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The Desert Fathers were the first Christian monks, living in solitude in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. In…
contrast to the formalised and official theology of the "founding fathers" of the church, the Desert Fathers were ordinary Christians who chose to renounce the world and live lives of celibacy, fasting, vigil, prayer and poverty in direct and simple response to the gospel. Their sayings were first recorded in the 4th century and consist of spiritual advice, anecdotes and parables. The Desert Fathers' teachings and lives have inspired poetry, opera and art, as well as providing spiritual nourishment and a template for monastic life.The Consequences of Love
By Gavanndra Hodge. 2020
The must-read memoir about the dazzling days and dark nights of a Chelsea childhood . . .'Brilliant and moving' The…
Times'Dazzling' Evening Standard'Beautifully written' Marian Keyes'Unflinchingly honest Sunday Times'Superbly written' Guardian'A triumph' i_______Her father was a hairdresser to the rich and famous - he was also their drug dealer.Her mother was an alcoholic fashion model.Her days and nights were non-stop parties - she spent them taking care of her little sister and putting out naked flames.And when her sister dies aged nine, Gavanndra is left alone with her grief. Growing up in the dazzling days and dark nights of her parents' social lives, surviving means fitting into their dysfunctional world, while stopping the family from falling apart . . ._________'A redemptive tale of an emotional reckoning' i'This story will stay with you long after you put the book down' Emma Gannon'There are scenes that will reduce you to tears, but there's also humour, forgiveness and uplifting optimism. By the end of this dazzling debut you just want to give her a huge cheer for coming through' Evening Standard'A masterful writer with a gift for storytelling' iCrossing the Line: Losing Your Mind as an Undercover Cop
By Christian Plowman. 2013
As he rose through the ranks of various departments of the Metropolitan Police, Christian Plowman dreamt of being an undercover…
cop. When he finally achieved his ambition, becoming one an elite group of officers, the reality of covert work turned his life into a nightmare.To catch criminals, Christian bought and sold drugs with taxpayers’ money, been beaten up, arrested at gunpoint and barricaded in a pub by a gang of marauding gypsies – all in a day’s work. At one stage, he was running almost a dozen mobile phones to keep track of his different identities and had so many aliases that he nearly forgot who he was. He put his life on the line for the job but was to find that being the ‘best of the best’ wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. The pressure became so intense that he even contemplated suicide.Crossing the Line is a visceral, gripping account of what it really takes to be an undercover cop. It exposes how the Met conducts its business behind the scenes and reveals the harsh realities of modern covert police work.The Crossing: My journey to the shattered heart of Syria
By Samar Yazbek. 2015
'ONE OF THE FIRST POLITICAL CLASSICS OF THE 21st CENTURY'- Observer'EXTRAORDINARILY POWERFUL, POIGNANT AND AFFECTING. I WAS GREATLY MOVED' Michael…
PalinFOREWORD BY CHRISTINA LAMBJournalist Samar Yazbek was forced into exile by Assad's regime. When the uprising in Syria turned to bloodshed, she was determined to take action and secretly returned several times. The Crossing is her rare, powerful and courageous testament to what she found inside the borders of her homeland.From the first peaceful protests for democracy to the arrival of ISIS, she bears witness to those struggling to survive, to the humanity that can flower amidst annihilation, and why so many are now desperate to flee.The Kabbalah is a practical system for understanding ourselves and our relationship with the world. At the heart of the…
Western Mystery Tradition, it is based upon a 'map' called the Tree of Life.The Complete Guide to the Kabbalah reveals the ancient mysteries of the Tree of Life in a way that is exciting, effective in its applications, and relevant to our modern everyday lives. The blend of traditional teachings coupled with state-of-the-art psychological understanding makes it an essential book for everyone interested in their own personal and spiritual development. This comprehensive book explains in straightforward terms how the Kabbalah can help us to:- Understand the connections between all the different events, ideas, and relationships we experience, and thereby make sense of life and enable us to live it to the full- Work from the heart as well as from the intellect and apply your insights to everyday life- Open yourself to the fabulous resources of your own inner wisdomCity of God
By Saint Augustine. 1984
City of God is an enduringly significant work in the history of Christian thought, by one of its central figuresWritten…
as an eloquent defence of the faith at a time when the Roman Empire was on the brink of collapse, this great theological and philosophical work by St Augustine, bishop of Hippo, examines the ancient pagan religions of Rome, the arguments of the Greek philosophers and the revelations of the Bible. Pointing the way forward to a citizenship that transcends worldly politics and will last for eternity, City of God is one of the most influential documents in the development of Christianity.Translated with Notes by Henry Bettenson with an Introduction by G. R. EvansThe Cistercian World: Monastic Writings of the Twelfth Century
By Pauline Matarasso. 1993
The Cistercian Order was born in Burgundy at the start of the twelfth century as a movement of radical renewal…
- an Order that survives to this day with the greater part of its written heritage preserved. This volume brings together a selection of its finest works, which speak powerfully across the centuries to modern readers. Writings by St Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153) - including his letters, The Life of Malachy the Irishman, sermons on the Song of Songs and the sharply satirical Apologia for Abbot William - reveal him to be a highly individual and influential writer of the Middle Ages. Also included here are a charming description of Clairvaux, biographies of abbots and a series of exemplary stories, all drawing on the Scriptures to express intensely personal forms of monastic theology.The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English
By Dr Geza Vermes. 2004
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Judaean desert between 1947 and 1956 transformed our understanding of the…
Hebrew Bible, early Judaism and the origins of Christianity. These extraordinary manuscripts appear to have been hidden in the caves at Quumran by members of the Essene community, a Jewish sect in existence before and during the time of Jesus. Some sixty years after the Scrolls' first discovery, this revised and much expanded edition of The Dead Sea Scrolls in English crowns a lifetime of research by the great Qumran scholar Geza Vermes.As well as superb translations of all non-biblical texts sufficiently well preserved to be rendered into English, there are also a number of previously unpublished texts, and a new preface.Since its first publication in 1962, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English has established itself as the standard English translation of the non-Biblical Qumran Scrolls and as giving an astonishing insight to the organization, customs, history and beliefs of the community responsible for them. This edition will contain new material, together with extensive new introductory material and notes.The Common Years
By Jilly Cooper Obe. 1999
During the ten years she lived at the edge of Putney Common Jilly Cooper walked daily on this expanse of…
green. For most of the time she lived there she kept a diary, noting the effects of the changing seasons and writing about her encounters with dogs and humans. The book is a distillation of those diaries: an affectionate and enthralling portrait - warts and all - of life on Putney Common. Never has Jilly Cooper written more lyrically about flowers, trees, birds and the natural world; more tellingly about the sorrows - as well as the joys - of caring for dogs and children; or more outrageously about the gossip, illicit romances and jealousies of life in a small community.The Cloud of Unknowing and Other Works
By A. Spearing. 2001
Contains The Cloud of Unknowing, The Mystical Theology of Saint Denis, The Book of Privy Counselling, and An Epistle on…
Prayer. Against a tradition of devotional writings which focussed on knowing God through Christ's Passion and his humanity, these texts describe a transcendent God who exists beyond human knowledge and human language. These four texts are at the heart of medival mystical theology in their call for contemplation, calm, and above all, love, as the way to understand the Divine.Christmas at the Ragdoll Orphanage
By Suzanne Lambert. 2013
Discover a magical true story of the power of love and motherhood . . . 'Filled with warmth and love,…
and is so life-affirming' 5***** reader reviewTwo-week-old Suzanne was left at the door of Nazareth House orphanage - abandoned by the very people who should have given her the love, protection and care she desperately needed. But when Nancy - the orphanage nanny - held Suzanne in her arms and looked into her eyes, she felt a magical bond. It seemed that a guardian angel had brought them both together. Yet their future looked uncertain. Would Nancy ever be allowed to adopt tiny Suzanne? And could their love endure all that the years ahead were to send them? A tear-jerking and unforgettable story about the struggles and joys of parenthood and childhood, and how, for an orphan, having somewhere to call home makes every day feel like Christmas. ____________'A fantastic read' 5***** reader review 'Lovingly portrayed' 5***** reader review'Well written, funny and very moving' 5***** reader reviewThe Celtic Shaman
By John Matthews. 2001
Probably the oldest known spiritual discipline, shamanism is the timeless art of living in harmony with creation, providing a universal…
system to work with today, whatever our religion or spiritual affiliation may be. A reflection of a living tradition with a supremely practical approach to life, it teaches skills for living and ways to utilize latent abilities which we all possess. Celtic Shamanism derives from the native traditions of North-West Europe. The shamanic contribution of the Celts and their predecessors has been overlooked until recently, and is one of the last shamanic traditions to be explored. While it shares common elements with American, Australian and Siberian teachings, it derives entirely from Celtic source material. The Celtic Shaman offers a varied and easily followed plan of self-tuition for anyone interested in Celtic mythology and the Western mysteries.The story of Catholicism in Britain from the Reformation to the present day, from a master of popular history –…
'A first-class storyteller' The TimesThroughout the three hundred years that followed the Act of Supremacy – which, by making Henry VIII head of the Church, confirmed in law the breach with Rome – English Catholics were prosecuted, persecuted and penalised for the public expression of their faith. Even after the passing of the emancipation acts Catholics were still the victims of institutionalised discrimination. The first book to tell the story of the Catholics in Britain in a single volume, The Catholics includes much previously unpublished information. It focuses on the lives, and sometimes deaths, of individual Catholics – martyrs and apostates, priests and laymen, converts and recusants. It tells the story of the men and women who faced the dangers and difficulties of being what their enemies still call ‘Papists’. It describes the laws which circumscribed their lives, the political tensions which influenced their position within an essentially Anglican nation and the changes in dogma and liturgy by which Rome increasingly alienated their Protestant neighbours – and sometime even tested the loyalty of faithful Catholics.The survival of Catholicism in Britain is the triumph of more than simple faith. It is the victory of moral and spiritual unbending certainty. Catholicism survives because it does not compromise. It is a characteristic that excites admiration in even a hardened atheist.Castles in the Air is a beautifully written, autobiographical story of rescuing an ancient mansion. Gwydir Castle was inhabited by…
ravers and rats until Judy Corbett and her husband Peter Welford found and acquired this 500-year-old house mouldering in the foothills of Snowdonia. Despite the toads, strange smells and squatters, they decided to mortgage themselves to the hilt to bring the castle back to life.This is an evocatively written and genuinely moving book and is infused with an extraordinary sense of place. The couple's adventures in a gothic wonderland lead them through plots both supernatural and historical. In a museum storeroom in a Bronx warehouse they find a missing room, in the castle's Solar Tower the ghost of a young woman appears and from the far edges of the woods a silent man called Sven emerges to befriend the couple and their beloved castle.For everyone who has ever wanted to live in a glorious house or escape from the mundanity of life - Castles in the Air is pure magic.Call Me Red: A shepherd’s journey
By Hannah Jackson. 2021
Sunday Times bestsellerLessons to live by, without getting up with the lark Hannah Jackson (aka The Red Shepherdess) grew up…
in the Wirral, and hadn't set foot on a farm until she was 20-years-old. But she'd always loved animals and on a visit to the Lake District, she saw a lamb being born and had a light bulb moment - a burning desire to succeed as a farmer - and never looked back.In Tales of a Shepherdess, Hannah gives us a unique insight into farm life and the values it has taught her that we can use in our everyday lives to change ourselves and our world for the better - from connection, communication and community, to leadership, patience and resilience. Hannah will show us how becoming a lambing and farming contractor in a male-dominated and traditional world taught her grit and determination; how training her loyal sheepdog Fraser taught her to trust; and how sometimes failure can teach us more about ourselves than success. Hannah's journey also teaches us how we should find what sets our hearts on fire and throw everything into it.Hannah's simple and universal wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement will inspire you to achieve your goals, follow your dreams and focus on what's really important in life.Ireland 1973: a very different world. But a tiny village in County Dublin was about to lose its innocence for…
ever. On a bright and sunny June afternoon, a seven-year-old boy was left in the care of his teenage neighbour. No one knew, or would even have dreamed of suspecting, that the teenager was a Satanist. The two went out to the fields to look for rabbits. The child was never seen alive again. For the first time, in The Boy in the Attic, David Malone reveals the exact events of that summer day: how the youngster was lured to his death, how the teenager came to delve so deeply into the occult and the nightmarish scene awaiting police when they entered the attic.But there is another disturbing question - how is it that this murder, which was easily one of the most shocking and horrific in living memory, was barely reported upon at all? Why have you never heard of the boy in the attic until now?Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading
By Lucy Mangan. 2018
A love letter to the joys of childhood reading from Wonderland to Narnia.When Lucy Mangan was little, stories were everything.…
They opened up new worlds and cast light on all the complexities she encountered in this one.She was whisked away to Narnia - and Kirrin Island - and Wonderland. She ventured down rabbit holes and womble burrows into midnight gardens and chocolate factories. She wandered the countryside with Milly-Molly-Mandy, and played by the tracks with the Railway Children. With Charlotte's Web she discovered Death and with Judy Blume it was Boys. No wonder she only left the house for her weekly trip to the library or to spend her pocket money on amassing her own at home.In Bookworm, Lucy revisits her childhood reading with wit, love and gratitude. She relives our best-beloved books, their extraordinary creators, and looks at the thousand subtle ways they shape our lives. She also disinters a few forgotten treasures to inspire the next generation of bookworms and set them on their way.Lucy brings the favourite characters of our collective childhoods back to life - prompting endless re-readings, rediscoveries, and, inevitably, fierce debate - and brilliantly uses them to tell her own story, that of a born, and unrepentant, bookworm.'Passionate, witty, informed, and gloriously opinionated' Jacqueline Wilson author of The Story of Tracy BeakerA Book of Uncommon Prayer
By Theo Dorgan. 2007
A Book of Uncommon Prayer is a collection of spiritual and devotional texts, drawn from both inside and outside the…
limits of the world's religious traditions. Intended for believers and non-believers alike, it is organized with attention to the occasions of prayer, prayerful thought, and meditation. A Book of Uncommon Prayer is built around the idea that in an age marked at once by religious violence and the falling away of orthodox religious observance in the wealthy countries of the West, genuine spiritual curiosity is on the rise, and may be fed by a book that recognizes - and demonstrates - the universality of prayer.'This anthology offers rewarding material, well researched, often surprising and infinitely worthwhile' Irish Times'This excellent Penguin edition should rest handily within reach of anybody with an interest in the mystical or the ethereal' Sunday TribuneThe Book of Magic: From Antiquity to the Enlightenment
By Brian Copenhaver. 2015
'. . . as when iron is drawn to a magnet, camphor is sucked into hot air, crystal lights up…
in the Sun, sulfur and a volatile liquid are kindled by flame, an empty eggshell filled with dew is raised towards the Sun . . .'An odd feature of the Bible is that it is full of stories featuring forms of magic and possession - from Joseph battling with Pharaoh's wizards to the supernatural actions of Jesus and his disciples. As, over the following centuries, the Christian church attempted to stamp out 'deviant' practices, there was a persistent interest in magic that drew strength from this Biblical validation. A strange blend of mumbo-jumbo, fraud and deeply serious study, magic was central to the European Renaissance, fascinating many of its greatest figures. Brian Copenhaver's wonderful anthology will be welcomed by everyone from those with the most casual interest in the magical tradition to anyone drawn to the Renaissance and the tangled, arcane roots of the scientific tradition.A Book for Her
By Bridget Christie. 2015
Bridget Christie is a stand-up comedian, idiot and feminist. On the 30th of April 2012, a man farted in the…
Women’s Studies Section of a bookshop and it changed her life forever. A Book For Her details Christie’s twelve years of anonymous toil in the bowels of stand-up comedy and the sudden epiphany that made her, unbelievably, one of the most critically acclaimed British stand-up comedians this decade, drawing together the threads that link a smelly smell in the women’s studies section to the global feminist struggle. Find out how nice Peter Stringfellow’s fish tastes, how yoghurt advertising perpetuates rape myths, and how Emily Bronte used a special ladies’ pen to write Wuthering Heights.If you’re interested in comedy and feminism, then this is definitely the book for you. If you hate both then I’d probably give it a miss. “Christie is adept at turning on a sixpence between being comical, or serious, or both at once, and at pricking her own earnestness.” Telegraph‘Christie piles derision and tomfoolery upon everyday sexism, while never pretending that jokes alone will solve the problem.’ Guardian