Humanity's library of sacred writings is a huge canon that includes many of the most influential books ever written. In addition to the Hebrew and Christian bibles and the Quran of Islam, major sacred writings include the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Sutras, Daoism's Daodejing, and the Analects of Confucius, as well as the beloved texts of religions such as Zoroastrianism and Jainism, and modern faiths such as Baha'i.These are texts that people live by and, at times, are willing to die for.In these 36 lectures, Professor Hardy takes you deeply into the body of sacred writings that have played a fundamental role in human culture and history. Discussing a broad range of texts, the course examines the scriptures of seven major religions, as well as nine lesser known or smaller faiths, including texts from the ancient Egyptian and Mayan societies. In addition to studying the scriptures of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic worlds, you'll discover religious texts from vastly differing cultures around the world.These richly insightful lectures highlight a global legacy of faith, thought, and spirituality.

    It is specially designed to make it easy for you to find the information you want and need. Amazing features in this fact-packed book include:More than 900 quotations from the writings of the early Church Fathers, as well as from rare and important documents dating back to the dawn of Christian history.Mini-biographies of nearly 100 Fathers, as well as descriptions of dozens of key early councils and writings.A concise history of the dramatic spread of Christianity after Jesus told his disciples to evangelize all nations.Special maps showing you where the Fathers lived, including many little-known and long-vanished locations.A guide to nearly 30 ancient heresies, many of which have returned to haunt the modern world.The Fathers' teaching on nearly 50 topics, including modern hot-button issues like abortion, homosexuality, and divorce.This groundbreaking work presents the teachings of the early Christians in a way unlike any other book. It flings open the doors of the crucial but little-known age covering the birth of Christianity and the triumphant march of the gospel throughout the ancient world.

    They both sought to build bridges among Catholicism, Judaism, and the world at large. On Heaven and Earth, originally published in Argentina in 2010, brings together a series of these conversations where both men talked about various theological and worldly issues, including God, fundamentalism, atheism, abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and globalization. From these personal and accessible talks comes a first-hand view of the man who would become pope to 1.2 billion Catholics around the world in March 2013.Diverse topics for many different peoples' concerns--Table of Contents topics:"1. ON GOD2. ON THE DEVIL3. ON ATHEISTS4. ON RELIGIONS5. ON RELIGIOUS LEADERS6. ON THE DISCIPLES7. ON PRAYER8. ON GUILT9. ON FUNDAMENTALISM10. ON DEATH11. ON EUTHANASIA12. ON THE ELDERLY13. ON WOMEN14. ON ABORTION15. ON DIVORCE16. ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE17. ON SCIENCE18. ON EDUCATION19. ON POLITICS AND POWER20. ON COMMUNISM AND CAPITALISM21. ON GLOBALIZATION22. ON MONEY23. ON POVERTY24. ON THE HOLOCAUST25. ON THE 1970'S26. ON SOME HISTORICAL FACTS: THE CONQUEST, SOCIALISM, AND PERONISM27. ON THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT AND OTHER CONFLICTS28. ON INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE29. ON THE FUTURE OF RELIGION"

    A collection of lectures on the features of the movement of mysticism that began in antiquity and continues in Hasidism today.

    Preoccupied with the relationship between faith and reason, he was influenced both by Aristotle's rational world view and by the powerful belief that wisdom and truth can ultimately only be reached through divine revelation. Thomas's writings, which contain highly influential statements of fundamental Christian doctrine, as well as observations on topics as diverse as political science, anti-Semitism and heresy, demonstrate the great range of his intellect and place him firmly among the greatest medieval philosophers.

    The respected Trappist monk Thomas Merton spent several years reading and reflecting upon four different translations of the Chinese classic that bears Chuang Tzu's name. The result is this collection of poetic renderings of the great sage's work that conveys its spirit in a way no other translation has and that was Merton's personal favorite among his more than fifty books. Both prose and verse are included here, as well as a short section from Merton discussing the most salient themes of Chuang Tzu's teachings.

    Twenty-seven years ago, his son, Matthieu Ricard, gave up a promising career as a scientist to study Tibetan Buddhism -- not as a detached observer but by immersing himself in its practice under the guidance of its greatest living masters.Meeting in an inn overlooking Katmandu, these two profoundly thoughtful men explored the questions that have occupied humankind throughout its history. Does life have meaning? What is consciousness? Is man free? What is the value of scientific and material progress? Why is there suffering, war, and hatred? Their conversation is not merely abstract: they ask each other questions about ethics, rights, and responsibilities, about knowledge and belief, and they discuss frankly the differences in the way each has tried to make sense of his life.Utterly absorbing, inspiring, and accessible, this remarkable dialogue engages East with West, ideas with life, and science with the humanities, providing wisdom on how to enrich the way we live our lives.

    This virtual sorcerers' manual is a pioneering work of women's spirituality.

    Margot Adler attended ritual gatherings and interviewed a diverse, colorful gallery of people across the United States, people who find inspiration in ancient deities, nature, myth, even science fiction. In this new edition featuring an updated resource guide of newsletters, journals, books, groups, and festivals, Margot Adler takes a fascinating and honest look at the religious experiences, beliefs, and lifestyles of modern America's Pagan groups.

    It is in the misteachings that have been associated with my name that much death and pain has been caused and that much guilt and self-recrimination has been expressed. That was not my purpose; that was not my lesson.This story will begin the change. It will not make the change. It will facilitate turning the key in the lock, but you must open the door and walk through it into a new realm that is opened by this information. That is your responsibility. We can only bring you the message, this channel and I. We can only work together to transmit the information, but it is through your actions and your transformation that you will see a change in your world, a change in the subjective world that is manufactured from your beliefs, your thoughts, and your feelings.I talk about the truth of my birth and the truth of my life. I cover some stories that are recounted in the Bible and tell you the true story of those events. I describe some of my personal traits, my human traits, and I define what I am, who I am, and why these things happened. You will be able to understand the truth, and you will begin this reconditioning, this retooling of your mind — of your thoughts and beliefs — on this subject of my life, my meaning, and my purpose, for it is a long process. The time is ripe. The need for a spiritual revolution is here.— Jesus

    The work is divided into three sections and is set out as a commentary on four poetic stanzas by John on the subject of the Dark Night. John shows how the Soul sets out to leave all worldly ties and appetites behind to achieve "nothing less than transformation in God".

    Formerly handed down under oath of secrecy, this clear, concise handbook discusses: the fundamental principles of alchemy; directions for the formation of an inexpensive home laboratory, with illustrations of the necessary equipment; stepbystep instructions for the work of the Lesser Circulation, the alchemical transformation within the plant kingdomthe necessary prerequisite for any work in the mineral kingdom.

    Quran plagiarized from the BibleIshmael or Isaac?First Miracle of Jesus (pbuh)Original SinProhibition of AlcoholProphet Muhammad (pbuh) in the BibleDifference Between Mary and MiriamJesus (pbuh) did not dieIs not the Quran written by satan?

    

    But after a lifetime of study and reflection, he now poses some challenging questions: Why do we need priests at all? Why did the priesthood arise in a religion that began without it and opposed it? Would Christianity be stronger without the priesthood, as it was at its outset? Meticulously researched, persuasively argued, and certain to spark debate, Why Priests? asserts that the anonymous Letter to Hebrews, a late addition to the New Testament canon, helped inject the priesthood into a Christianity where it did not exist, along with such concomitants as belief in an apostolic succession, the real presence in the Eucharist, the sacrificial interpretation of the Mass, and the ransom theory of redemption. But Wills does not expect the priesthood to fade entirely away. He just reminds us that Christianity did without it in the time of Peter and Paul with notable success. Wills concludes with a powerful statement of his own beliefs in a book that will appeal to believers and nonbelievers alike and stand for years to come as a towering achievement.