Spiritual Biography

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.

In 1974, Jim and Tammy Bakker launched their television show, The PTL Club, from a former furniture store in Charlotte, North Carolina, with half a dozen friends. By 1987, they stood at the center of a ministry empire that included their own satellite network, a 2300-acre theme park visited by six million people a year, and millions of adoring fans.

In the 17th century, within the quiet stone walls of a Franciscan convent in Ágreda, Spain, an extraordinary story unfolded. María de Jesús de Ágreda, known to history as The Lady in Blue, was no ordinary nun. While bound to the cloistered life of prayer and contemplation, María’s spirit was anything but confined. She possessed a miraculous gift—bilocation—the ability to be in two places at once. Guided by the mysterious angel Azul, María’s spiritual journey took her far beyond the convent walls. From the quietude of her cell, she found herself transported across the vast ...

In Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, now expanded with new bonus content, Nabeel Qureshi describes his dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity, complete with friendships, investigations, and supernatural dreams along the way. Providing an intimate window into a loving Muslim home, Qureshi shares how he developed a passion for Islam before discovering, almost against his will, evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and claimed to be God.

Gary Tillery presents a coherent view of Elvis' thoughts through such anecdotes and other recorded facts. We learn, for instance, that Elvis read thousands of books on religion; that his crisis over making mindless movies like Girl Happy led him to writers such as Gurdjieff, Krishnamurti, and Helena Blavatsky; and that, while driving in Arizona, an epiphany inspired him to learn Hindu practice. Elvis came to believe that the Christ shines in everyone and that God wanted him to use his light to uplift people.

Seven years ago, Christian Wiman, a well-known poet and the editor of Poetry magazine, wrote a now-famous essay about having faith in the face of death. My Bright Abyss, composed in the difficult years since and completed in the wake of a bone marrow transplant, is a moving meditation on what a viable contemporary faith - responsive not only to modern thought and science but also to religious tradition - might look like.

Gareth Duignam, born in Dublin, Ireland in 1979, shares his transformative journey in this autobiography. From a life of non-conformity, he embarked on a spiritual awakening that led him to become a teacher, proficient in transmitting potent energies like Shaktipat and the Supramental Force.

George MacDonald was one of the beloved storytellers of the Victorian era. He wrote for children and adults to point to the reality beyond what we see on earth. Sometimes he used fairy tales, and other times he used realistic fiction. His most popular fantasies were for children and include The Princess and the Goblin, The Princess and Curdie, At the Back of the North Wind, The Wise Woman, The Light Princess, and dozens of short fairy tales. He also edited and wrote for the Good Words for the Young magazine. C.S. Lewis first discovered what he called “goodness” in a story by MacDonald, ...

** This book is a memoir ** A naive young man named Brock Talon journeys to the World Headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in New York City, seeking a spiritual paradise. But things are not at all what he expects. Once there, he encounters a creature called The Hanger Man, a blubbery dude named Big Tex and a cute girl with epic breasts. He also chances upon the music icon Michael Jackson, an oddball named Mr. Coffee and various other denizens of that unique place called Bethel. Join Brock as he rubs shoulders with the powerful leaders of the faith, explores the mysteries of Armageddon, ...

A Heart Blown Open chronicles the extraordinary journey of Zen master Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi, whose life landed him in prison long before he landed in a monastery. Experience the successes and failures that led him to found an entirely new form of Buddhism called Mondo Zen. Starting from an abusive and alcoholic home in Wisconsin, Kelly becomes a major force in the counterculture of the 1960s and one of its biggest manufacturers of LSD. He ends up on the run for five years before serving time in a federal prison, and then goes on to spend six years in a Zen monastery. In his fiftieth year...

Adyashanti writes, “Sunyata was the rarest of incarnations. A naturally born enlightened being of singular uniqueness and inventiveness. The story of his life is itself a profound spiritual teaching and a living example of how awakened spirit moves through the challenges of life." Born in Denmark, in 1890, Sunyata was from birth, utterly without desire, ambition and ego. Thus, the name "Sunyata"—and description of "rare-born mystic"—was given to him years later in India by the revered sage, Sri Ramana Maharshi. A lover of silence and solitude, Sunyata remained untouched by the common ...

Dr. Kent and Amber Brantly (with David Thomas) tell of Dr. Brantly's near-death encounter with the Ebola virus in Liberia. The first American diagnosed during the 2014 outbreak, Dr. Brantly's ordeal - including his controversial evacuation to and hospitalization in the United States - received worldwide media attention. Interspersed in the account is the full story of how both Kent and his wife, Amber, sought to serve others in the name of Christ in Liberia.

Every human being will die. Death is not necessarily a common topic of conversation, but it is a universal experience. However, it is also tinged by a sense of the arcane and the obscure, since people who die can’t generally share their experiences with the rest of humanity. Thus, we look to the wisdom of the living in order to attempt to comprehend death. Victor Methos, author, attorney, and philosopher, in this book has examined the varied viewpoints regarding death and its significance to ten of the greatest intellects mankind has ever produced. These renowned thinkers emerged from ...

Theodore Roosevelt is well-known as a rancher, hunter, naturalist, soldier, historian, explorer, and statesman. While Roosevelt's life has been written about from many angles, no modern book probes deeply into his engagement with religious beliefs, practices, and controversies despite his lifelong church attendance and commentary on religious issues. Theodore Roosevelt: Preaching from the Bully Pulpit traces Roosevelt's personal religious odyssey from youthful faith and pious devotion to a sincere but more detached adult faith.

From Hollywood dreams to spiritual darkness—and ultimately, to redemption through Christ. In this raw and riveting memoir, Alex Smith takes listeners on a powerful journey through the highs and horrors of life in the entertainment world of Los Angeles. Caught in a web of occult influence, gang violence, and inner torment, Alex spirals deeper into spiritual chaos—haunted by demons both figurative and literal. But just when all hope seems lost, a divine rescue unfolds. This is not just a story of survival—it's a supernatural testimony of God's relentless grace.

This book was written and compiled by Hudson Taylor’s son, Frederick Taylor, along with his wife Geraldine. They gathered never-before-published letters from Hudson and his wife Maria, as well as several accounts and testimonies from other witnesses to their lives. These are some of the most powerful writings in modern church history, and show the inner life of one of the greatest missionaries since the apostles.

Albert Einstein remains renowned around the world for revolutionizing our understanding of the cosmos, but very few realize that the celebrated scientist had a deep spiritual side. Einstein believed that one wondrous force was woven through all things everywhere—and this sense of the pervasive sacred influenced every aspect of his existence, from his marvelous science to his passionate pacifism.

Enjoy a fun, laugh-provoking travel book with a swampy Louisiana gal who romps through the Northern Hemisphere, allowing her destiny to become her guide! Marie France, who planned a two month jaunt through Europe, finds herself on the pulsating Hippie Trail in Kathmandu. As a seeker, she has a two-fold quest; discovering the world and discovering herself. She studies Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism and Hedonism, with a bit of yoga. Her rollicking adventures cover 16 countries; including crossing the Sahara Desert, playing a lead role in a Spaghetti Western film and modeling on the catwalks of ...

"Loved it! Highly entertaining." (See below) Can YOU handle the TRUTH of this SHOCKING CULT CLASSIC? WARNING: THIS GROUND-BREAKING & ORIGINAL TRUE STORY MAY CHANGE YOUR LIFE... A dark, painful, vulgar, true to life story of simply being human. It's written with flair, honesty and without doubt love, and is the kind of book that could readily be misunderstood. The degree to which you reject the storyteller and his tale will tellingly reveal how you judge yourself. Paul Pisces writes with charm, wit and style about the parts of me I'd rather disown. By his owning those parts in him, I too am ...

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.