Contemporary Religion

From the internationally bestselling author of The Alchemist comes The Pine Tree at St. Martin, a never-before-published Christmas parable for the ages. Fans of Paulo Coelho will immediately recognize the master storyteller's incomparable voice, and will treasure this story's simplicity and...

Modern Epistles: A Call to the Contemporary Church by Sam Johnston is a powerful call to action for today's diverse and complex Christian landscape. This audiobook urges the modern church to return to the core teachings of the Gospel, fostering unity, authenticity, and a deeper commitment to Christ. Johnston provides practical advice and biblical insights to help the church navigate contemporary challenges while staying true to its foundational beliefs.

Understanding Maqasid al-Shariah calls for the development of a juridical sense that is finely tuned to the higher objectives and purposes of Islamic rulings, the aims of which are the formulation of a new methodology in understanding the revealed texts and the reform of Muslim thought and its application. The author draws attention to the importance of understanding various levels of maqasid, including distinguishing between primary aims (al-maqasid al-asliyyah) and secondary aims (al-maqasid al-tabi'ah).

In this companion volume to When You Pray and When You Fast, L. Joseph Letendre juxtaposes scriptural and patristic admonitions about almsgiving with a look at contemporary issues that make it sometimes difficult to see our way forward in this regard. Along with the rationale for almsgiving, he offers practical suggestions for how almsgiving can work in our lives as modern Christians.

We must apply Solomon's leadership insights to global missions and outreach. Solomon's fame and influence extended far beyond the borders of Israel. As Christian leaders, we are called to have a global perspective and engage in cross-cultural missions with wisdom and sensitivity. By studying Solomon's approach to international relations, we can learn valuable lessons in fostering unity, building alliances, and promoting peace and justice.

Abigail is a young Amish woman who is told by her music teacher that she should pursue a career as a singer. This puts her at odds with members of her community who want her to stay put and have a family. Her boyfriend has made it clear that he wants to get married soon but when a music producer from outside the community contacts her for contract, she has a major decision to make...stay with her boyfriend or pursue her gift...but can she have both?

When rumors about an illicit union resurface for him, Ahmed, a psychiatrist, tries to kill the woman he loves and once treated as a patient. Selena is a Christian mystic, who will sacrifice true love for a more noble, virtuous, and spiritual ideal. What proceeds is an unconventional relationship eclipsed in time by the sacred. When Ahmed becomes aware of it, a tragic outcome is transcended. Both are forever changed by the experience.

Hannah seemingly has it all with her loving husband Samuel and a newborn on the way. But adversity soon hits as a drought in their Amish community puts a damper on their finances and their marriage. When Hannah's father suddenly dies, she realizes just how much he meant to her, but she's also forever grateful for everything he taught her in life.

Drawn to the lakes and peaks of the Cumberland Mountains of East Tennessee by the need to recover from the blow life has dealt her, Samantha Hill seeks to set her new priorities now that she has been denied what could've been and certainly should've been. All Matt Landry wants is two weeks off by himself hiking and fishing, during which he hopes to regain his hold on what is important in his life going forward.