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Showing 1 - 20 of 22474 items
By R. Howard Bloch. 2022
For history readers, travelers, and scholars alike, an indispensable behind-the-scenes guide to the great cathedrals of Paris. “So infectious is…
R. Howard Bloch’s passion for his subject that even those unable to do the traveling required will find in Paris and Her Cathedrals an inspiring guide to these time-hallowed masterpieces of medieval culture.” —Colin Jones, author of Paris and The Great Nation Over the years, R. Howard Bloch has become renowned for the insider tours of Paris that he gives to students abroad. Long sought after by travelers and history buffs for his near-encyclopedic knowledge of French cathedrals, the eminent French literature scholar finally shares his expertise with a wider audience. In Paris and Her Cathedrals, six of the most sublime cathedrals in the penumbra of Paris—Saint-Denis, Notre-Dame, Chartres, Sainte-Chapelle, Amiens, Reims—are illumined in magnificent detail as Bloch, taking us from the High Middle Ages to the devastating fire that set Notre-Dame ablaze in 2019, traces the evolution of each in turn. Written from the premise that “seeing is enhanced by knowing,” each chapter is organized along the lines of a walk around and then through the space of the cathedral, such that the actual or virtual visitor feels the rich sweep of the church, “the essence of these architectural wonders” (Antonia Felix). Animating the past with lush evocations of architectural splendor—from flying buttresses and jewel-encrusted shrines to hidden burial grounds and secret chambers—Bloch then contextualizes the cathedrals within the annals of French history. Here thrilling tales of kingly intrigue—as in Saint-Chapelle, where the pious King Louis IX amassed relics, including Christ’s crown of thorns—and audacious abbots are interspersed with anecdotes about the meeting of aristocratic and everyday life, culminating in “a rich, colorful narrative that clearly but expertly explains the history and symbolism of some of the world’s most magnificent buildings” (Ross King). To be read in preparation for an enlightened visit or merely to open a window upon the High Middle Ages in France, Paris and Her Cathedrals is a “revelation,” an “indispensable guide” (Garry Wills) to these awe-inspiring structures. Complete with the author’s own photographs, this beautifully illustrated volume vitally enhances our understanding of the history of Paris and its environs.By Jay Williams. 2016
New York Times BestsellerThis big-hearted memoir by the most promising professional basketball player of his generation details his rise to…
NBA stardom, the terrible accident that ended his career and plunged him into a life-altering depression, and how he ultimately found his way out of the darkness.Ten years ago, Jay Williams was at the beginning of a brilliant professional basketball career. The Chicago Bulls’ top draft pick—and the second pick of the entire draft—he had the great Michael Jordan’s locker. Then he ran his high-performance motorcycle head-on into a light pole, severely damaging himself and ending his career.In this intense, hard-hitting, and deeply profound memoir, Williams talks about the accident that transformed him. Sometimes, the memories are so fresh, he feels like he’ll never escape the past. Most days, he finds a quiet peace as a commentator on ESPN and as an entrepreneur who can only look back in astonishment at his younger self—a kid who had it all, thought he was invincible, and lost everything . . . only to gain new wisdom.Williams also shares behind the scenes details of life as an All-American. He tells it straight about the scandalous recruiting process and his decision to return to Duke and Coach K—a man who taught him about accountability—to finish his education. He also speaks out about corruption—among coaches, administrators, players, and alumni—and about his time in the NBA, introducing us to a dark underworld culture in the pros: the gambling, drugs, and sex in every city, with players on every team.By Sister Joan Chittister. 1990
By Terry Lynn Taylor, Mary Beth Crain. 1999
From the authors of the bestselling Angel Wisdom comes a book for everyone who wants to transform fear into courage…
and despair into hope. This delightful book shows us how to learn from our experiences and live every day with the grace and joy of the angels. With a year's worth of daily meditations, Angel Courage offers fresh wisdom for confronting life's difficulties, both large and small-from stress at work to quarrels and letdowns, guilt and regrets, grief and grudges. Each day's reading features a thought-provoking quote, ideas for reflection, exercises, and an inspiring angel blessing. The authors encourage us to learn to love ourselves no matter what mistakes we've made. "May you always make mistakes," they advise, "just not the same ones." The wisdom of the angels shows us how to laugh at ourselves, live in the moment, put our energy into productive activities, and follow the timing of our hearts by using our own angel courage to greet each day with authenticity and love.By Jonathan Morris. 2014
FOX News religion analyst, program director of the Catholic Channel on SiriusXM radio, and bestselling author Father Jonathan Morris reveals…
how the Serenity Prayer offers a sure path to peace and fulfillment for everyone, not just those in recovery programs. The Serenity Prayer states:Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,The courage to change the things I can,And the wisdom to know the difference.Exploring the prayer phrase by phrase, Morris shows the hope that can be found by gaining a deeper spiritual understanding of its words and by practicing its message. Enlightening and profound, The Way of Serenity includes moving narratives, illuminating historical anecdotes, and pertinent biblical passages that demonstrate the power of the Serenity Prayer to help us grow closer to God and find greater peace and happiness.When Muhammad Ali met Joe Frazier in Manila for their third fight, their rivalry had spun out of control. The…
Ali-Frazier matchup had become a madness, inflamed by the media and the politics of race. When the "Thrilla in Manila" was over, one man was left with a ruin of a life; the other was battered to his soul. Mark Kram covered that fight for Sports Illustrated in an award-winning article. Now his riveting book reappraises the boxers -- who they are and who they were. And in a voice as powerful as a heavyweight punch, Kram explodes the myths surrounding each fighter, particularly Ali. A controversial, no-holds-barred account, Ghosts of Manila ranks with the finest boxing books ever written.By Scott Howard-Cooper. 2021
"Thrilling." —Publishers Weekly (starred) | "Riveting." —Library Journal (starred) | "A fascinating look at a fascinating life." —Roland Lazenby, author…
of Michael JordanThe definitive biography of Steve Kerr, the championship-winning basketball player and head coach of the record-breaking Golden State WarriorsFew individuals have had a career as storied, and improbable, as Steve Kerr. He has won eight NBA titles—five as a player and three as a coach—for three different franchises. He played alongside the best players of a generation, from Michael Jordan to Shaquille O’Neal to Tim Duncan, and learned the craft of basketball under four legendary coaches. He was an integral part of two famed NBA dynasties. Perhaps no other figure in basketball history has had a hand in such greatness.In Steve Kerr, award-winning sports journalist Scott Howard-Cooper uncovers the fascinating life story of a basketball legend. Kerr did not follow a traditional path to the NBA. He was born in Beirut to two academics and split his childhood between California and the Middle East. Though he was an impressive shooter, the undersized Kerr garnered almost no attention from major college programs, managing only at the last moment to snag the final scholarship at the University of Arizona. Then, during his freshman season at Arizona, tragedy struck. His father, Malcolm, then the president of the American University of Beirut, was assassinated in Lebanon by terrorists. Forged by the crucible of this family saga, Steve went on to chart an unparalleled life in basketball, on the court and on the sidelines.The only coach other than Red Auerbach to lead a team to the Finals five consecutive seasons, Kerr seems destined for the Basketball Hall of Fame. Steve Kerr is his incredible story, offering insights into the man and what it takes to be—and make—a champion. Drawing upon Scott Howard-Cooper’s years covering Warriors, deep archival research, and original interviews with more than one hundred of the central characters in Kerr’s life, this is basketball biography at its finest.By Boria Majumdar. 2024
A social media trial can break you. There were 100,000 tweets of abuse for days on end, all premised on…
a set of untruths pushed by someone hugely powerful because he had played for the national team. Against the entitled, I never stood a chance. The online trial forced me and the family to draw on every last bit of inner strength, and yet left permanent scars. Having served the ban, I wanted closure in the form of this book. But no one knows better that there will never be a full stop. I will not get back the two years of opportunities that I lost, or the days and evenings when I was almost a stranger to my daughter. For two years, my wife and I never had a quiet dinner where we could just relax. There was not one evening when we didn&’t discuss the issue and the book. Which outsider can quantify the impact it had on the mental health of my family? On my wife, my mother, my sister and my daughter? I became cynical about a number of things, and it will be tough to change that. Writing this book and putting the truth out there has drained and exhausted me. The truth is that the falsehoods piled up against me, ratified by all-knowing social media trolls, changed my life and that of my family. There is no going back to what we were. This was our Long Covid.By Eric Metaxas. 2024
Christianity is not about rituals but changed hearts. In the prophetic tradition of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Eric Metaxas calls slumbering Christians…
to battle.Picking up where he left off in his electrifying Letter to the American Church, Eric Metaxas renews and deepens his call to believers not to &“practice&” their faith but to live it—heroically and with joy. Invoking famous but misunderstood words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he shows that God&’s answer to evil is &“religionless Christianity&”—the rejection of religiosity and the embrace of a living and active faith, one that consumes the whole person and affects every aspect of his life. The awakening of this faith will bring revival, a &“new birth of freedom&” and a renaissance of Christian culture.By David B. Perrin. 2024
Studying Christian Spirituality proposes a framework to discover how spirituality can be understood beyond the conventional boundaries that religions have…
established.Its nine chapters discuss a wide variety of issues and questions, which include: definitions of spirituality; the impact of models of God; human-spiritual development; the importance of context; historical criticism; anthropology; interpretation of texts and art; and examples of spiritual practice. David B. Perrin clearly explains the traditional relationships between Christian spirituality and theology and history. He also proposes greater connections with the human sciences, such as philosophy, psychology, phenomenology, and sociology, and reshapes the classical approaches to Christian spirituality, its texts, practices, and experience.This interdisciplinary volume is an essential reference for scholars and students at all levels who desire to develop a deeper understanding of Christian spirituality’s research methods, and its relevance to the world today.The French philosopher-mystic-activist Simone Weil (1909–1943) has drawn both passionate admiration and scornful dismissal since her early death and the…
posthumous publication of her writings. She has also provoked an extraordinary range of literary writing focused on not only her ideas but also her person: novels, nonfiction, and especially poetry. Given the challenges of Weil’s ethic of self-emptying attention, what accounts for her appeal, especially among women writers?This book tells the story of some of Weil’s most dedicated—and at points surprising—literary conversation partners, exploring why writers with varied political and religious commitments have found her thought and life so resonant. Cynthia R. Wallace considers authors who have devoted decades of attention to Weil, such as Adrienne Rich, Annie Dillard, and Mary Gordon, and who have written poetic sequences or book-length verse biographies of Weil, including Maggie Helwig, Stephanie Strickland, Kate Daniels, Sarah Klassen, Anne Carson, and Lorri Neilsen Glenn. She illuminates how writing to, of, and in the tradition of Weil has helped these writers grapple with the linked harms and possibilities of religious belief, self-giving attention, and the kind of moral seriousness required by the ethical and political crises of late modernity. The first book to trace Weil’s influence on Anglophone literature, The Literary Afterlives of Simone Weil provides new ways to understand Weil’s legacy and why her provocative wisdom continues to challenge and inspire writers and readers.By Timothy Keller. 2024
Join bestselling author and pastor Timothy Keller in an eight-week video Bible study on the gospel and how to live…
it out in all aspects of life—from your community to the world at large.The Gospel in Life video Bible study (video streaming code included) begins with the city, your home now: the world that is. The final week closes with the theme of the eternal city, your heavenly home: the world that is to come.Throughout this eight-week ascent—from earthly work to the final revelation of grace—you&’ll learn how the gospel can change your heart, your community, and how you can live as a disciple of Jesus Christ in this world, right now, even as you look forward to the promise we have in him. Discover how grace really does change everything.Sessions and video run times:City – The World That Is (11:30)Heart – Three Ways to Live (12:00)Idolatry – The Sin Beneath the Sin (12:00)Community – The Context for Change (11:30)Witness – An Alternate City (11:30)Work – Cultivating the Garden (11:30)Justice – A People for Others (12:30)Eternity – The World That Is to Come (11:00) This study guide has everything you need for a full Bible study experience, including:The study guide itself—with discussion and reflection questions, video notes, and a leader's guide.An individual access code to stream all video sessions online. (You don&’t need to buy a DVD!)Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2028. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.By Jane Hird. 2024
When Jonah hears God’s divine call to travel abroad but goes his own way, an exciting true adventure unfolds. Get…
swept up in the story of how Jonah gets into and out of trouble on his disobedient journey, and what providential events follow.By Tom Berlin, Mark A. Miller. 2023
On the third day, he rose again.In The Third Day: Living the Resurrection, Tom Berlin uses his gifts of storytelling…
and understanding the Scriptures to connect the reader to the experiences of several individuals around Jesus in his final days, focusing on new life and redemption rather than loss.Join Peter, Mary Magdalene, and Thomas as they feel the despair of losing Jesus and the surprise and joy that awaits them in the resurrection. This study traces events around these characters, along with Paul and the disciples at Emmaus, and how the resurrection transforms their lives.The book can be read alone or used for a six-week group study and church-wide Lenten program. Components include a comprehensive Leader Guide and video teaching sessions featuring Tom (with closed captioning).By Magrey DeVega, Sam McGlothlin, Jevon Caldwell-Gross, Susan Robb. 2023
Be part of something more.We are hungry for a sense of purpose, direction, and calling in our lives. That’s as…
basic an ingredient to the human experience as they come. We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We want to participate in something that has eternal merit and lasting impact. We do not want to live a shallow, hollow existence. We yearn for deeper meaning, for deeper purpose within our lives. We want to be more than we are.In On Purpose: Finding God’s Voice in Your Passion, authors Magrey deVega, Sam McGlothlin, Jevon Caldwell-Gross, and Susan Robb help us see God's purpose for our lives, how to open ourselves to God's voice, and how to take the first or next step to follow God's call. Reading this book and exploring life choices alongside others, individuals will learn how to channel their passions, hear God’s voice, and live the life they were meant to live.To support reading in a group, resources including a full leader’s guide and DVD with four teaching sessions are also available.By Josh Scott. 2023
Read the Bible for the first time – again. In Bible Stories for Grown-Ups: Reading Scripture with New Eyes pastor…
Josh Scott looks at familiar Bible stories and reveals new details and interpretations for an adult audience. This six-week Bible study will consider stories many read as children including Noah's Ark, the binding of Isaac, Jonah and the big fish, Jesus and Zacchaeus, Jesus healing a blind man, and the parable of the talents. Scott reimagines these stories and opens new visions for readers to understand well known pieces of Scripture in our current cultural environment.The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the six-week study, including session plans, activities, discussion questions, and multiple format options. Additional components include the book, Bible Stories for Grown-Up, and video teaching sessions featuring Josch Scott, making this perfect as a group study throughout the year.By Charley Reeb. 2023
The local pastor’s go-to resource for weekly sermon planning.The Abingdon Preaching Annual 2024 is lectionary-based and follows the calendar year…
(January - December). It includes special days like Maundy Thursday and Ash Wednesday, and indexes for scriptures and themes, to assist preachers with non-lectionary sermons.Each entry begins with a preacher-to-preacher prayer for preparation, then moves to the key feature: a commentary on one or more texts for the week, exploring themes and storylines, theological reflections, and thoughts about how the text and topic relate to our lives today. Also included are ideas for bringing the text to life--stories, illustrations, ideas for further reading, questions the preacher might pose to the congregation, and suggestions for a ‘call to action’ in response to the message.Finally, for the preacher’s ongoing enrichment, the Annual includes excerpts from new books on preaching and homiletics. This helpful resource is written by every-week preachers who aim to come alongside you, offering a reliable starting point for your sermonic planning, writing, and delivery.By Mark. K. Olson. 1998
John Wesley’s Doctrine of Justification provides updated scholarship on this pivotal doctrine of Methodism, providing a deeper understanding of a…
major tenet of the Christian faith. Mark Olson offers a comprehensive treatment of the development and exposition of Wesley’s doctrine of justification and how it changed throughout Wesley’s life, including his early views rooted in Anglican heritage, the significant developments in Wesley’s career, and contributions from notable figures like John Fletcher to his doctrine of general justification.The doctrine of justification was pivotal to John Wesley’s understanding of a person’s relationship with God. In Wesley’s view, it defined one of the two general parts of salvation. It touched every aspect of the spiritual journey from birth (general justification) to conversion (present justification) to final judgment and glory (final justification). To properly understand Wesley’s via salutis and theology, one needs to grasp the particulars of his doctrine of justification. The best way to do this is to tell the story of how he came to understand the doctrine over the course of his life. It is a complex story, with many twists and turns, that deserves to be fully told.By Sue Mink. 2023
Grow your faith. Transform your life.Cultivate a deeper relationship with God through Adult Bible Studies. This resource, endorsed by the…
Curriculum Resources Committee of The United Methodist Church, offers a year-round, weekly Bible study plan for Sunday school classes and other small groups.Each weekly lesson offers background and focal Scriptures, key verses, and doctrinallysound and relevant biblical interpretation and application in a readable font size.Annual plans provide comprehensive coverage of the Bible, special lessons during the church seasons of Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter, and suggestions for developingspiritual practices such as prayer, worship, community, and service, among manyothers. Adult Bible Studies is a reliable companion and guide for learning and growing in Christian faith.With the help of the Adult Bibles Studies Student Book, and DVD, your group will embrace that it’s not just about learning - it’s about living out biblical teachings.Summer 2024 Theme: Finding BalanceThis summer, our Bible lessons follow the theme “Finding Balance.” They look at the concepts of work, rest, and celebration from a theological and biblical perspective and challenge us to find a balance among the three. The teacher book writer is Greg Weeks.Visit AdultBibleStudies.com and sign up for the weekly newsletter to automatically receive the FREE Current Events Supplement and other information about these resources and more!By Matt Miofsky. 2023
Daily prayer the Wesleyan wayPrayer is a spiritual practice, and daily prayer uses the repetition of forms and words to…
cultivate a deep, meaningful ritual, drawing the individual into an ever-closer relationship with God. This book is organized by liturgical season, but is undated, so the individual is free to begin using it at any point during the year. The book is concise and easy to use and includes the words of scripture and other necessary text. It is a simple, frictionless tool for spiritual health. The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer provides complete texts for Morning Prayers and Evening Prayers, with a new set of texts for each week of the year. Each week is anchored in its liturgical season: Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Eastertide, Pentecost, Sow & Rest (Ordinary Time), and Harvest & Create (Ordinary Time).Each set of prayers centers on a scripture passage, with an emphasis on the Psalms. The prayers draw from familiar historic, classic, and ancient Christian texts, and from Methodism’s rich hymnody. They also feature fresh, original words from new writers. This book facilitates deep daily connection with God--a method for spiritual sustenance.