Ben's most thought-provoking works. This critical examination of the history, beliefs and myths, remains instructive and fresh. By highlighting the African influences and roots of these religions, Dr. Ben reveals an untold history that is completely unknown, Dr. Ben says covered up by the White race, by the rest of the world.

     More so than anything else, the Eucharist is what anchors many peoples' life, prayer, and ultimately the way they live their lives. In this deeply personal book, Father Ronald Rolheiser delves into the history and meaning of this sacred tradition, drawing upon the insights of various scripture scholars, theologians, and church teachings. With personal warmth and great insight, he reflects on his own particular Roman Catholic upbringing and the centrality that the Eucharist has within that tradition. At the same time, he looks at other denominations’ traditions around the Eucharist. Our One Great Act of Fidelity is an investigation into the ways people secure their faith and belief and discover true intimacy with God and each other. Ultimately, however, it is a spiritual and a personal statement of how Ronald Rolheiser understands the Eucharist and why he celebrates it every day.   Ronald Rolheiser is a specialist in the field of spirituality and is currently President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. Father Rolheiser is the author of The Holy Longing, The Restless Heart, Forgotten Among the Lilies, The Shattered Lantern, and Against an Infinite Horizon. He writes a weekly column that appears in more than 90 Catholic publications. More information on his work can be found at RonRolheiser.com.

    We hope for something better than the "churchianity" of our parents and the vague spirituality of our neighbors, something better than guilt-induced, holier-than-thou morality, better than here-and-now, health-and-wealth promises. In her thought-provoking and authentic style, Nancy Guthrie shows that Jesus himself offers the something better we've been looking for, applying the truths of Hebrews to real-life issues such as guilt, shame, disappointment, hardship, unhealthy obsessions, personal ambition, and fear of death.

    A lowly manger. Shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. Everyone knows at least something about the first Christmas. But there's more to the story than what can be contained on a greeting card. Investigating the social, cultural, and political background to the New Testament narratives, this prequel to The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived explores the real meaning of Christ's birth in a fresh and compelling way. Perfect for those looking for something to read during Advent, this book combines scholarly insights with warm reflections in order to inform the mind and stir the soul.

    He groped for the glass of water that wasn’t on his bedside table, shoved the whiskey bottle out of his bed, and closed his eyes against the blinding glare of the gorgeous genie in all her purple-haired, pink-sequined glory. And then he groaned. “Not again.” When Jake, brilliant scholar and full-fledged member of the crazy Cardinal Witches family, meets the djinn of his dreams, at first he doesn't even realize it. But after she punches him in the face, helps him survive the birth of his niece, and confides the deeply guarded secret of her true name, will Jake be the one to grant Donya's wish? A delightful short story in the world of the Cardinal Witches.

    Popular biblical scholar and author N. T. Wright provides his own Scripture translation, brief reflection, and a prayer for each of the days of the season, helping readers ponder how the text is relevant to their own lives today. By the end of the book readers will have been through the entirety of Luke, along with Psalm readings for each Sunday. Suitable for both individual and group study and reflection, Wright's Lenten devotional will help you make Luke's gospel your own, thoughtfully and prayerfully, and your journey through Lent a period of rich discovery and growth.

    The author calls the present-day church to once again be the contrast society, which attracts non-believers by living what it preaches and by being different without being narrowly sectarian.

    So was the French poet, Paul Claudel. Kathleen Norris is an oblate, and so was Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, the first woman in Europe to earn a Ph.D. What connects them all? There are at least ten thousand oblates in the United States today (no one knows for sure how many), and each of them is connected in meaningful ways to a monastery or abbey. Most oblates are ordinary lay people from various Christian traditions. They are linked together by common appreciation for the Rule of St. Benedict. Originally written for monks, the principles in the Rule may be applied by everyone else---and in today's hectic, changing world, being an oblate offers a rich spiritual connection to the stability and wisdom of monastic life. This essential guide explains how people who live and work in "the world" are still invited to balance work with prayer, cultivate interdependence with others, practice hospitality, and otherwise practice their spirituality like monks.

    The selections, which are substantial in length, provide a generous sampling of Merton's vast output. +

    Exploring the hidden meanings behind these numbers, Starbird reveals that the union between Jesus and his bride, Mary Magdalene, formed a sacred partnership that was the cornerstone of the earliest Christian community.Magdalene’s Lost Legacy demonstrates how the crucial teaching of the sacred marriage that unites masculine and feminine principles--the heiros gamos--is the partnership model for life on our planet and the ultimate blueprint for civilization. Starbird’s research challenges the concept that Christ was celibate and establishes Mary Magdalene as the human incarnation of the sacred bride. The author also explains the true meaning of the “666” prophesied in the Book of Revelation. Through this potent reclaiming of the lost legacy of Mary Magdalene, Margaret Starbird offers the opportunity to restore the divine feminine to her rightful role as bride, beloved, and sacred partner.

    Whether you attend a small group or lead one, this book will raise your vision and inspire you to excel in the areas of service to which God has called you. And if you don't attend a small group? All the more reason you may want to read Why Small Groups? and let it change your life. The authors are all pastors from various Sovereign Grace Ministries churches.

    After an awkward childhood where she fell out with her BFF Gwen and thought she'd never find her one true love, at last Harper feels as though she's finally discovered her voice in a space she never expected: on YouTube, making videos about her day-to-day life and broadcasting them to the masses.Now an insanely popular vlogger with millions of followers, Harper balances the stresses of everyday high school life—SAT prep, boring teachers, and the mean girl clique staring her down in the hallway—with the glam, fast-paced world of online celebrity. But when one hater on Twitter starts targeting Harper in 140 characters or less, and a young British actor who's captured Harper's heart might not be everything he seems, Harper feels like her pitch-perfect life is suddenly going to pieces around her. Who better to help her pick them up and find herself again than her best friend Ellie and a certain tall, dark, and handsome someone she might not have realized was waiting in the wings for her all along?

    Moving from a critique of inadequate models for ministry -- from community organizer to T. V. evangelist -- Oden develops a more classical model, rich in its references to the past and compatible both with Christian faith and theology through the ages and with current needs.Reconciling classical tradition with practice, Pastoral Theology will be a standard resource and reference in the field. Oden distills the best ideas of the two millennia of ecumenical Christian thinking concerning what pastors are and do. Pastoral Theology provides the foundational knowledge of the pastoral office requisite to the practice of ministry. It will be of interest to persons preparing for ordination in its review of key issues; at the same time, Pastoral Theology will appeal to all those who have considered entering the ministry, those who want to know more about what clergy do and why, and those ministers who want to review their ongoing work in the light of a systematic reflection on the pastoral gifts and tasks.

    The delicate relationship growing between Adam Underwood and Eva Brooke is nearly destroyed with the reappearance of his former wife, Lilith.

    And the answer to that question is at once less and more than what you are hoping for.Christians love the idea that self-expression is the essence of a beautiful person, but that's a lie, too. With trademark humor and no nonsense practicality, Rachel Jankovic explains the fake story of the Self, starting with the inventions of a supremely ugly man named Sartre (rhymes with "blart"). And we--men and women, young and old--have bought his lie of the Best Self, with terrible results.Thankfully, that's not the end of our story, You Who: Why You Matter and How to Deal with It takes the identity question into the nitty gritty details of everyday life. Here's the first clue: Stop looking inside, and start planting flags of everyday faithfulness. In Christianity, the self is always a tool and never a destination.