- Table View
- List View
Being Ultimately Perfect
by Kenting Ta Chamgon SitupaA compilation of scholarly and insightful discourses that provides a clear and elegant introduction to the very essence of the Buddhist perspective…In Being Ultimately Perfect, the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa explains that all teachings of the Buddha are directed towards making our lives meaningful and purposeful, apart from taming the mind and realizing the essence of all dharma. He also contends that enlightenment is not düche (the result of causes or conditions) – it is beyond that. This volume will help you gain a deep understanding of varied topics, such as the purpose of life and the practice of dharma in everyday life. The author describes the relationship among contentment, stress and greed, and talks about the nature of the mind, limitlessness and primordial wisdom. The book also presents a series of edifying dialogues with several students and is reader-friendly, comprehensive and remarkably easy to understand.
Being United Methodist Christians: Living a Life of Grace and Hope
by Andy Langford Sally Langford Ann Langford DuncanLearn what it means to be a United Methodist Christian.How may we describe United Methodists? Where do we come from? What do we believe? How do United Methodists act? What are our distinctive characteristics? What is required to be a member of our denomination? How do we grow as disciples of Jesus Christ within this great communion?In this resource, we offer answers to these questions and others in broad strokes as we describe our United Methodist Church. We will introduce you to how United Methodists live and think as followers of Jesus Christ.The United Methodist Church possesses the characteristics of many other Christian traditions but has its own distinctive profile. Our denomination combines knowledge and vital piety, believing that serious theological reflection and spiritual practices are both part of the Christian life. United Methodists link personal and social holiness, expecting high personal integrity and deep concern for social justice. We are both evangelical and sacramental, showing concern for people who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and honoring the transforming power of Baptism and Holy Communion. We welcome people with many different theological perspectives. Finally, United Methodists are both local and connectional, expressing our faith in local congregations, regional associations, and global missions, so that we might do more together than any of us could do separately.This book will help readers:· hear and claim for themselves the story of God’s love, God’s redemption, and God’s ongoing presence and power through Jesus Christ.· explore and claim for themselves the unique beliefs and emphases of United Methodist Christians.· identify ways to live day by day as United Methodist Christians as individuals and in community with other Christians.We invite you to claim for yourself the continuing story of God’s mighty acts of creation, redemption, and power through Jesus Christ within our great denomination. As you begin or continue to see yourself within this living, dynamic part of the universal body of Jesus Christ, we invite you to live, be, and grow as a United Methodist Christian.The book includes reflection questions. Supplementary resources include a downloadable Sermon, Worship, and Study Series outline.
Being United Methodist: What It Means, Why It Matters
by J. Ellsworth KalasIn Being Methodist, popular and well-loved J. Ellsworth Kalas uses his approachable style to address a topic that sometimes seems complicated even to those who have practiced it for years. In this book, Kalas explores questions such as Who are these people called Methodists? Where have they come from, and where are they going? And how is it that so few of them really know what it means to be a Methodist? What makes them tick, and in a spasmodically changing world, what keeps them ticking?
Being Upright
by Reb AndersonBeing Upright takes us beyond the conventional interpretation of ethical precepts to the ultimate meaning that informs them. Reb Anderson first introduces us to the fundamental ideas of Zen Buddhist practice. Who was Shakyamuni Buddha and what was his central teaching? What does it mean to be a bodhisattva and take the bodhisattva vow? Why should we confess and acknowledge our ancient twisted karma? What is the significance of taking refuge in Buddha, dharma, and sangha? The author explores the ten basic precepts, including not killing, not stealing, not lying, not misusing sexuality, and not using intoxicants. A gifted storyteller, Anderson takes us to the heart of situations, where moral judgments are not easy and we do not have all the answers. With wisdom and compassion, he teaches us how to confront the emotional and ethical turmoil of our lives.
Being White: Finding Our Place in a Multiethnic World
by Doug Schaupp Paula HarrisWhat does it mean to be white? When you encounter people from other races or ethnicities, you may become suddenly aware that being white means something. Those from other backgrounds may respond to you differently or suspiciously. You may feel ambivalence about your identity as a white person. Or you may feel frustrated when a friend of another ethnicity shakes his head and says, "You just don't get it because you're white."So, what does it mean to be white?How can you overcome the mistakes of the past?How can you build authentic relationships with people from other races and ethnicities?So what do I do?
Being With Animals: Why We Are Obsessed with the Furry, Scaly, Feathered Creatures Who Populate Our World
by Barbara J. KingWhat do Mickey Mouse, Ganesh, a leopard-skin pillbox hat,A Lion Called Christian, and the Aflac duck have in common? They all represent human beings' deeply ingrained connection to the animal kingdom. InBeing With Animals,anthropologist Barbara King unravels the complexity and enormous significance of this relationship. Animals rule our existence. You can see this in the billions of dollars Americans pour out each year for their pets, in the success of books and films such asMarley and Me,in th...
Being Yourself: How Do I Take Off This Mask?
by Women Of FaithWomen of Faith, renowned for their unique combination of personality and truth, offer fresh new messages in four new topical study guides in the popular Women of Faith Study Guide Series. Each study guide, teeming with insights and quotes from the conference speakers provides twelve weeks of Bible study and a leader's guide for small groups.
Being Zen: Bringing Meditation to Life
by Charlotte Joko Beck Ezra BaydaWe can use whatever life presents, Ezra Bayda teaches, to strengthen our spiritual practice--including the turmoil of daily life. What we need is the willingness to just be with our experiences--whether they are painful or pleasing--opening ourselves to the reality of our lives without trying to fix or change anything. But doing this requires that we confront our most deeply rooted fears and assumptions in order to gradually become free of the constrictions and suffering they create. Then we can awaken to the loving-kindness that is at the heart of our being. While many books aspire to bring meditation into everyday experience, Being Zen gives us practical ways to actually do it, introducing techniques that enable the reader to foster qualities essential to continued spiritual awakening. Topics include how to cultivate:Perseverance: staying with anger, fear, and other distressing emotions. Stillness: abiding with chaotic experiences without becoming overwhelmed. Clarity: seeing through the conditioned beliefs and fears that "run" us. Direct experience: encountering the physical reality of the present moment-even when that moment is exactly where we don't want to be. Like Pema ChÖdrÖn, the best-selling author of When Things Fall Apart, Ezra Bayda writes with clear, heartfelt simplicity, using his own life stories to illustrate the teachings in an immediate and accessible way that will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers.
Being Zen: Bringing Meditation to Life
by Charlotte Joko Beck Ezra BaydaWe can use whatever life presents, Ezra Bayda teaches, to strengthen our spiritual practice--including the turmoil of daily life. What we need is the willingness to just be with our experiences--whether they are painful or pleasing--opening ourselves to the reality of our lives without trying to fix or change anything. But doing this requires that we confront our most deeply rooted fears and assumptions in order to gradually become free of the constrictions and suffering they create. Then we can awaken to the loving-kindness that is at the heart of our being. While many books aspire to bring meditation into everyday experience, Being Zen gives us practical ways to actually do it, introducing techniques that enable the reader to foster qualities essential to continued spiritual awakening. Topics include how to cultivate: * Perseverance: staying with anger, fear, and other distressing emotions. * Stillness: abiding with chaotic experiences without becoming overwhelmed. * Clarity: seeing through the conditioned beliefs and fears that "run" us. * Direct experience: encountering the physical reality of the present moment--even when that moment is exactly where we don't want to be. Like Pema Chödrön, the best-selling author of When Things Fall Apart, Ezra Bayda writes with clear, heartfelt simplicity, using his own life stories to illustrate the teachings in an immediate and accessible way that will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. " Ezra Bayda teaches at Zen Center San Diego. He is also the author of Being Zen, At Home in the Muddy Water, Saying Yes to Life (Even the Hard Parts), and Zen Heart. For more information, visit www.zencentersandiego.org. ""Bayda writes with exceptional clarity and simplicity about the awakened life. He has a gift for describing 'ordinary mind,' or the customary thoughts, feelings, and experiences of everyday life. His style is as plainspoken as Pema Chödrön's. He deserves membership in the ranks of respected meditation teacher-authors."--Publishers Weekly "With clarity and compassion, Bayda applies Zen Buddhist principles to everyday life. He explains how all experiences, both pleasant and unpleasant, help us to discover our 'path' to wisdom and an open heart. Presented here are realistic suggestions to help us survive the journey."--Library Journal "Ezra Bayda wisely translates the Eastern spiritual belief into an extremely useful handbook for practice. Being Zen is humble and direct, which reminds me most of Shunryu Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. It is what its title states--not an explanation of Buddhism or Zen, but an essential guide to its daily practice. Bayda's is a gentle, sharing voice that evenly embraces humor and sincerity, bringing reason and heart-sense to our most irrational behaviors."--Parabola "A skillful wedding of mindfulness and Zen--straightforward, simple, and wise."--Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry
Being a Christian (IVP Booklets)
by John StottWritten by John R. W. Stott, a Christian leader known worldwide for addressing the hearts and minds of contemporary men and women, this updated booklet discusses the privileges of being a child of God and helps Christians grow to maturity in their responsibilities to God, the church and the world.
Being a Deacon Today: Exploring a Distinctive Ministry in the Church and in the World
by Rosalind BrownA theological explanation and practical handbook for those preparing for a diaconate in today's church. All too often the time spent as a deacon is seen simply as the prelude to priestly ordination. Yet the Bible defines three orders of ministry - deacon, priest, and bishop - each with its own distinctive characteristics and responsibilities. In Being A Deacon Today, Brown explores the three places where deacons minister (the church, the world, and at the margins), the three strands of their ministry (in liturgy, in pastoral care, and as catechists), and the three actions of their ministry (praying, loving, and remembering). This book, excellent for classroom use and for transitional and permanent deacons, will restore a fuller understanding of the diaconal ministry and nurture deacons in their work and spiritual life.
Being a Disciple: Counting the Real Cost (40-Minute Bible Studies)
by Kay Arthur Tom HartThis brand new Bible study series from beloved Bible teacher Kay Arthur and the teaching staff of Precept Ministries tackles important issues in brief, easy-to-grasp lessons you can benefit from personally or as part of a small group. Each book in the series includes six 40-minute studies designed to draw you into God's Word through basic inductive Bible study. As Kay explains, "Rather than simply reading or listening to what others say about a subject, you are going to see for yourself what God says about it." Join one of the world's most respected Bible teachers in a study that will revolutionize your thinking--and your life.What is the difference between a true follower of Jesus Christ and others who merely call themselves "Christian"? Kay Arthur and Tom and Jane Hart point the way to clear answers in this instructive study of what Jesus had to say about the subject.Through these eye-opening inductive studies of passages from the Gospels, you can better understand the distinctive marks of a disciple of Christ and how to make sure they are true of your own life.Join Kay Arthur in exploring what it means to count the cost, deny yourself, and follow Christ.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Being a Great Mom, Raising Great Kids
by Sharon E. JaynesBe B.L.E.S.S.E.D.! That is what Sharon Jaynes teaches as she focuses on being a Proverbs 31 mother. Today's over-committed, harried housewives and mothers sorely need practical suggestions and loving encouragement. Don't go it alone. You need a friend who has been there. Sharon Jaynes is the friend you've been looking for. Her heart is warm and her wisdom is straightforward.
Being a Great Mom, Raising Great Kids
by Sharon E. JaynesBe B.L.E.S.S.E.D.! That is what Sharon Jaynes teaches as she focuses on being a Proverbs 31 mother. Today's over-committed, harried housewives and mothers sorely need practical suggestions and loving encouragement. Don't go it alone. You need a friend who has been there. Sharon Jaynes is the friend you've been looking for. Her heart is warm and her wisdom is straightforward.
Being a Jesuit in Renaissance Italy: Biographical Writing in the Early Global Age (I Tatti studies in Italian Renaissance history)
by Camilla RussellA new history illuminates the Society of Jesus in its first century from the perspective of those who knew it best: the early Jesuits themselves. The Society of Jesus was established in 1540. In the century that followed, thousands sought to become Jesuits and pursue vocations in religious service, teaching, and missions. Drawing on scores of unpublished biographical documents housed at the Roman Jesuit Archive, Camilla Russell illuminates the lives of those who joined the Society, building together a religious and cultural presence that remains influential the world over. Tracing Jesuit life from the Italian provinces to distant missions, Russell sheds new light on the impact and inner workings of the Society. The documentary record reveals a textual network among individual members, inspired by Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises. The early Jesuits took stock of both quotidian and spiritual experiences in their own records, which reflect a community where the worldly and divine overlapped. Echoing the Society’s foundational writings, members believed that each Jesuit’s personal strengths and inclinations offered a unique contribution to the whole—an attitude that helps explain the Society’s widespread appeal from its first days. Focusing on the Jesuits’ own words, Being a Jesuit in Renaissance Italy offers a new lens on the history of spirituality, identity, and global exchange in the Renaissance. What emerges is a kind of genetic code—a thread connecting the key Jesuit works to the first generations of Jesuits and the Society of Jesus as it exists today.
Being a Muslim in the World
by Hamid DabashiWhat does it mean to be a Muslim - in this world, in this deeply transformative time? Hamid Dabashi suggests that the transition to a changed, post-Western world requires the crafting of a new language of critical conversation with Islam and its cosmopolitan heritage - a language that is tuned to the emerging, not the disappearing, world
Being a Pagan: Druids, Wiccans, and Witches Today
by Ellen Evert Hopman Lawrence BondMore than 60 pagan leaders and teachers describe in their own words what they believe and what they practice. • Addresses how Pagans view parenting, organized religion, and politics. • Introduces the wide range of possibilities within the neo-Pagan movement. • By Ellen Evert Hopman, author of A Druid's Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year; Walking the World in Wonder: A Children's Herbal; and Tree Medicine, Tree Magic. Who are the pagans and what do they stand for? Why would some of the members of the best educated, most materially comfortable generation of Americans look back to mystical traditions many millennia old? During the last few decades, millions of people have embraced ancient philosophies that honor Earth and the spiritual power of each individual. Ways of worship from sources as diverse as the pre-Christian Celts, ancient Egypt, and Native American traditions are currently helping their followers find meaning in life while living in the Information Age. In this book Pagan leaders and teachers describe in their own words what they believe and what they practice. From Margot Adler, an NPR reporter and author of Drawing Down the Moon, to Isaac Bonewits, ArchDruid and founder of a modern neo-Druidic organization, those interviewed in this book express the rich diversity of modern Paganism. Hopman's insightful questions draw on her own experiences as a Pagan and Druid as well as on her extensive research. With coauthor Lawrence Bond, she examines how Pagans address such issues as parenting, organized religion, and politics. The resulting dialogues illuminate the modern Pagan revival.
Being and Ambiguity: Philosophical Experiments with Tiantai Buddhism
by Brook ZiporynBeing and Ambiguity is a brilliant work of philosophy, filled with insights, jokes, and topical examples. <P><P>Professor Ziporyn draws on the works of such Western thinkers as Wittgenstein, Nietzsche, Freud, Sartre, and Hegel, but develops his main argument from Tiantai school of Chinese Buddhism. This important work introduces Tiantai Buddhism to the reader and demonstrates its relevance to profound philosophical issues.Ziporyn argues that we can make both of the claims below simultaneously:This book is about everything. It contains the answers to all philosophical problems which ever shall exist. This book is all claptrap. It is completely devoid of objective validity of any kind.These claims are not contradictory. Rather, they state the same thing in two different ways. To be objective truth is to be subjective claptrap, and vise versa. All interchanges of any kind - conversations, daydreams, sensations - are not only about something but also about everything.Thus, this book concerns itself with no less than the nature of what is and what it means for something to be what it is. It provides a new approach to the basic Western philosophical and psychological issues of identity, determinacy, being, desire, boredom, addiction, love and truth.ems identified, investigated, and resolved-resolved at least in a manner that measures up to the title: Being and Amibguity. But whether it's being or non-being that bothers you, this book has your number, your 'social security' number to be exact, since one of the subtle charms (terrors?) of this book is its commitment to drive philosophy through the carwash of mundane reality, soaking the big German/Buddhist topics in the hot-again-cold-again Real of being-for-the-Other, and the numberless other harrowing tasks that normal life requires. A must read for anyone interested in metaphysical sodomy."-Alan Cole, Author of Text as Father: Paternal Seductions in Early Mahayana Buddhist Literature"Ziporyn carries out an audacious though experiment whose starting point lies in the classical Tiantai idea that being is fundamentally ambiguous. If this idea is valid, he argues, then no philosophical statement can be profound without being vapid. Fully embracing this implication, Ziporyn leads the reader on a fascinating adventure in which Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Freud, Heidegger, and many others are seen through the lens of Neo-Tiantai ethics."-Andrew Cutrofello, Author of The Owl at Dawn: A Sequel to Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit
Being and God: A Systematic Approach in Confrontation with Martin Heidegger, Emmanuel Levinas, and Jean-Luc Marion
by Alan White Lorenz B. PuntelBeing and God argues that defensible philosophical theorization concerning the topic "God" is both possible and necessary within the framework of an adequate systematic philosophy--which must include a theory of Being--but is not possible in the absence of such a framework. The book provides critiques of philosophical approaches to this topic that have not relied on such frameworks; targets include the most important and influential treatments presented by historical, contemporary analytic, and contemporary continental philosophers. The book also further develops the systematic framework presented in Puntel's Structure and Being (2008), extending a line of argumentation to show that the absolutely necessary dimension of Being is, when more fully explicated, appropriately named "God."
Being as Communion: A Metaphysics of Information (Routledge Science and Religion Series)
by William A. DembskiFor a thing to be real, it must be able to communicate with other things. If this is so, then the problem of being receives a straightforward resolution: to be is to be in communion. So the fundamental science, indeed the science that needs to underwrite all other sciences, is a theory of communication. Within such a theory of communication the proper object of study becomes not isolated particles but the information that passes between entities. In Being as Communion philosopher and mathematician William Dembski provides a non-technical overview of his work on information. Dembski attempts to make good on the promise of John Wheeler, Paul Davies, and others that information is poised to replace matter as the primary stuff of reality. With profound implications for theology and metaphysics, Being as Communion develops a relational ontology that is at once congenial to science and open to teleology in nature. All those interested in the intersections of theology, philosophy and science should read this book.
Being in Love: How to Love with Awareness and Relate Without Fear (Osho Classics Ser.)
by OshoWhat Is Love? In this thoughtful, provocative work, Osho—one of the most revolutionary thinkers of our time—challenges us to question what we think we know about love and opens us to the possibility of a love that is natural, fulfilling, and free of possessiveness and jealousy. With his characteristic wit, humor, and understanding, Osho dares us to resist the unhealthy relationship patterns we’ve learned from those around us, and to rediscover the meaning of love for ourselves. “By the time you are r...
Being the Best Me: A Christian Girl’s Guide to Building Confidence (Faithgirlz)
by Kristi Holl Nancy N. Rue Lois Walfrid Johnson Suzanne Hadley GosselinHave you ever had thoughts like these …I’m so stupid.I’ll never get an A in math.I’m sure the whole world is staring at the zits on my chin.Why can’t I be as pretty as the popular girls?We’ve all been there. Some days it seems like every other girl is smarter, prettier, stronger, or more talented. But did you know that God designed you exactly the way he wants you to be? From the top of your head to the ends of your toes, God made you special, with all the right skills, talents, dreams, and passions.This eBook collection is all about what makes you beautiful, one-of-a-kind, and outrageously loved by God. Including several full-length eBooks by your favorite Faithgirlz authors and excerpts from many more, the relevant devotions, helpful advice, and fun tips in this collection will have you better loving yourself and the creative God who made you.Selections included are from The Skin You're In, The Beauty Book, and The Uniquely Me Book, as well as tons of devotional thoughts from many other Faithgirlz favorites.
Being the Body of Christ: Towards a Twenty-First Century Homosexual Theology for the Anglican Church (Gender, Theology and Spirituality)
by Chris MounseyThe book explores the preoccupation of key twentieth-century English writers with theology and sexuality and how the Anglican Church has responded and continues to respond to the issue of homosexuality. Analysing the work of Oscar Wilde, E. F. Benson, Edward Carpenter, Jeanette Winterson, and Alan Hollingshurst, the book explores the literary tradition of exasperation at the church's obduracy against homosexuality.
Being the Body: A New Call for the Church to be Light in the Darkness
by Charles Colson Ellen VaughnCharles Colson has been called, "one of the most important social reformers in a generation." Ten years ago in The Body, Colson turned his prophetic attention to the church and how it might break out of its cultural captivity and reassert its biblical identity. Today the book's classic truths have not changed. But the world we live in has. Christians in America have had their complacency shattered and their beliefs challenged. Around the world, the clash of world views has never been more strident. Before all of us, daily, are the realities of life and death, terror and hope, light and darkness, brokenness and healing. We cannot withdraw to the comfort of our sanctuaries...we must engage. For, if ever there was a time for Christians to be the Body of Christ in the world, it is now. In this new, revised and expanded edition of The Body, Charles Colson revisits the question, "What is the church and what is its relevance to contemporary culture at large?" Provocative and insightful, Being the Body inspires us to rise above a stunted "Jesus and me" faith to a nobler view of something bigger and grander than ourselves--the glorious, holy vision for which God created the church.Hardcover ISBN 0849917522
Being the Chosen: Exploring a Christian Fundamentalist Worldview
by Julie Scott JonesBeing the Chosen explores Christian fundamentalism in the USA, focusing particularly on the belief system of Protestant fundamentalists. It establishes the key characteristics of the Protestant worldview, investigating the degrees to which these are adhered to amongst different groups and how such belief systems are constructed and reinforced through everyday life. By presenting rich empirical material, Being the Chosen sheds light on the manner in which the Protestant fundamentalist worldview shapes and constructs the beliefs and actions of its adherents, providing them with agency and reinforcement in the face of oppositional forces. As such, it will interest not only sociologists, but also scholars of religion and the culture and society of the USA.