Religious Life

From classics such as the Odyssey and the Aeneid to fifth-century Christian apocrypha, narratives that described guided tours of the afterlife played a major role in shaping ancient notions of morality and ethics. In this new account, acclaimed author Bart Ehrman contextualizes early Christian narratives of heaven and hell within the broader intellectual and cultural worlds from which they emerged.

The Lives of Adam and Eve belongs to a class of Apocrypha that could be described as books written, or claimed to have been written, before the time of Christ, as part of the Old Testament, and which frequently contain prophecies. Jewish legends about Adam were numerous and very old, and the Jewish literary custom of writing ethical works in the form of a survey of history was well established.

Ever since the untimely death of her mother, 14-year-old Joan Skraggs has been desperately unhappy. Under the thumb of her cruel father and three sullen brothers, Joan lives like a servant on their farm just outside of Lancaster, forever cooking, cleaning, and attending to the many demands of the home. But she has little freedom and less support from her family for her love of reading and blossoming interest in education.

In this captivating, insightful book, acclaimed physicists Alan Lightman and Martin Rees illuminate the life and work of numerous scientists in order to demystify the scientific process and show that scientists are concerned citizens, just like the rest of us. “Remarkable. . . . Illuminating...

Author Bob Buford called them "code breakers." They are people age 40 and older who have pioneered the art of finishing well in these modern times, and who can teach us to do the same, starting today. Buford sought out 60 of these trailblazers--including Peter Drucker, Roger Staubach, Jim...

The Mystic Heart chronicled Brother Wayne Teasdale's journey into a multifaceted spirituality blending his traditional Catholic training and the Eastern way of sannyasa (Indian monkhood). A Monk in the World tells what the journey has meant for him - living as a monk outside the monastery, integrating teachings from the world's religions with his own Catholic training, combining his vigorous spiritual practice with the necessities of making a living, and pursuing a course of social justice in a major American city.

St. Malachy of Armagh lived in an age of turmoil, yet his life radiated holiness, reform, and unwavering devotion. Composed by his cherished friend, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, this compelling biography chronicles Malachy's extraordinary journey from his humble beginnings in Ireland to his apostolic labors, miracles, and untimely death at Clairvaux.

Eight-year-old Elsie Dinsmore is enjoying a blissful Christmas holiday season with her family and friends when a crisis arises that threatens life as she knows it. She believes that obeying a request her father has made would violate her conscience, and she must refuse him. He, in turn, believes Elsie is being willful and disobedient, and he fails to see her refusal as a matter of her deep, abiding faith in God.

In a frightening incident, Elsie's husband, Edward Travilla, narrowly survives an accidental shooting when friends tease son Edward, Jr. into firing a loaded pistol. The shot grazes Edward's head, and he survives with only minor damage. Soon life in the Travilla household returns to its calm routine.

The Wisdom of John Paul II is a powerful, illuminating distillation of the Pope's most moving, wise, and penetrating statements on a range of important issues. In this compilation by Nick Bakalar and Richard Balkin, the Pope addresses spirituality in modern life, human rights and religious freedom, marriage and family, morality, peace, prayer, women's roles, poverty, and many other concerns vital to Christian life and thought.

A heartwarming book following a group of boys from different backgrounds throughout the school year as they become the best of friends.

Leisa Marie Carzon, Ph.D., chronicles the extraordinary life of Sister Deirdre "Dede" Byrne, a professed religious sister, renowned surgeon, and retired U.S. Army colonel. The narrative details her journey in discerning and living her vocational calling, including providing free medical care to the poor, delivering a heroic national keynote address, and proposing Christ to everyone she meets with fearless abandon and determined love.

In this intimate portrait of one of the Middle Ages' most consequential men, Brian Patrick McGuire delves into the life of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux to offer a refreshing interpretation that finds within this grand historical figure a deeply spiritual human being who longed for the reflective quietude of the monastery even as he helped shape the destiny of a church and a continent. Heresy and crusade, politics and papacies, theology and disputation shaped this astonishing man's life, and McGuire presents it all in a deeply informed and clear-eyed biography.

A satisfying compendium of profound subjects carefully and clearly elucidated by a master writer and teacher. These 47 discourses on the Jewish festivals give an overview of the primary concepts of Chabad Chasidus and address the dynamics of a Jew's relationship with G-d, community, and himself.

Nura longs for the simple pleasure of many things—to wear a beautiful red dupatta or to bite into a sweet gulab. But with her mom hard at work in a run-down sweatshop and three younger siblings to feed, Nura must spend her days earning money by mica mining. But it’s not just the extra rupees in her pocket Nura is after. Local rumor says there’s buried treasure in the mine, and Nura knows that finding it could change the course of her family’s life forever. Her plan backfires when the mines collapse and four kids, including her best friend, Faisal, are claimed dead.

St. Benedict was not interested in fame, power, or legacy. He was only interested in living the Christian life to the fullest and helping those around him do the same. The rest is history - and the work of Providence. Not only consecrated religious, but also many lay people, find inspiration in his call to balance, discipline, and prayer. Historically, St. Benedict helped bridge the early Church with the medieval period by standing on the shoulders of the fathers of the monastic tradition.

Renowned as a printer, scientist, and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin also published more works on religious topics than any other 18th-century American layperson. Born to Boston Puritans, by his teenage years Franklin had abandoned the exclusive Christian faith of his family and embraced deism. But Franklin, as a man of faith, was far more complex than the "thorough deist" who emerges in his autobiography.

The Tarot Blueprint was given to me as a channeled message. Every card in the deck was describing some part of the journey, and it instantly struck me that the tarot isn't just about the fool's journey. The tarot actually covers every aspect of life, like an incredible blueprint of the human journey from cradle to grave! Connecting the tarot with the chakras has never been done quite like this before, and learning the cards from this perspective requires no memorization whatsoever. The meanings of the cards are written as a story, which makes it perfect as an audiobook.

Christy is going to Europe! It’s a three-week outreach trip with Doug, Katie, and Tracy. First stop is London for some sightseeing, and then on to a castle in the English countryside for group training. Christy is so excited to be headed for Belfast with her friends. Their roommate, Sierra Jensen, adds lots of energy to their late night conversations along with Katie. Why is it that Tracy seems to be avoiding the merriment? If Christy can go the distance and trust God more than ever before, Christy will discover that a promise really can last forever.

Be encouraged by this amazing personal account of Marilyn Hickey’s extraordinary life of miracles with God. You will get a glimpse of the intimate details of her childhood, young adulthood, and ministry as she shares with extreme transparency the process God used to mold her into His servant, and you will peer into the unique struggles and personal adversities she had to overcome throughout that process. Walk with this unbelievable woman of God and experience the heartaches and the successes she has seen as she ministered to thousands of people in hundreds of nations.