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The Camino
By Shirley Maclaine. 2000
It has been nearly three decades since Shirley MacLaine commenced her brave and public commitment to chronicling her personal quest…
for spiritual understanding. In testament to the endurance and vitality of her message, each of her eight legendary bestsellers -- fromDon't Fall Off the MountaintoMy Lucky Stars-- continues today to attract, dazzle, and transform countless new readers. Now Shirley is back -- with her most breathtakingly powerful and unique book yet. This is the story of a journey. It is the eagerly anticipated and altogether startling culmination of Shirley MacLaine's extraordinary -- and ultimately rewarding -- road through life. The riveting odyssey began with a pair of anonymous handwritten letters imploring Shirley to make a difficult pilgrimage along the Santiago de Compostela Camino in Spain. Throughout history, countless illustrious pilgrims from all over Europe have taken up the trail. It is an ancient -- and allegedly enchanted -- pilgrimage. People from St. Francis of Assisi and Charlemagne to Ferdinand and Isabella to Dante and Chaucer have taken the journey, which comprises a nearly 500-mile trek across highways, mountains and valleys, cities and towns, and fields. Now it would be Shirley's turn. For Shirley, the Camino was both an intense spiritual and physical challenge. A woman in her sixth decade completing such a grueling trip on foot in thirty days at twenty miles per day was nothing short of remarkable. But even more astounding was the route she took spiritually: back thousands of years, through past lives to the very origin of the universe. Immensely gifted with intelligence, curiosity, warmth, and a profound openness to people and places outside her own experience, Shirley MacLaine is truly an American treasure. And once again, she brings her inimitable qualities of mind and heart to her writing. Balancing and negotiating the revelations inspired by the mysterious energy of the Camino, she endured her exhausting journey to Compostela until it gradually gave way to a far more universal voyage: that of the soul. Through a range of astonishing and liberating visions and revelations, Shirley saw into the meaning of the cosmos, including the secrets of the ancient civilizations of Atlantis and Lemuria, insights into human genesis, the essence of gender and sexuality, and the true path to higher love. With rich insight, humility, and her trademark grace, Shirley MacLaine gently leads us on a sacred adventure toward an inexpressibly transcendent climax. The Caminopromises readers the journey of a thousand lifetimes.The Cambridge Companion to Anselm
By Brian Davies, Brian Leftow. 2004
Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109), Benedictine monk and the second Norman archbishop of Canterbury, is regarded as one of the most…
important philosophers and theologians of the Middle Ages. The essays in this volume explore all of his major ideas both philosophical and theological, including his teachings on faith and reason, God's existence and nature, logic, freedom, truth, ethics, and key Christian doctrines. There is also discussion of his life, the sources of his thought, and his influence on other thinkers. New readers will find this the most convenient, accessible guide to Anselm currently available. Advanced students and specialists will find a conspectus of developments in the interpretation of Anselm.Perception, Sensibility, and Moral Motivation in Augustine
By Sarah Catherine Byers. 2013
This book argues that Augustine assimilated the Stoic theory of perception into his theories of motivation, affectivity, therapy for the…
passions, and moral progress. Using his sermons to elucidate his treatises, Sarah Catherine Byers demonstrates how Augustine enriched Stoic cognitivism with Platonism to develop a fuller and coherent theory of action. That theory underlies his account of moral development, including his account of the mind's reception of grace. By analyzing Augustine's engagement with Cicero, Seneca, Plotinus, Ambrose, Jerome, Origen, and Philo of Alexandria, Byers sheds new light on a major thinker of the early Christian world whose work is of critical importance for understanding key and recurring themes in Western philosophy.Marvelous Stories from the Life of Muhammad
By Mardijah Aldrich Tarantino. 1982
This book is a collection of eighteen lively, well-loved stories from the life of the Prophet Muhammad. They highlight the…
main stations of his life--from orphaned child to Prophet of God and beloved leader of all Muslims. The book includes twenty-three charming illustrations that offer a glimpse of the world in which the stories are set. Mardijah Aldrich Tarantino is of American and French heritage. She has traveled widely and enjoys painting, languages, and writing for children. She lives in Cathedral City, California.Rammohun Roy and the Making of Victorian Britain
By Lynn Zastoupil. 2010
This book investigates Rammohun Roy as a transnational celebrity. It examines the role of religious heterodoxy - particularly Christian Unitarianism…
- in transforming a colonial outsider into an imagined member of the emerging Victorian social order It uses his fame to shed fresh light on nineteenth-century British reformers, including advocates of liberty of the press, early feminists, free trade imperialists, and constitutional reformers such as Jeremy Bentham. Rammohun Roy's intellectual agendas are also interrogated, particularly how he employed Unitarianism and the British satiric tradition to undermine colonial rule in Bengal and provincialize England as a laggard nation in the progress towards rational religion and political liberty.Making Zen Your Own
By Janet Jiryu Abels. 2012
In this book, Janet Jiryu Abels traces the life stories of twelve Chinese Zen masters who, together, shaped what was…
to become known as Zen's Golden Age. She presents their biographies, describes their teachings, and shows how their lives and teachings can inspire those who practice Zen today. The book is a presentation of ancient Zen insight vividly relevant for the twenty-first century, addressing both the needs of both new and longtime Zen practitioners. Its singular distinction is in bringing Zen history, ancestral teachings, and present-day application of those teachings into one work. Although the book is based on scholarly sources and historical records, Abels stresses the humanity of these Zen ancestors, showing that they were not formed from a generic mold but were individuals with quirks, senses of humor, heartfelt enlightenment experiences, varied ways of living, and unique ways of expressing Zen. She tells their stories in a lively, accessible manner, shedding light on their paradoxical teachings with clarity and simplicity. She also shows that they all faced the same challenges that Zen practitioners face today. Interwoven among the stories and teachings are Abels' own insights into the dharma of Zen, as well as practical applications and encouragements that readers can bring to their individual practice of the Way. These insights are based on her more than ten years as a Zen teacher. She is the founder and co-resident teacher of Still Mind Zendo in New York City.Novice to Master
By Soko Morinaga, Belenda Attaway Yamakawa. 2004
Everybody loves Novice to Master! As you'll see in the glowing endorsements and reviews included below, this modern spiritual classic…
has been embraced by readers of all types. In his singularly humorous and biitingly direct way, Zen abbot Soko Morinaga tells the story of his rigorous training at a Japanese Zen temple, his spiritual growth and his interactions with his students and others. Morinaga's voice is uniquely tuned to the truth of the condition of the human mind and spirit and his reflections and interpretations are unvarnished and succinct. His great gift is the ability to lift the spirit of the reader all the while exposing the humility and weakness in the lives of people, none more so than his own. Read on to see what everyone from Publishers Weekly to well-known Buddhist figures and even New York Times bestselling author Anthony Swofford have to say about this one of a kind book!The Cambridge Companion to Francis of Assisi
By Michael J. P. Robson. 2012
Francis of Assisi (1181/82-1226) was one of the most vibrant and colourful personalities in the Middle Ages. The life of…
this remarkable reformer of the medieval Church was celebrated in art, drama, poetry, music, the new vernacular literature and architecture. His ideal was to enter into a restorative and enriching relationship with Jesus Christ, whom he wished to imitate in the most perfect manner, a direct and immediate goal which captured the contemporary imagination. This Companion explores the life of Francis of Assisi and his enduring legacy throughout the centuries. The first part concentrates on his life and works whilst the second explores the way in which his heritage influenced the apostolic activities of his followers in the century following his death. This book is a must-read for students and scholars of Church history, as well as medieval social and intellectual history.I’m Still Standing
By Jeanette Bradley. 2013
This is a book written to give hope and inspiration to those who don't have any. It was written to…
glorify God for his power to save, heal, and restore from the damage of abuse and trauma.A Miracle of Five Minutes: The Autobiography of Kim Sundo
By Abingdon. 2015
In 1930, Sundo Kim was born at Sunchun, Pyunganbukdo, North Korea. Standing at the crossroads of life and death, he…
experienced the living God numerous times and decided to become a pastor. In 1970, he was appointed as pastor toKwanglim Methodist Church in Seoul, Korea. Through the ministries of a positive application of the word of a new vision of life, spiritual healing, systematic and creative church administration, and special missions, he invited many souls to God and gave Christians new spiritual energy. as a member of Board of Trustees of Asbury Seminary.Medieval Music, Legend, and the Cult of St. Martin
By Yossi Maurey. 2014
St Martin of Tours was a protector saint of numerous French kings. His was one of the most successful saintly…
cults in medieval Europe, and the city of Tours functioned as a religious metropolis, drawing pilgrims from all over the continent. Until now, little has been known about how St Martin came to inspire such a lively folkloric tradition, numerous works of art, and the establishment of thousands of churches and numerous confraternities. In this book, Yossi Maurey addresses these questions by focusing on the church dedicated to the saint in Tours, which acted as the crucible for Martin's cult. Maurey explores the music and liturgy of the cult - the most effective means of its dissemination - to reveal its enormous diffusion and impact. Building a more concrete picture of how saints' cults operated and shaped medieval realities, this book also provides new insights into the interactions between contemporary religion, art and politics.Power and Religion in Merovingian Gaul
By Yaniv Fox. 2014
This study is the first to attempt a thorough investigation of the activities of the Columbanian congregation, which played a…
significant role in the development of Western monasticism. This was a new form of rural monasticism, which suited the needs and aspirations of a Christian elite eager to express its power and prestige in religious terms. Contrary to earlier studies, which viewed Columbanus and his disciples primarily as religious innovators, this book focuses on the political, economic, and familial implications of monastic patronage and on the benefits elite patrons stood to reap. While founding families were in a privileged position to court royal favour, monastic patronage also exposed them to violent reprisals from competing factions. Columbanian monasteries were not serene havens of contemplation, but rather active foci of power and wealth, and quickly became integral elements of early medieval statecraft.Good Dogs Do Stray: Memoir of an Immigrant from Hungary
By Emmerich Koller. 2006
Good Dogs Do Stray is a poignant yet inspiring story about a poor country boy who escapes from Hungary with…
his family right after the failed Revolution in 1956. Koller provides a highly personal account of the hardships during WWII, in a Stalinist dictatorship, as a refugee and immigrant. The strong influences of a strict catholic upbringing, a simple village life, eight years in a traditional pre-Vatican II seminary as well as the political, social and religious events in the middle of the 20th century all contribute to the metamorphosis of a once naive country boy. Adversities in the formative years foreshadow an inauspicious future but faith and fate provide surprising reversals.Richard John Neuhaus
By Randy Boyagoda. 2015
A brilliant biography of one of the intellectual mavericks of 20th Century Catholicism. Richard John Neuhaus (1936-2009) was one of…
the most influential figures in American public life from the Civil Rights era to the War on Terror. His writing, activism, and connections to people of power in religion, politics, and culture secured a place for himself and his ideas at the center of recent American history. William F. Buckley, Jr. and John Kenneth Galbraith are comparable -- willing controversialists and prodigious writers adept at cultivating or castigating the powerful, while advancing lively arguments for the virtues and vices of the ongoing American experiment. But unlike Buckley and Galbraith, who have always been identified with singular political positions on the right and left, respectively, Neuhaus' life and ideas placed him at the vanguard of events and debates across the political and cultural spectrum. For instance, alongside Abraham Heschel and Daniel Berrigan, Neuhaus co-founded Clergy Concerned About Vietnam, in 1965. Forty years later, Neuhaus was the subject of a New York Review of Books article by Garry Wills, which cast him as a Rasputin of the far right, exerting dangerous influence in both the Vatican and the Bush White House. This book looks to examine Neuhaus's multi-faceted life and reveal to the public what made him tick and why.The Saint and the Chopped-Up Baby: The Cult of Vincent Ferrer in Medieval and Early Modern Europe
By Laura Ackerman Smoller. 2014
Vincent Ferrer (1350–1419), a celebrated Dominican preacher from Valencia, was revered as a living saint during his lifetime, receiving papal…
canonization within fifty years of his death. In The Saint and the Chopped-Up Baby, Laura Ackerman Smoller recounts the fascinating story of how Vincent became the subject of widespread devotion, ranging from the saint's tomb in Brittany to cult centers in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and Latin America, where Vincent is still venerated today. Along the way, Smoller traces the long and sometimes contentious process of establishing a stable image of a new saint. Vincent came to be epitomized by a singularly arresting miracle tale in which a mother kills, chops up, and cooks her own baby, only to have the child restored to life by the saint’s intercession. This miracle became a key emblem in the official portrayal of the saint promoted by the papal court and the Dominican order, still haunted by the memory of the Great Schism (1378–1414) that had rent the Catholic Church for nearly forty years. Vincent, however, proved to be a potent religious symbol for others whose agendas did not necessarily align with those of Rome. Whether shoring up the political legitimacy of Breton or Aragonese rulers, proclaiming a new plague saint, or trumpeting their own holiness, individuals imposed their own meanings on the Dominican saint. Drawing on nuanced readings of canonization inquests, hagiography, liturgical sources, art, and devotional materials, Smoller tracks these various appropriations from the time of Vincent’s 1455 canonization through the eve of the Enlightenment. In the process, she brings to life a long, raucous discussion ranging over many centuries. The Saint and the Chopped-Up Baby restores the voices of that conversation in all its complexity.Song of Silence
By Éloi Leclerc. 2009
Saint Jeanne Jugan, foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor, was not recognized as such until after her death.…
Jeanne lived through repeated betrayals and transformed these trials into a path toward holiness that helped her connect with the suffering of Christ. Read the fascinating spiritual journey of this remarkable saint.In My Brother's Image
By Eugene L. Pogany. 2000
In My Brother's Image is the extraordinary story of Eugene Pogany's father and uncle-identical twin brothers born in Hungary of…
Jewish parents but raised as devout Catholic converts until the Second World War unraveled their family. In eloquent prose, Pogany portrays how the Holocaust destroyed the brothers' close childhood bond: his father, a survivor of a Nazi internment camp, denounced Christianity and returned to the Judaism of his birth, while his uncle, who found shelter in an Italian monastic community during the war, became a Catholic priest. Even after emigrating to America the brothers remained estranged, each believing the other a traitor to their family's faith. This tragic memoir is a rich, moving family portrait as well as an objective historical account of the rupture between Jews and Catholics.Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife
By Irene Spencer. 2007
Irene Spencer did as she felt God commanded in marrying her brother-in-law Verlan LeBaron, becoming his second wife. When the…
government raided the fundamentalist, polygamous Mormon village of Short Creek, Arizona, Irene and her family fled to Verlan's brothers' Mexican ranch. They lived in squalor and desolate conditions in the Mexican desert with Verlan's six brothers, one sister, and numerous wives and children. Readers will be appalled and astonished, but most amazingly, greatly inspired. Irene's dramatic story reveals how far religion can be stretched and abused and how one woman and her children found their way out, into truth and redemption.Lost Boy
By Maia Szalavitz, Brent W. Jeffs. 2009
Starred Review. In this moving debut memoir, the nephew of a Mormon sect leader chronicles life in the Fundamentalist Church…
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and what came after. Among a 10,000-member Mormon community, Jeffs grew up with three mothers, more than a dozen siblings, and a deep fear of the world outside of the church. Within the secretive community, Jeffs was taught that purity came from special attention to dress, hard work, generosity and, most importantly, obedience to one's elders (especially his uncle, the prophet Warren Jeffs). The focus of this fast-paced memoir is the sexual abuse Jeffs and his brothers endured at the hands of their relatives during church and school functions, for which he would file a class-action lawsuit in 2004. Jeffs's descent into depression proves the beginning of the end for his relationship with the church and, consequently, with much of his family. Jeffs outlines the core beliefs of the Church, along with the oppressive ends to which they were used, and the heartbreaking fate of those church members expelled into a society they were raised to see as evil and corrupt. This hard-to-put-down, tightly woven account pulls back the curtain on what's become a perennial news story, while illustrating the impiety of absolute power and the delicacy of innocence. Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Leonard Bernstein
By Allen Shawn. 2014
Leonard Bernstein stood at the epicenter of twentieth-century American musical life. His creative gifts knew no boundaries as he moved…
easily from the podium, to the piano, to television with his nationally celebrated Young People's Concerts, which introduced an entire generation to the joy of classical music. In this fascinating new biography, the breadth of Bernstein's musical composition is explored, through the spectacular range of music he composed--from West Side Story to Kaddish to A Quiet Place and beyond--and through his intensely public role as an internationally celebrated conductor. For the first time, the composer's life and work receive a fully integrated analysis, offering a comprehensive appreciation of a multi-faceted musician who continued to grow as an artist well into his final days.