Art Religion

A Place Called Ananda is a deeply meaningful story. If what you seek in life is greater inspiration and understanding, you will find here a fulfillment. The story is different, yes. In some ways it is highly unusual. Its underlying message, however, is universal.

The Hanuman Chalisa is a Vedic devotional hymn (stotra) in praise of Hanuman authored by the poet sage Tulsi Das. The word "chālīsā" means the number forty in Sanskrit, as the Hanuman Chalisa has forty verses. Lord Hanuman is a great devotee of Sri Ram and one of the central characters in the epic, Ramayan. Hanuman is also an incarnation of Shiva. The qualities of Hanuman—his strength, courage, wisdom, celibacy, devotion to Lord Ram, and the many names by which he is known are all in the Hanuman Chalisa. Devotional recitation of this sacred prayer is done by millions every day.

Tulsi Devi (Vrinda—Holy Basil) is a sacred plant in Hindu belief. She is regarded as an earthly manifestation of the goddess Srimati Tulsi Devi, and is as an avatar of Lakshmi, and thus the consort of Vishnu. The offering of her leaves is mandatory in the worship of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Tulsi is regarded as the holiest of all plants and a bridge between heaven and earth. A traditional prayer teaches the creator Brahma and the Ganges resides in her branches, all holy pilgrimage centers in her roots, all deities are in her stem and leaves, and the Vedas are found in parts of her branches.

We need to understand something: God is. And he doesn’t change who he is because of what we believe about him. The fact is, he is holy, and he wants us to be holy, too. Now the Bible says “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.” And this perplexes us. How can God say, “Be ye holy for I am holy,” in one breath, and then, “All things are lawful,” in another?

Herbert Silberer’s Hidden Symbolism of Alchemy and the Occult Arts (1917) explores the deeper meanings behind alchemical texts, Rosicrucian allegories, and mystical traditions, arguing that these works are not simply about chemical experiments but are symbolic accounts of inner transformation. Using both Freudian psychoanalysis and spiritual interpretation, Silberer demonstrates how myths, dreams, and esoteric emblems express unconscious drives as well as higher religious aspirations.

The Last Supper explores the bold and unexpected forms an encounter with belief can take. It traces the beginnings of our postsecular age, in which religion is at once surging and in decline. Through a propulsive narrative, it reveals the cryptoreligious imagination as complex, credible, daring, and vividly recognizable.

After flipping her raft days away from help on a trip down the remote Salmon River, Katie Arnold's shattered leg tests both her spirit and her marriage for years to come. It also reignites her meditation practice and motivates her to dive into Zen in search of healing. Before the accident, Katie was an elite ultrarunner with a simmering but adequate marriage who avoided being indoors whenever possible. But who is she afterwards? In the midst of hardship, Katie turns for support to the Zen practice she had long dabbled in.

Come to the movies with two celebrated spirituality writers—American poet and author Kathleen Norris and Irish storyteller and peace activist Gareth Higgins. In A Whole Life in Twelve Movies, Norris and Higgins invite listeners along as they discuss acclaimed movies that can help us better understand our lives—from before birth to death and beyond. Featuring twelve films, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Malcolm X, and Babette's Feast, this book is perfect for individuals or groups to watch and discuss movies over the course of a year.

Beauty in Japanese art and culture often hides in the empty spaces between sounds, brush strokes, flowers, and branches. An even deeper beauty resides beneath, the hidden beauty of the God of the Bible. Through 20 short meditations, discover the presence of God and the truth of the gospel in Japanese life and culture.

Après "L'art du bonheur", le Dalaï-Lama nous explique, avec autant d'humilité que de finesse et de profondeur, ce qu'est la compassion, comment la cultiver et la développer. Il nous montre par quels mécanismes l'égoïste se mue en un être aimant et généreux. Cette méthode d'approfondissement de la compassion, enseignement limpide d'un trésor de sagesse immémorial, présente aux hommes du XXème siècle les clefs d'une vie meilleure dans un monde pacifié.

Braving will inspire you to explore the wide open possibilities beyond your comfort zone, and to experience the surprising purpose God has for you. Artist and musician Wayne Kerr interviewed 50 trailblazers whose faith and courage enables them to make a difference while living their purpose. In Braving, he highlights the best of what he learned, featuring conversations with leaders like author John Eldredge, musicians Dave Barnes and Fernando Ortega, entrepreneurs Johnny Carrabba and Tara Royer Steele, artist Mark Maggiori, filmmaker Ben Masters, and others.

In the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters in history, music had a healing power never dreamed possible. An electrifying sense of hope, almost tangible, wafted through the air. In those moments, beauty won over fear and despair. These stories of the aroma of God’s beauty and presence in the aftermath and devastation will encourage you, inspire you, and change you.

Do you ever feel like your mind is a never-ending loop of worries, anxieties, and to-do lists? Are you constantly feeling on edge, unable to truly relax and unwind? If you're struggling with chronic stress, this "Clear Your Mind, Calm Your Stress - Grounding Audio Meditation Course" can be your guide to inner peace. In the chaos of modern life, finding moments of peace and clarity can feel like an impossible task. The constant bombardment of responsibilities, worries, and information leaves many of us feeling stressed, anxious, and mentally scattered.

The story of five best-selling novels beloved by evangelicals, the book industry they built, and the collective imagination they shaped. Who are evangelicals? And what is evangelicalism? Those attempting to answer these questions usually speak in terms of political and theological stances. But those stances emerge from an evangelical world with its own institutions - institutions that shape imagination as much as they shape ideology.

“What is the relevancy of the Cross of Jesus Christ? What does it matter that Christ died on a Cross and rose from the dead over 2,000 years ago? How does His Cross add any value to my life and to who I am and to who I want to be?” Perhaps it’s a question you’ve asked yourself or someone else and never received an answer that you considered to be satisfactory. If that’s the case, T. D. Jakes will answer your question once and for all, but not in the way you might be expecting.

Did you enter adulthood thinking marriage would find you, only to end up at a second-cousin's wedding, dodging yet another bouquet the night before you turned 30? Maybe you've started wondering if this the best the single life has to offer. Joy Beth Smith says it's not - that single life doesn't have to leave you constantly waiting for real life to begin. If you let go of the tired lies weighing you down, you can turn toward truth.

Fans of the eccentric and edgy films of the Coen brothers know there's more going on in their films than meets the eye. Award-winning author and columnist Cathleen Falsani is the perfect guide for Coen fans, inviting them to take a deeper look at the popular films, from their debut Blood Simple to the recent Burn After Reading and all the strange and wonderful films in between.

What makes us human? And why does it matter? Poetic and practical advice on who we are—and what we need to become—to move forward in togetherness and mutual responsibility in an age of uncertainty and climate chaos Zen and Indigenous Hawaiian wisdom for navigating the timeplace of...

This classic work, written by Theosophist W. Scott-Elliot, this book goes into detail about the lost city of Atlantis. The information came from C. W. Leadbeater, who said he received his information from astral clairvoyance. Scott-Elliot provides info on the people of Atlantis, such as their religion, races, different periods money, education, and much more.

Preach and Deliver is a practical guide that will teach you the best practices for body language, eye contact, pauses, humor, illustrations, notes, and much more. This book will change the way you deliver a sermon so that you can preach in a powerful way that grips the hearts and minds of your audience. But passive listening alone will not make you a better preacher. That's why at the end of every chapter, I have included an action step to apply what you learned.