For Elena del R�o, extreme cinema is not only qualitatively different from the representations of violence we encounter in popular, mainstream cinema; it also constitutes a critique of the socio-moral system that produces (in every sense of the word) such violence. Drawing inspiration from Deleuze's ethics of immanence, Spinoza's ethology of passions and Nietzsche's typology of forces, The Grace of Destruction examines the affective extremities common in much of global, contemporary cinema from the affirmative perspective of vital forces and situations-extremities such as moral/religious oppression, biopolitical violence, the pain involved in gender relations, the event of death and planetary extinction. Her analysis diverges from the current literature on extreme cinema through its selection of films, which include key international examples, and through its foregrounding of relational, affective politics over representations of sexuality and graphic violence. Detailed formal and philosophical analyses of films like The White Ribbon, Dogville, Code Unknown, Battle in Heaven, Sonatine, Fireworks, Dolls, Takeshis', Inland Empire and Melancholia are meant to move us away from the moral appraisal of violence and destruction, and to compose an ethological philosophy of cinema based on Deleuze's idea that, ?when truth and judgment crumble, there remain bodies, which are... nothing but forces.?

Examines the many reasons and motivations for the destruction of books throughout history, citing specific acts from the smashing of ancient Sumerian tablets to the looting of libraries in post-war Iraq.

For this reason, He sent his word; and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Psalm107: 20 A person can never determine if something or someone is destructive unless there is something to compare it to. Destruction means to injure, harm, or wound. I did not understand how rapidly I was destroying my life and became a threat to my very own soul. Virtually living on the edge as if there was nothing in my future to look forward to. Without the proper guidance and affirmative action, I had become reckless and slowly but surely degrading the core of positive values that existed in my upbringing. Not noticing that the trials of life can at times change a rational person to one that is capable of destroying everything and everyone in their reach. Destructive behaviors can be derived from negative experiences and oftentimes prey on the fears of life causing a sense of insecurity. This insecurity caused me to seek attention in all the wrong places and in all the wrong people. When we lack guidance and self-control our flesh has the potential to creatively destroy that, which is dear to us such as our family, friends and relationships and most importantly, jeopardizing our spiritual walk.

Lament is how you live between the poles of a hard life and trusting God’s goodness. Lament is how we bring our sorrow to God—but it is a neglected dimension of the Christian life for many Christians today. We need to recover the practice of honest spiritual struggle that gives us permission to vocalize our pain and wrestle with our sorrow. Lament avoids trite answers and quick solutions, progressively moving us toward deeper worship and trust. Exploring how the Bible—through the psalms of lament and the book of Lamentations—gives voice to our pain, this book invites us to grieve, struggle, and tap into the rich reservoir of grace and mercy God offers in the darkest moments of our lives.

The book explores the danger posed by Christian fundamentalism - a doctrine that is sweeping America. Leaders of the doctrine proclaim that God wants - even demands - that Planet Earth be destroyed in our generation. Adherents to this doctrine are said to constitute the fastest growing movement in Christianity today. Fundamentalist Evangelicals believe there will be catastrophic events on earth, some occurring already, including the turmoil in the Middle East, culminating in the Battle of Armageddon in which Christ will triumph and begin ruling the earth. At this point, they believe, non-believers will be destroyed, good Christians saved and any remaining Jews converted to Christianity. By praying for their Rapture and the End of Time, might they Force the Hand of God -- to bring it about? The book also includes CBS 60 Minutes program, Zion's Christian Soldiers and an interview with Jerry Falwell. Grace Halsell (1923-2000) served President Lyndon Johnson as his speech writer for three years. She covered both Korea and Vietnam as a journalist and wrote for newspapers in the U.S., South America, Europe, Russia, China, Japan and the Middle East. She wrote fourteen books among them the well-received Soul Sister, Prophecy and Politics: Militant Evangelists on the Road to Nuclear War, Journey to Jerusalem and The Illegals. A great expose' of the strange marriage of convenience between the U.S. Christian Right and Israel. Neither likes the other- but they use one another. Dr. Alfred LilientA great expose' of the strange marriage of convenience

The Instant New York Times Bestseller! Kim Liggett's The Grace Year is a speculative thriller in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power. Survive the year. No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden. In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive. Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other. With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between. “A visceral, darkly haunting fever dream of a novel and an absolute page-turner.” – Libba Bray, New York Times bestselling author

Teens are shown the three pillars of peril for teens entering college--sex, drugs, and rebellion--and then offered a plan for avoiding those pitfalls.

The statistic is staggering: Fifty percent of Christian college students lose their faith--or at least have made it a low priority--by the time they graduate.With a fresh voice and a conversational style, author David Wheaton explores the three pillars of peril--sex, drugs, and rebellion--most often encountered by college students. He then offers students advice on developing a game plan to avoid the spiritual pitfalls. While the temptations and influences may still be there, students following these practical tips will find that a university of instruction does not have to become a university of destruction.

Concentrating on the post-Vatican II revisions of its teachings, this book tells the story of the destruction of the Roman Catholic tradition, a defining event of the twentieth century.