critical issues at a sophisticated level.