- Table View
- List View
Becoming Fearless
by Jillian Michaels Michelle AguilarMichelle Aguilar's inspiring story goes beyond her grand-prize victory on the immensely popular The Biggest Loser. Becoming Fearless is about having faith in God when you've lost faith in yourself. It is an encouragement to "feel the fear" in any obstacle in life without being paralyzed by it. Finally, it is a story about reconciliation between Michelle and her mother, an exploration of the difficult and freeing work of forgiveness, and a reminder that what you learn on the journey is even more important than the destination.
Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear
by Jinger VuoloJinger Vuolo, the sixth child in the famous Duggar family of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On, recounts how she began to question the unhealthy ideology of her youth and learned to embrace true freedom in Christ.When Jinger Duggar Vuolo was growing up, she was convinced that obeying the rules was the key to success and God's favor. She zealously promoted the Basic Life Principles of Bill Gothard,fastidiously obeying the modesty guidelines (no shorts or jeans, only dresses),eagerly submitting to the umbrella of authority (any disobedience of parents would place her outside God's protection), promoting the relationship standard of courtship, andavoiding any music with a worldly beat, among others. Jinger, along with three of her sisters, wrote a New York Times bestseller about their religious convictions. She believed this level of commitment would guarantee God's blessing, even though in private she felt constant fear that she wasn't measuring up to the high standards demanded of her.In Becoming Free Indeed, Jinger shares how in her early twenties, a new family member—a brother-in-law who didn't grow up in the same tight-knit conservative circle as Jinger—caused her to examine her beliefs. He was committed to the Bible, but he didn't believe many of the things Jinger had always assumed were true. His influence, along with the help of a pastor named Jeremy Vuolo, caused Jinger to see that her life was built on rules, not God's Word.Jinger committed to studying the Bible—truly understanding it—for the first time. What resulted was an earth-shaking realization: much of what she'd always believed about God, obedience to His Word, and personal holiness wasn't in-line with what the Bible teaches.Now with a renewed faith of personal conviction, Becoming Free Indeed shares what it was like living under the tenants of Bill Gothard, the Biblical truth that changed her perspective, and how she disentangled her faith with her belief in Jesus intact.
Becoming A Friend And Lover: Building A Quality Relationship That Lasts A Lifetime
by Dick PurnellAre you single? Do you have close friends who are part of your life? Or have you wondered why your friends seem to find love while you stay home with your cat on Friday night? Is there a way to find someone special without an extreme makeover involving plastic surgery? The answer to this last question is yes, and this book will show you how to do it. You really can have the loving friendships and romantic relationship you've always dreamed of. Even better than that is discovering that God has created a blueprint for relationships that can work no matter who you are. You don't need plastic surgery, to become an iron man, or flash a platinum Visa card. Instead, learn to become a true friend and lover. Through stories, questions, Scripture, and the author's description of his dating life, you can learn how to create caring relationships and deepen those you already have.
Becoming Frum: How Newcomers Learn the Language and Culture of Orthodox Judaism
by Sarah Bunin BenorWhen non-Orthodox Jews become frum (religious), they encounter much more than dietary laws and Sabbath prohibitions. They find themselves in the midst of a whole new culture, involving matchmakers, homemade gefilte fish, and Yiddish-influenced grammar. Becoming Frum explains how these newcomers learn Orthodox language and culture through their interactions with community veterans and other newcomers. Some take on as much as they can as quickly as they can, going beyond the norms of those raised in the community. Others maintain aspects of their pre-Orthodox selves, yielding unique combinations, like Matisyahu's reggae music or Hebrew words and sing-song intonation used with American slang, as in "mamish (really) keepin' it real."Sarah Bunin Benor brings insight into the phenomenon of adopting a new identity based on ethnographic and sociolinguistic research among men and women in an American Orthodox community. Her analysis is applicable to other situations of adult language socialization, such as students learning medical jargon or Canadians moving to Australia. Becoming Frum offers a scholarly and accessible look at the linguistic and cultural process of "becoming."
Becoming God's True Woman: ...While I Still Have a Curfew (True Woman)
by Mary A Kassian Susan HuntHave you ever wondered why God made both male and female? Have you thought about His purpose for you as a female? Have you considered the fact that God has intentionally planned everything about your life? Then join Bible teachers Susan Hunt and Mary A. Kassian in this 35-day devotional, digging deep into God's Word, hearing what He says about your womanhood, and learning how to live as a "true woman" day by day. Each day begins with a short devotion and then a 'Time For You' section—a time for you to read, think, and pray about living for God's glory. Interspersed throughout are personal stories and thoughts from girls like you:What you spend your time with and allow your mind to dwell on will be displayed in your life. Girls need to realize that they should only spend their time enjoying the words, sounds, and images they want to become. (Allison, age 17)The media encourages girls to be loud and bossy. In shows, the quiet girl is always picked on and ridiculed. (Connie Jean, age 13)Modesty to me is beauty. It outwardly symbolizes what Christ has done to our hearts—made them new, clean and worthy of coming into God's presence . . . that&’s what modesty is about. (RuthAnne, age 17)Becoming God's True Woman is A True Woman BookThe goal of the True Woman publishing line is to encourage women to:Discover, embrace, and delight in God's divine design and mission for their livesReflect the beauty and heart of Jesus Christ to their worldIntentionally pass the baton of Truth on to the next generationPray earnestly for an outpouring of God's Spirit in their families, churches, nation and world
Becoming God's True Woman: ...While I Still Have a Curfew (True Woman)
by Mary A Kassian Susan HuntHave you ever wondered why God made both male and female? Have you thought about His purpose for you as a female? Have you considered the fact that God has intentionally planned everything about your life? Then join Bible teachers Susan Hunt and Mary A. Kassian in this 35-day devotional, digging deep into God's Word, hearing what He says about your womanhood, and learning how to live as a "true woman" day by day. Each day begins with a short devotion and then a 'Time For You' section—a time for you to read, think, and pray about living for God's glory. Interspersed throughout are personal stories and thoughts from girls like you:What you spend your time with and allow your mind to dwell on will be displayed in your life. Girls need to realize that they should only spend their time enjoying the words, sounds, and images they want to become. (Allison, age 17)The media encourages girls to be loud and bossy. In shows, the quiet girl is always picked on and ridiculed. (Connie Jean, age 13)Modesty to me is beauty. It outwardly symbolizes what Christ has done to our hearts—made them new, clean and worthy of coming into God's presence . . . that&’s what modesty is about. (RuthAnne, age 17)Becoming God's True Woman is A True Woman BookThe goal of the True Woman publishing line is to encourage women to:Discover, embrace, and delight in God's divine design and mission for their livesReflect the beauty and heart of Jesus Christ to their worldIntentionally pass the baton of Truth on to the next generationPray earnestly for an outpouring of God's Spirit in their families, churches, nation and world
Becoming ‘Good Muslim’: The Tablighi Jamaat in the UK and Bangladesh
by Bulbul SiddiqiThe book uses an ethnographic approach to explore why the Tablighi Jamaat movement remains so successful in contemporary times. It shows that this success results from the positive image that it cultivates, and the systematic preaching activities of Tablighi Jamaat followers, and that the organisation's apolitical image, the public profile of the ijtema, the humbleness of Tablighi followers, and the attraction of belonging to the global Tablighi community all help to create a positive image of the Tablighi Jamaat among ordinary Muslims. The book also argues that the Tablighi Jamaat remains successful because of its ability to hold its followers within a Tablighi-guided life, which is perceived as protection against the Western lifestyle. Many elements of contemporary Western lifestyle are considered non-Islamic, and so by clearly defining what is Islamic and non-Islamic in modern society, the Tablighi Jamaat provides a way in which Muslims can live in the contemporary world, but remain good Muslims.
Becoming Guanyin: Artistic Devotion of Buddhist Women in Late Imperial China (Premodern East Asia: New Horizons)
by Yuhang LiThe goddess Guanyin began in India as the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, originally a male deity. He gradually became indigenized as a female deity in China over the span of nearly a millennium. By the Ming (1358–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) periods, Guanyin had become the most popular female deity in China. In Becoming Guanyin, Yuhang Li examines how lay Buddhist women in late imperial China forged a connection with the subject of their devotion, arguing that women used their own bodies to echo that of Guanyin.Li focuses on the power of material things to enable women to access religious experience and transcendence. In particular, she examines how secular Buddhist women expressed mimetic devotion and pursued religious salvation through creative depictions of Guanyin in different media such as painting and embroidery and through bodily portrayals of the deity using jewelry and dance. These material displays expressed a worldview that differed from yet fit within the Confucian patriarchal system. Attending to the fabrication and use of “women’s things” by secular women, Li offers new insight into the relationships between worshipped and worshipper in Buddhist practice. Combining empirical research with theoretical insights from both art history and Buddhist studies, Becoming Guanyin is a field-changing analysis that reveals the interplay between material culture, religion, and their gendered transformations.
Becoming Half Hidden: Shamanism and Initiation Among the Inuit
by Daniel MerkurFirst Published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Becoming Heart Sisters - Women's Bible Study Leader Guide: A Bible Study on Authentic Friendships (Becoming Heart Sisters)
by Natalie Chambers SnappFriendships with other women are as important to our mental, physical, and spiritual health as rest, exercise, and prayer. We don’t just want friends—we need friends. God created us for relationship. Yet despite being more connected than ever before, we struggle to feel connected. From the false intimacy of social media to busyness and relational conflict, there are many challenges to developing authentic relationships. If you’ve ever been hurt by a friend, struggled to balance friendship with everyday life, seen a friendship end too early, or longed for deeper and more authentic friendships, this Bible study is for you. As Natalie leads you in a deep exploration of timeless truths in the Old and New Testaments, you will learn how to develop and nurture the kind of enriching and satisfying friendships that build up the body of Christ and bring honor to God. Personal testimonies and stories of successes and failures add a level of authenticity that is refreshing and insightful. As you learn to cultivate God-honoring relationships, you will become more like Christ and demonstrate His love to a broken world. Study participants will find deep study of Scripture's principles for God-honoring friendships; help for navigating conflict, setting boundaries, and learning to forgive; in-depth study of Scripture with testimonies and stories that "ring true," the do's and don'ts of authentic friendships; and Bible-based guidance for building stronger and deeper relationships. The Leader Guide contains six session plan outlines, complete with discussion points and questions, activities, prayers, and more—plus leader helps for facilitating a group. Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Participant Workbook, DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit. “Becoming Heart Sisters is a beautiful reminder of how powerful walking hand in hand with a loyal friend can be. After completing this study, you will be better equipped to be this kind of God-honoring friend. Thank you, Natalie, for the charge to sacrificially love and serve our friends.” —Lysa Terkeurst, New York Times best-selling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries
Becoming Heart Sisters - Women's Bible Study Participant Workbook: A Bible Study on Authentic Friendships (Becoming Heart Sisters)
by Natalie Chambers SnappFriendships with other women are as important to our mental, physical, and spiritual health as rest, exercise, and prayer. We don’t just want friends—we need friends. God created us for relationship. Yet despite being more connected than ever before, we struggle to feel connected. From the false intimacy of social media to busyness and relational conflict, there are many challenges to developing authentic relationships. If you’ve ever been hurt by a friend, struggled to balance friendship with everyday life, seen a friendship end too early, or longed for deeper and more authentic friendships, this Bible study is for you. As Natalie leads you in a deep exploration of timeless truths in the Old and New Testaments, you will learn how to develop and nurture the kind of enriching and satisfying friendships that build up the body of Christ and bring honor to God. Personal testimonies and stories of successes and failures add a level of authenticity that is refreshing and insightful. As you learn to cultivate God-honoring relationships, you will become more like Christ and demonstrate His love to a broken world. Study participants will find deep study of Scripture's principles for God-honoring friendships; help for navigating conflict, setting boundaries, and learning to forgive; in-depth study of Scripture with testimonies and stories that "ring true," the do's and don'ts of authentic friendships; and Bible-based guidance for building stronger and deeper relationships. The participant workbook includes five days of lessons for each week, combining study of Scripture with personal reflection, application, and prayer. Other components for the Bible study, available separately, include a Leader Guide, DVD with six 20-25 minute sessions, and boxed Leader Kit. “Becoming Heart Sisters is a beautiful reminder of how powerful walking hand in hand with a loyal friend can be. After completing this study, you will be better equipped to be this kind of God-honoring friend. Thank you, Natalie, for the charge to sacrificially love and serve our friends.” —Lysa Terkeurst, New York Times best-selling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries
Becoming Holy in Early Canada (McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion #2)
by Timothy G. PearsonRecent years have witnessed a revival of interest in holy figures in Canada. From the reputations of popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI as prolific saint-makers to the canonization of two figures associated with Canada - Brother André Bessette in 2010 and Kateri Tekakwitha in 2012 - saints are suddenly in the news and a topic of conversation. In Becoming Holy in Early Canada, Timothy Pearson explores the roots of sanctity in Canada to discover why reputations for holiness developed in the early colonial period and how saints were made in the local and immediate contexts of everyday life. Pearson weaves together the histories of well-known figures such as Marie de l'Incarnation with those of largely forgotten local saints such as lay brother and carpenter Didace Pelletier and the Algonquin martyr Joseph Onaharé. Adopting an approach that draws on performance theory, ritual studies, and lived religion, he unravels the expectations, interactions, and negotiations that constituted holy performances. Because holy reputations developed over the course of individuals' lifetimes and in after-death relationships with local faith communities through belief in miracles, holy lives are best read as local, embedded, and contextualized histories. Placing colonial holy figures between the poles of local expectation and the universal Catholic theology of sanctity, Becoming Holy in Early Canada shows how reputations developed and individuals became local saints long before they came to the attention of the church in Rome.
Becoming Home: Adoption, Foster Care, and Mentoring--Living Out God's Heart for Orphans
by Barna Group Jedd MedefindCaring for orphans makes grace touchable. When Christians choose to adopt, foster, mentor or support care for orphans around the world, it reveals God's true character to the world like nothing else we can do. This softcover book unpacks specific steps that you can take to care for orphans in distress.Some of these steps are “big” choices like fostering or adopting; some are smaller choices like supporting work abroad or mentoring a foster youth. But all have the impact of revealing God’s love to someone who wants to be home for good.Join Jedd Medefind, president of the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO), as he reveals the profound sense that deep, sustaining love for orphans springs not from duty, guilt or even idealism, but foremost as a response to the way we've first been loved by God.
Becoming Homeschoolers: Give Your Kids a Great Education, a Strong Family, and a Life They'll Thank You for Later
by Monica SwansonMonica Swanson helps you navigate your real-world concerns about school, culture, and what it takes to create an amazing homeschool experience that you and your kids will never regret!If you've ever wondered whether you have what it takes to homeschool your children, look no further. Parenting author, podcaster, and homeschool mom Monica Swanson is here to tell you: you can do it. In fact, it can be the most fun, family-unifying, character-building, life-equipping experience you and your children will ever have.Becoming Homeschoolers tackles your legitimate doubts and fears about homeschooling, as well as the questions you want answered before you commit--questions like where to start and how to choose a curriculum, build social skills, teach what you're not good at, and prepare for college. With humor and encouragement, Monica weaves her own story of homeschooling her four boys with step-by-step, practical advice on how to:Assess whether home education is right for you and your childrenEstablish a foundation of faith in your everyday homeschool routineFind socialization opportunities such as sports and extracurricular activitiesCare for yourself and your marriage even as you spend more time each day with your kidsTackle the practical side of homeschooling, including standardized tests, transcripts, college readiness, and navigating education requirements It's time to trade fear for empowerment and insecurity for confidence as you live out your own story of becoming homeschoolers.
Becoming Human (The CBC Massey Lectures)
by Jean VanierAcclaimed as a man "who inspires the world" (Maclean's) and a "nation builder" (Globe and Mail), Jean Vanier has made a difference in the lives of countless people -- including those with disabilities and the many young people who have been moved by his life's work. Becoming Human is a modern classic that continues to resonate among the generations. In a world of competition, where the strong dominate the weak, Vanier calls on each one of us to open ourselves to those we perceive as different or inferior. This, he says, is the key to true personal and societal freedom. This 10th anniversary edition includes a new introduction by the author.
Becoming Like God
by Michael BergNew in paperback, from the bestselling author of The Secret, comes a revolutionary method for becoming all powerful. Written with extraordinary clarity, Michael Berg presents a logical approach to achieving our supreme birthright. In revealing this opportunity for humanity, he highlights ways to develop our natural God-like attributes, and diminish the aspects of our nature that interfere with our destiny. In his succinct style, Michael provides the answer to the eternal question of why we are here: to become like God.
Becoming Lucy: Winds Across the Prairie Book 1 (Winds Across the Prairie #1)
by Martha RogersWill heiress Lucinda Bishop learn the meaning of true love and forgiveness on the Oklahoma plains? In 1896, after her parents&’ deaths, seventeen-year-old heiress Lucinda Bishop is sent to Oklahoma to live with her aunt and uncle. But Oklahoma ranch life brings her more than she bargained for when she meets ranch hand Jake Starnes, a drifter who is running from his past. As her friendship with Jake grows, Lucinda faces emotions she&’s never before experienced. As Jake learns more about God&’s love for him, he realizes he must face his past and the consequences of his actions, even if it means he will lose the one girl he loves. Will he be able to get his life together before someone else claims her hand…or even her life?
Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl
by Lysa TerkeurstIs Something Missing in Your Life? Lysa TerKeurst knows what it's like to consider God just another thing on her to-do list. For years she went through the motions of a Christian life: Go to church. Pray. Be nice. Longing for a deeper connection between what she knew in her head and her everyday reality, she wanted to personally experience God's presence. Drawing from her own remarkable story of step-by-step faith, Lysa invites you to uncover the spiritually exciting life we all yearn for. With her trademark wit and spiritual wisdom, Lysa will help you : * Learn how to make a Bible passage come alive in your own devotion time. * Replace doubt, regret, and envy with truth, confidence, and praise. * Stop the unhealthy cycles of striving and truly learn to love who you are and what you've been given. * Discover how to have inner peace and security in any situation * Sense God responding to your prayers The adventure God has in store for your life just might blow you away.
Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl: Living the Faith After Bible Class Is Over
by Lysa TerkeurstAre you tired of just going through the motions of the Christian life? Do you feel a tug at your heart to live completely for God--but don't know what the next step is? Lysa TerKeurst invites you to uncover the spiritually exciting life you long for. Fulfillment is closer than you ever thought possible.
Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl: Living The Faith After Bible Class Is Over
by Lysa TerKeurstIs Something Missing in Your Life? Lysa TerKeurst knows what it’s like to consider God just another thing on her to-do list. For years she went through the motions of a Christian life: Go to church. Pray. Be nice. Longing for a deeper connection between what she knew in her head and her everyday reality, she wanted to personally experience God’s presence. Drawing from her own remarkable story of step-by-step faith, Lysa invites you to uncover the spiritually exciting life we all yearn for. With her trademark wit and spiritual wisdom, Lysa will help you : * Learn how to make a Bible passage come alive in your own devotion time. * Replace doubt, regret, and envy with truth, confidence, and praise. * Stop the unhealthy cycles of striving and truly learn to love who you are and what you’ve been given. * Discover how to have inner peace and security in any situation * Sense God responding to your prayers The adventure God has in store for your life just might blow you away.
Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl Participant's Guide: Living the Faith after Bible Class Is Over
by Lysa Terkeurst“I really want to know God, personally and intimately.” Those words of speaker, award-winning author, and popular blogger Lysa TerKeurst mirror the feelings of countless women. They're tired of just going through the motions of being a Christian: Go to church. Pray. Be nice. That spiritual to-do list just doesn't cut it. But what does? How can ordinary, busy moms, wives, and workers step out of the drudgery of religious duty to experience a living, moment-by-moment, deeply intimate relationship with God? In this six-session study, Lysa shows women how they can transform their walk with God from lackluster theory to vibrant reality. The Becoming More Than a Bible Study Girl study guides participants on an incredible, tremendously rewarding journey on which they will discover how to: Build personal, two-way conversations with God Study the Bible and experience life-change for themselves Cultivate greater authenticity and depth in their relationships Make disappointments work for them, not against them Find incredible joy as they live out their faith in everyday circumstances Designed for use with the video.
Becoming Mrs. Lewis: The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis
by Patti CallahanA heart-rending historical romance, and a glimpse into the life of a writerPoet, atheist and communist, New Yorker Joy Davidman is an unconventional woman – and an unlikely partner for an English academic and theologian.And when she starts a correspondence with Narnia author C. S. Lewis, she isn't looking for love. Her own marriage crumbling, she seeks refuge in her work, and guidance from a writer she admires.But in Joy's letters Lewis discovers a kindred spirit, and an intellect to equal his own. Bonding over a shared love of literature and ideas, a deep connection is forged between the two.Embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, Joy travels from America to England and back again. Facing heartbreak and poverty, discovering friendship and faith, against all the odds, the couple struggle to secure a love that will endure forever.
Becoming Mrs. Lewis: The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis
by Patti Callahan“Patti Callahan seems to have found the story she was born to tell in this tale of unlikely friendship turned true love between Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis, that tests the bounds of faith and radically alters both of their lives. Their connection comes to life in Callahan’s expert hands, revealing a connection so persuasive and affecting, we wonder if there’s another like it in history. Luminous and penetrating.” —Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris WifeIn a most improbable friendship, she found love. In a world where women were silenced, she found her voice. From New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan comes an exquisite novel of Joy Davidman, the woman C. S. Lewis called “my whole world.” When poet and writer Joy Davidman began writing letters to C. S. Lewis—known as Jack—she was looking for spiritual answers, not love. Love, after all, wasn’t holding together her crumbling marriage. Everything about New Yorker Joy seemed ill-matched for an Oxford don and the beloved writer of Narnia, yet their minds bonded over their letters. Embarking on the adventure of her life, Joy traveled from America to England and back again, facing heartbreak and poverty, discovering friendship and faith, and against all odds, finding a love that even the threat of death couldn’t destroy. In this masterful exploration of one of the greatest love stories of modern times, we meet a brilliant writer, a fiercely independent mother, and a passionate woman who changed the life of this respected author and inspired books that still enchant us and change us. Joy lived at a time when women weren’t meant to have a voice—and yet her love for Jack gave them both voices they didn’t know they had. At once a fascinating historical novel and a glimpse into a writer’s life, Becoming Mrs. Lewis is above all a love story—a love of literature and ideas and a love between a husband and wife that, in the end, was not impossible at all.“Patti Callahan Henry breathes wondrous fresh life into one of the greatest literary love stories of all time . . . The result is a deeply moving story about love and loss that is transformative and magical.” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan’s Tale “I was swept along, filled with hope, and entirely beguiled, not only by the life lived behind the veil of C. S. Lewis’s books but also by the woman who won his heart. A literary treasure from first page to last.” —Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours “Profoundly evocative, revealing an intimate view of a woman whose love and story had never been fully told . . . until now . . . Becoming Mrs. Lewis is a tour de force and the must-read of the season!” —Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of Beach House Reunion “Patti Callahan somehow inhabits Davidman, taking her readers inside the writer’s hungry mind and heart. We keenly feel Davidman’s struggle to become her own person at a time (the 1950s) when women had few options . . . An astonishing work of biographical fiction." —Lynn Cullen, bestselling author of Mrs. Poe “Patti Callahan has written my favorite book of the year . . . It is both a meditation on marriage and a whopping grand adventure. Touching, tender, and triumphant, this is a love story for the ages.” —Ariel Lawhon, author of I Was Anastasia
Becoming Mrs. Right
by Liz Ireland Sherri L. LewisShauntae Randall knows she's not smart or talented at much of anything, but she also knows she's gorgeous and can handle herself around a man. So, she's made a career of it. She thought she had struck gold a few years back when she was lucky enough to get pregnant by Devon Wright. She knew they'd get married, he would take care of her and her baby, and she'd be set for life. What Shauntae didn't know was that it's much harder to keep a man than it is to catch him. Now she's lost custody of the child and the child support check and has to go back to hustling. Shauntae is lucky enough to get herself pregnant by Gary Jackson. She knows she has to figure out how to be a good wife to Gary and a good mother to their child to keep herself in his big, fancy house and his big, fancy car. She has to learn to talk "proper" and say all the right things at the right time. The absolute worst thing is that Shauntae must learn how to be a "church girl." When issues with Gary's ex-wife and kids threaten Shauntae's "get married and stay married" plan, it's actually God that helps her out. Shauntae decides that instead of hustling God, she might want to get to know Him. But can an ex-hustler really shed her old ways and become a true Christian, and a good wife and mother?
Becoming Muslim in Imperial Russia: Conversion, Apostasy, and Literacy
by Agnes Nilufer KefeliIn the nineteenth century, the Russian Empire's Middle Volga region (today's Tatarstan) was the site of a prolonged struggle between Russian Orthodoxy and Islam, each of which sought to solidify its influence among the frontier’s mix of Turkic, Finno-Ugric, and Slavic peoples. The immediate catalyst of the events that Agnes Nilufer Kefeli chronicles in Becoming Muslim in Imperial Russia was the collective turn to Islam by many of the region’s Krashens, the Muslim and animist Tatars who converted to Russian Orthodoxy between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The traditional view holds that the apostates had really been Muslim all along or that their conversions had been forced by the state or undertaken voluntarily as a matter of convenience. In Kefeli’s view, this argument vastly oversimplifies the complexity of a region where many participated in the religious cultures of both Islam and Orthodox Christianity and where a vibrant Krashen community has survived to the present. By analyzing Russian, Eurasian, and Central Asian ethnographic, administrative, literary, and missionary sources, Kefeli shows how traditional education, with Sufi mystical components, helped to Islamize Finno-Ugric and Turkic peoples in the Kama-Volga countryside and set the stage for the development of modernist Islam in Russia. Of particular interest is Kefeli’s emphasis on the role that Tatar women (both Krashen and Muslim) played as holders and transmitters of Sufi knowledge. Today, she notes, intellectuals and mullahs in Tatarstan seek to revive both Sufi and modernist traditions to counteract new expressions of Islam and promote a purely Tatar Islam aware of its specificity in a post-Christian and secular environment.