Religion Social

Story is the source code of culture and consciousness and of all Reality-all the way up and down the evolutionary chain. Story is the attempt to gather information about the nature of Reality and translate it into narrative frameworks bounded by Value. Stories that organize culture are Stories of Value backed by the Universe. Postmodernity argues that Reality is just a story, and that all stories are created equal (equally meaningless of inherent value) because value itself is not real. And therefore, all stories of value are but social constructs, fictions, figments of our imagination.

Before it was a religion, a culture, or even a system of meditation, what was Buddhism? On Buddhism Without Beliefs, celebrated teacher, translator, and former Buddhist monk Stephen Batchelor takes us back to the first years after the Buddha's awakening to reveal the root insights of Buddhism hidden beneath centuries of history and interpretation.

It’s difficult to capture in words the anxiety and frustration many Canadian Christians are feeling these days. We find ourselves in a nation we never envisioned, with a future that seems increasingly uncertain. In what seems like a very short time, Canada has gone from being a nation that was friendly toward Christian values to one where these values are now either openly under attack or already trampled underfoot.

En France, comme dans de nombreuses régions du monde, des adolescentes et des jeunes femmes sont encore contraintes d’accepter pour époux un homme qu’elles n’ont ni choisi, ni parfois même rencontré. Au nom de l’intérêt des parents. Leila avait 21 ans lorsque ses parents l'ont forcée à épouser un homme de quinze ans son aîné. Le mariage est arrangé au Maroc et enregistré légalement en France. Son mari, cet homme qu’elle n’aime pas, va la frapper et tenter de la soumettre. Avec un courage inouï, Leila se bat contre le poids de la tradition, pour conserver sa liberté et sa dignité.

If life is but a dream, to what do we awake? The central premise of this book is the admittedly ridiculous but incontrovertibly true assertion that the universe does not exist. This is something you can understand conceptually, like watching a documentary about Antarctica, or experientially, like moving to Antarctica. There's also a related phenomenon where you fall asleep watching the documentary and wake up in the frozen wasteland.

The gospel of Jesus has not always been good news for Native Americans. The history of North America is marred by atrocities committed against Native peoples. Indigenous cultures were erased in the name of Christianity. As a result, to this day few Native Americans are followers of Jesus. However, despite the far-reaching effects of colonialism, some Natives have forged culturally authentic ways to follow the way of Jesus. In his final work, Richard Twiss provides a contextualized Indigenous expression of the Christian faith among the Native communities of North America.

With The Teachings of Don Juan, Carlos Castaneda chronicled a journey toward enlightenment under the tutelage of Yaqui Indian guru Don Juan. Having sold more than eight million copies of his books around the world, Castaneda has inspired countless readers with his awareness-expanding experiences.

Widely considered the greatest self-help book of all-time, As a Man Thinketh reveals how our thoughts shape our character and influence our circumstances, health, and achievements. The choice is yours: either master your mind to create the life you want, or remain mired in frustration and failure. In this 21st Century Edition, bestselling author Sam Torode entirely rephrases Allen's ideas in contemporary English, making his wisdom available to today's audiences.

With vivid story-telling, extensive historical research, and on-the-ground reporting, Ghattas dispels accepted truths about a region she calls home. She explores how Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran, once allies and twin pillars of US strategy in the region, became mortal enemies after 1979. She shows how they used and distorted religion in a competition that went well beyond geopolitics. Feeding intolerance, suppressing cultural expression, and encouraging sectarian violence from Egypt to Pakistan, the war for cultural supremacy led to many events.

Turning the other cheek does not mean standing by while the enemies of God dismantle Christian civilization and brainwash our children. Decrying the cowardice that masquerades as meekness, Eric Metaxas summons the Church to battle. An attenuated and unbiblical “faith” based on what Bonhoeffer called “cheap grace” has sapped the spiritual vitality of millions of Americans. Paying lip service to an insipid “evangelism,” they shrink from combating the evils of our time. Metaxas refutes the pernicious lie that fighting evil politicizes Christianity.

Struggling with a stubborn Taurus boss? An impulsive Aries roommate? Your detail-oriented Virgo mom? This audiobook is your essential guide to navigating all your connections—from family and friends to lovers, colleagues, and beyond.

Within you is a wellspring of strength and resilience, the ability to create and enjoy abundance, and an expansive sense of inner freedom and divinity. Yet after centuries of living in patriarchal societies, many women don’t realize how powerful they are—or how much they’ve been enculturated to keep their true nature hidden. In Roar Like a Goddess, trailblazing Vedic spiritual teacher Acharya Shunya empowers women to step into their divine immensity and lead powerful, abundant, and wise lives through her revolutionary revisioning of ancient India’s goddess archetypes.

Discussions of the Bible and human sexuality often focus on a scattered handful of specific passages. But arguments about this same set of verses have reached an impasse, two leading biblical scholars believe; these debates are missing the forest for the trees. In this learned and beautifully written book, Richard and Christopher Hays explore a more expansive way of listening to the overarching story that scripture tells. They remind us of a dynamic and gracious God who is willing to change his mind, consistently broadening his grace to include more and more people.

In this powerful audiobook, pastor, professor, and leading cultural apologist Voddie Baucham explains the sinister worldview behind the social justice movement and how it has quietly spread like a fault system, not only through our culture, but throughout the evangelical church in America. He also details the devastation it is already wreaking - and what we can do to get back on solid ground before it’s too late.

We know what is wrong with purity culture—now we need to know how to heal. Drawing on historical and psychological research, her own personal experience, and therapy case studies, Dr. Camden Morgante tackles what comes next in reclaiming our sexuality from the harmful teachings so many evangelical Christians grew up believing.

Do you occasionally have that strange feeling known as déjà vu? Do you sometimes feel that you know what is going to happen next? Do you ever have a strong feeling that actions you are about to take are the right (or wrong) thing to do? This audiobook proposes a simply amazing theory - a theory that states that personal death is a scientific impossibility. Using the latest findings of neurology, quantum physics, and consciousness studies, Anthony Peake suggests that we never die.

With dizzying social transformations in everything from gender to social justice, it may seem like there's never been a more tumultuous period in history. But a single year in the late 18th century saw a number of influential transformations—or even revolutions—that changed the social trajectory of the Western world. By understanding how those events influenced today's cultural landscape, Christians can more effectively bear witness to God's truth in a post-Christian age.

The practice of Wicca is more popular than ever. While some Wiccans are unable to find a coven, others simply prefer to practice alone. Known as the Father of American Wicca, Raymond Buckland provides this indispensable, comprehensive guide to the solitary practice of Wicca through every season of life. From becoming a witch to improving your life through magic to mastering spells, rites, traditions, and celebrations, this thoroughly modern handbook is the guidebook you need as you travel the time-honored path of the solitary practitioner.

The Life Model is a unifying approach to ministries of counseling, recovery, pastoral care, prayer ministry, deliverance, inner healing, child rearing, body life, and health. Substance abuse recovery programs internationally are guided by the Life Model's five principles. Because the Life Model develops strong maturity, it is widely used as a church model, particularly where people must face suffering.

In The Book of Fire, award-winning astrologer Steven Forrest offers a triumphant celebration of human resilience. Supported by all nine astrological “Fire” symbols, your spirit can survive anything - and still go dancing the next day. Regardless of your Sun Sign, the healing magic starts with mastering the paths of Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. It continues as you learn to embrace Mars, Jupiter, and the Sun itself. Your resilience finally blossoms in the three Fire houses: The first, fifth, and ninth.