If God is the greatest mystery of them all, then why not, in pursuit of God, consult the greatest detective of them all? In this imaginative and surprisingly profound book, Stephen Kendrick reveals Sherlock Holmes as spiritual guide. Drawing on the teachings of Christianity, Buddhism, and Judaism--as well as a host of thinkers as varied as Albert Einstein, Gandhi, and Vincent van Gogh--Kendrick explores the stories of Sherlock Holmes and finds remarkably prescient religious insights. He shows us the link between careful observation of clues and the Buddhist concept of "Bare Attention." He illuminates the parallel between the great sleuth's pursuit of justice and God's actions on the scene of the first murder, when Cain slew Abel. And in the detective's open, engaged mind, Kendrick finds a model for uniting the principles of science with a sincere spiritual quest. The result is a book of inspiration for the modern, skeptical searcher--and an entertaining work that sheds new light on the methods of the world's greatest detective.

Hitchens provides rich evidence that his own sallies as a political journalist are nourished by a close engagement with a broad sweep of novelists.

When he created the character Dave Robicheaux, author James Lee Burke lent the New Orleans homicide detective a few of his own characteristics: a daughter named Alafair, a lifetime struggle with alcohol, his Roman Catholic faith, and his love for fishing and the outdoors. On the other hand, Robicheaux is portrayed as a veteran of the Vietnam war, something Burke never experienced firsthand. Yet the demons Burke has known allow him to write convincingly about demons he never knew. Thus Burke has created a realistic, complex and compelling protagonist for his crime fiction series. That depth is one element that elevates Burke's writing above the status of genre fiction. This book explores how James Lee Burke, through the first person narrative of detective Dave Robicheaux, probes the world of law and order, crime and disorder, and one man's internal conflicts with modern moral issues. The first chapter reveals the similarities and differences between real life creator and fictional protagonist. Next, chapters arranged by theme explore the roles of women, Robicheaux's paternal side as revealed through his adopted daughter, the paternal influences in the detective's own life, and the contrasting personality of his half-brother, Jimmie. The next chapters probe the roots of the detective's moral dilemmas: his battle with alcohol, the Vietnam war's lingering trauma, and religion. Next the author explores Burke's use of the supernatural, sense of place, and music to deepen his stories. Final chapters delve into Robicheaux's moral quandaries as a law enforcement officer, the character's contrast to his reckless and funny partner, Clete, and how Burke reveals truths about life through Robicheaux. An interview with Burke is included.

Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection, foretold by 12 Biblical Prophets & Kings, was written for youth groups, Jesus lovers, church leaders, Bible study groups, and families eager for a deeper understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ. The author filled this book with conceptual illustrations that help further illuminate the readers' experience. She also included chapter-by-chapter study guides for your convenience. Ten Biblical prophets (Daniel, Ezekiel, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Moses, Nathan, Samuel, and Zechariah) and two kings (King David and King Solomon) foretold, foreshadowed, and prophesied about the birth, life, and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, His resurrection three days later, followed by His ascension. This book primarily focuses on the final week of Jesus' life, including His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension; details about the Holy Spirit; the vital importance of forgiving even if you can't forget; and the Disciples and other followers who helped spread His teachings worldwide. It ends with a call to action for all to become or continue being a S.O.L.D.I.E.R. for Christ as a Saved Christian Gentile or Messianic Jew who will spread the word that Jesus is at the root of all people's Salvation. As Jesus aptly said in John 14:6 (K.J.V.), "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Fifty percent (50%) of all book sales will be donated to Covenant House to "join the fight to end youth homelessness."

We indulge our fascination with detection in many ways, only some of which occur in the detective story. In fact, modern fiction regularly uses elements of a detective narrative to tell another story altogether, to engage characters, narrators, and readers with questions of identity, with examinations of moral and ethical reasoning, with critiques of social and political injustices, and with the metaphysics of meaning itself. Detective plots cross cultural and national boundaries and occur in different ways and different genres. Taken together, they suggest important contemporary understandings of who and what we are, how and what we aspire to become. Detecting Detection gathers writing from the UK, North and South America, Europe, and Asia to draw together instances of the detective plot in contemporary fiction. It is unique not only in addressing the theme-a recurring one in modern literature-but in tracking the interest in detectives and detection across international borders.

Examines both academic and popular assessments of Conan Doyle's work, giving pride of place to the Holmes stories and their adaptations, and also attending to the wide range of his published work. Twenty-first-century readers, television viewers, and moviegoers know Arthur Conan Doyle as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, the world's most recognizable fictional detective. Holmes's enduring popularity has kept Conan Doyle in the public eye. However, Holmes has taken on a life of his own, generating a steady stream of critical commentary, while Conan Doyle's other works are slighted or ignored. Yet the Holmes stories make up only a small portion of Conan Doyle's published work, which includes mainstream and historical fiction; history; drama; medical, spiritualist, and political tracts; and even essays on photography. When Doyle published - whatever the subject - his contemporaries took note. Yet, outside of the fiction featuring Sherlock Holmes, until recently relatively little has been done to analyze the reception Conan Doyle's work received during his lifetime and since his death. This book examines both academic and popular assessments of Conan Doyle's work, giving pride of place to the Holmes stories and their many adaptations for print, visual, and online media, but attending to his other contributions to turn-of-the-twentieth-century culture as well. The availability of periodicals and newspapers online makes it possible to develop an assessment of Conan Doyle's (and Sherlock Holmes's) reputation among a wider readership and viewership, thus allowing for development of a broader and more accurate portrait of Doyle's place in literary and cultural history.

We live in a speed-driven, compulsive, obsessive world. Time seems to evaporate. In such a world its refreshing to be able to take a minute out of our busy-ness to meditate on what is essential in life. These brief meditations will offer the reader the experience of Jesus in the ordinary dynamisms of everyday life. Even when Jesus is not explicitly mentioned in a given meditation, he is the Word who pervades all human words. Each meditation is an attempt to reflect Jesus dream for us to become all God wants us to be, to experience the beauty, the mystery, the challenge of Jesus in days that blur into days.