Early Religions

In Speaking with the Dead in Early America, historian Erik R. Seeman undertakes a 300-year history of Protestant communication with the dead. Seeman chronicles the story of Protestants' relationships with the deceased from Elizabethan England to puritan New England and then on through the American Enlightenment into the middle of the nineteenth century with the explosion of interest in Spiritualism. He brings together a wide range of sources to uncover the beliefs and practices of both ordinary people, especially women, and religious leaders.

Even as Julie worries about how her children are coping with the loss of their father and the recent move to their new ghost-town home in Mae’s Second Chance, her youngest son is quietly searching through one of the centuries-old buildings for a treasure he believes that his father means for him to find. But what he eventually discovers is not at all what he expects.Julie Engstrom has brought her family to the deserted ghost town of Mae’s Second Chance. She knew that her family needed something different as they struggled to deal with the loss that has changed their lives forever. Her ...

Discover the Hidden World of Mandaeism Unlock the mysteries of one of the world’s oldest and most enigmatic religions with "Mandaeism for Beginners: A Journey Through Mandaean History and Practice." This book takes you on an unforgettable journey through the rich tapestry of Mandaean beliefs, rituals, and historical contexts, offering a window into a faith that has survived millennia of change and challenge. Unearth Ancient Wisdom Dive into the captivating origins of Mandaeism, tracing its roots back to ancient Mesopotamia. Learn how this Gnostic tradition, with influences from Babylonian...

This volume continues to trace the development of Madhyamaka Buddhist philosophy in India after its initiator, Nagarjuna. It consists of translations of Sanskrit texts into easily readable English for the general educated public interested in Buddhism or philosophy. Notes and separate Essays dealing with the philosophical content are also included. Presented in this volume are the central philosophical writings of the last two prominent Indian Madhyamikas and two Madhyamaka critiques of the idea of a creator God. Parts of two texts by Chandrakirti are presented: Chapter 6 of Entering the ...

Pascal illuminates the substantial differences between the early church and the Church of today. Formerly, it was necessary to forsake the world in order to be received into the Church, while people now enter the Church at the same time as they enter the world. There was thus an essential distinction between the world and the Church, the two being considered as two opposites.

Early Scenes in Church History, is the eighth in a series of 17 books called The Faith-Promoting Series. Published between 1879 and 1915, this series of books was published by the Juvenile Instructors Office for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints. It was George Q. Cannon's inspiration that produced the series, however. In 1866, Cannon, then a member of the Quorum of the 12, began publication of a magazine for youth and young adults called The Juvenile Instructor, which he owned and published until his death in 1901, when his family sold the magazine to the LDS Church's Sunday School organization. Thus, in 1882 when the present work, Early Scenes in Church History, was published, it was a work undertaken under the direction of Cannon, with the blessing of the Church's governing leadership.

Moses’ encounter with God on the summit of Mount Sinai, as told in the biblical book of Exodus, contains a number of peculiarities and paradoxes. Early Christian mystics seized on these as clues to the spiritual understanding of Moses’ experiences, and as guides to the practice of contemplation. In this course, we will examine five moments in Moses’ ascent of Mount Sinai

The five world religions are Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Each religion has a different history, a different prophet, and a different set of rituals and traditions, all coming to the same conclusion. That conclusion is this: To honor that which is divine is to honor one’s self and to honor one’s fellow man. A good, righteous, virtuous life looks the same in every religion: It is to live with truth, kindness, respect, and forgiveness, for one’s self and for others.

The early Church faced its share of villains - persecutors like Nero and Julian, heretics like Marcion and Arius. And what good were they? Plenty, say the Church fathers. The threat of persecution made Christians strong and bold. As noted author Mike Aquilina demonstrates in Villains of the Early Church: And How They Made Us Better Christians, the menace of heresy made Christians smarter - and deepened their knowledge of the divine mysteries. The villains of the ancient world proved the mettle of heroes like Peter and Paul, Irenaeus and Athanasius.

When Jesus sent 70 disciples on ahead of him, part of their mission was to heal the sick. In fact, they were supposed to heal the sick before they preached the Gospel. Best-selling author Mike Aquilina calls this command the healing imperative. And it's an imperative that ushered in the world of modern medicine. In The Healing Imperative: The Early Church and the Invention of Medicine as We Know It, Aquilina reconstructs the fascinating history of a uniquely Christian institution: the hospital.

The Religions Book clearly explains the key concepts behind the earliest religious beliefs right up to the world's newest faiths, getting to the heart of what it means to believe with jargon-free descriptions that encapsulate every aspect of religious thinking. Examine major historical developments and ideas with a universal timeline, providing a global perspective on the origins and major events that have contributed to the growth and spread of religion and spirituality.

What do we call each other? It’s a deceptively simple question, because how we refer to one another is how we understand our relationships. Not recognizing the power of our words makes it harder for us to trust and serve one another―to love one another. In More than Christians, Norman Hubbard explores how the early church used common words in uncommon ways to make sense of their relationships with God and with one another. His research and contextualization of the cultural background to the New Testament is as practical for today as it is urgent.

In the west, Hinduism is a religion that everyone has heard of, but one that few truly understand. It is regarded as one of the world's great religions and considered the indigenous religion of India. However, Hinduism, as it is conceived of today, is a conglomerate of a number of indigenous Indian religions. It was only the nonindigenous populations in India, namely the Turks and later the British, who defined what Hinduism was.

The messages are short, and can easily be read in a few minutes. Try one each day and see if the Holy Spirit doesn't take the information and improve your life.

From her own experiences - her struggles and victories on the way to peace - Eugenia Price offers in this book a step-by-step guide for all who seek a new, happy, and complete life. This thrilling and inspiring chronicle of spiritual adventure lifts the heart and head of the listener, as the widely respected Christian author and speaker lets Christ speak through her to those who long to follow him as Lord of their lives.

In this comprehensive survey, Williams offers concise descriptions of the background, beliefs, practices, and leaders of America's most influential and distinctive religious movements and denominations.

Today, we live in a world that is asking, “Can God?” Do we believe miracles and promises from God are for another age? Hebrews tells us plainly that God is the same today as he was yesterday. The story of Mike Martin and Vivian is the story of miracles, of prayers answers, of mountains moved. It is the story that could have only been realized By Faith and nothing else. It is the testament that God is at work today and that the miraculous can happen each and every day if we are willing to see it.

In Jesus Taught It, Too!: The Early Roots of the Law of Attraction, Philip Harris examines over 70 quotes from the Master. He shows that, contrary to recent claims and "revelation" the Law of Attraction has not been a "Secret" at all. Instead, it has been there for all to see for over two thousand years.

Did you know that Christianity has gone through many changes since its origin? Over two thousand years ago, a Jewish man was born into a society in turmoil. It is impossible to tell the story of Christianity without understanding the man behind it. What were the lives of Jesus and his followers like? How were their words so impactful that they changed history and affected the lives of billions of people over the course of two thousand years?

This volume offers an accessible investigation of the Naassene discourse embedded in the anonymous Refutation of All Heresies (completed about 222 CE), in order to understand the theology and ritual life of the Naassene Christian movement in the late second and early third centuries CE. The work provides basic data on the date, genre, and provenance of the Naassene discourse as summarized by the author of the Refutation (or Refutator).