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Encountering Islam on the First Crusade
By Nicholas Morton. 2016
The First Crusade (1095–9) has often been characterised as a head-to-head confrontation between the forces of Christianity and Islam. For…
many, it is the campaign that created a lasting rupture between these two faiths. Nevertheless, is such a characterisation borne out by the sources? Engagingly written and supported by a wealth of evidence, Encountering Islam on the First Crusade offers a major reinterpretation of the crusaders' attitudes towards the Arabic and Turkic peoples they encountered on their journey to Jerusalem. Nicholas Morton considers how they interpreted the new peoples, civilizations and landscapes they encountered; sights for which their former lives in Western Christendom had provided little preparation. Morton offers a varied picture of cross cultural relations, depicting the Near East as an arena in which multiple protagonists were pitted against each other. Some were fighting for supremacy, others for their religion, many simply for survival.Pagan Christmas: The Plants, Spirits, and Rituals at the Origins of Yuletide
By Claudia M ller-Ebeling, Christian R tsch. 2003
An examination of the sacred botany and the pagan origins and rituals of Christmas • Analyzes the symbolism of the…
many plants associated with Christmas • Reveals the shamanic rituals that are at the heart of the Christmas celebration The day on which many commemorate the birth of Christ has its origins in pagan rituals that center on tree worship, agriculture, magic, and social exchange. But Christmas is no ordinary folk observance. It is an evolving feast that over the centuries has absorbed elements from cultures all over the world--practices that give plants and plant spirits pride of place. In fact, the symbolic use of plants at Christmas effectively transforms the modern-day living room into a place of shamanic ritual. Christian Rätsch and Claudia Müller-Ebeling show how the ancient meaning of the botanical elements of Christmas provides a unique view of the religion that existed in Europe before the introduction of Christianity. The fir tree was originally revered as the sacred World Tree in northern Europe. When the church was unable to drive the tree cult out of people’s consciousness, it incorporated the fir tree by dedicating it to the Christ child. Father Christmas in his red-and-white suit, who flies through the sky in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, has his mythological roots in the shamanic reindeer-herding tribes of arctic Europe and Siberia. These northern shamans used the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom, which is red and white, to make their soul flights to the other world. Apples, which figure heavily in Christmas baking, are symbols of the sun god Apollo, so they find a natural place at winter solstice celebrations of the return of the sun. In fact, the authors contend that the emphasis of Christmas on green plants and the promise of the return of life in the dead of winter is just an adaptation of the pagan winter solstice celebration.Executing God
By Sharon L. Baker. 2013
Why did God have to murder his only son to pay our debts? What kind of vengeful, violent God can…
only be satisfied by vicarious blood atonement? In Executing God, theologian Sharon Baker presents a biblically based and theologically sound critique of popular theories of the atonement. Concerned about the number of acts of violence performed in the name of God, Baker challenges cultural assumptions about the death of Jesus and its meaning to Christians. She ultimately offers a constructive alternate view of atonement based on God's forgiveness that opens up salvation to a wider group of people.Five Patients
By Michael Crichton. 1970
Recreating The Church: Leadership for the Postmodern Age
By Richard L. Hamm. 2007
Mainline denominations in the United States are in crisis. These institutions-created in and for modernity-are now facing a changed, postmodern…
culture. Hamm faces the crisis, examining its origins, and offers sound advice on how to lead to church to make the adaptive changes needed to thrive in postmodern times.Tracks of a Fellow Struggler: Living and Growing through Grief
By John R. Claypool. 1974
With over a million copies sold one s pastor s personal experience with devastating grief…
and learning to heal through faith has touched countless hearts John Claypool had been a pastor for almost two decades ministering to others who suffered through the loss of loved ones when loss hit home with the death of his eight-year-old daughter In Tracks of a Fellow Struggler Rev Claypool shares his own journey through the darkness of heartbreaking grief through four extraordinary sermons The first was delivered just eleven days after his daughter s diagnosis of leukemia the second after her first major relapse nine months later and the third weeks after her death The final sermon an inspiring reflection on the process of grieving was preached three years later Loss is something we must all cope with and one of the greatest spiritual challenges is sustaining faith when life seems most unfair sometimes tragic With a depth of compassion born of his own personal experience the author of Mending the Heart brings emotional comfort and spiritual strength to anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved oneThe Story of San Michele
By Axel Munthe. 1929
This `dream-laden and spooked? (Marina Warner, London Review of Books) story is to many one of the best-loved books of…
the twentieth century. Munthe spent many years working as a doctor in Southern Italy, labouring unstintingly during typhus, cholera and earthquake disasters. It was during this period that he came across the ruined Tiberian villa of San Michele, perched high above the glittering Bay of Naples on Capri. With the help of Mastro Nicola and his three sons, and with only a charcoal sketch roughly drawn on a garden wall to guide them, Munthe devoted himself to rebuilding the house and chapel. Over five long summers they toiled under a sapphire-blue sky, their mad-cap project leading them to buried skeletons and ancient coins, and to hilarious encounters with a rich cast of vividly-drawn villagers. The Story of San Michele reverberates with the mesmerising hum of a long, hot Italian summer. Peopled with unforgettable characters, it is as brilliantly enjoyable and readable today as it was upon first publication. The book quickly became an international bestseller and has now been translated into more than 30 languages; it is today an established classic, and sales number in the millions.Pretty Is What Changes: Impossible Choices, The Breast Cancer Gene, and How I Defied My Destiny
By Jessica Queller. 2008
A timely, affecting memoir from the front lines of medical science: When genetics can predict how we may die, how…
then do we decide how to live? Eleven months after her mother succumbs to cancer, Jessica Queller has herself tested for the BRCA “breast cancer” gene mutation. The results come back positive, putting her at a terrifyingly elevated risk of developing breast cancer before the age of fifty and ovarian cancer in her lifetime. Thirty-four, unattached, and yearning for marriage and a family of her own, Queller faces an agonizing choice: a lifetime of vigilant screenings and a commitment to fight the disease when caught, or its radical alternative—a prophylactic double mastectomy that would effectively restore life to her, even as it would challenge her most closely held beliefs about body image, identity, and sexuality. Superbly informed and armed with surprising wit and style, Queller takes us on an odyssey from the frontiers of science to the private interiors of a woman’s life. Pretty Is What Changesis an absorbing account of how she reaches her courageous decision and its physical, emotional, and philosophical consequences. It is also an incredibly moving story of what we inherit from our parents and how we fashion it into the stuff of our own lives, of mothers and daughters and sisters, and of the sisterhood that forms when women are united in battle against a common enemy. Without flinching, Jessica Queller answers a question we may one day face for ourselves: If genes can map our fates and their dark knowledge is offered to us, will we willingly trade innocence for the information that could save our lives?31 Days to Living as a New Believer: A Devotional For New Believers
By R. Larry Moyer. 2002
Attila the Hun: Leader of the Barbarian Hordes
By Sean Stewart Price. 2009
Isaac Newton, The Asshole Who Reinvented the Universe: The Asshole Who Reinvented The Universe
By Brian Taylor, Florian Freistetter. 2018
A blunt and humorous profile of Isaac Newton focusing on his disagreeable personality and showing that his offputting qualities were…
key to his scientific breakthroughs.Isaac Newton may have been the most important scientist in history, but he was a very difficult man. Put more bluntly, he was an asshole, an SOB, or whatever epithet best describes an abrasive egomaniac. In this colorful profile of the great man--warts and all--astronomer Florian Freistetter shows why this damning assessment is inescapable.Newton's hatred of fellow scientist Robert Hooke knew no bounds and he was strident in expressing it. He stole the work of colleague John Flamsteed, ruining his career without a second thought. He carried on a venomous battle with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz over the invention of calculus, vilifying him anonymously while the German scientist was alive and continuing the attacks after he died. All evidence indicates that Newton was conniving, sneaky, resentful, secretive, and antisocial. Compounding the mystery of his strange character is that he was also a religious fanatic, a mystery-monger who spent years studying the Bible and predicted the apocalypse.While documenting all of these unusual traits, the author makes a convincing case that Newton would have never revolutionized physics if he hadn't been just such an obnoxious person. This is a fascinating character study of an astounding genius and--if truth be told--an almighty asshole as well.Nevertheless, We Persisted: 48 Voices of Defiance, Strength, and Courage
By Amy Klobuchar. 2018
A powerful collection of essays from actors, activists, athletes, politicians, musicians, writers, and teens, including Senator Amy Klobuchar, actress Alia…
Shawkat, actor Maulik Pancholy, poet Azure Antoinette, teen activist Gavin Grimm, and many, many more, each writing about a time in their youth when they were held back because of their race, gender, or sexual identity--but persisted. "Aren't you a terrorist?" "There are no roles for people who look like you." "That's a sin." "No girls allowed." They've heard it all. Actress Alia Shawkat reflects on all the parts she was told she was too "ethnic" to play. Former NFL player Wade Davis recalls his bullying of gay classmates in an attempt to hide his own sexuality. Teen Gavin Grimm shares the story that led to the infamous "bathroom bill," and how he's fighting it. Holocaust survivor Fanny Starr tells of her harrowing time in Aushwitz, where she watched her family disappear, one by one. What made them rise up through the hate? What made them overcome the obstacles of their childhood to achieve extraordinary success? How did they break out of society's limited view of who they are and find their way to the beautiful and hard-won lives they live today? With a foreword by Minnesota senator and up-and-coming Democratic party leader Amy Klobuchar, these essays share deeply personal stories of resilience, faith, love, and, yes, persistence.Early Christian Monastic Literature and the Babylonian Talmud
By Michal Bar-Asher Siegal. 2013
This book examines literary analogies in Christian and Jewish sources, culminating in an in-depth analysis of striking parallels and connections…
between Christian monastic texts (the Apophthegmata Patrum or 'The Sayings of the Desert Fathers') and Babylonian Talmudic traditions. The importance of the monastic movement in the Persian Empire, during the time of the composition and redaction of the Babylonian Talmud, fostered a literary connection between the two religious populations. The shared literary elements in the literatures of these two elite religious communities sheds new light on the surprisingly inclusive nature of the Talmudic corpora and on the non-polemical nature of elite Jewish-Christian literary relations in late antique Persia.Amplify Your Message: Spreading the Gospel and Growing Your Church Through Radio
By Marcus Brown. 2018
And (Jesus) said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation.' Mark 16:15…
(ESV) The need for proclaiming the Good News to the world has never been greater. Recent statistics reveal that 63% of Americans go to church less than once a month, and almost half of that group never set foot inside a church. That puts us in a dilemma. If those in need of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ aren’t coming to our churches, how do we reach them? How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? Romans 10:14-15 (ESV) Salem Media Group has an answer: Radio. Nielsen Media Research—the world’s leader in media data—has found “traditional AM/FM terrestrial radio still retains its undiminished appeal for listeners; 91% of Americans, aged 12 and older, listen to this form of radio.” When radio is amplified with new technology, its reach is powerful. When matched with biblical preaching and teaching, God’s Kingdom expands. Not only are the lost led to salvation, they are drawn to your church, putting them where they need to be to become disciples. This book details how a local Salem Media radio platform can partner with your church to fulfill the Great Commission and grow your ministry. From the “why” to the “how,” we give you everything you need to prayerfully consider this opportunity to pierce the darkness in your community with the Light of the World.Secret Power to Winning, Happiness, and a Cool Wardrobe
By Susie Shellenberger. 2005
A Personal Bible Study on the Book of 1 Peter Everyone wants to win, be happy, and, whenever possible, wear…
cool clothes in the process. And why not? That’s what life and success are all about, right? Think again. The kind of success and wardrobe that author Susie Shellenberger writes about has nothing to do with money or buying power at the mall. It comes from God and from knowing who you are in God’s eyes. With this interactive study of 1 Peter, you and your friends get a chance to examine God’s ideas about what it means to be happy and successful. With true-to-life stories and practical tips, discover a secret power that’s yours for the taking—because Christ has already won it for us. We just need to follow his lead.Too Blessed to Be Stressed
By Suzan Johnson Cook. 1998
In Too Blessed to Be Stressed Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook shares her testament of faith and is living proof that…
stress doesn't have to stress you out. Dr. Cook uses her platform as the first female American Baptist pastor, a wife, a mother, as well as an appointee to President Clinton's Initiative on Race and Reconciliation to point out that many changes in life will happen - both good and bad. There is one constant that we can count on in this change-the unchanging and constant nature of God. Dr. Cook provides stories and hymns to show that God has blessings prepared for each and every women in their season of life.Gospel Formed: Living a Grace-Addicted, Truth-Filled, Jesus-Exalting Life
By J A Medders. 2014
Christianity is based on the foundation of the good news of the gospel. Yet how many Christians truly find their…
identity there? How many are thriving in a community clinging to the gospel? How many forget about the wondrous glory of Jesus? J. A. Medders is on a mission to help Christians remember that the power that raised Jesus from the dead is also the power for our everyday life in Christ. Yet living a gospel-centered life does not always come easily. The biblical meditations in Gospel Formed help to kindle, or rekindle, the passion to live a grace-addicted, truth-filled, Jesus-exalting life by constantly driving the reader back to the power of the cross and the empty tomb. Funny, punchy, and theologically accessible, readers will be encouraged, challenged, and ultimately reoriented to the true North of Christianity--Christ Himself.Darwin and Modern Science
By A. C. Seward.
The Cambridge Philosophical Society collected this series of essays in commemoration of the centenary of the birth of Charles Darwin…
and the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species. Aiming to be accessible to the 'educated layman', the eminent contributors reviewed the impact of Darwin's ideas in many spheres. They addressed contemporary (1909) attitudes, Darwin's theories and their far-reaching implications, and the progress of new lines of research that had emerged from them. The diversity of views among biologists regarding both the origin of species and the best directions for further research is clearly evident. In his work, Darwin had sought only the truth, writing 'Absolute accuracy is the hardest merit to attain, and the highest merit. Any deviation is ruin.' However dramatic the controversies he stirred, what shines from these essays is profound admiration for both Darwin's intellect and the quality of his character.Misfit Faith: Confessions of a Drunk Ex-Pastor
By Jason J. Stellman. 2017
Provides a vision for a broader more hospitable Christianity Publishers Weekly The co-host of…
the popular podcast Drunk Ex-Pastors offers an earnest and irreverent look at what it means to be a Christian in an upside down world Perhaps failing at faith is an ironic success since disaster is where grace happens Jason StellmanJason Stellman has always felt like a misfit A Protestant pastor with a sharp wit a restlessly inquisitive mind and a love of pop culture and rock and roll he has long sensed that something was missing when it came to his relationship with God In time he felt drawn to the Catholic Church so he stepped down from his ministry and embraced Catholicism only to still feel misplaced and homeless His feelings thoughts and troubles echo the disillusionment and confusion of many people who struggle relating to ancient faiths in a postmodern world In a book that mixes memoir with theological insights and taut storytelling Stellman gives an edgy honest heart-on-his-sleeve account of what it means to be a mixed-up Christian outsider in the twenty-first century and why this is a can be good thing Misfit Faith is an invitation to all the religious vagabonds and exiles with nowhere to really call home those wanderers who increasingly feel like mere fans of spirituality rather than committed members of the team If you ve ever questioned your faith felt like a spiritual malcontent or sought solace for your existential angst at the bottom of a bottle of bourbon then Stellman just may be the best drinking buddy you ve never metAn Unexpected Miracle
By Jennifer De Pippo. 2014
Three days before her eighth birthday, Jennifer De Pippo was nearly killed in a car accident which claimed the life…
of her mother and left her with brain injuries so severe that the doctors said she would never walk or talk again. Join Jennifer as she describes the highs and lows of her life-long struggle to prove the doctors wrong, and to rebuild herself into a functioning, fun-loving and fast-thinking adult.Through sheer determination, Jennifer has succeeded in achieving what was considered impossible, turning every day of her life into an unexpected miracle.