Religious Study Guides

Aware both of the excitement and uncertainty generated by The Shack, theologian Randal Rauser takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the pages of the story. In successive chapters he explores many of the books complex and controversial issues. Through these chapters Rauser offers an honest and illuminating discussion which opens up a new depth to the conversation while providing the reader with new opportunities for Finding God in The Shack.

Must you believe something to be saved? Does the kingdom of God include non-Christians? Is hell for real and forever? These are big questions. Hard questions. Questions that divide Christians along conservative and liberal lines. Conservatives love their beliefs and liberals believe in their love. Each pushes the other to opposite extremes. Fundamentalists imply that it doesn’t matter how we live as long as we believe in Jesus, while some Emergent Christians respond that it doesn’t matter what we believe as long as we live like him.

Mark DeYmaz presents seven common obstacles to building a healthy multi-ethnic church, taking the reader beyond merely understanding the need for diversity, to the practical challenges and ramifications of day-to-day leadership within a diverse congregation of faith.

Understandably, most people struggle with irrational fear at the mere mention of supernatural beings and concepts, including witches and ghosts based on what is portrayed about them in folklore, movies, scientific journals, fiction books, classical and contemporary art, and TV programs. But you’d be surprised by how much people’s minds are changed when they actually study the world of ghosts, witches and supernatural beings in general and gain insight.

Trauma and Abuse Healing equips counselors and therapists with easy-to-use tools and practices to implement on their clients that have helped many to find daily peace and solace. In Trauma and Abuse Healing, Heidi Thompson-Henyon employs her knowledge and wisdom of many different rituals and ceremonies to show counselors and therapists how to lead their clients to better healing.

The Audio Bible Study series provides a unique learning experience. Instead of sitting down to watch a video teaching for Bible study, listen to the same quality Bible study content on the go! Whether you listen on your commute, while walking outside, or over a lunch break, you can access high-quality audio Bible studies wherever you are. Get the most out of the teaching by diving into the accompanying study guide (sold separately) to walk through reflection questions and individual Bible study to go deeper.

This book will help you appreciate the significance of Japan's own religion in everyday life, recognize the key traditions and festivals of the Shinto year, understand what you will see at Shinto shrines and in Shinto rituals, and gain insights into the controversies surrounding Shinto politics and nationalism.

Do you feel compelled to run for political office but aren’t sure how or where to begin? Are you a pastor wondering how to address sensitive political issues with your church? Have you felt uncertain in the voting booth and wondered how to fulfill your civic duties without violating your conscience? Do you want to know how to speak to—and be heard by—your local city council or school board?

Looking to unfold the mysteries of the great tarot arcana? To start reading the tarot cards, intuition alone is not enough. You definitely need guidance in tarot reading to unleash your full potential and make the sacred cards a precious guide in your career, personal, and social life. Tarot for Beginners is a modern reference for using tarot to guide your own personal growth and self-development.

Unlike any other self-help or manifestation book, *Turning Vision to Reality* reveals the hidden codes embedded in religious texts from around the world. Crafted with wisdom drawn from various scriptures and spiritual traditions, this book is your ultimate guide to transforming your vision or manifesting your deepest desires into reality and becoming the ever-powerful version 2.0 of yourself.

The Audio Bible Study series provides a unique learning experience. Instead of sitting down to watch a video teaching for Bible study, listen to the same quality Bible study content on the go! Whether you listen on your commute, while walking outside, or over a lunch break, you can access high-quality audio Bible studies wherever you are. Get the most out of the teaching by diving into the accompanying study guide (sold separately) to walk through reflection questions and individual Bible study to go deeper.

Do you dread waking up to the headlines? Do you live through every day feeling like the life’s being sucked out of you by a harsh, bewildering world will never be the same? You may or may not have realized it - but we are living through a profound turning point in human history. I believe you carry the great power of being somebody who was born at this time to help humanity during this most chaotic and stressful of times with your unique, powerful gifts.

On a visit to Jerusalem, Bruce Feiler has a revelation: the stories of the Bible occurred in real places, places he could visit today. So he sets out on a perilous 10,000 mile journey retracing the greatest stories ever told.

How Would Jesus Vote? isn't intended to tell you which candidates to support; rather it offers you a Christ-centered understanding of the world to help you draw your own political conclusions. This election, don't cast an uninformed vote that fails to reflect your values. Instead, learn how to apply your faith and obedience to God to your ballot. This timely, helpful, and hopeful book will enable you to do just that.

Buddhism has seen a resurgence from time to time during our history. This is because its beliefs and spiritual practices seem to resonate with people when they are feeling lost or in need of guidance. Buddhism sums up the basic essence of Buddhism. This book is going to help you better understand what Buddhism is, how it can benefit you, and how you can apply it in your routine life.

Although it is nearly 1,500 years old, The Rule of St. Benedict remains one of the most influential texts in the Western monastic movement. It offers a unique insight into the early development of Christian monasticism as monks secluded themselves from the world to fulfil religious vows. For believers, it continues to offer guidance about incorporating meditation and prayer into devotions, the quiet times of reflection when the focus is on God, through prayer or Bible study.

Originally written as 13 individual books around 397 CE, Augustine of Hippo's Confessions is one of the most referenced works in the Western literary tradition. Augustine lived from 354-430 CE, and the work is in part an autobiography. But it also tells us much about the period in which he lived. The first nine books draw a compelling narrative of the first 43 years of Augustine's life, which were spent in North Africa and Italy. In the 10th book, Augustine uses these experiences as a meditation on the nature of memory.

C. S. Lewis may be most famous for his fiction, including children's books like the Chronicles of Narnia series. But in his 1952 book Mere Christianity - originally printed as three separate pamphlets in 1942, 1943, and 1944 - this eclectic and learned man documents his complex journey from atheism to faith.

Overcome insecurities, love your flaws, and shine like a star. Embracing the astrological energy of each unique personality in your world can provide cosmic relief to everyday chaos and noise. As the planets cycle through the houses of the horoscope, so do individual ups and downs. Taking astrology aspects like your sun sign and rising sign into consideration, Mindfulness Through the Stars teaches you to use your personal horoscope for self-knowledge and self-care.

In this six-session Bible study, Karen Ehman helps you rediscover the life-changing joy that comes from putting others first. In a culture that tells us a me-first, you-second way of living is the key to happiness, Ehman explains that the key to moving forward in almost every facet of your life is to embrace backward living. Listen, Love, Repeat gives you both the encouragement and practical, daily ways you can reach out to others with both planned and random acts of kindness.