First Religion

Best-selling author, humorist, and internationally known psychologist Dr. Kevin Leman helps firstborns understand their natural advantages for the highest level of personal success at home, at school, at work, and in relationships.

Are you ready to embark on a journey through time, explore the foundations of faith, and uncover the history that shapes our beliefs today? Look no further than 1st and 2nd Chronicles, the ultimate gateway to understanding the epic story of Israel and Judah, their triumphs, trials, and the enduring power of their legacy. You will encounter the heroic reign of King David, the wisdom of Solomon, and the heartfelt prayers and reforms of King Hezekiah and Josiah.

Step into the captivating world of ancient kings, where power, betrayal, and divine intervention shape the destiny of nations. "1st & 2nd Kings" is not just a historical account – it's a riveting narrative that brings to life the epic struggles & triumphs of legendary rulers. Each chapter unveils the drama of kingdoms rising and falling, of prophets confronting monarchs, and of courage amidst adversity. From the illustrious reigns of Solomon and David to the riotous times of Elijah & Elisha, this book offers a panoramic view of the tumultuous journey of Israel and Judah.

The First Will Be Last: A Biblical Perspective on Narcissism is just what the title says - an A-Z look at the Biblical perspective on these toxic people; including who they are, how they got that way, and how to deal with them. From key words to Biblical case studies, it will unlock a new perspective and provide a framework in your search for truth.

When the Holy Spirit first poured out in the 1730s and 1740s, Jonathan Edwards was at the forefront. The United States had not yet declared independence from England, and was an ever-changing landscape of immigrants from all over the world. These cultures brought an array of false idols, religions, witchcraft, and more. A spiritual war had begun in the nation as the devil attempted to undermine what God was doing in the land.

Typical translations of the New Testament make the biblical text as accessible as possible by using the language of our own day. At times this masks the distance between the New Testament text and modern audiences. Scripture continues to speak to us but it speaks as an ancient text to the modern world. New Testament scholar Scot McKnight offers a translation of the New Testament with a daring approach to the ancient text. Clever in its expression and at times stunning in its boldness, The Second Testament will challenge listeners to experience God's Word anew.

From the best-selling author of the biography of Shunryu Suzuki (Crooked Cucumber), comes a memoir and oral history of Tassajara—a monastery founded in 1967 by Shunryu Suzuki, abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center. Peopled like a Sixties film of Buddhist invasion, with hippies, dreamers, lovers, a wave of serious practitioners. Nyogen Senzaki, D.T. Suzuki, Alan Watts, Ruth Fuller Sasaki, Gary Snyder, Allen Ginsberg, and of course Shunryu Suzuki and Richard Baker are all here. This is the story of what happened at and surrounding the founding of the first Zen monastery in the West.

Traditionally, the Orthodox Church has appointed forty days of rest and seclusion after childbirth for mothers to recover from the rigors of birth and get to know their new babies. In the modern world, it can be difficult to understand how to use this time to the fullest in the way it was intended. The authors of A Sacred Beginning—a therapist and a pediatrician who are both mothers themselves—come to the rescue with a resource that addresses the spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of a mother's recovery from birth and embarkation on her new life.

Although most people acknowledge that Jesus was a first-century Jew, interpreters of the Gospels often present him as opposed to Jewish law and customs—especially when considering his numerous encounters with the ritually impure. Matthew Thiessen corrects this popular misconception by placing Jesus within the Judaism of his day. Thiessen demonstrates that the Gospel writers depict Jesus opposing ritual impurity itself, not the Jewish ritual purity system or the Jewish law.

Jesus' treatment of women was revolutionary. That's why they flocked to him. Wherever he went, they sought him out. Women sat at his feet and tugged at his robes. They came to him for healing, for forgiveness, and for answers. In Jesus through the Eyes of Women, Rebecca McLaughlin explores the life-changing accounts of women who met the Lord. By entering the stories of the named and unnamed women in the Gospels, this book gives listeners a unique lens to see Jesus as these women did and marvel at how he loved them in return.

John W. O'Malley gives us the most comprehensive account ever written of the Society of Jesus in its founding years, one that heightens and transforms our understanding of the Jesuits in history and today. Following the Society from 1540 through 1565, O'Malley shows how this sense of mission evolved. He looks at everything—the Jesuits' teaching, their preaching, their casuistry, their work with orphans and prostitutes, their attitudes toward Jews and "New Christians," and their relationship to the Reformation.

Paul is second only to Jesus as the most important person in the birth of Christianity, and yet he continues to be controversial, even among Christians. How could the letters of Paul be used both to inspire radical grace and to endorse systems of oppression - condoning slavery, subordinating women, condemning homosexual behavior? Borg and Crossan use the best of biblical and historical scholarship to explain the reasons for Paul's mixed reputation and reveal to us what scholars have known for decades: The later letters of Paul were created by the early church to dilute Paul's message.

Begin your journey of faith, hope, and love. This is a story of recovery and restoration through the love and power of God. Only He can take what the devil meant for your harm, and turn it to GOOD! Let the healing begin!

In a time of immense persecution and widespread misunderstanding, one man stood fearlessly to defend the truth of the Christian faith. "The First and Second Apologies" by St. Justin Martyr represents one of the most significant and courageous acts of Christian witness from the second century. Written as direct appeals to the Roman Emperor and the Senate, these powerful documents offer an unparalleled glimpse into the beliefs, practices, and intellectual arguments of the early Church.

The Age of Paradise is the first of a projected four-volume history of Christendom, a civilization with a supporting culture that gave rise to what we now call the West. At a time of renewed interest in the future of Western culture, author John Strickland—an Orthodox scholar, professor, and priest—offers a vision rooted in the deep past of the first millennium. At the heart of his story is the early Church’s “culture of paradise”, an experience of the world in which the kingdom of heaven was tangible and familiar.

Raised in a devout Buddhist family, Steve was no stranger to ritual and prayer. But despite his lifelong search for truth, darkness followed him, pulling him into a spiral of addiction and despair. Then, after a near-fatal accident, Steve was plunged into the depths of hell itself—a place of unbearable torment, suffocating darkness, and merciless demonic forces. Trapped and hopeless, he experienced the destiny awaiting those who reject salvation firsthand.

The ever-popular and prolific Peter Kreeft says that the most important question he has written about is how one becomes holy, or, to put it another way, how one becomes a saint. This question is central to all the great religions, as Kreeft demonstrates, for striving toward holiness, moving toward perfect love, is the whole purpose of life.

A powerful Islamic challenge to conventional Judeo-Christian theology, The First and Final Commandment combines this best-selling author's two books, MisGod'ed and God'ed, within one program. Written in clear, fluid, and at times amusing style, The First and Final Commandment incorporates common sense with scholarly analysis to demand reappraisal of the Judeo-Christian religions.

René Descartes is often described as the first modern philosopher, but much of the content of his "Meditations on First Philosophy" can be found in the medieval period that had already existed for more than a thousand years. Does God exist? If so, what is his nature? Is the human soul immortal? How does it differ from the body? What role do sense experience and pure reason play in knowing? Descartes stands out from his predecessors because of the method he developed to treat these and other fundamental questions.

An intriguing supplement to the 'Book of Genesis', The First and Second Books of Adam and Eve remains an ancient text of great interest to modern readers. We are given intriguing insights into what life was like in the almost 1,600 years leading up to the biblical Great Flood of Noah, and how evil came to dominate the whole Earth due to Satan and the cursed Fallen Angels, who still seek to tempt, corrupt and destroy the world today.