In popular and academic literature, jihad is predominantly assumed to refer exclusively to armed combat, and martyrdom in the Islamic context is understood to be invariably of the military kind. This perspective, derived mainly from legal texts, has led to discussions of jihad and martyrdom as concepts with fixed, universal meanings divorced from the socio-political circumstances in which they have been deployed through the centuries. Asma Afsaruddin studies in a more holistic manner the range of significations that can be ascribed to the term jihad from the earliest period to the present and historically contextualizes the competing discourses that developed over time. Many assumptions about the military jihad and martyrdom in Islam are thereby challenged and deconstructed. A comprehensive interrogation of varied sources reveals early and multiple competing definitions of a word that in combination with the phrase fi sabil Allah translates literally to "striving in the path of God." Contemporary radical Islamists have appropriated this language to exhort their cadres to armed political opposition, which they legitimize under the rubric of jihad. Afsaruddin shows that the multivalent connotations of jihad and shahid recovered from the formative period lead us to question the assertions of those who maintain that belligerent and militant interpretations preserve the earliest and only authentic understanding of these two key terms. Retrieval of these multiple perspectives has important implications for our world today in which the concepts of jihad and martyrdom are still being fiercely debated.

In popular and academic literature, jihad is predominantly assumed to refer exclusively to armed combat, and martyrdom in the Islamic context is understood to be invariably of the military kind. This perspective, derived mainly from legal texts, has led to discussions of jihad and martyrdom as concepts with fixed, universal meanings divorced from the socio-political circumstances in which they have been deployed through the centuries. Asma Afsaruddin studies in a more holistic manner the range of significations that can be ascribed to the term jihad from the earliest period to the present and historically contextualizes the competing discourses that developed over time. Many assumptions about the military jihad and martyrdom in Islam are thereby challenged and deconstructed. A comprehensive interrogation of varied sources reveals early and multiple competing definitions of a word that in combination with the phrase fi sabil Allah translates literally to "striving in the path of God." Contemporary radical Islamists have appropriated this language to exhort their cadres to armed political opposition, which they legitimize under the rubric of jihad. Afsaruddin shows that the multivalent connotations of jihad and shahid recovered from the formative period lead us to question the assertions of those who maintain that belligerent and militant interpretations preserve the earliest and only authentic understanding of these two key terms. Retrieval of these multiple perspectives has important implications for our world today in which the concepts of jihad and martyrdom are still being fiercely debated.

“A triumph. This novel’s haunting strength will hold the reader until the very end and make Faith and her story impossible to forget.” —Richmond Times Dispatch “Extraordinary.” —Orlando Sentinel From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult (Nineteen Minutes, Change of Heart, Handle with Care) comes Keeping Faith: an “addictively readable” (Entertainment Weekly) novel that “makes you wonder about God. And that is a rare moment, indeed, in modern fiction” (USA Today).

Life Is Never Mainly About Love and Marriage. So Learn to Live and Date for More. Many of you grew up assuming that marriage would meet all of your needs and unlock God's purposes for you. But God has far more planned for you than your future marriage. Not Yet Married is not about waiting quietly in the corner of the world for God to bring you "the one," but about inspiring you to live and date for more now. If you follow Jesus, the search for a spouse is no longer a pursuit of the perfect person, but a pursuit of more of God. He will likely write a love story for you different than the one you would write for yourself, but that's because he loves you and knows how to write a better story. This book was written to help you find real hope, happiness, and purpose in your not-yet-married life.

Everyone thinks you’ve got it together. But inside, you’re asking, “Am I enough?” No matter how good we look to others, the nagging voice of self-doubt is hard to shake. We ask questions like: If people really knew me would they still accept me? Will I be rejected when I can’t perform? Can I pull this off? What if I end up alone? Am I missing out on what life should be because I can’t shake this fear? If you find yourself having thoughts like these, Erica Wiggenhorn wants to lead you to freedom. Drawing from the story of Moses—the greatest self-doubter in the Bible—Erica shows how self-doubt is tied closely to self-reliance. It’s only when you cast yourself on God that you find the true source of strength. Are you enough? The answer is no . . . but your God certainly is. Step out in His power instead of your own and watch your confidence blossom because you’re in the hands of I AM.

Grace Secures What Striving Cannot In this hustling, image-forward age of opportunity, we feel more anxious than ever. Despite all the affirming memes and self-reflections that dominate social media feeds, approval and worth often seem assigned to what we do rather than who we are. And we end up constantly feeling like we’re behind, lacking, and failing—at home, at work, with friends, with God. Ruth Chou Simons knows something about feeling measured by achievement, performance, and the approval of others. As a Taiwanese immigrant growing up between two cultures, Ruth was always on a mission to prove her worth, until she came to truly understand the one thing that changes everything: the extravagant, undeserved gift of grace from a merciful God. In When Strivings Cease, Ruth guides you on a journey to find freedom from the never-ending quest for self-improvement. She shows you how to confront the ways you look to superficial means of acceptance and belonging; find relief in realizing self-help isn’t the answer because you can’t be so amazing that you won’t need grace; stop seeing God as someone to perform for and start finding delight in responding to his welcome; and let go of trying to rely on your own strength, your own abilities, and your own savvy by truly understanding the freedom Jesus purchased for you. With personal stories, biblical insights, practical applications, and touches of original artwork by Ruth, this transformational book helps you see the beautiful truth that God’s favor is the only currency you need—because in Christ you are enough.

For centuries, readers have turned to the Bhagavad Gita for inspiration and guidance as they chart their own spiritual paths. As profound and powerful as this classic text has been for generations of seekers, integrating its lessons into the ordinary patterns of our lives can ultimately seem beyond our reach. Now, in a fascinating series of reflections, anecdotes, stories, and exercises, Ram Dass gives us a unique and accessible road map for experiencing divinity in everyday life. In the engaging, conversational style that has made his teachings so popular for decades, Ram Dass traces our journey of consciousness as it is reflected in one of Hinduism’s most sacred texts. The Gita teaches a system of yogas, or “paths for coming to union with God.” In Paths to God, Ram Dass brings the heart of that system to light for a Western audience and translates the Gita’s principles into the manual for living the yoga of contemporary life. While being a guide to the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, Paths to God is also a template for expanding our definition of ourselves and allowing us to appreciate a new level of meaning in our lives.

"Only when our life is wholly directed towards God do we become capable of seeing God in all and begin to do so by faith—not only in all the significant happenings of life but even in the insignificant ones—and to submit entirely to His holy will." The 19th century saw a renaissance of Russian spirituality in the writings of St Ignatius (Brianchaninov) and St Theophan the Recluse, many of whose works have become well-known throughout the world. This book brings to an English-speaking audience the spiritual counsels of another Russian monastic of the same period. Born into a patrician family in the Don region, Anna Mikhailovna Sebriakova forsake the world at the age of seventeen and joined the Ust'-Medveditskii convent, where she was tonsured a nun with the name Arsenia. She subsequently served as abbess of this same monastery for 41 years. Heavily influenced by the writings of St ignatius, she took up correspondence with his brother P.A. Brianchaninov and became his spiritual mentor. Her letters to Peter Alexandrovich form the bulk of this book. Also offered are a selection of her personal notes and letters to other individuals. Abbess Arsenia's counsels are steeped in Holy Scripture and in the inspiration that she draws from the services of the Orthodox Church. Throughout, she emphasizes the need to humble oneself, discern the will of God, and fulfill it through every moment of our life.

"From every pulpit in the land it needs to be thundered forth that God still lives, that God still observes, that God still reigns. Faith is now in the crucible, it is being tested by fire, and there is no fixed and sufficient resting place for the heart and mind but in the throne of God. What is needed now, as never before, is a full, positive, constructive setting forth of the Godhood of God." —A. W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God Who is actually in control of this world? Man? The devil? God? In this unabridged, best-selling classic, A. W. Pink tackles such profound questions in straight-forward language that the average Christian will find not only understandable but totally engaging. Pink explains that God's sovereignty is characterized in creation and in salvation, and then he describes its relationship to human will. Finally, Pink addresses the proper attitude believers should take toward God's sovereignty. Ultimately, Pink strongly believed that true faith rests "not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." Pink was a student of theologians like St. Augustine, St. Aquinas, Calvin, and Jonathan Edwards, and his writing reflects it. Today, he is considered one of the most influential evangelical authors in the twentieth century.

Let go of the guilt, shake off the shame, and fend off your fears. God made you to stand strong in any situation, and bestselling author Alli Worthington will show you how. We live in a culture that constantly tells you who you should be as a modern woman. You're told that you aren't enough and that you don't have what it takes to chase your dreams. But it doesn't have to be that way. For the woman who longs to break free from what holds her back, Standing Strong offers a no-nonsense, guilt-free guide to take back your life from self-doubt. In Standing Strong, Alli comes alongside you as you: Eliminate, once and for all, the lies that keep you from being who God made you to be Become an unbreakable woman who finds her strength from God for any adversity Gain strategies for tackling the obstacles of self-doubt, fear, and insecurity Find the confidence to say yes and amen to God's call on your life You can't break a woman who draws her strength from God. You're stronger than you think, and you're worth more than you could ever imagine. Let this book help you cement these realities in your life. Praise for Standing Strong: "The path to fulfilling our God-given purpose is filled with numerous twists, turns, and challenges. In Standing Strong, Alli shows us how to press through our fears, doubts, and self-imposed limitations in order to embark on the exhilarating faith-filled adventure we are each destined to live. This book is full of wisdom, grace, and honesty. I loved it and know you will too." --Christine Caine, Founder of A21 and Propel Women "If your life has been plagued by self-doubt, by feelings of never being enough, Alli has given us a road map to saying yes to who God says we are." --Sheila Walsh, Author of Praying Women and Praying Girls