Life is not a cakewalk for any of us. We each have our individual sufferings and challenges in life, and we each must endure vital questions that have no certain answers. Why are we here? Where is God when we need him? How do our lives matter in the long run? Our science cannot help us with such questions, but theology can. And that’s what this book has to offer. This book’s theology is based on an arresting theory about God. Turning to modern physics, it finds God in the origin of the universe and in the innermost foundations of the natural world. The universe flowed from his nature, but his nature was not perfect, which is why we have an imperfect world where bad things happen to good people. And yet we also find this God deep within us, enabling us to confront our suffering with resilience and grace. The evil in the world has power, but we have power too, the power from our inner God to hold steady against the slings and arrows of our misfortunes. The theology presented here builds on the discoveries of particle physics and quantum mechanics about the foundational building blocks and forces in all of creation. These reveal the abounding spirit and purposes of the Creator—a spirit that empowers us and instills in us purposes we can embrace and foster. It may seem we are essentially on our own as we navigate through life, but in this book’s theology, God is always and everywhere with us and in us.

These papers on the medieval manuscripts of the Cairo Genizah are in honour of Stefan Reif, Professor of Medieval Hebrew at Cambridge University, on the occasion of his retirement after thirty-three years as director of the Genizah Research Unit.

Are you looking for inner peace? Do you seek a deeper understanding of yourself and the spiritual world? Have you followed the popular prescriptions for enlightenment and still found yourself unsatisfied? Return to The Sacred is a fascinating guide that will help you understand the importance of spiritual practice and the great diversity of paths that are available to you. This is a book that does more than provide philosophy and inspiration; it gives you the freedom to find a path that works for you and the knowledge to experience the answers for yourself. You’ll learn about the time-tested tools of spiritual growth that will help you discover extraordinary depths of wisdom, power, and peace. Return to The Sacred will introduce you to the 12 Master Paths and Practices that have transformed the lives of countless saints, mystics, masters, and sages since the beginning of history. In this book, you’ll find what you need to discover your spiritual personality and choose the path that will lead you toward the realization of boundless joy and a lifelong journey of meaning. Jonathan Ellerby, Ph.D., weaves threads of personal growth and comparative religion into captivating true tales of spiritual adventures with teachers and healers around the world. Through colorful stories and clear reflections, he presents a perspective that reveals the rewards of spiritual practice, and a realistic understanding of the deep commitments and challenging steps along the way. Return to The Sacred is an inspiring journey around the globe and into the furthest reaches of Spirit.

Drawing from a variety of religious teachings, anthropological evidence and myths and legends from around the world, this book examines how the essential element water plays a vital role in all aspects of our spiritual lives.

The art of the three Abrahamic religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—has a tangled, interwoven history. Symbols cross back and forth among the three faiths, adapted to reflect that faith's specific spiritual needs. And much of this symbolic language predates any of the Abrahamic faiths entirely.In Our Sacred Signs, Ori Soltes traces the interconnectedness of religious symbols such as the Star of David, which isn't, it turns out, exclusive to Judaism at all. He shows that the various ways that Jesus is portrayed on the cross recall an artistic tradition that is in no way unique to Christianity. And he shows that religious architectural conventions as simple as the dome represent early “pagan” traditions.The narrative—essentially a series of overlapping stories—moves through the halls of museums and off to the holy sites of the three religions, tracing the millennia-long artistic trail that has endured even as the West moved toward secularization in the last three hundred years.Soltes shows us how art has long been used as an instrument to take us where words cannot follow. Our Sacred Signs is a breathtaking and revelatory journey through human history, its gods, and its art.

This volume is rooted in two convictions: first, sexuality is far more comprehensive and more fundamental to our existence than simply genital sex, and, second, sexuality is intended by God to be neither incidental nor detrimintal to our spirituality but a fully integrated and basic dimension of that spirituality. The authors address what our sexual experience reveals about God, the ways we understand the gospel, and the ways we read scripture and tradition and attempt to live faithfully.

The twentieth anniversary edition of a transformative blueprint for ancestral healing—featuring new material and gateways, from the renowned herbalist, natural health expert, and healer of women’s bodies and souls “This book was one of the first that helped me start practices as a young woman that focused on my body and spirit as one.”—Jada Pinkett Smith Through extraordinary meditations, affirmations, holistic healing plant-based medicine, KMT temple teachings, and The Rites of Passage guidance, Queen Afua teaches us how to love and rejoice in our bodies by spiritualizing the words we speak, the foods we eat, the relationships we attract, the spaces we live and work in, and the transcendent woman spirit we manifest. With love, wisdom, and passion, Queen Afua guides us to accept our mission and our mantle as Sacred Women—to heal ourselves, the generations of women in our families, our communities, and our world.

Winner of a third-place award for spirituality books from the Catholic Media Association. Do you yearn for the peace, protection, and joy of a Christ-centered home? The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the answer. Bestselling and award-winning author Emily Jaminet takes up each of the twelve promises Christ made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in a series of visions, puts a fresh new spin on the classic Catholic devotion, and invites you and your family to experience the profound spiritual benefits you will receive when you keep the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the center of your home. Appearing to her in a series of visions in 1673, Jesus promised St. Margaret Mary Alacoque that those who “expose and honor his most Sacred Heart” will find peace in the home, consolation in sorrow, and a source of refuge in times of trouble. In Secrets of the Sacred Heart, Emily Jaminet—executive director of the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network—weaves personal testimony, teachings, and reflection questions while exploring and applying each of Christ’s promises. Jaminet will guide you through a special enthronement ceremony to dedicate your home and inspire you to a lifelong devotion to the Sacred Heart. Whether you have already consecrated your home or are newly embarking on the journey of discovering the graces of this ancient practice, you will find a personal encounter with Jesus, who promises: peace in your home, safe refuge in life and death, blessings on your undertakings, an infinite source of mercy, and a restored and enlivened faith for those who surrender themselves wholly to Christ. Videos and additional resources can be found at WelcomeHisHeart.com.

Anatomy of the Sacred: An Introduction to Religion presents a uniquely comprehensive introduction to the nature and variety of religious belief and practice. Organized into three sections, Part One explores such questions as: What is religion? Why study religion? And how does one go about the study of religion? It includes illustrations of specific methods and disciplines drawn from the work of eminent scholars in the field of religion. Part Two examines universal forms of religious experience and expression and includes discussions of the sacred or holy; the nature of religious symbolism, myth, and doctrine; religious ritual; sacred scripture; as well as the social forms and dimensions of religion. Part Three consists of a comparative analysis of six fundamental components that make up a religious world-view. These include: deity or ultimate reality; cosmogony; the nature of the human problem, theodicy or the problem of evil; ethics or moral action; and the ways and goals of salvation or enlightenment. Examples are selected from a wide range of primal and archaic religions as well as from the great historical religious traditions of the present. An epilogue explores the challeng