Religious Biographies

For a Christian, the way to reach perfection is to strive for holiness. What is true perfection? Christ's words are clear, sublime and disconcerting: "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." To have God as our model is a dizzying thought! Yet the Church reminds us that, "All the faithful, whatever their condition or state in life, are called by the Lord to that perfect holiness." The Church teaches us that holiness is not the concern of a privileged few, nor does it only pertain to Christians of the past.

Saint Augustine is one of history's most prolific geniuses. With great eloquence and passion, his Confessions - a masterpiece of Western literature - explores enduring questions that continue to stir millions. Perhaps the most moving record of a soul's journey to grace, Confessions appears midway in Saint Augustine's prodigious body of theological writings and remains his most influential work.

From the Swing Between Worlds, a realm of light where souls create the design for their lives, we see Mary Magdalene accept the challenges she will face as a visionary, healer, teacher and counterpart of Jesus Christ. As she looks into the future, she sees that in 2000 years the people will also remember their own light, their own divinity and choose to live in peace. Now is the time she has seen! Now is the time for Peace. From the Preface; Mary was not a harlot, powerless, following Christ.

"Un génie mystique". Ainsi parlait le Pape Paul VI de celui qui prêcha, à sa demande, sa retraite au Vatican en 1972. Maurice Zundel, ce prêtre suisse né en 1897, vit depuis sa mort en 1975, un succès grandissant. Cela s'explique par l'aspect prophétique de cet étonnant mystique qui, dès le début de ses prédications, a placé l'homme au centre et au cœur de sa spiritualité. Transcendant les frontières humaines et religieuses, celui qui fut, entre autres, le confesseur de l'abbé Pierre, rejoint chacun d'entre nous, au travers de ses homélies (éditées), de ses livres (une vingtaine), et ses conférences (retranscrites).

This unique biography, told in a lively manner through six 'voices', presents the Buddha's revolutionary solution for humanity that lends to the end of ill will, craving and delusion. It goes back to the earliest sources of the Buddha's life and teachings, drawing as it does from the Pali Canon which was said to record the words that the Buddha spoke, the events that happened, and his specific teachings on which the world-wide religion was based.

Henry Bennion Eyring was born on May 31, 1933, in Princeton, New Jersey, bearing the first name of his father, who was fast building a reputation as a brilliant scientist, and the family name of his mother, who didn't care for the name "Henry" and insisted that he be called Hal. In 1970, Hal received an impression to make a daily record of his activities. Years of journals form the backbone of this personal biography, a candid look at his walk through life with his beloved companion, Kathy.

Twenty-four of the Buddha's most distinguished disciples are brought to life in ten chapters of rich narration. They include monks who were very close to him throughout his life, including Sariputta and Mahamoggallana; his cousin and companion Ananda; his principal women disciples, including the nun Isidasi and his lay disciple, the courtesan Ambapali; and the serial killer Angulimala, whose character was transformed after meeting the Buddha.

ON A DARK WINTER NIGHT with little to do, Rivvy Neshama took a "Find Your Highest Purpose" quiz. And the funny thing was, she found it: to live a sacred life. Problem was, she didn't know how.

There are many editions of the writings of St. Francis, and many biographies about him, but here in one volume are both, plus the complete text of the late medieval work The Little Flowers, which did more to establish the legend of the man than any other work. This edition includes the complete Road to Assisi, Paul Sabatier's groundbreaking and foundational biography of the saint, first published in French in 1894; the complete Francis in His Own Words: The Essential Writings; and The Little Flowers, thus offering the best introduction to St. Francis yet available between two covers.

The first monotheistic religion was born in ancient Persia, more than 2000 years before any other under the leadership of Zoroaster. As a lone philosopher and wanderer, Zoroaster traveled Persia to spread his teachings facing persecution, assassination attempts, and more. Dive into both Zoroaster's life and the beliefs of the faith practice Zoroastrianism, which is still alive today. Just as in ancient times, many practitioners are forced to survive persecution and violence in order to keep their cultural heritage alive.

Soon after September 11, the news media stepped up its coverage of Martin and Gracia Burnham, the missionary couple held hostage in the Philippine jungle by terrorists with ties to Osama bin Laden. After a year of captivity and a violent rescue that resulted in Martin's death, the world watched Gracia Burnham return home in June 2002.

Throughout the autobiography, Spurgeon records those aspects of life that only an autobiography can: his family circle, the daily labor behind his public works, and the feelings which led him to resist the reformation of the Faith of the Churches. Above all, he records his experiences of God's grace.

From being raised in a home without the foundation of the gospel to the early days of his marriage and the stress of medical school to his last open-heart surgery in China, President Russell M. Nelson took advantage of every opportunity to learn and become more.

In his autobiography, Charles Finney goes into great detail about his ministry and the many revivals he spearheaded. He gives incredibly valuable details about how he operated in those revivals, the strategies he used to bring them about, his response to the constant controversies surrounding him, and much more. This book is, without a doubt, one of the greatest treasures in church history.

Récit d’une vie tout entière vouée à la foi, Espère est la première autobiographie jamais publiée par un pape de son vivant. Le pape François avait d’abord souhaité que ce document exceptionnel ne paraisse qu’après sa mort, mais les exigences de notre temps l’ont résolu à rendre public ce précieux héritage.

En este clásico de la literatura espiritual, Paramahansa Yogananda narra la inspirativa historia de su vida, que incluye los encuentros que mantuvo con numerosos santos y sabios, los diez años de entrenamiento espiritual que recibió en la ermita de un maestro iluminado, y los más de treinta años en los que vivió en Estados Unidos difundiendo las liberadoras enseñanzas del Kriya Yoga. Esta obra, que es una profunda exposición de la ciencia y la filosofía Yoga, revela la unidad básica existente entre las grandes religiones de Oriente y Occidente.

The wisdom acquired during C. T. Vivian's lifetime is generously shared in It's In the Action, the civil rights legend's memoir of his early life and time in the civil rights movement. Vivian worked hand in hand with the movement's most famous figures, including Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, and his contributions were no less vital to the successes of nonviolent resistance. Bearing a foreword from Andrew Young, It's in the Action is an important addition to civil rights history from Vivian and coauthor Steve Fiffer.

Richard Wurmbrand, founder of Voice of the Martyrs, was once a young atheist determined to experience everything the world had to offer. Yet he regretted that God did not exist, wishing that a heart of love beat somewhere in the universe. When the Romanian found that heart of love in Jesus Christ, he had the courage to serve Christ unswervingly even as his homeland sided with the Nazis and then sank into the new horrors of post-war Communism.

William Carey watched from the dock as the magnificent sailing ship headed for the English Channel without him. Tears filled his eyes, and deep disappointment filled his heart. What would he tell the missionary society? So much work awaited him half a world away. He must get to India—and soon! William's amazing journey to India would prove to be just the beginning of a missionary quest filled with hardship and heartache as well as tremendous victories.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of C. S. Lewis' death, celebrated Oxford don Dr. Alister McGrath presents us with a compelling and definitive portrait of the life of C. S. Lewis, the author of the well-known Narnia series. For more than half a century, C. S. Lewis’ Narnia series has captured the imaginations of millions. In C. S. Lewis - A Life, Dr. Alister McGrath recounts the unlikely path of this Oxford don, who spent his days teaching English literature to the brightest students in the world and his spare time writing.