Exploring Religion

Once you're on the synchronicity highway, you're traveling through a realm that often seems as magical and strange as Alice's Wonderland. You feel connected to something larger than yourself and your immediate world. Your perceptions change, you see and experience yourself and life differently. You become immersed in a mystery that often defies reason and logic. Your worldview can be turned inside out like a dirty sock. On the synchronicity highway, meaningful coincidence is your guidance system.

This volume offers an accessible investigation of the Naassene discourse embedded in the anonymous Refutation of All Heresies (completed about 222 CE), in order to understand the theology and ritual life of the Naassene Christian movement in the late second and early third centuries CE. The work provides basic data on the date, genre, and provenance of the Naassene discourse as summarized by the author of the Refutation (or Refutator).

Reflecting on many examples from real life as well as literature, and on the insights of psychologists and philosophers, Cherry uses the tension between the desire to forgive and the protest that a person is unforgivable to push towards understandings of forgiveness that avoid the harshness of binary models. Forgiveness is not, he insists, the only good way forward after harm. A positive understanding of non-vengeful unforgiveness is vital if the harmed are to be given the care and support they need and deserve, and if forgiveness itself is to be authentic and liberating.

Do you think idols are merely statues from a false religion? Think again. In this first volume, you'll think about the primary values of your faith and learn the history behind some of today's difficult issues: When did the Pledge of Allegiance change and why? How did Charles "Lucky Lindy" Lindbergh taint the original “America First" movement? Who was the first monarch in history to grant the full freedom of religion and which Christian minister made it happen?

Our daily struggles often mask a difficult question - Where is God? With fresh biblical insight, beautiful language, and an eye toward the deep wonder of God's everyday presence, The Face of the Deep challenges listeners to experience the wild, joyful mystery of God’s Spirit moving in their lives. Fans of Eugene Peterson, Madeleine L'Engle, Ann Voskamp, and others will find a listening experience like few others. The Face of the Deep is rich in meaning, rooted in theology, fresh in content. This is a book to be heard again and again - a book to be lived.

Prompted by a friend to describe Jesus as he is - not as he was or will be in the coming days - Dick Eastman found himself stammering. What followed over many months was a desire to get to know the Jesus who had changed his life, but in a much fuller and richer way - now! From then on, on scraps of folded paper in his pockets, Eastman found himself recording adjectives describing the nature and character of Jesus Christ, expanding them later into a personal devotional journal.

The Nicene Creed is an ancient Christian statement of belief. It encapsulates the core beliefs of Christianity and is a vibrant creed for today. Walk with M. R. Hyde on this journey through what Christians believe and how you can embrace this creed as your own.

Who Is Like the Lord? explores the nature of God by examining 13 of his attributes. Each one is considered not individually but as a critical part of the whole. As you are drawn deeper into the mystery of an incomprehensible god who longs to be known by his people, you will tremble at his holiness, stand in wonder at his power, and leap for joy over his love.

"Adventures at Sunday School - Exploring God's Miracles" transports readers into the vibrant world of Willowville, where faith, friendship, and the age-old stories of the Bible come to life. Through the eyes of Emma, Ethan, Lily, Noah, Sophia, and their friends, children are introduced to the unfathomable love and wonders of God. This isn't just a recounting of biblical tales; it's a heartfelt invitation to recognize God's presence in today's world.

The Ancient Wisdom is a book by Anni Besant published in 1897 as per the dedication in the Leader of the undated first pressing. In this book Besant introduces and explains the physical plain, astral plane, mental plain and other planes of existence. This book is intended to place in the hands of the general listener an epitome of Theosophical Teachings, Sufficiently plain to serve the elementary student, and sufficiently full to lay a sound foundation for future knowledge.

Who was Jesus—really? Beyond familiar stories and surface-level answers, this accessible and balanced guide invites you to explore Jesus as a historical figure, spiritual teacher, and cultural icon. Blending rigorous research with clear storytelling, The Many Faces of Jesus unpacks key moments from his life, the world he lived in, and the many ways he's been interpreted across time, faiths, and disciplines.

Pulling from the breadth of the Bible, M.R. Hyde helps the listener explore some of the depths of the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples. Find new meaning and personal connection to this beloved prayer.

How is that hope both expressed and experienced in contemporary worship? In this volume in the Dynamics of Christian Worship series, pastor, theologian, and songwriter Glenn Packiam explores what Christians sing about when they sing about hope and what kind of hope they experience when they worship together. Through his analysis and reflection, we find that Christian worship is crucial to both the proclamation and the formation of Christian hope.

Love is mysterious! On one hand, it is the only thing that can save us from perpetual darkness; the world from chaos and disintegration. On the other hand, very few of us feel any love day in and day out for our entire lifetimes. Love is self-luminous bliss; it is light; it is life. It is the core of our being and yet it has been lost and forgotten to the world because it means the death of our egos.

What happens after you die? Is there an afterlife? How can I find peace in my fear of death, or comfort after I've lost a loved one? After the tragic death of his father, Adam Dince wrestled with these questions for years. In search of answers, he began to research stories of those who had near-death experiences-people who briefly died but came back to life.

After Gerald Zgabay becomes a Christian, it doesn’t take long before he’s struggling with two disparate issues: the church and pornography. As he discovers what he’s looking for in a church and learns to walk away from another problem, what shines through is hope, adventure, enlightenment, and open adoption.

After experiencing the devastation of losing one of our identical twin boys, I was exposed to a world of sorrow formerly unimagined. With new eyes opened to the heartbreak of the women surrounding me, I undertook the daunting task of researching the universality of suffering, primarily by documenting the stories of 50 women concentrated in a five-mile radius. These accounts of tragedy and hope are intermingled with scriptural accounts, the words of modern-day apostles and prophets, psychological and sociological views, as well as my own experiences.

There are many parallels between the ideas of Tao Te Ching, written 2,500 years ago by Lao Tzu, and those of Systems Thinking, which has come into prominence with the advent of modern personal computers, through people like Jay W. Forrester, and other thinkers such as Donella Meadows and Fritjof Capra. This book invites us to consider certain timeless wisdoms related to Systems Thinking and provides us with a few points to explore, as we face major challenges for resolving issues we confront for our future.

In this interactive, informative book, Lewis scholar Majorie Lamp Mead and literary expert Leland Ryken unlock the door to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardobe, inviting you to step inside - deeper and deeper, past the musty fur coats - and gaze in wide-eyed wonder once again at the magical, wintery world Lucy first found.

Dive into the rich linguistic universe of Pope Francis with "Pope Francis Dictionary: Key Words of the Pope for a Better World”. This fascinating compendium offers a profound look at the words and phrases that have defined the Pope's pontificate, illuminating the path to understanding, compassion, and action in an ever-changing world. From "mercy" and "social justice" to "solidarity" and "hope," each entry provides a window into the teachings and values of the Pope, inspiring listeners to reflect, learn, and act to build a more just and compassionate world.