- Table View
- List View
The Star on the Grave: A novel inspired by the 'Japanese Schindler', written by a woman who owes him her life
by Linda Margolin RoyalIn 1940, as the Nazis sweep toward Lithuania, Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara defies his government and secretly issues visas to fleeing Jewish refugees. After the war, Sugihara is dismissed and disappears into obscurity.Three decades later, in Australia, Rachel Margol is shocked when her engagement reveals a long-held family secret: she is Jewish. As she grapples with this deception and the dysfunction it has caused, unspoken tragedies from the past begin to come to light. When an opportunity arrives to visit Chiune Sugihara, the man who risked his life to save the Margols during World War II, Rachel becomes determined to meet him. But will a journey to Japan, and the secrets it uncovers, heal the family or fracture them for good?The Star on the Grave is a powerful and moving novel inspired by the true story of Chiune Sugihara, and the thousands of people - including the author - who owe him their lives
Buddhism for Mothers: A calm approach to caring for yourself and your children
by Sarah NapthaliParenthood can be a time of great inner turmoil for a woman, yet parenting books invariably focus on nurturing children rather than the mothers who struggle to raise them. This book is different. It is a book for mothers.Buddhism for Mothers encourages mothers to gain the most joy out of being with their children. How can this be done calmly and with a minimum of anger, worry and negative thinking? How can mothers negotiate the changed conditions of their relationships with partners, family and even with friends?Using Buddhist practices, Sarah Napthali offers coping strategies for the day-to-day challenges of motherhood that also allow space for deeper reflection about who we are and what makes us happy. By acknowledging the sorrows as well as the joys of mothering Buddhism for Mothers can help you shift your perspective so that your mind actually helps you through your day rather than dragging you down. This is Buddhism at its most accessible, applied to the daily realities of ordinary parents.
The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope
by Austen IvereighSince his surprise appointment in March 2013, Pope Francis has emerged as the most talked-about and most revolutionary pope in living memory. He has become a subject of fascination, conversation, and headlines not only to the 1.2 billion Catholics in the world, but to virtually everyone. This biography of Pope Francis describes how this revolutionary thinker became who he is, and how he will use the power of his position to challenge and redirect one of the world's most formidable religions.Drawing on extensive interviews in Argentina and other countries and now featuring an updated epilogue, The Great Reformer traces the roots of his papacy in Francis's childhood in Buenos Aires, in his Jesuit training, and in the dramatic events during the Perón era and the military government in Argentina in the 1970s. It shows how these experiences have shaped his beliefs, and with his commitment to the discernment of God's will, enabled him to challenge and redirect the Church.Pope Francis was elected in the midst of one of the biggest crises in the Church in modern times. This is the story of a true radical who is transforming the Church by restoring what it has lost.
Buddhism for Mothers of Schoolchildren: Finding calm in the chaos of the school years
by Sarah NapthaliWith her children at school, a mother is on to a new stage of her life, playing a new role. The daily challenges she confronts have changed, yet for each one Buddhist teachings of mindfulness, compassion and calm are invaluable. This book explores those teachings through many scenarios, including coping with routine and repetition, answering children's tricky questions about how the world works, fitting in with other parents, managing our fears and expectations for our children and dealing with difficult behaviour in both children and adults.
Buddhism for Parents On the Go: Gems to Minimise Stress
by Sarah NapthaliWithin these warm and often funny pages, Buddhist teachings are at their most accessible. Even if exploring Buddhism is not where you thought you'd be right now, read any page of Buddhism for Parents on the Go and think about its relevance to your life. Make space in your busy days to be kinder to yourself. From advice to the sleep deprived to dealing with the drama of toddler tantrums to thoughts on teenage egocentrism, this invaluable book will teach you how to manage the expectations you have of yourself, your partner and your children. Buddhism for Parents On the Go will help you conquer the day-to-day challenges of life, reduce your stress levels and gain true insight into the ever-changing joys of parenthood.
Buddhism for Couples: A Calm Approach to Being in a Relationship
by Sarah NapthaliEvery now and then - not very often - we meet a woman who has mastered the art of being in a couple, who has managed to keep the flame alive long after the honeymoon period and well into the trials of parenting. Sarah Napthali is not one of these women but is happy for readers to learn from her mistakes. With her trademark emphasis on self-compassion, she explains how she has applied Buddhist teachings to patch things up, hold things together and even, on good days, scale the heights of relationship happiness. Written for both men and women, Buddhism for Couples tackles the loaded subjects of housework, anger, sex, conflict and infidelity, before introducing Buddhist strategies that can enrich a relationship.Applying Buddhist teachings can improve our relationship by guiding us to delve more deeply into our psyches. Through mindfulness and ever-growing self-awareness, the teachings help us to become more familiar with the workings of our minds and bodies, more aware of our thoughts and beliefs, so that we can see our behaviours with more clarity. Alongside Buddhist teachings, Sarah explores the latest psychological research on relationships and discovers numerous overlaps.Humorous and informative, Buddhism for Couples provides a fresh approach to living as a couple, persuading us to leave behind stale, habitual ways of relating that don't seem to work.
The Pilgrim's Progress
by John BunyanConsidered one of the great books in both the history of English Literature and Protestant devotional writing, John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress has remained in print for over 300 years since its initial publication in 1678. The story follows the spiritually tormented Christian on his difficult journey from the sinful City of the Destruction to the the Celestial City and its promise of salvation. Along the way Christian encounters a cast of characters who threaten his progress with temptation, imprisonment, and torture, while also finding support in the fellowship of other pilgrims and his own growing faith. Bunyan's simple Christian allegory was written to inspire the faithful, but has since been recognized by scholars as a great novel in its own right.
Siddhartha: An Indian Tale (Enriched Classics Ser.)
by Herman HesseSet in ancient India, Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha follows the spiritual journey of a young man who leaves his family home and meets the Buddha. An exploration of both Buddhist philosophy and individual morality, Siddhartha charts a quest from ascetic simplicity to worldly luxury and back again. While he draws on the Buddha's teachings, Siddhartha ultimately forges his own path, creating a personal philosophy that has fascinated readers for nearly a century. Siddhartha is considered one the most influential works written by Hesse, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and a classic of 20th century literature.
From Playground to Prostitute: Based on a true story of salvation
by Elanie Kruger Jaco Hough-CoetzeeAfter a desperate and impoverished childhood Engela, as a rebellious teenager, becomes mixed up with Satanism, alcohol and drugs. She eventually flees to Bloemfontein because the leader of the Satanic Group 13 wants to kill her. Her path crosses with Pieter, a friend of her brother’s, who turns her over to the owner of a brothel to clear his debt. There she is kept as a sex slave. Her only wish is to escape, but how? Every night the club’s doors are shuttered. Her final shot at freedom is the young student Jacques who works in the club’s reception area. But then he disappears from the scene following a mysterious accident in the Drakensberg . . . In the second part of the book Elanie shares her experiences from a Christian perspective - her life as a sex slave, how she learned to cope with despair, loneliness, pain and humiliation. She reaches out to victims of sex trafficking, exploring the power of forgiveness and acceptance, and also offers essential practical advice for parents and children. From Playground to Prostitute is a gripping thriller based on Elanie Kruger’s life story. ‘Unfortunately many teenagers these days find themselves in the same circumstances I was trapped in. Parents exist in a cocoon of denial as far as the reality is concerned and think these things always happen elsewhere. When a child disappears they always say to me: “If only I knew.” Do YOU know enough to keep your child out of the clutches of human trafficking?’
In Christus: Van toeskouer tot spoortrapper
by Callie Roos“God is nie een of ander control freak nie … Hy laat die gelowige self keuses maak en self verantwoordelikheid neem.”Wat beteken dit om vandag ’n Christen to wees? Dit is lankal nie meer genoeg om blindelings net Sondag ná Sondag die erediens by te woon nie, sê die geestelike leier and oudsoldaat Callie Roos. Dit is slegs deur ’n lewe in Christus da tons werklik God se krag in ons kan beleef.Volgens Callie beleef die kerk vandag ’n krisis en georganiseerde godsdiens hou gelowiges gevange in dogma en ’n behoefte aan beheer. Christene moet onstnap uit die geestelike tronk wat hulle inperk en hul bestaande begripsraamwerk bevraagteken.’n Lewe in Christus behels dat jy uitgaan in die wêreld en daadwerklik ’n verskil maak. Wanneer gewone Christen-mense Christus word vir ander, kan hierdie nuwe manier van glo ’n massabeweging word wat die ganse mensdom ten diepste sal aangryp.In Christus beloof om te inspireer en gelowiges nuut oor hul Christenskap te laat dink.
Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero
by Henryk SienkiewiczHenryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916) won the 1905 Nobel Prize in Literature. A brilliant Polish writer and patriot, he is possibly best known abroad for his monumental historical epic Quo Vadis that portrays the vibrant and dissonant combination of cruel excesses and decadence of Rome during the reign of the corrupt Emperor Nero and the high faith of the emerging era of early Christianity. Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero, is a love story of Marcus Vinicius, a passionate young Roman tribune, and Lygia Callina, a beautiful and gentle Christian maiden of royal Lygian descent and a hostage of Rome, raised in a patrician home. At first Marcus, a typical aristocratic Roman libertine of his time, has no notion of love and merely desires Lygia with erotic animalistic intensity. Through political machinations of the elegant Petronius he contrives to have her taken by force from her foster home and into the decadent and terrible splendor of the court of Ceasar, setting in motion a course of events that culminate in his own spiritual redemption. Intricately researched, populated with vibrant historical figures, and gorgeous period detail, bloody spectacle and intimate beauty, this is an epic tapestry of the triumph of love, faith and sacrifice.
So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore: An Unexpected Journey
by Wayne Jacobsen Dave ColemanJake Colsen, an overworked and disillusioned pastor, happens into a stranger who bears an uncanny resemblance (in manner) to the apostle John. A number of encounters with John as well as a family crisis lead Jake to a new understanding of what his life should be like: one filled with faith bolstered by a steady, close relationship with the God of the universe. Facing his own disappointment with Christianity, Jake must forsake the habits that have made his faith rote and rediscover the love that captured his heart when he first believed.Compelling and intensely personal, SO YOU DON'T WANT TO GO TO CHURCH ANYMORE relates a man's rebirth from performance-based Christianity to a loving friendship with Christ that affects all he does, thinks, and says. As John tells Jake, "There is nothing the Father desires for you more than that you fall squarely in the lap of his love and never move from that place for the rest of your life."
He Loves Me!: Learning to Live in the Father's Affection
by Wayne JacobsenSo many Christians believe God's love is fickle: when they sin, He turns away in disgust and anger. They vacillate between "He loves me" and "He loves me not" because of their behavior. That reasoning, writes Wayne Jacobsen, is as flawed as pulling petals from a daisy. Rather God's love is sturdy, enduring, and undisturbed by people's failings because God loves humankind not for what they do--but who they are. They are God's beloved creation.Startlingly honest and empathetically written, HE LOVES ME! reveals the facts of God's relentless grace. Readers will learn how to live consciously, confidently in this love all the time. Questions for personal reflection and group discussion help make these truths practical and life-changing. Insecure Christians ready for a revolutionary relationship with God will find out just how accessible that is.
La Cabaña: Donde la Tragedia Se Encuentra Con la Eternidad
by Wm. Paul YoungAfter his daughter's murder, a grieving father confronts God with desperate questions -- and finds unexpected answers -- in this riveting and deeply moving #1 NYT bestseller.When Mackenzie Allen Phillips's youngest daughter Missy is abducted during a family vacation, he remains hopeful that she'll return home. But then, he discovers evidence that she may have been brutally murdered in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness.Four years later, in this midst of his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note that's supposedly from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment, he arrives on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change his life forever.
Bo's Café: A Novel
by John Lynch Bill Thrall Bruce McNicolHigh-powered executive Steven Kerner is living the dream in southern California. But when his bottled pain ignites in anger one night, his wife kicks him out. Then an eccentric mystery man named Andy Monroe befriends Steven and begins unravelling his tightly wound world. Andy leads Steven through a series of frustrating and revealing encounters to repair his life through genuine friendship and the grace and love of a God who has been waiting for him to accept it. A story to challenge and encourage, Bo's Cafe is a model for all who struggle with unresolved problems and a performance-based life. Those who desire a fuller, more authentic way of living will find this journey of healing a restorative exploration of God's unbridled grace.
The Misunderstood God: The Lies Religion Tells About God
by Darin HuffordThe Misunderstood God tells the truth about who the Creator is. This book analyzes what religion says about God's heart and personality and measures it up to what God calls Himself: Love. It simplifies a generation's tangled perceptions of God by taking a journey through the sixteen aspects of love described in one of the most well-known Bible passages in the world: 1 Corinthians 13, also known as "the love chapter." So many Christians have been bombarded with confusing teachings and doctrines that their understanding of God resembles a tightly tangled ball of Christmas tree lights. This book takes that twisted mess and replaces it with one soft, warm light of truth that anyone can embrace: God is love.
On Loss and Living Onward: Collected Voices for the Grieving and Those Who Would Mourn with Them
by Melissa Dalton-BradfordAfter experiencing the loss of her first-born son, Melissa Dalton-Bradford thrust herself into literature searching for those who have experienced similar, devastating loss. What she found was comfort and guidance to help her overcome the pain of losing a loved one and the faith to face her own life without him. In On Loss and Living Onward, she has compiled the best resources that will guide the living through the process of grief. Superbly written essays by author and bereaved mother accompany each of five sections: Life at Death; Love at Death; Living After Death; Learning From Death; Life, Love, and Light Over Death. Quotes are from across history, geography and the philosophical spectrum. A substantial bibliography and suggested readings list is included.
Dissimilar Similitudes: Devotional Objects in Late Medieval Europe
by Caroline Walker BynumFrom an acclaimed historian, a mesmerizing account of how medieval European Christians envisioned the paradoxical nature of holy objectsBetween the twelfth and the sixteenth centuries, European Christians used in worship a plethora of objects, not only prayer books, statues, and paintings but also pieces of natural materials, such as stones and earth, considered to carry holiness, dolls representing Jesus and Mary, and even bits of consecrated bread and wine thought to be miraculously preserved flesh and blood. Theologians and ordinary worshippers alike explained, utilized, justified, and warned against some of these objects, which could carry with them both anti-Semitic charges and the glorious promise of heaven. Their proliferation and the reaction against them form a crucial background to the European-wide movements we know today as “reformations” (both Protestant and Catholic).In a set of independent but inter-related essays, Caroline Bynum considers some examples of such holy things, among them beds for the baby Jesus, the headdresses of medieval nuns, and the footprints of Christ carried home from the Holy Land by pilgrims in patterns cut to their shape or their measurement in lengths of string. Building on and going beyond her well-received work on the history of materiality, Bynum makes two arguments, one substantive, the other methodological. First, she demonstrates that the objects themselves communicate a paradox of dissimilar similitude—that is, that in their very details they both image the glory of heaven and make clear that that heaven is beyond any representation in earthly things. Second, she uses the theme of likeness and unlikeness to interrogate current practices of comparative history. Suggesting that contemporary students of religion, art, and culture should avoid comparing things that merely “look alike,” she proposes that humanists turn instead to comparing across cultures the disparate and perhaps visually dissimilar objects in which worshippers as well as theorists locate the “other” that gives their religion enduring power.
Dissimilar Similitudes: Devotional Objects in Late Medieval Europe
by Caroline Walker BynumFrom an acclaimed historian, a mesmerizing account of how medieval European Christians envisioned the paradoxical nature of holy objectsBetween the twelfth and the sixteenth centuries, European Christians used in worship a plethora of objects, not only prayer books, statues, and paintings but also pieces of natural materials, such as stones and earth, considered to carry holiness, dolls representing Jesus and Mary, and even bits of consecrated bread and wine thought to be miraculously preserved flesh and blood. Theologians and ordinary worshippers alike explained, utilized, justified, and warned against some of these objects, which could carry with them both anti-Semitic charges and the glorious promise of heaven. Their proliferation and the reaction against them form a crucial background to the European-wide movements we know today as “reformations” (both Protestant and Catholic).In a set of independent but inter-related essays, Caroline Bynum considers some examples of such holy things, among them beds for the baby Jesus, the headdresses of medieval nuns, and the footprints of Christ carried home from the Holy Land by pilgrims in patterns cut to their shape or their measurement in lengths of string. Building on and going beyond her well-received work on the history of materiality, Bynum makes two arguments, one substantive, the other methodological. First, she demonstrates that the objects themselves communicate a paradox of dissimilar similitude—that is, that in their very details they both image the glory of heaven and make clear that that heaven is beyond any representation in earthly things. Second, she uses the theme of likeness and unlikeness to interrogate current practices of comparative history. Suggesting that contemporary students of religion, art, and culture should avoid comparing things that merely “look alike,” she proposes that humanists turn instead to comparing across cultures the disparate and perhaps visually dissimilar objects in which worshippers as well as theorists locate the “other” that gives their religion enduring power.
For Those with Empty Arms: A Compassionate Voice For Those Experiencing Infertility
by Emily Harris AdamsFor Those with Empty Arms uses poetry and personal experiences to offer an empathetic voice for those experiencing infertility.
The Limits of Religious Tolerance
by Alan Jay LevinovitzReligion’s place in American public life has never been fixed. As new communities have arrived, as old traditions have fractured and reformed, as cultural norms have been shaped by shifting economic structures and the advance of science, and as new faith traditions have expanded the range of religious confessions within America’s religious landscape, the claims posited by religious faiths—and the respect such claims may demand—have been subjects of near-constant change. In The Limits of Religious Tolerance, Alan Jay Levinovitz pushes against the widely held (and often unexamined) notion that unbounded tolerance must and should be accorded to claims forwarded on the basis of religious belief in a society increasingly characterized by religious pluralism. Pressing at the distinction between tolerance and respect, Levinovitz seeks to offer a set of guideposts by which a democratic society could identify and observe a set of limits beyond which religiously grounded claims may legitimately be denied the expectation of unqualified non-interference.
The Limits of Religious Tolerance (Public Works Ser.)
by Alan Jay LevinovitzReligion’s place in American public life has never been fixed. As new communities have arrived, as old traditions have fractured and reformed, as cultural norms have been shaped by shifting economic structures and the advance of science, and as new faith traditions have expanded the range of religious confessions within America’s religious landscape, the claims posited by religious faiths—and the respect such claims may demand—have been subjects of near-constant change. In The Limits of Religious Tolerance, Alan Jay Levinovitz pushes against the widely held (and often unexamined) notion that unbounded tolerance must and should be accorded to claims forwarded on the basis of religious belief in a society increasingly characterized by religious pluralism. Pressing at the distinction between tolerance and respect, Levinovitz seeks to offer a set of guideposts by which a democratic society could identify and observe a set of limits beyond which religiously grounded claims may legitimately be denied the expectation of unqualified non-interference.
Jamón and Halal: Lessons in Tolerance from Rural Andalucía
by Christina CivantosContemporary Spain reflects broader patterns of globalization and has been the site of tensions between nationalists and immigrants. This case study examines a rural town in Spain’s Andalucía in order to shed light on the workings of coexistence. The town of Órgiva’s diverse population includes hippies from across Europe, European converts to Sufi Islam, and immigrants from North Africa. Christina Civantos combines the analysis of written and visual cultural texts with oral narratives from residents. In this book, we see that although written and especially televisual narratives about the town highlight tolerance and multiculturalism, they mask tensions and power differentials. Toleration is an ongoing negotiation, and this book shows us how we can identify the points of contact that create robust, respect-based tolerance.
The Prayers of David: 40 Devotions Examining The Man After God's Own Heart
by Rabbi Dr. Sidney VineburgDavid was a man after God's own heart, not because he was perfect, but because he always sought God through prayer. It is through his example we can learn to pray in all things at all times. The Prayers of David combines faithful scholarship with accessible writing to bring a personal level of reflection to these emotionally powerful prayers. Cross references and cultural and historical content bring a richer understanding of the Old Testament, while powerful inspirational writing inspires you to model your own prayer life after David's example.
Found in Translation: 52 Hebrew Words to Enrich Your Bible Reading
by Asher ReichFound in Translation takes a close look at the original meanings and contexts of Hebrew words to offer profound inspirational reflections that encourage a deeper understanding of Scripture. Many Hebrew words have multiple meanings and most Bible translators often select one meaning, usually an English word that best reflects that reference. Written in short, inspirational style, this book explores all the meanings of fifty-two Hebrew words for an enriched, deeper, and uniquely personal understanding of Scripture.