Зарубежная эзотерическая и религиозная литература - скачать книги или читать онлайн. Страница 20

"Boyett's witty, weird, and sometimes even wise Pocket Guides are proof that the best things do come in small packages." —Daniel Radosh, author, Rapture Ready! We name our cities, hospitals, and churches after them. We flock to shrines bearing their remains. We ask for their help when we lose our keys. Who are these saints, what made them so holy, and what in the world are those birds doing on St. Francis's shoulder? Jason Boyett's Pocket Guide to Sainthood takes an intriguing and unflinching look at the fascinating—and fascinatingly weird—lives of the saints. Whether you are a Catholic desperately needing a patron, or a Protestant trying to identify your cabbie's bobblehead, this may be as close as you ever come to true holiness. Make the most of it by learning How St. Denis delivered his best sermon while holding his own decapitated head Why both hair shirts and nakedness are mainstays of saintly fashion Which saints are the patrons of bowel disorders, serial killers, and other useful categories What is involved in the canonization process, should you get so lucky?or martyred With Pocket Guide to Sainthood, virtue just got a whole lot more entertaining.

Can renewal and reform groups rekindle spiritual vitality and fervor in today's religious institutions? The call to revive one's faith fills more pages of the Christian and Jewish scriptures than any other theme. Today, reform and renewal organizations and movements play a key role in most denominations, whether conservative, moderate, or liberal. In this fascinating book, Richard Cimino provides you with an in-depth look at six vibrant reform and renewal movements that are revitalizing traditional faith communities from the inside out. Cimino walks you through how all the components of renewal and reform–the organization, the larger denomination, the congregation, and the individual members–interact at both local and national levels, and answers the question of how effective these organizations and movements are within their traditions. Filled with interviews and case studies, Trusting the Spiriy concludes by outlining strategies for renewal and reform that can be put into practice in a wide range of religious contexts.

A Friendly Letter to Skeptics and Atheists helps readers—both secular and religious—appreciate their common ground. For those whose thinking has moved from the religious thesis to the skeptical antithesis (or vice versa), Myers offers pointers to a science-respecting Christian synthesis. He shows how skeptics and people of faith can share a commitment to reason, evidence, and critical thinking, while also embracing a faith that supports human flourishing—by making sense of the universe, giving meaning to life, connecting us in supportive communities, mandating altruism, and offering hope in the face of adversity and death.

With wisdom, compassion, and gentle humor, Parker J. Palmer invites us to listen to the inner teacher and follow its leadings toward a sense of meaning and purpose. Telling stories from his own life and the lives of others who have made a difference, he shares insights gained from darkness and depression as well as fulfillment and joy, illuminating a pathway toward vocation for all who seek the true calling of their lives.

A new way for Christians to think about sexuality Author Miguel De La Torre, a well-respected ethicist and professor known for his innovative readings of Christian doctrine, rejects both the liberal and conservative prejudices about sex. He instead develops an ethic that is liberative yet grounded soundly in the Bible; a sexuality that celebrates God’s gift of great sex by fostering intimacy, vulnerability and openness between loving partners. In A Lily Among the Thorns, De La Torre examines the Bible, current events, history and our culture-at-large to show how and why racism, sexism, and classism have distorted Christianity’s central teachings about sexuality. The author shows how the church’s traditionally negative attitudes toward sex in general—and toward women, people of color, and gays in particular—have made it difficult, if not impossible, to create a biblically based and just sexual ethic. But when the Bible is read from the viewpoint of those who have been marginalized in our society, preconceived notions about Christianity and sex get turned on their heads. Taking on hot-button topics such as pornography, homosexuality, prostitution, and celibacy, the author examines how “reading from the margins” provides a liberating approach to dealing with issues of sexuality.

Earl Creps is known for his work in connecting the younger generation of postmoderns with their Boomer predecessors. The author of Off-Road Disciplines, Creps, in this new book, takes up the topic of how older church leaders can learn from younger leaders who are more conversant with culture, technology, and social context. In addition to making the benefits of what he calls «reverse mentoring» apparent, he also makes it accessible by offering practical steps to implement this discipline at both personal and organizational levels, particularly in communication, evangelism, and leadership. Creps' new book is a topic of interest both inside and outside the church as older leaders realize that they're not «getting it» when it comes to technologies (iPod, IM, blogging) or cultural issues such as the fact that younger people see the world in an entirely different way. Creps has been personally involved in reverse mentoring for several years and has spoken and written on the subject extensively. He has pastored three churches (one Boomer, one Builder, on X'er) and is currently a church planter in Berkeley, California. He has also served as a consultant and and a seminary professor and administrator, holding a PhD in Communication Studies and a D.Min. from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.

An insightful and practical guide for developing relational leadership skills and engaging new paradigms of influence Relational Intelligence reveals how leaders can become smarter in the way they conduct their relationships, and as a result, catalyze their impact. This book unwraps the hidden power of a relational genius and the practical pursuits that contribute to increasing one's relational quotient (RQ). Steve Saccone offers thought-provoking and compelling pathways into understanding the synergistic effect of relational intelligence, mission, and influence. He demonstrates how critical the art of relational intelligence is for leaders who desire to better serve those they lead, as well as the organizations and communities they love. Offers practical wisdom, engaging anecdotes, and compelling stories that show leaders how to develop relational intelligence Delineates the essential skills that make leaders relationally intelligent Unwraps six roles of a relational genius and how these transform our approaches to influence Includes Foreword by Erwin Raphael McManus A new book in the popular Leadership Network Series The author reveals how to increase one's awareness of the nuances in relational dynamics and suggests ways to help navigate relationships more intelligently and productively.

A fresh exploration of a redeeming, dynamic, and radically different way to hold one's religion Samir Selmanovic—who grew up a in a culturally Muslim family in Croatia, converted to Christianity as a soldier in the then-Yugoslavian army, and went on to become a Christian pastor in Manhattan and in Southern California—looks at how our ongoing and sometimes violent power struggles over who owns God and what God wants for the world and its peoples are not serving God, humanity, or our planet. Shows how our religions have become self-serving, God-management systems, however Selmanovic contends—change is possible Offers a path for people of all faiths and traditions for living together on our fragile earth Karen Armstrong said that the book is «asking the right questions at the right time» This is a personal story and a moving exploration of a new way of treasuring one's own religion while discovering God, goodness, and grace in others and in their traditions.

"Fearless, deep, and snarky. And did I mention funny? Oh my goodness this guy is funny." —Dean Nelson, author, God Hides in Plain Sight, and director, Writer's Symposium by the Sea at Point Loma Where do we go when we die? Will we have personal chats with God on fluffy clouds? What are the odds I will be devoured by a demon? Life's deepest mysteries question what happens when life is over. With Pocket Guide to the Afterlife, Jason Boyett becomes your tour guide to the Great Beyond. From the profound to the profane, from the light at the end of the tunnel to your ascension to the celestial void, here's everything you need to know this side of the everlasting Unknown, including What to expect upon arrival in destinations like Heaven, Purgatory, and the Chinvat Bridge Whether your understanding of the Christian Hell comes from the Bible or from an Italian poet Which dream scenarios you'll want to avoid because they predict your impending demise Why defibrillators are so important when it comes to having near-death experiences Pondering your eventual demise has never been so much fun.

In this powerful book, Carol Ochs shows us how to develop a personal theology by examining our life stories, learning to recognize God at work in them, and bringing them into conversation with Torah. Using timeless biblical texts as lenses to see the present, she helps us understand who we are and who God is for us by exploring the tightly interwoven basic elements of our lives–our love, suffering, work, bodies, prayer, community, and experiences of death. Through the process of seeing our experiences in relation to Biblical stories, we begin to recognize our lives as part of the ongoing story of the Jewish people–as Torah. This insight allows us to see these experiences as meaningful, not accidental, and opens us to recognizing God's power in and through all that happens to us. Rather than a collection of random events, our lives are part of the Jewish people's ongoing adventure. Armed with our personally shaped theology, we can face this adventure of living in the vanguard of history with awareness and confidence.

In this spirituality of time, Dorothy Bass invites readers into a way of living in time that is alert to both contemporary pressures and rooted ancient wisdom. The celebrated editor of Practicing Our Faith asks hard questions about how our injurious attitude toward time has distorted our relationships with our innermost selves, with other people, with the natural world, and with God. As an alternative to the rhetoric of management and mastery, Receiving the Day offers a language of attention, poetry, and celebration. Bass encourages us to reevaluate our understanding of the temporal and thereby to participate fully in the Christian practice of knowing time as God's gift. Embraced in this way, time need not be wrestled with each day. Instead, time becomes the habitation of blessing.

This insightful book offers business advice that has endured for thousands of years. While business fads come and go, the ancient lessons of the Talmud are timeless, profound, ethical, and practical–and they’re for everyone. Values, Prosperity, and the Talmud is a concise guide to this proven philosophy of business. Beyond basic money-related matters, it includes the Talmud’s advice on complex issues of employer/employee relationships, partnerships, competition, and much more. Here, you will learn how to run a successful business, negotiate with style, earn the loyalty of your employees, sell products successfully, advertise effectively, and make higher profits, all within an ethical and moral framework. Buy it today!