Sacred Theology

In her inimitable style of memoir and personal reflection, Nora Gallagher explores the beauty and mystery of this most fascinating of topics. Whether exploring the history of Christian communion, taking us inside the workings of a soup kitchen, or sharing times of joy and sadness with friends, she reminds us what it means to partake of, and be part of, the body of Christ.

God uses broken vessels exclusively in the service of His Kingdom. Do you struggle with feeling unworthy of God's grace? Are you overwhelmed by regret and resentment over things that happened in the past (or are still going on in your life today)? Do you have a habit or sin that no matter how many times you "give it to God" you can't seem to shake? Have you ever truly examined yourself before the judgment seat of God? Do you ever struggle to know for sure that you've been saved when time-and-time again you find yourself falling back into the ways of the flesh? This isn't a light-hearted ...

A profound call to Christian discipleship. An intensive course in Christian faith. A creative freedom to serve God that is deeply grounded in Scripture. These are ways to describe Sacred Listening, James L. Wakefield's adaptation of the classic Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola.

In this Very Short Introduction Stephen J. Davis discusses the history of monasticism, from our earliest evidence for it, and the different types that have developed from antiquity to the present day. He considers where monasteries are located, from East Asia to North America, and everywhere in between, and how their settings impact the everyday life and worldview of the monks and nuns who dwell there. Exploring how monastic communities are organized, he also looks at how aspects of life like food, sleep, sex, work, and prayer are regimented.

Despite significant improvement in interfaith dialogue in some quarters between Christians and Jews, many Christians still maintain theological positions that are inimical to fundamental Jewish beliefs, and consequently, to the Jewish people. The essential perspective that sets the tone for Christian attitudes toward Jews and Judaism is their theological view of the Torah.

A compilation of narratives and histories based on the largely unheard or ignored perspectives of Scientologists themselves, Among the Scientologists draws on six years of interviews, fieldwork, and research conducted among members of the Church of Scientology. This groundbreaking work examines features of the new religion's history, theology, and praxis in ways that move discussion beyond apostate-driven and expose accounts.

Seasons of Wonder is a plea to view and encounter the divine not in terms of certitude but as a vast, unfolding mystery. Focused on the oft-forgotten idea that mystery and marvel are essential components of faith, each week reveals something to do - an easy activity centered around the wonder of being alive - as well as something to contemplate in conversation.

Few Biblical figures are as intriguing and mysterious as Enoch. He is mentioned only a few times in the canonical Hebrew Bible, but the impact of his story went on to affect the theology of many books written during the Second Temple Era. It also set the foundation for the development of many of the ideas found in the early Christian movement. Enoch’s importance continued beyond the destruction of the Temple and survived in a new form in later rabbinic tradition. Discover the mystery of Enoch, and the fascinating impact it had on the development of Judaism and Christianity.

At the age of 21, Monica Baldwin - the niece of Stanley Baldwin - entered one of the most strictly enclosed contemplative orders of the Roman Catholic Church. At the age of 48, and after struggling with her vocation for many years, she left the convent. But the world Monica had known and forsaken in 1914 was very different from the world into which she emerged at the height of the Second World War.

Transcending Architecture considers the mysterious, profound, and real power of designed environments to address the spiritual dimension of our humanity. The book offers a wide, critical, and nuanced understanding of the lived relationship between the built and the numinous worlds. It examines phenomenological, symbolic and designerly ways in which the holy gets fixed and experienced through buildings, landscapes, and urban forms, and not just in institutionally defined religious or sacred places. Transcending Architecture brings together a stellar group of scholars and practitioners to share their insights: architect Juhani Pallasmaa and philosopher Karsten Harries, comparative religion scholar Lindsay Jones and architectural theoretician Karla Britton, sacred architecture researcher Thomas Barrie and theologian Kevin Seasoltz, landscape architect Rebecca Krinke and Faith & Form magazine editor Michael Crosbie, are among the illustrious contributors.

Satan Unmasked examines passages of scriptures concerning Satan and the origins of how he evolved into doctrines and belief systems, taking on many different forms as the embodiment of evil.

For the hermits and communal monks of antiquity, the desert was a place to flee the cacophony of ordinary life in order to hear and contemplate the voice of God. But these monks discovered something surprising in their harsh desert surroundings: far from empty and silent, the desert is richly reverberant. Sonorous Desert shares the stories and sayings of these ancient spiritual seekers, tracing how the ambient sounds of wind, thunder, water, and animals shaped the emergence and development of early Christian monasticism.

Mystic Magazine: Islamic Mystical Theology - A Conversation with Imam Ghazzali.

Pastor Donna Schaper takes the long view of religious institutions in an age of rapid change. The question of who the Church is today—and how it employs its buildings—is connected to the Church’s past identities and future hopes. Remove the Pews offers concrete suggestions on how congregations can open their church spaces to revive their spirits. From welcoming local dance troupes to serving undocumented persons, Schaper demonstrates how the imagination is the only limit to what church buildings mean and can do.

We are witnessing things today that the prophets of Israel longed to see. God is fulfilling his word in our generation! If you want to understand what God is doing in these last days, you must understand what he is doing with Israel. It is here that the Bible's prophecies regarding the end of the age will all unfold.

I bring forth the sacred doctrines, perennial teachings, and ancient wisdom within this book as I will follow the original line of consciousness and how it has spread throughout this known universe. I will give to us the conscious path throughout the three origins of this earth’s cycle. They are the belief structures that evolved from Animism in European, Indian, and Paleo-Indian. I will now explain how the plane of dark, created by the universal mind was corrupted and is attempting to be taken over by the outer universe within our own galaxy.

This is a wonderful and detailed history of monks and monasteries, focusing on the evolution of Christian places of seclusion for prayer and meditation. Written and published in 1900, this book provides the reader with historical insight into the variety of practices that monks enjoined. Interestingly, the author near the end of the book provides a cogent critique of monasteries for their extremism.

The Catholic church teaches firmly that there is a hell and all those who die in mortal sin, as enemies of God, are unworthy of eternal life and will be severely punished by God after death. In this book Rev. F. X. Schouppe expands on the topic of hell, demonstrating its very real existence and refuting the modern claims that hell is not real.

Tulsi Devi (Vrinda—Holy Basil) is a sacred plant in Hindu belief. She is regarded as an earthly manifestation of the goddess Srimati Tulsi Devi, and is as an avatar of Lakshmi, and thus the consort of Vishnu. The offering of her leaves is mandatory in the worship of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Tulsi is regarded as the holiest of all plants and a bridge between heaven and earth. A traditional prayer teaches the creator Brahma and the Ganges resides in her branches, all holy pilgrimage centers in her roots, all deities are in her stem and leaves, and the Vedas are found in parts of her branches.

Mystic Magazine: Hindu Mystical Theology - A Conversation with Sri Ramakrishna.