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On Health and Long Life: a Conversation
By Daisaku Ikeda. 2016
Always concerned about the most basic problems confronting humanity, SGI President Ikeda here once again explores the four universal sufferings…
of birth, aging, sickness, and death. In conversation with doctors and nurses, the SGI leader skillfully weaves Buddhist insights with the practical knowledge and personal experiences of his dialogue partners. • What can we learn from our illnesses? • How is the patient’s attitude crucial to healing? • How do parents affect their children’s health? • How much are our lives determined by our genes? What are constructive ways to approach aging? • What are keys for effective health care? • What roles do faith and SGI activities play in a long and fulfilling life? The answers to these and other questions in On Health and Long Life provide valuable perspectives to caring for the most valuable of treasures: our lives themselves.Rule of St Benedict
By Benjamin Laird. 2017
The Rule of St Benedict, written around 1500 years ago by the Italian monk St Benedict of Nursia, is a…
slim handbook for monastic life – a subject many modern readers would regard as relatively niche. It is, however, also a model of the organized and clearly expressed thought produced by good reasoning skills – a mainstay of critical thinking. Reasoning is all about making a good case for something, through logical arguments, neatly and systematically organised. In Benedict’s case, his main concern was to lay out a set of rules and practices that would allow monasteries to run as well-organised communities. Communal living presented huge challenges, and yet it was also, Benedict believed, the best way for monks to sustain themselves, their religion, and the learning and teaching that went with it. His Rule laid out concise but detailed chapters on the best way to achieve this, including provisions for all areas of personal and communal discipline, right down to how tasks might be allotted to individual monks. Providing a complete roadmap for successfully running a community, the concise brilliance of The Rule has even been suggested by some business professors as useful model for running small businesses today.Mere Christianity
By Mark Scarlata. 2017
C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity is a perfect example of one of the most effective aspects of critical thinking skills: the…
use of reasoning to build a strong, logical argument. ¶Lewis originally wrote the book as a series of radio talks given from 1942-1944, at the height of World War II. The talks were designed to lay out the most basic tenets of Christianity for listeners, and to use these to make a logical argument for Christian belief and Christian ethics. While Lewis was not an academically-trained theologian or philosopher (specializing instead in literature), his own experience of converting from atheism to Christianity, along with his wide reading and incisive questioning, power a charming but persuasive argument for his own beliefs. ¶Whether or not one agrees with Lewis’s arguments or shares his faith, Mere Christianity exemplifies one of the most useful aspects of good reasoning: accessibility. When using reasoning to construct a convincing argument, it is crucial that your audience follow you, and Lewis was a master at constructing well-organised arguments that are immediately understandable to readers. The beautifully written Mere Christianity is a masterclass in cogently walking an audience through an elegant and well thought-through piece of reasoning.Confessions
By Jonathan Teubner. 2017
St. Augustine’s Confessions is one of the most important works in the history of literature and Christian thought. Written around…
397, when Augustine was the Christian bishop of Hippo (in modern-day Algeria), the Confessions were designed both to spiritually educate those who already shared Augustine’s faith, and to convert those who did not. Augustine did this through the original maneuver of writing what is now recognized as being the first Western autobiography – letting readers share in his own experiences of youth, sin, and eventual conversion. The Confessions are a perfect example of using reasoning to subtly bring readers around to a particular point of view – with Augustine inviting them to accompany him on his own spiritual journey towards God so they could make their own conversion. Carefully structured, the Confessions run from describing the first 43 years of Augustine’s life in North Africa and Italy, to discussing the nature of memory, before moving on to analyzing the Bible itself. In order, the sections form a carefully structured argument, moving from the personal to the philosophical to the contemplative. In the hundreds of years since they were first published, theuy have persuaded hundreds of thousands of readers to recognize towards the same God that Augustine himself worshipped.Dialogue Concerning Natural Religion
By Ian Jackson, John Donaldson. 2017
David Hume’s Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion is a philosophical classic that displays a powerful mastery of the critical thinking skills…
of reasoning and evaluation. Hume’s subject, the question of the existence and possible nature of God, was, and still is, a persistent topic of philosophical and theological debate. What makes Hume’s text a classic of reasoning, though, is less what he says, than how he says it. As he noted in his preface to the book, the question of ‘natural religion’ was unanswerable: so ‘obscure and uncertain’ that ‘human reason can reach no fixed determination with regard to it.’ Hume chose, as a result, to cast his thoughts on the topic in the form of a dialogue – allowing different points of view to be reasoned out, evaluated and answered by different characters. Considering and judging different or opposing points of view, as Hume’s characters do, is an important part of reasoning, and is vital to building strong persuasive arguments. Even if, as Hume suggests, there can be no final answer to what a god might be like, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion shows high-level reasoning and evaluation at their best.Disbelief 101: A Young Person's Guide to Atheism
By Tom Flynn, S. C. Hitchcock. 2009
Filled with wit, humor, and clear metaphor, this exploration into atheism is written specifically for young adults, though any adult…
interested in learning more about atheism will find value within. Not just focused on atheism, this crash course in logical thinking addresses the issues of indoctrination, whether it be religious, political, or commercial, and makes the case that morality is created through reasoning and logic, not through divine communication. Many hot topics are touched upon, such as traditional arguments for God’s existence, the relationship of evolution and religious belief, the incompatible nature of science and religion, and the harmfulness of both Christianity and Islam.The Bay Psalm Book: The First Book Printed in British North America, 1640
By Zoltan Haraszti. 2016
The founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony came to the New World seeking religious freedom, and their first publication was…
a hymnal: The Bay Psalm Book, printed just twenty years after the Pilgrims' arrival. This book, with which the Pilgrims literally sang their praises to God, presents a translation of the Psalms from Hebrew, transposed into metrical rhyme for congregational singing. An instant success, the book was adopted throughout the colonies and remained in use for well over a century. Only eleven known original editions survive, one of which recently sold at auction for a record $14.2 million, making it the most expensive book in the world. This facsimile of a rare first edition includes a companion volume, The Enigma of the Bay Psalm Book, which provides an academic study of the psalter's history and contents. Both books are encompassed in this single volume, offering readers and collectors a personal edition of a major icon of book history and a great artifact of American culture.An Exhortation to Peace and Unity (Start Classics)
By John Bunyan. 2013
Beloved religion is the great bond of human society and it were well if itself were kept within…
the bond of unity and that it may so be let us according to the text use our utmost endeavours to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace These words contain a counsel and a caution the counsel is That we endeavour the unity of the Spirit the caution is That we do it in the bond of peace as if I should say I would have you live in unity but yet I would have you to be careful that you do not purchase unity with the breach of charity John Bunyan was an Christian writer preacher and Reformed BaptistThe First Rasta: Leonard Howell and the Rise of Rastafarianism
By Stephen Davis, Hélène Lee. 2003
Going far beyond the standard imagery of Rasta--ganja, reggae, and dreadlocks--this cultural history offers an uncensored vision of a movement…
with complex roots and the exceptional journey of a man who taught an enslaved people how to be proud and impose their culture on the world. In the 1920s Leonard Percival Howell and the First Rastas had a revelation concerning the divinity of Haile Selassie, king of Ethiopia, that established the vision for the most popular mystical movement of the 20th century, Rastafarianism. Although jailed, ridiculed, and treated as insane, Howell, also known as the Gong, established a Rasta community of 4,500 members, the first agro-industrial enterprise devoted to producing marijuana. In the late 1950s the community was dispersed, disseminating Rasta teachings throughout the ghettos of the island. A young singer named Bob Marley adopted Howell's message, and through Marley's visions, reggae made its explosion in the music world.Boomerang Joy: Joy That Goes Around, Comes Around
By Barbara Johnson. 1998
From his impoverished childhood to his feat of becoming one of the most successful entertainers of all time, this fascinating…
biography presents a memorable portrait of magician and escape artist Harry Houdini. Guidelines for 21 fun magic tricks are also provided, including how to stick a needle into a balloon without popping it, how to step through a note card, and how to make a coin vanish. Illustrating the science and logic behind many of Houdini's most notable acts, the magic-based activities also explain his famous Milk Can Escape through an accessible water displacement experiment and demonstrate simple mathematics with his Odd Number Trick. Touching on his time as an actor, an aviator, and possibly even a spy for the U.S. government, this thoroughly entertaining biography also features a time line, curriculum links for educators, and books and websites for further exploration.Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Their Lives and Ideas, 24 Activities (For Kids series)
By Carol Sabbeth. 2005
Children will find artistic inspiration as they learn about iconic artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in these imaginative and…
colorful activities. The art and ideas of Kahlo and Rivera are explored through projects that include painting a self-portrait Kahlo-style, creating a mural with a social message like Rivera, making a Day of the Dead ofrenda, and crafting an Olmec head carving. Vibrant illustrations throughout the book include Rivera's murals and paintings, Kahlo's dreamscapes and self-portraits, pre-Columbian art and Mexican folk art, as well as many photographs of the two artists. Children will learn that art is more than just pretty pictures; it can be a way to express the artist's innermost feelings, a source of everyday joy and fun, an outlet for political ideas, and an expression of hope for a better world. Sidebars will introduce children to other Mexican artists and other notable female artists. A time line, listings of art museums and places where Kahlo and Rivera's art can be viewed, and a list of relevant websites complete this cross-cultural art experience.The Book of Eternity
By Atem. 2016
A journey of discovery of the universe and of the self.'The Book Of Eternity' is a philosophy which is spiritual…
yet not religious; concise rather than verbose, and resonates with a part of us which is just beginning to awaken.A book not only to be read but to be experienced; and once experienced, never to be forgotten.Bread for the Journey
By Henri J. M. Nouwen. 1997
When beloved author Henri Nouwen set out to record this daybook of totally new reflections, he suddenly found himself on…
"a true spiritual adventure." For in these 366 original, interlocking morsels of daily wisdom, Nouwen provides both sustenance and a trail for us to follow, as he unveils, to his own surprise, his personal map of faith. From the delicate interplay of human experience to the surrender to Christ and the embrace of Christian community, that journey of Christian spirituality is explored and celebrated here in each eloquent, thought-provoking passage, "The table is one of the most intimate places in our lives. It is there that we give ourselves to one another. When we say, 'Take some more, let me serve you another plate, let me pour you another glass, don't be shy, enjoy it,' we say a lot more than our words express. We invite our friends to become part of our lives. We want them to be nurtured by the same food and drink that nurture us. We desire communion.... Every breakfast, lunch, or dinner can become a time of growing communion with one another." Intimately personal and inspiring, Bread for the Journey is a daily feast of fresh insight into the challenges and deep joys of a life lived in close communion with God. Nouwen is a wise, loving companion who invites us along as he finds joy in the community of loss, true freedom in forgiveness of others, and hope in surprising places. Each daily meditation is a stepping-stone along a path of private discovery, offering Nouwen's seasoned yet fresh ideas on kindness, love, suffering, and prayer, the Church as God's people, and the importance of Jesus in one's life-reflecting, as a whole, Nouwen's own 'personal creed.' Bread for the Journey brims with daily nourishment and guidance for devoted followers and new friends alike -- food for thought on a yearlong journey of discovery and faith.A First Cookbook for Children
By Christopher Santoro, Evelyne Johnson. 1983
Finally, a beginning cookbook designed especially for children -- and one that adds the fun of coloring to the joy…
of cooking. A First Cookbook for Children contains a wide variety of yummy, mouth-watering recipes that kids love and love to fix: cheeseburgers, chicken, pizza, salads, sauces, desserts, dips, and much more.Assuming no previous cooking experience, the author gently guides the reader from start to finish with special sections on muffins, cakes, meat loaf, chicken, dips & dunks, corn bread, scalloped potatoes, biscuits, salads, hamburgers, fish, cookies, macaroni & cheese, pancakes, candies, dressings, pizza, baked ham, crudités, and rice.Simple, easy-to-follow instructions plus clear explanations of ingredients and utensils take a child through each step of food preparation and actual cooking. A helpful introduction includes lists of necessary equipment and basic ingredients along with five sample menus. A fun first cookbook for kids ages 10 and up, this volume offers 60 sure-to-please recipes.The Gujarat Carnage
By Asghar Ali Engineer. 2003
In February 2002, 59 Hindu pilgrims were burnt alive in a rail coach at Godhra. The National Human Rights Commission…
investigated the episode. This is a compilation of reports, surveys, and other significant material on the carnage.City of the Good: Nature, Religion, and the Ancient Search for What Is Right
By Michael Mayerfield Bell. 2018
How we came to seek absolute good in religion and nature—and why that quest often leads us astrayPeople have long…
looked to nature and the divine as paths to the good. In this panoramic meditation on the harmonious life, Michael Mayerfeld Bell traces how these two paths came to be seen as separate from human ways, and how many of today’s conflicts can be traced back thousands of years to this ancient divide.Taking readers on a spellbinding journey through history and across the globe, Bell begins with the pagan view, which sees nature and the divine as entangled with the human—and not necessarily good. But the emergence of urban societies gave rise to new moral concerns about the political character of human life. Wealth and inequality grew, and urban people sought to justify their passions. In the face of such concerns, nature and the divine came to be partitioned from the human, and therefore seen to be good—but they also became absolute and divisive.Bell charts the unfolding of this new moral imagination in the rise of Buddhism, Christianity, Daoism, Hinduism, Jainism, and many other traditions that emerged with bourgeois life. He follows developments in moral thought, from the religions of the ancient Sumerians, Greeks, and Hebrews to the science and environmentalism of today, along the way visiting with contemporary indigenous people in South Africa, Costa Rica, and the United States. City of the Good urges us to embrace the plurality of our traditions—from the pagan to the bourgeois—and to guard against absolutism and remain open to difference and its endless creativity.Great American Artists for Kids: Hands-On Art Experiences in the Styles of Great American Masters
By Kim Solga, Maryann F. Kohl. 2008
Fun and easy art-appreciation activities abound in this resource that features 75 American artists from colonial times to the present.…
A brief biography for each artist tells why his or her work is important, and a kid-tested art activity tries out the artist's approach. For Georgia O'Keeffe, the activity is a desert painting; for Frederic Remington, a face cast; for Leroy Nieman, a sketch of athletes; and for James Whistler, a clay engraving. Projects stress the creative process and encourage kids to try unusual techniques such as block printing, soak-stain, and stone carving as they learn about architecture, drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture. A resource guide provides a glossary of art terms, a list that groups the artists by style, a list of the artists' birthdays, an index of art supplies, and websites for viewing art online.Myths of Creation
By Philip Freund. 2003
An exploration of mythology, religious belief, and scientific theory on the origins of the universe. A classic study of mythology,…
this examination investigates stories from all continents and ages--with all their startling similarities and contrasts--to reveal the workings of the human mind and imagination. Philip Freund provides revealing insight into the universality of ideas and faith by examining a wide range of texts such as the Old Testament, the Upanishads, and Gilgamesh in his search for parallels between creation fables. The analysis estimates, for example, that more than 500 flood legends have been told by more than 250 tribes and peoples from around the world. Also featured are clear presentations of the theories of towering figures such as Freud, Jung, Frazer, Campbell, and Malinowski who have proposed variously that myths are primitive history based on literal fact, a means of expressing profound tribal wisdom and psychological and sexual truth, or that they represent a search for kinship with the animal and vegetable world. Fascinating and erudite, this revered book ranks among the select handful of core texts in any mythology collection.A Theology of Liberation
By Jonathan Teubner, Marthe Hesselmans. 2017
Peruvian priest Gustavo Gutiérrez wanted to solve the problem of how the church could conduct itself to improve the lives…
of the poor, while consistently positioning itself as politically neutral. Despite being a deeply religious man, Gutiérrez was extremely troubled by the lukewarm way in which Christians in general, and the Catholic Church in particular, acknowledged and supported the poor. In A Theology of Liberation, he asked what he knew was an awkward question, and came to an awkward answer: the Church cannot separate itself from economic and political realities. Jesus showed his love for the poor in practical ways – healing the sick, feeding the hungry, liberating the oppressed. His example showed Gutierrez that economic, political, social and spiritual development are all deeply connected. His problem-solving prowess then led him to conclude that the church had to become politically active if it was to confront poverty and oppression across the world. For Gutierrez, the lives of the poor and oppressed directly reflect the divine life of God.