In the first volume of a proposed duology, Valen, the rebellious scion of a dynasty of pureblood cartographers and diviners, has spent years denying his heritage, until he nearly ends up dead, addicted to a spell that converts pain to pleasure and possessing only a stolen book of maps, a mystical volume that could hide the secret to the doom of the entire world. Original.

Winner of the: Gay Book of the Year Award, American Library Association; Ruth Benedict Award, Society of Lesbian and Gay Anthropologists; Award for Outstanding Scholarship, World Congress for Sexology Author’s note: Shortly after the second revised edition this book was published in 1992, the term "Two-Spirit Person" became more popular among native people than the older anthropological term "berdache." When I learned of this new term, I began strongly supporting the use of this newer term. I believe that people should be able to call themselves whatever they wish, and scholars should respect and acknowledge their change of terminology. I went on record early on in convincing other anthropologists to shift away from use of the word berdache and in favor of using Two-Spirit. Nevertheless, because this book continues to be sold with the use of berdache, many people have assumed that I am resisting the newer term. Nothing could be further from the truth. Unless continued sales of this book will justify the publication of a third revised edition in the future, it is not possible to rewrite what is already printed, Therefore, I urge readers of this book, as well as activists who are working to gain more respect for gender variance, mentally to substitute the term "Two-Spirit" in the place of "berdache" when reading this text. -- Walter L. Williams, Los Angeles, 2006

Have you ever asked yourself what changed when you were "born again?" You look in the mirror and see the same reflection - your body hasn't changed. You find yourself acting the same and yielding to those same old temptations - that didn't seem to change either. So you wonder, Has anything really changed? The correct...

In an attempt to understand the growing popularity and influence of Christian fundamentalism, sociologist and documentary filmmaker James Ault spent three years inside the world of a Massachusetts fundamentalist church.Spirit and Flesh takes us into worship services, home Bible studies, youth events, men’s prayer breakfasts, and bitter conflicts leading to a church split. We come to know the members of the congregation and see how the church acts as an extended family that provides support and security along with occasional tensions. Intimate and rigorously fair-minded, Spirit and Flesh will help non-religious readers better understand their fellow citizens, and will allow devout readers to see themselves through the eyes of a sympathetic outsider.

Man is continually involved in a twofold combat situation: of having to wrestle with himself, and with the problems which surround him in society. In this book William Barclay expounds the thinking of Paul on these problems as it is set out in Galatians 5, and shows that through Christ the perfect and adequate release is found.

Visionary theologian and award-winning author Matthew Fox challenges traditional perceptions of good and evil by offering a new theology that lays the groundwork for a more enlightened treatment of ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In this revised edition with a luminous foreword by Deepak Chopra and a new preface that brings the book up to date with the cataclysmic events of the new millennium, Fox illustrates how, contrary to mainstream church doctrine, flesh is the grounding of spirit. Fox argues that our culture has concentrated far too much on transgressions of the flesh while failing to take into account its sacredness. Artfully weaving together the wisdom of East and West, he considers Thomas Aquinas's definition of sin as "misdirected love" and applies parallels between the Eastern teachings of the seven chakras and the Western teachings of the seven capital sins. Fox explains how the chakras teach us to direct the love-energies we all possess and proposes seven positive precepts for living a full and spirited life. He invites us to change the way we think about sin and asserts that we can combat and transform evil through love, generosity, letting go, and creativity. Crafting a blueprint for social change, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh points the way toward a deeper and more compassionate way to live while eloquently revealing the means to confront evil both within and without. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Offers a fascinating look at Pentecostalism's place in global theology and shows how Christians from other traditions can benefit from recent developments in Pentecostal theology.

Are you living a rich and satisfying life? I sure wasn't. I was alive in the body but not really living as the Lord desired for me. I knew there was so much more, I just didn't know how to get there. There are so many of us who aren't living this satisfying life that the Lord desires for us. It may look to the outside world that we have it all together and have everything we want and need but deep down we are miserable and unsatisfied. Is that you? Do you really want to know why you aren't living that satisfying (abundant) life that Jesus desires for you in John 10:10? Like me, you aren't doing...Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice." Luke 11:18 (NLT) You aren't living because you continue to disobey the Lord. I have been called to teach the "not-so-good news" in the Good News so that when you hear the Good News it is really Good News! We do this by self-examination. That means looking at our thoughts, words, and actions and seeing how we are measuring up with the Lords standards. This first book in this series is the most important. In order to be blessed, to have joy in your tribulations, to be at peace with God and others, to live that abundant life on earth, and to be used by God, you must put off a preoccupation of self and start living the basics of Christianity. You must put off your anger, your unforgiveness, your unloving ways, your unsubmissiveness, your fear, worry, depression and your life dominating sins. This is achieved when you understand His focus for our living. "Deny self, carry your cross, and follow Him." Luke 9:23-24.

Beginning in the mid-1990s, Louisiana-born photographer Debbie Fleming Caffery lived and worked on the grounds of the Catholic church in a small village in northeastern Mexico using a tortilla shack as her studio. In addition to the religious life of the town, she turned her lens on the nearby cantina that occasionally served as a brothel. The Spirit and the Flesh explores the themes of grace, redemption, sin and forgiveness that Caffery encountered in this community--of which she has said, I felt incredibly comfortable in a culture rich in celebrations of religious feasts, with strong, independent, highly emotional people, much like the people I grew up with in southwest Louisiana. The brothel brought new elements into my work: secrets, sensual needs, desire and, often, unexpected love. Debbie Fleming Caffery has been making photographs of the people and culture of her native Louisiana for more than 30 years; this is her fourth book.

If you've ever seen Fakir Musafar's photographs in Modern Primitives, Body Play magazine or on TV, you must get a copy of this coffee table art book. After 50 years of photographing his own body play and the play of others, here is a huge, 196-page collection of the very best of his work. A must-have for all serious body modifiers, tattoo and piercing enthusiasts.