Book picks similar to
Sefer Chasidim: The Book of the Pious by Avraham Yaakov Finkel


judaism
religion
religion-magic-spirituality
western-religion

Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews


James Carroll - 2001
    “Fascinating, brave & sometimes infuriating” (Time), this dark history is more than a chronicle of religion. It's the central tragedy of Western civilization, its fault lines reaching deep into our culture to create “a deeply felt work” (San Francisco Chronicle) as Carroll wrangles with centuries of strife & tragedy to reach a courageous & affecting reckoning with difficult truths.

One Palestine, Complete: Jews and Arabs Under the British Mandate


Tom Segev - 1999
    This was the time of the British Mandate, when Britain's promise to both Jews and Arabs that they would inherit the land, set in motion the conflict that haunts the region to this day.Drawing on untapped archival materials, Tom Segev reconstructs an era (1917 to 1948) of limitless possibilities and tragic missteps. He introduces an array unforgettable characters, tracks the steady advance of Jews and Arabs toward confrontation, and puts forth a radical new argument: that the British, far from being pro-Arab, consistently favored the Zionist position, out of the mistaken--and anti-Semitic--belief that Jews turned the wheels of history. Rich in historical detail, sensitive to all perspectives, One Palestine, Complete brilliantly depicts the decline of an empire, the birth of one nation, and the tragedy of another.

With British Snipers to the Reich


C. Shore - 1988
    Captain Shore’s enthusiasm for firearms and especially for rifles led him to take every possible opportunity to try out different weapons, ammunition and methods of shooting. His interest was combined with sound common sense, and he would never countenance a rumour about a particular weapon or incident unless he was able to confirm it for himself.As a result everything in this book is based on his personal experience. In World War II Captain Shore took part in the British landings at D-Day, and fought in Normandy and northern Europe. He came across many different weapons in varying condition, some of the worst being those used by the Dutch and Belgian resistance fighters. He was keen to learn from experienced snipers and then to train others, and he became an officer sniping instructor at the British Army of the Rhine Training Centre.He shares a wealth of first-hand knowledge of different rifles, pistols, machine guns, ammunition, telescopes, binoculars and all the equipment a sniper should carry. This is not only an account of sniping in World War II but also a guide to all aspects of sniping based on personal knowledge and experience in training and battle. Illustrated heavily with photos, pictures and other illustrations of snipers, their weapons and their tactics.

Answers To Non Muslims Common Questions About Islam


Zakir Naik - 2011
    why ispolygamy allowed in Islam?If a man is allowed to have more than one wife, then why does Islam prohibit a woman from having more than one husband?Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?How can Islam be called the religion of peace when it was spread by the sword?Why are most of the Muslims fundamentalists and terrorists?Ki l l ing an animal is a ruthless act . Why then do Musl ims consume nonvegetarian food?Why do Muslims slaughter the animal in a ruthless manner by torturing it and slowly and painfully killing it?Science tell us that whatever one eats, it has an effect on one’s behaviour. Why then, does Islam allow Muslims to eat non-vegetarian food, since eating of animals could make a person violent and ferocious?When Islam is against idol worship why do the Muslims worship, and bow downto the Kaaba in their prayer?Why are non-Muslims not allowed in the Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah?Why is the consumption of alcohol prohibited in Islam?Under Islamic law, why is a woman’s share of the inherited wealth only half that of a man?How can you prove that the Qur'an is the word of God?When all the Muslim follow one and the same Qur’an then why are there somany sects and different schools of thoughts among Muslims?All religions basically teach followers to do good deeds. Why should a persononly follow Islam? Can he not follow any of the religions?If Islam is the best religion, why are many of the Muslims dishonest, unreliable,and involved in activities such as cheating, bribing, dealing in drugs, etc.?Why do Muslims abuse non-Muslims by calling them Kafirs? Read the logical answers......

The Great Shift: Encountering God in Biblical Times


James L. Kugel - 2017
    Yet over the course of the thousand-year Biblical Era, encounters with God changed dramatically. As James L. Kugel argues, this transition allows us to glimpse a massive shift in human experience—the emergence of the modern, Western sense of self. In this landmark work, Kugel fuses revelatory close readings of ancient texts with modern scholarship from a range of fields, including neuroscience, anthropology, psychology, and archaeology, to explain the origins of belief, worship, and the sense of self, and the changing nature of God through history. In the tradition of books like The Swerve and The Better Angels of Our Nature,The Great Shift tells the story of a revolution in human consciousness and the enchantment of everyday life. This book will make believers and seekers think differently not just about the Bible, but about the entire history of the human imagination.

Bhagavad Gita For Beginners: The Song Of God In Simplified Prose


Edward Viljoen - 2012
    In “Bhagavad Gita for Beginners: The Song of God in Simplified Prose,” author Edward Viljoen uses contemporary, simplified language to bring this inspiring work to life. That which seems to be forcing people to act in selfish--even evil--ways is really the accumulation of desires coming together in a strong, irresistible appetite for self-satisfaction. These desires are rooted in the senses, and sense information can be misleading. More powerful than the senses, though, is the mind. And more powerful than the mind is the will (or intellect), and that which is above it all,--the Real Self, that part of us not deluded by the information of the sense world. The Bhagavad Gita For Beginners: The Song Of God In Simplified Prose will inspire uninitiated readers of the Bhagavad-Gita to delve into the original text, as well as bring a newly-found clarity and perspective to those already familiar with it.

Halakhic Man


Joseph B. Soloveitchik - 1983
    It is a profound excursion into religious psychology and phenomenology, a pioneering attempt at a philosophy of halakhah, and a stringent critique of mysticism and romantic religion.

Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts: Discovering Their Significance to You as a Christian


Richard Booker - 2008
    RECLAIM YOUR SPIRITUAL HERITAGEThrough God?s carefully ordered system of ceremonialworship,He revealed Himself most clearly to thenation of Israel.This is especially evident in the seven?Feasts of the LORD? as detailed in Leviticus 23:Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost,Trumpets,Atonement, and Tabernacles.These feasts arepictures of a person, the Messiah, and represent sevenphases of spiritual growth in the life of the believer.JESUS REVEALED IN THE FEASTSGod gave these festivals as foreshadowings of Jesus andHis various works of grace in the lives of all believers.The author clearly depicts the unity found in God?sunfolding purposes for His people, be they Jew orGentile, from the new birth found in Passover and theCrucifixion, all the way to entering God?s rest found in

The Tent of Abraham: Stories of Hope and Peace for Jews, Christians, and Muslims


Joan D. Chittister - 2006
    Written by three leaders belonging to different faiths, the book explores in accessible language the mythic quality and the teachings of reconciliation that are embedded in the Torah, the Qur'an, and the Bible.

Gurdjieff


John Shirley - 2004
    I. Gurdjieff is a man who would continually straddle borders-between East and West, between man and something higher than man, between the ancient teachings of esoteric schools and the modern application of those ideas in contemporary life.In many respects-from the concept of group meetings to the mysterious workings of the enneagram to his critique of humanity as existing in a state of sleep-Gurdjieff pioneered the culture of spiritual search that has taken root in the West today. While many of Gurdjieff's students-including Frank Lloyd Wright, Katharine Mansfield, and P. D. Ouspensky-are well known, few understand this figure possessed of complex writings and sometimes confounding methods. In Gurdjieff: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas, the acclaimed novelist John Shirley-one of the founders of the cyberpunk genre-presents a lively, reliable explanation of how to approach the sage and his ideas. In accessible, dramatic prose Shirley retells that which we know of Gurdjieff's life; he surveys the teacher's methods and the lives of his key students; and he helps readers to enter the unparalleled originality of this remarkable teacher.

Simply Jesus: Why he was, what he did, why it matters


Tom Wright - 2011
    Modern critical biblical scholarship often points out how the church's teachings about Jesus have become encrusted with tradition so that it is hard to see what the core documents--the New Testament--really say about him. Now, with the insight of 200 years of modern critical scholarship and assuming an audience that includes both the well-churched and the non-churched, how should the church present the story and identity of the central personality of their faith, Jesus of Nazareth? Many people will be surprised at the story they hear.

The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath


Joe Lieberman - 2011
    According to ancient tradition, the line of transmission extends back to Moses at Mt. Sinai, who received the Sabbath as the fourth of the Ten Commandments. In this book, Lieberman will offer the gift of Sabbath observance—a gift that has anchored, ordered, and inspired his life—to readers of all faiths. In the past century, the Sabbath has fallen on hard times. It is thought of as just another day or as a time to squeeze in some extra errands or recreation that you may have missed during the workweek. The weekend passes in a blur of often meaningless activity. Combining personal and political memoir with history and broadly informed religious reflection, this book is a practical how-to guide, with simple suggestions for introducing the Sabbath into your own life. It will be a very personal book, yet also one animated by reflections on history and larger social trends. It will also include profound reflections of both classical and modern Jewish sages, from the Talmud and the ancient Jewish prayer book, the Siddur, to Maimonides, to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Rabbi Soloveitchik.

Soul Set Free: Why Grace is More Liberating Than You Believe


John Lindell - 2019
    This book will help you experience the freedom found in knowing just how fully God is committed to loving YOU.FOREWORD BY LOUIE GIGLIO Rediscover the missing piece in what today’s Christians believe about the Christian life. As lead Pastor of one of America’s biggest churches, John Lindell went on a personal quest for answers and discovered the true meaning behind God’s grace, and when he came to see the full revelation of God’s commitment to us, it changed his life forever.   In Soul Set Free, Lindell invites you on a life-changing journey through the Book of Romans. Learn to no longer view the gospel as anything less than a truth that sets your soul free.   The good news of the gospel can be summed up in three parts: Christ died for our sins, we are forgiven through faith in Christ, and heaven is our reward upon death. However, none of these parts cover what transpired when we were saved.   The gospel is even better than what we believe. It brings joy but it’s even better. It’s forgiveness of sins but it’s even better. It’s God sending His only Son but it’s even better.

Jesus for the Non-Religious


John Shelby Spong - 2007
    The result is a strikingly new and different portrait of Jesus of Nazareth—a Jesus for the non-religious.Spong challenges much of the traditional understanding that has for so long surrounded the Jesus of history, from the tale of his miraculous birth to a virgin, to the account of his cosmic ascension into the sky at the end of his life. Spong questions the historicity of the ideas that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, that he had twelve disciples, and that the miracle stories were meant to be descriptions of supernatural events. He also speaks directly to those contemporary critics of Christianity who call God a "delusion" and who write letters to a "Christian nation" and describe how Christianity has become evil and destructive.Spong invites his readers to look at Jesus through the lens of both the Jewish scriptures and the liturgical life of the first-century synagogue. Dismissing the dispute about Jesus' nature that consumed the church's leadership for the first 500 years of Christian history as irrelevant, Spong proposes a new way of understanding the divinity of Christ: as the ultimate dimension of a fulfilled humanity. Traditional Christians who still cling to dated concepts of the past will not be comfortable with this book; however, skeptics of the twenty-first century will not be quite so certain that dismissing Jesus is the correct pathway to walk. Jesus for the Non-Religious may be the book that finally brings the pious and the secular into a meaningful dialogue, opening the door to a living Christianity in the post-Christian world.

Jewish Magic and Superstition: A Study in Folk Religion


Joshua Trachtenberg - 1970
    According to Joshua Trachtenberg, it is not possible truly to understand the experience and history of the Jewish people without attempting to recover their folklife and beliefs from centuries past.Jewish Magic and Superstition is a masterful and utterly fascinating exploration of religious forms that have all but disappeared yet persist in the imagination. The volume begins with legends of Jewish sorcery and proceeds to discuss beliefs about the evil eye, spirits of the dead, powers of good, the famous legend of the golem, procedures for casting spells, the use of gems and amulets, how to battle spirits, the ritual of circumcision, herbal folk remedies, fortune telling, astrology, and the interpretation of dreams.First published more than sixty years ago, Trachtenberg's study remains the foundational scholarship on magical practices in the Jewish world and offers an understanding of folk beliefs that expressed most eloquently the everyday religion of the Jewish people.