Religion

Confessions is a spiritual autobiography of Augustine's early life, family, associations, and explorations of alternative religious and theological viewpoints as he moved toward his conversion. Cast as a prayer addressed to God, it offers a gripping personal story and a philosophical exploration destined to have broad and lasting impact.

A hands-on guide to using flower essences in magick, spellcraft, alchemy, and healing

A meditation on the meaning of existence as well as a critical account of Buddhism, Essays in Zen Buddhism was the first book to fully introduce Zen in the West.

Modern Witchcraft for Beginners is a practical guide and extensive resource to give you everything you need to know, what you shouldn't do or believe, and to help you start, build, and maintain the lifestyle of using magick.

This is a new English translation of St. Thomas Aquinas's Treatise on Law, found in Questions 90-108 of the First Part of the Second Part of the Summa Theologiae. In fact, it is the only free-standing English translation of the entire Treatise, which includes both a general account of law (Questions 90-92) and also specific treatments of what St. Thomas identifies as the five kinds of law: the eternal law (Question 93), the natural law (Question 94), human law (Questions 95-97), the Old Law (Questions 98-105), and the New Law (Questions 106-108). All other extant editions of Treatise on Law stop with the human law, and are thus approximately one-third the size of the full Treatise. St. Thomas's account of law is firmly embedded within a general moral theory that begins with a rich conception of human flourishing, i.e., the good for human beings (Questions 1-5). This good consists, first and foremost, in our ultimate and intimate union with the Persons of the Blessed Trinity - a union that in our present state we can grasp intellectively and pursue affectively only with God's supernatural assistance. It is within this framework that we order our loves and pursue the more proximate goals they open up to us as human beings in this life. Given the appropriate goals, the next question is how we can get from where we are, in the grips of the consequences of Original Sin, to where we want to be. The answer is: by means of (a) human actions that are good, i.e., rightly ordered toward our ultimate end and (b) the habits that these actions either engender or flow from. In analyzing human actions (Questions 6-21) and their relation to the passions (Questions 22-48), St. Thomas gives a general account of what he calls the 'intrinsic principles' of human actions and their associated habits - both virtues (Questions 49-70) and vices (Questions 71-89). It is only then that he turns to what he calls the 'extrinsic principles' of good human actions, viz., law (Questions 90-108) and grace (Questions 109-114). According to St. Thomas, law, far from supplanting virtue as a basic principle of action, serves as an independent principle of action that complements virtue and is itself capable of being factored into practical deliberation. The reason is that all of God's precepts, prohibitions, and punishments are aimed at promoting the good of the whole universe and, more particularly, the good for human beings, both individually and within the various forms of social life. Because of this, law serves as both a restraint on bad actions and a spur to good action, i.e., a restraint on actions that take us away from virtue and genuine human flourishing and a spur to actions that promote virtue and flourishing. There are many benefits of having the whole treatise rather than just the first few questions, as has been the standard practice in previous editions of the Treatise on Law. To mention just a few of these benefits, the question on the moral precepts of the Old Law (question 100) helps to illuminate in many different ways the earlier questions on natural law and human law (questions 94-97). Again, the questions on the ceremonial and judicial precepts of the Old Law (questions 101-105) demon-strate in depth the symbiotic relationship that St. Thomas takes to obtain between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The questions on the New Law provide an introduction to the Christian way of life that will be described in incomparable detail in the Second Part of the Second Part, the bulk of which is structured around the treatment of the three theological virtues and the four cardinal virtues.

What was it like to be face to face with Jesus?What does Heaven look like?And what did Randy Kay learn from his afterlife encounter? As a human development researcher, medical advisor, and director of clinical support, Randy Kay was not given to fantastical ideas about the spirit realm or embellished "divine encounters." But...

The purpose of this book is to introduce the reader to the Sikh philosophy and its core values & beliefs, as enshrined in Shri Guru Granth Sahib - the eternal Sikh Guru. It highlights the recurring themes and lessons contained in the Holy Scripture.The book emphasizes that Granth Sahib is not for Sikhs alone, but has universal appeal. It enjoins upon anyone and everyone to live a life full of purpose.It also shows, how the authors of the Holy Book were well ahead of their times in matters of spirituality, psychology, philosophy, cosmology and human rights.It is a spiritual guide for those who wish to tread that path.

The new book from Pete Greig, author of GOD ON MUTE and DIRTY GLORY, and one of the founders of global movement 24-7 Prayer - a straightforward, practical guide on how to pray.

he Holy Quran (Color: Black and White in Arabic) is a compilation of the verbal revelations given to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) over a period of twenty three years.

Quick. Simple. Effective. (This 3rd Edition replaces ISBN: 978-0935491029)"Unparalleled Understanding from the Best of 26 New Testaments in One. "It's an extremely simple, easy-to-use, multi-translation New Testament that turns ordinary reading into an extraordinary understanding of scripture. And this new edition is all about convenience--merging more than 1,200 former two-column pages into fewer than 500, 8.5" x 11", four-column pages formatted for personal reading, teaching, and meditation."No single Bible translation captures the synergistic, almost three-dimensional shades of meaning found in THE WORD: The New Testament from 26 Translations. Each time-tested, classic translation serves as a commentary to the others."The Word's Insta-Study Format (TM) features the complete KJV in bold-face type, immediately followed by the most significant insights researched from 25 time-tested classic translations, including: The Amplified Bible, ASV, NASV, RSV, Living Bible, Bible in Basic English, Phillips Translations, Knox Translation, and more than a dozen other classics--all in one place.General Editor Curtis Vaughan, Th.D., led an editorial board representing seminaries and universities from the United States, Canada, Scotland, and New Zealand--using translations from 19 English Bible publishers."So much information in a hurry.""Simpler and faster than hubs, gateways, and other click and read software.""Instant Bible study.""...brings extraordinary understanding to the ordinary reader...""...an ingenious tool for teaching and personal study. You're going to love it.""Unparalleled understanding from the best of 26 New Testaments in one." .(This third edition, ISBN: 978-0-935491-04-3, replaces ISBN: 978-0935491029)

A leading spiritual teacher reveals how Celtic spirituality -listening to the sacred around us and inside us - can help us heal the earth, overcome our conflicts, and reconnect with ourselves.

A classic for thirty years, Intended for Pleasure is an easy-to-read reference book that combines biblical teaching on love and marriage with the latest medical information on sex and sexuality. This popular resource gently encourages married couples to make their sexual relationship the fulfilling experience it was meant to be. This is a complete sex manual, with basic facts, illustrations, and frank discussion of all facets of human sexuality. A perfect gift for newlyweds and a source book for pastors and marriage counselors, this book has helped more than a million people understand and enjoy the gift God intended for pleasure.

Adamson and Ganeri present a lively introduction to one of the world's richest intellectual traditions: the philosophy of classical India. They guide us through such famous works as the Vedas and the Upanisads, and tell the stories of how Buddhism and Jainism developed. Anyone curious about South Asian philosophy can start here.

Divided into two parts, this book helps you find your spirit guides - the entities who are designated by you and God to assist you with life and give you guidance. It offers insight into the workings of spirit guides, and in so doing, gives you the tools to understand your 'unseen companions along the way'.