?Tomorrow is the beginning of the Autumn Festival,? stated Snyde coolly, ?and it is also Connor?s eighteenth birthday.?The King nodded. ?It is time for The Test.?Snyde smirked, daring a split-second glance at the King. ?Yes,? said David simply. ?Will I be allowed back to the plains without being bothered by the knights?? Almost unconsciously, Snyde dropped his eyes down onto his battered and scratched black armour. He paused, remembering a battle fought long ago. His tongue flicked nervously over his lips.?You have three days, Snyde.? The King?s voice showed no emotion. ?You will be watched, so be careful not to overstep your boundaries.?On his eighteenth birthday, the young prince, Connor, faces the greatest challenge of his life. All his ingenuity, skill, and courage will be required to defeat the enemy who has been plotting the downfall of the King and Royal family for many years.

"Where am I?...How did I get here?" is more than a trite line from nineteenth century melodramas and novels. It is a query put forth by potential sages throughout the history of conscious mankind. When asked on a cosmic scale, it is bold indeed: What is this universe I keep finding myself in, and how did I get here? That is answered by esoteric Christian cosmology. In Robe of Light Abbot George Burke explores the whys and wherefores of the mystery of creation. From the emanation of the worlds from the very Being of God, to the evolution of the souls to their ultimate destiny as perfected Sons of God, the ideal progression of creation is described. Since the rebellion of Lucifer and the fall of Adam and Eve from Paradise flawed the normal plan of evolution, a restoration was necessary. How this came about is the prime subject of this insightful study. Moreover, what this means to aspirants for spiritual perfection is expounded, with a compelling knowledge of the scriptures and of the mystical traditions of East and West. About Abbot George's writing: "As informed and informative as it is inspired and inspiring." -James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review "Abbot George is like the Emily Dickinson of modern day spiritual writers." -Reverend Gerry Nangle

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.

In the web of cultural processes of late antiquity ablution rites and initiation rites were performed in different forms and in different contexts. Such rites existed in Early Judaism and Greco-Roman cults and were also applied in early Christianity under the label “baptism”, however, not as one fixed rite uniformly performed and interpreted. Baptismal rites developed diversely corresponding to the diversity among Christian groups of which some later came to be perceived as heretical. Remains of art, architecture and texts from these contexts were discussed in two conferences gathering scholars who are excellent within their respective fields: text studies, studies of rites, archaeology, architecture, history of art, and cultural anthropology. These different fields of research have in recent years generated new knowledge that is relevant for the discussion of ablution and initiation rites and their function in late antiquity. At the same time interests of research have altered in favour of a growing cooperation across discipline borders. The present volumes are the outcome of two conferences in Rome 2008 and at Metochi (Lesbos) 2009.

The present volumes is the result of an international collaboration of researchers who are excellent within their respective fields: interpretation of texts, studies of rites, archaeology, architecture, history of art, and cultural anthropology. They met for two conferences to discuss the significance of rites of ablution, initiation, and baptism and their interpretation in Late Antiquity, Early Judaism, and Early Christianity. The volume establishes a new international standard of research within these fields of scholarship.

This hymn or poem is an important Gnostic text and should be essential reading for anyone interested in early mystical literature. Also known as "The Hymn of the Pearl", it is an allegorical tale. Instead of an outer journey, as it first seems, it is interpreted here as a deeper, inner one. It contains a message that can be quite profound, depending on the reader's level of spiritual understanding. This book works on the inner psyche, creating an interactive balance, in some cases, between the upper (hidden) and lower (physical) worlds. That was the aim of many Gnostic stories, poems and parables. With that in mind, this book has much to offer.

Vivid descriptions and interesting events parallel human life throughout time make this book a fascinating story for every Christian. Lucifer, the fallen angel and cause of all evil, is a well-known entity. However, during the course of Bible study and Biblical history research, the author realizes that there was never a lot of time and thought put into Lucifer's life story and the true reason that he fell from grace. Since he was the first of all created creatures and intelligent beings called into existence, surely he began his life in a state of absolute innocence. In the evolution of time, the core of his character underwent change in the same manner as do ours from the moment of our birth. The difference between our growth years, during which many of us fall from grace committing sin and become evil, and his time of growth is a matter of parental and friendship influences that are of a fallen nature. Lucifer was surrounded by beings loyal to the Creator and the Creator was his teacher. Therefore, Lucifer had no excuse for his course of action. He had never seen any examples of disobedience. Hence, his rebellion was an invention that materialized from within his own heart. He is not only the father of lies, but also the inventor of games involving deception and misdirection. Like the peoples of this world who spend a great deal of their time playing all types of games to distort good into evil, so did Lucifer play a game of deceit. Even though the angels were naive and did not know the purpose of Lucifer's games, just by innocently participating they turned away from the Lord, causing them to lose eternal life. Through the course of this reading, you will see both the mercy and love of God extended without limitations to his fallen creation. You will see the progression of character development, one in obedience to the Creator and the other in disobedience that leads to death. It is the author's hope that this work will help you develop a deeper relationship with our Redeemer Christ Jesus the Son of God by making you aware of how easy it is to fall from grace.