Dynamics of conversion and religious change more generally are extremely complex, yet it is crucial for contemporary societies to understand them. This volume contributes to this understanding by focussing on the processes and modalities of conversion within, between and across various religious traditions (Hinduism, Islamic Reformism, Christianity, indigenous religions) from a multi-disciplinary perspective, including anthropology, sociology, religious studies, history and theology. While the book deals with Indian case studies, the introduction, preface (by Piers Vitebsky) and afterword (by Aparecida Vilaça) also offer a comparative perspective linking the Indian situation to contexts of conversion in other parts of the world. The introduction not only provides an overview of important research on conversion in India, it also intends to advance the general theoretical reflection on conversion, considers analytical tools for further research and discusses the work of important theorists such as Pierre Bourdieu, Joel Robbins and Marshall Sahlins who are not generally referred to in debates on conversion in India.

The word "cancer" is frightening. What happens when a doctor tells you that you have cancer? How do you deal with that? What goes on in the immediate aftermath of that diagnosis? What is chemotherapy like? How will you feel? These are only a few of the questions that proliferate when we face any uncertain turn in the road of life. A Stroll at Leisure with God is a unique perspective of how to walk with the Lord through any crisis or life’s daily challenges. Through it all, whatever comes our way, we can learn what it truly means to have faith, even in times of crisis.

His name is inextricably linked with a single work, A Sand County Almanac, a classic of natural history literature and the conservationist's bible. This book brings together the best of Leopold's essays.

Building on years of research and teaching, experienced author and theologian David Wells offers a remedy for evangelicalism’s superficial theology and weightless conception of God: a journey to discover the paradoxical nature of his holiness and love. We all struggle, at times, to hold that paradox together, commonly resulting in problems such as liberalism or legalism. Yet understanding how God’s holiness is inextricably bound to his love is what enables us to live between the two extremes and defines our life of service in this world. In the vein of classics such as Packer’s Knowing God, Wells’s biblical theology is written at an accessible level so that all readers can cultivate a balanced vision of the God who belongs in the center of it all.

GOD IS ON THE ROAD Would you like to grow in awareness of God’s presence in your life? Paul Dixon shows how experiences of driving lead to reflections on living, alerting us to the inner pilgrimage—a journey we are all called to make. Whether you are a believer or an unbeliever, God is on the highway of life and He wants to journey with you. This book’s metaphoric use of driving and the road scene will help you to listen and respond to God who is deeply in love with you. God is on the Road is written for the general reader. It is a Christian spiritual book, yet relevant for all seeking love. The book functions like a pair of divine driving glasses, helping you glimpse God’s presence in your life. Each chapter is packed with short reflections to be dipped into a little at a time, challenging you to reflect on your life—your love story—with and to God. “God is on the Road is designed to help the reader to slow down and spend time with God. There are many aphorisms that stop the reader in his (her) tracks. This book would make an excellent addition to the seminarian reading list. Its many comparisons would provide some telling anecdotes for Sunday homilists. This is an original, thoughtful and helpful book.” Canon David Annear (Ret.), Diocese of Plymouth, United Kingdom.

A journey through the mind of one who wanders thought as easily as you may wander city streets. Finding new ideas and concepts that are as crisp and exciting as when you find a small specialty shop that offers interesting wares. Browse the isles and challenge yourself to grow.

Major Characters in American Fiction is the perfect companion for everyone who loves literature--students, book-group members, and serious readers at every level. Developed at Columbia University's Center for American Culture Studies, Major Characters in American Fiction offers in-depth essays on the "lives" of more than 1,500 characters, figures as varied in ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, age, and experience as we are. Inhabiting fictional works written from 1790 to 1991, the characters are presented in biographical essays that tell each one's life story. They are drawn from novels and short stories that represent ever era, genre, and style of American fiction writing--Natty Bumppo of The Leatherstocking Tales, Celie of The Color Purple, and everyone in between.