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The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values
by Sam HarrisSam Harris's first book, The End of Faith, ignited a worldwide debate about the validity of religion. In the aftermath, Harris discovered that most people - from religious fundamentalists to nonbelieving scientists - agree on one point: science has nothing to say on the subject of human values. Indeed, our failure to address questions of meaning and morality through science has now become the primary justification for religious faith.In this highly controversial book, Sam Harris seeks to link morality to the rest of human knowledge. Defining morality in terms of human and animal well-being, Harris argues that science can do more than tell how we are; it can, in principle, tell us how we ought to be. In his view, moral relativism is simply false - and comes at an increasing cost to humanity. And the intrusions of religion into the sphere of human values can be finally repelled: for just as there is no such thing as Christian physics or Muslim algebra, there can be no Christian or Muslim morality. Using his expertise in philosophy and neuroscience, along with his experience on the front lines of our 'culture wars', Harris delivers a game-changing book about the future of science and about the real basis of human cooperation.
Pilate: The Biography Of An Invented Man
by Ann WroeAlthough very little is known for certain about Pontius Pilate, the man who crucified Christ, this has not stopped writers in every age from imagining his life. In this extraordinary book, Ann Wroe recounts the lives of all our Pilates; among them the glittering medieval tyrant, devoted to gambling and getting around the law, and the wriggling modern pragmatist, whose dilemma over Jesus has been described by Tony Blair as 'a timeless parable of political life'. This is also the story of the man Pilate might have been; and the man who mirrors us. Ann Wroe shows how, in his struggles with fate and free will, Pilate's story has also become the story of ourselves.
Heaven on Earth: A Journey Through Shari‘a Law
by Sadakat KadriThis book is important because it is:Unique. Heaven on Earth offers a critique of extremism that is human rights-based and entertaining – combining the comparative approach of Karen Armstrong and the immediacy of Ed Husain (The Islamist) with storytelling. Timely. At a time of veil bans, Qur’an burnings and English Defence League protests, Kadri voices a liberal view of Islamic history and shows Muslims working against repression. This book explains up-to-the-minute brutalities.Epic. Interviews, anecdotes, personal reflection and analysis are set against a narrative that sweeps from seventh-century Mecca to the war in Afghanistan. Civilisations are evoked via the vivid lives of caliphs, mystics, and travellers. Legal changes are described through the feuds, courtroom dramas, conquests and cataclysms that have left their mark on modern Islamic law. First-hand. On the road for five months, Kadri travelled through Iran just before the June 2009 election protests, and took part in a human rights conference there with ayatollahs and academics. Eye-opening. This book goes beyond the explosive headline issues (criminal justice, women, jihad, religious freedom) to reveal the stranger ones: genie exorcisms; the legal consequences of premature ejaculation; online fatwa advice; the sharia approach to Facebook and Qur’anic mobile phone ringtones, etc.Bold. Heaven on Earth primarily targets religious extremism, but also cuts anti-Muslim panic down to size.
Covering Islam: How the Media and the Experts Determine How We See the Rest of the World (Fully Revised Edition)
by Edward W SaidFrom the Iranian hostage crisis through the Gulf War and the World Trade Centre bombing, the West has been haunted by a spectre called 'Islam'. As portrayed by the news media - and by a chorus of government, academic and corporate experts - 'Islam' is synonymous with terrorism and religious hysteria. At the same time, Islamic countries use Islam to justify unrepresentative and often oppressive regimes. In this landmark work, for which he has written a new introduction, one of our foremost public thinkers examines the origins and repercussions of the media's monolithic images of Islam. Combining political commentary with literary criticism, Edward Said reveals the hidden assumptions and distortions of fact that underlie even the most 'objective' coverage of the Islamic world.
How To Know God: The Soul's Journey Into The Mystery Of Mysteries (Irresistible Miniature Editionstm Ser.)
by Dr Deepak ChopraThe bestselling author of Ageless Body, Timeless Mind has written his most ambitious and important work yet - an exploration of the seven ways we experience God. These are shaped, not by any one religion, but by an instinct that is hardwired into the brain. In this remarkable book, Chopra takes us step by step from the first stage, where the brain's 'fight or flight' response leads us to a God who is an all-powerful and sometimes unpredictable parent, to the seventh stage, where the brain experiences God as pure being, beyond thought, a sacred presence. It is at this seventh stage that we attain a true, life-changing spiritual understanding of the world and our place in it; it is the level at which saints and sages dwell. All seven stages are available to each of us, all the time. Deepak Chopra explores mysticism, religious ecstasy, genius, telepathy, multiple personality and clairvoyance, drawing insights from psychology, neurology and physics, as well as from the great religions. The result is vintage Chopra applied to the ultimate quest.
Path To Love: Spiritual Lessons for Creating the Love You Need (Large Print Ser.)
by Dr Deepak ChopraIn this groundbreaking personal development book, influential teacher and physician Deepak Chopra, explores how our hearts have lost their centre and why love so often falls short of filling a deep, aching need within us. He also explains how we can find the love we long for, one which is rich and meaningful, satisfying and lasting - by restoring to love its missing element: spirituality. In presenting the long-forgotten, timeless laws of love, together with practical suggestions for bringing them into our lives, Deepak Chopra shows us how to transform our lives forever - and the lives of those whom we love.
The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success For Parents: Guiding your Children to success and Fulfilment
by Dr Deepak Chopra`Deepak Chopra`s thoughts on spirituality and child rearing are original, profound and fascinating' BENJAMIN SPOCK, MD Deepak Chopra`s Seven Spiritual Laws of Success have touched a chord around the globe because of their simplicity and trust. This parenting book takes those laws one by one and explores the many ways parents can bring them into the lives of their children. Explaining that success depends on who you are rather than what you do, this world-renowned physician and author shows that spirituality lies at the source of all achievement in life. Suggesting ways that parents can help their children absorb this timeless wisdom from an early age, Deepak Chopra offers a daily programme of practical, thought-provoking ideas for the whole family to follow. In this way, parents can teach their children how to live in the most effortless, harmonious and creative way - and thus know true abundance thoughout their lives.
The Ultimate Happiness Prescription: 7 Keys to Joy and Enlightenment
by Dr Deepak ChopraIn The Ultimate Happiness Prescription, bestselling author Deepak Chopra shows how to be happy in spite of living in difficult or trying times.By looking through the lens of our contemporary understanding of consciousness, combined with Eastern philosophy, he has created a set of principles for living with ease. The result is an inspiring and instructive journey that leads to a prescription for living life mindfully, with a light heart and with effortless spontaneity - a prescription only Dr Deepak Chopra could write.With words like 'depression' and 'recession' in the air, he underlines the importance of keeping an eye on the positive aspects of life and finding ways to experience joy no matter what is happening to you. This remarkably clear and helpful book explains how to maintain an optimistic outlook and experience the benefits of having a happy heart and soul, no matter what the circumstances.
Izzy's War
by Isla DewarVicar's daughter Izzy feels hugely guilty that she's having a very good war. Having learned to fly in a travelling circus before the war, she's now joined the Air Transport Auxiliary as one of their few female pilots and is having the time of her life. The only cloud on the horizon is having to lie to her father about her exact role in the ATA. Her father is against the whole notion of women flying - he certainly wouldn't approve of her becoming a 'spitfire girl'.Izzy also feels distinctly out of place among the more upper class ladies of the ATA. She would love to be as worldly as her flighty housemate, Julia, or as sophisticated as society wife Clare. But when Izzy finds herself falling for the charms of a dashing American doctor it is to Julia and Clare that she turns for help...
Is That All There Is?: Thoughts on the meaning of life and leaving a legacy
by Julia Neuberger'If we focus on the meaning and purpose of our lives, we might acquire a better way of living.' In this insightful book, Julia Neuberger considers what it is that makes life worthwhile. Drawing upon her considerable experience as a religious leader and social reformer, passionately concerned with the issues that affect society's wellbeing, she offers practical ways to give our own lives a renewed sense of significance and direction.From celebrating friends and family, to surviving hardship and loss, to assessing the relative value of possessions, and the benefits of being as tough as we are kind to ourselves, Julia Neuberger shows how to reconnect with the things in life that really matter to us. It is, she explains, possible to live a life with few regrets, in which we get our priorities right and create a legacy which will live on long after we are gone - yet which will make life all the more rewarding here and now.
An Awakened Life: Using Everyday Experiences For Inner Fulfilment
by Christopher TitmussIn an awakened life, our hearts are open, steady and purposeful. Most people today have a greater income, as well as more goods and labour - saving devices, than any other generation in history. Yet stress, discontent, personal and social problems abound. Drawing on the deepest discoveries of the Buddhist tradition, well-known retreat master, Christopher Titmuss, suggests we spend far too much time in superficial preoccupaions and not enough in looking deeply into things. He urges us to fearlessly transform the forces of desire and dissatisfaction that haunt our daily lives - and to awaken to the Immeasurable. Inspired by the 20th Century classic, Zend Mind, Beginner's mind, he gives practical advice on such subjects as: understanding our feelings , taking risks, becomming more detached and rediscovering our true selves. And he shows us how to have free, fulfilled and uninhibited lives amidst the frenzy of everyday activity.
Testimony Of Light: An extraordinary message of life after death
by Helen GreavesWhen Frances Banks died her friend Helen Greaves was by her side. Then, one evening, some three weeks after Frances' death, Helen sensed her presence. This extraordinary encounter marked the beginning of contact between them from either side of the veil. 'Testimony of Light' is based on the communications that Helen received telepathically from Frances. The scripts have been authenticated by those who knew them both and who were familiar with their individual writing styles. Moving and inspiring, this book is a testament to the enduring power of their friendship and offers an important message to us all - that the death of the body is but a gentle passing to a much freer and fuller life. 'Never have we read such a spontaneous, simple, direct, happy and instructive series of scripts from "the other side"' Science of Thought Review'A glass of spiritual champagne' - Churches Fellowship News
The Soul of Leadership: Unlocking Your Potential for Greatness
by Dr Deepak ChopraThe Soul of Leadership decodes the mysterious qualities that have propelled history's greatest leaders to the top of the ranks and shrouded them in legend - Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Buddha - and provides a hands-on approach to understanding and mastering these qualities.The 10 Fundamental Principles, which Deepak Chopra believes all leaders should follow, include:* A leader is the symbolic soul of the group* Inner qualities determine the outcome of any situation* For every need, the right response can be found * Great leaders can respond to all situations from the higher levels of spirit* A leader focused only on external goals (money, victory, power) will fail. Using well-known examples of great leaders and a clear, concise breakdown of the virtues that a great leader must possess, The Soul of Leadership demystifies leadership and empowers us all to become leaders in our own right - from managing a family crisis to starting our own business.
Cain
by José Saramago Margaret Jull CostaAfter killing his brother Abel, Cain must wander for ever. He witnesses Noah's ark, the destruction of the Tower of Babel, Moses and the golden calf. He is there in time to save Abraham from sacrificing Isaac when God's angel arrives late after a wing malfunction.Written in the last years of Saramago's life, Cain wittily tackles many of the moral and logical non sequiturs created by a wilful, authoritarain God, forming part of Saramago's long argument with God and recalling his provocative novel The Gospel According to Jesus Christ.
God Collar
by Marcus Brigstocke'There's probably no God ... but I wish there was. I've got some things I need to ask him.'Based on Marcus Brigstocke's award-winning Edinburgh and West End show, God Collar focuses on the 'God-shaped hole' that opens up in Marcus's life following the death of his best friend. Exploring his own issues surrounding faith - his lack of it, his need for it, some people's waste of it and what good purposes it might serve if he could get hold of it - he rails against the holy trinity of Abrahamic religions (Islam, Christianity and Judaism) while atheists, agnostics and believers of all faiths get it in the neck too. God Collar is a scathing look at modern faith that will leave you laughing out loud and examining your own beliefs in equal measure.'As luck would have it, my relationship with God is as dysfunctional and peppered with resentment and recrimination as ever, so this should make for good writing.'
The Palgrave Handbook of Ageing and Physical Activity Promotion
by Christina R. Victor Charles Musselwhite Samuel R. Nyman Anna Barker Terry Haines Khim Horton Geeske Peeters Julia Katharina WolffThe ageing of our population is a key societal issue across the globe. Although people are living longer, they need to be living longer in good health to continue to enjoy quality of life and independence and to prevent rises in health and social care costs. This timely and ground-breaking volume will provide an up-to-date overview of the factors that promote physical activity in later life. Despite advances in the fields of gerontology and geriatrics, sports and exercise science, sociology, health psychology, and public health, knowledge is largely contained within disciplines as reflected in the current provision of academic texts on this subject. To truly address the present and substantial societal challenges of population ageing, a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach is required. This handbook will inform researchers, students, and practitioners on the current evidence base for what physical activities need to be promoted among older people and how they can be implemented to maximise engagement. This handbook will be an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, policy makers, and students across the social sciences.
Let God's Light Shine Forth: The Spiritual Vision of Pope Benedict XVI
by Robert MoynihanPublished at the beginning of Pope Benedict XVI's papacy in 2005, Let God's Light Shine Forth, introduced the world to his spiritual vision of hope. The election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as successor to Pope John Paul II aroused tremendous interest not only among Catholics but throughout the world. Formerly the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and known for his stand against liberation theology and social activism on issues such as homosexuality, in his first days as Pope demonstrated a pastoral and very human face to the world. His deep faith, his theological learning and his intellectual gifts are without peer, and provided the foundation for his Papacy until his abdication in 2013,This book, from the editor of Inside the Vatican, explores Benedict's beliefs and policies through his own writings. Robert Moynihan sets the scene for his momentous election and then surveys his writings: on Jesus, Mary and the Sacrements, on the wider issues of faith and spirituality, and on the world today. In conclusion he reveals Benedict XVI's views expressed since his election and shows how these relate to his spiritual vision for the Church and the world.
Biblical Servant Leadership: An Exploration of Leadership for the Contemporary Context (Christian Faith Perspectives in Leadership and Business)
by Steven CrowtherThis book explores the concepts from Scripture for Servant leadership and compare these findings with contemporary models of servant leadership. It is an examination of Christian leadership for the contemporary world in its global and increasing secular context. Leadership studies typically view leadership externally from the results. This is a good beginning but leadership needs to also view the inside of leadership in the person of the leader. Scripture is uniquely qualified in this area since its first concern is the person who leads not just in leadership behaviors. The author uses examples from both the Old and New Testament to establish a new shepherd model of leadership that moves beyond the servant mode to the mode of caring direction. This model will provide scholars and researchers as well as leaders themselves with a way of leading that overcomes negative forms of leadership which lead to failure.
Biblical Servant Leadership: An Exploration of Leadership for the Contemporary Context (Christian Faith Perspectives in Leadership and Business)
by Steven CrowtherThis book explores the concepts from Scripture for Servant leadership and compare these findings with contemporary models of servant leadership. It is an examination of Christian leadership for the contemporary world in its global and increasing secular context. Leadership studies typically view leadership externally from the results. This is a good beginning but leadership needs to also view the inside of leadership in the person of the leader. Scripture is uniquely qualified in this area since its first concern is the person who leads not just in leadership behaviors. The author uses examples from both the Old and New Testament to establish a new shepherd model of leadership that moves beyond the servant mode to the mode of caring direction. This model will provide scholars and researchers as well as leaders themselves with a way of leading that overcomes negative forms of leadership which lead to failure.
Christian Perspectives on Transhumanism and the Church: Chips in the Brain, Immortality, and the World of Tomorrow (Palgrave Studies in the Future of Humanity and its Successors)
by Steve Donaldson Ron Cole-TurnerChristians have always been concerned with enhancement—now they are faced with significant questions about how technology can help or harm genuine spiritual transformation. What makes traditional and technological enhancement different from each other? Are there theological insights and spiritual practices that can help Christians face the challenge of living in a technological world without being dangerously conformed to its values? This book calls on Christians to understand and engage the deep issues facing the church in a technological, transhumanist future.
Christian Perspectives on Transhumanism and the Church: Chips in the Brain, Immortality, and the World of Tomorrow (Palgrave Studies in the Future of Humanity and its Successors)
by Steve Donaldson Ron Cole-TurnerChristians have always been concerned with enhancement—now they are faced with significant questions about how technology can help or harm genuine spiritual transformation. What makes traditional and technological enhancement different from each other? Are there theological insights and spiritual practices that can help Christians face the challenge of living in a technological world without being dangerously conformed to its values? This book calls on Christians to understand and engage the deep issues facing the church in a technological, transhumanist future.
Aled Jones' Forty Favourite Hymns
by Aled JonesHere is Aled Jones' selection of his favourite hymns, ranked from number one through to forty. From Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer to Dear Lord and Father of Mankind and Shine Jesus Shine, each is accompanied by the history of its words and music. Aled brings the hymns vividly to life with his own reminiscences of performing them and thoughts on why each is such a winner, and he garners the experiences of today's great singers and composers. Written with grace, humour and real personal insight, this is a collection that will be enjoyed across the land.
The Case for God: What religion really means
by Karen ArmstrongThere is widespread confusion about the nature of religious truth. For the first time in history, a significantly large number of people want nothing to do with God. Militant atheists preach a gospel of godlessness with the zeal of missionaries and find an eager audience. Tracing the history of faith from the Palaeolithic Age to the present, Karen Armstrong shows that meaning of words such as 'belief', 'faith', and 'mystery' has been entirely altered, so that atheists and theists alike now think and speak about God - and, indeed, reason itself - in a way that our ancestors would have found astonishing.Does God have a future? Karen Armstrong examines how we can build a faith that speaks to the needs of our troubled and dangerously polarised world.
The Twelve
by Stuart NevilleWinner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Best ThrillerSooner or later, everybody pays.Gerry Fegan, a former paramilitary contract killer, is haunted by the ghosts of the 12 people he has slaughtered. Every night, on the point of losing his mind, he drowns their screams in drink. His solution is to kill those who engineered their deaths.From the greedy politicians to the corrupt security forces, the street thugs to the complacent bystanders who let it happen, all are called to account. But when Fegan's vendetta threatens to derail a hard-won truce and destabilise the government, old comrades and enemies alike want him dead.'The Twelve is the best first novel I've read in years. It crackles. It grabs you by the throat. This is some guy to watch out for in a dark alley' - James Ellroy
The Book of Atheist Spirituality
by Andre Comte-SponvilleCan we do without religion? Can we have ethics without God? Is there such thing as 'atheistic spirituality'? In this powerful book, the internationally bestselling author André Comte-Sponville presents a philosophical exploration of atheism - and reaches startling conclusions. Atheists, Comte-Sponville argues, are no less interested in a spiritual life than religious believers. But by allowing the concept of spirituality to become intertwined with religion and dogma, humanity has lost touch with the nature of a true spiritual existence. Using rigorous, reasoned arguments and clear, concise, and often humorous prose Comte-Sponville draws on both Eastern and Western philosophical traditions to propose the atheistic alternative to religion, based on the human need to connect to each other and to the universe. In doing so, he offers a convincing treatise on a new form of spiritual life.